Qi Ingestion's First Realm, Vermilion Essence Spring (Two-in-One Chapter, Please Bookmark)

Tap, tap—

Lu He dragged the broken iron hammer behind him as he strode back.

Across from him, gazes filled with awe and astonishment fell upon Lu He in unison.

Within the crowd.

"We're... from the quarters! That's Lord He from our quarters!"

Xiong Dayou's face flushed with excitement as he shouted desperately at the people around him. His hands rested on his hips, his chin raised high.

He wore an arrogant expression that seemed to declare: heaven and earth came first, Lord He second, and he himself third.

Beside him.

The others from the quarters stood there as well, equally unable to contain their excitement.

What it meant to become a Spirit-Slaying Envoy for a thousand-mu spiritual field was something they understood better than anyone after spending so many years in the Medicine Garden.

Yet beside them, Li Zhuang secretly gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with confusion.

"That brat from the Lu family may have high comprehension and managed to learn an immortal art on his first visit to Enlightenment Pavilion, but... this strength of his is far too absurd!"

Li Zhuang had briefly interacted with figures like Spirit-Slaying Envoys before, so he knew a little about cultivation.

As far as he knew, once one initially entered the immortal path, what determined the speed of cultivation was not talent, but... resources!

Wait!

Li Zhuang suddenly froze, involuntarily thinking of the stolen pills he had been secretly investigating.

Could it be... my spirit pills?!

In an instant, Li Zhuang guessed the reason. Though it had yet to be confirmed, he was already ninety percent certain!

After all, how could there be so many coincidences in this world?

At that thought.

Huff, huff—

Li Zhuang's breathing instantly grew heavy, and his eyes reddened.

"Those pills were clearly mine! The position of Spirit-Slaying Envoy for those thousand-plus mu of spiritual fields should have been mine too!"

Yet the next moment.

He seemed to realize something and quickly calmed down, a trace of helplessness flashing across his face.

Even if he had guessed that Lu He was behind it, Lu He was now a Spirit-Slaying Envoy... the gap between them was simply too vast.

So vast that Li Zhuang did not even dare entertain thoughts of revenge.

At this moment.

"Brother Lu, congratulations!"

"Haha, Brother Lu truly is formidable. You actually eliminated that Bai Hao. Let's see if he still dares swagger about all day, prattling on about Sword Immortals and one sword breaking ten thousand arts..."

"Brother Lu, I live in Courtyard Thirty-Nine of the C-Section Housing Area. If you have the time, come find me for tea. We can exchange pointers as well."

"In the end, Brother Zheng really had sharp eyes~"

"Brother Lu..."

By the time Lu He returned to his place.

Many people had clearly changed their attitudes and took the initiative to congratulate him, their words full of intentions to befriend him.

Evidently, Lu He's performance in the arena had already made this group take him seriously.

Though his strength was still somewhat lacking now, his future was already boundless.

Not to mention that Steward Lu's favor toward Lu He on the platform had been utterly undisguised.

They were not blind.

Standing where he was.

Faced with everyone's overtures, Lu He smiled and responded politely to each of them, without the slightest arrogance of a youth who had risen to success.

"Brother Lu, impressive!" Su Lingchan turned back and smiled at Lu He.

"I merely got lucky," Lu He replied modestly.

As the two spoke.

Several probing gazes drifted over from the group of veteran cultivating tenant farmers across from them, as though sizing something up.

Beside him.

"Is this a little hard to get used to? Cultivators are just this realistic," Zheng Jingren asked with a light laugh.

"It's not too bad." Lu He shook his head.

There was no such thing as kindness without cause in the world. Unless one displayed sufficient value, no one would care. He had understood that principle in his previous life.

"Brother Lu is indeed remarkable. I knew I had not misjudged you," Zheng Jingren praised.

Time slowly passed.

The surroundings calmed again, and the two stopped talking, focusing instead on the arena.

Perhaps because cultivation resources were at stake.

The battles in the arena had become particularly fierce.

Especially the many young prospects on Lu He's side. One after another, they stepped onto the stage as if they had agreed beforehand, directly challenging the veteran powerhouses to fight in pairs.

The force unleashed in their collisions made even Lu He, standing more than ten zhang away, feel his heart tremble.

"Good thing I went up early. Otherwise... it might have been difficult."

Lu He clicked his tongue inwardly.

From what he sensed.

These people generally possessed strength exceeding two thousand jin. Combined with the fact that they had all condensed Red Qiu True Talismans to varying degrees, the power they unleashed was terrifying. Those who surpassed the three-thousand-jin threshold were everywhere.

Meanwhile, at the outermost edge of the crowd.

"Let's go. There's nothing worth watching anymore."

A graceful figure in a yellow dress spoke indifferently and turned to leave.

Behind her.

A woman wearing a jeweled hairpin and a green gauze dress covered her mouth and laughed. "What, now that you've finished watching your little lover, you don't want to watch anyone else?"

"I told you, there is no relationship between him and me. Don't joke about it!"

Fairy Liu halted and turned toward the woman in green. Frost filled her beautiful eyes, and her gaze carried a warning.

"I won't mention it again, then."

Seeing this, the woman in green gave an awkward laugh before asking curiously, "But judging from his performance today, he may already have caught the steward's eye. Perhaps we may need to rely on his protection in the future... Are you really not considering it?"

"Tomorrow, we have to urgently deliver a batch of precious pills to the White-Scale Lake battlefield. I heard that all the major immortal factions in Everharvest City, including our Azurehold Herb Garden, suffered grievous losses and lost many high-realm cultivators. It is incredibly dangerous. You should worry about whether the two of us will even make it back."

Time quickly came to the next day.

Lu He arrived early and took his seat.

The Spirit-Slaying Envoy positions being contested today were all tied to spiritual fields spanning several thousand mu. Naturally, those qualified to compete were the top powerhouses among the Medicine Garden's cultivating tenant farmers.

Of course, he did not want to miss the chance.

As time slowly passed, the seats around Lu He gradually filled. Even Bai Hao, who had lost his position yesterday, had come.

His thoughts were clearly no different from Lu He's.

Yet among the veteran powerhouses seated across from them, there were noticeably fewer people today.

As for the tenant farmers who had come to watch, eight or nine out of ten had simply not shown up.

On one hand, work would begin again tomorrow, so they naturally wanted to make the most of today and rest.

On the other hand, ever since yesterday, the battles in the arena had already moved beyond what ordinary tenant farmers could follow with the naked eye.

It was boring to watch.

Thus, they did not come today.

After waiting for less than half an incense stick's time.

The stewards took their places one after another. Beneath the fluttering great banners, figures who had waited for a long while began to rise.

Beside Lu He.

"Everyone, wait for my victorious return."

Zheng Jingren slowly rose to his feet. A powerful sharpness emerged from him, utterly different from his usual self.

After saying that, his figure flashed, and he appeared at the center of Arena Nine, carrying a massive sword like a door panel.

A figure suddenly shot up from the other side. His body stretched through the air like a flood dragon before he descended upon Zheng Jingren with unimaginable force.

Boom—

A mere probing strike shook the ground for dozens of zhang around them, leaving the nearby spectators unable to stand steadily as they tumbled to the ground one after another.

White light faintly appeared in the depths of Lu He's eyes. It was the White Ape Dao Diagram talent operating at full force.

Yet even so, he could barely catch two blurry afterimages.

"So strong!"

A trace of shock flashed through his eyes, followed immediately by confusion.

"That's not right. A Body-Shedding Realm cultivator has three thousand jin of strength. Even including the amplification from a Red Qiu True Talisman, it should only amount to around six thousand jin."

Lu He thought to himself.

Yet as he watched the arena.

Merely feeling the exaggerated commotion from afar, Lu He could easily tell that every casual strike from those two carried a terrifying force far exceeding six thousand jin. The gales compressed from their clashes actually tore loose the sand and stones on the ground, flinging them wildly in all directions.

Rocks flew and mountains seemed to shift, like a scene from myth.

"It's the Scarlet Horned Dragon True Intent Visualization Diagram after the fourth layer. A complete Red Qiu True Talisman... is not the end either!"

Lu He quickly realized the key.

After a bitter battle, Zheng Jingren returned to his place with nearly exhausted steps and dropped heavily into his seat.

"I have not failed my mission!"

He cupped his hands toward those around him, gulping down breaths of air.

"Congratulations, Brother Zheng!"

"Brother Zheng is mighty."

"..."

For a time, all the young prospects seated there congratulated Zheng Jingren.

Even the statue-like figure who had been sitting at the very front actually turned around and offered rare praise.

"Not bad!"

Seeing Zheng Jingren regulating his breath, Lu He suppressed his curiosity about the Red Qiu True Talisman and continued observing the battles in the arena.

Who knew how long passed.

"Arena Seven, Steward Deng Yuantong!"

With the steward's shout, the entire venue fell silent in an instant. Even Zheng Jingren opened his eyes.

There was no other reason. This was the final match!

Tap, tap!

Under everyone's gaze, the elderly figure seated at the front of the veteran powerhouses and the tall figure seated at the front of the young prospects rose at the same time, walking step by step toward Arena Seven.

"Everyone, move back!"

The steward who had spoken earlier swept his gaze over the tenant farmers watching the match and spoke again.

Before his words had even faded.

Zheng Jingren abruptly sprang to his feet, grabbed Lu He by the arm, and ran madly backward.

Only after retreating more than a hundred zhang did they gradually stop.

"This is..." Lu He was somewhat puzzled.

Zheng Jingren spoke rapidly.

"Brother Lu, this may be your first time participating in a position contest, so you don't know how formidable those two are. Though neither has condensed dharma power or learned spells, both have condensed six Red Qiu True Talismans."

As he spoke.

He involuntarily smacked his lips, a note of amazement quietly entering his voice.

"With the support of six Red Qiu True Talismans, even Qi Ingestion cultivators who have just opened a Vermilion Essence Spring and produced dharma power cannot do anything to them. Their spells will be forcibly scattered and crushed."

Using the fleshly body to withstand spells?

"Hiss—"

Lu He drew in a sharp breath.

He had seen spells before. Old Huang's death that day remained vivid in his mind.

Naturally, he knew how terrifying they were.

It was no exaggeration to say that before spells, even the hardest iron and stone would be burned alive into molten liquid.

"Wait, Vermilion Essence Spring?"

Lu He suddenly seized upon the key point and hurriedly looked toward Zheng Jingren beside him.

The next moment.

"Let me, please, Brother Zheng, let me explain!"

Before Zheng Jingren could speak, Bai Hao beside them eagerly opened his mouth, his voice full of pleading.

"Then... Brother Bai can explain it to Brother Lu."

Zheng Jingren gave a faint smile.

"In that case, I ask Brother Bai to enlighten me."

Lu He clasped his hands in salute.

"Mm, with such a thirst for knowledge, you're teachable." Bai Hao put on airs as he walked up to Lu He, patted his shoulder, and said with a smile.

At that moment, much of the frustration in his heart over losing to the man before him yesterday due to his own carelessness dissipated.

"If you keep babbling, I'll just tell Brother Lu myself. It's something everyone knows—what's there to show off?"

Su Lingchan could not stand watching any longer. Rolling her eyes, she snapped her whip against the ground at Bai Hao's feet with a crack, her vermilion lips parting slightly as she spoke.

Seeing this.

"You tigress... whoever becomes your Dao companion in the future will have eight lifetimes of bloody misfortune."

Bai Hao shrank his neck and muttered under his breath.

"What did you just say?" Su Lingchan's beautiful eyes widened.

"N-No... I didn't say anything."

Bai Hao's body shuddered. He hurried to the other side and pulled Lu He aside. "Brother Lu, come over here. I'll explain it to you in detail."

"Please, Brother Bai."

"Cough, cough." Bai Hao cleared his throat, then cautiously asked, "Brother Lu, the Red Qiu True Talisman you condensed should be nearly complete already, right?"

Lu He nodded.

"Sure enough, I knew it would be like this. Otherwise, how could Brother Zheng value him so highly... Damn it, what rotten luck. This is even more outrageous than Brother Zheng. Why did I have to run into him of all people?"

I should've chosen another steward from the start~

Bai Hao wailed inwardly.

He had originally planned to win back his honor next year...

But now, by this time next year, this Brother Lu of his would likely have condensed a second Red Qiu True Talisman already.

Coming back to his senses.

"Brother Lu," he said, forcing a reluctant smile onto his face as he patiently began explaining to Lu He, "I don't think body metamorphosis and intent metamorphosis need any further explanation."

"As for Dharma metamorphosis, it is in fact the imitation of Heaven and Earth: uniting heart and body, condensing one's essence, qi, and the Red Qiu True Talisman into one, then opening a source of dharma power within the dantian—the Vermilion Essence Spring. Only then does one step into the Qi-Feasting Secret Realm, able to devour endless spiritual workings of Heaven and Earth, with dharma power flowing without end."

"The Red Horned Dragon Visualization Diagram can condense a total of seven true talismans. It is considered rather good among the many Foundation Establishment visualization methods. The true intent contained within the first three diagrams can condense one true talisman, while each of the latter six diagrams can condense one true talisman."

"The more Red Qiu True Talismans one condenses, the stronger the Vermilion Essence Spring one opens will be, and the more terrifying one's ability to seize and refine the spiritual workings of Heaven and Earth becomes!"

"So that's how it is."

A trace of realization flashed across Lu He's face, and his gaze unconsciously turned toward the old man in the arena.

Zheng Jingren had said that this man had already condensed six true talismans, so why—

As though he knew what Lu He was wondering.

Bai Hao grinned.

"It's best to open the Vermilion Essence Spring before one's qi and blood decline at thirty, and the earlier, the better. That old fellow insisted on entering the Inner Garden, only to miss the critical threshold for nothing."

"What are the requirements for entering the Inner Garden?"

Lu He's heart stirred.

"One must condense three Red Qiu True Talismans and open a Vermilion Essence Spring before being allowed to enter!"

"Honestly, don't be fooled by how impressive the stewards look. In the eyes of those true Inner Garden disciples, they are basically no different from mortals. It is said that Steward Lu's little flag artifact was bestowed by some Inner Garden disciple."

"As for people like us... sigh, thirty years old... half a true talisman..."

As if something had occurred to him.

Bai Hao laughed at himself, a faint look of despair showing in his eyes.

Time slowly passed.

As the final slot was decided, all the tenant farmers watching immediately dispersed in twos and threes, their faces carrying a lingering shock that could not be swept away.

Where they stood.

Lu He looked up.

One young figure after another rose and departed, all heading in a startlingly uniform direction—

The Miscellaneous Affairs Building!

"Inner Garden disciples!" A gleam flashed through Lu He's eyes. Suppressing the stir in his heart, he hurried after them.