After its roots could no longer burrow any deeper, the Azure Emperor Divine Vine began extending tender branches upward, dripping pure spiritual qi from them without cease.
Lu Chen looked at the Azure Emperor Divine Vine. It now bore an entirely different appearance from before. In its current form, it looked more like a tree; calling it the Azure Emperor Divine Tree was more fitting.
The Azure Emperor Divine Tree gradually stopped changing. The two little fish happily leaped about above the sea of qi, continuously spitting the spiritual qi in their mouths into the round pit. Slowly, the Yin Yang Plate pattern beneath the Azure Emperor Divine Tree absorbed and revolved, transforming into a taiji design. The two little fish then jumped directly into it, swimming and leaping within. Looking at the red-and-blue taiji pattern beneath the Azure Emperor Divine Tree, Lu Chen felt it was an enlarged version of the Twin Fish Plate.
Gradually, the sea of qi within the Heavenly Pool returned to calm. The twin fish resumed swimming about, while the Azure Emperor Divine Tree continuously absorbed spiritual qi and dripped Spirit Liquid. Everything was peaceful, yet Lu Chen could clearly sense the joy of the Azure Emperor Divine Tree and the twin fish. Their spiritual intelligence had become even more apparent.
Lu Chen withdrew his gaze and told Feng Tiancheng what he felt. He believed he might have obtained an excellent fortuitous opportunity.
Feng Tiancheng told Lu Chen, "In the cultivation of heaven and earth, strange events occur from time to time. What is meant to be encountered will eventually be encountered. There is no need to dwell on it too much. Doing what lies before you is what matters most."
Yet inside, ten thousand grass-mud horses were galloping wildly through Feng Tiancheng's heart. He had lived for tens of thousands of years and witnessed countless astonishing feats. Often, a single mutation could turn someone into a mighty expert. But Lu Chen had encountered so many fortuitous opportunities in merely a few days. If Feng Tiancheng had not cared about his status, he would have already spewed a string of curses.
Still, Feng Tiancheng carefully recalled what he had just seen. Recently, he had witnessed many things that defied common sense. Though anything was possible in the Cultivation World, after seeing too much, one could not help but find it somewhat uncanny. He recalled an ancient saying passed down through the ages: every three thousand years, cultivation flourished; every nine thousand years, heaven and earth underwent a great upheaval.
By his calculations, the next nine-thousand-year mark was already close. It seemed heaven and earth were about to undergo another earth-shattering upheaval. Perhaps it would be the greatest one in history. For now, they could only cross the bridge when they came to it.
Lu Chen processed and stored the remaining bones and rhinoceros meat of the Ironclad Rhinoceros, intending to exchange them for Spirit Stones after leaving.
As night gradually fell, Feng Tiancheng returned to the Twin Fish Token space to continue resting. Lu Chen found a cave and started a fire to roast meat. As he rested, he pondered the shortcomings he had revealed while fighting the Ironclad Rhinoceros and considered what needed improvement in his use of spiritual qi. Today had been his first time hunting a demonic beast, and his gains had been quite good.
His coordination with Martial Skills had grown stronger, and his use of spiritual qi had become more refined. He had also gained the Azure Emperor Divine Tree as an offensive method. Previously, he could only barely use the Six Yang Palms that Split the Heavens once. Now, he felt he could use it at least four times. If he added the Nine Transformations of the Golden Serpent, Lu Chen felt his combat strength could climb another level.
Lu Chen raised his hand and summoned the Azure Emperor Divine Tree. A passage opened before him, from which tentacle after tentacle extended. The tentacles were stained with fire and frost, drifting around Lu Chen. One particularly thick tentacle lay beside him and rubbed itself against his face.
Lu Chen could clearly feel the tentacles' affection. His control over the Azure Emperor Divine Tree had now become much easier.
Lu Chen looked toward a huge boulder before him. The instant the thought of attacking arose, a mass of tentacles shot over and smashed the boulder to pieces. They then floated briskly back and rubbed against Lu Chen, as though currying favor with him.
Lu Chen then tested them one by one on the trees and soil before him. He found that he could even prevent the tentacles from absorbing life qi. Moreover, ever since the Azure Emperor Divine Tree entered his Heavenly Pool and continuously absorbed spiritual qi, the spiritual qi in his body had become purer and was gradually transforming into Spirit Liquid. Simply using the Azure Emperor Divine Tree without adding other offensive attributes consumed an almost negligible amount of spiritual power, while its might was greater than before.
Lu Chen withdrew the tentacles and began eating the roasted rhinoceros meat. The day's harvest was enough to make him understand the importance of Life and Death Combat to cultivators. He planned to hunt a thousand demonic beasts within a month to improve his coordination with Martial Skills.
Lu Chen used Star Serpent Hidden in Clouds to constantly dash through the forest in search of demonic beasts. Today, he had already encountered forty of them, but they were all beasts that had only just entered the Qi Gathering Realm. Their Demonic Cores had not even fully formed, and every one of them was killed by a single Azure Emperor Divine Tree tentacle from Lu Chen.
Just then, he suddenly heard a tiger's roar from afar. Immediately afterward, flocks of birds scattered in every direction, while low-level demonic beasts fled outward in droves.
Seeing this, Lu Chen understood that a demon king was there. This was precisely a fine opportunity for training, and he hurriedly rushed over.
Behind a massive tree, a huge tiger had clamped its jaws around a wild boar's hind leg and was ramming about wildly. The boar refused to yield, turning its head and stabbing at the tiger with its tusks.
Feng Tiancheng's voice rang out. "That is an eighth-level Qi Gathering Realm Earth-Shaking Tiger. Its speed and strength are both quite good, making it a decent demonic beast among those in the Qi Gathering Realm. The other is a Golden Bone Tusked Boar, newly advanced to the seventh level of the Qi Gathering Realm. However, the Golden Bone Tusked Boar possesses extremely high defense, and its tusks are also powerful. Still, the two differ by an entire realm, so the outcome is basically decided. Within fifty exchanges, the Golden Bone Tusked Boar will surely be defeated."
Lu Chen watched the Earth-Shaking Tiger and the Golden Bone Tusked Boar tear and bite at each other. Though the Golden Bone Tusked Boar's defense was rather high, its hind leg had already been ripped apart by the Earth-Shaking Tiger.
During this process, one of the Golden Bone Tusked Boar's tusks had been broken, and several claw marks had appeared on its belly. One of the Earth-Shaking Tiger's eyes had also been pierced blind by a tusk, while several holes had been gouged through its abdomen. Its movements gradually slowed.
Just as Feng Tiancheng had said, the difference of one realm had made victory and defeat rather obvious. The Earth-Shaking Tiger was fully capable of putting the Golden Bone Tusked Boar to death.
Sensing that the situation was bad, the Golden Bone Tusked Boar stared at the Earth-Shaking Tiger, continuously scraping the ground with its hooves before glancing around. Lu Chen saw through it at once. The Golden Bone Tusked Boar was preparing to flee. Both demonic beasts had already suffered grave injuries; when beating a dog that had fallen into the water, if not now, when? Lu Chen prepared to charge in.
Just as the Golden Bone Tusked Boar rushed toward the Earth-Shaking Tiger, intending to feign an attack and escape, Lu Chen seized the opportunity and launched Silver Serpent Emerging from its Lair at the Earth-Shaking Tiger. He then released tentacles beside the tiger, binding and attacking it. He knew the tentacles could not defeat the Earth-Shaking Tiger in a short time. He only hoped to hold it back long enough for him to kill the Golden Bone Tusked Boar.
Using his true body, Lu Chen leaped above the Golden Bone Tusked Boar's head with Star Serpent Hidden in Clouds and struck its head with a palm. The Golden Bone Tusked Boar immediately staggered and glared at Lu Chen, as though saying, You insignificant human, you dare block my path? Yet it was too severely injured to wish to entangle itself with Lu Chen. It only wanted to leave this place as quickly as possible.
Lu Chen saw through the boar's intentions. He continuously dashed and evaded, leaving wound after wound across the Golden Bone Tusked Boar's body. Once it had lost too much blood and its body could no longer hold up, Lu Chen formed a seal with his hand and unleashed the Six Yang Palms that Split the Heavens, slamming a palm directly into the Golden Bone Tusked Boar's belly and blasting its stomach open.
Thus, the seventh-level Qi Gathering Realm Golden Bone Tusked Boar was slain.
Lu Chen flashed back toward the Earth-Shaking Tiger. Under the entanglement of the Divine Tree Tentacles, the Earth-Shaking Tiger was already exhausted, but how could an eighth-level Qi Gathering Realm beast be so easily defeated?
Lu Chen unleashed Silver Serpent Emerging from its Lair at the Earth-Shaking Tiger, confusing its attack. Then, with Star Serpent Hidden in Clouds, he leaped above its head and slashed at the tiger's remaining eye with his palm.
"Pfft!"
Unable to dodge in time, the Earth-Shaking Tiger had its remaining eyeball shattered by Lu Chen.
Having lost both eyes, the Earth-Shaking Tiger flew into a boundless rage. It flung Lu Chen away and roared loudly toward the front.
Having lost its eyes, the Earth-Shaking Tiger could no longer discern directions, greatly reducing its threat to Lu Chen. Lu Chen and the Divine Tree Tentacles began attacking it from left and right. Star Serpent Hidden in Clouds, Silver Serpent Emerging from its Lair, tentacle attacks—gradually, the Earth-Shaking Tiger's counterattacks slowed.
Watching the Earth-Shaking Tiger, Lu Chen released Silver Serpent Emerging from its Lair. Two phantom images probed before the Earth-Shaking Tiger. In an instant, the Earth-Shaking Tiger pounced back, shredding the phantoms to pieces. Cold sweat covered Lu Chen's body as he thought, What a treacherous beast. If I had rashly charged in just now, I would be the one torn to pieces.
Lu Chen no longer dared take risks and could only wear down the Earth-Shaking Tiger step by step. With Lu Chen's final Six Yang Palms that Split the Heavens, the Earth-Shaking Tiger let out a howl and slowly collapsed.
The eighth-level Qi Gathering Realm Earth-Shaking Tiger was slain.
Lu Chen had also exhausted all his strength and collapsed onto the ground. Using the tentacles, he began absorbing the life qi from the Earth-Shaking Tiger and Golden Bone Tusked Boar to replenish himself. Just then, a crisp crack sounded from within Lu Chen's body. Building upon the battles with the two demonic beasts over these past two days, Lu Chen successfully advanced to the sixth level of the Qi Gathering Realm.
This was Lu Chen's first advancement since leaving the Secret Realm. He clenched his fist and felt the strength in his body. When Lu Chen first entered the Qi Gathering Realm, his physical strength had already reached the great completion of the Qi Gathering Realm.
After several rounds of bodily tempering and fortuitous opportunities, Lu Chen's physical strength had increased by roughly a thousand jin with every minor realm he rose through in the Qi Gathering Realm. Now, the force of a single punch from him likely reached fifteen thousand jin.
After recovering his strength, Lu Chen began cleaning up the battlefield. He swiftly divided the two demonic beasts and stored their hides, flesh, bones, and other materials within the Twin Fish Plate space. He then fed the two Demonic Cores to the Azure Emperor Divine Tree as a reward. The Azure Emperor Divine Tree extended a tentacle and affectionately rubbed Lu Chen's face.
Just as Lu Chen sat on the ground resting, the Divine Tree Tentacles suddenly dragged a stone stele over from afar.
Lu Chen took the stone stele. He did not recognize any of the words carved upon it, yet something in his bloodline seemed to draw him in. The four great characters, Seven Slips of the Cloud Scroll, appeared in Lu Chen's mind.
Lu Chen examined the stele and saw the two characters Azure Emperor. His pupils suddenly shrank, and he hurriedly summoned Feng Tiancheng.
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