The Ancient Strengthening Technique

AST 2092 - Life's Guests? Qing Shui's Strength

Qing Shui was feeling flustered, not daring to do anything. This woman was a true beauty. She was mature, sexy, and elegant, but Qing Shui didn't feel a strong attraction, and had never thought of her in a special way.

Being forcefully kissed like this by a woman, especially one like Yu Xixuan, was a sign of her courage and willingness to take that step.

She quickly let go of him while he was still contemplating whether or not to reciprocate. She then teased: "I've molested you. Why don't you shout?"

Her beautiful smile carried a hint of indescribable melancholy and disappointment, seemingly a front to cover up her sadness. She didn't want Qing Shui to see through the ruse, acting like nothing had happened.

Qing Shui, on the other hand, could immediately see the disappointment in her eyes. He wanted to console her with a hug, yet she eluded him: "You are not allowed to take advantage of me."

Qing Shui knew that his actions had hurt her, as it seemed like an act of pity. He had once again made a mistake. A simple action, yet seemingly an irreversible mistake.

Three days later, right before the grand opening of the Imperial Cuisine Hall, Qing Shui received a letter. It was from Yu Xixuan.

She had left to attend to urgent matters and urged Qing Shui to let fate take its course and not search for her.

There weren't many words, but amidst the farewells, there was a confession. She loved Qing Shui, but knew that he didn't feel the same. She didn't want to be pitied, and couldn't stay quietly by his side. It would be too unnatural for her.

She told Qing Shui he shouldn't and couldn't find her. Even if he did, it would be for naught.

Qing Shui smiled bitterly. She was a very clever woman, but her pride was too strong. Perhaps, 'pride' wouldn't be the right word, but she realized that it was different from Qing Shui and Shen Huang or Beiming Xue. There wasn't that spark between the two of them.

Yet, she still fell for him. Her pride prevented her from breaking away, so she chose to confess. She had kissed Qing Shui in the hopes for any sort of reciprocation and in return, she would pursue him with all her might.

She had taken a gamble, confident in her chances but came out disappointed. He was unmoved. Not to mention love, there wasn't even a hint of fondness, or else he would not have such a muted reaction to her brazenness.

She was depressed. Though she had made this decision and already guessed the result, reality was still depressing.

She glimpsed at the distant Northern Blue City, silently bidding Qing Shui farewell…

The Imperial Cuisine Hall had finally officially opened with the Ji Clan, the Kong Clan, and some of their friends as the attendees. However, Qing Shui's mind was still weighted by Yu Xixuan, not knowing if the Ice Burst Demonic Bear and her own strength would be enough to protect her. As for her heart, it would recover gradually.

Qing Shui felt no particular emotions toward her, but still held affections towards beauty. Despite this, he insisted on marrying any women he would actively pursue, giving him reservations at that time. Hence, he just let her leave, though no one could say if they would ever meet again.

He knew that looking for her would be fruitless. She needed time to calm down. He didn't have any clues, but it was likely that she left to a foreign land. If she couldn't forget him then maybe she would head to Great Shang City, the beginning of it all.

Yu Xixuan's departure gave Qing Shui some heartache, but he quickly recovered, as life had to go on. Furthermore, he had already encountered many who seemed destined to be with him, yet only ended up as a guest in his life.

Qing Shui thought of the female doctor, Gongsun Jianwu and the deceased Wenren Wuhou, the Ding Clan's Ding Bao back in Hundred Miles City. He couldn't be with everyone he met.

Old friends had also followed the flow of life and disappeared from each others' lives, much like the old blacksmith who bore similarities to his older brother in his past life. He was starting to forget him, though he might never be forgotten for how he had changed that blacksmith's life.

Along the years, there were many people, some following him along for decades, others for a few months. Some for a few days, and even just passing by.

Qing Shui's heart felt ripples accompanying Yu Xixuan's departure, but following his comprehensions, his heart began to stabilize again. His understanding of the heartless Heavenly Dao also began to deepen.

Qing Shui realized that his Heavenly Dao Realm had risen again, and even his own strength had increased. This had shocked Qing Shui as it was strange that this breakthrough would grant him strength.

Just a little bit of thought had given him the answer. His Heavenly Dao Realm was just too high for his own strength, and the increase was to properly use the Heavenly Dao.

1.5 billion Dao force!

This attacking strength wasn't spectacular, but with Qing Shui's Nine Continents Mountain, his attack could reach 7.5 billion million Dao Force, even with supreme Shield Attack capabilities. Thus, the Nine Continents' Mountain was absolutely terrifying, comparable to the Paragon Strike. However, the Paragon Strike could only be used once, and this technique was gradually being caught up by the Nine Continents' Mountain.

Qing Shui's greatest advantage was still his defense, which was pivotal to his establishment as a powerful warrior. The Paragon Golden Armor and the Hell Nightmare Beast gave him a defense of 14 billion Dao force, not even including the power of the Parry Heavenly Fate Treasure Pagoda and the Buddha Ultimate Technique.

He could choose whether to buff his speed, strength, or even defend with the Battle God Halo or formations, and usually he would choose speed. Speed was truly the pinnacle, but even without it, he was like an unkillable cockroach. With his weakening capabilities, there was no person who could harm him in any way, notwithstanding some special martial artists who could bypass defense.

Even if they could ignore defenses, that kind of effect would also be minimized. So long as the vitals were protected, Qing Shui's tough physical body molded by his body refining arts would allow him to get away with light injuries.

Qing Shui had his own weapon and was able to block opponents' strange weapons, allowing him to not even feel any shock against powerful enemies.

With the power of the Heavenly Dao, Qing Shui's judgment improved significantly, as he could easily see the tiny flaws in different techniques and intents. The Heavenly Dao's strength was ridiculous, as using the same techniques, a difference in comprehension would easily lead to a one-hit kill. It was ethereal and powerful, the primary pursuit of all those who had reached the False God stage.