Life and Death Breakthrough

It is common knowledge that the older the Ginseng, the more astonishing its value.

A ten-year-old Ginseng might only sell for a few dozen taels of silver, but a hundred-year-old Ginseng can fetch at least a thousand taels.

Not to mention intermediate pills, even high-grade pills often list hundred-year Ginseng as a primary ingredient.

Beyond its use in alchemy and medicine, consuming it raw also yields incredible effects, providing massive benefits to Qin Dongcheng.

The critical hit reward from a single hundred-year Ginseng is worth more than several months of his usual herb gathering, if not more.

Having truly made a fortune today, Qin Dongcheng made an exception to give Tian Liang's grandson some extra pointers, leading to a noticeable improvement in the boy. Seeing that it was nearing noon, he finally headed back to the Osmanthus Garden.

He soon arrived near Moonlight Slope. Looking at the lush, verdant slope before him, Qin Dongcheng could not help but grow vigilant.

Every time he passed this place, he was extra careful. Even though the patrol teams had cleared it out several times, who could guarantee that no new Anomaly or Ghost Spirit had snuck in?

If not for the immense allure of the precious herbs in the Herb Field, Qin Dongcheng would have abandoned this place entirely.

However, since it was near the headquarters of the Five Elements Sect and the patrol teams cleared it periodically, it shouldn't be that dangerous.

Thinking this, Qin Dongcheng stepped one foot into Moonlight Slope. The bamboo forest inside was extremely dense; although it was noon, it felt like dusk.

The moment he stepped in, Qin Dongcheng felt something was wrong. A surge of chilling, gloomy energy rushed toward him, as if to drown him.

Had he not merged with the original soul and possessed a powerful spirit, he might not have even noticed it.

The entity seemed to be waiting for Qin Dongcheng to fully enter the bamboo forest before launching its attack. The malice washing over him was enough to make one's heart tremble.

"The sun is shining, the weather is fine; I might as well practice for a while."

Qin Dongcheng's expression remained calm. He withdrew his right foot from Moonlight Slope and began practicing the Diamond Skin Refining Fist under the sunlight just outside the slope, acting as if he had discovered nothing and was merely practicing on a whim.

Although the Ghost Spirit inside Moonlight Slope found it strange, its intelligence was limited, and it feared Qin Dongcheng while he was in the sunlight. Thus, it did not rashly pounce, remaining hidden in place.

However, if Qin Dongcheng had turned and fled, the Ghost Spirit would likely have rushed out of Moonlight Slope to hunt him down, if only to prevent its presence from being exposed and inviting a fatal disaster.

Qin Dongcheng's current actions were indeed odd, but they left the entity hesitant, deciding to wait and see, intending to strike once Qin Dongcheng stepped into the slope.

It did not notice the faint beads of sweat on Qin Dongcheng's forehead as he practiced his punches.

At this moment, Qin Dongcheng was also quite hesitant: should he turn and run, or keep practicing here to stabilize the unknown existence within Moonlight Slope?

He was afraid that a rash attempt to flee would disturb the thing inside and provoke an attack. If it were an existence he couldn't handle, he would be finished.

Judging by the foul, icy aura it emitted, its strength was extraordinary, and Qin Dongcheng had no confidence he could escape successfully.

Therefore, it was better to keep the entity steady, practice the Diamond Skin Refining Fist diligently, and consider his next move.

Should he run, or wait for someone to notice his abnormality and come to his aid?

Qin Dongcheng was caught in a dilemma, and the Ghost Spirit in Moonlight Slope was in the exact same position.

Both sides harbored their own thoughts; one continued to hide, constantly observing Qin Dongcheng's situation.

The other pretended to know nothing, practicing the Diamond Skin Refining Fist incessantly while racking his brain for a solution, never expecting that at this very moment, an accident would suddenly occur.

"You have performed the Diamond Skin Refining Fist once. Congratulations on triggering a 666-fold critical hit. You have received 666 times the gains!"

Qin Dongcheng had suddenly triggered a 666-fold critical hit at this very moment, receiving 666 times the gains.

The Diamond Skin Refining Fist, which had already been nearing perfection, immediately began to improve at a terrifying speed. In just a few dozen breaths, it broke through to the Realm of Perfection.

At the same time, his cultivation realm soared by leaps and bounds, and the blood and energy within his body climbed frantically. Qin Dongcheng hurriedly took a bite of the hundred-year Ginseng he had just obtained to compensate for the terrifying consumption within his body.

Just then, a strange wave of power surged within his body, like a divine infusion, pouring into his skin and causing layers of radiance to shimmer across it.

Gradually, Heaven-Reaching Rhinos formed, appearing within his skin, roaming back and forth in an endless cycle, increasing his skin's defensive power tenfold.

Skin Refining Phenomenon!

Heaven-Reaching Rhino Roam!

One of the top-tier phenomena. The Heaven-Reaching Rhino is the creature from myths and legends with the thickest skin; the appearance of the Heaven-Reaching Rhino Roam meant that Qin Dongcheng's skin had been tempered to an astonishing level.

Its special effect was a tenfold increase in defense, along with a growth in blood and energy.

Seemingly stimulated by the Heaven-Reaching Rhino Roam, the Body Strengthening Phenomenon, Dragon Vigor Tiger Might, also manifested at this moment, forming a dragon and tiger that circled around Qin Dongcheng.

The pure blood and energy radiated a terrifying heat, scaring the Ghost Spirit that had been spying on Qin Dongcheng in Moonlight Slope. It let out a strange shriek and fled the area in a panic, literally scared away by the two top-tier phenomena.

This, to a certain extent, showed that Qin Dongcheng, having awakened two top-tier phenomena, could threaten the Ghost Spirit with his scorching blood and energy.

Otherwise, the entity would not have fled. Qin Dongcheng had not expected such an unexpected windfall.

Realizing the enemy had left, he hurriedly absorbed his gains, moved far away from Moonlight Slope, and found another place to consolidate and adapt, digesting the harvest of this critical hit as much as possible.

It wasn't until more than half an hour later that he headed toward the location of the nearby patrol team, intending to inform them about the Anomaly in Moonlight Slope.

Although he was now somewhat confident in dealing with the hidden thing, why take the risk when there was a better way to handle it?

Even if he solved the problem himself, he would only gain some sect contribution points, which he could obtain later through alchemy and medicine anyway; there was no need to take risks.

It was better to let the patrol team handle it. They were specifically responsible for slaying demons and eliminating anomalies, and they could use this opportunity to earn merit and gain more sect contribution points—a win-win situation.

Upon receiving Qin Dongcheng's report, the patrol team took it quite seriously and immediately dispatched dozens of experts to Moonlight Slope to search for the whereabouts of the Anomaly hidden within.

Qin Dongcheng did not approach, instead temporarily staying at Lu Gen's place to continue practicing, consolidating, and adapting to his surging cultivation.

After the six-hundred-fold critical hit, Qin Dongcheng's cultivation had increased by a large margin, putting him within reach of the Flesh Phase Realm, and he had awakened a top-tier skin-refining phenomenon—a truly bountiful harvest.

It shouldn't be long before he would be able to push toward an even higher level.