"These statues really can be studied to create some incredible divine abilities!"
These days, Quinn Shepherd has been living and sleeping among the dragon pillars and temples of Dragoncrest City. At night he either sleeps in a temple or sprawls out on a dragon pillar, and every time he wakes he is utterly absorbed in observing and deciphering the mysteries hidden in Dragoncrest’s statues.
Using the Divine Firmament Heaven Eye, he studies these sculptures, pondering their 'form, qi, and spirit,' and analyzing their 'essence, force, and measure.' In his eyes, these divine statues gradually cease to be mere idols—they become visible flows of yuanqi, each with both form and spirit, their momentum intense, their essence condensed, their movement measured, their form driving their force.
He’s still just a martial artist, far from touching true divine abilities, yet his mind is already working to create new arts based on the sculpting techniques used by ancient god‑sculptors.
Studying a statue of a river‑treading goddess, Quinn’s own yuanqi starts to circulate vigorously. Suddenly, with a whoosh, his yuanqi transforms into surging water, streaming out from between his palms—his hands roaring like a river, waves tumbling and the current raging. Each palm strike carries the sound of crashing waves, his hands weaving around his waist until the movement itself becomes a rolling torrent, wild and unstoppable!
Quinn’s palm strikes grow stronger and stronger—until, with a sudden blow, his yuanqi surges forth like a rushing river, shooting out four zhang and smashing a huge stone at the temple gate to powder!
This move isn’t exactly a divine ability, nor is it a spell—it’s somewhat like a Battle Skill, but not quite. It’s a strange, hybrid technique.
"My apologies."
Quinn bows to the river‑treading goddess statue, then steps out of the temple and heads into the ancient temple next door.
Inside this ancient temple stands a statue with a human face, tiger claws, and twin dragons underfoot. Quinn studies it for a long time, sitting and lying beside the idol, pondering its mysteries again and again.
After three to five days of muddled practice, Quinn finally grasped the statue’s three harmonies of form, qi, and spirit, as well as the three states of essence, force, and measure. His yuanqi began to circulate unconsciously, moving as he had observed, and suddenly, dazzling golden light shimmered across his skin—every movement and pause rang out like clashing metal, resounding with a crisp clang!
His posture became as solemn as a divine statue, and suddenly, seven golden discs emerged before and behind him. The rims of the discs were razor-sharp, their glow subdued, yet their centers shone with the richest gold.
Quinn moved, forming a sword seal with his hand. The discs followed his motion; as his yuanqi surged, the centers of the discs grew ever brighter. Suddenly, Quinn thrust forward with sword fingers, and from the seven discs, fine golden rays shot out—like hair-thin golden swords.
Sss sss sss—
The seven golden thread-swords shot out like lightning, piercing exactly where his sword seal pointed!
Quinn withdrew his hand and saw a deep sword hole gouged into the ground.
Still not as fierce as Grandpa Mark’s fists... Wait, when did my yuanqi turn into White Tiger qi?
Suddenly, Quinn sensed something was off. In his Spirit Embryo Treasury, a strange mutation erupted—his spirit embryo inhaled deeply and instantly absorbed all the remaining golden light from the golden sea!
Quinn felt his brow hollow out, his mind blanking and a wave of dizziness washing over him. When his senses returned, he found his spirit embryo had fallen asleep again.
Wait, Village Chief clearly said the Overlord Three-Core Art’s three cores meant the spirit embryo would awaken three times—so why does mine seem to be heading for a fourth awakening?