Infinite Professions from a Pearl Collector

Later, Great Powers categorized and summarized the myriad Dharma Gates, collectively naming them the Five Great Realms.

And I was now at the starting point of the First Realm.

Core Formation... Nascent Soul....

For some reason, Chen Ye found this classification of Realms to be vaguely familiar.

’Once I’m back in the Main World, I’ll have to thoroughly question that Li Qingyan woman,’ Chen Ye thought.

A night of Cultivation passed in a flash.

As the first sliver of dawn broke across the horizon, Chen Ye was already standing silently atop the inn’s roof.

When a red sun leaped over the horizon and that fleeting strand of Innate Purple Qi appeared, he opened his mouth and swallowed it whole.

An instant warmth spread through his entire being, and his body filled with a sense of power.

Feeling refreshed, Chen Ye returned to his room and drew his personal long, slender saber.

The blade was like still autumn water, reflecting his calm and placid eyes.

He didn’t practice any forms, as there was no room to maneuver in the small guest room.

He simply stood there, replaying the life-or-death battle with the Green-haired Zombie over and over in his mind.

Every action, every evasion, every exertion of force was rendered in perfect detail.

Then, Chen Ye used his Grandmaster Level experience in the Martial Dao to ruthlessly dissect his every action.

In truth, his victory had been a bit of a fluke.

But it also made him realize that combat in this world was completely different from that of a pure Martial Dao Realm.

Demon Ghosts often had fatal weak points, but those points were protected by tough hides.

Therefore, wide, sweeping Saber Techniques were not applicable here.

What he needed was ultimate precision and the ability to break through defenses.

Like a steel needle through tofu, piercing any and all resistance.

Chen Ye flicked his wrist, the long saber tracing a silent arc through the air.

A new understanding began to quietly take root in his heart.

...

In the inn’s rear courtyard, the moonlight was as cool as water.

Chen Ye stood motionless, saber in hand, his entire being seeming to merge into the night.

For five days, he had not left his room, dedicating himself entirely to his Cultivation.

Thanks to a Divine Spirit far superior to an ordinary person’s, he made incredible progress. The Golden Toad Qi Swallowing Technique, a method others would find incredibly tedious, was a perfect fit for him.

In just five days, the panel for his Golden Toad Qi Swallowing Technique showed its Level had jumped from Level 1 to Level 2.

The faint wisp of Inner Qi in his Dantian had now gathered into a small stream. While still not yet powerful, it was several times more condensed and flowed ceaselessly through his meridians, bringing waves of warmth.

His power was steadily growing.

But it’s not enough.

In addition to cultivating his Inner Qi, he devoted most of his time to the saber.

He practiced no fixed forms, instead deconstructing and replaying his battle with the Green-haired Zombie a thousand times over in his mind.

In the end, all the complex chops, slashes, parries, and cleaves were reduced to a single point.

A single sword technique, one that pursued ultimate penetration and precision, gradually took form in his mind.

Like an embroidery needle piercing thick cloth, it would unleash the deadliest killing intent within a hair’s breadth.

Chen Ye named it Needle’s Point!

As his power grew, the thought of killing Gong Chen for revenge became ever clearer in Chen Ye’s mind.

A cultivator’s heart should be free of attachments and hindrances, so Chen Ye decided it was time to act.

Starting on the sixth day, Chen Ye began to venture out of the inn.

He didn’t rush to the Demon Slayer Department. Instead, like an idle man with nothing better to do, he frequented the various taverns and teahouses of Yu Huo County.

These common places were where all sorts of people mingled, making them the best source of information.

He would order a pot of the cheapest tea, find an inconspicuous corner to sit in, and strain his ears to catch every conversation from the All Walks of Life around him.

"Have you heard? Butcher Zhang’s place in the east of town was haunted last night. The pigs in his sty were squealing like they were being slaughtered."

"Tch, that’s nothing. The other day, the Li Family’s caravan ran into a nest of Ghouls at the Thirty-Mile Rest Stop outside of town. Only three of their dozen or so men made it back!"

"This world is getting harder and harder to live in..."

Chen Ye listened in silence, cross-referencing this information with intelligence from his memories and gradually building a rough map of the Demon Ghost distribution around Yu Huo County.

Occasionally, he’d overhear Bounty Hunters talking loudly.

"...Damn it, the bounty on Black Wind Stronghold went up again, but nobody dares to accept it!"

"No shit. That stronghold is cursed. Anyone who goes dies. So what’s the use of more money?"

Then, one afternoon, he finally heard the name he was waiting for.

"Speaking of lucky ones lately, it has to be that kid, Gong Chen." A man with a thick beard took a gulp of wine, his tone sour with envy.

"Last time he teamed up with some guys to kill a Green-haired Zombie, both his teammates died, but he came back alone. We thought his luck had run out, but who knew? A couple of days ago, he struck it rich by some damn fool luck. Now he’s holed up in the De Yi Building every day, living like an Immortal!"

"De Yi Building? Heh, that place costs a few taels of silver a night, doesn’t it? Looks like the kid really made a fortune!"

"Tell me about it."

De Yi Building.

Chen Ye repeated the three words in his mind, paid for his tea, and stood to leave.

First, he returned to the Demon Slayer Department.

The courtyard looked the same as always. Cong Bo saw him and gave a rather enthusiastic greeting.

Chen Ye nonchalantly chatted with a few Hunters he knew, seemingly by chance steering the conversation toward Gong Chen.

The answers he got were largely the same as what he’d heard in the tavern. When people mentioned him, they either shook their heads vaguely or spoke with envy about how he was throwing money around at the De Yi Building.

’So it’s true.’

Leaving the Demon Slayer Department, Chen Ye headed straight for the county’s most bustling pleasure quarter.