Thorough Awakening, True Art, and Magic Array

That night, Chen Lingxi quietly left the Baosu Marquis Residence and hid in the darkness, walking through Yuan River Prefecture and entering a deserted alley.

"Whether Lin Suri left Yuan River Prefecture and went to Luyang Prefecture, we can find out soon enough."

Chen Lingxi leaned against a half-ruined wall, her eyes closed.

Consciousness entered the Divine Chamber and landed on the two characters "Sight-Roaming". With a slight movement of the mind, a strange fluctuation spread out from the Divine Chamber, ripples spreading in layers and extending in all directions.

The ripples penetrated the ruined walls, the streets and alleys, and the city walls, covering a distance of four thousand feet in both directions.

A moment later, Chen Lingxi opened her eyes, her brows furrowing slightly.

"Lin Suri is not in Yuan River Prefecture."

He had already tried it once when he was at the Baosu Marquis Residence. The Divine Chamber covered most of Yuan River Prefecture, but he still couldn't find any trace of Lin Suri.

So he deliberately came to this alley in the south of the city, covering the other half of the city, but still found nothing.

Without delay, he sprang into action and quietly left the city.

Chen Lingxi then Sight-Roaming at the foot of Ancestral Mountain, Mangyang Mountain, and Inlaid Gold Mountain, but found no trace of Lin Suri.

"It seems that Lin Suri has truly left Yuan River Prefecture."

He stood silently for a moment, then went up Inlaid Gold Mountain.

"I have no idea where he went."

Chen Lingxi sat cross-legged in the cave, thinking to himself, "Since that's the case, there's no need to worry about anything else. I'll just focus on making up for this last bit of Essence Replenishment in replenishing my vital energy. Once I've Thorough Awakening Completion, I can test the Six-Qi True Formula, the Credit Peddler... all within the Total Perception."

He took out several medicine bottles from his Universe Bag and poured the pills into his palm.

These are all Blood-Qi Pill that I bought with money.

The Spiritual Qi there is thin, but it's still far better than nothing.

"The Spiritual Qi on Inlaid Gold Mountain is scarce, so we still need these Blood-Qi Pill."

Without further hesitation, he put more than a dozen pills into his mouth, chewed them casually as if they were candy, and swallowed them whole.

These days, Chen Lingxi no longer bothers to refine the medicinal power of Qi and Blood, since it is not very helpful and she still needs to use spiritual qi to cleanse the poison of the pills, which would only waste her energy.

He extracted only one thing from those elixirs: Spiritual Qi.

Once the pill enters the stomach, the Spiritual Qi is extracted like peeling away layers of the Qi Sea, flowing into the Dantian and merging into the misty stream of spiritual liquid.

He swallowed the pills one after another, as if he were eating a plate of bland fried beans, his face expressionless.

At the same time, he practiced the Six Qi Breathing Technique, trying his best to extract the extremely weak Spiritual Qi from Spiritual Qi almost depleted Inlaid Gold Mountain.

"The art of breathing exercises still has its limitations. Even after consuming so many pills containing a trace of Spiritual Qi, it has had almost no effect on my cultivation."

Chen Lingxi sighed, but dared not slack off and continued his cultivation.

Three days passed in this way.

On this day, as he was meditating cross-legged, he suddenly felt a slight tremor in the Qi Sea of spiritual liquid in his Dantian, like the first rise of spring water, with the water level increasing slightly compared to before.

What delighted him even more was that Total Perception's progress in Essence Replenishment had finally made up the remaining two percent, reaching perfection.

[Total Perception: Ready].

Chen Lingxi let out a long breath, and the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up slightly.

He tried to communicate with the Divine Chamber, first using his ability to Wandering Sight Divine Ability, but still could not find Lin Suri's whereabouts.

"It seems Lin Suri has not yet returned."

Chen Lingxi didn't delay any longer.

He took a deep breath, his consciousness sinking into the depths of his Divine Chamber, communicating with the Thorough Awakening Divine Ability.

In the Void of the Divine Chamber, Twin Luminous Mirrors suddenly lit up.

The Void shattered, light and shadow distorted, and when everything fell silent, he was no longer in the cave.

Twin Luminous Mirrors in the sky, their golden and silver light reflecting off each other.

The Inlaid Gold Mountain in the Divine Chamber is exactly the same as the real Inlaid Gold Mountain.

He rose from the cave in the cliff, descended from Inlaid Gold Mountain, and ascended Ancestral Mountain!

Ancestral Mountain is located in the west of the city. From a distance, it looks like a giant beast crouching on the Yuan River. The mountain is not particularly steep, but it is shrouded in thick fog all year round, as if it were covered with a veil that can never be lifted.

The thick fog surged like a tidal wave, instantly engulfing his figure.

The fog was utterly silent; even the sound of the wind was blocked out.

Chen Lingxi tried breathing exercises on this Ancestral Mountain, but found that the Spiritual Qi on this mountain was even thinner than that on Inlaid Gold Mountain.

"How could such a place with sparse Spiritual Qi be able to nurture Spirit Aperture like the Ancestral Mountain Mother Qi, which is of great interest to cultivators from many great worlds?" Chen Lingxi was quite puzzled.

It is said that Mother Qi is a Spirit Aperture treasure; obtaining it can cause the Marrow Sea Silver-Turning and the bones to surge, making the whole body feel like an old vessel being reborn.

Logically, a place capable of nurturing Mother Qi must be Cave Heaven brimming with spiritual energy and where earth veins converge.

The Spiritual Qi on this Ancestral Mountain is so thin that it's like a barren desert, yet some say there's a sweet spring buried beneath it—how strange!

He suppressed his doubts and continued to delve deeper.

The mountain road wound its way through the thick fog, and the fog grew even denser the further one went.

After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he suddenly realized something.

"Since entering the mountains, I have not seen any living creature."

As he was thinking this, his gaze fell upon a bend in the cliff ahead, and he suddenly stopped.

There was a rock there, about half a person's height, gray all over, just like any ordinary mountain rock that can be found anywhere in the mountains.

But Chen Lingxi's gaze fell on the stone.

Isn't this the stone the Credit Peddler?

"I have never ventured deep into Ancestral Mountain, yet I have already seen this stone."

The thought had just formed in his mind when a voice rang out, "Fellow Daoist, please wait!"

The voice, imbued with a subtle Spiritual Qi, traveled with remarkable precision, landing right beside Chen Lingxi's ear.

Chen Lingxi her eyes.

Suddenly, a very faint ripple appeared on the surface of the stone. Then, the ripple twisted and expanded, and a person emerged from it.

Short clothes, hemp rope, basket on his back, sly smile, youthful face.

It was Credit Peddler.

Chen Lingxi feigned surprise, took a step back, sized up the Credit Peddler, and asked, "Who are you? Why did you come out of the stone?"

The Credit Peddler stood there with a grin, not in a hurry to answer.

Chen Lingxi waited a moment, and seeing that he did not answer, she took the initiative to ask, "What is your background, sir?"

Upon hearing this, the Credit Peddler laughed and replied, "My background is both complicated and simple; it's hard to explain in a short time."

As for why I'm waiting for you here today..." He paused, his smile deepening, "It's because I've been asked to do this!"

Entrusted by someone?

Chen Lingxi was greatly puzzled, and her brows furrowed even deeper.

He looked at the Credit Peddler and asked, "For whom did you request this?"

The Credit Peddler simply shook his head.

He reached into his robe and pulled something out from the inside of his shorts.

It was a jade pendant, about an inch square, pure white, with a warm and smooth texture, gleaming with a faint, cold light in his palm.

Chen Lingxi's eyes held a hint of doubt, but her heart was deeply shaken.

He recognized this jade pendant.

He had seen Lin Suri give this jade pendant to the Credit Peddler during his Sight-Roaming; it was the very jade pendant that recorded the Six-Qi True Formula!

His expression remained unchanged, only slightly furrowing his brow as he pointed to the jade pendant and asked, "What is this?"

A sly glint flashed in the Credit Peddler's eyes. "This contains a true manual of Cultivation Method, exactly what you need, fellow Daoist."

Chen Lingxi narrowed with wariness. "You haven't even asked who I am, how do you know what kind of Cultivation Method techniques I need?"

The Credit Peddler didn't say anything, but simply flicked his finger lightly on the jade pendant, which flew out of his hand and hovered in the Void between the two of them.

The jade pendant slowly rotated in mid-air, and the faint blue light on its surface grew brighter and brighter.

Immediately afterwards, Spiritual Qi surged forth from within, filling the sky and gradually transforming into countless characters.

The text was complex and profound, each character radiating a hazy blue light, slowly flowing in the air and arranging itself into a complete cultivation Cultivation Method.

It is precisely that Six-Qi True Formula!

Chen Lingxi's gaze swept over the words, and her heart suddenly trembled.

Although he already knew what this was, he was still excited when he actually saw this secret manual displayed before his eyes!

The Credit Peddler took in his reaction, chuckled, and made a feint with his hand.

The cyan characters suspended in the air were gathered together by an unseen hand, transforming back into wisps of spiritual energy that rolled back into the jade pendant.

The jade pendant fell from mid-air and came to a steady stop in front of Chen Lingxi, hovering there, neither too high nor too low, just within reach.

"No need to be wary, I'm just doing this on someone's behalf. Please accept it, fellow Daoist." After saying this, the Credit Peddler cupped his hands in greeting and prepared to leave.

He took a step back, and his figure, like dissipating fog, inch by inch sank into the rocks behind him.

Chen Lingxi suddenly pretended to realize something, pointed at the face that was about to completely disappear into the stone, and said urgently, "Could you be the legendary Credit Peddler!"

The Credit Peddler's face was about to sink into the stone.

Chen Lingxi called out to the Credit Peddler again and asked, "May I ask, Credit Peddler, who exactly is the person who entrusted this to you?"

The Credit Peddler did not answer.

Chen Lingxi seemed to have stopped hesitating and said, "In that case, Chen Lingxi would like to make a deal with the Credit Peddler."

The Credit Peddler's eyes lit up; he was intrigued.

The face that had been mostly sunk into the stone resurfaced, and in the blink of an eye, it returned to the appearance of the handsome young peddler.

He emerged from the stone carrying a bamboo basket, grinning as he said, "This little shop is honest and trustworthy, young and old alike. May I ask what you wish to exchange?"

After asking his question, the Credit Peddler tilted his head and thought for a moment. Before Chen Lingxi could speak, he suddenly stretched out his right hand and quickly tapped his thumb between the knuckles of his index and middle fingers, as if he were manipulating an invisible abacus.

Then he winked and smiled, "How about I sell you a magic array?"

The magic array gathers Spiritual Qi, perfect for cultivation.

In this barren land, having such a magic array is like digging a well in the desert, providing sweet water to drink every day. Isn't that wonderful?

Chen Lingxi was immediately filled with astonishment!

Even though he had already witnessed the Credit Peddler's Divine Ability abilities during his Sight-Roaming, he still found it hard to believe when he experienced it firsthand.

This was because he genuinely had such a thought in mind when he came to Ancestral Mountain.

If one could obtain a magic array for gathering Spiritual Qi from the Credit Peddler, one would no longer need to worry about Spiritual Qi in future cultivation.

Ignoring Chen Lingxi's surprised expression, the Credit Peddler asked again, "Do you have any treasures for setting up formations?"

Chen Lingxi thought for a moment and nodded gently.

He raised his right hand and gently swiped it across his waist.

With a flash of blue light, eight bronze lamps and dozens of jade pendants flew out of the Universe Bag and landed on the ground, arranging themselves neatly in several rows.

The Credit Peddler glanced down at the bronze lamps and jade pendants, his gaze first falling on the musk-skin pouch at Chen Lingxi's waist.

He raised an eyebrow slightly, a faint hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, then nodded. "The Hongdong Treasure Bag... is indeed rare..."

He then looked at the bronze lamps and jade pendants and commented, "The quality is a bit low, but it's still good enough."

As he said this, he suddenly turned his head, his clear eyes looking directly at Chen Lingxi: "However, these formations of mine are quite extraordinary, and the price is extremely high. I wonder if you can afford them."

Chen Lingxi: "Why don't you say you want to come and see?"

The Credit Peddler raised his right hand again, as if calculating with his fingers.

After a good dozen or so breaths, the Credit Peddler suddenly opened his eyes.

He looked at Chen Lingxi, extended a finger, and slowly said, "How about we exchange it for one of your future treasures?"

What treasures await in the future? Chen Lingxi was greatly puzzled.

The Credit Peddler chuckled, "That treasure isn't in your possession yet. Once you have it, I'll naturally come looking for you, fellow Daoist."

Chen Lingxi lowered his head in thought, then looked up and asked, "Should we sign the Jade Law Document?"

The Credit Peddler waved his hand, a look of disdain on his face. "I don't have the Jade Law Document on hand."

He paused, then added, "There's no need to sign the Jade Law. I'll come find you once I have the treasure."

Chen Lingxi frowned even more deeply.

"Such a person does not possess the Jade Law Document?"

He shook his head and asked, "And I wonder when I will be able to obtain that treasure?"

The Credit Peddler waved his hand again. "It cannot be said, it cannot be said!" He repeated it twice, his tone carrying a hint of mystery.

He had just finished speaking when he suddenly changed the subject, "In this Cave Heaven, you can only do business with me once. After today, this place will be gone."

"I'm selling this formation at a bargain price, so you'd better hurry."

What does it mean that you can only make one transaction?

Just as he was about to ask, the Credit Peddler laughed and said, "I know you're going to agree, fellow Daoist."

The Credit Peddler chuckled. He reached into his robe and pulled out a bamboo strip from the inside of his short brown coat. It was about the length of a palm and the width of two fingers, and was bluish-green in color.

He handed the bamboo slip to Chen Lingxi. Chen Lingxi took it with both hands, looked down, and saw five extremely small characters engraved on the front of the bamboo slip: [Clear-Mystery Pivot-Qi Formation].

The characters are slender yet powerful, each stroke penetrating deeply, as if they were not carved on, but rather naturally formed on the bamboo strip.

He slowly channeled his spiritual energy into the bamboo strip, and in an instant, a flood of complex and intricate information surged into his mind like water bursting its banks.

"This formation... how can it be so complex?"

He quickly memorized those messages, word for word, without missing a single detail.

The Credit Peddler disappeared into the stone at that moment.

The stone vanished without a trace.

After a night, Chen Lingxi finally opened her eyes.

"This Six-Qi True Method and the Clear-Mystery Pivot-Qi Formation are truly profound!"

The profound and subtle methods and secrets of the Six-Qi True Formula far exceeded his expectations.

The Clear-Mystery Pivot-Qi Formation was equally exquisite.

It does not simply gather Spiritual Qi, but uses spiritual energy as a guide to construct a small Spiritual Qi cycle within the array's range. When the array is in operation, it will gather the scattered Spiritual Qi in the surrounding world thread by thread, and then slowly release it around the array's core, forming a constantly circulating Spiritual Qi vortex.

Those within the formation are as if sitting atop an invisible spring of Spiritual Qi, breathing in and out every day, cultivating constantly, with an efficiency far exceeding that of self-breathing.

Even more remarkably, this formation can absorb the essence of the sun and moon, as well as the vitality of plants and trees, and transform it into pure Spiritual Qi to replenish the formation, allowing it to continue operating even in places where spiritual energy is depleted.

Overjoyed, he stood up and paced around the mountain, his thoughts wandering.

But gradually, his pace slowed down.

"This mysterious Credit Peddler asked me for a treasure from the future, and also said that I could only do business with him once."

What will the treasure of the future be?

Only one transaction.

Why can it only be done once? Is it because of the rules of this Cave Heaven? Or because of the Credit Peddler's own rules? Or is it due to some other restriction?

As Chen Lingxi was thinking, she suddenly stopped in her tracks.

He raised his head and looked up at the two bright mirrors hanging high in the sky.

A blazing golden sun and a silvery moon, their light intertwined, enveloping the entire Ancestral Mountain in a strange halo.

This is the Total Perception Divine Chamber.

His eyes suddenly lit up.

"I... possess the Thorough Awakening Divine Ability."

"If I never do business with the Credit Peddler in reality, I will come to Ancestral Mountain to find him and trade with him every time Total Perception."

In my Total Perception, I can agree to his conditions without any hesitation, exchanging this future treasure for his goods each time.

Once the Total Perception ends, I only need to choose one item from what I've obtained to bring back to reality. That would be equivalent to getting something for free from the Credit Peddler every time I have Total Perception.

Chen Lingxi's eyes were intense. "But in reality, I have never made a deal with him, so the opportunity for that transaction will always remain."

Chen Lingxi had already removed the ghost mask, revealing a face slightly flushed with surprise.

"Use this same treasure from the future to exchange for many wonderful methods and treasures!"

P. S.: This chapter is a bonus chapter for reaching 100 monthly votes yesterday. If we reach 100 monthly votes today, there will be another bonus chapter tomorrow.