Hua Ling's Longing, Qi Refinement Fifth Layer

Under the night sky.

When Zhong Bai recited the Rebirth Incantation once more, the remaining souls in the void looked upon the Wolf Demon lying lifeless on the ground and finally found peace.

When Zhong Bai had delivered the last soul, a massive amount of Exorcism Points arrived as well.

Delivering souls ×51, obtained 510 Exorcism Points

Remaining Exorcism Points: 560

The number on the Exorcism Panel increased, yet Zhong Bai felt none of his usual excitement this time.

These Exorcism Points had been bought with the lives of over a hundred people from Zhong Family Village...

"If I put all these Exorcism Points into the Divine Firmament Five Thunder Art now, I'll very likely break through to the fifth layer of Qi Refinement tonight.

It hasn't even been half a month since I came down the mountain...

To cross two minor realms in a row—Master, it's not that your disciple doesn't want to cultivate peacefully on Maoshan. It's just that using Exorcism Points as a cheat is far more cost-effective!"

Meanwhile, on Maoshan.

In the Law Enforcement Hall, Zhong Bai had been down the mountain for nearly half a month. True Immortal Qianyuan sat cross-legged in the center of the hall, yet his mind could no longer settle into cultivation as it usually did.

"Ah, suddenly not seeing that boy Zhong Bai around... it feels strangely unfamiliar."

Shaking his head, True Immortal Qianyuan's gaze grew distant, and he soon sank into silence.

Zhong Family Village.

After steadying his emotions, Zhong Bai had no intention of saving his Exorcism Points.

This trip to Bottle Mountain would not be simple. That Six-winged Centipede was, after all, in the Demon Soldier realm.

It was comparable to a cultivator at the fourth layer of Qi Refinement or above. As for its exact strength, Zhong Bai could not guess. If the Six-winged Centipede had reached the late Demon Soldier realm, comparable to the eighth or ninth layer of Qi Refinement, and he still held back now, wouldn't that be downright insane?

Even a lion must use its full strength to catch a rabbit. He had the Exorcism Panel—he had better not capsize in a gutter. That would make him a complete joke.

Inside the Old Village Chief's home, the oil lamp burned dimly.

After burying the Old Village Chief, Zhong Bai had arranged for Partridge Whistle and his junior brother and sister to rest there for the night.

On the bed, Partridge Whistle sat cross-legged, calming his mind and regulating his breathing. Old Foreigner carefully wiped every corner of the Vajra Umbrella clean.

As for Hua Ling...

The girl's mind was filled with the sight of Zhong Bai wielding lightning today.

With her head cradled in both hands, she sighed now and then, then suddenly broke into a constant series of giggles.

At last, Old Foreigner broke the silence.

"I say, Junior Sister, stop grinning like an idiot. Eldest Senior Brother and I can see that little thought of yours, but... a bucket of cold water still needs to be thrown.

Taoist Qianhe comes from Maoshan. What kind of place is Maoshan? Junior Sister, you'd best put an end to those thoughts sooner rather than later."

Old Foreigner's words showed no mercy, cutting through the mess with a swift blade. His words may have been harsh, but that was simply the reality of it.

"Second Senior Brother!"

Hua Ling cried out in anger. She was not an idiot—how could she fail to see the enormous gulf between herself and Zhong Bai?

Just because it could never happen, was she not even allowed to dream about it?

Hmph!

Partridge Whistle, who had been resting with his eyes closed, slowly opened them, looking somewhat helpless.

"Second Junior Brother, there is no need for us to interfere in Junior Sister's affairs. I believe she can handle them herself.

Taoist Qianhe may be young, but his cultivation is unquestionably extraordinary. Though he never said so outright, one can guess that he is no ordinary outer disciple of Maoshan. He is likely a direct disciple!

Their statuses do not match, so there is no point dwelling on it. Still, Taoist Qianhe is a good man. With him accompanying us on this expedition into Bottle Mountain, safety should not be an issue."

Partridge Whistle's meaning was obvious, yet subtle. How could he not know about Old Foreigner's special feelings for Hua Ling?

He merely wanted to tell Old Foreigner not to meddle blindly and to let things take their natural course. They could not afford to provoke Zhong Bai!

"I understand, Eldest Senior Brother..."

Old Foreigner nodded, though a little more desolation appeared between his brows.

Sometimes, the gap between people was simply that vast. What they pursued for their entire lives was, to Zhong Bai, merely within easy reach—perhaps not even worthy of being called a starting point.

While Partridge Whistle and his junior brother and sister spoke heart-to-heart by lamplight, Zhong Bai, in an open space within the village, had also added all his Exorcism Points to the Divine Firmament Five Thunder Art.

A full 560 Exorcism Points were converted into cultivation time. That terrifying power of absorption appeared once more, drawing spiritual energy from within a radius of ten li. Zhong Bai's cultivation, already at the peak of the fourth layer of Qi Refinement, began to rise rapidly.

In less than a quarter of an hour, he sensed the barrier to the fifth layer of Qi Refinement.

"With the boost of over a year and a half of cultivation time, the effect truly is heaven-defying!"

Though his heart churned with emotion, his body did not stop refining the ceaselessly surging spiritual energy of heaven and earth into True Essence, filling his dantian with it.

With a crack, Zhong Bai seemed to hear the barrier of the fifth layer of Qi Refinement shatter in response.

However, Zhong Bai's brows soon furrowed tightly.

After reaching the fifth level of Qi Refinement, he had already consumed around 400 points' worth of cultivation days.

As the remaining points were rapidly consumed, the speed at which the spiritual energy of heaven and earth poured into his body increased.

Wave after wave of spiritual energy left Zhong Bai somewhat breathless, his meridians and flesh both enduring the scouring of that immense energy.

Only after the final 160 Exorcism Points had been completely used up did Zhong Bai suddenly open his eyes.

Gasping heavily, threads of crimson blood seeped from his skin. Feeling the stabbing pain throughout all his meridians, Zhong Bai was somewhat shaken with lingering fear.

"Looks like after reaching the fifth level of Qi Refinement, it's impossible to recklessly use Exorcism Points to raise the Divine Firmament Five Thunder Art. My body's strength can't keep up, and neither can the toughness of my meridians.

The instant influx of heaven and earth's spiritual energy has already pushed my current body to its limit..."

This problem was perfectly normal. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth was a good thing, much like a stream of pure water.

When it came in as a trickling stream, it was a pleasure.

When it surged past as a roaring flood, it became a disaster!

The solution was just as simple: next time, he only needed to add the Exorcism Points to the Supreme Clarity Body Forging Art to increase his physical strength.

Once his body's strength caught up, Zhong Bai could continue raising the Divine Firmament Five Thunder Art without restraint.

When all was said and done, it merely meant spending a few more Exorcism Points...

With that thought, Zhong Bai no longer dwelled on it.

Any problem that could be solved with Exorcism Points was a small problem. What mattered now was circulating his True Essence and properly nourishing the meridians within his body.

The night quietly faded away. When the blazing sun arrived, Zhong Bai rose to his feet and gave himself a light shake, his bones crackling like a string of firecrackers.

By the time he arrived at the Old Village Chief's home, Partridge Whistle and his two junior siblings had already finished packing.

"Taoist Qianhe, good morning!"

Hua Ling greeted him brightly, the blooming smile on her face like peach blossoms in March—her cheeks flushed, lovely enough to stir tenderness.

"Good morning, Miss Hua Ling."

Since Hua Ling was so warm, Zhong Bai naturally would not keep a straight face. His faint smile seemed capable of warming hearts, and Hua Ling was momentarily left staring blankly.

Off to the side, Old Foreigner felt as though he should not have appeared at all. That helpless feeling was like swallowing a dead fly.

"Taoist Qianhe, morning!"

Partridge Whistle clasped his fists in greeting, wearing an equally standard smile on his face. Mm, utterly genuine.

"Morning, Brother Partridge Whistle!" After returning the greeting, Zhong Bai voiced his thoughts.

"Brother Partridge Whistle, poisonous insects run rampant within Bottle Mountain. The descendants of that Six-winged Centipede number in the thousands. With only the four of us, I fear...

They say all things in the world restrain one another. Centipedes fear chickens. If we can find an extraordinary rooster to enter the mountain with us, then when it crows, the centipedes will scatter.

That way, we can save ourselves quite a bit of trouble."

As Zhong Bai said this, he was testing the waters somewhat. The Furious Rooster was a good thing. By Zhong Bai's estimation, a Furious Rooster capable of trading blows with the Six-winged Centipede was, even if it was not a Demon Soldier, likely close to becoming one.

If he could bring such an exotic beast under his command, the talismans he drew in the future would possess no small amount of power.

It was simply that Zhong Bai knew nothing at all about Bottle Mountain, so the arduous task of finding the Furious Rooster could only be handed over to Partridge Whistle.

Who told Partridge Whistle he was the protagonist?

Hehe, well, it's not like I'm trying to hold Taoist Qianhe back. It really would be a little unreasonable otherwise—surely you can't have a small horse pulling a big cart, right? So increasing his physical strength is very important.

And then, I'll continue looking forward to all you dear readers' monthly votes, investments, follow-up reading, and rewards. Every reader's support is my greatest source of motivation! Thank you, thank you!