Chapter 157 – Spirit Liquid Born, First Exploration of the Ancient Tomb Ruins! (5k)

Chapter 155 – Spirit Liquid Born, First Exploration of the Ancient Tomb Ruins! (5k)

Su Xing was so surprised his jaw nearly dropped.

One must understand that Qi Refinement practitioners’ techniques were divided into four tiers: Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Mortal.

The Eternal Spring Art that Su Xing currently cultivated was merely a Profound-tier technique.

At most, it could only be cultivated up to Void Return stage, Great Perfection.

The next level up, Earth-tier techniques, could be cultivated to the Body Integration or Mahayana stage at most.

And Heaven-tier techniques were secrets that led directly to immortality, never to be shared lightly!

Even in a great sect like the Luotian Sect, one needed to reach the rank of inner sect Elder before being qualified to cultivate a Heaven-tier technique.

What had originally troubled Su Xing was that after reaching Void Return through Qi Refinement, there would be no technique to take him further.

But he never expected that this simulation would give him such an enormous surprise!

“The Myriad Wood Art… for it to be called a Heaven-tier technique, that at least proves that among the predecessors who primarily cultivated this technique, at least one achieved immortality!”

Su Xing murmured softly.

That’s right—it wasn’t the technique that determined a cultivator’s upper limit, but rather the cultivator who established the technique’s upper limit!

A technique, no matter how profound and mysterious, still required a cultivator who practiced it to achieve immortality before it could be qualified to be called Heaven-tier!

“The Myriad Wood Art… does it require merging three Profound-tier techniques into one to achieve Heaven-tier?”

Su Xing furrowed his brow slightly, letting his emotions settle.

In the simulator, although he had obtained three techniques, how exactly to merge them into the Heaven-tier Myriad Wood Art was definitely not as simple as cultivating them simultaneously.

“Perhaps I could ask that innate-realm expert?”

A thought struck Su Xing, and his gaze turned to the simulation panel.

【After learning that a Heaven-tier technique was involved, you grew excited and asked how the three techniques could be elevated to Heaven-tier.】

【After several inquiries, the old man didn’t know the secret either, but he indicated that the ruins might hold the secret of how the Myriad Wood Art could reclaim its former glory.】

【After hearing this, you made up your mind—it seemed a trip to the ruins was absolutely necessary!】

【So you pieced the three jade fragments together, but nothing happened.】

【You were somewhat puzzled, then had an idea and channeled spiritual energy into the jade fragments.】

【Sure enough, something miraculous occurred—under the infusion of spiritual energy, the three jade fragments slowly restored themselves, ultimately merging into a single ancient jade pendant.】

【The jade pendant was engraved with a vivid image of trees, flowers, and plants—likely the emblem of the Myriad Wood Sect.】

【You extended your spiritual sense into the jade pendant and indeed found a map. The location marked on the map was presumably the address of the ruins.】

【You secretly memorized every detail in the map, but after several thousand years, everything had changed beyond recognition. Many landmark buildings had been worn away by the passage of time.】

【After several days of careful observation and study, you roughly determined the location of the ruins.】

【According to the map in the jade pendant, the ruins were located in a mountain range roughly five thousand li northwest of the Myriad Wood Sect.】

【You spent a day traveling to that mountain range, but the vast mountains stretched for hundreds of li, making it no easy task to find a set of ruins.】

【So over the next month, you cultivated while using your spiritual sense to scan every inch of the sprawling mountain range, not overlooking a single detail.】

【A month quickly passed, and through your relentless searching, you finally narrowed the possible location of the ruins down to a single mountain.】

【You extended your spiritual sense to envelop the entire mountain, carefully examining every detail—you didn’t even spare a single rabbit burrow.】

【But you still couldn’t find the so-called ruins.】

【You began to wonder if there was a problem with the map, but after repeated comparisons, you concluded it should still be within this mountain.】

【Unwilling to give up, you used your spiritual sense to carefully scan the area once more, but still found nothing.】

【Left with no choice, you decided to physically traverse every corner of this mountain yourself, hoping for some discovery.】

【Over the next month, you wandered among the mountains and rivers, searching for possible locations of the ruins while admiring the magnificent landscape, occasionally hunting some wild game.】

【Experiencing the serenity and peace among the mountains and rivers, your mental state improved somewhat…】

【Until one month later, you discovered a boulder over a zhang tall, sitting in a mountain valley.】

【The boulder looked completely unremarkable. Having endured countless years of wind and rain, it had become somewhat dilapidated, and it blended perfectly with the surrounding flora, without the slightest hint of anything out of place.】

【But what surprised you was that while the boulder was visible to the naked eye, your spiritual sense couldn’t detect its existence at all!】

【You immediately had an epiphany—this zhang-tall boulder was likely the entrance to the ruins!】

【You carefully explored the area around the boulder and eventually discovered that it contained some kind of formation that could not only interfere with spiritual sense but also teleport one to a mysterious space.】

【There were two methods to bypass such a formation. The first was to have sufficient knowledge of formation arts and crack it directly.】

【The second was to overcome all techniques with brute force—directly smashing the boulder and the formation with absolute power, which would also grant entry.】

【You had no knowledge of formation arts, so you prepared to break through with raw power.】

【You gathered immense strength, concentrating your energy in your dantian, and just as you were about to shatter the boulder with a single punch…】

【Suddenly, an unprecedented sense of palpitation and unease struck you, making you feel extremely unsettled, and you paused your attack on the boulder.】

Su Xing frowned slightly at this.

“Panic and unease? What’s going on…”

After a moment of careful thought, Su Xing seemed to understand.

“Could it be… the Blessed by Fortune talent warning me?”

Su Xing clearly remembered that the Blessed by Fortune talent could help one avoid danger to the greatest extent possible and steer things in a favorable direction.

But now, just as he was about to smash the boulder, he had received a warning from the Blessed by Fortune talent.

It was hard not to let one’s imagination run wild—perhaps entering the ruins would be dangerous?

Su Xing pondered for a while, then shook his head and said, “It’s just a simulation, after all. Even if there’s danger in the ruins, it’s nothing more than death—no real loss…”

“But the simulation has only progressed to around the thirteenth year. The remaining ten years could be enough for me to advance my Qi Refinement cultivation further…”

“Perhaps I should wait until I reach the fourth level of Spirit Transformation before exploring these ruins?”

Clearly, cultivating further to raise his realm and then exploring near the end of the simulation period was the most cost-effective choice.

With that thought, Su Xing turned his gaze to the simulation panel.

【The warning from the Blessed by Fortune talent made you temporarily abandon entering the ruins.】

【You planned to first break through to the fourth level of Spirit Transformation before exploring further.】

【So you secretly noted the boulder’s location, then exited the instance and returned to the real world.】

【Immediately after, you entered your portable spirit field and began grinding cultivation day and night.】

【In the seventeenth year, you cultivated ten double-hours each day. The dense spiritual energy in the grotto-heaven allowed your cultivation to improve steadily.】

【Unfortunately, your mastery of primordial energy still remained at the entanglement level, with only slight improvement. You hoped to trigger an epiphany.】

【In the eighteenth year, your cultivation gradually hit its stride. As your mental state improved, you felt your cultivation speed also quickened.】

【You still failed to trigger an epiphany, and your primordial energy remained at the entanglement level.】

【In the nineteenth year, one day you were surprised to discover that inside the grotto-heaven blessed land, a single crystalline, translucent droplet had formed on the petals of a Spirit-Gathering Flower.】

【This was not spirit dew, which naturally grew on spiritual plants, but rather the liquefaction of spiritual energy—spirit liquid!】

【The difference between spirit dew and spirit liquid was enormous. Spirit dew was a holy substance for healing, capable of serving as a supplementary ingredient in various healing pills.】

【Spirit liquid, on the other hand, was something akin to spirit stones—it could help cultivators in their cultivation!】

【Although this was just a single drop of spirit liquid, it sent you a clear signal: the concentration of spiritual energy in the spirit field grotto-heaven had reached a level where it could produce spirit liquid!】

Seeing this, Su Xing’s heart stirred, followed by wild elation.

“Spirit liquid! After the spirit field blessed land was upgraded to a grotto-heaven, it can actually produce spirit liquid!”

Su Xing recalled the information about spirit liquid from his memories. Shennong Martial Uncle had once mentioned spirit liquid.

Spirit liquid, like spirit stones, was a universal currency in the cultivation world.

Compared to spirit stones, spirit liquid was gentler and easier to absorb.

Spirit liquid also came in different grades, with prices varying based on quality.

Ten drops of low-quality spirit liquid equaled one spirit stone, while high-quality spirit liquid could match spirit stones in value—a single drop might even be worth dozens or even hundreds of spirit stones.

“With spirit liquid, my cultivation speed will undoubtedly increase!” “I just don’t know what quality this spirit liquid is.”

Su Xing felt a surge of anticipation as his gaze turned to the simulation panel.

【After confirming that your portable spirit field could produce spirit liquid, you were overjoyed and immediately began setting up spirit-gathering formations.】

【You spent one month successfully arranging several spirit-gathering formations. These formations, through your meticulous placement and calibration, could gather the surrounding spiritual energy to the greatest possible extent.】

【In the center of the spirit-gathering formations, you transplanted numerous Spirit-Gathering Flowers. Every day, spirit liquid would appear upon the Spirit-Gathering Flowers.】

【After one week, you successfully harvested one thousand drops of spirit liquid!】

【On average, you could produce over one hundred drops of spirit liquid per day!】

【You stored the spirit liquid in a small jade bottle, then consumed several drops.】

【Afterward, you began circulating your techniques and cultivating, absorbing the spiritual energy within the spirit liquid.】

【After two hours, you shook your head in some disappointment.】

【After consuming the spirit liquid, your cultivation speed did noticeably increase, but it was far inferior to cultivating directly with spirit stones.】

【Based on your judgment, this spirit liquid was only of the lowest quality—the effect of ten drops of spirit liquid could barely equal one spirit stone.】

【But even so, you were quite satisfied, because you now had a stable channel for producing spirit liquid. This was equivalent to harvesting over ten spirit stones per day, and accumulated over time, the amount would be quite considerable.】

Su Xing nodded slightly at this and murmured:

“As expected, just as I thought… In the simulator, the portable spirit field only just advanced to the grotto-heaven level, so obviously it can only barely produce spirit liquid.”

“But it’s still not bad. I have fewer than a thousand spirit stones left, so I naturally can’t bear to use them for cultivation…”

“But spirit liquid is easier to absorb than spirit stones, and my cultivation speed will increase even further going forward! This is already a pleasant surprise beyond my expectations. One must be content with what one has…”

Su Xing consoled himself thus, then turned his gaze back to the simulation panel.

【Year twenty. This year, you harvested approximately fifty thousand drops of spirit liquid in total. You consumed all of it, and your cultivation advanced steadily.】

【Year twenty-one. The spirit liquid production in the spirit field grotto-heaven remained stable. Each day you consumed around one hundred drops of spirit liquid, then took Illumination Pills and cultivated in spiritually rich areas.】

【In just a few years, your cultivation had nearly reached the fourth layer of the Spirit Transformation stage!】

【Year twenty-two. Your cultivation finally broke through once more, achieving the fourth layer of the Spirit Transformation stage—entering mid-stage Spirit Transformation!】

Su Xing nodded slightly at this and said:

“Previously, going from the second layer to the third layer of Spirit Transformation took seven years. Now breaking through from the third to the fourth layer should be even harder, yet it still only took seven years… That must be thanks to the spirit liquid!”

【Year twenty-three. You continued cultivating in the spirit field blessed land, consuming spirit liquid daily as you pushed toward the fifth layer of the Spirit Transformation stage!】

【Year twenty-four. Your primordial energy remained at the entanglement level and progressed slowly. You devoted even more of your attention to cultivation!】

【Early in year twenty-five. Your Qi Refinement cultivation still remained at the fourth layer of the Spirit Transformation stage, though it had improved considerably compared to before.】

【You were satisfied with this and knew that Demon-Sealing Pass might be breached this year. Time was running short.】

【And so, you chose to enter the Immortal Martial Era instance once more!】

“Here it comes!”

Su Xing felt slightly nervous at this, while also deeply curious about what was hidden within the ruins.

His current cultivation was at the Divine Power Realm, Great Perfection—yet the danger in this instance was great enough to trigger a warning from his Blessed by Fortune talent.

“Fortune favors the bold! I want to see just what’s hidden in those ruins.”

【You arrived at the familiar mountains and found the boulder from your memory!】

【This time you didn’t hesitate—you shattered the boulder before you with a single punch!】

【As the boulder crumbled, a white orb of light appeared before your eyes. You understood that by stepping into this orb, you would arrive at the so-called ruins.】

【Your Blessed by Fortune talent frantically warned you not to enter.】

【But your mind was already made up. You stepped into the orb of light!】

【The scenery before your eyes shifted and swirled. By the time you came to your senses, you found yourself in an unfamiliar environment.】

【You surveyed your surroundings. In the dim, damp environment, only the luminous pearls embedded in the walls provided a faint glow.】

【You didn’t act rashly, instead carefully observing the environment around you.】

【A strange sulfuric, acidic smell permeated the air, accompanied by the faint sound of dripping water in the distance.】

【By the feeble light, you spotted several corpses not far away. Under the erosion of time, only their skeletons remained, with traces of battle still lingering around them.】

【That feeling of unease grew ever stronger. You knew it was your Blessed by Fortune talent warning you, but you still boldly walked a few steps forward.】

【You examined the skeletons. Some were thick and robust—likely male in life—while others were more slender, seemingly female.】

【But without exception, every skeleton was crystalline as jade. This proved that before death, they had been at minimum Nascent Soul Stage, Grand Perfection, or even Spirit Transformation stage cultivators!】

【Because only Nascent Soul or Spirit Transformation cultivators could maintain jade-like crystalline bones for thousands of years after death.】

【Judging from the surrounding traces, they had engaged in combat before dying. But their magical treasures and storage bags were nowhere to be found, apparently taken by someone else.】

【Finding no further useful information, you decided to press onward.】

【After walking several hundred more steps, the passage—originally ten zhang wide—gradually narrowed to only one zhang across. Yet the luminous pearls embedded in the walls grew more numerous, and the light grew ever brighter.】

【At the same time, that feeling of unease in your heart intensified further.】

Su Xing frowned slightly at this and said:

“Strange. Weren’t these ruins supposed to be the resting place of a Myriad Wood Sect senior? Why would there have been fighting?”

“And Nascent Soul and Spirit Transformation cultivators died right at the entrance?”

“What exactly happened in these ruins thousands of years ago… Are there even any cultivators still alive inside?”

Su Xing grew ever more curious, and at the same time wanted to discover the source of the danger warning.

【You continued forward and soon discovered two more sets of white bones in a corner.】

【These two skeletons were crystalline and translucent, white as jade. You picked up a few bones and weighed them in your hand, then felt a shock of alarm.】

【These bones were extraordinarily heavy, indicating an extremely high bone density—a hallmark of an advanced Body Tempering cultivator!】

【Because only sufficient bone and muscle density could ensure a Body Tempering cultivator could unleash terrifying power.】

【By your estimation, the density of these bones was even thirty percent higher than your own. This meant…】

【The two sets of white bones on the ground had belonged to Void-Shattering Realm cultivators in life!】

Su Xing was shocked and murmured:

“What in the world is hidden in these ruins, that even Void-Shattering Realm cultivators died here?”

Su Xing suspected that thousands of years ago, the cultivators who had entered the ruins from the Myriad Wood Sect had been caught up in a truly staggering battle.

In that battle, Nascent Soul and Spirit Transformation cultivators probably couldn’t even make a difference. Even Void-Shattering and Void Return stage cultivators could only meet their end?

“What caused that great battle? Was it over spiritual energy?”

“No, that doesn’t make sense either… They were already preparing to enter slumber. There was no reason to fight a battle right before going to sleep…”

Su Xing’s confusion only deepened as he turned his gaze back to the simulation panel.

【The feeling of unease in your heart grew ever more intense, but you still decided to press forward and explore.】

【After walking several dozen more steps, you suddenly detected faint traces of spiritual energy in the air!】

【Though the spiritual energy was sparse, it indicated that a spirit vein might still remain within these ruins.】

【You continued onward.】

【Suddenly, a strange crashing sound echoed from the darkness, and a dark shadow darted past from ahead of you!】

【The shadow moved with extraordinary speed—you couldn’t even make out its appearance. But from its silhouette, you roughly judged it to be a human.】

【As that figure flashed by, the feeling of dread surged to its absolute peak. You immediately drew your spirit sword Blackice, ready to engage the enemy at any moment!】

【Your divine sense surged forward like a tide, and you successfully detected the dark figure—less than thirty zhang ahead of you!】

【But what alarmed you was that this figure had no life force whatsoever. It was very likely a puppet!】

【Suddenly, the figure charged toward you at terrifying speed. You immediately swung Blackice and attacked the puppet!】

【Clang!】

【A wave of sword energy struck the puppet’s body, producing the ring of clashing metal—but the figure only paused for an instant before continuing its lunge toward you…】