Chapter 417: Fortune |
Chen Qing stored the spirit liquid in jade bottles, his eyes showing no ripples.
He always conducted himself steadily, deeply aware that hidden dragons and crouching tigers lurked within this Taiyi Spirit Ruins.
The first tier—those few people: Jiang Tuo, Nan Zhuoran, Lin Haiqing, Wang Jing, Xin Nichang—every one was a monster with more than ten True Origin refinements, one foot already on the Grandmaster threshold.
Even the second tier old hands, having steeped at the peak of nine refinements for years with seasoned experience, their strength might not be inferior to ten refinements, possibly even stronger. After all, some old fellows who failed attempting to break through to Grandmaster actually had even more refined True Origin condensation.
"Shouldn't linger."
Chen Qing's figure flashed and disappeared into the depths of the dense forest.
He concealed his aura. After seven refinements, the liquid True Origin within his body slowly circulated. Each step he took was light as a feather, leaving no trace on snow.
The further toward the central area he advanced, the denser the surrounding heaven and earth essence became.
The milky white spiritual mist permeating the air had nearly condensed to substance. Between breaths, cool and pure essence autonomously surged into his meridians, his cultivation growing slowly at all times.
Dense essence meant higher probability of spirit springs appearing, but also meant essence storms could appear at any time.
He circled around several areas with obvious aura fluctuations.
After seven refinements, his perception of essence flow became increasingly acute.
Just as Chen Qing passed through a jagged stone forest, sudden change erupted!
In the distant horizon, the milky white skylight suddenly twisted!
"Hum hum hum—"
Low rumbling like muffled thunder rolled from extremely far away, initially faint, but in an instant transforming into boom like mountain collapse and tsunami!
Chen Qing jerked his head up to look.
Only to see that several li away, the originally calm milky white firmament was now violently churning like boiling water!
A white vortex connecting heaven and earth was madly forming. Lightning flashed at the vortex's edge as countless fine milky white air currents were forcibly torn apart and drawn into that madly rotating storm center!
"Spirit Eye Storm!"
Chen Qing's heart tightened as Luo Zhixian's warning flashed through his mind.
Within the Spirit Ruins, essence was excessively concentrated. Occasionally chaotic essence currents erupted, forming this kind of destructive storm. Even True Origin nine-refinement experts caught within faced mortal danger!
That storm's expansion speed was astonishingly fast. In just a few breaths, its diameter already exceeded ten zhang and was still madly swelling!
Where it passed, the ground was plowed open by invisible tremendous force. Towering ancient trees were uprooted, ground to powder while still in the air. Rocks shattered, transforming into a rain of stones filling the sky!
Even more terrifying was that the storm contained chaotic and violent essence currents. Even divine sense probing in would be instantly shredded!
"Flee!"
Without hesitation, Chen Qing's figure exploded backward!
He urged the Supreme Void True Scripture to its limit. True Origin surged through his meridians. His feet stepped repeatedly as his form transformed into a blurred cyan shadow, rapidly sweeping toward the storm's flank!
Not only him—within his field of vision, several figures in the distance also fled in panic. Each had powerful auras, at minimum seven or eight True Origin refinements, yet all were now in dire straits, fleeing for their lives.
Chen Qing raised his speed to the limit.
Without looking back, he rushed out over ten li in one breath. Only when the heaven-destroying, earth-extinguishing rumbling behind him gradually weakened did he dare slow his pace and look back.
He saw in the distant horizon, that gray-white storm still raging, but its expansion speed had slowed, slowly moving toward another direction. Devastation lay wherever it passed.
"That was close..."
Chen Qing exhaled a long breath of turbid air.
This Spirit Eye Storm's power was truly terrifying to hear of.
Even with his current cultivation, if caught in that storm's eye, he'd probably find it hard to escape severe injury, possibly even life-threatening.
Steadying himself, Chen Qing looked around.
Because the storm had swept through, the spiritual mist in this area had been blown away, and visibility was much clearer.
He was currently in a relatively gentle valley floor. Strange rocks jutted throughout the valley, with faint sounds of flowing water.
Suddenly, his gaze focused!
He saw in the valley center, in a stone depression about the size of a millstone, milky white spirit liquid gurgled forth, accumulating in a thin layer within the depression.
And above the stone depression, seven drops of pale golden spirit liquid floated quietly, radiance flowing, emanating extremely pure essence fluctuations!
"Seven drops!"
Chen Qing's heart jumped.
This was the most spirit liquid he'd seen in one place since entering the Spirit Ruins!
That spirit spring discovered by Fei Yuchen earlier also had only seven drops, which were then robbed.
And these seven drops of spirit liquid before him had clearly just condensed into form, not yet discovered by anyone.
"Good heavens!"
Chen Qing was secretly delighted. His foot moved, about to step forward to collect them.
Just as his figure moved!
"Whoosh!"
A cyan figure shot out from behind a side cliff wall with extreme speed, bringing sharp whistling through the air!
The newcomer wore cyan tight-fitting clothes with a graceful figure and a plain white mask on her face, revealing only a pair of clear, bright eyes.
She'd clearly also discovered those seven drops of spirit liquid, a trace of burning desire flashing through her eyes. Her form unhesitatingly pounced toward the stone depression!
"Your Excellency, we discovered this item together. Isn't it excessive for you to want to eat alone?"
The masked woman's voice was crisp yet carried a trace of coldness.
While in midair, she extended her right hand with fingers like a sword, pointing through the air!
"Hiss—!"
A pale blue sword radiance broke through the air. The sword radiance was condensed like substance, faintly wreathed in cloud and mist, carrying flexible lingering force within its sharpness, directly pointing before Chen Qing!
Cloud-Born Sword Intent!
Chen Qing instantly recognized this sword intent's origins—one of Cloudwater Upper Sect's sect-suppressing sword techniques, the unique sword intent derived from the Cloud-Born Sword Technique!
Cloudwater Upper Sect had three people entering the Spirit Ruins this time: Lin Haiqing, Jia Haiyue, and Cui Lin.
Among them, only one was female—that "Hai" generation true disciple, Jia Haiyue!
In a flash, thoughts flew through Chen Qing's mind.
He swept his sleeve. Seven-refinement vigorous True Origin surged out like tides, transforming into an invisible qi wall blocking before him.
"Bang!"
The pale blue sword radiance struck the qi wall, emitting a muffled sound.
The cloud-mist flexible force contained in the sword radiance tried to penetrate, but how refined was Chen Qing's True Origin?
The liquid True Origin cultivated from the Supreme Void True Scripture was pure and heavy, forcibly scattering the sword radiance!
At the same time, Chen Qing's left hand grabbed virtually. A suction force arose from nothing, enveloping the seven drops of spirit liquid above the stone depression.
"You dare!"
Seeing Chen Qing could easily dissolve her Cloud-Born Sword Intent, a trace of shock flashed through Jia Haiyue's eyes. She immediately shouted fiercely, somehow already having a three-chi azure blade in her hand.
The sword body was like water, creating rippling waves of light.
Cloud-Born Sword Technique! Cloud Gathering!
Jia Haiyue's sword momentum shifted. True Origin surged forth from around her body. Pale blue radiance rapidly condensed at the sword tip, transforming into a three-zhang-long giant sword phantom!
The giant sword had just formed when it brought overwhelming unstoppable momentum, slashing down toward Chen Qing's head!
Sword wind howled. The air was forcibly pushed aside, emitting ear-piercing booms!
With this sword, Jia Haiyue had gotten serious. Her eight True Origin refinements cultivation was held nothing back. The sword momentum locked down all Chen Qing's evasion space, wanting to split him in two!
Chen Qing's expression didn't change, but his heart tightened.
He couldn't expose his spear techniques, so many methods were restricted.
He took a deep breath. The liquid True Origin lake within his body boiled thunderously. His right hand formed a fist. Meeting that slashing giant sword phantom, he punched out!
With this punch, he didn't employ the obvious characteristics of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Vajra Body, only condensed vigorous True Origin at his fist edge, clashing purely with force!
"Boom!!!"
Fist and sword met, erupting in an earth-shaking boom!
Qi waves exploded. With the two as center, the ground within ten zhang suddenly sank. Shattered stones shot out. Grass and trees completely shattered!
Jia Haiyue groaned. She only felt tremendous force transmit from the sword body, shaking her tiger's mouth numb, her sword momentum involuntarily stalling.
The shock in her eyes intensified. This person's True Origin vigor far exceeded her expectations. Absolutely at eight True Origin refinements peak, possibly even nine!
And Chen Qing also swayed slightly, the ground beneath his feet cracking.
He silently praised. This Jia Haiyue who could seize a quota from Cloudwater Upper Sect indeed lived up to her reputation. If not for his True Origin being sufficiently vigorous, taking this sword head-on would probably put him at a disadvantage.
Borrowing this stalling opportunity, Chen Qing's left hand suction increased again. The seven drops of spirit liquid finally broke free from the stone depression, flying toward him.
"Don't even think about it!"
Jia Haiyue gritted her teeth, her sword momentum changing again, about to block.
"Haiyue, what's going on?"
An aged yet steady voice came from behind. The voice was initially distant, but by the last word, a cyan figure had already appeared at the valley's edge.
The newcomer wore cyan robes—precisely one of Cloudwater Upper Sect's three experts on this trip, the veteran expert Cui Lin!
Cui Lin's gaze swept once, instantly seeing the situation in the field clearly.
"Want to leave? As if it's that easy!"
Cold light flashed through his eyes. His hands had already formed seals lightning-fast, True Origin around his body violently oscillating at a unique frequency.
Tidal Mysterious Sound Break!
The same move, but executed by Cui Lin, this Cloudwater Upper Sect veteran elder, its power was far beyond what Li Muyun could compare to in the past!
"Hum—!"
A soundless yet soul-shaking tremendous sound wave, like furious deep sea tides suddenly rising from the void, ignoring physical defense, directly rushing toward Chen Qing's Will Sea!
The surrounding air seemed to tremble with it. Fine stone fragments rustled down from distant cliff walls.
If a year ago Chen Qing had suddenly encountered this move, even with powerful physical body and vigorous True Origin, he'd inevitably experience consciousness sea shock and form stalling, then fall into danger.
But now Chen Qing's eyes showed no panic. Instead, a trace of coldness crossed them.
Almost at the instant Cui Lin's sound wave attacked, his mind and spirit condensed. The Myriad Manifestations Returning to Origin divine technique mental method instantly circulated!
Myriad Manifestations Binding!
Chen Qing didn't emit any sound, but at his brow, faint golden light flashed and immediately vanished.
A formless, substanceless divine sense power far more condensed and subtle than Tidal Mysterious Sound Break, like countless tough flexible threads, quietly spread from his consciousness sea.
Tidal Mysterious Sound Break's essence was using True Origin to simulate tidal Dao rhythm, triggering resonance in the opponent's mind and spirit, then impacting and shocking.
But Myriad Manifestations Binding was a secret technique that interfered with the opponent's divine sense operation!
Two forces both belonging to the divine sense level silently collided in the void!
No earth-shaking boom occurred, but in the space of over ten zhang centered on the three, the air seemed to instantly congeal for a moment.
Cui Lin's expression changed drastically!
He only felt his Tidal Mysterious Sound Break seemed to crash into an invisible yet flexible great net. That unstoppable impacting momentum was actually dissipated layer by layer. Moreover, a strange force flowed upstream, trying to entangle and bind his divine sense perception!
Although with his nine True Origin refinements foundation and divine sense tempered over many years, this binding force was far from sufficient to truly trap him, but in that imperceptible stalling moment—
"Whoosh!"
Chen Qing's figure drifted backward. At the same time, his left hand grabbed through the air. Those seven drops of pale golden spirit liquid finally completely broke free from the stone depression, collected into the jade bottle in his palm. His movements were smooth and flowing, completed in one breath!
And his feet stepped repeatedly, his form pulling out a blurred afterimage in the air. In an instant, he was already ten zhang away!
"Stay!" Jia Haiyue gave a delicate shout, raising her sword to pursue.
But Cui Lin groaned. That brief divine sense level confrontation just now made his mind and spirit slightly shake. His reaction was ultimately half a beat slow.
He hurriedly shouted, "Be careful! This person's methods are strange! Don't pursue a desperate foe!"
With this delay, Chen Qing's figure had already entered distant misty spiritual fog. After a few leaps, his aura completely disappeared without trace.
"Detestable!" Jia Haiyue's powder fists clenched tight, her eyes full of unwillingness and anger.
She'd always been arrogant and proud, rarely meeting opponents among peers. Today not only was spirit liquid seized before her face, but in combat with someone she couldn't even gain the slightest advantage, couldn't even force out more of the opponent's foundations. This made her feel extremely stifled.
Cui Lin took a deep breath, his expression grave as he looked toward the direction Chen Qing disappeared.
"Haiyue, when exchanging blows with this person just now, could you discern any techniques?" Cui Lin asked in a deep voice.
Jia Haiyue shook her head, her tone carrying some unwillingness. "This person's True Origin is vigorous and domineering, fist force incomparably fierce. Taking my Cloud-Born Sword Technique 'Cloud Gathering' form head-on, he only swayed slightly. In my view, his True Origin foundation is at minimum eight refinements peak, possibly even nine!"
She paused and added, "Moreover, his combat experience is extremely seasoned. His responses are decisive, absolutely not dragging mud and water. Definitely not comparable to ordinary independent cultivators or aristocratic family descendants."
Cui Lin's brow locked tight as he slowly said, "Not only that. Just now at the end... I executed Tidal Mysterious Sound Break, yet was blocked by a divine technique secret art he used that I've never heard of, even suffered interference in return."
Deep wariness showed in his eyes. "I've cultivated Tidal Mysterious Sound Break to perfection. I'm confident my divine sense strength is outstanding even among the same rank. Yet that invisible binding force could actually make my divine sense operation experience momentary stalling... Such divine sense-specialized divine techniques with such strange and powerful effects are truly rare."
He rapidly filtered through information about experts from various sides entering the Spirit Ruins in his mind.
Among the Six Great Upper Sects, Taiyi Upper Sect had the Taiyi Soul-Suppressing Incantation, Mystic Heaven Upper Sect had the Mystic Heaven Spirit-Stabilizing Light, all untransmitted secrets with great power, but their approaches were completely different from that invisible binding effect just now.
Cloudwater Upper Sect itself excelled at water-attribute techniques, sound attacks, and illusions, also researching divine sense, but had no such divine techniques.
"Black Water Giant City and Tianbo City have deep foundations. Perhaps they hide one or two secret techniques, but as far as I know, none completely match..."
Cui Lin pondered. "Could it be someone from a millennial aristocratic family, or a lone expert who obtained other inheritances?"
Among those entering the Spirit Ruins this time were also three renowned independent cultivators.
These three had profound cultivation and had long been famous throughout Yan Kingdom. They were precisely targets Taiyi Upper Sect desperately wanted to recruit.
The more he thought, the more he felt this person was mysterious and unfathomable.
True Origin vigorous like nine refinements, movement technique strange and swift, fist power fierce, plus possessing such strange and powerful divine sense secret techniques... Such a figure, placed in any power, would absolutely be core of cores. How could he previously have no reputation?
"Within this Taiyi Spirit Ruins, it truly is a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers."
Cui Lin finally sighed lightly, his tone carrying warning. "This person's depths are hard to measure. His actions are decisive. Unless necessary, don't easily provoke him. On the path ahead, you and I must be even more careful and cautious."
Though Jia Haiyue was unwilling in her heart, she also knew Elder Cui spoke reasonably and could only nod in agreement.
Her gaze swept over that now empty stone depression again. Though she inwardly hated it, she was also helpless.
"Elder Cui, just now when you hurriedly rushed over, was there some change on that side?"
Jia Haiyue remembered Cui Lin's state when he appeared and spoke up to ask.
Cui Lin's expression immediately tightened. Gravity floated up in his eyes as he lowered his voice. "About twenty li northwest from here, at a place where earth vein spirit eyes converge, Purple Marrow Spirit Liquid was discovered!"
"Purple Marrow Spirit Liquid!?" Jia Haiyue's beautiful eyes widened, her heart shaking wildly.
Ordinary pale golden spirit liquid was already a treasure, able to greatly increase True Origin refinement efficiency.
But Purple Marrow Spirit Liquid was the Spirit Ruins' concentrated essence, deep purple in color, containing a trace of even purer and more mysterious heaven and earth origin qi. For True Origin realm peak attempting to break through the Grandmaster bottleneck, it had indescribable benefits.
Though not decisive, that bit of extra insight and origin nourishment was invaluably precious for geniuses stuck before the threshold!
This item's rarity far exceeded ordinary spirit liquid by a hundred times!
Each time the Spirit Ruins opened, it might not even produce a few drops.
"The news has probably already spread."
Cui Lin's tone was urgent. "Jiang Tuo, Nan Zhuoran, Lin Haiqing, Wang Jing, Xin Nichang—those top figures, plus several old fellows at nine refinements peak, have all already rushed over! The situation there is now extremely complex, undercurrents surging. Just now I only explored slightly at the periphery and sensed at least four or five powerful auras secretly confronting and probing each other. That's when I withdrew and returned, unexpectedly encountering you here."
He glanced at the direction Chen Qing disappeared, thoughtful. "No wonder this person seized seven drops of ordinary spirit liquid then decisively fled. I'm afraid... he also sensed news of the Purple Marrow Spirit Liquid and didn't want to entangle here excessively, wanting to preserve strength to compete for that greater opportunity!"
Jia Haiyue listened with surging emotions.
Compared to Purple Marrow Spirit Liquid that might trigger Grandmaster-level competition, those seven drops of ordinary spirit liquid just now indeed seemed insignificant.
"Then we now..." Jia Haiyue looked at Cui Lin.
Brilliant light flashed through Cui Lin's eyes. "Go! Immediately rush to the northwest spirit eye location! Purple Marrow Spirit Liquid is of grave importance. Even if we can't compete for it, we must personally see the situation. If there's even the slightest opportunity..."
He didn't finish his words, but the meaning was clear.
The two no longer had leisure to care about the seized spirit liquid. Their forms moved, transforming into two cyan shadows rapidly speeding toward the northwest direction, disappearing in the blink of an eye into the dense spiritual mist.
After Chen Qing seized the seven drops of spirit liquid, borrowing the spiritual mist's concealment, after several turns among mountain rocks and forest trees, he quietly reached the depths of a concealed rock crevice.
"Getting harder and harder."
He pondered inwardly. "Seven drops of spirit liquid required such great effort. Not only using True Origin to clash directly with Jia Haiyue's Cloud-Born Sword Technique, but at the end I was even forced to employ the 'Myriad Manifestations Binding' secret technique to escape from Cui Lin's Tidal Mysterious Sound Break."
However, this exchange wasn't without gains.
Chen Qing's mind and spirit sank into his consciousness sea, carefully savoring the instant of divine sense confrontation just now.
Cui Lin's Tidal Mysterious Sound Break had considerable power, directly shaking the mind and spirit. If it were before, even if he could withstand it, he'd inevitably experience consciousness sea shock.
But now, with the divine sense power cultivated from Myriad Manifestations Returning to Origin, condensed like silk, tough and long-lasting, he not only easily dissolved the sound wave impact but also counter-applied binding, making the opponent experience momentary stalling.
"This execution of Myriad Manifestations Returning to Origin secret technique also verified my own divine sense."
Chen Qing thought silently. "Seems these days of bitter cultivation haven't been in vain. Now my divine sense is absolutely not a weak point. When responding to certain special attacks, it even counts as a strong point."
Shortcomings being filled bit by bit—this feeling made him slightly more settled.
At such a dangerous time, having one more trump card meant one more degree of composure.
He turned his hand to retrieve the jade bottle containing seven drops of pale golden spirit liquid, preparing to store it together with what he'd obtained earlier.
"Hum!"
Suddenly, in his mind, that mass of purple light that had been dormant for so long violently trembled!
Purple light flowed, jumping and flashing as if possessing life, emanating burning and urgent aura, almost breaking free from the depths of his consciousness sea!
"What's going on?" Chen Qing's heart jumped in alarm. He immediately gathered all his mind and spirit, looking inward at himself.
This mass of purple light could be called his most hidden opportunity besides his fate pattern.
Back then in Tianbao Tower, it was precisely this that guided him to obtain the Supreme Void True Scripture inheritance. Afterward, it had remained dormant in the depths of his consciousness sea.
At this moment, the purple light was so active—unprecedented!
Chen Qing didn't dare slack off, attempting to contact the purple light with his divine sense.
Just upon contact, a clear and strong guiding sensation fed back along his divine sense, pointing directly toward the Spirit Ruins' deeper interior, that area where milky white skylight was most concentrated at the core!
"There..." Chen Qing raised his eyes to look, gazing toward the Spirit Ruins center. "The purple light stirs at this moment. Could there be something there?"
After brief consideration, he decisively stored the jade bottle.
Compared to opportunity that even made the purple light tremble, the seven drops of spirit liquid just obtained immediately seemed less urgent.
Following the purple light's guidance, Chen Qing quietly moved again.
This time, he was even more careful, concealing his aura to the extreme, blending into the surrounding flowing spiritual mist, difficult to distinguish.
The closer to the core area, the more violent heaven and earth essence became.
The milky white spiritual mist was no longer calm but slowly surged like tides, fine scattered lightning and chaotic flowing wind hidden within.
In the distance, that heaven-connecting, earth-linking Spirit Eye Storm had moved elsewhere, but the remaining destructive aura still filled this area with oppressive feeling.
The ground was crisscrossed with ravines. Huge rocks were overturned and torn apart. A scene of post-disaster devastation.
Clearly, not long ago the storm had swept across this area's edge.
Chen Qing shuttled among chaotic rocks and fallen ancient trees in the devastation. The purple light's guidance grew increasingly strong.
Finally, he stopped before a pile of ruins.
The guidance's endpoint was beneath this pile of ruins.
Chen Qing looked around. Nearby there were no other auras.
The storm's residual might remained. Ordinary experts would probably avoid this area.
He condensed spirit and gathered qi. True Origin slowly penetrated.
A light curtain that could only accommodate one person and existed briefly was revealed!
Chen Qing's form contracted as he entered the light curtain.
This place wasn't the imagined spacious cave dwelling or hall, but rather a huge stone cave.
At this moment, directly before him was only a small stone pool.
The pool water was merely three chi square, clear enough to see the bottom, fine white sand and stones visible at the bottom.
What truly attracted all Chen Qing's mind and spirit was floating quietly at the pool center's water surface—five drops of spirit liquid.
This spirit liquid wasn't pale golden, but deep purple!