290: Chapter 29 Gun Qi!

"Welcome, challenger, to the Spear Technique Trial."

An ancient, indifferent voice echoed directly within Qin Yan's mind.

It was devoid of joy or sorrow, carrying not a hint of emotion.

Qin Yan steadied his mind and quickly surveyed the strange space he had arrived in after being sucked into the diamond statue.

This place was not the solid interior of a statue as he had imagined, but rather felt like an independently created miniature world.

The sky was a flowing halo of dark gold, like molten metal slowly swirling.

The ground was a solid, cold, black plane with a metallic luster.

Most striking were the dense, countless "light orbs" suspended in mid-air throughout the entire space.

Inside each light orb was wrapped a different form of "Qi"—some straight as needles, some winding like dragons, some condensed like shuttles, and some diffused like mist.

The auras emitted by these "Qi" were even more varied.

Some were incomparably sharp, some heavy as mountains, some agile and ethereal, and some violent as fire, filled with the restlessness of destruction;

Some were bone-chillingly cold, emitting a frigid intent that could freeze the soul...

"This is... Spear Qi?!"

Qin Yan's pupils shrank suddenly, and waves of shock surged in his heart.

Although he had not yet truly stepped into the fifth stage of Spear Technique,

He had long understood the characteristics and power of Spear Qi deeply from ancient texts.

Martial Arts Skill, whether it be Saber, Sword, Spear, or Staff, undergoes a qualitative leap once it breaks through to the fifth stage.

One of its core hallmarks is the ability to condense and command the "Qi" belonging to one's own weapon—Saber Qi, Sword Qi, Spear Qi, Staff Qi, and so on.

The power of Qi was beyond doubt.

First, its range, flexibility, and sustainability of external attacks far exceeded Spear Light, greatly expanding the dimensions of combat.

Secondly, Qi of different attributes and qualities possessed completely different characteristics and additional effects.

Some specialized in breaking defenses, some eroded the soul, some were endless and self-sustaining, and some triggered annihilation; the boost to combat power was all-encompassing.

More crucially, Qi itself had clear and strict grade classifications.

This directly determined its base power and growth ceiling.

From low to high, they were categorized as: Third Grade Spear Qi, Second Grade Spear Qi, First Grade Spear Qi, and the legendary Sovereign Spear Qi!

The difference between grades was like the difference between clouds and mud.

Even if they both fell under the category of "Qi," first grade Qi often possessed an overwhelming advantage over third grade Qi.

It wasn't just energy intensity, but lay more in the different levels of the "Dao" and "Principles" they contained.

The path a martial artist chose at the beginning of comprehending Qi largely determined the height and direction they could reach in the path of skill in the future.

Just as Qin Yan was shocked by this space full of Spear Qi, that indifferent voice rang out in his mind again:

"The trial is divided into two stages. The first stage begins now!"

"Objective: Comprehend a prototype of a Spear Qi!"

"Time limit: One month."

"Result: Success, advance to the next stage. Failure, death."

"The countdown begins."

The voice faded, its resonance dissipating in his mind, with no further prompts or responses.

"Comprehend a prototype Spear Qi... one month..."

Hearing this, Qin Yan did not immediately and blindly try to touch or deeply sense any particular Spear Qi.

Instead, he decided to first perform a systematic observation and classification to understand the layout and patterns of this place.

He first walked around the peripheral area.

The Spear Qi light orbs here were relatively dense, and while their auras each had their own characteristics,

Their overall intensity was weak, and the purity of the light and the condensation of the internal "Qi" were clearly inferior to those deeper in.

Qin Yan tentatively moved the tip of his long spear carefully toward a light orb emitting a faint green glow, shaped like a slender willow leaf.

The spear tip lightly touched the surface of the light orb.

Buzz!

A clear stream of information instantly traveled along the spear shaft into his arm and reached his mind:

[Name: Sharp Spear Qi]

[Grade: Third Grade]

[Characteristic Overview: Pursues the power of penetration and cutting; the Spear Qi form is thin and sharp, specializing in breaking through light armor and energy defenses.]

The information was concise and to the point, striking the core.

"Third Grade Spear Qi... 'Sharp' direction."

Qin Yan silently noted it down and continued his investigation.

He touched the light orbs one by one, as if reading a vast encyclopedia of Spear Qi.

[Heavy Spear Qi]—Third grade, characteristics are steady with fierce impact, specializing in overwhelming others with sheer force.

[Scorching Spear Qi]—Third grade, carries high-temperature burning, destroys tissue, and possesses a slight mental deterrent.

[Swift Thunder Spear Qi]—Third grade: Spear Qi contains the intent of lightning's swiftness; the thrust is like lightning, speed surges, and it carries a paralyzing effect.

[Soft Water Spear Qi]—Third grade: Spear Qi is as flexible and enduring as water, capable of deflecting and neutralizing force, overcoming hardness with softness, specializing in battles of attrition.

...

The peripheral area mostly contained such Third Grade Spear Qi, each with its own focus and clear advantages and disadvantages.

As Qin Yan looked through them, he gained a more intuitive understanding of the diversity of Spear Qi.

He also gained a preliminary understanding of the basic scope of Third Grade Spear Qi—they usually focused on one or two relatively basic characteristics and developed them to the limit of their current grade.

As he gradually moved toward the depths of the space, the number of Spear Qi light orbs began to decrease significantly.

However, each light orb seemed slightly larger, and the light they emitted was more solid and dazzling.

The forms of the internal Spear Qi also became increasingly complex and exquisite, and the sense of pressure they emitted climbed sharply.

"The Spear Qi here... should have reached the second grade."

Qin Yan felt a faint stinging sensation on his skin; it was the pressure brought by the natural radiation of high-grade energy.

He became more cautious and chose a silver-white light orb, inside which the Spear Qi wound and flowed like a roaming dragon, to investigate.

[Name: Startling Thunder Spear Qi]

[Grade: Second Grade]

[Characteristic Overview: Fuses the intents of 'Swiftness' and 'Lightning'.

Speed is exceptionally fast, and it carries a weak lightning paralysis effect.]

Second Grade Spear Qi was indeed different!

Not only were the characteristics more composite, but the power was also stronger.

Qin Yan continued toward the deepest part.

The further in he went, the greater the pressure, and the number of Spear Qi became even scarcer.

When he finally reached the "end" of this space—a relatively empty area where only a dozen or so Spear Qi were quietly suspended—even with his tough physique tempered by the Indestructible Blood Demon Scripture,

He could clearly feel a stinging sensation on his skin, as if being pressed by countless fine needle points.

Every Spear Qi here seemed like a sleeping divine weapon.

Just their naturally dissipating aura was enough to make one's heart race in fear.