Opening the Bitter Sea

"So few?"

Looking at the 3D holographic projection of spiritual herbs before him, Li Qingxu frowned slightly.

Millennium Black Crow Root, Hundred Dew Grass, Dragon Blood Essence, Willow Heart, Penglai Flower, Snow Lotus, and three others.

According to the text descriptions beside each herb, every one of them contained miraculous properties, with the Millennium Snow Lotus offering the greatest boost to human physical constitution.

"Can these so-called spiritual herbs break open the Bitter Sea after consumption?"

Li Qingxu was uncertain at this moment.

However, judging by the descriptions, these herbs were effective even for those at the War God Level, so their potency should be substantial.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Li Qingxu selected the Millennium Willow Heart and the Millennium Snow Lotus.

As he tapped on these two herbs, the 3D projection vanished, and the entire screen plunged into darkness.

Simultaneously, that low, deep voice resonated once more.

"The path is one you chose yourself; I hope you do not regret it."

As the voice faded, the entire email closed automatically.

"Regret?"

Li Qingxu shook his head helplessly; if the Bitter Sea could not be breached, then he would indeed regret it.

At this moment, a question suddenly occurred to him.

If Hong didn't have many spiritual herbs, what good things could the Home of Extremes possibly have?

Sure enough.

As Li Qingxu opened the online Mall of the Home of Extremes, there was no "spiritual herb" category; instead, there was only a category for Gene Agents.

The most expensive item, the Grade A Gene Agent, was priced at 720 million Huaxia coins.

Once consumed by a martial artist, their strength could double; if consumed by a high-level warrior, they could reach the junior war general level within a month.

However, it caused significant damage to the body, making it difficult to improve further in the future.

"Forget it, forget it."

Li Qingxu felt like laughing; did he even have a choice?

With his five-billion startup capital, he purchased six bottles immediately.

As for secret manuals, weapons, and equipment, those would have to wait until the Bitter Sea was opened.

For now, he could only pin his hopes on those two spiritual herbs.

Closing the Home of Extremes webpage, Li Qingxu found a movie online and curled up on the sofa to watch it.

Being anxious wouldn't help.

In the afternoon, Zhuge Tao came by in person. Aside from delivering Li Qingxu's martial artist license, he gave him special instructions once again.

Movement techniques, attack techniques, and guiding arts were the most important things for a martial artist!

Guiding arts determined the improvement of a martial artist's own strength, while movement and attack techniques determined their actual combat capability.

He knew Li Qingxu had five billion in startup capital, so he urged him to spend the money on these three major types of secret manuals.

However, he did not know that those five billion were already mostly spent, and not a single one of the three major manuals had been bought.

After seeing Zhuge Tao off, Li Qingxu went back to lounging in the media room.

It wasn't until evening that the delivery staff arrived.

As he opened the door, he was met by a man and a woman in suits, carrying metal cases.

At the same time, there was a familiar face, though this face was much darker than it had been at noon.

"Yo, Supervisor, sorry to trouble you with a personal delivery again."

Li Qingxu greeted him with a smile.

Zhuge Tao was truly a good person; it was one thing to deliver the martial artist license himself, but he even had to personally supervise the martial arts hall's delivery.

If their cultivation systems weren't different, he would have wanted to gift Zhuge Tao a copy of the Covering Sky Method.

However, Zhuge Tao's face held no smile at this moment, and his eyes seemed to be spitting fire.

Did he feel a sense of frustration at Li Qingxu's lack of progress?

"You bought these things—what are you planning to do!"

Zhuge Tao asked this question almost at a roar.

In his hand, he held a cardboard box.

"Use them, obviously."

Li Qingxu responded directly.

"?"

"You're going to use these? Do you not know the consequences? You..."

Zhuge Tao was clearly furious.

If not for the presence of people from the headquarters, he would have wanted to let out a fierce shout.

For a prospective martial artist valued by the Dojo Master to actually buy Grade A Gene Agent to consume—if this were to get out, the people at the Thunder Dojo would likely laugh themselves to death.

"It's fine, Supervisor, I know what I'm doing, I know what I'm doing."

Li Qingxu found it difficult to explain further, so he shifted his gaze toward the two people standing nearby.

"Hello, we are acting on orders from headquarters to deliver your goods."

After the two introduced themselves, the woman opened the metal case in her hand and said.

"Please verify your fingerprint and facial recognition."

As her voice fell, a blue light shone onto Li Qingxu, and an electronic voice rang out: "Prospective martial artist Li Qingxu, identity confirmed."

"These are your goods."

Hearing that the identity was correct, the man beside her handed the metal case to Li Qingxu.

"Many thanks."

Li Qingxu took the metal case with a smile; the spiritual medicine was finally in his hands.

"This is what you bought. Think it over carefully before you use it; if you change your mind, I can still help you return it."

Zhuge Tao also handed over the cardboard box, offering one last piece of advice.

"Rest assured, I will consider it carefully!"

Li Qingxu's expression was solemn, his face full of seriousness.

"Mm, call me on your phone if anything comes up."

Zhuge Tao nodded and turned to leave.

As the door closed.

Li Qingxu carried the two boxes into the martial arts hall on the second floor of the villa.

Everything was ready.

Late at night.

Li Qingxu chopped up the spiritual medicine and, mixing it with the six bottles of Grade A Gene Agent, swallowed it mouthful by mouthful.

In an instant, the cells within his body became rapidly active, generating a massive amount of vital energy.

The Dao Scripture began to circulate automatically, guiding the vital energy to wash over his Bitter Sea, which was as hard as divine iron.

The familiar sensation returned, and his body began to undergo a gradual transformation.

Unlike the changes in the laws of heaven and earth during the post-Shrouding the Heavens Desolate Ancient era, where the lack of spiritual energy made it difficult for the Desolate Ancient Sacred Body to even open the Bitter Sea.

It was even suppressed by the Heavenly Dao, limiting the possibility of becoming an "Emperor."

Yet in the Swallowed Star world, Li Qingxu did not feel the slightest suppression; instead, he felt something else entirely.

A certain strange energy drifted in wisps around his body.

"Is this cosmic energy?"

Li Qingxu attempted to absorb a wisp, and a sense of hunger immediately surged from every part of his body, all of them competing to divide and consume this wisp of cosmic energy.

"This is actually useful to me?!"

Li Qingxu was momentarily stunned; the effect was even purer and more potent than the spiritual medicine.

Since arriving in the Swallowed Star world, he had never thought to absorb the cosmic energy present in this world, relying instead on consuming spiritual medicine to wash over his Bitter Sea.

It could only be said that his thinking had become rigid; the world had changed, yet he was still facing it with his previous mindset.

Without the slightest hesitation, Li Qingxu focused on two tasks at once: drawing the cosmic energy into his body while simultaneously guiding the vital energy to impact the Bitter Sea.

He sat cross-legged on the floor like a lifelike stone statue, yet the vital energy within his blood vessels surged and boiled.

One hour, three hours, twenty-four hours...

Suddenly, a brilliant light erupted within the martial arts hall, accompanied by bursts of sound like a crashing tsunami.

From the area below Li Qingxu's navel, endless divine radiance surged forth, a vast expanse of gold.

Ten thousand rays of divine light shone, brilliant as a rainbow, with golden waves surging and accompanied by flashes of lightning and thunder!

The martial arts hall was filled with the deafening sound of a tsunami, as if ten thousand horses were galloping.

It was as if he had arrived at the seashore, facing a vast, undulating ocean.

Li Qingxu seemed to be submerged in silence, while within his Bitter Sea, divine brilliance bloomed, dazzling and eye-catching.

At this moment, the sound of waves was incessant, golden light shimmered, lightning danced, and monstrous waves towered high.

One could even clearly hear his blood roaring, like a surging river in full flow.

The powerful life essence generated by the continuous absorption of cosmic energy circulated within his body, incessantly washing over his flesh and blood, causing the brilliance to overflow.

"Rumble!"

Above the churning Golden Bitter Sea, bursts of lightning erupted from time to time, intertwining with the towering tsunamis to set the world ablaze with intensity.

Sea and sky merged into one, everywhere filled with a brilliant, dazzling golden light.

Three full hours passed before the golden light slowly receded and the sound of the tsunamis gradually subsided.

The martial arts hall finally fell silent; Li Qingxu's Bitter Sea returned to tranquility, its radiance retracted and the sound of waves vanished.

Not long after, Li Qingxu opened his eyes, two flashes of divine light flickering and then fading away.

At this moment, his eyes were bright with divine luster, his spirit full, and his life force vigorous.

The instant he stood up, his entire aura had completely transformed.

It was as if a seed buried deep underground had sprouted, breaking through the soil, brimming with vitality!