Chapter 609: Refining the Power of Faith Offerings |
"That's what you think."
Zhao Zhirou shook her head. "You don't have to say it. Either find someone else in the clan."
"Our clan has plenty of people, why must it be me?"
"Why won't you listen to reason?"
"Why let the fat water flow into a stranger's field?"
Zhao Tianlei scolded him for his stubbornness.
"Big brother, that's enough."
"I'm going to cultivate now."
Zhao Zhirou gave a coquettish hum and cut off their voice transmission.
"This kid, why won't she listen?"
He couldn't help but shake his head.
"Young Master, this can't be forced, but we are about to act."
"Keep them arranged together, and there will still be a chance."
Wang Haoran stood beside him and added.
"Hmm, you're right."
"Have the troops been arranged?"
Zhao Tianlei thought for a moment before continuing.
"Everything is set. Once we arrive, we can act."
Wang Haoran stepped forward and said respectfully.
"Yes. Good. This time we absolutely cannot fail."
"Otherwise it will have been a wasted trip."
Zhao Tianlei looked ahead and said in a low voice.
"Yes!"
Wang Haoran showed a serious expression.
Zhao Tianlei then turned his gaze toward the ship's cabin.
That was where Ning Qi was.
At this moment Ning Qi was cultivating inside the Sumeru Courtyard, continuously integrating the courtyard's formation with his Three Thousand Like Water technique.
By the end, the formation had completely fused with his Water Thirty Technique.
"Ha!"
Ning Qi drew a deep breath and looked around the courtyard. "Well, how much time has passed?"
"Master, judging by the local flow of time, we've already passed about half of the time here."
"Or rather, a bit more than half."
Pill Spirit considered and answered seriously.
He actually didn't know exactly how much time had passed. He only had a feeling that it had been a considerable span.
"Hmm, it should be about half the time."
Ning Qi nodded, then looked at the formation's light-screen. "I have already comprehended this formation."
"That's great, we can also set it up in our Sumeru space."
Hearing him, Pill Spirit immediately jumped for joy.
Excitement shone in his eyes.
He had never expected Ning Qi to comprehend the formation so quickly.
"Not bad. Now it depends on Shi Xiaokun."
Ning Qi nodded and withdrew his gaze.
"Master, I'm ready as well."
Suddenly Shi Xiaokun's voice came through. After he spoke, he flashed into being from Ning Qi's Consciousness Sea in an instant.
"You finished too?"
Pill Spirit widened his eyes at that.
"Yes, a few days faster than expected."
Shi Xiaokun nodded, replying. His eyes were solemn yet pleased.
"Good. Can this formation be used in our inner realm?"
Ning Qi asked, now interested.
He smiled at Shi Xiaokun.
"Master, this is possible, but at first our resources are limited."
"We can only set it up in certain areas. If Master breaks through to Golden Immortal strength,"
"then it could be deployed throughout the domain."
Shi Xiaokun nodded and analyzed further. "Since the formation here has already fused, Master, you can break through in our inner realm."
"In our inner realm we don't need to worry about lightning tribulation."
"Here we are the rulers; we can deceive Heavenly Dao Power."
"Oh? That sounds nice."
Ning Qi had not expected that a refined inner realm could avoid lightning tribulations.
"Yes, Master. We can come in and try."
"I feel the power of faith offerings here can push you to Golden Immortal strength."
Shi Xiaokun nodded earnestly and opened their Sumeru space for them.
"Good, let's try then."
"But how long will this take? If they come to find me and I'm still not broken through, they might suspect something."
Ning Qi suddenly worried aloud.
"Master, don't worry. Our inner realm inherently has a time difference from the outside."
"When one day passes outside, about five days pass here."
"That time is sufficient."
Shi Xiaokun smiled. "Besides, with Master’s own formation support, once we control a small area,"
"we can make this place have a significant time and cultivation gap from the outside."
"Right, Master, that could work."
Pill Spirit clapped and immediately understood.
"Alright, let's give it a try."
Ning Qi nodded and then focused his gaze inward.
He then entered his inner realm.
Upon arrival, the first thing he felt was a gentle breeze.
After that breeze, Ning Qi clearly sensed a change in the spiritual energy here.
Compared to the realm where Xu Qingqiu was, the spiritual energy here was denser.
He immediately rose above the void to survey the place.
Clear mountains and waters, immortal herbs and exotic flowers everywhere.
Before the mountain ranges, rich spiritual energy surged.
It presented itself like an Immortal Realm.
"Master, this is not much different from the old Mount Buzhou."
Shi Xiaokun flew over and said.
"Good, not bad."
"But why bring people in here?"
"To increase the faith offerings energy, relying on the land alone won't be enough."
"If there are cultivators practicing or people praying, our faith offerings energy will become much stronger."
Ning Qi looked around and said.
"Master, that's easy."
"We have an opportunity: find a town or a few villages and bring in people with cultivation potential."
"Also, before we find people, we need not worry. Every blade of grass, every spirit beast here practicing will produce faith offerings energy."
"Especially right after this first refining, the faith offerings power will be at its peak."
"This chance could allow the Domain Lord to break through to Golden Immortal strength in one go."
Shi Xiaokun smiled at Ning Qi and said.
"Good. In that case, let's get started."
Ning Qi nodded and picked a flat open area below. "This will do. I'll set the formation."
"Slow the flow of time here."
"Alright!"
Shi Xiaokun agreed and added, "I'll guard!"
"I'll help too!"
Pill Spirit joined in.
"Then start."
Ning Qi said and swooped down, quickly reaching the ground.
He took out materials from his storage bag: spirit stones, spirit marrow, and various resources for setting formations.
He arranged them methodically, and gradually the formation’s outline appeared.
When everything was set, Ning Qi circulated Immortal Power.
"Whoosh!"
Power shot out, and in the blink of an eye ripples formed across the place.
Water-wave patterns wavered — clearly an effect of Ning Qi fusing the Water Thirty Technique.
"Crunch!"
But just as success seemed imminent, a violent fluctuation erupted.
The whole formation began to tremble.
"This is bad, it's going to fail."
Shi Xiaokun saw trouble and acted abruptly.
Immortal Power poured out from his exertion, rushing toward the damaged formation.
"Boom."
In the end it still failed.
With a thunderous explosion the formation shattered, and Ning Qi and Shi Xiaokun both darted away, narrowly avoiding the shockwave.
"Failed."
Ning Qi sighed. "I didn't expect this to be so hard. I already comprehended it and still failed."
"Master, don't be discouraged. We'll continue!"
"This time will definitely work."
Pill Spirit flew over to encourage him.
"Yes, don't give up!"
Ning Qi nodded and focused again on the open ground below.
He descended and began arranging the formation once more.
"Rumble!"
"Hum!"
...
Over the next several shichen, intermittent fluctuations and surges of blazing light erupted.
"Ha."
Ning Qi sat on a large rock and exhaled.
"Twelve attempts so far."
Pill Spirit was getting disheartened. "Is it really this difficult?"
Discontent showed on his face.
He had not expected it to be so arduous.
"Yeah, why is it so hard?"
Shi Xiaokun also sighed; the result exceeded his expectations.
"This is wasting too much time; why don't we just try to break through directly?"
Pill Spirit proposed an idea.
"I'll try one last time."
"If it fails, we'll break through directly."
Ning Qi thought for a moment and said, "I refuse to believe it can't be done."
"Right, let's try!"
Shi Xiaokun clenched his fist. "I've watched enough. I can help."
"This time we'll join forces. I'll set part of the formation."
"Good, let's try it."
Ning Qi rose and went back to the cleared ground where they'd been setting formations.
This time he concentrated all his attention.
He resumed array layout, and Shi Xiaokun assisted.
After a flurry of activity, the formation was set up again.
"Ha!"
Ning Qi inhaled deeply and concentrated his attention entirely on the formation.
He shot a stream of Immortal Power into it.
"Hum."
At that moment Shi Xiaokun seized the timing and focused all his power to stabilize the array eyes.
When the Immortal Power struck, the place shuddered.
But with Shi Xiaokun's protection, it was not destroyed.
"Whoosh."
A light screen swelled out like a waterfall, spreading outward and then contracting.
With the formation's fluctuations, everything here seemed to slow down to a standstill.
"Success?"
Pill Spirit watched from a distance, curious at the unfolding spectacle.
"Yes, it's successful."
Ning Qi nodded, then flew down.
He landed within the formation and observed the changes. "Time has slowed a lot. If I hadn't set this, anything entering would be almost completely frozen."
"Well done, Master. We succeeded."
Shi Xiaokun came down smiling. "Heaven rewards the diligent."
"Great, finally succeeded."
Pill Spirit hopped over, excitement all over his face.
He had never expected they could actually make it work.
"Good!"
Ning Qi smiled and looked ahead. "Next, try to break through to Golden Immortal strength."
"Master, I'll help you mobilize the faith offerings power!"
Shi Xiaokun stepped forward and said.
"Alright, we'll rely on you."
Ning Qi had never used faith offerings power before, so he was intrigued.
He wanted to see what this so-called power of faith offerings really was.
"Good! I'll begin!"
Shi Xiaokun nodded and began circulating Immortal Power.
He spread it out like a net that expanded across the area.
The net searched and gathered drifting mists.
"This is the power of faith offerings?"
Pill Spirit looked at everything curiously and asked.
"Yes, this is the power of faith offerings."
"Now we need to channel it, forcing it to surge into your meridians."
Shi Xiaokun nodded and concentrated all his strength. "Master, you refine it. Take it step by step!"
"Alright!"
Ning Qi opened his hands and drew the faith offerings power toward himself.
At first it came in faint wisps, then steadily grew stronger.
It coalesced into white, python-like streams that flowed into his body.
They filled him gradually.
His skin began to change color, starting from his original tone and turning crimson.
Finally, under waves of faith offerings power, his skin darkened to black.
"Master, is he okay?"
Pill Spirit watched from afar, unable to help asking.
"It will be fine, don't worry!"
Shi Xiaokun shook his head and continued directing the explosive faith offerings energy toward Ning Qi.
"Whoosh!"
Ning Qi drew a deep breath, feeling the changes within.
Faith-offerings power began to flood his meridians, attempting to occupy every inch of his flesh.
He felt as if he were about to be burst from within.
Yet he did not give up and gritted his teeth to endure.
Whenever he felt he might be torn apart, he would control and refine the incoming faith offerings energy, constantly suppressing it.
However, by the end every inch of his flesh was saturated with suppressed faith-offerings power.
"Ha!"
Finally it erupted like a volcanic blast, uncontrollable.
His meridians completely burst open.
He looked like a bloodied man, skin rotting, flesh and blood a blur.
"Master!"
Pill Spirit rushed over worriedly, immediately pouring his Life Force Energy into Ning Qi.
"Why is it so difficult?"
Shi Xiaokun frowned, watching the scene.
Ning Qi's condition had clearly exceeded his expectations.
"What's going on? Did you purposely harm the Master?"
Pill Spirit glared and demanded.
"No, I don't know what happened either."
Shi Xiaokun shook his head.