Purple True Treasure Aura

Half a year of bitter cultivation—from Iron Body to Copper Scarlet, from Copper Scarlet to Silver Bones—one step at a time. Though arduous, it had finally borne fruit.

Chen Lingxi stood in the courtyard for a moment. Only after his breathing had settled did he turn and head back inside.

Back in his room, he sat cross-legged on the meditation cushion, closed his eyes, and focused his mind, sinking his consciousness into the Divine Chamber deep within his mind.

The void of the Divine Chamber remained shrouded in mists of varying density.

His gaze went straight to that line of golden, tadpole-like script—

[Divine Ability: Total Perception (Essence Replenishment: 99%)]

Chen Lingxi was slightly stunned.

Over these past months, he had breathed and cultivated by day and practiced every night. Dragon-Drawing Powder, medicinal baths, pills—none had ever been interrupted.

The Essence Replenishment progress of the Thorough Awakening Divine Ability had climbed steadily, but once it passed ninety percent, it began to slow.

The farther it went, the slower it became.

This final one percent had been stuck for more than ten days without budging an inch.

He frowned. His consciousness lingered in the Divine Chamber for a moment before he noticed another change.

"The Divine Chamber's range has expanded."

Previously, when he activated the Divine Chamber with the Second Level of Qi Circulation, its space had only stretched five hundred zhang in each direction, barely encompassing the Baosu Marquis Residence, several nearby streets and alleys, and a small stretch of the Yuan River.

Now that he had entered the Qi Circulation Third Floor, the Divine Chamber's space had expanded in one breath to two thousand zhang in each direction.

Two thousand zhang!

With the Marquis Residence as its center, it extended in all directions, covering nearly half of Yuan River City. Even the foothills of Ancestral Mountain in the west and the Yuan River ferry crossing in the south had been brought within the Divine Chamber's range.

Chen Lingxi was overjoyed.

An expanded Divine Chamber meant that when he used the Wandering Sight Divine Ability in the future, he would be able to see far more.

If Lin Suri left the Marquis Residence again, so long as he did not go to the eastern or northern parts of the city, Chen Lingxi could follow him all the way and uncover more secrets.

And there was also the Thorough Awakening Divine Ability.

He could vaguely sense that, as he entered the Third Spirit-Qi Level, the Thorough Awakening Divine Ability was also quietly changing.

That transformation had not yet finished. Only the faintest hint of it had emerged—more mysterious, more profound, like a tightly shut door concealing something extraordinary behind it, waiting only for Essence Replenishment to reach completion before bursting open with a thunderous crash.

Chen Lingxi withdrew from the Divine Chamber, yet did not open his eyes. Instead, he focused and sensed his dantian.

Within it, a thread of purple qi was slowly moving.

It was as fine as a hair, yet so dense it was nearly tangible. It moved through his spirit qi like a purple spirit serpent; wherever it passed, the spirit qi retreated on its own, yielding it a path.

Three months had passed.

Not only had his Qi Circulation cultivation entered the Third Floor and his blood and qi broken through into Silver Bones, he had also successfully refined the purple qi fragment obtained from Inlaid Gold Mountain.

The refining process had been far more difficult than he had expected.

During one Sight-Roaming session, he had glimpsed Lin Suri muttering to himself, calling that purple qi "Purple True Treasure Aura." He had also seen Lin Suri absorb the Purple True Treasure Aura into his dantian.

Chen Lingxi followed his example.

Though he did not possess Lin Suri's profound cultivation, he had the patience to grind water through stone.

For more than two months, he remained unhurried and unflustered, day after day, until he finally succeeded.

At this moment, that thread of Purple True Treasure Aura was slowly traveling through his dantian, neither disturbing nor interfering with the hazy azure spirit qi. Each went its own way.

With a thought, Chen Lingxi activated the Purple True Treasure Aura.

A thread of purple light rose from his dantian, traveled upward along his meridians, and finally gathered at the tip of his right index finger.

Purple light pierced out through his fingertip, as fine as an ox hair yet so sharp it made one's scalp tingle.

The air before his finger was torn open with a tiny fissure, releasing a soft hiss.

He tried activating the Azure Edge Method and the Purple True Treasure Aura together.

The azure sharpness of the Azure Edge Method had only just emerged from his fingertip when the Purple True Treasure Aura clung to it of its own accord. Like a thin purple glaze, it enveloped the azure edge within.

That edge abruptly became far more ferocious. Azure and purple intertwined, their radiance dazzling, while the fissure in the air deepened by several degrees and a faint hum began to sound.

Chen Lingxi hurriedly withdrew his hand and dispersed the edge.

"Purple True Treasure Aura is far more overbearing than the Azure Edge Method."

He estimated inwardly that, in terms of sheer sharpness alone, the Purple True Treasure Aura was at least several times stronger than the Azure Edge Method.

"With this treasure aura added to the Azure Edge Method, I wonder if I could face someone at Silver Bone Major Accomplishment."

Chen Lingxi thought to himself.

Within the Silver Bone Realm, the differences were immense.

At the entry level of Silver Bones, blood and qi began slowly transforming into silver marrow, and a faint silver gleam appeared upon the surface of the bones. Yet it had not penetrated to the marrow, and Copper Scarlet blood and qi still remained in the body. Even so, one's combat power vastly surpassed Copper Scarlet Perfection.

At Silver Bone Minor Accomplishment, silver marrow emerged in the bones at the extremities. The joints in one's fingers and toes completed their transformation first; when punching or kicking, silver marrow poured into the fingertips, allowing them to pierce iron and stone. In the martial world, this was known as the [Silver Marrow Finger].

At Silver Bone Major Accomplishment, the limbs, torso, and spine all became silver bones. Silver marrow surged, bones rang with a metallic chime, and with every move, [Bone-Penetrating Force] shook forth. It could pass through flesh and directly strike an enemy's bones, cracking their bones and snapping their tendons.

Silver Bone Perfection was even more terrifying.

All two hundred and six bones throughout the body transformed into silver bones, including the skull.

The pupils of the eyes were coated in a layer of silver film. Wherever one looked, the paths of an enemy's blood and qi and the weak points where their force gathered became clear at a glance. This was known as [Silver Eyes].

The ears gained greatly enhanced hearing, able to catch faint sounds that ordinary people could not hear. Even an enemy's heartbeat and the sound of their blood and qi flowing could be clearly distinguished. This was known as [Frost Hearing].

At that stage, a martial artist's attack paths could scarcely remain hidden.

Chen Lingxi had only just entered Silver Bones and had not even cultivated the Silver Marrow Finger.

If he faced someone at Silver Bone Major Accomplishment, a single shock from the other party's Bone-Penetrating Force would injure the bones throughout his body. His odds of victory would be extremely low.

But with the Azure Edge Method and Purple True Treasure Aura added...

"If Jiang Yuan were in the residence, I could find an excuse to see his true strength."

That was what Chen Lingxi thought.

Jiang Yuan was a figure at Silver Bone Perfection. His silver marrow was thick as mercury, all two hundred and six of his bones tempered like silver. When Mountain-Crushing Force was used in his hands, a punch thrown through the air could smash stone into powder.

If he could get Jiang Yuan to demonstrate his full strength, Chen Lingxi would be able to see firsthand just how powerful Silver Bone Perfection truly was and gain an accurate assessment of his own combat strength.

Only...

"Ever since Jiang the Retainer and Instructor He Duan were sent to the capital together by Lin Longyue, they have been gone for months without returning. I wonder what exactly they went to do."

He had not known Jiang Yuan long, but Jiang Yuan had ultimately taught him Mountain-Crushing Force, greatly raising his combat ability.

Now that Jiang Yuan had vanished, Chen Lingxi was indeed somewhat worried.

"No use overthinking it. I'll take things as they come."

Chen Lingxi gathered his thoughts and settled down to breathe and cultivate.

With every breath, the thin spiritual energy between heaven and earth seeped into his body in fine strands, merging into that thread of azure qi in his dantian.

The sensation of spiritual energy entering his body was clearer than it had been months ago—after the Third Floor, his meridians had widened considerably, and his perception had grown sharper. The amount of spiritual energy he could capture was roughly thirty percent greater than at the Second Level.

Yet even so, he still felt it was not enough.

Far from enough.

After the Qi Circulation Third Floor, his dantian's capacity had greatly increased, and the growth of spirit qi required a vast quantity of spiritual energy to sustain it.

His current breathing exercises were like using a small bowl to scoop muddy water from the bottom of a dried-up pond. After scooping for half a day, it was still merely a drop in the bucket.

"The Dragon-Drawing Powder has run out. My cultivation progress will plummet from here onward."

"The medicinal baths and pills from Benevolence Hall are already stretched too thin for the Third Spirit-Qi Level."

He spoke to himself inwardly.

"If I want to continue ascending through Qi Circulation, my current conditions are no longer sufficient."

He considered it carefully.

"The last time I activated the Thorough Awakening Divine Ability, Lin Suri saw me and said that what I cultivate is the breathing and qi-guiding branch of the Six-Qi True Method from Dao-Below Academy, without a true formula."

A true formula.

"If I had a true formula, my cultivation speed would surely increase greatly."

"Only... the route of obtaining a true formula from Lin Suri is likely impossible."

Chen Lingxi shook his head.

Lin Suri had obtained Spirit Amber and could even hover in the air. He had likely already reached the Qi Circulation Sixth Floor!

If Chen Lingxi dared reveal even the slightest intention of spying on him, Lin Suri could crush him with ease.

Just as Lu Baizhong had killed him within the Divine Chamber—with a flick of his finger and a streak of pale golden lightning, Chen Lingxi had died.

There had been no room for resistance whatsoever.

Chen Lingxi thought again of the Candle of Time.

"The Candle of Time was used by Lin Suri to draw Lu Baizhong here. It is likely no longer in Yuan River."

"I'll take a look during the next Thorough Awakening, but the hope is slim."

After considering it again and again, Chen Lingxi's thoughts gradually converged on a single name.

Zhao Yong.

"Zhao Yong is at the Golden Body Realm, far weaker than the likes of Lin Suri and Lu Baizhong."

"Zhao Yong wants to use me as a medicinal catalyst."

Chen Lingxi narrowed his eyes.

"And he has a channel for obtaining Dragon-Drawing Powder."

He looked toward the windowsill.

That Mohe Flower stood quietly in a small celadon bottle. Its deep-purple petals glimmered beneath the moonlight with a cold, ghostly sheen.

Months had passed, yet it remained in bloom. It had neither withered nor faded, like an artificial flower forever frozen at the moment of full blossom.

The golden filaments at its heart trembled faintly, as though breathing.

"And the Human Immortal Wu Mohe he mentioned."

When Chen Lingxi spoke that name, his tone remained calm, but a faint light gleamed in his eyes.

This man's origins were a mystery. When Zhao Yong spoke of him, the reverence and fervor in his voice did not seem feigned.

"I might be able to use this opportunity to seek some fortune from Zhao Yong."

Chen Lingxi narrowed his eyes.

Zhao Yong wanted to use him as a medicinal catalyst, so he would not be in any hurry to make a move against him.

The Mohe Flower's poison needed to accumulate slowly. It would take three to five months, perhaps half a year to a year, for quantitative change to trigger qualitative transformation.

Before then, Zhao Yong would regard him as a useful chess piece and would not discard him lightly.

That was his opportunity.

He took a deep breath, suppressed these thoughts, and stopped dwelling on them.

"Continue breathing and cultivating."

Though spiritual energy was thin, it could not be neglected.

Little by little, it would add up. That was better than doing nothing at all.

The night passed without incident.

Early the next morning, when the sky had only just begun to brighten, someone knocked at his door.

Chen Lingxi opened it to find Liuzhu standing outside.

"Chen Lingxi." She stood beyond the threshold, her gaze falling on his face. "Miss wishes to see you."

Chen Lingxi asked, "Miss Liuzhu, may I ask why Miss has summoned me?"

After several months together, the two had long become familiar.

Liuzhu glanced around, then lowered her voice. "The Crown Prince has come to the Yuan River palace. Miss is taking you to pay your respects."

Chen Lingxi's heart jolted.

The Crown Prince?