8mi Chapter 25 The Path of Qi Refining
Chapter 25 The Path of Qi Refining
After crossing another 25,000 li, the previously gloomy sky and earth began to return to normal.
Green mountains, clear waters, and wild beasts appear from time to time in various corners, while the death energy and corpse energy emanating from the armored, dried corpses become faint and indistinct.
Li Tianqing spoke first, saying, "The colors of this world finally don't seem so oppressive anymore."
Wu Kang nodded, and when he looked back, he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
Xiong Zhou also complained, "That's right, that place is simply not fit for human habitation."
"In that place, I wanted to comprehend the abundant way that exists within the Azure Sky Realm itself; it was practically hell mode."
"Now, things are much more normal. At least the response I receive from the Abundance Path of the Azure Sky Realm is no longer so faint."
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Tianqing, Wu Kang, Zi Xuan, and Duanmu Ning all looked at Xiong Zhou.
Zi Xuan's eyes brightened, and she asked, "Junior Brother Xiong Zhou's authority has returned to normal and can be used again?"
"Wasn't your Abundant Authority sealed by the deacon senior brother because you cheated and used external forces?"
Xiong Zhou raised his head and patted his chest.
"Hey, do you even need to ask?"
"Of course it can be used."
"My senior brother has his Daoist seal, and I have my own way to overcome obstacles. It's impossible for him to completely seal my authority."
His current Abundance Authority is already at the [Lv.5] stage, and his understanding of the laws of heaven and earth has been on the rise. Now, breaking open a small opening in the sealing chains to let some of the Abundance Power seep out is as simple as it gets.
Duanmu Ning's gaze was even brighter than Zi Xuan's, like an incandescent light bulb turned on in the night sky.
Excitedly, she said to Xiong Zhou, "Junior Brother Xiong Zhou, hurry up and do it again, distort the laws of heaven and earth!"
"I want to experience the ultimate thrill of speedrunning the chain missions again!"
Xiong Zhou's face immediately fell.
He pointed to his feet, scattering a wisp of the Qi of Heaven and Earth, which transformed into a block of earth, from which a handful of golden pixelated wheat grew.
"It's usable for now, but its strength is greatly reduced."
The path of cultivation for saints differs from the path of Qi cultivation; it is highly dependent on the environment of heaven and earth.
Spreading faith, collecting numerous offerings of incense energy, and accumulating the foundation for future advancement require an open, civilized environment and a harmonious development environment.
To wield the corresponding authority over heaven and earth, one must also possess the true existence of the Way of heaven and earth; there is nothing that limits one's ability to do so.
If the corresponding authority and the corresponding way of heaven and earth do not exist, or the strength of the corresponding laws and principles of heaven and earth is not high, then one must "prove" oneself in order to obtain a higher level of authority and power of laws and principles of heaven and earth.
Just like "Mountain and Sea Boundary".
Before Xiong Zhou appeared, the laws of heaven and earth—the Way of Abundance—had not yet taken shape.
In the end, he used the [Innate Divine Power: █ (Pixel Block)] to evolve the earth block and grow pixel wheat. By combining theory and practice, he proved it by force and "copied" the abundant way of the "Qi Refining World" to make it complete.
This is also why Xiong Zhou was able to skip all the prerequisites in the Mountain and Sea Realm, directly take control of the nascent form of Abundant Power, and become the Primal Totem.
The fertile divine realm that is now spreading out in the Mountain and Sea Realm, with the increasing number of pixelated wheat within it, is his process of continuing to perfect the Way of Abundance in the Mountain and Sea Realm. It is also the process of the [Lv.5] level Abundance Authority, the Path of the Saint - Practice, the cultivation stage.
As for this Azure Sky Realm, which resembles a coffin, the Path of Abundance has almost completely collapsed amidst the deathly and corpse-like energy that permeates the area.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have thought of building an altar and inviting Senior Sister Baiyu's totem projection, so that the laws of the entire world could be partially reconstructed under the indirect influence of this original totem at the peak of the sixth level of the Divine Refinement Realm, saving a lot of effort, and then taking control of the abundant power of this world in an incredibly smooth way.
As for now, it still exists due to the sealing chains of a certain unknown senior butler.
Xiong Zhou can currently only mobilize power at the [Lv.4] level. If he wants to distort the laws of heaven and earth to the point where he can create spiritual abominations, that is, [Lv.5], he needs to complete the "self-proof" process of the Abundance Path in the Azure Sky Realm.
This needs to be given a little more time.
Li Tianqing called out, "We've arrived."
Then, the golden fluff ball, which had been floating in mid-air, slowly descended into a bottomless chasm.
Wu Kang tightened his grip on the Leaping Dragon Spear and said softly, "This time, we're going to enter this rift valley and go deep underground."
"The mission is getting harder and harder..."
Underground, not only are his hiding places restricted, but as a team using spears and bows to attack, his abilities are also greatly diminished in this environment.
Zixuan's expression was also somewhat unpleasant. She said, "If we go deep underground, although it will be easier to mobilize the earth's energy, the space available for setting up an array will be compressed to the extreme in that narrow environment."
"I want to establish a geomantic formation like a city gate, but the difficulty will increase dramatically. Without the help of the formation, the dangers we encounter will also increase dramatically."
In this environment, the demand for individual combat capabilities will experience explosive growth.
Unfortunately, in their Mountain and River Squad, only Wu Kang specializes in combat. The others, whether it's Xiong Zhou or the rest, do not focus their cultivation on combat.
Zi Xuan looked at Xiong Zhou and said, "Our team isn't suited for going deep underground. Junior Brother Xiong Zhou, could you find another location to collect the Ancient Blood?"
Xiong Zhou pointed lightly into the void, and the golden fluff ball that had already floated into the rift slowly rose up and drifted into his hand.
Xiong Zhou narrowed his eyes slightly, his inspiration connected with this spiritual abomination, sensing the surrounding environment and the fluctuating bloodline fluctuations.
Suddenly, the perspective shifted.
The sky and the earth turned gray, like a silent film, clear yet chilling.
Only the bottomless chasm before them glowed with a faint red light, casting a warm glow on this gray world.
Looking around, the bone-chilling cold remained.
Only a few scattered sparks burned in this gray world, gradually dying out, becoming part of that chilling backdrop.
Xiong Zhou suddenly shivered and quickly severed his spiritual resonance with this abomination.
He thought to himself, "No wonder it's a world shaped like a coffin; the level of evil here is simply off the charts."
Xiong Zhou shook his head at Zi Xuan.
He said, "Although there are still scattered ancient bloodlines in other places, they are either too far away or have already been extinguished. When we arrive, we may have to meet other senior brothers and sisters who are true disciples."
"This bottomless rift is the best choice for us to complete [Chain Mission 2], allowing us to collect enough ancient blood to replenish this special bloodline resource in one go."
The other disciples of the Mountain and River Squad remained silent; in this situation, it seemed that the only option was to fight head-on.
If they were to face those two newly promoted disciples, or the top-ranked disciples from the previous year, the elimination of the five of them would be imminent.
At this moment, Xiong Zhou grinned and said, "Actually, it's not impossible to find a spacious spot where we can move around."
"The conditions for this are not currently available in this rift valley, but we can create them."
Xiong Zhou summoned the earthen and wooden heavy armor, allowing the pieces of armor to be pieced together on his body to complete his attire.
Then, he summoned the Earth and Wood Heavy Sword from his inner world, held the sword with both hands, and mobilized the power of [Innate Divine Power: █ (Pixel Block)], [Authority: Abundance], and the "Tai Li Refining Qi Method" to forcefully chop the ground beneath his feet.
"Pfft..."
Accompanied by a short, dull, and fluffy sound, a pixelated dirt block fell to the ground.
Then, the earthen block transformed into a stream of light and rushed into the inner world of the bear boat.
At the same time, the information on the panel begins to change.
[Spirit Origin: Earth Blocks + Wheat + Lava]
Rank: Celestial Foundation - Abundance (50,902↑/100,000)
Cultivation Realm: First Level of Qi Refining - Spirit Building
当前进度：Lv.4（50，901↑/100，000）】
[Technique: Tai Li Qi Refining Method]
当前进度：Lv.4（50，901↑/100，000）】
"Pfft..."
The second sword strike landed, and the soft, resonant sound rang out once more.
[Spirit Origin: Earth Blocks + Wheat + Lava]
Rank: Celestial Foundation - Abundance (50,902↑/100,000)
Cultivation Realm: First Level of Qi Refining - Spirit Building
当前进度：Lv.4（50，902↑/100，000）】
[Technique: Tai Li Qi Refining Method]
当前进度：Lv.4（50，902↑/100，000）】
Xiong Zhou's eyes had never been so bright.
The Qi of Heaven and Earth that he refines can be transformed into blocks of earth. Naturally existing blocks of earth can also be absorbed and transformed into Qi of Heaven and Earth.
In the Tai Li Immortal Sect, he needed to be mindful of the impact, and it was impossible for him to hollow out Chenming Mountain and cultivate in such a short-sighted way.
In the fertile wilderness, he is a primordial totem. He needs to be mindful of his identity as a primordial totem and auspicious beast, and be careful not to offend the laws of heaven and earth, or even the ancient totems, who might then take action to punish him.
But in this azure realm that resembles a coffin?
Since this world has collapsed to such an extent, and there is still [Chain Mission 2] pressing down on it, the calamities that heaven and earth send down can also be integrated into the Earth Fire Authority, and temporarily suppressed by this incomplete authority.
Since that's the case, he has no more worries!
"Start digging!"
Under the stunned gazes of Zi Xuan, Wu Kang, Li Tianqing, and Duanmu Ning, Xiong Zhou swung his sword more than ten times per second, unleashing tens of thousands of sword lights tinged with green and yellow. At an extremely fast speed, he completely leveled a plot of land with sides of ten li (5,000 meters) and an area of 25 million square meters.
Wherever the blade of the Earth and Wood Heavy Sword points, whether it is a small hill or an uneven valley, everything becomes extremely neat and orderly, exuding a strong pixelated style.
As time went by, the land within a ten-mile radius began to "sink" in a remarkably regular manner.
Meanwhile, Xiong Zhou's aura began to rise rhythmically, seemingly without end.
Three hours later, Xiong Zhou's Qi of Heaven and Earth surpassed that of Duanmu Ning.
Four hours later, Xiong Zhou's Qi of Heaven and Earth surpassed that of Li Tianqing.
Five hours later, Xiong Zhou's Qi of Heaven and Earth surpassed that of Zi Xuan.
Six hours later, Xiong Zhou's Qi of Heaven and Earth surpassed that of Wu Kang.
A day later, Xiong Zhou's aura surged.
Within the inner world, all the blocks began to collapse towards a central earth block, with 100,000 earth blocks undergoing a near-overlapping condensation.
A ray of light emanated from this earthen block, where the principles of earth, wood, and fire intertwined and converged to form the path of abundance.
The Abundant Authority, which broke through part of the Daoist chain seal, also carried a wisp of the Calamity Mark power of Senior Sister Baiyu, manifesting a corner of the Golden Path and joining it.
In an instant, the dreamlike ocean of the inner world came to a standstill.
The earthen block in the center manifests the earth of heaven and earth, sitting regally in the center.
The Way of Wood is placed in the East, the Way of Fire in the South, and the Way of Metal in the West. A cycle that is almost fully formed begins to operate.
"Splash... Splash..."
The four elements of the Five Elements gradually converge, mutually restraining and generating each other. The relevant principles of heaven and earth of the Northern Water Path gradually derive from this, completing the missing link in the inner world and integrating into the Path of Abundance.
In the initial established cycle, the Abundance Way, which encompasses some of the changes of the Five Elements, undergoes a transformation, giving birth to a strand of Abundance Qi that belongs entirely to Xiong Zhou within the inner landscape.
The path of Qi cultivation manifests!
-----------------
[The Path to Extraordinary Power: Qi Refiner]
Spirit Origin: Cube
Rank: Dao Spirit Foundation - Abundance (1↑/1,000,000)
Cultivation Realm: First Level of Qi Refining - Spirit Building
当前进度：Lv.5（1↑/1，000，000）】
[Technique: Tai Li Qi Refining Method]
当前进度：Lv.5（1↑/1，000，000）】
[Technique: The Lingbao Cantong Qi]
当前进度：Lv.4（1，000↑/100，000）
Reference object: tattered yellow cloth
Ability to Connect: Gate to Another World
The principles of the same law: Earth element, Wood element, cosmic light, void, destiny.
[Technique: "Wood Qi Circulation - Mortal World Chapters"]
当前进度：Lv.5（1↑/1，000，000）
Bloodline Category: Cunning (Demon Spirit - Canine)
Recovery progress: First level of Qi Refining
Growth progress: First level of Qi Refining
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three days later.
Duanmu Ning, Li Tianqing, Zixuan, and Wu Kang stared blankly at the square pit in front of them, which was about 10,000 meters deep.
Faintly, they seemed to hear shouts of incomprehensible meaning echoing from the bottom of the pit, such as "Add points!" and "Let me see your limit!"
-----------------
It is about 50,000 miles away from here.
An army of eight hundred men stood encircling a square piece of land, gazing at a golden, pixelated wheat.
The officer looked at the wheat plant that exuded a wheat fragrance and said solemnly to the commander, "Sir, this strange plant is definitely bait left by that evil spirit. As soldiers of Xiaochang Kingdom, we must not fall for it!"
"Gurgle..."
The officer's stomach emitted rumbling sounds of intestinal peristalsis, echoing in the air.
The army commander sighed slightly as he looked at the blushing officer.
"Although we are beyond the mundane world, we still need to be supported."
"If we count the days, how many years has it been since we've had a proper meal?"
The officer was speechless, but the aroma of the wheat made his stomach rumble even louder.
The army commander sighed again.
"Given the current circumstances, even our sovereign, who stands at the pinnacle of cultivation, cannot afford a full meal; how much less can we, soldiers who transcend the mortal realm, possibly do so?"
The corps commander gently plucked a handful of pixelated wheat and handed it to the officer.
"Notify the cooks to start a fire and prepare the meal."
The officer did not respond; he simply stared blankly at the spot where the pixelated wheat had once grown.
"What are you looking at...?"
The corps commander turned around and followed the officer's gaze.
He was stunned.
On a square block of soil, a pixel seed remains, now slowly sinking into the earth.
Before long, pixelated green seedlings sprouted.
In less than half a day, a brand new pixel wheat cell was grown.