Fourth Layer of Qi Refining

With the help of the Glazed Qi Refining Art and the Glazed Body Refining Art, the Spiritual Power inside Fang Chen was immediately refined and absorbed by his body.

Ten breaths later, the Spiritual Power that had surged into Fang Chen from the Floating Immortal Sword was completely refined, and the True Qi in his dantian had grown considerably.

"That felt incredible!"

Fang Chen opened his mouth and breathed out a mouthful of stale air. He felt invigorated, his whole body brimming with strength. The Spiritual Power that had just surged into him from the Floating Immortal Sword was greater than what he gained from killing a Bloodthirsty Evil Crow.

"A ten-thousand-year-old Black Scale Red Leaf Pine really lives up to its name! Hahaha..."

Fang Chen could not help laughing. He had never expected the Black Scale Red Leaf Pine to be so rewarding.

"Again!"

He gripped the Floating Immortal Sword and slashed at the Black Scale Red Leaf Pine before him.

Clang!

The force rebounding from the Black Scale Red Leaf Pine sent the Floating Immortal Sword bouncing back again. It nearly flew from Fang Chen's hand. The web between his thumb and forefinger went numb, and a vast surge of Spiritual Power poured into his body.

With the help of that Spiritual Power, the numbness in his hand vanished instantly.

Although the Black Scale Red Leaf Pine had no Body Protection Spiritual Light, its bark was incredibly hard. The Floating Immortal Sword struck it without leaving so much as a mark.

Fang Chen did not care. He had no intention of cutting the Black Scale Red Leaf Pine down; what he needed was Spiritual Power. He did not have to complete the task now, so whether the tree fell was none of his concern.

Once the Spiritual Power inside him had been absorbed and refined again, Fang Chen swung his sword at the Black Scale Red Leaf Pine once more.

With every strike, Fang Chen could feel his strength rising. As for Glazed Mushrooms, he had no interest in them. After all, the point of digging them up was to become an Inner Disciple, but there were so many Outer Sect Disciples taking part in the trial and only three places available. Far too few.

And was the ultimate purpose of becoming an Inner Disciple not to grow stronger?

Since chopping at Black Scale Red Leaf Pines could raise his strength so easily, why abandon what was close at hand to seek something far away?

On the way to Glazed Peak, Li Yanshan had told Fang Chen that the Trial Path usually stayed open for three days, though it might close half a day later or half a day earlier.

Chances like this were rare, so Fang Chen had to make the most of his time chopping at Black Scale Red Leaf Pines to strengthen himself. He gained more Spiritual Power from them than from killing Bloodthirsty Evil Crows, and most importantly, chopping at the trees was perfectly safe.

As Fang Chen practiced the Glazed Body Refining Art, he kept making adjustments. He grew increasingly proficient, and the speed at which he refined Spiritual Power rose rapidly.

After a dozen or so strikes, Fang Chen noticed that the Spiritual Power he drew from the Floating Immortal Sword had dropped sharply.

"What's going on?"

Fang Chen frowned slightly. This was the first time he had encountered such a problem.

He walked up to another Black Scale Red Leaf Pine and struck it with his sword. The Spiritual Power pouring into him from the Floating Immortal Sword grew strong again.

One Hour later.

Fang Chen's body trembled slightly. A cluster of Golden Flames appeared in the True Qi Vortex at the center of his dantian, then rapidly spread throughout it.

Boom!

A powerful aura erupted from within Fang Chen.

"Ah..."

Fang Chen could not help throwing back his head and roaring. The Golden Flames in his dantian surged through his Meridians and across his entire body. Faint golden light shone from his skin as the surrounding Spiritual Qi gathered around him in a frenzy and was drawn into his body.

Twenty breaths later, the Golden Flames inside Fang Chen vanished, and his powerful aura gradually subsided.

"Fourth Layer of Qi Refining!"

A faint smile touched Fang Chen's lips. He had never expected to break through to the Fourth Layer of Qi Refining only One Hour after entering the Trial Path.

"There are still three days until the trial ends. How high can my cultivation rise?"

After calming his excitement, Fang Chen swung the Floating Immortal Sword at a tree again. This opportunity was hard to come by, and he had no intention of wasting it.

After breaking through to the Fourth Layer of Qi Refining, Fang Chen's strength took a great leap forward. After all, the Fourth Layer marked the middle stage of Qi Refining.

The First through Third Layers of Qi Refining belonged to the early stage; the Fourth through Sixth Layers belonged to the middle stage; and the Seventh through Ninth Layers belonged to the late stage.

Clang!

The Floating Immortal Sword struck the Black Scale Red Leaf Pine, sending sparks flying. The rebound was still powerful, but the web between Fang Chen's thumb and forefinger only went slightly numb. That was much better than the lingering pain he had felt before.

Buzz, buzz!

The Floating Immortal Sword trembled faintly as a vast stream of Spiritual Power flowed into Fang Chen. He absorbed and refined it completely in just two breaths, and his sword swung faster and faster.

Clang, clang, clang...

The crisp ring of metal on metal echoed through the Black Scale Red Leaf Pine forest.

Under the effect of the Spiritual Power from the Floating Immortal Sword, Fang Chen felt more and more invigorated.

Half an hour later, a humming sounded deep in Fang Chen's mind. The next moment, everything in his sight gradually disappeared. The Glazed Body Refining Art flashed through his mind as he made adjustment after adjustment, rapidly improving its efficiency.

Suddenly, Fang Chen saw a cluster of multicolored light on the ground about three zhang ahead and to his right.

A short while later, Fang Chen emerged from his state of Enlightenment. The Pine Trees and pine needles came back into view.

He walked to where he had seen the Light Cluster during his Enlightenment and gently brushed aside the pine needles. Beneath them, he found a crystal-clear Mushroom. Its cap was three fingers wide, and its stalk was as thick as his index finger.

"A Glazed Mushroom!"

Fang Chen's eyes brightened slightly. He had not expected the Light Cluster he saw during his Enlightenment to be a Glazed Mushroom.

Judging by its appearance, this was a Top Grade mushroom.

Final results on the Trial Path were not determined by the number of Glazed Mushrooms gathered, but by the value of the mushrooms each person dug up.

The mushrooms were divided into five grades, from lowest to highest: Defective Grade, Inferior Grade, Standard Grade, Fine Grade, and Top Grade. Top Grade mushrooms were the most valuable. Per pound, they were worth ten times as much as Standard Grade mushrooms and five times as much as Fine Grade mushrooms.

"Hahaha, wonderful! Wonderful!"

Looking at the mushroom before him, Fang Chen could not contain his excitement. He had only wanted to chop trees and improve his cultivation, with no desire to waste time searching for Glazed Mushrooms or other Spirit Medicines. But the willow had taken root where he planted it without a thought. While chopping trees, he had entered a state of Enlightenment, and in that state, he could actually see Glazed Mushrooms hidden beneath thick layers of pine needles.

Fang Chen dug up the Glazed Mushroom with great care, afraid that too much force would damage it. If it was damaged, the Spiritual Power inside would leak out, greatly diminishing its value.

Before long, Fang Chen had dug up the Glazed Mushroom without the slightest damage. It was perfect, like a work of art made by nature.

Fang Chen whistled to the Glazed Paper Crane. It immediately flew over and hovered before him, beating its wings.

Fang Chen held the Glazed Mushroom out to the Glazed Paper Crane. It pecked lightly at the mushroom a few times, and a layer of white Flames sprang up over its surface. The Glazed Paper Crane opened its beak. The mushroom instantly shrank, turned into a streak of white light, and flew into its mouth.

The Glazed Paper Crane's display left Fang Chen dumbfounded. This little Paper Crane is incredible!

Suddenly, Fang Chen heard a sound behind him. He spun around and saw a Silhouette enter his field of view. Once he made out the person's face, his gaze tightened and surprise crossed his face. The newcomer was Zhang Tielin.

At the same time, Zhang Tielin recognized Fang Chen. His gaze instantly turned sharp.