The medicinal properties of the Crimson Jade Blood Ginseng were exceptionally comprehensive. It could nourish the body, improve cultivation, and nurture the soul.
Moreover, it required no complicated processing. It could be swallowed directly.
Xia Wuji had already eaten one slice to restore his strength. He had to admit that this Spirit Medicine, whose limit had originally only been First-tier Peak-grade, had broken through its shackles and transformed into a Second-tier Low-grade Spirit Medicine. Its effects had at least doubled compared to what Xia Wuji had initially expected.
The Crimson Jade Blood Ginseng was about as thick as two fingers and as long as a palm. Its entire body was crystalline scarlet, spiritual light flowed across it, and its fragrance was rich. Xia Wuji tore off a slice and placed it in his mouth.
It tasted sweet and refreshing. Once it entered his stomach, it radiated a warm aura.
Xia Wuji circulated his cultivation method and began refining it.
The warm energy spread throughout his body.
Before he knew it,
seven days had passed.
During those seven days, the entire Monster Suppression Mountain Range had been thrown into chaos. Large numbers of Fierce Beasts had gone berserk and slaughtered one another.
Xia Wuji had remained inside the tomb of the Mortal World Sword Master, undisturbed as he devoted himself to refining the Crimson Jade Blood Ginseng.
By now, he had swallowed the entire Crimson Jade Blood Ginseng. A small amount of its medicinal energy still remained in his body and was being refined.
Within Xia Wuji's dantian, the amount of True Essence had reached one hundred drops!
The tenth stage of the True Essence Realm!
Moreover, these one hundred drops of True Essence had shown signs of merging with the ten Yuan Power vortices.
Once they merged, it would mean that the True Essence in his dantian would no longer be limited to a number of drops. Instead, it would form a sea of True Essence directly. At that point, he would have reached the third realm of martial dao—the Sea of Qi Realm!
Xia Wuji controlled the remaining energy of the Crimson Jade Blood Ginseng within his body, sending it endlessly surging into his dantian.
The one hundred drops of True Essence boiled.
The ten Yuan Power vortices spun rapidly.
The Sword Seed in his dantian trembled with a buzzing hum, radiating dazzling light as sharp edges surged wildly!
An hour later!
"Boom!"
A thunderous roar rang out from Xia Wuji's dantian.
It was like the first peal of thunder in early spring!
The ten Yuan Power vortices and the one hundred drops of True Essence completely fused together, transforming into a sea of True Essence.
Xia Wuji's aura suddenly soared.
Every breakthrough into a major realm was a qualitative leap and transformation.
Xia Wuji abruptly opened his eyes. His gaze flowed like sword qi. Forming a seal with one hand, he pointed with two fingers, and in an instant, streams of sword qi howled away from his fingertips.
The sword qi swiftly darted through the tomb's space with astonishing dexterity, carving deep marks across the surrounding ground and boulders or piercing hole after hole through them.
"Return!"
Xia Wuji gave a soft shout, and all the sword qi returned to his side before entering his body.
He rose to his feet.
"Crack-crack-pop!"
Every tendon and bone in his body rang out!
Nourished by the energy of the Crimson Jade Blood Ginseng, Xia Wuji's body had grown considerably taller than it had been seven days ago.
Moreover, his originally somewhat slender build had now become strong and powerful, yet without the hulking, broad-backed appearance of a burly man.
His vital energy and blood were abundant, his life force vigorous, and his strength plentiful.
After sensing the changes in his body, Xia Wuji closed his eyes again. The shapes of every pebble within a ten-zhang radius, the dust stirred by wisps of breeze crawling across the ground, the insects and ants moving along the earth—all of it seemed to unfold slowly in his mind like a painting.
"My mental power can barely leave my body now."
Xia Wuji opened his eyes again, a smile appearing on his face.
Normally speaking, the soul and mental-power aspect was a level that only Core Formation Realm martial artists could touch.
But Xia Wuji possessed the memories of two lifetimes. In addition, he had been nourished by the medicinal energy of the Crimson Jade Blood Ginseng and had actively tempered his soul these past few days.
Now that his mental power could leave his body and spread across a radius of ten zhang, it still could not yet be used to unleash killing techniques, but this was nonetheless immensely significant.
It meant that within a radius of ten zhang, no movement of wind or grass could escape his perception!
"With my current strength, I no longer fear those people from the Sword Pavilion. Let them scheme and deceive one another in their filthy mess—I'll cut them all down with a single sword!" A brilliant light flashed in Xia Wuji's eyes.
The Sword Pavilion had been the most unbearable chapter of his life, the first trial of the heart he had faced while confronting the Immortal Ascension Tribulation in his previous life!
Soon, he would bring his relationship with the Sword Pavilion... to a true end!
Xia Wuji walked out of the tomb.
The Arrow Feather Eagle was still guarding the outside. Sensing Xia Wuji's aura, it immediately swooped over.
In just a few days, Xia Wuji's cultivation, body, and soul had all undergone a transformation and sublimation. Facing him now, the Arrow Feather Eagle was even more terrified. It immediately lay prostrate on the ground, its feathers trembling all over as it constantly rubbed its head against Xia Wuji's shoes.
"You attacked me that day and were taught a lesson by me. During this time, you've also worked diligently for me."
"I once said that after I finished dealing with my affairs, I could grant you a stroke of fortune."
As his voice fell, he pointed out with one finger. A strand of mental power left his body, combined with Sword Essence, and condensed into a strand of sword-qi imprint before sinking into the Arrow Feather Eagle's head.
This was a cultivation method suited to a Fierce Beast like the Arrow Feather Eagle. Although it could not be considered particularly profound, if the Arrow Feather Eagle could comprehend even one or two parts out of ten, it would be enough to change the course of its future life!
At the very least, becoming the king of the eagles and dominating the Monster Suppression Mountain Range would be no problem.
Having received this inheritance, the Arrow Feather Eagle found it profound despite not understanding it. It immediately cried out repeatedly, clearly wishing to follow Xia Wuji forever.
However, Xia Wuji shook his head and said, "Our karmic bond has come to an end. Send me out of the Monster Suppression Mountain Range."
The Arrow Feather Eagle's bloodline was too ordinary. Even though Xia Wuji had a way to break the shackles of its bloodline, doing so would only create trouble for himself.
There was no need.
Sword Pavilion.
Outside a secret chamber.
The Pavilion Master, Xia Xuan, the Madam, Madam Liu, and Xia Wuhui were all waiting at the chamber's entrance.
All three appeared nervous and uneasy, yet somewhat excited and expectant.
Suddenly, the secret chamber's door opened, and Xia Wudao walked out from within.
A formidable aura coiled around his body.
"Father!"
"Mother!"
"Wuhui!"
"I've broken through!"
Xia Wudao's face was filled with intense excitement. He was incomparably exhilarated.
Hearing this, the other three also revealed radiant smiles.
"Good! Good! Good!"
"As expected of my son, Xia Xuan. Before turning eighteen, he already possesses cultivation in the Sea of Qi Realm. He truly has the bearing of an outstanding genius!"
"Hahaha, being blessed with such a son is truly the greatest fortune of my life!"
Xia Xuan laughed heartily. He patted Xia Wudao's shoulders with both hands, and the more he looked at this excellent son, the more satisfied he became.
Xia Wudao said, "Father, in a few days, it will be the Sword Pavilion's Ancestor-Worship Ceremony. Have you found that Xia Wuji?"
Xia Xuan's expression turned solemn. He said, "I heard that that wretch fled to the Monster Suppression Mountain Range. A beast tide recently erupted there, and the Sword Feather Guards we sent all perished inside."
Madam Liu and Xia Wuhui wore complicated expressions. The mother and daughter had given the Sword Feather Guards sent to capture Xia Wuji another order, but changes had now arisen within the Monster Suppression Mountain Range.
Disgust showed on Madam Liu's face as she said, "That Xia Wuji is simply a disaster star. He reduced the Sword Pavilion to such a sorry state, stole the Crimson Blood Sword, took away that strand of Innate Vital Energy, and has now caused the Sword Pavilion to lose a group of loyal Sword Feather Guards!"
Xia Wuhui sighed and said, "What if that jinx Xia Wuji also died in the Monster Suppression Mountain Range? What should we do then? Brother Wudao wouldn't be able to produce the Azure Star Token..."
Hearing this, Xia Wudao's expression was arrogant as he said, "They say that vile people have stubbornly long lives. Perhaps that Xia Wuji isn't dead. If he dares return, I'll suppress him with one hand according to our wager!"
"If he's dead, or if he doesn't dare return, what of it? With my heaven-gifted talent, Xia Wudao, even if I rely on my own abilities, I'll still be able to enter the Azure Star Academy!"
"Good!" Xia Xuan was very satisfied with Xia Wudao's state of mind. He said, "Wudao already possesses the heart of a strong man. Why worry about his future?"
"Cough, cough, cough!" Xia Xuan suddenly began coughing violently.
"Father, what's wrong?" Xia Wuhui hurriedly supported Xia Xuan's arm.
Xia Xuan waved his hand and said, "It's only the injury from my fight with Xu Yao three years ago. It was never completely resolved. I became too excited just now and aggravated my qi circulation. It's a minor problem, nothing serious."
For the past three years, Xia Xuan had secluded himself in cultivation and let Xia Wuji take charge of the Sword Pavilion precisely because he had been injured in his battle with Xu Yao.
Xia Wudao cupped his fists and said, "Father, I'll definitely kill Xu Yao for you and wash away this humiliation!"
The outskirts of the Monster Suppression Mountain Range.
The Arrow Feather Eagle landed.
Xia Wuji leaped down, then departed beneath the Arrow Feather Eagle's silent gaze.
Not long after leaving the Monster Suppression Mountain Range, a tremendous roar suddenly came from the distance.
Immediately afterward, a figure shot into the sky, only to be caught by a large net in an instant!
Xia Wuji looked toward the direction where the fierce battle had erupted, and his gaze flickered.
That figure just now... was precisely the woman who had helped him kill the Lightning Leopard in the Monster Suppression Mountain Range a few days earlier.
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