Chapter 69: New House
Xiang Yu stood before the remains of what was his house just a few moments ago, surveying the destruction. Now that the immediate danger had passed, he realized just how poor his housing conditions had been. Since arriving in this world, his entire focus had been about gaining power and surviving. Now that he could somewhat protect himself, it seemed appropriate to improve his living situation.
"It’s about time I built a house worthy of my senior brother position," he thought.
He summoned his void flame, the flame danced between his fingers before expanding outward. The flames consumed all remains of his previous home, leaving nothing but clean earth in their wake. He extended the cleansing process to encompass an even larger radius, preparing a pristine foundation for his new residence.
After clearing the location, Xiang Yu pondered what type of house to construct. Brick would require too much time and effort, so he opted for wood instead. The Mountain Heart Pavilion was surrounded by lush forests, providing abundant materials for his project.
He spent several minutes examining the surrounding area, extending his qi sense to locate suitable materials. As he did so, he was startled by how far his perception could reach. In theory, qi sense was a Golden Core ability, though it was available to others in limited form, only allowing people to detect the area around them. But because he had already unlocked his spiritual sea, his qi sense was almost no different from that of an actual golden core cultivator.
Xiang Yu recalled how the area in his spiritual sense had been expanding alongside his mind level increases. He wondered if the distance his qi sense could reach was proportional to this. Intrigued by this possibility, he decided to test his limits.
He extended his qi sense further and further, feeling it encompass more trees, spreading like an invisible tide across the landscape. To his amazement, his perception soon covered the entire Mountain Heart Pavilion. He sensed he could push even further but restrained himself—extending throughout the rest of the sect might alert others and cause unnecessary panic.
Still, he was very satisfied with this discovery. However, he knew that he couldn’t maintain coverage over the entire pavilion continuously—once the master and martial aunt returned, they might detect his qi sense which could lead to problems.
Though his system seemed to conceal his cultivation level, it might not necessarily hide active techniques. Better to remain inconspicuous until he surpassed them in strength, at which point, they wouldn’t be able to detect him.
Returning to his construction plans, Xiang Yu confirmed bamboo as his material of choice. Not only would it allow for quick assembly, permitting him to return to training sooner, but it would also provide aesthetic appeal and considerable durability. Later, when he gained knowledge of formation making, he could reinforce the structure with protective arrays.
Without further delay, he set to work. Cutting bamboo stalks was effortless with his strength, and though transporting them required several trips due to the density of the forest, his enhanced physical capabilities made the labor relatively light. Soon, a substantial pile of building materials stood ready at his construction site.
Xiang Yu had initially planned something modest—a bedroom and perhaps a large hall for indoor training; this would allow him to train privately since when he trained outdoors, others might see the progress he was making.
But as he worked, he suddenly had new ideas. He thought that a kitchen would be useful for preparing specialized foods just for himself. And considering that he might get new secondary professions in the future, he decided to add some more rooms.
By the time he finished, his "house" had grown considerably. The final structure included a bedroom, kitchen, martial arts hall, pill refining room, artifact refining room, and one expansive chamber dedicated to both formation and talisman making—these were all the secondary professions he could think of. If he acquired more later, he could always build more rooms.
When he finished building the new house, the sun was already setting. Stepping back to admire his creation, a proud smile spread across his face. What he had built was no mere house but nearly an estate. The master and his junior sister would certainly be surprised upon their return.
Suddenly remembering the approaching reset, Xiang Yu realized he hadn’t yet trained with the new technique he’d acquired from Wang Wei. He hurried into his newly constructed martial arts hall, determined to gain at least a few experience points before reset.
...
Xiang Yu sat cross-legged on the bamboo floor of his new martial arts hall. Unlike the physical techniques he normally practiced that required repetitive swinging of weapons or rigorous body movements, the Fire Palm technique required a different approach. This was a qi-related technique that involved infusing his palm with fiery energy to deliver devastating attacks.
Typically, such elemental techniques required practitioners to possess the corresponding spiritual root. Only those with fire-element spiritual roots could naturally manipulate fire qi. However, Xiang Yu’s situation was unique—his omni-element spiritual root granted him affinity with all elements, removing this limitation.
He closed his eyes and directed his attention inward, sensing the vast ocean of qi circulating through his meridians. Now came the challenging part: transforming this pure energy into the flame element. For most cultivators, their single-element spiritual roots automatically converted absorbed qi into their natural element without conscious effort. Xiang Yu’s omni-element root, however, left the qi in its original, unadulterated form.
While this gave him higher quality energy—pure and unpolluted by elemental transformation—it also meant he needed to manually convert his qi into specific elements when employing techniques like the Fire Palm. This additional step would require concentration and practice to master.
Hours passed as Xiang Yu remained motionless, his consciousness immersed in the internal landscape of his qi pathways. Gradually, he began to sense the subtle differences in his qi as he attempted to shift its properties toward the fire element. At first, the transformations were fleeting and unstable, but with persistent effort, the changes became more consistent.
After nearly three hours of meditation, Xiang Yu finally grasped the method. He could now seamlessly transform his pure qi into fire-natured energy. He realized that after a few attempts, it became almost second nature. He made a mental note to practice converting his qi into other elements later to build versatility and prevent future difficulties.
With the transformation aspect mastered, Xiang Yu proceeded to the technique itself. He guided the newly converted fire qi along his meridians and concentrated it into his arm. Responding to his will, his arm began to glow with a subtle red hue. The effect wasn’t as dramatic as he had anticipated—he had imagined spectacular visual effects like those from movies, but the reality was more subdued, resembling a modest glow stick rather than an inferno.
Despite the underwhelming visual display, he was satisfied with the result. He had successfully learned a high-grade technique on his first attempt. Such rapid mastery would be extraordinary for most cultivators, but with his comprehension ability long since reaching the high stage, perhaps it was to be expected.
Throughout the night, Xiang Yu continued practicing the Fire Palm technique, refining his control over the fire qi and increasing the stability of his transformations. The soft red glow illuminated the otherwise dark martial arts hall as he repeatedly channeled and dispersed the energy, each cycle growing smoother than the last until finally...
[Calculating Settlement]