Azure Wood Life and Death Qi

The Creation Lotus Platform blazed with light, drawing in the newly formed "Azure Wood Poisonous Gas" from the void and devouring it in an instant.

Chen Ming was taken aback. He used his Spiritual Sense to feel the changes in the Lotus Platform beneath him.

He saw faint patterns slowly appear on the Lotus Platform's petals.

Only when he saw those patterns did Chen Ming understand.

"No wonder the Creation Lotus Platform fell silent after evolving the Secret Method 'Hundred Thousand Eight Thousand Insects'!"

"So it has to devour the Void Qi produced by Divine Soul Contemplation!"

"Once the Lotus Platform absorbs enough Void Qi, the patterns will mature and fall away, becoming another Supernatural Secret Art!"

Now that Chen Ming understood the reason for the Lotus Platform's change, he no longer worried. He used Divine Soul Contemplation to recite the incantation, continuously drawing in "Azure Wood Poisonous Gas" for the Creation Lotus Platform to devour and absorb.

The Creation Lotus Platform devoured a full eighty-one streams of "Azure Wood Poisonous Gas" before its light finally dimmed and it quieted down.

The patterns on the Lotus Platform had also grown much clearer, but they still looked incomplete. They were nowhere near ready to fall from the Lotus Platform and become a Supernatural Secret Art.

"The Lotus Platform has devoured enough for today. I still need to refine one stream and store it within myself."

Chen Ming had been continuously contemplating and reciting the incantation with his Divine Soul in the Sea of Consciousness, and by now he was somewhat exhausted. He had no idea how much time had passed in the outside world, either.

That was how it always went when cultivators refined spells: they lost track of the days and months.

So once they began refining, they had to continue until they succeeded—or failed completely—before they could stop.

Chen Ming had already grown quite practiced at refining the "Azure Wood Poisonous Gas." Even though his Divine Soul was a little tired, it did not hinder him.

He only needed to draw in one more stream and refine it to store within himself. That would be enough to conceal the method he cultivated.

"Eastern Sui Xing, essence of wood, giving birth to Jia and Yi, transforming into Azure Wood; the sun's soul and water's essence, intangible qi..."

As Chen Ming's Divine Soul contemplated, the eastern void trembled. Yi Wood Qi manifested once more and descended, turning into a stream of Azure Wood Poisonous Gas.

This time, with the Creation Lotus Platform no longer devouring it, Chen Ming sent out his Spiritual Sense, gathered the Azure Wood Poisonous Gas, and drew it into his Sea of Consciousness to refine.

But as soon as he began refining it, the patterns on the Creation Lotus Platform started to move.

Though the patterns were incomplete, they still caused a change as Chen Ming refined the Azure Wood Poisonous Gas.

Eastern Yi Wood Qi was originally life-giving energy. Only when drawn by the Magic Art did it produce poisonous gas.

Now, after being tempered by the incomplete patterns on the Creation Lotus Platform, it changed once more.

The poisonous gas grew even purer, transforming into death energy. It entwined and merged with the original life energy, becoming a stream of "Azure Wood Life and Death Qi."

"I didn't expect the unfinished incantation to be useful too. It can purify Void Qi."

Chen Ming had not expected to gain such an advantage.

He sensed the refined "Azure Wood Life and Death Qi." Its power surpassed that of the earlier "Azure Wood Poisonous Gas."

Moreover, the life and death energies tangled together, faintly revealing the meaning of a Yin-Yang cycle. It was even more wondrous.

"With this stream of 'Azure Wood Life and Death Qi,' I can call myself a Daoist True Man. No one knows my true background, so who would dare say I follow the Outer Dao!"

Chen Ming slowly ended his cultivation and awoke. He lifted the Spirit Devouring Jar in his hand and turned the Magic Art. The "Azure Wood Poisonous Gas" stored inside began to change, gradually transforming into "Azure Wood Life and Death Qi."

By the time all the gas in the Spirit Devouring Jar had transformed, more than half a month had passed.

Chen Ming put away the Spirit Devouring Jar, but there was no joy on his face.

He had not been idle during this time. He had refined several more streams of "Azure Wood Life and Death Qi" to protect himself.

But the Creation Lotus Platform had remained quiet, showing no sign of devouring any more Void Qi, as if it had fallen asleep.

"Could the problem be the cultivation method? Ling Yangzi's Magic Art only reaches the Contemplation Realm. There's nothing beyond that!"

"I can't advance further by shutting myself away and working things out alone. And for the patterns on the Creation Lotus Platform to mature, they'll probably need more kinds of Void Qi as nourishment!"

So be it!

Cultivation was about seizing the world's spiritual opportunities to strengthen oneself. One could hardly avoid taking a journey through the world.

Otherwise, if one kept hiding, when calamity came, one would only end up reduced to ashes, just like Ling Yangzi.

"But I'm a stranger in this world. Where should I go to cultivate?"

Chen Ming's Spiritual Sense stirred and connected with the Red Spirit Worm in the Spirit Devouring Jar. He searched through the memories of Ling Yangzi that remained after the worm had devoured his Divine Soul.

A moment later, Chen Ming understood the situation.

"Ling Yangzi actually had another Cultivation Place, and he had two disciples there!"

"If I weren't going out into the world to cultivate, they might have caused trouble for me someday!"

"This is the perfect chance to go take a look and settle my karmic entanglement with Ling Yangzi once and for all!"

Now, outside Luochuan City, there stood a tall mountain called Cuiping.

There was a Daoist temple on the mountain.

A Spirit Tree grew in the temple and was famed for its power. People often came to make vows, burn incense, and pay their respects. Red cords and wooden wish plaques hung all over the tree's trunk.

Over time, the people of the city came to call the place the Divine Wood Temple.

Two young Daoists at the Qi Gathering Realm lived in the temple. One was called Song Yu, the other Wang Xiu.

Their cultivation was not high, but they had at least set foot on the path of cultivation.

Still, their lives were far from pleasant.

Cuiping Mountain and the temple were Ling Yangzi's Cultivation Place.

Song Yu and Wang Xiu were Ling Yangzi's disciples.

But Ling Yangzi was fickle and deeply suspicious. Although he had passed on the cultivation method of the Qi Gathering Realm to them, he had also planted Poison Curses in their bodies to keep them from betraying him.

Every month, they had to drink a dose of talisman water prepared by Ling Yangzi. Otherwise, the Poison Curse would flare up, and they would suffer the agony of poisonous gas devouring their souls.

Ling Yangzi had been away for several months, and the talisman water he had left them had run out.

But Ling Yangzi had yet to return.

Song Yu and Wang Xiu had expected to suffer the agony of poisonous gas devouring their souls. Yet, to their surprise, the Poison Curse did not flare up.

Both were shocked and afraid, with no idea why.

Several more months passed, and the Poison Curse still had not flared up. The two began to suspect that Ling Yangzi might already be dead.

But they still did not dare leave. The Poison Curse had not flared up, but it remained inside their bodies.

Until the Poison Curse was removed, it was a blade hanging over their heads.

As time passed, they could no longer contain their unease. After several attempts to test the situation, they finally confirmed that Ling Yangzi had died. Only then did they truly set their worries aside.

"Master planted this Spirit Tree with a Secret Method and even drew the city's ordinary folk here to worship it. I wonder what spell he was trying to refine. The tree has absorbed the incense and fire of the mortal world, and it's already gained some wondrous qualities!"

"Song Yu, Ling Yangzi is dead. Why are you still calling him Master? Hasn't he put us through enough?" Wang Xiu said indignantly.

"Ling Yangzi is dead, but the Poison Curse hasn't been removed. It could flare up at any moment. We can't just sit here and wait to die!"

Hearing this, Song Yu changed his tone as well. "That's right. This Spirit Tree's aura comes from the same source as Ling Yangzi's. Why don't we find a way to refine it? Maybe our power will surge, and we'll be able to break through the Poison Curse!"

"Good. We're waiting to die either way, so we might as well take a chance. We might even survive!"

After discussing it, the two made up their minds. They circulated their magical power and began drawing the Spirit Tree's aura into their bodies, refining it to break through the Poison Curse Ling Yangzi had planted.

But their cultivation was shallow, and they had no idea that this Spirit Tree was a Secret Method Ling Yangzi had refined to reach the Spirit Condensation Realm.

The very core of the Spirit Tree had been condensed from "Azure Wood Poisonous Gas." Their actions were bound to have dire consequences.