Chapter 122: The Strength of Zhou Yi

Although there are only eighteen "Heaven and Earth World Diagrams," the power of the blade increases exponentially with each additional engraving. Consequently, the demand for spiritual energy also rises significantly with every new layer added.

Before Zhou Yi reached the Pseudo-Core stage, he could barely manage to engrave seven diagrams. It might sound as though he were not far from the final eighteen, but in reality, even with his current strength—which has reached a level he himself cannot fully fathom—he still dared not guarantee that he could complete all eighteen.

The difficulty of engraving these diagrams increases almost geometrically. While Zhou Yi’s own power has grown at a similar scale, he remained uncertain at heart.

"Now... let me see just how far my strength has actually come!" After much internal deliberation, Zhou Yi shook off his lingering doubts. Speculation was useless; he would only know if he could finish the eighteen diagrams by attempting it.

Boom!

With his mind set, he did not hesitate. Zhou Yi looked down at the long blade in his hand, his gaze tracing the reliefs on its surface before resting in the center. Without looking back, he reached out behind him, summoned a "Heaven and Earth World Diagram," and flicked it into the blade.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

After the second diagram was integrated, Zhou Yi’s movements did not falter. He swung his arm, continuously driving the scrolls into the blade. Rhythmic, thunderous echoes began to resonate through the space, one after another.

Hum— Hum— Hum—

As each diagram was absorbed, the once simple strokes on the blade grew increasingly rich. The profound mysteries contained within each line became more complex, causing the blade to tremble and hum incessantly.

Zhou Yi’s expression was grave. His eyes were fixed intently on the weapon, his five fingers gripping the hilt. He could feel the blade becoming increasingly heavy, as if he were holding the weight of an entire world. A faint, ethereal aura of heaven and earth emanated from it.

His heart began to race. This was the fifteenth diagram. The strokes on the blade could no longer be described as simple, nor even complex. With the integration of fifteen diagrams, the markings began to blur, shimmering in and out of existence, nearly impossible to perceive.

It was not that they were disappearing; rather, as the mysteries contained within reached a higher level of spirituality, the diagrams ascended to a higher plane, shielding themselves from the eyes of the mundane. Unless one reached a certain level of cultivation, it was impossible to penetrate the mist and see the essence beneath.

Zhou Yi, however, could see these strokes, which had begun to resemble the true heaven and earth, because the mysteries they contained were his own realizations. Though he might not fully grasp them yet, they were the diagrams he had envisioned and recorded.

As the mysteries deepened, Zhou Yi’s focus intensified. Eventually, he forgot his initial purpose, his entire being absorbed by the markings on the blade, with flashes of enlightenment constantly sparking in his mind.

As the diagrams were etched, the deeper mysteries felt like a review. Watching them grow from simple to complex, then from complex to profound, awakened things that had long been buried deep in his memory.

"Oh!"
"So that’s how it is!"
"Is that what it means!"

Gradually, his understanding deepened. His strength, already at an unfathomable level, grew further. However, Zhou Yi was beyond caring about that now. He was completely immersed in the profound mysteries of the "Heaven and Earth World Diagrams," hungrily absorbing and comprehending the secrets of the cosmos.

Time passed in silence. Eventually, Zhou Yi shook himself from his trance with a sigh of realization: "Ah!"

He looked around, noticing the two remaining diagrams suspended in the air, his eyes clearing from their dazed state.

Sixteen diagrams. Sixteen of the "Heaven and Earth World Diagrams" were now embedded in the blade. The air, once filled with scrolls, now held only two lonely remnants.

Zhou Yi glanced at the "Heavy Mountain" technique, which had only diminished slightly, and couldn't help but marvel: "The Heavy Mountain technique is truly formidable!"

Previously, just seven diagrams had pushed him to the brink of exhaustion. Now, even with sixteen, the "Heavy Mountain" remained largely intact, and he felt no pressure at all. This served as clear proof of how much his strength had increased.

"The seventeenth!" Steadying himself, a look of seriousness flashed in his eyes as he resumed his work. With a thought, the seventeenth diagram moved toward the blade at a much slower pace than the previous ones.

"Has it reached this point already?" Zhou Yi mused, feeling the resistance as he controlled the diagram.

Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!

A sudden, massive roar made Zhou Yi look toward the source of the sound. The "Heavy Mountain" was spinning violently in the void, its immense power striking the air and creating thunderous explosions.

"I didn't expect the difficulty to spike so sharply with just the seventeenth diagram!" Zhou Yi narrowed his eyes as he watched the volume of the "Heavy Mountain" shrink at a visible rate.

Boom!

"It seems... by trial and error, I’ve managed to discover my own limit," Zhou Yi thought with a faint smile, slamming the seventeenth diagram into the blade.

He gripped the long blade, which felt remarkably substantial even in the emptiness of his dantian space. Looking at the now-shrunken "Heavy Mountain," he narrowed his eyes again. "It seems that at my current level of strength, I can support at most eighteen 'Heaven and Earth World Diagrams.' Therefore, by the standards of these diagrams, my limit is the eighteenth."

"However, while my strength may be capped at eighteen for now, I feel that the limit of the 'Heaven and Earth World Diagrams' itself is not eighteen."

Having roughly determined his current power, Zhou Yi felt a sense of satisfaction, though a new question immediately arose.

"It seems I have inadvertently stumbled upon something truly extraordinary!" Thinking of the diagrams, he felt a surge of excitement. He never imagined that before even reaching the Pseudo-Core stage, he would grasp a technique that would remain relevant even after breaking through. It was an unexpected, delightful surprise.

...

"Alright, enough distractions. Time to get down to business." After the excitement subsided, Zhou Yi calmed his mind. The matter was not yet finished; his strength was far from its peak. This test had merely given him a rough gauge of his capabilities.

His breakthrough was far from over. In fact, now that he had resolved the issues with the "Heavy Mountain" technique, his true breakthrough was only just beginning!