## AST: Chapter 69 – The Miraculous Xiantian Golden Pellet

Wenren Wu-Shuang could feel that the intensity of Qing Shui’s strikes were getting swifter and swifter, while the force behind them got stronger and stronger!

Looking at how easily Wenren Wu-Shuang dodged his attacks, he couldn’t help but feel gloomy after spending so much time perfecting his sword technique. After all, what was the use if he can’t even land a single strike.

What Qing Shui didn’t know was that, Wenren Wu-Shuang was actually the one that was feeling the pressure. The shock in her heart was indescribable. She could already tell the difference between them the moment Qing Shui had started his attacks. Only by utilizing her Xiantian level technique, the Moondance Steps, did she managed to avoid his strikes. If not for that, Wenren Wu-Shuang could tell that she wouldn’t even be able to last three moves against Qing Shui.

“So this is the gap between the Ancestor and the Truth realm.” The sword techniques of Wenren Wu-Shuang, although she had not broken through to the Truth realm, were already at the Great Perfection Stage of the Ancestor Realm. The realms could be further divided into four stages: Initial Stage, Middle Stage, Peak Stage and Great Perfection Stage!

Although the distance between the Great Perfection Stage of the Ancestor Realm, and the Truth Realm was only the width of a single hair, the breadth of that width could also be comparable to the distance between Heaven and Earth. It was the same thing when a peak Houtian expert, no matter how strong he was, was in front of a person who just stepped into the Xiantian realm. The peak Houtian expert was equivalent to trash, and would be unable to stand a single attack.

The Moondance Steps of Wenren Wu-Shuang had already reached the Great Perfection Stage of the Ancestor Realm! Despite this, she could only barely manage to dodge the sword strikes from the <<Basic Sword Techniques>> of the Truth Realm. This clearly showcased the difference in power levels between the two realms.

Qing Shui did not know that Wenren Wu-Shuang was going all out when sparring against him. She even resorted to using one of the more valuable types of Xiantian techniques – Body Movement Technique.

“Stop!” Looking at the sword strikes of Qing Shui, it appeared that were akin to the waves of the ocean. Each strike was stronger than the last, and with no signs of a broken rhythm, the strikes linked together as one. Other than that, she learned that Qing Shui was able to unleash his attacks from all angles, and was mysterious and crafty when he chose his path of attack. Were it not for her Moondance Steps technique aiding her in evasion, she would have lost long ago.

What a pity that he could not use Xiantian Qi. If he was at the Xiantian level, the speed and force of his attacks, in addition to that Xiantian Qi, would truly be able to unleash the true might of the Truth Realm.

Qing Shui stopped his attacks, as he looked towards the slightly out of breath Wenren Wu-Shuang. A line of sweat could be seen across her forehead, as her cheeks were flushed with redness. Qing Shui felt that the current Wenren Wu-Shuang, was more like a mortal woman, instead of the unattainable celestial being earlier.

Wenren Wu-Shuang speechlessly looked at Qing Shui, as depression set in her heart. Although he was slightly red in the face, he was not breathless at all! An hour of strenuous exertions was actually nothing to Qing Shui? What she didn’t know was that the Ancient Strengthening Technique which Qing Shui cultivates in, strongly emphasizes on tempering the body. If she knew, she wouldn’t have found it strange. Under the circumstances of not using Xiantian Qi, Wenren Wu-Shuang could actually last for such a long time, and this was not so simple at all. However, if she did use Xiantian Qi to aid in her attacks, then without a doubt, be it in speed or power, she would have overbearingly trounced Qing Shui.

Although she was depressed, a shine could still be seen glowing in her eyes as she looked at Qing Shui. She has already decided to make Qing Shui into her sparring partner in the future. As long as she suppressed her strength level down to match with Qing Shui, it would surely greatly aid her in her understanding of sword techniques. As for breaking through to the Truth realm, this would have to depend on her level of insights and karmic luck.

“Can I ask you a question?” Qing Shui looked towards Wenren Wu-Shuang, after she walked out of the training hall.

“Of course you can, stop being so formal, we are already friends now.” Wenren Wu-Shuang joyfully smiled, a smile that was as warm as the spring wind.

“Do you know how many methods there are for one to break through to Xiantian? Also, what was the feeling like when you first broke through?” Qing Shui, finally met a Xiantian lifeform, so there was no way he would be shy about asking questions. After all, even if one searched for Xiantian cultivators, and even if one were to search till the cows came home, it was not a guarantee that they would be able to find any. Now, not only a Xiantian Cultivator was in front of him, that Xiantian Cultivator was a hot babe too, how could he give up this chance?

Wenren Wu-Shuang blinked her beautiful eyes, as she closely inspected Qing Shui.

“Are you at the peak of Martial Commander Realm?”

Qing Shui bitterly smiled as he shook his head, “I’m not sure myself, on the surface I’m only at the 3rd Grade of Martial Warrior Realm. However, even if I have to fight against a peak Houtian expert, I don’t think I would have any trouble against them.”

“Shameless!” Wenren Wu-Shuang laughed.

This was the first time Qing Shui saw such an expression of laughter on Wu-Shuang’s face. Words were insufficient to describe it and thus, he could only stare at her, slack-jawed. Time, momentarily seemed to pause as the expression of her laughter, akin to the blooming colors of the rainbow, fully occupied Qing Shui’s mind.

“From what I know, there are only two surefire methods to break through to the Xiantian Realm. The first method, one must be able to find “that moment” of destiny, breaking through enlightenment. The second method, is to consume a “Xiantian Golden Pellet” concocted by Alchemists. As long as someone who was at the peak of Houtian, ingested the pellet, they would surely be able to step into the Xiantian Realm.

“Xiantian Golden Pellet?” Puzzlement shone in his eyes as Qing Shui looked at Wenren Wu-Shuang, he had never once heard of such a miraculous medicine, that could allow someone to step inside the doorway of the Xiantian Realm which had restricted countless others.

Looking at how shocked Qing Shui was, Wenren Wu-Shuang lightly laughed, she could easily guess at what Qing Shui was thinking. “Xiantian Golden Pellet is indeed a miraculous medicine. However, do you know of the ingredients needed to concoct it?”

Qing Shui had some expectations in his heart. After all, for such a miraculous pellet, the ingredients needed shouldn’t be too common right?

“The first, most crucial ingredient, is a core from a demonic beast!”

Fuck! Demonic beasts, and only desolate beasts who have lived at least for 500 years would have a core form within their bodies. A beast of the Xiantian level would be much stronger than human cultivators of the Xiantian level. Human Xiantian Cultivators might not even be able to defeat a Xiantian Beast even if it was two on one. Of course there are exceptions, but almost all the time, Xiantian level beasts would be much stronger than Xiantian Human Cultivators.

“Other than a demonic core, to concoct the golden pellet, the alchemist would also need other extremely rare ingredients such as, the immortal wolf flower, deer antlers, ginseng, lingzhi…. And those ingredients all need to be at least above 1,000 years. As for ingredients such as the deer antlers, the animal must at least be at the demonic beast level.”

Qing Shui was speechless, he was no longer excited after hearing the ingredients. The difficulty of gathering all of those ingredients listed, was as tough as getting a demonic core.

“The Xiantian Golden Pellet does sounds like good stuff.” Qing Shui stated with a mix of helplessness and hatred after half a day.

Wenren Wu-Shuang couldn’t help but laughed when she saw the flummoxed expression on Qing Shui’s face.

“Oh, there is one more thing I forgot to mention. Those who depend on the Xiantian Golden Pellet to reach the Xiantian realm would be infinitely weaker than those who broke through on their own. After all, they did not obtain the necessary moment of epiphany when they broke through.”

The words of Wenren Wu-Shuang almost caused Qing Shui to sob.

“What the fuck, obtaining the Xiantian Golden Pellet is already so difficult, and in the end, you are still destined to be weaker than the other Xiantian cultivators. This is so unfair!” Qing Shui raged.

“No spewing vulgarities allowed.” Wenren Wu-Shuang extended her hand and lightly rapped on Qing Shui’s head.

At that moment, Qing Shui stood there dully as that light rap by those jade-white hands seemed to cause him to enter into a mysterious state of mind, a state of mind that he had not felt in a long time.