Chapter 7: Defying Heaven, Reaching the Ultimate Realm in Moments!

Cloud Quinny arrived at the Combat Technique Pavilion. "Young Sect Master, what brings you here?" The Fourth Elder on duty couldn't help asking. "I was just wandering around. I happened to pass by, so I came in for a look." Cloud Quinny made up an excuse on the spot, afraid the Fourth Elder would worry and refuse to let him in. "The Ten Sects Assembly is the day after tomorrow. People from every sect will be gathering near Lorton. Young Sect Master, don't go out tomorrow. Wait until the day after tomorrow and come with us to observe the Ten Sects Assembly," the Fourth Elder urged. He feared Cloud Quinny would slip out alone again. If someone with ill intent set their sights on him, it would be trouble. Earlier, Cloud Quinny had vanished. The entire Profound Heaven Sect had been thrown into a panic. If Cloud Quinny hadn't returned, they would have sent people out in all directions to search. All the Fourth Elder wanted was for Cloud Quinny to stay put in the Profound Heaven Sect and only go out after the Ten Sects Assembly ended. "Fourth Elder, don't worry. I won't go out before the Ten Sects Assembly," Cloud Quinny said quickly. "Good." The Fourth Elder finally relaxed. "Fourth Elder, I'm bored. I want to look at some combat techniques," Cloud Quinny said. "Look all you want, Young Sect Master, but whatever you do, don't secretly train them on a whim," the Fourth Elder warned. "Combat techniques can be too powerful. Your cultivation base can't support it, and you'll injure your meridians." After that reminder, he let Cloud Quinny into the Combat Technique Pavilion. The pavilion had two floors. The first floor was open only to disciples. The second floor was reserved for Elders. Cloud Quinny had no restrictions, and he went straight up to the second floor. There weren't many combat techniques here, only thirty-two in total, all of them Profound Grade Combat Technique. Combat techniques were divided into six ranks: Yellow Grade, Profound Grade, Earth Grade, Heaven, Sacred Grade, and Divine Grade Combat Technique. Yellow Grade Combat Technique was the lowest, while Divine Grade Combat Technique stood at the very pinnacle. In the ten great sects of Lorton, a Profound Grade Combat Technique was exceedingly precious. They were not casually passed down to disciples. Only those who had made major contributions to the sect, or those with truly astonishing potential, were permitted to cultivate them. Cloud Quinny frowned as he scanned the combat techniques on the second floor. There was a bit of everything. The problem was figuring out what suited him. "Pick Windsoar Steps and Overlord Sword Slash. Don't bother with the rest. They're all trash," the silver-haired woman said. "Trash…" Cloud Quinny's mouth twitched. Still, considering how mysterious she was, and how she could even turn starlight and moonlight into clothing, it made sense that Profound Grade Combat Technique wouldn't impress her. Cloud Quinny took Windsoar Steps and Overlord Sword Slash from the shelves. "Senior, these two should be strong, right?" he asked at once. If she had chosen them, they couldn't be too bad. "They're trash too," the silver-haired woman said flatly. "Just slightly better trash compared to the other trash." Cloud Quinny could only smile bitterly. He had thought he'd stumbled onto some hidden top-tier combat technique, or at least a fragment of one. Instead, it was just picking the tallest among the short. "Even with the Heaven-Swallowing Divine Vein, you haven't grown into it yet," the silver-haired woman said coldly. "No matter how strong you become, you still need to learn how to stay alive." She continued, "Windsoar Steps has little offensive power, but it can boost your speed by a huge margin. At a critical moment, it can save your life." Hearing that, Cloud Quinny nodded in realization. "Senior, what about Overlord Sword Slash?" "Overlord Sword Slash is the most powerful of all the combat techniques here. Once unleashed, its force is domineering and brutal." Her gaze remained indifferent. "But its flaw is obvious. It demands extremely tough meridians." "If your meridians aren't resilient enough, using Overlord Sword Slash for a long time will damage them, and it can even cause them to rupture." "But with the Heaven-Swallowing Divine Vein, you don't need to worry about that." Only then did Cloud Quinny understand why she had chosen these two: one for movement, one for offense, perfectly complementing each other. "Senior, choosing two combat techniques at once… I'm afraid it'll take me a while to master them." Cloud Quinny stared at the manuals, hesitating over which to learn first. "It won't take a while," the silver-haired woman said. "A moment is enough." "A moment?" Cloud Quinny knit his brows, confused. "Cultivate whichever one you want first," she said. "You'll understand." Cloud Quinny opened Windsoar Steps. He had flipped through it here before when he was bored. Back then, the obscure True Energy Circulation Diagram had given him a headache. When he opened it again, he froze. It wasn't difficult. It was simple. So simple it was almost absurd. The instant his eyes landed on it, he understood it. Not only that, the entire True Energy Circulation Diagram etched itself into his mind, carved deep into his awareness as if it had always been there. How was that possible? Cloud Quinny felt disbelief rise in his chest. He tried circulating his true energy, following the True Energy Circulation Diagram. Windsoar Steps. A gust sprang up beneath his feet, and he flashed a full zhang away in an instant. He had mastered it… One glance. One attempt. And he had mastered Windsoar Steps. This was a Profound Grade Combat Technique. Cloud Quinny had seen the Profound Heaven Sect's eldest senior brother cultivate Profound Grade combat techniques before. It had taken him three whole years to succeed, and that senior brother had been the most talented among all the disciples. "Keep going. Don't stop," the silver-haired woman said. Cloud Quinny answered and continued to use Windsoar Steps as she instructed. After the second use, he felt noticeably smoother, and the true energy consumption dropped sharply. After training for a short while, his speed grew faster and faster. Then, all of a sudden- A strange enlightenment blossomed in his heart. He stepped out, and that single stride carried him ten zhang. Wind curled around him, visible like a ribbon of air. In that moment, Cloud Quinny felt Windsoar Steps undergo a dramatic transformation. "Senior, what's happening?" "The Windsoar Steps you cultivated went from Beginner to Lesser Completion, then to Greater Completion," the silver-haired woman said. "You've surpassed Greater Completion. You've reached the Ultimate Realm." "The Ultimate Realm Windsoar Steps you have cultivated is equivalent to a Quasi-Earth Grade Combat Technique." "Ultimate Realm… Quasi-Earth Grade…" Cloud Quinny was stunned. Ultimate Realm was the absolute limit of a combat technique. Once a technique was cultivated beyond Greater Completion, it could usually unleash its full power. But that still wasn't the strongest it could be. Above Greater Completion was Ultimate Realm, where a combat technique's power could surge to more than double. Only… Reaching Greater Completion was already difficult. Ultimate Realm was practically a legend. Cloud Quinny knew he had never possessed this kind of ability before. It had to be connected to the Heaven-Swallowing Divine Vein. Still, going from Beginner to Ultimate Realm in one breath… that was simply too heaven-defying. "The Heaven-Swallowing Divine Vein you possess is the strongest set of meridians in the human world," the silver-haired woman said. "Forget Profound Grade combat techniques. Even Sacred Grade, even Divine Grade Combat Technique, you can cultivate them quickly." "Even Divine Grade Combat Technique… in mere moments?" Cloud Quinny's breathing quickened. "Of course." Cloud Quinny's blood surged with excitement. If he could obtain a Divine Grade Combat Technique, wouldn't he be able to unleash that terrifying might? Divine Grade Combat Technique wouldn't be easy to find. But that was fine. He could search slowly. "Senior, I remember you once said the Heaven-Swallowing Divine Vein is part of the Supreme Divine Body," Cloud Quinny asked. "Then what are the other parts of the Supreme Divine Body?" "It's useless for you to know right now," she replied. "Your cultivation base is too low. You can't restore the Primeval Deity-Sealing Hall's power." "When your cultivation base is high enough to open the Primeval Deity-Sealing Hall, you can restore its power and rebuild the other parts." "As for the rest, don't ask. Even if you ask, I won't tell you." Seeing she had no intention of saying more, Cloud Quinny didn't press further. After that, he continued cultivating Overlord Sword Slash…