Integration and Mastery

Nearly three months passed in the game world, while only three days elapsed in the real world. This felt like an eternity to Ye Qingyun and his sister.

“Ugh, three more days have gone by. I suddenly feel so incredibly bored,” Ye Qingxue lamented.

Indeed, being trapped within the Five Poisons Sect offered little excitement. Beyond endless cultivation, there was nothing to do. Though Ye Qingyun occasionally allowed her to control their shared body for a brief reprieve, the monotony persisted. She yearned to escape.

“Sigh! You’re right,” Ye Qingyun remarked, a note of resignation in his voice. “We still have nearly two more years to endure before we gain our freedom. Who knows what this world will even look like by then?”

Having voiced his frustration, Ye Qingyun proceeded to the disciple administration office to collect his monthly cultivation resources. His allocation included thirty low-grade Cultivation Pills and thirty low-grade True Qi Pills.

His next layer of meridians required an internal cultivation of twenty-five levels to unlock. Over these three months, Ye Qingyun had only managed to cultivate the Serpent Charm Art to its sixth level.

At the sixth level, the skill began to manifest special effects.

Ye Qingyun had already cultivated the Serpent Charm Art to a state of complete mastery, a remarkably swift pace. The Five Poisons Sect, too, had largely stabilized.

His current attributes were as follows:

[Attributes: Serpent Charm Art, Arm Strength 30, Agility 33, Physique 30, Internal Breath 50, True Qi 35]

Despite a five-level increase in his cultivation realm, his attributes had not seen a significant boost. Moreover, the Arm Strength attribute, which Ye Qingyun prioritized, had barely increased. The Serpent Charm Art appeared to primarily enhance Internal Breath and True Qi.

Now, when Ye Qingyun employed the Viper Palm, it carried a subtle, sinister aura.

The day-to-day affairs of the Five Poisons Sect were currently irrelevant to Ye Qingyun and his companions. They wouldn’t embark on missions until their cultivation reached the realm of [Divine Mastery], so they knew their quiet days would stretch on.

Most of the original disciples from the Five Poisons Sect and the Phoenix Immortal Sect had already departed, fanning out across the surrounding areas in search of specific ingredients. Their primary objective was to find spiders, snakes, toads, scorpions, and centipedes.

The more poisonous and rare these creatures were, the better. Common venomous creatures only yielded the most ordinary spirit poisons, with equally ordinary effects. To obtain superior spirit poisons, they had to target rarer, more exotic species.

However, these rare venomous creatures lurked deep within mountains and swamps, making them far from easy to locate.

Armed with specialized tools, these disciples traversed ancient burial grounds, towns, and villages, meticulously collecting their desired items.

Meanwhile, Ye Qingyun was engrossed in his cultivation within his residence, consuming Cultivation Conversion Pills to accelerate his internal energy growth.

Since he began cultivating the Serpent Charm Art, Ye Qingyun had undergone a subtle transformation. He felt remarkably at ease, his mind clear of unpleasant thoughts or unresolved issues. Even stranger, his concerns seemed to have diminished.

It was as if he floated, his entire being light and unburdened.

As he meditated, Sheling, the demonic soul behind him, which was originally pitch-black, now emanated a blood-red glow after the Serpent Charm Art’s influence, creating an unsettlingly eerie sight.

The Serpent Charm Art allowed Ye Qingyun to completely internalize his emotions, presenting an almost blank canvas to others. Standing before him, one would feel as if they faced an emotionless stone sculpture—such was his profound tranquility.

“Thump!” A moment later, a surge of demonic energy erupted from Ye Qingyun’s body, a clear indication of a breakthrough in his internal cultivation.

This burst of sinister aura startled Mo Qinyin, who opened her dim eyes and glanced at Ye Qingyun, a peculiar expression flickering in her gaze.

‘Another breakthrough? It seems Sister Qingrou’s innate talent is superior to ours from the start,’ Mo Qinyin mused inwardly, a hint of awe in her thoughts. ‘At this rate, she’ll reach the [consummate mastery] realm in less than a year.’

Mo Qinyin’s cultivation speed was not as rapid as Ye Qingyun’s; she was currently only proficient. Her foundation, in particular, wasn’t as strong as Ye Qingyun’s.

Ye Qingyun spent several minutes stabilizing his new realm.

[Serpent Charm Art (Seventh Level) Arm Strength 33, Agility 35, Physique 33, Internal Breath 55, True Qi 38] [Internal Skill Special Effect: Attacks have a chance to render the enemy’s spirit disoriented.]

To his disappointment, his attributes had only increased by a single point once again.

“Sister Qingrou, what cultivation method are you practicing? This doesn’t seem like the Five Poisons Heart Technique, does it?” Mo Qinyin couldn’t help but ask, waiting until Ye Qingyun had paused his cultivation.

Ye Qingyun slowly opened his eyes and offered Mo Qinyin a gentle smile.

“Heh heh, I’m cultivating the Serpent Charm Art,” Ye Qingyun replied. There was no need to hide it, as they were both players.

“Eh? The Serpent Charm Art? Is that an Iron-grade cultivation method?” Mo Qinyin inquired, surprised.

“Indeed. I’ve already reached the seventh level,” Ye Qingyun said with a smile.

“That fast? It seems I might be doing something wrong. Perhaps I should also switch to a different internal cultivation method,” Mo Qinyin remarked, as she was still practicing the Five Poisons Heart Scripture.

“Heh heh, it’s about finding what suits you best. Come on, let’s go for a walk,” Ye Qingyun suggested.

Mo Qinyin nodded. The two donned their veils and exited their residence.

As they walked, they eventually arrived at the sect’s training grounds. This was where disciples sparred, and it was bustling with activity as many, having achieved some success in their studies, were eager to test their skills.

The battles were diverse, and there were even betting matches.

At that moment, a disciple from the Centipede Spirit Pavilion stood proudly on the arena stage.

“One Cultivation Conversion Pill per match! Who dares to challenge me?” the Centipede Spirit Pavilion disciple declared, casting an arrogant glance at the crowd below.

“I’ll give it a try!” A disciple from the Scorpion Spirit lineage leaped onto the stage.

Ye Qingyun and Mo Qinyin stood to the side, observing.

No sooner had the two faction disciples stepped onto the stage than they summoned their respective spirit poisons. They then combined these with basic combat techniques to engage in battle.

The spirit poisons appeared quite effective, if a little unsettling. One could see the Scorpion Spirit disciple’s spirit poison lash out with a hook-like appendage, striking the Centipede Spirit disciple’s spirit poison and sending it flying.

Their current attacks were still very direct and lacked intricate combat techniques. After all, they hadn’t been cultivating for long and had mastered very little.

After a brief exchange, the Centipede Spirit disciple surprisingly managed to suppress the opponent’s spirit poison and claim victory.

Honestly, Ye Qingyun found himself contemplating. He, too, wished to test his abilities. After cultivating for so long, he still wasn’t entirely clear on the full extent of his own techniques.

“Qinyin, I’m going to give it a try,” Ye Qingyun told Mo Qinyin.

Mo Qinyin paused, but didn’t stop him.

“Oh, go ahead then. Be careful not to get hurt,” Mo Qinyin said, understanding Ye Qingyun’s desire to test his skills.

Ye Qingyun nodded and walked directly toward the arena. Amidst the cheers of the surrounding disciples, he ascended the stage.

“Senior Sister, I’d like to spar with you,” Ye Qingyun stated immediately upon reaching the platform.

The female disciple from the Centipede Spirit Pavilion, seeing Ye Qingyun on stage, quickly outlined the rules before regarding her opponent with vigilance.

Ye Qingyun’s blood-red eyes remained fixed on the other disciple’s. For some reason, the Centipede Spirit disciple felt an instinctive unease under Ye Qingyun’s crimson gaze, as if those eyes could pierce directly into her soul.

“Hmph, spirit poison attack!” The Centipede Spirit Pavilion disciple grew impatient and commanded her spirit poison to charge at Ye Qingyun. The spirit poison lunged, claws bared, a sight that would have terrified any ordinary person.