Ten Thousand Strands of Spiritual Light, Ten Thousand Years of Daoism Cultivation (Seeking Support)

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Puzhi had completely dissipated.

As the ox demon's remains were ground away by Su Qingqiu, his obsession was finally released as well.

Afterward, Su Qingqiu used the Eyes of the Spiritual Snake to confirm there was no danger, then carefully read the information within the Sarira. Comparing it with his surroundings, he quickly discovered discrepancies—or rather, things that made no sense.

"Sure enough... the information Puzhi knew is all outdated."

Su Qingqiu sighed.

Puzhi's obsession had formed three hundred years ago. Most of what he knew reflected the circumstances of that time.

Thus, Puzhi did not know that this place had already become the Second Layer Serpent Pit Abyss, nor did he know when the first layer had been established. Still less did he know why there were so many Evil Remains in this layer of the Serpent Pit Abyss, appearing one after another without end.

He did not know Dragon-Raising Temple's recent circumstances. Nor did he know the current state of the Spirit Ruins, or even the Spiritual Market.

Puzhi was, in the end, merely an obsession attached to the ox demon's remains, wandering endlessly around them.

Had Su Qingqiu not devoured the ox demon's remains by a fortunate coincidence, he most likely would never have appeared.

"What exactly happened in the Serpent Pit Abyss or Dragon-Raising Temple over these three hundred years, that this place has fallen into a land where evil demons run rampant?"

"It even forced Dragon-Raising Temple to only dare open the Serpent Pit Abyss once every few decades?"

Su Qingqiu frowned.

One had to know that three hundred years ago, the Monks of Dragon-Raising Temple could freely enter the Serpent Pit Abyss to train. Although some rather cumbersome procedures were required, they were not strict.

But now...

It was the complete opposite!

After obtaining the information in Puzhi's Sarira, the doubts in Su Qingqiu's heart not only did not lessen—they instead grew ever more numerous.

Still, the information Puzhi had left behind was not entirely useless. It recorded quite a few of his experiences from those years, as well as some basic knowledge.

It also included information about the second layer of the Serpent Pit Abyss: which discovered Spirit Ruins were comparatively dangerous, where strange Evil Remains lay hidden, and methods to enter the layer below, among other things.

Su Qingqiu was particularly concerned with the methods of entering the lower layer. In Puzhi's memories, there were two in total.

First: successfully seize one of a True Dragon's Eight Extraordinary Meridians and occupy one of its Spirit Ruins nodes. Then use that Eight Extraordinary Meridian as a guide to enter the lower layer.

This method was extremely dangerous—nine deaths for every one chance of life.

Second, have a more powerful existence, such as a Spirit Lord with three to five thousand years of Daoism Cultivation, forcibly break through the seal and take people down.

This was more or less the same as how Su Qingqiu had entered this layer. In the final analysis, he still needed to grow stronger. After all, he was a Spiritual Python, not yet a Spirit Lord; his evolutionary level was insufficient, though his Spiritual Light was plentiful.

"Then I'll keep getting stronger!"

Only by becoming stronger would he be qualified to explore the secrets long buried in the river of time.

Next, Su Qingqiu explored the vast Second Layer Serpent Pit Abyss while searching for isolated Evil Remains to refine.

The Evil Remains here were extraordinarily powerful, and there was no shortage of revived evil demons. The rewards gained after devouring them, whether Daoism Cultivation or medicinal pills, had improved tremendously.

Though both the difficulty of hunting and the difficulty of refinement steadily increased, Su Qingqiu did not mind in the least.

Once again, he immersed himself in the exhilarating sensation of his strength rapidly rising.

--Great Mara Pill, condensing the body's qi and blood.

--Three Apertures Purple Gold Pill, expanding spiritual consciousness.

--Extreme Calamity Pill, unlocking the potential of the five viscera within the body.

--Body Tempering Technique, tempering flesh and blood to forge a vajra-like form.

--Concealment Technique, concealing one's aura and moving unseen.

--Dragon Roar, releasing a sharp, soaring cry that cowed all beasts.

All manner of miraculous pills and wondrous medicines, countless exquisite spells and techniques, were held within his heart and fused into his body.

With the divine abilities of Protecting the Residence and Exorcism and Blessing aiding him, Su Qingqiu evolved madly and rapidly grew stronger.

From fleeing in disarray when surrounded by evil demons at the beginning, to now moving with ease amidst hordes of demons, he progressed bit by bit.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, three months passed.

This day, just after converting the last trace of Daoism Cultivation within his body, Su Qingqiu suddenly sensed a disturbance inside himself.

Spiritual Light:

9999 →10000

Infused with countless traces of Daoism Cultivation and magical power, the final strand of Spiritual Light at last joined the revelry like a beauty arriving fashionably late.

Everything fell into place as naturally as water flowing into a channel.

Though only a single wisp of Spiritual Light had been added, the Spiritual Light within his body had undergone a heaven-and-earth transformation.

Before reaching ten thousand wisps, the Spiritual Light had been like water—ethereal and ever-shifting, without fixed form or trace. After ten thousand wisps, it was like mercury: thick and blazing, surging through his body in rolling tides, carrying the unceasing roar of rivers rushing onward.

A sudden realization surfaced in his heart.

This was Spiritual Essence!

After ten thousand wisps of Spiritual Light, spiritual wisdom was born of its own accord. It merged with the Spiritual Light, tempered by Qi and blood, unifying Essence, Qi, Spirit, transforming Spiritual Light into Spiritual Essence. From then on, the sky was vast and the sea boundless; the future was worth looking forward to.

Refining Qi into a dragon was nothing more than this.

"Spiritual Essence! I never expected such a change after Spiritual Light reached ten thousand wisps. Perhaps it is like a seventh-rank cultivator advancing to the sixth rank, their Daoism Cultivation transforming into magical power. Both its quality and quantity have increased severalfold."

Su Qingqiu sensed the changes within.

At that moment, both the Vajra Sutra's efficiency in tempering his body and the effects produced by the Spiritual Patterns had undergone a terrifying increase of nearly tenfold.

Within the Crimson Fire Horn and beneath his reverse scale, the Crimson Fire Spiritual Light contained there was gradually transforming into Crimson Fire Spiritual Essence.

Not only that—the condensed Crimson Fire Spiritual Essence actually formed an everlasting flame within the Crimson Fire Horn.

Crimson Fire Essence!

From this day forth, his Spiritual Essence would never run dry, and the Crimson Fire would never be extinguished—endlessly cycling, endlessly regenerating.

The Eyes of the Spiritual Snake swept over the surroundings, faintly sensing the flow of ambient auras between heaven and earth.

Pure Spiritual Qi, Five Turbid Qi, the qi of living beings, the qi of death... and more.

Great misfortune lay to the southwest; he should not go there.

Minor fortune lay to the southeast; there might be gains to be had.

The turbid demonic qi in the northwest was intensifying; perhaps evil beings were reviving.

Pure Spiritual Qi was evolving in the northeast; perhaps a spiritual creature was about to be born.

By observing the changes of heaven and earth, one could divine fortune, misfortune, calamity, and blessing. Even Su Qingqiu was startled by the effects of the Eyes of the Spiritual Snake when empowered by Spiritual Essence.

He had never encountered this kind of insight into the mysteries of heaven and earth in any of the memories of the Evil Remains.

Unheard of, unseen before.

At the instant Spiritual Light transformed into Spiritual Essence, it seemed as though his innate abilities and divine powers had been unsealed. It appeared that only true Spiritual Essence could serve as the energy source to activate them.

"Ten thousand wisps of Spiritual Light, transformed into Spiritual Essence... Perhaps I've already reached some indescribable, unspeakable realm?"

Su Qingqiu felt rather pleased with himself.

Though he was still merely a Spiritual Python nearly fourteen meters long, his vast Spiritual Essence was enough to place him on par with the young of those divine beasts from myths and legends.

Perhaps cultivators outside had never even heard of Spiritual Essence.

At this point, he could even faintly sense the situation at Dragon-Raising Temple beyond the seal.

Especially Lingfa, the person anchored to him—every movement he made, every thought that crossed his mind, was presented with near-perfect clarity in Su Qingqiu's mind.

It was as though he had truly possessed Lingfa's body at that very moment.

Hm?

Spiritual Essence possession?

Su Qingqiu's enormous snake eyes shifted as he fell into thought.

"What a pity... Who knows when the next molt will come. High Spiritual Light alone isn't enough. I still lack those divine powers that soar through the skies, burrow through the earth, burn mountains, and boil seas..."

He soon became troubled again.

Right now, he was no different from a brute with nothing but raw strength, utterly lacking in technique.

He knew almost nothing about how spiritual beasts—or even other cultivators—cultivated, nor did he understand the various divine powers and spell arts.

He could not use the Human Race's spells. The only ones he could barely put on display were the Minor Rain Accumulation Technique and Shape-Shifting Illusion.

Far too meager!

He was still worlds apart from the True Dragons of legend, capable of Flipping Rivers and Overturning Seas, of Summoning Wind and Rain. His road was long and arduous; he would have to take it one step at a time.

"Eh? Dragon-Raising Temple seems rather lively today?"

Enveloping the area with his Spiritual Sense, Su Qingqiu seemed to sense something and suddenly murmured to himself.