Chapter 2

The Lieyun Palace is one of the three major sects of the Wuyue Empire. Although it ranks last among the three major sects, its status within the Wuyue Empire is still highly esteemed. Disciples of the sect, when walking in the Wuyue Empire, can avoid many unnecessary troubles just by saying they belong to Lieyun Palace.

It was this situation that shaped Shen Fei a year ago. As the top genius of Lieyun Palace, he acted without any restraint. At that time, Shen Fei's fame even overshadowed that of the royal family and the younger generations of the other two major sects.

And the resentment Tang Ning and others had towards Shen Fei began from that time. The arrogant Shen Fei not only looked down on outsiders but also on his own fellow disciples in Lieyun Palace. However, at that time, when Shen Fei was at the peak of his power, Tang Ning and his ilk did not dare to make any rash moves.

But who would have thought that a sudden incident would leave Shen Fei severely injured, and he even lost his left arm. This blow was a catastrophic disaster for Shen Fei. Without his left arm, he could no longer circulate dan qi in his body, and without the ability to condense dan qi, he could only watch helplessly as his cultivation dropped from the ninth level of dan qi to the fifth level.

Returning to Lieyun Palace from the river, Shen Fei was lost in thought. Although the humiliation from Tang Ning and others was hard to bear, the trials of the past year had transformed him from the arrogant and domineering Shen Fei of a year ago. The unpredictability of life had given him a resilient heart.

Especially the last words of Shangguan Yu gave Shen Fei great confidence. As long as the person in his heart did not give up on him, the last thread of hope he had would never be extinguished.

"Click!"

After returning to his secluded and humble room, Shen Fei gently closed the door. With his status plummeting, he no longer yearned for the luxurious life of a year ago. The current Lieyun Palace had already been lenient enough by not expelling him.

Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Shen Fei formed a cultivation seal with his remaining right hand and slowly entered a state of cultivation. Although he knew his left arm was severed and the meridians could not connect, Shen Fei still diligently practiced every day. However...

"Ah!"

A low sigh escaped Shen Fei's lips. The energy particles absorbed from the outside world dissipated as usual when they passed through the severed left shoulder.

But just as Shen Fei sighed, the arm pendant hanging around his neck mysteriously absorbed all the dan qi he had cultivated and then dissipated. This sudden change finally made Shen Fei realize what was happening. When he looked down, the arm pendant emitted a dazzling red light, instantly enveloping his entire body. Shen Fei felt a dizziness in his head, and when he regained consciousness, he was no longer in his room.

"Huh? What's going on? Where am I?"

Surrounded by a red glow, Shen Fei was greatly startled. As his exclamation faded, four even darker red characters appeared on the red light screen in front of him.

"Heavenly Residual Demon Technique!"

Reading the four characters aloud, Shen Fei felt a wave of killing intent emanate from them. In a daze, he saw images of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, with the clash of swords and the flash of blades, making his eyes turn blood red.

However, after a year of reflection, Shen Fei's character was no longer what it used to be. He shook his head hard, and when he regained his composure, he saw a line of smaller characters next to the four large characters: "Scatter the remaining dan, the incomplete technique can be cultivated!"

As if sensing that Shen Fei had finished reading the eight small characters, more lines of text suddenly appeared in the air in front of him. When Shen Fei slowly read through these lines, a surge of joy rose in his heart.

"Actually... actually a cultivation technique!"

The Heavenly Residual Demon Technique was indeed a strange cultivation technique. The reason Shen Fei was so happy was that he found a way to continue his cultivation within this technique.

In this Mortal Domain Continent, all cultivators practice techniques to condense external energy for their own use. The energy stored in the dantian is called dan qi. With the help of cultivation techniques, the more dan qi condensed in the dantian, the more dan qi the cultivator can use.

At the beginning of cultivation, it is called dan qi strength. When one reaches the peak of the ninth level of dan qi strength, they can break through to the next stage, the Lesser Dan Realm, under certain conditions. Shen Fei was at the peak of the ninth level of dan qi strength when the accident happened. Otherwise, he would have become a genuine Lesser Dan Realm cultivator.

After losing his left arm, ordinary cultivation techniques were no longer effective for Shen Fei. The meridians in his left arm were severed, preventing the cultivation technique from completing its cycle. Without the ability to convert external energy into his own, the dantian would not receive new energy and would only be consumed day by day. In a few months, Shen Fei would become a useless person with no dan qi.

But the appearance of the Heavenly Residual Demon Technique gave Shen Fei hope. This cultivation technique did not require the circulation of dan qi energy through the entire body's meridians. Instead, it used the body's flesh and blood to absorb external energy, thus achieving cultivation from the outside in.

In the midst of despair, the sudden appearance of this strange technique did not cloud Shen Fei's mind. After a year of humiliation, he would not lose his composure, even in the face of death.

Shen Fei knew that this strange space and the sudden appearance of the technique were brought about by the arm pendant. However, he did not know the origin of the pendant.

According to his teacher, Han Chi, the arm pendant was already hanging around Shen Fei's neck when he was found on the back mountain, and at that time, Shen Fei was only about one year old.

For thirteen years, the pendant had shown no unusual signs. Why did it suddenly exhibit such strange behavior today? Shen Fei had not seen his blood drip into the pendant, so he did not know that this strange phenomenon was triggered by his blood.

Unable to figure it out, Shen Fei calmed his mind and silently recited the "Heavenly Residual Demon Technique" again, only to find that it was just the general outline of the technique, containing only the basic cultivation methods.

Shen Fei, who had been tormented by the disappearance of dan qi, would not let go of this last lifeline. He immediately began to practice according to the Heavenly Residual Demon Technique.

"Ah!"

But when Shen Fei started the first step, he felt a severe pain in his dantian. This pain was unbearable, causing him to cry out in agony.

Shen Fei quickly released the seal, and as the pain gradually subsided, his gaze fell on the right side of the dark red general outline, where there were eight small characters: "Scatter the remaining dan, the incomplete technique can be cultivated!"

Shen Fei had not paid much attention to these eight characters before, but now, seeing the anomaly in his cultivation, he realized the problem lay with these eight characters. Writing these eight characters at the beginning of the general outline could not be meaningless.

"Scatter the remaining dan? Does it mean to disperse all the dan qi in the dantian?"

After silently repeating the words several times, a thought suddenly entered Shen Fei's mind, and he was at least ninety percent sure. He muttered, "Anyway, the dan qi will dissipate completely soon. I might as well take a chance!"

Shen Fei no longer wanted to endure this deteriorating life. The humiliation from Tang Ning and others, and the change in Shangguan Yu's attitude, he understood clearly. Even if Shangguan Yu still treated him the same, what right did the useless Shen Fei have to stay by her side?

"No matter what, I have to try!"

Thinking of Shangguan Yu, Shen Fei clenched his teeth and changed the seal. The few remaining dan qi in his dantian began to spin rapidly. At a certain moment, Shen Fei clenched his hand, and an invisible sound echoed, his face turning pale.

"I am truly a useless person now!"

Feeling the dan qi slowly dissipate in the air, Shen Fei gave a self-deprecating smile. If the Heavenly Residual Demon Technique turned out to be a joke, he would face an irredeemable fate.

Success or failure, this was the moment of truth!

Ignoring the weakness from dispersing the dan qi, Shen Fei once again began to absorb energy according to the cultivation method outlined in the general outline of the Heavenly Residual Demon Technique. This time, the unbearable pain did not reappear. Energy particles rushed in, slowly seeping into Shen Fei's flesh and blood.

"It really works!"

This scene, transmitted to Shen Fei's soul in the pendant space, filled him with joy. Feeling the energy gradually gather in his dantian through his flesh and blood, the long-lost sensation of power enhancement finally returned.

"Phew!"

Once he entered the state of cultivation, the night passed quickly. When the first light of dawn shone into the secluded room the next morning, Shen Fei finally opened his eyes.

A night of cultivation did not bring any major breakthroughs, but the thin white mist in his dantian, gained from that night's cultivation, brought a satisfied smile to Shen Fei's face. This was progress, not regression. Just this much was enough.

"I should go to Anran Pavilion."

Although Shen Fei wanted to continue cultivating, he could not delay the invitation from Shangguan Yu. Moreover, if she knew he could cultivate again, she would probably be very happy.

"Click!"

Pushing the door open, the sunlight shone on Shen Fei's face, making him squint his eyes. The mood of leaving the room was vastly different from when he entered yesterday.

"The weather is really nice!"

This ordinary sunny day, seen through Shen Fei's eyes, was now different. He gently touched the pendant on his chest and chuckled, taking happy steps out of the room, disappearing from the doorway in an instant.