Raiders of the Lost Treasure

On the morning of the fourth day, Zhou Qiubai made a decision.

He would attempt to break through to Level 28.

His injuries had recovered by seventy percent, and the medicinal power accumulated within him had yet to be fully digested. With the aid of Clear Heart Moss and Red Blood Ginseng, he had a seventy percent chance of breaking through.

He sat cross-legged and closed his eyes, concentrating.

His cultivation method circulated, and Soul Power flowed.

Listen to Rain and Dustless activated at the same time—one sensing the movements outside, the other purifying the environment around him.

Using his mind for two purposes at once—that was exactly what this was.

He spent a full hour on preparations.

When daylight spilled through Sky-Splitting Gorge and illuminated the valley floor, Zhou Qiubai finally began.

His Soul Power surged like a river bursting through its banks.

The medicinal power stored in his body erupted completely at that moment, guided by his cultivation method as it charged against the Level 27 bottleneck.

His meridians expanded beneath the wash of Soul Power, while his acupoints grew tougher under the nourishment of the medicine.

Zhou Qiubai was already used to pain.

Compared with the near-death agony Tang Hao's palm strike had inflicted, this was nothing.

He sank his awareness into his body and guided his Soul Power into the bottleneck again and again.

Once, twice, three times...

The bottleneck was like a solid dam. It trembled slightly beneath the waves of Soul Power, yet refused to break.

Zhou Qiubai was not in a hurry.

He took out a piece of Clear Heart Moss and placed it in his mouth.

Its cool aura cleared his mind further, and the circulation of his Soul Power became smoother.

Then he took out a section of Red Blood Ginseng and bit off a mouthful.

Its blazing medicinal power ignited within him like fire, forming a wondrous balance with the coolness of the Clear Heart Moss.

Now.

A sharp glint flashed through Zhou Qiubai's eyes as he condensed all his Soul Power into a single point and slammed it fiercely into the bottleneck.

His Soul Power surged into new meridians like floodwaters unleashed through a breached dam.

His aura rose steadily, leaping from the peak of Level 27 past the threshold and into Level 28.

And it did not stop.

The medicinal power continued to work, and his Soul Power continued to grow.

Level 28 early stage, middle stage, late stage...

In the end, it stopped at the peak of Level 28, only a hair's breadth from Level 29.

Zhou Qiubai opened his eyes and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

The breath shot out like an arrow for three feet, leaving a white streak in the air.

He had broken through.

It was not merely a breakthrough in level, but in his state of mind as well.

He rose to his feet and stretched his limbs.

His injuries had healed by eighty percent, and his strength had risen another level.

He was still far from being able to avenge himself against Tang Hao, but at least he now had the means to keep moving forward.

"Next..."

Zhou Qiubai looked toward the karst cave.

He was determined to obtain that Earth Vein Lingzhi.

But the Millennium Flood Python would not be easy to deal with. He needed to plan carefully.

Especially since this was still its home ground.

Over the next two days, Zhou Qiubai busied himself with two interesting tasks.

Every day, he quietly lay in wait near the cave entrance, observing its habits.

After careful observation, Zhou Qiubai discovered several special herbs nearby.

Soul-Bewitching Grass, which released a pale purple mist once lit, and another kind of flower that produced the faint sound of small animals playing nearby when its petals were lightly crushed.

He carefully gathered these herbs, silently calculating the right timing and arranging everything properly.

At dusk on the fifth day, his preparations were complete.

At sunset, the Flood Dragon Python crawled slowly out of the cave as usual. It paused beside the lingzhi, gently rubbing its head against the crystalline cap before turning toward the river.

Zhou Qiubai hid behind a rock more than twenty meters away, holding his breath.

Every movement of the Flood Dragon Python remained within his senses.

Once he confirmed that it had reached the river to drink, Zhou Qiubai could no longer hold himself back and began his move.

First, he lit the Soul-Bewitching Grass.

The bundle of grass in his hand ignited instantly. Pale purple smoke drifted with the wind toward the cave, lightly curling around its entrance.

Second, he scattered the flower petals.

The petals drifted through the air, carrying faint rustling sounds with them.

With everything prepared, Zhou Qiubai charged toward the lingzhi.

He unleashed the Floating Cloud Nine Palace Steps at full force. He crossed the distance of over twenty meters in only three breaths.

His left hand reached toward the lingzhi's roots.

Just as his fingertips were about to touch the soil, a sudden change interrupted him!

"Hiss—"

A piercing hiss came from deep within the cave. Zhou Qiubai's heart tightened, but his hand did not pause for even a moment.

His five fingers hooked like claws, plunging deep into the earth before he yanked upward!

"Pfft!"

The Earth Vein Lingzhi, along with a large clump of soil, was uprooted and tucked into his robes without the slightest damage.

At the same time, a black shadow shot from the cave and lunged straight for his face.

There was another one?

Zhou Qiubai's heart clenched. With no time to think, he quickly retreated, but the python's jaws were already upon him.

At the critical moment, the White Clothes Sword flew from its sheath.

Empty Valley Orchid was unleashed once more.

This time, the heart of the sword qi was not airflow, but condensed Soul Power.

The sword tip aimed unerringly at the Flood Dragon Python's face.

"Clang!"

The sword tip struck its scales with a crisp metallic ring. The Flood Dragon Python paused in pain, and its attack slowed.

Zhou Qiubai seized the opportunity to swiftly pull back and widen the distance.

However, the first Flood Dragon Python had already come to its senses. It let out an ear-splitting hiss as its massive body charged forward like a speeding freight train, shattering rocks and crushing vegetation in its path.

Caught between them, Zhou Qiubai's gaze turned cold.

He rushed toward the second Flood Dragon Python. Just as its jaws were about to close, his body twisted strangely and slipped past from the side.

The White Clothes Sword struck like a venomous snake, stabbing toward the Flood Dragon Python's eye.

"Hiss!"

The Flood Dragon Python shut its eye, and the sword tip only pierced its eyelid, leaving behind a white mark.

Even so, the force of the strike threw its head back, exposing its neck.

Perfect chance, Xiao Du!

Got my lines crossed again.

Zhou Qiubai extended his left hand and unleashed the Soul-Detaining Finger.

Soul Power from his fingertips shook its way through gaps in the scales and into the Flood Dragon Python's body. It could not inflict a fatal wound, but it was enough to make its movements stall.

In that instant of hesitation, Zhou Qiubai slipped like smoke through the pincer attack of the two Flood Dragon Pythons and sprinted toward the river.

The first Flood Dragon Python chased after him in fury, but he had already leaped into the water.

The river was not deep, reaching only his chest, but he used the current to swim swiftly downstream.

After several dozen zhang, the Flood Dragon Pythons finally stopped their pursuit. They hissed angrily at his figure in the river before slowly retreating.

They had waited a long time for that lingzhi, but they could not sacrifice the greater for the lesser.

The younger Flood Dragon Python glanced toward the cave, where an egg lay inside.

Zhou Qiubai climbed ashore, soaked from head to toe, but the Earth Vein Lingzhi in his robes remained perfectly intact. He could not help letting out a sigh of relief.

He looked back at the secluded valley, his heart filled with emotion. It had been perilous at every turn, but it had all been worth it.

Late that night, Zhou Qiubai sat beside a campfire, holding the Earth Vein Lingzhi in his hands.

He did not rush to consume it. After all, heavenly treasures of this level required specific methods and environments to maximize absorption.

His injuries had not fully healed, and his condition was unstable. Taking it rashly might instead waste its medicinal effects.

So he merely stored the lingzhi away with great care, deciding to find a safe place and slowly refine it after leaving this place.

It was time to leave.

This secluded valley had not only saved his life, but also given him a chance to heal and break through. He had even obtained an opportunity like the Earth Vein Lingzhi.

But this was not a place to remain for long. It was too closed off, too isolated from the world.

Those of the martial world were destined to walk within the martial world.