141: Chapter 141 Mu Sisi's Invitation

Since returning from Qi Wu Hall, Ye Tian had shut himself in the quiet room of his courtyard, concentrating on comprehending the Heart-Piercing Finger he had unexpectedly acquired.

He knew well that time was running short before the Outer Sect Grand Competition. If he wanted to defeat the geniuses on the Heavenly Ranking, he had to master this new Martial Skill as quickly as possible to enhance his strength.

Ye Tian sat cross-legged, eyes slightly closed, repeatedly simulating the energy-channeling techniques of the Heart-Piercing Finger in his mind.

This finger technique appeared simple, but it actually required an extremely high level of control over True Essence.

It did not seek instantaneous explosive power; instead, it focused on condensing a soft, heavy, and sinking force of True Essence at the fingertip, then vibrating and releasing it at a specific frequency to strike directly at the opponent's internal vital points.

"The key lies in the two words: condensation and penetration."

Ye Tian realized this in his heart. He slowly raised his right hand, pressing his index and middle fingers together. Stellar True Essence surged from his Dantian, flowing slowly along the Meridians of his arm.

At first, the True Essence rushed forth, difficult to control, and light flickered at his fingertips; he could not achieve the "soft and sinking" effect at all.

But he was not discouraged. Relying on his experience from cultivating the Starfall Finger, he did the opposite and tried again and again.

Gradually, the light at his fingertips retracted, the flow of True Essence became gentle, and a faint, cold aura began to permeate the air.

"That's the feeling!"

Ye Tian felt a surge of joy, but his brow immediately furrowed.

He felt a stinging pain in the Meridians of his fingertip when this soft, hidden force condensed to a certain point.

This was precisely the "backlash force" mentioned in the Secret Manual!

If not for his cultivation of the Dragon Elephant Art, which made his Physical Body and Meridians tough, his finger bones would likely have already been damaged.

"It is indeed overbearing, but this bit of backlash cannot stop me!"

Ye Tian's gaze sharpened, and he increased the condensation of True Essence.

The stinging pain intensified, but he endured the discomfort and did not stop.

Water is supremely soft, yet it can also be supremely hard, piercing through metal and stone.

The essence of the Heart-Piercing Finger was to integrate this characteristic of water into the finger technique.

Time slipped away bit by bit.

Ye Tian was completely immersed in it, unaware that his forehead was already covered in sweat.

His eyes, however, grew brighter and brighter, and his control over the soft force at his fingertips became increasingly meticulous.

After an unknown amount of time, when the sky outside the window began to brighten, Ye Tian suddenly opened his eyes, a sharp gleam flashing within them!

He pointed with his fingers at a piece of bluestone in the corner of the quiet room used for testing Martial Skills, striking through the air!

With a soft "pfft" sound, the next moment, a finger-hole appeared in that bluestone!

The edges of the hole were smooth as a mirror, and then a "crack" sound followed; clearly, the internal structure of the stone had been shattered by the soft force!

"What a powerful Martial Skill!"

Ye Tian withdrew his finger, let out a long breath, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

Although this strike was far from reaching the Major Achievement Realm of "shattering hearts and severing Meridians" described in the Secret Manual, it was already an entry-level success and possessed impressive destructive power.

More importantly, he had successfully mastered the method of condensing the soft, hidden force, and the impact of the backlash force on himself was negligible.

"This Heart-Piercing Finger is truly profound! Attacking by surprise when the opponent is unprepared, it can just make up for the shortcomings of the Starfall Finger and the Overlapping Wave Fist, which are direct and forceful but consume too much True Essence."

Ye Tian felt the lingering cold aura at his fingertips, and his confidence in the upcoming Grand Competition grew a little more.

Just as he was preparing to perform the Heart-Piercing Finger again, he heard footsteps outside the courtyard, followed by a familiar female voice: "Is Junior Brother Ye in the courtyard?"

Ye Tian raised an eyebrow. This voice...

He rose and opened the door of the quiet room. Outside the courtyard gate stood a woman in a water-blue dress, her face veiled—it was Mu Sisi, whom he hadn't seen for a long time!

"Senior Sister Mu?"

Ye Tian was somewhat surprised. He stepped forward to open the courtyard gate. "Senior Sister, what brings you here?"

He really hadn't expected this. Although he had seen Mu Sisi call a True Martial Realm Elder of the Sect her master last time at Juetian Ridge and had guessed that she might also be a Disciple of the Liuli Xuan Sect, the two had never had any real interaction. Why would Mu Sisi suddenly come to his remote little courtyard?

Mu Sisi's clear eyes swept over Ye Tian, a flash of surprise appearing in them.

She felt that Ye Tian's aura seemed stronger than when they had met at Juetian Ridge. Although his Realm had only advanced from the fourth level of the Ningyuan Realm to the fifth, that sharpness made her not dare to underestimate him.

"Junior Brother Ye, forgive the intrusion."

Mu Sisi's voice was cool and detached as she stated her purpose directly. "I recently obtained a partial map pointing to a place in the depths of Juetian Ridge, suspected to be the place where a True Martial Realm Martial Artist fell."

"It is rumored that the Legacy and treasures of that Senior might be left there."

Hearing this, Ye Tian's heart stirred.

A place where a True Martial Realm Martial Artist passed away?

This temptation was not small!

Upon reaching the True Martial Realm, True Qi takes form and the martial path reaches a divine level. Anything left behind by such a person would be an unimaginable Opportunity for a Ningyuan Realm Martial Artist!

But he did not immediately show interest, instead asking calmly: "The depths of Juetian Ridge are full of dangers, and the Juetian Sect is active there. Why does Senior Sister want me to accompany you?"

He had only met Mu Sisi once, and their friendship could not be called deep. Why would she come to him for such a good thing?

Mu Sisi seemed to have anticipated this question and explained: "That place is somewhat strange. The perimeter has natural illusion formations and powerful Restrictions, requiring at least two people to cooperate to break them."

"I know that Junior Brother not only has impressive strength but, more importantly, is meticulous in thought, making you the perfect candidate."

"As for the harvest, you and I shall split it equally, how about that?"

She paused, then added with a grave tone: "However, I must warn you, Junior Brother, this trip will be exceptionally dangerous. There are many Yao Beasts in the depths of Juetian Ridge, the environment is harsh, and the dangerous place itself is fraught with peril."

"Moreover, the authenticity of the news is unknown, and there is no guarantee that others haven't set their sights on it; you might even encounter people from the Juetian Sect."

"Whether to go or not is your own decision, Junior Brother; I will not force you."

Ye Tian fell silent, thoughts racing through his mind.

The temptation of a True Martial Realm ruin was indeed huge, but the danger Mu Sisi spoke of was by no means an exaggeration.

He recalled his experience at Broken Blade Cliff in Juetian Ridge last time; the methods of the people from the Tianjue Sect were strange and vicious.

If not for his cultivation of the Dragon Elephant Art and his sudden strike, it would likely not have been so easy to defeat that group of people.

Moreover, Mu Sisi herself was mysterious and unfathomable. Although they were fellow Disciples, her true motives were hard to discern. Were there hidden concerns in this cooperation?

However, his martial path had never been achieved by cultivating in seclusion in a greenhouse.

The Ye family Secret Realm, the Meteor Star Great Rift Valley, the Chenxing Ancient Mine... which of those Opportunities hadn't been accompanied by huge risks, fought for amidst life-and-death situations?

Stable cultivation was certainly safe, but if one wanted to rise quickly, surpass their peers, and even face stronger enemies in the future, one had to dare to take risks and seize every possible Opportunity!

The martial path was just like that!

He looked up, met Mu Sisi's gaze, and said in a deep voice: "Opportunities are rare, and one must seek life amidst danger. Since Senior Sister Mu has invited me, Ye Tian is willing to give it a try!"

Mu Sisi nodded slightly upon hearing this: "Good! Junior Brother Ye is truly straightforward! Three days from now, at the Chen hour, let us meet outside the mountain gate."

"This is some known information and precautions regarding that location; you can familiarize yourself with it first." She handed over a Jade Slip.

Ye Tian took the Jade Slip and swept his Divine Sense through it. Inside were records of some terrain features, the patterns of the illusion formations, and information about the dangerous Yao Beasts that might be encountered.

"Three days later, I will be there."

After Mu Sisi finished speaking, she turned and left.

Ye Tian gripped the Jade Slip, his gaze looking toward the direction of Juetian Ridge.

A new adventure was about to begin.

And this time, what awaited him would be a challenge even more dangerous than Broken Blade Cliff.