Qi Circulation Eighth Floor! How to Leave the Cave Heaven?

The two found a secluded spot.

It is located halfway up an unnamed mountain deep in the Ancestral Mountain, backed by a rugged cliff face covered with gnarled old pines, their needles lush and verdant, like a dark green screen that completely covers this small area.

Ahead lay a winding stream, its murmuring water sounding exceptionally clear and melodious in the quiet mountain forest.

Lin Suri then sat cross-legged on a protruding rock on the cliff face, closed his eyes and regulated his breathing.

The Two-Foot Jade Sword rested on his lap, its blade shimmering with crane patterns, while the Tiger General Token at his waist exuded mystery.

His body was filled with spiritual energy, and his aura was fierce as he was Chen Lingxi.

Chen Lingxi sat in a bamboo grove some distance away.

He took the second Ancestral Mountain Mother Qi from the Hongdong Bag and swallowed it!

As the Mother Qi entered his throat, that boundless spiritual energy exploded once more.

He had already refined a Mother Qi of Spirit-Aperture Physique was complete. The Spirit Pool in his Qi Sea was much wider than before, and his meridians were also much stronger.

This time, refining the Mother Qi was no longer as painful as the first time; instead, it felt smooth and effortless.

The Six-Qi True Method slowly circulated within his body, gathering, refining, and incorporating the spiritual energy surging into his body into his Spirit Pool.

Within the Ancestral Mountain, he killed Zheng Wuzheng, beheaded Rong Chun, defeated Lu Baizhong, and captured Xi Yuan, seizing countless spiritual opportunities through the Life-Devouring Method.

Those flashes of inspiration allowed him to Qi Circulation Seventh Floor!

And today, a second stream of Mother Qi has entered her womb!

Within half a day of the Mother Qi entering his body, Chen Lingxi felt the Spirit Pool Qi Sea suddenly churning!

The spiritual liquid surged and churned like boiling water, and the boundaries of the Spirit Pool expanded outward time and time again under the impact of that spiritual energy.

At that very moment, the newly refined Mother Qi and the remaining Life Devouring Spiritual Energy within his body completely merged, transforming into an unstoppable torrent that surged straight into the invisible barrier deep within his Qi Sea.

The barrier shattered with a deafening roar.

Chen Lingxi shuddered, feeling an indescribable sense of clarity rising from the depths of his Qi Sea, traveling upwards along his meridians, and directly into his Consciousness Sea.

Within the Consciousness Sea, the originally scattered Divine Sense frantically condensed and compressed at this moment, eventually transforming into a small pond of Divine Sense, echoing and harmonizing with the Spirit Pool in the Qi Sea.

What alarmed him even more was that something unprecedented was simultaneously brewing within his Divine Sense and spiritual energy.

[True Intention].

That True Intention is formless and intangible, yet it truly exists.

Chen Lingxi slowly raised his right hand, his index and middle fingers joined together like a sword. With a slight thought, the azure light of the Azure Edge Method flickered at his fingertips.

But this time, the blue light was completely different from before.

It is more refined and sharper, containing a subtle and indescribable charm.

This is the True Intention... When a spell is imbued with this True Intention, it becomes even more extraordinary.

He withdrew his finger and tried to integrate his True Intention into the method of Qi Observation.

Now he uses both Divine Sense and spiritual energy to perform the method of Qi Observation!

The moment the Dharma was unfurled, the scene within dozens of feet around the entire cliff face was reflected in his Consciousness Sea in another way.

He could sense every subtle change in the flow of spiritual energy around Lin Suri the cliff face.

They could even sense the two Treasure Qi within Lin Suri's Qi Sea slowly circulating.

"Indeed profound. Having grasped the True-Intent Mysteries, my techniques, Divine Ability, and overall strength have all been elevated to a higher level."

"Besides that, there's also the Divine Might Mysteries!"

The Chen Lingxi's mind stirred, Mystery Mechanism flowed within his Consciousness Sea, and his Divine Sense spread out, transforming into an invisible yet tangible pressure!

It was as if an invisible tide spread out from him, sweeping in all directions.

Wherever it passed, the air became thick and sticky, and even the pine needles hanging from the cliff were pressed down slightly, no longer swaying in the wind.

[Divine Might].

This is the second Mystery Mechanism of the Eighth Qi Circulation Eighth Floor.

The Divine Sense and spiritual energy are merged into one, transforming into an invisible yet tangible pressure.

Enemies within the Divine Might will be restrained at every turn. If they cannot break through the Divine Might, they will be like being in a sticky swamp, where every move will require several times more effort than usual.

Lin Suri sensed this Divine Might.

He opened his eyes and his gaze fell on the young man in the cave whose body was surrounded by a three-colored radiance.

He remained silent, but a complex mix of emotions welled up inside him.

The difference between the seventh and Eighth Floor of Qi Circulation Seventh Floor may seem to be only one floor, but in reality, there is a very deep chasm between them.

Lin Suri, who was confident in his extraordinary talent and Golden Grotto appearance, had already reached the Seventh Floor in just over two years in this Qi-Less Grotto-Heaven. However, he had to admit that without other fortuitous opportunity, he would need at least another six months of hard work to cross this chasm.

But the person before them had already progressed from the Seventh Floor to the Eighth Floor.

Chen Lingxi sensed Lin Suri's gaze and slowly withdrew her Divine Might.

The three-colored radiance around his body receded like the tide, all receding into his Qi Sea.

He raised his head, stepped out of the cave, and smiled slightly at Lin Suri on the cliff face.

"Thank you for your protection, fellow Daoist. I have fortunately reached the Eighth Floor of the realm by refining the Mother Qi this time."

Lin Suri glanced at him and said, "Fellow Daoist, you possess extraordinary talent."

This is not just a polite remark.

To be able to cultivate to the Qi Circulation Eighth Floor in this Qi-Less Grotto-Heaven is to be considered outstanding even among the noble sects and immortal schools of the Great World.

Chen Lingxi laughed and was about to say something when she saw Lin Suri stand up, put the jade sword back on his waist, and straighten his tattered black brocade robe.

"Now that you have succeeded, fellow Daoist, I shall take my leave."

Lin Suri bowed slightly to him, his tone still calm and revealing no emotion. "The Jade-Law Pact has been established. As for the future, we will meet again."

Perhaps it will be when the opportunity for the Cauldron Artifact Fortune arises, or perhaps it will be... within the Great Xuanzhuo Realm.

"Take care, fellow Daoist." Chen Lingxi returned the greeting with a fist and palm salute, and said no more.

Lin Suri didn't linger and turned to leave.

With a slight release of spiritual energy from his feet, his figure transformed into a pale golden streak, darting hundreds of feet away before disappearing into the distant mountains in an instant, vanishing without a trace.

Chen Lingxi watched the pale golden light disappear into the depths of the mountains before turning her gaze away.

He used his Divine Sense to scan his surroundings and, after confirming that there was no one else around, he sat down cross-legged again and carefully consolidated his cultivation.

The spiritual energy at the Qi Circulation Eighth Floor is much richer and more profound than that at the Seventh Floor. The Spirit Pool in the Qi Sea has expanded more than twice its original size, and the spiritual liquid is as clear as jade, with an unfathomable depth.

The two Mystery Mechanism of True Intention and Divine Might still need time to be refined, but for now, I can already use them with some ease.

He closed his eyes and looked inward, examining the three streams of Treasure Qi in his Qi Sea once more.

The three Treasure Qi — Mysterious Qi, Sword-Edge Qi, Thunder Treasure Qi —flowed in parallel within his dantian, like three rivers from different sources merging into the same Qi Sea, without interfering with each other.

Furthermore, the Spirit-Aperture Physique that had been transformed by the Ancestral Mountain Mother Qi twice allowed him to capture several times more spiritual energy with each breath than before.

With his current profound spiritual energy, mysterious Treasure Qi, and formidable techniques, coupled with the inherent strength brought by his Spirit-Aperture Physique...

"Even if I were to face someone like Xi Yuan, a figure from the Eighth Floor, I could defeat him without needing Delayed Light Flying Dagger," he muttered to himself.

Without further delay, with a slight thought, a figure was pulled out of the Heavenly Boat; it was none other than Xi Yuan, who was still unconscious.

Xi Yuan lay on the ground with his eyes closed, his Qi Sea damaged, and the fluctuations of spiritual energy around him were extremely weak.

Chen Lingxi gently touched his brow, releasing a small amount of spiritual energy to dispel the Azure Edge Method that had sealed his Divine Sense.

A few breaths later, Xi Yuan's eyelids trembled slightly, and he slowly opened his eyes.

He turned his head with difficulty, his gaze falling on Chen Lingxi, but his eyes were quite calm.

In a struggle for fortuitous opportunity, falling into enemy hands means certain death.

Upon seeing that he had woken up, Chen Lingxi said, "You are doomed."

He said calmly, "But if you cooperate with me, I can promise you I won't turn you into a puppet."

Upon hearing this, Xi Yuan merely snorted coldly.

He forced a smile, a faint hint of mockery appearing on his ordinary face.

When a person dies, their soul dissipates; this body is nothing more than a shell. What does it matter if it's turned into a puppet? What is there to fear?

Chen Lingxi saw his reaction but didn't get angry; she just grinned.

With a slight thought, a rustling sound came from the dense forest not far away.

A figure slowly emerged from the forest, handsome in appearance, but his eyes were empty and lifeless, with a faint glimmer of light flowing deep within his pupils, yet they did not have the look of a living person.

It was Xi Mu.

Xi Yuan's pupils suddenly contracted.

His gaze was fixed intently on Xi Mu.

He saw Xi Mu walk to Chen Lingxi's side and stand there like a loyal servant, his handsome face expressionless, only empty and lifeless.

As Chen Lingxi looked at the deep hatred hidden in Xi Yuan's eyes, the smile on her face deepened.

He added, "Brother, you may not know this... being turned into a puppet does not mean that one's soul is dead."

Even within a puppet, there is still one soul and two spirits maintaining its body.

"This soul and these two spirits suffer day after day, weeping and wailing..."

He leaned forward slightly, looking directly into Xi Yuan's eyes, and said, word by word, "Brother Dao, would you like to give it a try?"

Xi Yuan's breathing suddenly became heavy.

Is this statement true or false?

He wasn't afraid of his body being turned into a puppet after death, but if his soul were imprisoned in that body, suffering and crying every day, unable to live or die, that would be a different matter altogether.

Seeing the surprise and doubt in Xi Yuan's eyes, Chen Lingxi didn't urge him, but simply waited quietly.

Xi Mu stood beside him, motionless, like a stone sculpture.

Those empty, lifeless eyes always stared ahead, but occasionally a look of pain would appear in them.

Xi Yuan remained silent for a long time before finally closing his eyes.

He recalled that Xi Mu had once used a jade talisman to send messages.

At that time, he was in Azure Splendor Prefecture. After receiving the message, he traveled thousands of miles to Yuan River Prefecture and also went to Inlaid Gold Mountain to search for it, but he never found anything.

He had assumed that Xi Mu had met with misfortune, but he never expected to see him here today.

But Xi Mu... has become like this?

Will I become like this too?

Am I also destined to suffer this torment day after day?

"Enough... enough..." Xi Yuan murmured these two words, his voice low and his eyelids slightly closed.

He thought for a moment and then made a condition, "After I die, let Xi Mu be spared the torment of being a puppet, and bury both of us properly."

"To you now, fellow Daoist, the combat strength of a Qi Circulation Sixth Floor cultivator is nothing."

Chen Lingxi nodded almost without hesitation and said, "I want your Longevity Bridge Divine Ability."

Chen Lingxi's cultivation level is now quite high, but his current attack methods are somewhat weak.

Many times, it requires real swords and hand-to-hand combat, which doesn't seem like the actions of someone who Qi Circulation Eighth Floor.

Moreover, many of these methods are now somewhat outdated.

Take, for example, the Purple True Treasure Aura.

The Purple True Treasure Aura had been strengthened once before, but his cultivation level improved so quickly that the Purple True Treasure Aura was now almost useless.

Or perhaps the Azure Edge Method...

The Azure Edge Method was something he obtained by exchanging fifty years of his lifespan for the Candle of Time.

However, when he exchanged the Azure Edge Method, he was merely a mortal. A mortal's lifespan of fifty years is not particularly precious.

The reason why Azure Edge Method has been able to persist until now is due to Chen Lingxi's profound Mysterious Qi that can enhance the level of his techniques, as well as his Spirit Aperture.

Chen Lingxi gained a lot from this trip to Ancestral Mountain. In future battles, it will be time to discard some of his spells.

The Longevity Bridge's divine Divine Ability is extraordinary, and Chen Lingxi has long coveted it.

Xi Yuan took a deep breath upon hearing Chen Lingxi's words.

Then, he began to teach Chen Lingxi the Longevity Bridge Divine Ability.

The Longevity Bridge is a secret technique passed down by the Xi Family. It is not an ordinary technique, but requires a specific method of circulating spiritual energy to condense a "bridge seed" deep in the Qi Sea. Then, based on the bridge seed, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is drawn in, and a spiritual bridge is formed to span the sky.

When this sacred bridge encounters an enemy, it can transform into an indestructible barrier, or into a powerful weapon capable of suppressing and killing all enemies.

Chen Lingxi closed his eyes and concentrated, memorizing every word of the method dictated by Xi Yuan into his Consciousness Sea.

The Longevity Bridge Divine Ability is extremely profound and complex, involving hundreds of spiritual energy barriers.

Even with Chen Lingxi's Spirit-Aperture Physique and greatly enhanced comprehension, he still found it quite troublesome.

"This method of Longevity Bridge is indeed profound and complex."

Xi Yuan raised his head and said, "That's true. I spent a long time cultivating this technique back then."

Chen Lingxi nodded. "I'm afraid it will take me ten to fifteen days of practice to master this method."

Xi Yuan, breathing in unison, lowered his head and continued to impart the profound teachings.

Chen Lingxi memorized those methods, intending to study them slowly in the future.

About half an hour later, Xi Yuan finally finished teaching all the methods of this Divine Ability. He was as if all his strength had been drained away, his face was pale, and his breath was extremely weak.

He was already severely injured and on the verge of death due to a damaged Qi Sea, and he had spent so much time and energy teaching others. At this moment, he was just barely holding on to life.

Chen Lingxi mentally reviewed the methods of the Longevity Bridge, making sure nothing was missed, before raising his head and asking, "I have a few more questions I'd like to ask you, fellow Daoist."

Xi Yuan kept his eyes closed and remained silent.

Chen Lingxi then asked on his own, "Once I reach the Heavenward Third Floor cultivation, how should I communicate with the Rebirth Pool and leave this Qi-Less Grotto-Heaven?"

Xi Yuan opened his eyes and glanced at Chen Lingxi.

He seemed taken aback by Chen Lingxi's question, his expression momentarily stunned before he asked, "Didn't your sect leave you Natal Essence Qi before you Rebirth Realm?"

Chen Lingxi raised an eyebrow slightly and asked calmly, "What is Natal Essence Qi?"

Xi Yuan was puzzled, but still answered, "When we cultivators Rebirth Realm and are reincarnated, our sect members will leave behind a Natal Essence Qi through the Rebirth Pool."

This wisp of vital energy is connected to your own soul. As you cultivate and grow in this Qi-Less Grotto-Heaven, it slumbers in the Great World.

When you return, if you are still alive, or if your life essence has not been damaged... you can use this Natal Essence Qi to sense the Rebirth Pool, thus leaving this Qi-Less Grotto-Heaven and returning to the Great Xuanzhuo Realm."

The more Chen Lingxi listened, the more solemn her expression became.

He remained silent for a few moments, then finally took a deep breath and slowly said, "I have no Natal Essence Qi left by my sect, so how can I sense the Rebirth Pool?"

Xi Yuan was stunned.

He looked at Chen Lingxi with some confusion.

Every cultivator who comes to the Rebirth Pool Truth-Seeking Realm their Natal Essence Qi preserved by their sect; this is only natural.

Without Natal Essence Qi, even if one cultivates to the Heavenward Third Floor, one will not be able to sense the existence of the Rebirth Pool, so how can one return to the Great World?

Am I destined to waste my life in this world until I die?

Meeting Xi Yuan's puzzled gaze, Chen Lingxi stated directly, "I am not a person who Rebirth Realm, but a native cultivator."

Upon hearing this, Xi Yuan was visibly shaken.

His pupils dilated suddenly, and a genuine look of horror appeared on his previously lifeless face.

Native monks? How is that possible?

This Qi-Less Grotto-Heaven is a place where spiritual Spiritual Qi is utterly extinguished, so thin that it is almost imperceptible.

Even if an ordinary mortal practices breathing exercises for a hundred years, they might not be able to gather a wisp of spiritual energy within their body.

Those Truth-Seekers through the Rebirth Realm have little time after awakening. To improve their cultivation, seize fortuitous opportunity, and find Cauldron Vessel, they often exhaust themselves day and night, wishing they could divide each year and month in half. How could they possibly waste time teaching local mortals how to cultivate immortality?

Even if someone were to make a few random moves on a whim, how could they possibly cultivate a character capable of beheading Rong Chun, defeating Lu Baizhong, and capturing Xi Yuan?

Xi Yuan stared blankly at Chen Lingxi for a long time, until he saw the serious look in Chen Lingxi's eyes, then he suddenly burst into laughter.

The laughter was extremely weak, intermittent, yet the pleasure within it was intensely intense, like a dying man finally seeing a pitiful creature more pathetic than himself.

Chen Lingxi snorted coldly.

The Divine Might of the Eighth Floor suddenly erupted, like an invisible mountain descending from the sky, pressing Xi Yuan down to the ground. His face was pressed against the cold rock, but his laughter did not stop.

"What are you laughing at?" Chen Lingxi asked.

Xi Yuan lay on the ground, unable to move under the pressure of the Eighth Floor Divine Might, but the look of pleasure in his eyes did not diminish in the slightest.

He struggled to lift his head, looked at Chen Lingxi, and smiled, "There is indeed a way for ordinary people to leave the Qi-Less Grotto-Heaven."

"As long as a Dao Foundation Realm cultivator from a sect outside is willing to risk their life to explore the Qi-Less Grotto-Heaven with their own Dao Platform and guide you, you can leave this Qi-Less Grotto-Heaven."

Chen Lingxi stared into his eyes and slowly said, "Xi Mu once told me that as long as I step into the Heavenward Third Floor, I can sense the Rebirth Pool and leave the Cave Heaven."

Xi Yuan shook his head and laughed loudly, his laughter even more joyful than before. "Fellow Daoist! I might as well tell you frankly... that you were able to cultivate to the Qi Circulation Eighth Floor in this Qi-Less Grotto-Heaven with the body of a native mortal, kill Consort Chun, and capture me alive, such an achievement is something to be proud of even among the genius cultivators of the Great Xuanzhuo Realm."

"However... the Heavenward Third Floor sensing the Rebirth Pool... that's just a lie to deceive you!"

"You truly cannot leave this Qi-Less Grotto-Heaven."

Chen Lingxi's eyes suddenly darkened.

"Even if you were lucky enough to communicate with the outside world and find a Dao Foundation Realm cultivator... and that Dao Foundation Realm happened to be seriously injured, having damaged his brain, yet was willing to risk the collapse of his Dao Platform to guide you! You still wouldn't be able to leave this Cave Heaven!"

Xi Yuan's voice was broken and intermittent, with blood foam gushing from the corner of his mouth with each sentence, yet he spoke extremely quickly.

Chen Lingxi asked sternly, "Why?"

Xi Yuan laughed and coughed at the same time, "It's just that this Cave Heaven... has already belonged to my Quexing Xi Family."

He lay on the ground, catching his breath for a moment, before continuing, "My Xi Family's True Lord intends to use the Cauldron-Artifact World-Melting Furnace to refine this entire Cave Heaven, transforming it into World Essence, to forge the Great Xi Hengsu for my Xi Family's genius, Mysterious Golden Grotto."

Chen Lingxi's brows furrowed even deeper.

Xi Yuan continued, "The World Essence is a truly mysterious thing! It requires the refinement of everything in a primordial Cave Heaven... every flower and blade of grass, every pebble and piece of wood, even every drop of water in the stream, every speck of dust in the air, and every living being. Not a single one can be missing."

He took a breath. "If you leave, this original Cave Heaven will be damaged. Although it can still refine world World Essence, it will not be as pure."

Perhaps the World Essence that should have been able to forge the Mysterious Golden Grotto could only forge a Great Golden Grotto. Do you understand what I mean?"

Chen Lingxi closed her eyes.

He suddenly remembered asking Xi Mu how to leave this Qi-Less Grotto-Heaven.

Xi Mu said at the time that once he reached the Heavenward Third Floor, he could communicate with the Rebirth Pool and leave. He spoke calmly and composedly, perhaps a little too calmly.

But in the instant he died, a faint, yet extremely pleased glint flashed in his ashen eyes.

"So that's how it is," Chen Lingxi murmured to herself.

"True Lord Monarch is capable of refining even Cave Heaven! Once such a being does it, he must do it perfectly. How could a mere local ant possibly ruin his wondrous creation?"