Profound-Pointing Sword Furnace

Chen Lingxi pondered for a moment, thinking to himself, "This person's surname is Xiao, his Qi and Blood level is so extraordinary, and he wants to carry out such a traitorous act as assassinating the Crown Prince. It is very likely that he is related to Xiao Changlü."

He raised his head, his gaze falling on Xiao Zhushan's cold, hard face, and asked, "Does Your Excellency have a grudge against the Crown Prince?"

Xiao Zhushan sat upright on the bluestone, a deep, cold glint flashing in his calm eyes.

"The Crown Prince practices demonic arts." His voice was low and hoarse, like a blade sharpened by sand and gravel, each word carrying a chilling edge. "He once carried out a large-scale massacre of innocent people in the outskirts of the capital; he deserves to die."

Chen Lingxi thought for a moment, then asked, "When should we make our move?"

"Anytime is fine, it just depends on when a good opportunity arises." Xiao Zhu's eyes suddenly lit up. "This evil prince Beast-Fighting Banquet everywhere, he'll have plenty of opportunities."

He paused, a faint hint of apprehension flashing across his calm eyes, and his voice lowered slightly. "But within the palace, demons and monsters abound. I once wanted to kill him, but evil spirits intervened."

His tone became more serious as he said this, "Let's fight. I'll defend against the evil spirits, and I'll find you a divine weapon. You then kill him!"

Chen Lingxi a slight unease creeping over her.

Divine weapons?

He naturally knew what Xiao Zhushan meant by "demons and evil spirits".

Besides Crown Prince Ying Chi himself, there was also Consort Chun in the palace, as well as Yuan Yuan, the mysterious figure who stopped Xiao Changlü that day, and possibly other cultivators lurking in the shadows.

Even the Emperor Daye... could very well be someone from the Great World!

These figures were all described by Xiao Zhushan as "evil and wicked people."

At this point, Xiao Zhushan suddenly stood up.

"No need to rush into a decision." Xiao Zhushan calmly fastened the broadsword back to his waist.

"Young friend, please consider this carefully," he said slowly. "If you are willing, simply go to the Benevolence Hall in Yuan River Prefecture and speak with the manager."

"Just by saying you wanted to buy a All-Life Elixir, I knew it was you."

The All-Life Elixir...

Chen Lingxi remained expressionless, only nodding slightly as if to acknowledge it.

Seeing his reaction, Xiao Zhushan said no more, straightened his black cloak, and prepared to take his leave.

At this very moment...

Xiao Taozhuo's bright eyes were now filled with barely suppressed curiosity and inquiry. Her gaze swept over Chen Lingxi for a moment before she finally couldn't resist.

"What level of cultivation does this person possess?"

As soon as she had that thought, her Qi and Blood exploded!

Golden-Soup Blood Qi gushed forth from deep within her bones, shining brightly like a small sun igniting within her body, illuminating the entire cave.

She remained standing there, not moving an inch, but the terrifying Qi and Blood and pressure belonging to a martial artist at the Golden Body Perfection pressed down on Chen Lingxi like an invisible giant wave.

The oppressive force was invisible and intangible, yet incredibly heavy.

Xiao Zhushan's brows furrowed suddenly.

He turned around and looked at his niece's proud and radiant face, a deep sense of helplessness and displeasure flashing in his eyes.

That girl is incredibly rude.

He was about to give them a scolding...

But then Chen Lingxi coughed softly.

The cough was so soft and faint, like a withered leaf falling on still water, causing not a ripple.

The Dragon Roar Technique.

At this moment, Chen Lingxi pushed the Dragon Roar Technique of the Subtle Insight Realm to its limit.

The Spirit Pool in his Qi Sea surged like boiling water, and Spirit Pool energy rose from it, merging into his throat, transforming into an extremely subtle dragon's roar with each cough.

The sound condensed into a single line, landing precisely beside Xiao Taozhuo's ear.

It was as if a true dragon that had been sleeping for countless ages had been awakened in Xiao Taozhuo's brain, opening its golden vertical pupils and staring coldly at her.

Xiao Taozhuo suddenly felt a heaviness all over her body.

In an instant, it was as if an invisible mountain had descended from the sky and pressed down on her shoulders.

Then, an ancient, ferocious beast emerged from the abyss, its eyes opening to coldly gaze down at her as if she were an insignificant ant.

"Snort!"

Xiao Taozhuo out a muffled groan.

The powerful pressure caused the Golden-Soup Blood Qi within her body to stagnate involuntarily!

The body's Golden-Soup Blood Qi surged back into the lungs and internal organs, causing a sharp pain in the five internal organs.

What surprised Xiao Taozhuo even more was...

She continued to gaze into the man's eyes.

In that instant, she felt as if she were not facing a boy who looked younger than her, but an unparalleled immortal!

The immortal sat high above her, looking down upon her with unparalleled majesty!

Absolutely terrifying!

For the first time, a look of horror appeared on Xiao Taozhuo's bright and beautiful face.

She looked at the handsome young man before her, utterly bewildered that someone so young could possess such terrifying and mysterious abilities.

That light cough, though devoid of any murderous intent, sent shivers down her Qi and Blood.

"If this person intended to kill me, I fear I wouldn't even have had a chance to draw my sword before I died from that single cough."

Xiao Taozhuo like thunder.

"Peach Blossom!"

Xiao Zhushan's shout suddenly rang out at that moment.

The voice was deep and resonant, like thunder, and like a bucket of cold water poured over Xiao Taozhuo's head, washing away all the shock and resentment from her face.

At the same time, the dragon's roar that had been lingering in her ears dissipated, and she felt much lighter inside.

Xiao Taozhuo, and the surging Golden-Soup Blood Qi and qi around her receded like a tide, the golden light receding into the depths of her bones, and the cave returned to darkness.

However, she was still experiencing excruciating pain in her internal organs.

She lowered her head, and a rare look of embarrassment appeared on her face, which had been bright but was now pale.

Xiao Zhushan turned around and bowed to Chen Lingxi with clasped hands.

He performed the bow with great solemnity, his face bearing an apologetic expression. "My niece has been spoiled by us since she was little, and she doesn't know proper etiquette. I hope you won't take offense."

His tone was sincere, without a trace of pretense.

"This Xiao Zhushan is quite a hero! His cultivation is unfathomable, yet he doesn't do anything to deceive others."

Chen Lingxi sat upright on the bluestone, only slightly shaking her head, her face revealing neither joy nor anger. "It's alright."

He spoke of it casually.

Xiao Zhushan straightened up. He said nothing more, only nodded slightly to Chen Lingxi, then turned around and strode out of the cave.

Xiao Taozhuo behind him with her head down. When they reached the cave entrance, she couldn't help but turn around and glance at Chen Lingxi again.

She bit her lip, but ultimately said nothing. She simply quickened her pace and followed Xiao Zhushan as they disappeared into the deepening night outside the cave.

Chen Lingxi sat upright on the bluestone, motionless.

Only when the footsteps of the two men completely disappeared at the end of the mountain path in the distance did he slowly exhale a breath of stale air.

Xi Mu remained guarding the cave entrance, his empty face devoid of any expression, though a faint light flickered deep within his lifeless eyes as he vigilantly sensed every movement around him.

Chen Lingxi remained silent for a moment.

Xiao Zhushan's cultivation of Qi and Blood is unfathomable.

Such a person... is probably at the Nine Revolutions Realm, and not just any ordinary Nine Revolutions Realm person.

He said he could keep out the "evil spirits" around the crown prince, and that's probably no exaggeration.

"Once my cultivation advances further, I might consider joining him in killing that prince."

As he pondered, he stood up, straightened his dark robes, and then put the blue-faced, fanged demon mask back on his face.

Beneath the mask, the eyes were calm as still water, revealing not a trace of emotion.

He strode out of the cave, with Xi Mu following silently behind him, shrouded in mist, like a loyal shadow.

As I slowly descended the mountain, the morning sun rose.

Chen Lingxi Yuan River Prefectural City, where he bought a lot of dry food and found a secluded well, filling several large bags with spring water.

He packed all of these items into a Hongdong Bag.

The Hongdong Bag was a spoil of war plundered from Luo Ran. Although the space inside the bag was not as large as the musk-skin bag he obtained from the Beast-Fighting Palace, it was still quite spacious and could hold enough food for several months.

He then returned to the cave Xu Qingru was located on Bridge Mechanism Mountain and stuffed the Hongdong Bag into the crevice between the boulders.

Xu Qingru took the Hongdong Bag and poured in the last remaining trace of spiritual energy, barely managing to open the bag's opening a crack.

Chen Lingxi sensed the fluctuations of her spiritual energy through the boulder, confirming that she had obtained the item, and then turned and descended the mountain without lingering.

This time, he didn't go anywhere else, but went straight towards the direction of the Nanju Twelve Mountains in Southern Lu Prefecture.

--

Five days passed in the blink of an eye.

The Nanju Twelve Mountains are still in the same cave.

The cave was hidden beneath a precipice, its entrance completely obscured by several gnarled old pines and dense vines.

Inside the cave, the Clear-Mystery Pivot-Qi Formation had been re-established.

The sixteen bronze lamps burned with a bluish flame, and the forty-six jade pendants simultaneously emitted a soft glow.

A powerful suction force emanated from the center of the array, drawing in strands of sparse Spiritual Qi within a radius of several hundred feet, condensing them into a pale blue vortex of Spiritual Qi within the array.

Chen Lingxi sat cross-legged in the center of the formation.

He had become increasingly proficient in setting up this Clear-Mystery Pivot-Qi Formation through repeated practice.

The coordination between the array's key points, nodes, and hand seals became increasingly exquisite, like a skilled musician playing the zither, with each hand seal placed perfectly and each flow of Spiritual Qi flowing smoothly.

The array's suction force was several times stronger than before, and surging Spiritual Qi poured in from all directions.

It flowed into the formation like rivers flowing into the sea, circulating along the patterns of the formation, and finally condensed at the formation's eye, transforming into a nearly liquefied vortex of Spiritual Qi.

Chen Lingxi sat upright in the center of the vortex, the Six-Qi True Method slowly circulating within his body. The golden light of the Mysterious Qi illuminated his Qi Sea, refining, compressing, and incorporating the Spiritual Qi surging into his body into his Spirit Pool bit by bit.

He slowly opened his eyes.

His injuries have healed considerably.

The battle with Zhong Wuzhu, the Crown Prince, and Luo Ran, which seemed to be a crushing victory, actually caused significant internal injuries to his meridians, bones, and internal organs due to those Jade Qi Realm figures and Luo Ran's Profound-Pointing Sword Light light.

Fortunately, he no longer lacks Spiritual Qi, which nourishes him day and night, and his hidden injuries are healing at a visible speed.

He exhaled a long breath and then looked down at what was in front of him.

There, three things were placed.

One Ganoderma lucidum, one pill, and two Spirit Stone.

These items were spoils of Luo Ran that Chen Lingxi from Luo Ran, a subordinate of the Crown Prince.

The Ganoderma lucidum was about the size of a palm, dark purple in color, with a faint shimmering light on its cap. The moment it was touched, a rich medicinal fragrance wafted out.

The pill was sealed in a small jade box. When the lid was opened, wisps of spiritual energy rose from the surface of the pill, condensing into a very faint white mist that lingered in the air for a long time.

As for the two Spirit Stone, they were even more abundant in Spiritual Qi, with one of them being even larger than the Spirit Stone he had obtained from Xi Mu.

"These are all items brimming with Spiritual Qi, enough for me to cultivate to the Qi Circulation Sixth Floor."

Chen Lingxi thought to herself.

Besides that, there was only that ring that could unleash Sword Qi.

The ring was extremely small and thin, with a dark silver color throughout, and a black bead smaller than a grain of rice was set in the ring face.

Chen Lingxi examined all the items one by one, then picked up the ring and examined it closely, turning it over and over in her hand.

"The harvest is much less than Xi Mu did last time," he thought to himself.

That time, Xi Mu obtained three Spirit Stone, two talismans, a mysterious ring, a blood talisman that sealed the power of Xi Yu strike, as well as many cultivation pills and Spirit Stone.

Although Luo Ran was a cultivator at the Qi Circulation Sixth Floor, his wealth was far less than that of Xi Mu.

Thinking of this, Chen Lingxi couldn't help but shake her head slightly.

He has seen quite a few Qi Circulation Realm cultivators by now, from exceptionally talented individuals like Lin Suri, Ying Chi, and Lu Baizhong, to disciples from Great World sects like Xi Mu and Luo Ran, and even minor sect cultivators like Jiang Xing and Xu Qingru who rely on Life-Swallowing Divine Ability to barely survive.

He increasingly felt that even within this Cave Heaven, among cultivators of the same realm, the gap between them was enormous.

For example, Jiang Xing Xu Qingru, although they were Qi Circulation Fifth Floor cultivators, were extremely weak and could not even defeat him alone.

Take Luo Ran for example; although he can't be considered weak, he can even be described as formidable.

The ring, capable of unleashing bursts of Sword Qi, severed Xi Mu's arm in a single strike, even suppressing the life-restoring power of the Undying Willow Branch.

But she was nothing compared to Lu Baizhong, who had ambushed and killed him on the riverbank that day.

That day, Lu Baizhong casually unleashed a bolt of lightning that even he and Xi Mu, working together, could hardly withstand. If it weren't for Xiao Changlü's overwhelming Qi and Blood, he probably would have had to use the Xi Yu Talisman to escape.

"This is probably the difference between ordinary cultivators and those of noble status."

Chen Lingxi went through these thoughts in his mind, and then, with a flick of his palm, took out two more items from his Universe Bag.

A ring.

A black stone.

And then there's the Sword Qi ring from Luo Ran...

He acquired all three items gradually, but has yet to refine them.

"I still cannot refine this black stone shaped like a throwing knife, nor the ring I obtained from Xi Mu."

"I don't know what this black stone is. The array inside is very complex, and my spiritual energy still can't reach it."

"And this ring of Xi Mu's, Xi Mu's Qi Circulation Sixth Floor cultivation, he was unable to refine it. It seems that at least the Qi Circulation Sixth Floor must be perfected, or even the Upper Three Floors, to completely control this item."

He secretly calculated in his mind, then put the two items back into his Universe Bag.

His gaze fell on the third thing.

"Luo Ran's Sword Qi ring... although powerful, doesn't seem that difficult to refine."

He picked up the ring and slowly channeled a wisp of spiritual energy into it.

This time, it's different.

He closed his eyes and concentrated, his spiritual energy slowly flowing within the magic array, firmly memorizing every pattern and every obstacle.

About half an hour later, he suddenly opened his eyes, a look of understanding flashing in them.

"Law Artifact..."

"[Profound-Pointing Sword Furnace]."