Seven days passed in a flash.
Inside the secret chamber, six zhang underground in the canyon shaped like a giant bowl.
In the one-zhang-sized secret chamber, Cheng Buzheng sat cross-legged on the ground, his eyes slightly closed. Dust covered his entire body, and a faint streak of blood marked the corner of his mouth. Red specks dotted his gray robe.
Suddenly.
Cheng Buzheng opened his clear black and white eyes. Seeing himself covered in dust, he sent his magic power through his body and gave it a slight tremor. When his vision cleared, a handsome young man stood before him once more.
With a thought, a yellow spirit light enveloped him, and he burrowed toward the surface.
In the blink of an eye.
He appeared at the bottom of the bowl-shaped canyon.
Cheng Buzheng wanted to test just how powerful the Purple Crystal Bracelet was in its limit state.
He flipped his right hand, and the Purple Crystal Bracelet floated above his palm.
Cheng Buzheng suddenly felt that the Purple Crystal Bracelet wasn't quite responding to him as it should.
He immediately stopped and sank into thought. To push this spell to its limit, he had spent all his Spirit Stones. This spell was his protective skill, the very thing he relied on to survive.
He couldn't afford to be careless in the slightest.
"Before entering seclusion, the Purple Crystal Bracelet's wondrous use was at his beck and call. How come... after coming out of seclusion, it no longer responds the instant he thinks of it?
"The Purple Crystal Bracelet evolved to the First Order Limit State... re-cultivation..."
Cheng Buzheng furrowed his brows and said,
"Re-cultivation... it must be because of re-cultivation... Magic Power Shaping..."
Then, with a thought, the Purple Crystal Bracelet floated in front of him. He struck a spell technique, and a faint suction force came from the bracelet.
Inside Cheng Buzheng's dantian, magic power surged. Streams of grayish magic power poured into the Purple Crystal Bracelet.
As the grayish magic power flowed in, the bracelet floating before him released streams of red smoke.
Before long.
The suction force from the Purple Crystal Bracelet broke off. He knew the magic power replacement was finally complete.
Then, with a thought, the air cracked.
The Purple Crystal Bracelet spun rapidly and took flight. The air seemed almost solid as waves of air rippled outward and slammed into the surrounding mountains. Rocks tumbled, and soon the force of the waves dissipated.
He barked,
"Go!"
The Purple Crystal Bracelet shone with a hazy purple light, breaking through the almost-solid waves of air. As it spun wildly, it sent out rings of tiny ripples and shot toward a distant mountain peak.
"Boom... boom..."
The tip of the distant mountain peak had vanished, but rocks still crashed down without end. The rumbling echoed through the canyon, rolling on and on.
With a thought.
A streak of purple light shot back from afar, accompanied by a crack of air, leaving a trail of surging air in its wake.
Cheng Buzheng beckoned with his hand and flipped his right palm. The Purple Crystal Bracelet turned into a pattern and sank into the skin on the back of his right hand once more.
After witnessing the Purple Crystal Bracelet's power in its limit state, he was quite pleased.
As expected of a special spell technique. Though difficult to cultivate, it used few resources and was convenient and practical. Its power after being deduced was even more fearsome.
Its power was on par with a boutique mid-grade magic tool.
With the same Third Level of Qi Refining Cultivation, he wouldn't fear someone holding a mid-grade magic tool. He could beat them so badly even their father wouldn't recognize them.
After all, the magic power a mid-grade magic tool consumed was far beyond what someone in the Early Qi Refining Stage could bear. After only a few attacks, their magic power would be completely exhausted.
His own magic power consumption, however, was within the normal range—enough to sustain a normal battle.
On this point.
Cheng Buzheng was very satisfied. He then burrowed back into the secret chamber. Reshaping the Purple Crystal Bracelet just now had consumed quite a lot of magic power.
Inside the secret chamber, he sat cross-legged and activated the Starry Sky Technique, following the Small Circulation Route Map to restore his magic power.
At once.
The surrounding spiritual energy gathered around him, visible to the naked eye, then flowed into his body.
Half an hour later.
Cheng Buzheng, sitting cross-legged on the ground, suddenly opened his eyes. A gleam of light flashed in them.
Sensing that his magic power and every other aspect were at their peak, he didn't delay. A streak of yellow spirit light appeared and enveloped him.
In the blink of an eye.
He disappeared from the secret chamber. Three zhang underground, a streak of yellow spirit light sped through the earth.
Cheng Buzheng followed the route he had taken on his way there, rapidly burrowing toward the Spirit Stone Mine.
The journey passed without incident, and he safely reached a spot far from the Spirit Stone Mine.
Then, with a flash of yellow light, Cheng Buzheng appeared aboveground. He looked at the formation entrance in the distance and walked toward it without haste.
Before long, he arrived before a layer of spirit light. He waited quietly, knowing the Guard Senior Brother inside was confirming his identity.
Sure enough.
A gap shaped like an arched doorway appeared at the formation's entrance. Cheng Buzheng didn't hesitate and walked straight through.
Then he registered with the Guard Senior Brother and headed toward his wooden hut.
Cheng Buzheng opened the wooden door. He didn't cultivate. He hadn't slept in a full year. Though he didn't feel sleepy, his mind was tired.
This was the perfect chance to get some proper rest.
Then he fell straight onto the bed and slept like a log.
Only after sleeping for two full days and nights did Cheng Buzheng open his bleary eyes. He got to his feet and stretched.
At once.
His bones and muscles cracked and popped. When he finished stretching, he felt much more refreshed, and his whole body seemed more energetic.
Cheng Buzheng walked out of his hut and wandered around the canyon. After a lap, he saw that there were few cultivators. Most were chatting in small groups of two or three, and he found it rather dull.
He returned to his hut and began cultivating. There were no shortcuts on the path of cultivation. Only by meditating day after day, month after month, could one hope to advance.
For the sake of his Great Cause of Longevity, he had to keep pushing himself every moment and couldn't allow the slightest slackening.
Though cultivating without Spirit Stone Raw Ore to help him made his progress slow, he still had to persevere. Otherwise, if he had no cultivation resources, should he stop cultivating altogether? He had to temper his mind.
Only by enduring loneliness could he keep his mind steady.
One day, Cheng Buzheng, sitting cross-legged on his bed, suddenly opened his eyes. A gleam of light flashed in them. As he ended his practice, the spiritual energy around him slowly dispersed.
He rose to his feet, brushed a hand over the Storage Bag at his waist, hoisted the large backpack onto his back, gripped the Mining Pick, slipped the Secret Ring onto his left wrist, and opened the door. He followed the road to the Storage Pavilion.
After greeting the Martial Brother lying in the rocking chair, he put his Storage Bag into a small compartment. He activated the formation and took a look. Everything seemed fine, so he left without delay.
Before long.
He arrived at the entrance to the Spirit Stone Mine Cave and joined the long queue, waiting for the three inspections.
Half a quarter of an hour later, he went through the same procedure once more. Nothing went wrong, and he entered the Spirit Stone Mine Cave without a hitch.
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