Eighth Stage of Kaiyuan

At the Su family home. Chen Hao, who was recuperating from his injuries, sat in the living room trying to read. His head nodded repeatedly, his eyes blurring. Reading books was truly torturous. Yawning, Chen Hao forced his eyes open and glanced toward the bedroom, wondering how Su Yu managed to sit still for so long. After spending all that time cooped up in the room, did top students never even need to pee? *** Inside the bedroom. Su Yu swallowed the drop of yuanqi liquid Bai Feng had condensed that day. Its purity was not overwhelmingly high, making it perfectly suited for his current level. At the same time, Su Yu ingested a drop of Ironwing Bird blood essence he had purchased for thirty thousand coins. He activated the Yuan Absorption Art to devour the yuanqi, ensuring he could absorb as much of the yuanqi liquid as possible. At that moment, Su Yu once again felt the nine apertures of his body stir. Seven apertures were already unlocked. The eighth aperture, the Zique aperture, hung half-open and half-closed. The seven unlocked apertures radiated a glow invisible to ordinary eyes, forming a circuit that was connecting toward the Zique aperture. *Unlock the Zique aperture and formally link the yuanqi network!* The ninth aperture, the Baihui aperture, connected the yuanqi of heaven and earth with the body's interior. Unlocking the eighth aperture, the Zique aperture, allowed a person to form an internal yuanqi circuit. This was the reason the eighth stage of the Kaiyuan Realm possessed true combat strength. Humans cultivated the Kaiyuan Art, which inevitably accumulated some yuanqi within their bodies. Without unlocking the eighth aperture, they could not actively mobilize this yuanqi; it could only passively temper their apertures. Once the eighth aperture opened, they could actively harness that yuanqi. When practicing martial techniques, their strikes would carry yuanqi power, multiplying their lethality. The greatest difference between the eighth and ninth stages of Kaiyuan was that the eighth stage drew upon the body's stored yuanqi, while the ninth stage could connect inside and outside, manipulating natural environmental yuanqi. *Once I unlock the Zique aperture, I'll be able to use martial techniques. My lethality will skyrocket, and I won't have to worry about failing to kill a Qianjun Realm fighter in a single slash anymore!* Su Yu murmured inwardly. Right now, his absorption speed was exceptionally fast. He felt almost unable to hold on! Cultivators in the Kaiyuan Realm normally absorbed very little yuanqi, yet he had not only activated the Yuan Absorption Art with blood essence, but also used half a drop of yuanqi liquid. As a result, both the speed and density of his yuanqi absorption surpassed even ordinary Qianjun Realm cultivators. "Temper the aperture!" Su Yu grunted, directing the surging yuanqi toward the Zique aperture. He had been stuck at the seventh stage for a while. He had officially entered the seventh stage on May 16, and today was already June 5. Nearly twenty days had passed—the longest bottleneck Su Yu had encountered since he began using the Yuan Absorption Art. On top of that, he had Bai Feng's Kaiyuan Art to assist him. Being unable to break through for nearly twenty consecutive days had made Su Yu slightly anxious. *Hum!* The surrounding yuanqi gathered, making the air tremble as wind whipped through the enclosed room. Outside the door, Chen Hao wore a puzzled expression. At the same time, he felt wonderfully comfortable. Though he could not yet see yuanqi, his body could sense something. The pleasant sensation felt like drinking a bowl of hot soup after starving for days. *Being at Yu's place is so comfortable. It must be because my dad isn't around yelling at me,* Chen Hao thought, turning back toward the bedroom. *Is Yu practicing a martial technique? That's quite a racket!* *** *Why isn't it opening yet!* Su Yu felt pushed to his limits. If he failed to break through today, the waste would be astronomical. The yuanqi liquid and blood essence were worth nearly a hundred thousand coins. He had already opened the aperture halfway. If he failed now, resuming next time would require another dose of blood essence and perhaps even more yuanqi liquid. That was not cultivation; that was burning money. Feeling he could no longer endure the pressure, Su Yu abandoned his cross-legged posture and suddenly stood up. He needed an outlet to burn off the stagnant yuanqi pent up inside him, or he would burst. Cultivation did not strictly require sitting cross-legged, nor did it demand complete stillness. However, sitting calmly to absorb yuanqi was the most efficient and least wasteful method during cultivation. Vigorous movement lowered absorption efficiency and caused more yuanqi to go to waste. At this point, Su Yu could not care less about that. If he failed the breakthrough, this yuanqi would dissipate into the surrounding area anyway, and he had no way of pulling it back. Su Yu stood up, shook out his limbs, and began throwing punches. Tiger Fist, a low-grade Yellow-tier fist technique, was the most basic martial form taught to humans. Primarily meant for physical conditioning, it was technically a martial technique, though its yuanqi utilization was low. It relied mainly on physical power to temper the flesh. *Whoosh!* Like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey, Su Yu unleashed rapid punches, each movement stirring fierce gusts of wind. Tiger Fist had been adapted from the combat arts of the Tiger Race, emphasizing fierce power and simple forms. Expand the chest to build power, stomp the ground to boost momentum, and let vigor surge! "Ha!" A thunderous shout escaped his lips. Vocalizing during fist practice bolstered one's momentum, which was why many martial artists shouted continuously during battle. Outside the room, Chen Hao jumped in fright. Yu's shout sounded far more commanding than usual, carrying the genuine menace of a tiger charging in for the kill. Downstairs, an elderly neighbor felt the ceiling shake and looked up. He soon chuckled in amazement. "That kid's Tiger Fist has actually captured some true intent. Put him in the military, and he'd already make a solid fighter!" Though his cultivation was humble—merely in the Kaiyuan Realm—the momentum of that single shout was something even ordinary Qianjun Realm cultivators would struggle to produce. The old man could not see it with his own eyes, but he could hear it. That shout was extraordinary. It was a tiger's roar infused with Su Yu's willpower, making it naturally remarkable. *** "Ha!" Shout followed shout as his arms whipped the air, creating continuous vibrations. His five fingers curved into claws. Though it was a fist form, the Tiger Race's fangs and claws were not for show. With a sharp rip, his fingers sank straight into the wardrobe door, piercing the wood clean through. Su Yu glanced at it and paid it no mind. Practicing indoors within such cramped quarters inevitably caused some damage. By now, having burned through a significant amount of yuanqi, Su Yu no longer felt bloated to bursting. He resumed drawing in yuanqi to temper the aperture. The eighth aperture was gradually breaking open, establishing a yuanqi channel with the other seven apertures. The more Su Yu punched, the smoother his strikes became, and his shouts grew louder and louder. Until a certain moment, when he felt his power surge dramatically. Without the slightest hesitation, Su Yu let loose with a resounding boom, his right fist tearing through the air and smashing into the wardrobe! *Crash!* The wardrobe door shattered! The entire wardrobe disintegrated into splintered fragments, sending wood chips flying everywhere. "Hahaha!" Su Yu could not have cared less about the wardrobe. A wide grin broke across his face. Even though he was far calmer than most teenagers his age, he could not suppress his excitement. The Zique aperture had opened! The eighth stage of the Kaiyuan Realm! *Bang!* The bedroom door was shoved open violently. Chen Hao stared at the pulverized wardrobe, then looked at Su Yu, scratching his head. "Yu, are you all right? Even if the wardrobe Uncle Su bought is hideous, you didn't have to obliterate it!" Panting, Su Yu glanced at him with an expression of sheer helplessness. Was the wardrobe the point? The point was that he had blasted an entire wardrobe to pieces with a single punch. Did this idiot understand what that meant? Before the eighth stage of Kaiyuan, shattering a wardrobe door in one blow was considered impressive—that was the limit of ordinary human strength. Now the entire wardrobe was reduced to splinters, and this guy hadn't thought any deeper than its aesthetics? Against an ordinary human, that single punch would have obliterated them into pieces just the same! Su Yu could not be bothered to explain. He withdrew his fist, stood up, and loosened his limbs. Looking down at his knuckles, he saw not a single scratch. The moment his strike erupted, a faint trace of yuanqi had surfaced, serving as a protective cushion. *The eighth stage of the Kaiyuan Realm!* Su Yu rejoiced inwardly. With twenty days left until the exams, he had reached the eighth stage of Kaiyuan. His first goal was achieved. *I need a saber of my own, and I need to learn a proper combat martial technique to kill enemies. Once I adapt to my new strength and master the technique, I can look for a chance to hunt a mid-stage Qianjun All-Races Sect member.* *I just wonder if any of those scum are still left in Nanyuan. Hopefully they haven't all been wiped out.* Over the past several days, the Wind Arrest Hall had mobilized and dragged out quite a few deeply hidden All-Races Sect members. Encountering a large group now was virtually impossible; catching even a single one would require luck. Su Yu thought to himself, then glanced at Chen Hao. "Clean up the clothes and sweep the room." "Huh?" Chen Hao looked innocent. "I didn't do this." "Then go read. One full hour!" "Ahem, I'll sweep!" Chen Hao decided instantly. He would rather do chores; reading books was not meant for human beings. Only then did Chen Hao seem to realize what had happened. "Yu, did you reach the eighth stage of Kaiyuan?" "You're just noticing?" Su Yu stared at him, speechlessly amused by his absurdly long reaction time. "Whoa, really?!" Chen Hao was stunned. "That's way too fast!" "I already told you last time I was close to the eighth stage. Is breaking through now that surprising?" Su Yu paused, then frowned slightly. "Next time I cultivate, you cultivate too. You're wasting all that stray yuanqi!" Chen Hao had just broken through to the fourth stage, but advancing between the fourth and fifth stages was relatively straightforward. Once one ear aperture was opened, unlocking the other side was much easier. With twenty days remaining before the exam, combined with a bit of luck and a wealth of yuanqi in the air, he might actually have a shot at reaching the fifth stage. Granted, with the fourth stage plus his thirty bonus points, Chen Hao already had solid odds of entering a War Academy. However, better exam results brought greater advantages after enrollment. Bottom-tier students did not have an easy time at the War Academy. "Eighth stage of Kaiyuan..." Chen Hao looked a bit dazed, barely registering what Su Yu had said. A wave of dejection washed over him. Earlier, he had felt quite pleased with himself for reaching the fourth stage. Even though Su Yu had claimed to be at the seventh stage, the seventh and eighth stages were worlds apart. In a bare-knuckle brawl, Chen Hao had believed he might not necessarily lose to a seventh-stage cultivator. At the eighth stage, however, it was no longer just a question of physical conditioning, but the active use of yuanqi. Ten of him combined wouldn't stand a chance against Su Yu. "Yu... am I really that stupid?" Chen Hao asked gloomily. "I just can't bring myself to read. My dad said that Kaiyuan Art is amazing stuff, written by an important figure. You only let me see it because you treat me like a brother, but I just can't absorb it... "Now you're already at the eighth stage of Kaiyuan, and I've only just hit the fourth..." Su Yu ignored his self-pity and said nonchalantly, "Don't compare yourself to me. I'm chasing after the geniuses of the Great Xia Prefecture. You're not trying to catch them; you just need to catch up to Zhou Chong. Beat him into the dirt, and you've succeeded." "Didn't you tell me last time to set my sights higher and keep my eyes on the Tengkong Realm?" "Cut the crap. Goals have to be reached step-by-step. First catch up to Zhou Chong, then enter the Qianjun Realm, advance to the Wanshi Realm, and only then set your sights on Tengkong... I never told you to get there in a single leap. Break your goals down into milestones. Complete them one small step at a time, and you'll find the motivation." This came from Su Yu's own experience. Grand goals were too abstract. Breaking a big goal into bite-sized pieces and clearing them one by one made things easier and kept him motivated. "Is that so?" Chen Hao pondered for a moment, then nodded. "All right then! My goal for now is to trounce Zhou Chong. I'll go beat him up again at the academy tomorrow!" "..." Su Yu felt a strange surge of pity for Zhou Chong. *I meant surpassing him in cultivation realm, not physically beating him up! Zhou Chong already took a beating from you once, and you still want to hit him again? Are you even human?* "Do whatever you want." "Hurry up and clean. When you're done, come with me to the Xia Trading Company." Su Yu wanted to buy some blood essence and look for a suitable weapon. If he had enough money left, he might also consider picking up an appropriate martial technique. Intermediate academies generally provided only foundational martial techniques, which were low-grade Yellow-tier. In a backwater place like Nanyuan, even if they gave you high-grade techniques, you wouldn't be able to learn or use them. An eighth-stage Kaiyuan student didn't appear once in decades. Of course, the instructors possessed mid-grade and high-grade Yellow-tier techniques, but those required merit points to exchange. Su Yu preferred spending money instead. He had realized that merit points were far more useful than cash; for instance, at the Civilization Academy, they could be traded for original all-races cultivation manuals, which money could rarely buy. As for martial techniques, he already had some options. The Blood-Condensing Saber he had seized previously was a mid-grade Yellow-tier martial technique. His father also possessed military martial techniques, but those were best cultivated after entering the Qianjun Realm; attempting to study them now would be too difficult to comprehend. Chen Hao hurried to clean up. Sweeping the floor, he turned his head and asked, "Yu, when we go to the Xia Trading Company, should we buy some demon beast meat to roast? That stuff tastes incredibly savory!" "All you ever think about is eating!" Su Yu cursed under his breath before adding, "We'll see when we get there. Also, if nobody asks, let it be. But if anyone asks why I'm buying blood essence, tell them I'm practicing outlining divine characters." "Oh, got it." Chen Hao didn't mind. In truth, he had been curious about why Su Yu bought so much blood essence. *Could this guy be secretly drinking blood?* His father had warned that consuming blood essence before reaching the Qianjun Realm was exceedingly dangerous. "Yu, how about you teach me how to outline divine characters?" "Huh?" Su Yu paused. "Are you serious?" "My dad said Civilization Masters are really formidable too. Though obviously not as awesome as War Academy fighters!" Su Yu rolled his eyes. "Forget it. Outlining divine characters? Talk to me after you actually understand the Kaiyuan Art!" He didn't bother elaborating. Even if he explained, Chen Hao would probably let it go in one ear and out the other. There was no need to say too much to him anyway, as he never probed deeper. *** An hour later. Xia Trading Company. At present, Su Yu had one hundred and seventy thousand Anping coins and ten gold coins on hand. Thanks to Liu Wenyan's reputation, his recent purchases of blood essence here cost only thirty thousand coins per drop, considerably cheaper than the retail counter price. "Three drops of Ironwing Bird blood essence." Su Yu was considered a regular customer. Upon entering, he headed straight for the blood and flesh section, where a shop manager attended to him personally. Without asking unnecessary questions, the manager instructed an assistant to fetch the items. Seeing Su Yu glance toward other sections, the manager smiled. "Would Mr. Su care to view anything else today?" "What are the prices for weapons like?" "That depends on Mr. Su's requirements. Generally speaking... ordinary iron forged weapons suffice for the Kaiyuan Realm. Naturally, those at the eighth stage of Kaiyuan or above are best suited using Yellow-tier weapons, which aid in conducting yuanqi." The manager explained, "Weapons, cultivation methods, and martial techniques all share the same ranking: Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow. The primary differences lie in the materials and their yuanqi transmission efficiency." Su Yu nodded; he understood this concept. Ordinary iron possessed no yuanqi-conducting properties. The practical combat sabers used by students at the academy were forged from common iron and cost very little. Materials capable of conducting yuanqi were costly, so genuine cultivators had to pay a premium for ranked weapons. "Fighters in the Qianjun and Wanshi Realms can make do with Yellow-tier weapons. Once one reaches the Tengkong Realm, Yellow-tier is no longer enough; one must use Profound-tier weapons, or even Earth-tier if wealthy enough. Of course, Earth-tier weapons are reserved for major figures in the Great Xia Prefecture; no one in Nanyuan can afford them." As the manager spoke, he asked with a smile, "Does Mr. Su desire ordinary iron or a ranked weapon?" "A ranked weapon." Su Yu considered for a moment. "Low-grade weapons become inadequate by the mid-to-late stages of the Qianjun Realm, don't they? For mid-to-late Qianjun, one needs at least mid-grade Yellow-tier?" "Indeed. However, for Mr. Su, that stage is still quite far off..." The manager was stating the plain truth; reaching mid-to-late Qianjun was still a distant prospect for Su Yu. "Thus, purchasing a low-grade Yellow-tier weapon would be more than sufficient for Mr. Su." Su Yu gave no comment. He could unleash the strength of a late-stage Qianjun using blood essence. If he channeled his yuanqi violently multiple times, a low-grade Yellow-tier weapon would likely end up ruined. "I'll buy mid-grade. That way I can keep using it without needing a replacement upon reaching mid-to-late Qianjun." Su Yu spoke, then immediately inquired, "What is the price range?" "Prices vary depending on the type of weapon. "However, mid-grade Yellow-tier weapons generally range between one hundred thousand and three hundred thousand coins." "That expensive?" Su Yu frowned. "A decent ordinary iron weapon costs three to five thousand at best, while low-grade Yellow-tier weapons are only around ten thousand or so, right?" "That is true, but moving up a grade involves vastly greater forging difficulty, superior materials, and significantly higher production costs," the manager explained conscientiously. "Mr. Su is Instructor Liu's student, so we would never deliberately inflate our prices. This is indeed the going rate. These weapons are primarily designed for mid-to-late Qianjun cultivators—in fact, rarely even mid-stage, mostly late-stage. "For a warrior at the seventh stage of Qianjun or above, spending over a hundred thousand on a weapon isn't cheap, but most can afford it." Su Yu clicked his tongue. *Most can afford it, huh?* *Could my dad afford one?* *He probably could!* *Yet buying a single weapon would wipe out half of Dad's entire net worth. And that's not even for the top-of-the-line models; the finest mid-grade Yellow-tier weapons would consume every coin Dad ever saved just for one blade.* *After spending ninety thousand on the three drops of blood essence, I'll have eighty thousand in cash and ten gold coins left—amounting to one hundred and eighty thousand. If I really want to buy one, I can afford it... but it's excruciatingly expensive.* *As for martial techniques... forget buying one. Worst comes to worst, I can just cultivate the Blood-Condensing Saber. It might be trash, but it's enough for my current needs.* Su Yu rapidly tallied his finances. He realized that while his money came quickly, it vanished just as fast. The three hundred thousand-plus coins his father had left behind was nearly gone. Even the ten gold coins he had looted last time would probably have to be poured into this. *Poor for scholarship, rich for martial arts... Teacher wasn't wrong at all.* Weapons for the Qianjun Realm were already this expensive. What about the Wanshi Realm? What about Tengkong? Cultivation arts, martial techniques, weapons, blood essence, medicinal pills... The mere thought made Su Yu shudder. No wonder the Wind Arrest Hall officers pursued All-Races Sect members relentlessly, practically digging three feet into the ground to hunt them down. That was pure cash! Killing an early-stage member yielded one merit point, a mid-stage yielded two, and a late-stage yielded three. That paid far better than any regular salary. Before long, Su Yu received his blood essence. As for weapons, he did not browse extensively; the stock in Nanyuan consisted mostly of standard-issue military designs. Custom orders required traveling to the Great Xia Prefecture and carried exorbitant fees. Without deep pockets, standard-issue was the only sensible choice. A standard-issue mid-grade Yellow-tier saber cost one hundred and fifty thousand coins after discounts. The reason he chose a saber was that he had trained with one at the academy, and his father had also learned saber techniques in the military. The saber was the soul of all weapons... but really, the main reason was that it was easy to pick up. Spears, swords, and halberds were far harder to master than sabers. With a saber in hand, even swinging it around clumsily posed little risk of self-injury. Wildly thrusting with a sword—while manageable with a broadsword—often resulted in cutting oneself bloody when wielding a flexible rapier. After paying for everything, Su Yu was left with only thirty thousand coins in cash, reserved for meals. As for his original thought of buying a martial technique, he abandoned it entirely. He was flat broke! He still possessed some merit points, but those served other crucial purposes, and Su Yu could not bear to waste them. *Three drops of blood essence allow me to activate the booklet three times. Whether cultivating or unleashing racial abilities, they'll be gone before I know it...* *Sigh, spending money like running water. Life is too hard!* Holding his purchases, Su Yu ran the calculations once more. He hoped the remaining three drops of yuanqi liquid and thirteen merit points would carry him to the ninth stage of the Kaiyuan Realm; in the short term, he had no way to earn more cash. These days, Kaiyuan cultivators were a dime a dozen, and even Qianjun cultivators were cheap. Had his teacher not brought him along to hunt All-Races Sect members, he wouldn't have had the chance to earn any merit points at all. Nanyuan had no shortage of Qianjun Realm fighters; a whole crowd of them were clamoring for the Wind Arrest Hall to leave All-Races Sect members for them to kill. "Hao..." "What?" Walking out of the Xia Trading Company beside Su Yu, Chen Hao—still daydreaming about roasted demon beast meat—looked over dazedly. *Why call my name?* "Tell me... if I sell my house, and my dad comes back to find the house gone, do you think he'd beat me to death?" "..." Chen Hao was stunned. *Yu wants to sell his house?!* Su Yu muttered, "Selling the house should fetch at least five hundred thousand. My only worry is... if my dad rushes back one day to find the house gone and can't find home, he might chase me down the street with a saber and hack me to death." Chen Hao nodded frantically. "Don't court death! If I sold my house, my parents would hunt me down for the rest of my life! Yu, don't be rash!" Chen Hao wiped the sweat from his forehead. When a top student went crazy, it was far more terrifying than when he did. "I'm just talking. How could I actually sell it?" Su Yu chuckled. How could he possibly sell the house? Besides... he couldn't sell it even if he wanted to! The property was under his father's name. His father wasn't home and hadn't transferred ownership, so where could he even sell it? *Sigh, before Dad left, I didn't think to have him transfer the title to me. Otherwise, I would have had an emergency backup plan to sell the house in a pinch.* *** All-Heavens Battlefield. Inside a military encampment. Su Long muttered to himself, "I left more than three hundred thousand for that boy, and next month my salary card will be mailed back too. My basic salary alone is over ten thousand a month, enough for him to live comfortably for a lifetime. When I head back next time, as long as the boy hasn't squandered the money, it should be enough to buy a modest apartment in the Great Xia Prefecture, right?" Su Long grumbled softly for a bit, concluding that it should be fine. His son had never been one to throw money away recklessly.