Five-Section Spiritual Root

Five-Section Spiritual Root

Killing karma 134, Human Dao merit 156, Earthly Dao merit 2

Lin Le examined his divine ability Inner Scenery with Inner Vision Divine Ability, then looked at the Demon Slaying Squad members. "The Mountain Imp is mine. You have no objections, right?"

Everyone shook their heads, each faster than the last.

"No objections, no objections. The Mountain Imp was killed by you, young hero. How could we possibly object?" one hunter said.

Another hunter patted his chest. "And you saved our lives, young hero. If you ever have orders for us, just come find us. Even if we must climb mountains of blades and plunge into seas of fire, we will never refuse!"

"Me too!"

"Me too!" The crowd echoed one another.

"You can divide up the other monkey corpses yourselves. I don't want them either." Lin Le paid no mind to their flattery. "Also, does anyone know where the Mountain Imp's lair is?"

"I do!" someone immediately called out.

Lin Le looked over and found that it was Hong Tu, the overly familiar fellow.

Hong Tu said, "I've seen the Mountain Imp's lair before."

"Then lead the way." Lin Le said, "Pick a monkey first, then come with me."

"Alright!" Hong Tu immediately picked out a somewhat sturdier monkey and led the way.

The others looked at Hong Tu with envy. They knew there had to be good things in the Mountain Imp's nest. The meat would surely all belong to Lin Le, but perhaps Hong Tu might get the scraps around the edges.

Before long, Hong Tu led Lin Le to a small valley.

There were still apes clambering among the valley walls. Yet when they saw their monkey king being dragged back, one of them actually shrieked, "Someone killed the king! Run!"

Lin Le threw a stone. The stone was like a flint sparking with lightning as it struck the shrieking ape.

Bang!

The ape's head was smashed open outright. It swayed a few times before tumbling to the valley floor.

Lin Le continued throwing stones, targeting the more agile and stronger apes.

Only after killing more than a dozen did Lin Le stop. He glanced at his killing karma and found that it had actually risen to 161, while his Human Dao merit had reached 180.

Lin Le could not help glancing at the Mountain Imp. This monkey even knew how to train underlings.

The apes in the valley had scattered completely. Lin Le had frightened them senseless with his killing.

Lin Le dragged the Mountain Imp's corpse into the small valley. After borrowing force several times to climb upward, he entered a cave.

The cave reeked so foully it made one retch.

Lin Le walked deeper inside, then his steps paused slightly. He saw half-eaten corpses, along with two naked female corpses.

"Take them out and bury them," Lin Le told Hong Tu, who had entered behind him.

"Alright." Hong Tu gave an awkward laugh, thinking that Lin Le had seen through his little plan to mooch a share.

Lin Le continued onward and soon arrived before a stone platform.

The center of the platform was sunken, and within the hollow were soil and a small sprout.

But when Lin Le pulled it up, it was no small sprout at all, but a human-shaped ginseng root.

Though it was only the most ordinary variety, its appearance made it clear that it was close to becoming a spirit.

He did not know its age, but for the Mountain Imp to have solemnly treasured it, it had to be at least a hundred years old.

Without hesitation, Lin Le did not even mind the dirt. Bite by bite, he ate the ginseng clean.

As soon as the ginseng entered his stomach, Lin Le felt his blood and qi begin circulating madly, digesting the medicinal power.

Without even needing the Lotus divine ability to act, Lin Le could feel that he could digest this medicinal power completely.

After leaving the cave, Lin Le began gathering firewood. When Hong Tu returned after burying the corpses, Lin Le said, "Skin the Mountain Imp and the other monkeys."

"Alright." Hong Tu had no objections. He turned to skin them, looking willing to bear any burden without complaint.

Once the skins were removed, Lin Le started a fire and roasted the monkeys.

When the meat was done, Lin Le began eating in huge mouthfuls.

After Hong Tu finished his work, Lin Le handed him a piece of roasted meat. "Call a few people over to haul away the remaining dead monkeys. They're yours."

"Thank you, young hero! Thank you, young hero!" Hong Tu said happily with cupped fists.

"Mm." Lin Le nodded slightly and continued eating.

Hong Tu quickly called several people over and had them drag away the remaining monkeys.

After eating for half a day, Lin Le tossed aside the bones and let out a full belch. The monkey had looked large, but it only had two or three hundred jin of edible meat, just enough for one meal.

Examining his divine ability Inner Scenery with Inner Vision Divine Ability, Lin Le first spent his killing karma.

As warmth rose along his spine and slowly faded, his Yang Spiritual Root had grown its fifth section.

He then spent one hundred Human Dao merit and used a one-pattern lotus seed to gain sudden enlightenment in the Qi Gathering Art.

Memories from the moment he gained consciousness came flooding in like a tide.

When Lin Le awoke, he felt that the blood and qi in his body had become somewhat more active. The Momentum he had comprehended this time was more like a passive ability, called Momentum of Rebirth.

It had been comprehended from the process of growing from an infant into an adult.

This Momentum lingered permanently within him and seemed to have the effect of making him grow younger the longer he lived.

But that effect was like chicken ribs—tasteless to eat, yet a pity to discard. After all, Lin Le was only fourteen this year. No matter how much younger he became, there was not much younger he could get.

Lin Le spent another ordinary lotus seed.

One thought, one year. During that year, he continuously practiced the combat techniques of Thirteen Revolutions of Fighting Heaven, trying to combine Momentum with technique.

But when he came back to himself, Lin Le's expression darkened slightly. It had been wasted.

Momentum could not be brought into one thought, one year!

He spent yet another ordinary lotus seed. This time, it was for sudden enlightenment. Lin Le swung his spear, searching for the feeling where Momentum and technique fit together.

At last, Lin Le thrust forward. He moved like lightning, instantly appearing before a stone wall.

Bang!

More than half the spear shaft sank into the stone wall.

Two Forms of Fighting Heaven, Sky-Breaking!

With effort, Lin Le pulled out the spear and let out a breath. Sudden enlightenment was still useful after all.

It was just that the cost was several times greater than he had expected.

If one thought, one year could carry Momentum within it, Lin Le felt that with his comprehension, he could develop three different Limit-Breaking Techniques from Momentum within a year, perhaps even begin studying the coordination between different Momentums.

Unfortunately, he could not bring it in. He could only do it bit by bit himself.

Perhaps a one-pattern lotus seed can improve this situation. The thought rose in Lin Le's heart.

After looking at his merit, Lin Le felt it was necessary to give it a try.

Lin Le began wielding his spear again. This time it was not for sudden enlightenment, but to speed up the digestion of the medicinal power and vital essence within his body.

It had to be said, this ginseng truly was worthy of being close to becoming a spirit. Lin Le felt that merely digesting it would increase his strength by nearly a thousand jin.

And the Mountain Imp was indeed worthy of being a demon that had entered the Dao. The essence throughout its body was truly surging and boundless.

As his blood and qi circulated, red light became almost tangible, shrouding Lin Le like a pill furnace. Lin Le was like a medicinal ingredient, being refined into a single pill.

No, it was more as though it wanted to burn him into a flawless, translucent glazed jade body, skin like colored glaze and bones like white jade.

When the morning sunlight shone upon the earth, Lin Le stopped practicing his spear. He had already digested all his gains.

Having trained from night until daybreak, Lin Le was not only unwearied, but positively radiant with vigor.

Lin Le clenched his fist. He could feel that his strength had now reached twelve thousand one hundred jin.

I'm only seven hundred jin away from Embracing the Core, Lin Le thought.

But Lin Le felt that the remaining seven hundred jin would be harder than the previous two or three thousand. He estimated that he would need to eat another Mountain Imp to be enough.

But I should be able to gather it today.

Lin Le stood, picked up his spear, and left the valley.

The Mountain Imp had been eliminated, but the tyrant had not. It was time to eliminate the tyrant.