Chapter 135: Second Step of Artistic Conception

"Brother…"

Chen Yue pursed her lips, her face still a little pale.

She knew that in many people’s eyes, Chen Mu was almost having a meteoric rise, but in reality, the hard work he put in behind the scenes far exceeded that of ordinary people. He practiced almost every day, without any rest.

She also knew that his duties as a Constable, his demon hunting, and his fight against the He family were not easy, and they must be accompanied by many crises and hardships. However, for her in the past, these were still somewhat distant. This time, however, she truly felt the danger that Chen Mu was facing.

Just look at the shattered wall.

She could almost imagine how dangerous the scene was before. Under the night, an assassin from the Blood Shadow Tower infiltrated and struck with a fierce blow. It was said that the Blood Shadow Tower rarely failed in their assassinations. It was also rumored that less than one in a hundred could survive a Blood Shadow Tower assassin. One can imagine how dangerous it was, Chen Mu was right next to her in an adjacent courtyard, and experienced such life-and-death danger.

If only she could help him.

However, although she was in the Yu Family Martial Arts Academy and had almost reached the top among her peers, she was still too far behind Chen Mu. She also did not have any power or status to use, unless she could join the Seven Profound Sect.

But the Seven Profound Sect currently only accepted teenagers under the age of sixteen, and she was just over that age limit.

"Go to sleep, it’s alright now."

Chen Mu looked at Chen Yue’s appearance. Seeing that she was still somewhat startled and her face was pale, he reached out and touched her head, comforting her.

Chen Yue looked at the room with the destroyed wall, bit her lip, and said, "Then, brother, how are you going to rest tonight?"

Chen Mu calmly said, "I just won’t sleep tonight. It’s not the first time I’ve practiced Kung Fu all night. Okay, you go now."

"…Okay."

Chen Yue wanted to say something, but hearing Chen Mu’s words, she finally lowered her head and agreed before leaving in small steps.

Chen Mu watched Chen Yue leave and then looked at the mess in the room. He shook his head and temporarily didn’t bother cleaning up. He walked directly through the gatehouse and into the room opposite the bedroom. This place was equipped with many soft couches and chairs, as well as some tea sets, and was usually used for reading and entertaining guests.

The previous oil lamp had been damaged in the fight, so Chen Mu called Wang Ni, who had not yet slept, and asked her to get a new oil lamp. He lit it next to the table and then spread out the Thunder Diagram again, continuing to comprehend it carefully.

Artistic Conception is a powerful force.

But how to use it is also a form of knowledge, and there are also many profound aspects to it.

In fact, when Chen Mu comprehended the Artistic Conception Diagram, he focused more on the manifestation of the power of Artistic Conception, rather than increasing his comprehension of the Artistic Conception itself. After all, the System could directly improve his realm, but it would not create techniques for him out of thin air.

Earlier, when he merged the Wind and Thunder Artistic Conception, the ‘Surprise Wind and Thunder’ within the intersection of wind and thunder was Chen Mu’s only Artistic Conception technique. However, after experiencing many battles and long periods of comprehension, he now had more ways to apply it.

For example, in his previous defense against the Blood Shadow Tower assassin.

It seemed simple.

However, in reality, he had applied the Thunder Artistic Conception to his entire arm, forcefully increasing his speed by a great deal, so that he could use two fingers to strike the sword body and break its Artistic Conception power, causing it to deflect.

Similarly, before the Blood Robe Tower assassin launched his attack, Chen Mu had not been aware of anything. But when the other party attacked in a split second and the sword had not fully pierced through the window frame, he had already sensed it and had an early warning.

And this sense came from the Xun Wind Artistic Conception.

In the space between heaven and earth, almost any movement will cause a breeze, and under the Thousand Wind Artistic Conception, even the most subtle breeze could be captured clearly. This was a perception ability that came from the Xun Wind Artistic Conception, one could say, ‘Cicada is Aware Before Autumn Wind Blows’!

Xun Wind and Thunder.

These two Artistic Conceptions were not simply things that could increase power by applying wind and thunder to the blade. They themselves had nearly endless mysteries. Otherwise, how could the Qian Kun Eight Phase Diagram be ranked as the top Artistic Conception in the world?!

Like when he initially comprehended the Xun Wind Artistic Conception, Chen Mu mostly used it to enhance the power of his blade or himself, but later he gradually understood more mysteries and eventually learned to use that perception of the "Cicada is Aware Before Autumn Wind."

Under the swaying candlelight.

Chen Mu carefully comprehended the Thunder Diagram.

In reality, up to this point, the Thunder Diagram could hardly provide him with much deeper comprehension anymore. After all, it was just a rubbing, and Chen Mu even felt that he had almost absorbed the few remaining traces of the Thunder Comprehension in the rubbing. Currently, his comprehension was more for the sake of obtaining experience from the System Panel.

Finally.

The sky in the distance began to show the white of dawn. The sunlight had not yet caressed the earth, but the darkness between heaven and earth was gradually fading.

Chen Mu, who had been sitting still in front of the Thunder Diagram, finally slowly raised his head, blew out the lamp beside the table, and then slowly closed his eyes and called out the System Panel.

[Martial Arts: Thunder Artistic Conception]

[Experience: 10001 points]

[Available Deduction Times: 0]

"Finally, it’s enough for another time. I hope this time I can take a step into the second stage of Artistic Conception."

Chen Mu murmured in his heart.

The Heavenly Sword Sect’s Direct Lineage, the unknown figure from Xuanji Pavilion, the assassins from the Blood Shadow Tower… the changes in the situation of Yu Prefecture today, made him feel insecure even with his current strength.

Although it was fine amongst the Four Great Families, at the level of the Four Major Sects, even Bone Forging Realm existences were nothing, and only those who reached the fifth realm, the Viscera Realm, would be considered as truly having entered the room.

The Viscera Realm was still far away for him.

However, the second step of Artistic Conception was able to touch the power of the Viscera Realm.

Chen Mu calmed his mind and adjusted himself. Then, as the first ray of dawn in the sky completely illuminated the entire Yu City, and even the entire Yu Prefecture, he moved his mind to convert the accumulated experience into deduction times and began the deduction again!

Shua.

In the darkness of Chen Mu’s vision, a barren and ancient world suddenly appeared. There were no signs of life in the world, not even a trace of green. There was only desolation and barrenness.

In the middle of this desolation, dark clouds suddenly gathered in the sky, followed by a flash of light from within. Immediately after, was a sound of thunder that could frighten the soul.

Boom!!!

As the thunder roared, the sky changed color.

This piercing light of thunder pierced down from the sky above, connecting the sky and the earth!

This may not have been the first thunder in this desolate world, but it was the most important one among countless thunders. Under the ultimate destruction of this thunder, it reached the point where Yin turned to Yang, and a trace of weak vitality appeared in the originally dead, barren, and empty world.

Although weak, it did exist, and in the mysterious workings of the world, it would eventually change everything.

"Qian heaven, Kun earth, wind, thunder, water, and fire… Although wind, thunder and fire are all close to Qian heaven and are similar to a manifestation of heaven’s might, in reality, there is no absolute separation between all aspects. Thunder is a manifestation of heaven’s might, but it is also connected to heaven and earth."

Chen Mu murmured in his heart.

Thunder was both destruction and new life.

Earlier when he repeatedly comprehended the Thunder Artistic Conception, he could only capture things like speed and piercing, those superficial aspects. Although he had long understood that there should be a stronger power contained within thunder, he could not touch it.

But now, he had finally broken through the surface and touched the more essential part of the might of thunder.

The deduction was not over.

What followed was the rapid transformation of the barren world. Greenery quickly covered the world, and all living things walked among it. However, in the operation of heaven and earth, filth was also created, and eventually, some living things transformed into demons and wreaked havoc.

Hundreds of demons ran wild, and demons wreaked havoc!

In the blink of an eye, in that green world, the vitality began to fade again.

Boom!

At this moment, another ray of thunder suddenly appeared, falling from the sky above.

The might of thunder shook the world, like the wrath of heaven.

Under one blow,

Demons retreated!

"Destruction… no, this is a suppression. Under the might of thunder, all evil spirits have nowhere to hide and all retreat."

Chen Mu understood something.

The generation and restraint of all things in heaven and earth was clearly displayed here.

Like that assassin from the Blood Shadow Tower, whose power of artistic conception was terrifying. The evil Qi and Qi dynamic he revealed in that instant immediately made his entire bedroom bleak and almost like a realm of death.

Normally speaking, within the Qian Kun Eight Phases, perhaps three artistic conceptions were needed to counter it, but this evil qi was precisely restrained by the Thunder Artistic Conception, which resulted in it being forcibly broken under one blow!

"Yes."

"The reason why the Qian Kun Eight Phases are the supreme of martial arts is not entirely because they are complicated, gathering the eight phases makes the essential power higher than others, but because these eight phases almost encompass all the principles of generation and restraint of all things in heaven and earth. No matter which school or which technique the opponent practices, there will always be one of the eight phases that generate and restrain them."

Unbeknownst to him, Chen Mu had gained a deeper understanding of the entire Qian Kun Eight Phases.

Just imagine, the basic power of Artistic Conception of the Qian Kun Eight Phases when they were gathered was higher than that of other martial arts. Whether it was dealing with blood evil, five elements, Yin, Yang, and so on, there was a way of generation and restraint within the eight phases. Even if it could not form an absolute restraint on some specific martial arts artistic conceptions, there was also no technique in the world that could restrain the Qian Kun Eight Phases at the same time.

At most, it was like the sword dao artistic conception of Heavenly Sword Sect that shouted out a slogan of ‘one sword breaks all techniques’, but in reality, it was still the forceful confrontation between powers. There was no simultaneous restraint on the eight phases.

Even if the sword dao was not the most essential and plain type, that was without shape, and instead contained branches like destruction or slaughter, then a more complete aspect of generation and restraint could be directly taken from the Qian Kun Eight Phases.

Finally.

Everything in his vision gradually disappeared.

Chen Mu still kept his eyes closed. In the darkness of his vision, countless threads appeared, which were beams of thunder, floating between heaven and earth, representing all types of thunder.

At this time, every thread became incredibly clear in his eyes, much clearer than when he first comprehended it.

In a trance, Chen Mu slowly reached out and grabbed towards the nearest thread.

Pa Zi!

The thread turned into thunder and disappeared from his fingers.

However, Chen Mu didn’t feel any frustration. Instead, a trace of happiness gradually rose. Although he had not been able to grab it, he had touched it for real, touching the part of the essence of the world that represented thunder.

He could touch it.

That was the… second step of Artistic Conception!