Chapter 5, Fire and Thunder Sword (Part 2)

At this moment, Li Fei felt that his spiritual aperture was as vast as a lake, with starlight pouring in like a galaxy. The energy was rapidly increasing. However, after a while, he still felt unsatisfied. Could he actively absorb it? During his last healing session, it seemed that the vortex allowed for faster absorption of starlight. If there were a passage between the spiritual aperture and the Earth Thief Star, then as long as the attraction on this side increased, he could draw the energy over more quickly.

Once the acupoint is successfully penetrated, it significantly enhances the abilities associated with that specific point. The most notable effect of penetrating the Taixi acupoint is the improvement in lightness skill, which is precisely what Shi Qian excels at

A thunderous explosion was heard, and this mass of energy burst apart, flowing into the meridians, bones, and flesh of the legs, with even the pores visibly expelling air, causing the pant legs to swell outward

After several hours of practice, Li Fei felt as if his spiritual aperture had expanded like an inflated balloon, and he began to feel a sense of fear. One must not be overly greedy, for otherwise, it would lead to destruction. He wanted to stop the vortex, but at this moment, it was as if the ocean had been drained, the vortex was immense, shaking the heavens and the earth, and there was no way to halt it. The starlight continued to pour down wildly.

Generally, those who fall into obsession do so because they cannot let go of their inner fixation. The more they insist, the less they can achieve; the less they can achieve, the more they insist, thus entering a dead end. However, Li Fei is able to maintain clarity at this critical moment of life and death, not letting it weigh on his mind. Once his heart calms down, the vortex loses its momentum and begins to settle on its own. As the gravitational pull diminishes, the force that draws the starlight gradually fades away, allowing him to pass through this ordeal without danger.

Li Fei felt a surge of joy, and with a push of his feet, he leaped forward. Unexpectedly, without much effort, his body shot out rapidly, reaching a distance of four to five meters. Unable to control his momentum, he fell towards the eaves, flailing his arms and legs, and with a "thud," he landed in the snow.

It is rare for the sky to clear and the clouds to disperse tonight, so he simply jumped onto the roof and sat there practicing his skills in harmony and literature

He was startled by his own boldness and greed; isn't this akin to a "small fish swallowing the sea"? If one cannot swallow it all at once, one might risk bursting from the excess

After a period of rigorous training, Li Fei's agility and lightness have significantly improved. With a slight sprint, he can jump up to 3 meters high, and his eyesight, hearing, and perception have also greatly enhanced. Although his body has not shown signs of becoming stronger, he is no longer as sensitive to the cold as before, and can venture into the snow wearing just two thin garments

Summoning the "活宝" (Lively Treasure) Shi Qian filled Li Fei with anticipation for other characters from Water Margin. If he could summon figures like Li Kui and Lu Zhishen to serve as bodyguards, it would be immensely enjoyable. Having all one hundred and eight distinct heroes, each with their own strengths, by his side would be a remarkable sight. He would become the one hundred and ninth hero of Liangshan, a "Supreme Chief" whom even Song Jiang would have to obey.

Li Fei chuckled twice and said, "I am practicing my wrestling skills; this is none of your business. Get ready, we are about to set off soon."

Li Fei was delighted for a moment, but then felt something was amiss. The Heavenly Dream Divine Skill is divided into six levels: Entry, Channeling, Soul Condensation, Spiritual Body, Golden Body, and Divine Transformation. Even a genius would not be able to break through to the second level in just over ten days, right? If it were that easy to master, it certainly wouldn't be considered a divine skill

In recent days, Tang Tiejiang has acquired blacksmithing tools and, with the assistance of several strong men, built a furnace. He transformed two chopping knives into simple blades and also forged five spearheads, which he fitted onto wooden shafts to create short spears about a person's height. His name is Tang Chengpin, which is indeed fitting, as the ironware he produces is top-notch in both appearance and quality. Coupled with the weapons seized from Ma Hu last time, they are already sufficient for use. His name is Tang Chengpin, which is indeed fitting, as the ironware he produces is top-notch in both appearance and quality. Coupled with the weapons seized from Ma Hu last time, they are already sufficient for use.

Once the channel is formed, it is like a riverbed being breached by a flood, gushing forth for miles, continuously pouring into Li Fei's spiritual orifice. In just one hour, the energy absorbed is far greater than what was previously accumulated over a day and night of reading.

But that's not right, how could there be such a huge vortex in the mind? Where in the sky is there substantial starlight pouring into one's forehead? This is merely a visualization during practice, similar to the illusions one sees when first practicing, isn't it?

As thoughts shift, all other starlight fades from view, even the half-moon loses its luster; only one hundred and eight stars form a mysterious pattern, among which one star shines as brightly as the moon, its silver light illuminating his spiritual aperture.

Is it possible that what Shi Qian transmitted is only a part of the techniques, or has he become obsessed with his practice?

Fang Jinhua spent several copper coins to learn about Ma Hu's movements from those refugees, and even clarified the terrain within the farm. It is said that Ma Hu is preparing to hire a formidable individual to deal with Li Fei, but the specific identity of this person is still unknown, and the hired individual has yet to arrive

However, on this night, Li Fei slept like a dead pig, not even having half a dream, let alone the effectiveness of this "Roast Chicken Summoning Technique".

The space of the spiritual cavity is closed, allowing only spiritual energy of the same attribute to enter. In this case, only starlight can be absorbed. Within the spiritual cavity, a powerful suction force is generated, forcibly drawing down the energy of starlight. Previously, it resembled the gentle flow of natural water, but now it is akin to a fully operational pump; the efficiency is no longer the same

Li Fei could not figure out whether it was because Shi Qian himself was not skilled in combat, which resulted in his martial arts lacking corresponding techniques, or if it was because the Tianmeng Divine Skill was merely an internal cultivation method that did not include offensive techniques. Over the past few days, he had also tried various other methods, but none had succeeded in summoning other characters, which left him feeling somewhat frustrated

Clenching his teeth, Li Fei once again activated the energy within his spiritual aperture, causing it to begin rotating, forming a massive vortex within. This time, the energy within the spiritual aperture was significantly stronger than before, and since there were no "www.hetushu.com.com fissures" in the entire space, the gravitational pull created by the vortex was also much more powerful than the last time.

At night, Li Fei even quietly went out to summon Shi Qian, asking him if he could bring out the other characters from the book. To his surprise, Shi Qian looked completely bewildered and was indifferent to his master's command.

Fang Jin and others rushed out upon hearing the sound, and upon seeing him covered in snow with a human-shaped snow pit on the ground, they were taken aback

Summoning a person from a book is indeed an extraordinary feat, and the Heavenly Dream Divine Skill is an unheard-of method of cultivation. There are no experiences to reference, and one can only rely on oneself to explore. Who knows what the next step should be? For now, one can only take it one step at a time; at least tonight marks a significant breakthrough

Having made all necessary preparations, there was no time to delay, lest unforeseen complications arise. Li Fei selected more than twenty individuals, including Tang Tiexian, Fang Jin, Zhao Daqian, and Tian Yimu, all armed with knives, guns, and clubs, ready to set out at midnight to launch an attack on Scarface's lair in the early hours of the morning

Since ancient times, martial arts have emphasized internal cultivation of breath and external training of muscles and skin, leading to the distinction between internal and external schools; practitioners of Taoism are also divided into various sects, some focusing on cultivating the primordial spirit and transcending the physical body, while others refine elixirs from minerals to temper the physical body, making it indestructible like diamond. However, due to the limited time and energy of an individual, it is difficult to study both simultaneously, and conflicts between different sects are inevitable, making those who truly cultivate both internal and external aspects as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.

The crowd dared not laugh and retreated into the temple. Li Fei tried again, jumping up and down effortlessly, and his legs were particularly powerful. With just a casual kick, a stone weighing five to six hundred pounds surprisingly flew several meters away, and his feet felt no pain at all. It seems that the earlier "explosion" of the acupoint was the spiritual energy enhancing the muscles and bones related to the Tai Xi acupoint, and he had now transformed into a pair of "iron feet".

Usually, the spiritual aperture feels like a small space located on the forehead. However, during practice and visualization, the body expands, and the spiritual aperture also enlarges. If the consciousness enters the spiritual aperture for exploration, it becomes even larger, almost as if one is immersed in ocean waves or above clouds.

Under Li Fei's control, the starlight spiritual energy surged forth like a floodgate being opened, rushing down and carving a path within the body, heading straight towards the heels.

Li Fei is not the kind of person who abandons his friends halfway. He cannot simply leave them behind, but he also cannot allow himself to be burdened by them here. As he continues to cultivate the Heavenly Dream Divine Art, he will rise among the ranks of cultivation masters, with a much broader world to explore. How could he be content with being the leader of refugees? He must first arrange a way out for them before he can set off with peace of mind

Various signs indicate that he is making rapid progress, yet he has not learned a single combat technique. The only skills transmitted to him by Shi Qian are "entering the realm" and "piercing the acupoints," without any specific moves.

Li Fei was taken aback, wondering whether he had been too greedy in his practice or if he had employed the wrong methods in his training

However, in this world, it has always been the case that the bold thrive while the timid perish. Those who are fearful and avoid risks will never achieve success in their lives. Wealth and honor are sought in danger; without taking risks, when will there be an opportunity to rise?

He is a person who can both grasp and let go. Modern scientific education has also led him to not be entirely superstitious about techniques, and he no longer pays attention to whirlpools and starlight, nor does he care whether they explode or not, treating them merely as illusions. He directly begins to practice the exercises for energy absorption, directing the energy within his spiritual orifices towards the Tai Xi acupoint.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Fang Jin had already gathered information about Ma Hu's whereabouts. They were now located more than thirty miles to the southwest, where there was an abandoned farmhouse. Originally, some refugees had taken shelter there, but Ma Hu forcibly occupied it and became the leader of that group of refugees.

Li Fei suddenly realized that he had broken through a level and successfully connected the acupoints! Now, the Lingqiao and Taixi acupoints are aligned, allowing him to continuously draw energy from the Lingqiao point, which is vastly different from the intermittent flow he experienced before. Due to his innovative approach of actively absorbing energy, the speed is many times faster than that of passive reception

The Tai Xi point feels as if it is swelling like a balloon, yet the spiritual energy at the Ling Qiao point continues to surge downward. The sensation of swelling becomes increasingly pronounced, as if the area around the ankle has already begun to swell.

The golden characters encountered when touching the runes that day read: "Spirit energy enters the orifice, washing the tendons and cutting the marrow; the malevolent star possesses spirit, commanding gods and spirits; penetrating the acupoints and condensing the soul, the spiritual body becomes the golden form; the heavenly star enters the body, ascending in broad daylight." It is evident that this is related to the Heavenly Dream Divine Skill, and the phrase 'washing the tendons and cutting the marrow' should refer to the entire body, rather than just a single heel.

The Heavenly Dream Divine Art is entirely different from traditional cultivation methods, as it directly infuses the high-dimensional energy of the stars into the body. Upon reaching a certain level, it can both strengthen the physical body to achieve indestructibility and enable the soul to merge with spiritual energy, giving rise to another spiritual entity. This represents true dual cultivation of both the inner and outer aspects, and it is significantly faster than martial or Taoist cultivation.

It's over, it's over, this time it will definitely burst! Li Fei was taken aback, but there was nothing he could do; now he could only wait for death. If he were to blame someone, he could only blame his own greed.

Before going to bed, he was still unwilling to give up and dripped a few drops of roasted chicken oil on the mouths of Gao Yanei and Lin Chong's wife. He was unsure whether this method could draw out other characters. The one hundred and eight heroes were significant figures, and he feared that if he made a mistake, there would be no remedy. Therefore, he decided to first test it on two minor characters.

At a high vantage point, the stars and moon shine together, a cool breeze gently brushes by, and the surroundings are utterly silent. Without the need for any adjustments or meditation, Li Fei has already entered a state of being, feeling himself ascending into the vast void, rising higher and higher, his body growing longer and larger, and the starlight becoming increasingly bright, with each star as large as a wine cup

In the blink of an eye, the dispersed energy contracted back, gathering at the Tai Xi point, forming a small cluster. A distinct flow of energy connected this cluster to the spiritual orifice, with the starlight spiritual energy joyfully flowing along this pathway