Chapter 96: Chapter 25: Qi Cultivation Level 10?
After the improvement in physique, both Lin Jing and the pine needle mouse can accommodate more True Qi, with the potential to advance to the tenth level of Qi Cultivation, and they continued hunting projections.
However, to Lin Jing’s surprise, even after resealing the Ice Soul Gu, it still siphoned off a portion of power.
"You two, save some for me." Lin Jing hunted the dragon and phoenix more vigorously, feeling a bad premonition.
With the difficulty of breaking through with the Longevity Body, by the time the Grotto Heaven ends, the pine needle mouse and Ice Soul Gu might reach the tenth level of Qi Cultivation, while he remains at the ninth!
Boom!
The pine needle mouse exploded another one trying to drink Longevity Blood, and the light spots formed from the projection were beyond its control.
This time, after absorbing the light spots to satisfy its appetites, it suddenly discovered a surge in Spiritual Power within!
Buzz!
True Qi transformed into ten vortex patterns of Spiritual Power swirling around it, having just broken through to the tenth level of Qi Cultivation. Though not at Foundation Establishment, its power was already comparable to Foundation Establishment!
Whoosh!
Under the control of the more potent Cyan Emperor’s True Qi, driven by heart force, the pine needle mouse’s speed in flying on leaves became even faster!
Seeing this, Lin Jing felt a bit complicated; he had already become a three-body person, yet the pine needle mouse broke through earlier. It seemed that the latter two physiques did not significantly enhance cultivation speed.
Fortunately, with the pine needle mouse’s breakthrough, a vast amount of Spiritual Power flowed back to Lin Jing through their blood pact, bringing him closer to the tenth level of Qi Cultivation!
"A breakthrough!" said Lin Jing after some time, murmuring.
"Pity it’s not me."
The Ice Soul Gu was the first to absorb nutrients and break through to the tenth level of Qi Cultivation ahead of Lin Jing.
The sleeping Ice Soul Gu also fed back considerable Spiritual Power to Lin Jing, yet he was still a bit short of reaching the tenth level of Qi Cultivation.
With both pet beasts breaking through the extreme state, only he lagged, leaving Lin Jing quite speechless. He drove the cold air more fiercely, with wounds all over his body, not from being injured by these dragon and phoenix demon beasts, but from releasing fresher blood to attract more demon beasts!
Finally, after killing all night, Lin Jing, who was traversing through the air, felt a vast surge of Spiritual Qi within, as ten rings of Spiritual Qi, like ten layers of whirlpools, enveloped him. With a "whoosh", Lin Jing exhaled a breath of cold air, gathering all the True Qi inside, which was as vast as a sea of clouds.
This Qi Sea at the tenth level of Qi Cultivation was ten times larger than when he was at the ninth level, with every strand of True Qi still flawless, making Lin Jing feel unparalleled power.
After several days of effort, Lin Jing himself finally crossed into the extreme state of the tenth level of Qi Cultivation!!!
"Continue!" Lin Jing flew into the sky, not wasting time indulging in the joy of the breakthrough. He had read some ancient books in the academy’s library, where it was rumored that those who reached the tenth level of Qi Cultivation had talent worthy of the Ancient Immortal Palace’s attention and could become registered disciples of the Immortal Palace.
The Immortal Palace, as a power of the upper realm, must have extremely high standards, making Lin Jing’s heart surge, yet he knew it wasn’t the limit.
Elder Mo once said that the Son of the Second Ancient Emperor, Prince Gu, reached the absurd level of the thirteenth layer of Qi Cultivation with the help of the Treasure Beast, Boundary-Breaking Bird, and the secret technique of the True Dragon.
This indicates that the tenth level of Qi Cultivation is far from the limit.
"The twelfth and thirteenth levels of Qi Cultivation are not something to hope for now; I wonder if I can... reach the eleventh level of Qi Cultivation by leveraging this Grotto Heaven!!!"
Boom!
Lin Jing flew rapidly, with various pills for replenishing True Qi inside his storage bag also being consumed quickly, mostly used to replenish the True Qi expended on traveling.
In this Dragon and Phoenix Grotto Heaven, what consumed a lot of Lin Jing and the pine needle mouse was not battle, but travel. The Grotto Heaven was too vast, and the dragon and phoenix projections too dispersed, requiring them to frequently change locations even with Longevity Blood as bait.
...
Hidden Dragon Academy, Flying Dragon Mountain.
As time passed, more and more people gathered here. Many candidates initially came alone, but after hearing about their entry into the Grotto Heaven, the elders of their sects and families chose to visit.
On Flying Dragon Mountain, at this moment, it’s teeming with Nascent Soul cultivators and Golden Core cultivators abound.
In one corner at the mountain’s summit, a pinecone hidden inside a tree also peered at the Grotto Heaven light pillar, muttering to itself.
"By this calculation, the Grotto Heaven is about to end." In mid-air, Cao Zhiwei sat cross-legged; his complete Nascent Soul cultivation placed him in the top five on Flying Dragon Mountain at this time.
He slowly stood up, spreading the might of the Nascent Soul, projecting his voice a hundred miles, saying: "The Grotto Heaven is about to conclude. For those who broke through the extreme state in the Dragon and Phoenix Grotto Heaven, they will be granted access to an Academy Cave Mansion for one cycle once they pass the entrance examination into the academy."
A sixty-year Cave Mansion access... Hearing this, some second-tier and third-tier cultivation forces immediately became envious. Among the four essentials of cultivation—Dharma, wealth, companion, and place—the training effects in the Academy’s Spirit Vein Cave Mansion are an unrivaled treasure for ordinary sects.
"They are coming out!"
As people began to return from the light pillar of the Grotto Heaven, the waiting cultivators exclaimed, as candidates emerged one by one from the Dragon and Phoenix Grotto Heaven, most of whom wore expressions of joy, clearly having made significant gains.
"How did it go!" a candidate was immediately pulled away by an elder upon emerging, who asked with concern.
"My True Qi was refined by more than tenfold in the Grotto Heaven and, after constant tempering, its strength is now comparable to True Essence. Even at the Early-Stage Foundation Establishment, relying solely on my strength might allow for a brief confrontation!" This candidate spoke excitedly.
"Good, good, good!" This cultivator did not expect the person to break through the extreme state but was already pleased with their current gains!
In mid-air, Cao Zhiwei stood above, glancing at each candidate who emerged, nodding slightly. This batch of candidates might be the strongest in Qi Cultivation Stage in a century.
"Ninth layer, ninth layer, ninth layer..." His Divine Sense swept again and again, but unfortunately, among the dozens of candidates who came out, all were still in the ninth layer of the Qi Cultivation Stage.
"The extreme realm is indeed difficult to break through." Cao Zhiwei sighed. No matter how solid the foundation in the ninth layer is, reaching it with time is always possible. However, reaching the tenth layer of Qi Cultivation is hard to come by, and it seems most candidates are still lacking a bit of fortune.
"Hmm? Finally, someone reached the tenth layer of Qi Cultivation." His gaze flickered.
A female cultivator in a yellow skirt walked out from the Grotto Heaven gracefully; it was Chen Lingxi of the Divine Talisman Sect.
As she landed from the Grotto Heaven to the ground, ten layers of Spiritual Power vortexes manifested around her, her presence extraordinary.
"Xi’Er!" As soon as she appeared, a beautiful Nascent Soul woman stepped forward.
"Master... I’m sorry." Seeing this person, Chen Lingxi apologized for losing to Lin Jing with a look of remorse.
"I’ve heard, it’s all right. Now that you’ve reached the tenth layer of Qi Cultivation, your future will be vastly different," the Nascent Soul woman said with a smile, placing her hand on Chen Lingxi’s shoulder, having rushed over the moment she heard her disciple was chosen by the Grotto Heaven.
"Master, now that I’ve reached the tenth layer of Qi Cultivation, I shall not lose again in a fight with him," Chen Lingxi said confidently, not hiding her strength. This breakthrough to the extreme realm will overshadow her previous defeat to Lin Jing, making her future cultivation in the Hidden Dragon Secret Technique seem divinely aided.
With numerous talismans to assist and being a one-time member of the Divine Body Ranking, Chen Lingxi felt her gains from this journey to the Grotto Heaven would be the greatest!
Not even a Divine Body could compare.
As for Lin Jing... she thought back to when he was only in the seventh layer of Qi Cultivation, without any special physique, a Lin Jing restrained by his constitution, making it difficult for him to break through the extreme realm.
The gap between them in the future... would be a chasm. Thinking of this, her spirits soared, dispelling the gloom from losing to Lin Jing earlier.
"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Ling." Wang Xiao’s father, who hadn’t left yet, smiled and addressed the Nascent Soul woman.
The Wang family cultivator, the Nascent Soul woman of the Divine Talisman Sect, and Academy Cao Zhiwei were the three highest in cultivation among the Nascent Soul cultivators present, all at Late-Stage Nascent Soul perfection. Despite all being Nascent Soul cultivators, one must use honorary titles when addressing these three due to their strength and extraordinary backgrounds.
Only among these three could there be equal address.
Just as he finished speaking, Wang Xiao emerged from the Grotto Heaven in gleaming silver divine armor, his aura terrifying, with the eruption of Spiritual Power showing a divine shadow behind him. Like Chen Lingxi, he had also achieved the tenth layer of Qi Cultivation!
"Haha, my congratulations as well." The Wang family cultivator laughed heartily at the sight, knowing his son had also stepped into this extreme realm.
Wang Xiao nodded to his father, then looked intensely at Yuan Jing and Zi Ling’Er standing in the distance!!
Before entering the Grotto Heaven, even though he bore a Divine Body, there was still a gap of one stage, giving him only a twenty percent chance of defeating a Foundation Establishment Sword Cultivator.
But now, after being cleansed by the Grotto Heaven, Wang Xiao felt full confidence, nearly a complete certainty of defeating Yuan Jing and making a name for himself in the ancient domain!
"You..." Yuan Jing, having waited for days, saw Wang Xiao’s transformation, feeling immense pressure as his strong Sword Heart wavered, influenced by Wang Xiao’s intimidating aura.
With the end of the Grotto Heaven, almost all candidates had emerged, none having died.
"It seems only those truly chosen by the Dragon and Phoenix Grotto Heaven, Wang Xiao and Chen Lingxi, could break through the extreme realm, while other geniuses who entered through serendipity still ultimately fell short in talent!"
Even those who came out later like Gao Sheng and Xu Zhizhi couldn’t reach the tenth layer of Qi Cultivation.
While everyone’s attention was captured by the breakthrough of Chen Lingxi and Wang Xiao to the tenth layer, suddenly, Cao Zhiwei spoke in surprise.
"You’ve also reached the tenth layer of Qi Cultivation!"
"No, it’s you guys!"
Another tenth layer of Qi Cultivation? The crowd followed Cao Zhiwei’s astonished eyes to see a cold-aura white-robed youth as the last to step out of the Grotto Heaven. On his shoulder perched a dao-robed squirrel.
Bang!
Lin Jing and the Pine Leaf Squirrel’s Qi eruptions exploded simultaneously, with twenty layers of Spiritual Power vortexes combining in an intimidating force, surging True Qi straight into the sky, leaving everyone astonished.
Cultivator... tenth layer of Qi Cultivation!
Pet Beast, tenth layer of Qi Cultivation!
It was... that Beast Taming Cultivator!
This combination, with the potential to share fortunes in the Dragon and Phoenix Grotto Heaven, had both reached the tenth layer of Qi Cultivation!
And it must be noted, Lin Jing had the lowest cultivation level entering the Grotto Heaven, only in the seventh layer of Qi Cultivation, the weakest foundation!
Moreover... when Chen Lingxi and Wang Xiao met Lin Jing’s gaze, their hearts skipped a beat as if plunging into an icy abyss, experiencing an indescribable pressure.
What’s happening!
"Kekekeke..." Among the crowd, only the pinecone hidden in an ancient tree burst into laughter, saying, "Though I don’t know what happened, this longevity kid unexpectedly contracted the Ice Soul Gu, and this Ice Soul Gu..."
"Has reached the eleventh layer of Qi Cultivation! Even higher than the cultivation of the two of them!" marveling as the only one able to see past the seal and perceive the abnormality inside Lin Jing, the Divine Pine was utterly shocked.