Closed-Door Cultivation, Profound Nether Heavy-Origin Dharma Power

"Delivering something costs one Dao Merit?"

Watching that swiftly departing figure, Lu He stopped at the entrance of his cave abode and did not move for a long while.

He had known when making his first purchase in the Void Mirage Realm that delivery to the cave abode was free the first time, while subsequent deliveries incurred a transportation fee.

That was also why Lu He had acted so decisively.

He had simply never imagined that the delivery fee would be so outrageously expensive—

One whole Dao Merit, equivalent to five pounds of spirit gold.

After a long while.

"Whew... When I buy things in the future, I'd better just go directly to the Dao Canon Tower and Heavenly Craft Tower. One Dao Merit... I really can't afford that."

Lu He exhaled a turbid breath, the corner of his mouth twitching.

Come to think of it, those people had deliberately scattered buildings like the Dao Canon Tower and Heavenly Craft Tower all across Prodigy Island, yet replicated them in the Void Mirage Realm as well. Could this have been intentional?

Rumble!

The cave abode's doors shut tightly once more.

Inside the cultivation chamber.

Lu He took out the Wave-Treading Body-Escape Art he had just received, along with three bottles of water-element spiritual pills he had specifically selected. He sat cross-legged atop an unusual jade bed in the corner, carved entirely from some kind of jade marrow.

As though it had sensed something.

The jade bed suddenly let out a hum. Spiritual patterns within it rapidly intertwined, eventually forming an incomparably intricate, layered spell formation.

In an instant, the already dense spiritual energy within the cave abode surged into white mist. Like fledglings returning to the nest, it gathered toward the jade bed and wrapped around it layer upon layer.

At the same time.

In Lu He's perception, the jade bed beneath him seemed to be connected to a vast spirit vein, continuously drawing in and gathering immense amounts of spiritual energy.

In only a few moments.

The spiritual energy gathering atop the jade bed became so dense that drops of spiritual liquid, like dewdrops, began condensing on its surface, only to evaporate again. The cycle repeated endlessly.

"This... is really the lowest-grade cave abode?"

After trying to cultivate for a dozen breaths, Lu He was stunned.

The spiritual energy in the cave abode had already been unbelievably abundant.

Who would have thought there would be another surprise in the cultivation chamber?

Cultivating on the jade bed, even without taking any spiritual pills, was nearly thirty percent as effective as consuming a low-grade Black Jade Pill.

What kind of concept was that?

However...

Before Lu He could react, the spell formation within the jade bed abruptly dimmed. The surrounding spiritual energy immediately began dispersing wildly in all directions.

Everything returned to normal.

It was as if Lu He had instantly fallen from the clouds into the depths of a valley, and an intense sense of loss surged uncontrollably through his heart.

He instinctively lowered his head toward the jade bed.

Lines of tiny characters emerged upon it:

[Spirit-Gathering Jade-Marrow Bed. Inscribed with a minor spirit-gathering spell formation. Activating the formation requires payment of twenty Dao Merits. Duration: one month. It may be activated at the Void Mirage Realm—Heavenly Craft Tower.]

"Good grief..."

Lu He completely lost it and rolled his eyes.

He had just bought an escape art and pills. Where was he supposed to get twenty Dao Merits?

Even if he had twenty Dao Merits, the Layered-Origin Tide Breath-Absorption Method had not yet reached the beginner level. Activating it now would only be a waste.

At that thought.

Lu He stopped paying attention to the jade bed beneath him. Activating the White Ape Dao Diagram, he directly entered the enlightenment state of the Immaculate Heart Ape.

A flash of five-colored radiance appeared before him, slowly condensing into the form of the Myriad-Dharma Marvelous-Insight Treasure Wheel.

"The breath-consuming method is the foundation. I should first comprehend it to the beginner level and cultivate Profound Nether Heavy-Origin Dharma Power. Only then will cultivating other arts yield twice the result with half the effort..."

Lu He's gaze flickered. With one hand, he brushed the storage pouch at his waist, and several grains of black spirit gold abruptly appeared in his palm.

These were the materials left over from forging the Myriad-Dharma Marvelous-Insight Treasure Wheel last time, enough to erase the arts inscribed on the treasure wheel twice. Using them now was just right.

The next moment.

At a thought from Lu He.

The treasure wheel trembled slightly, and dazzling five-colored spiritual light burst from its surface, instantly erasing the Dao patterns of the Summon Mist as Soldiers Art that had originally been inscribed upon it.

In their place, trails of dark Dao patterns rapidly spread, exuding an intent as heavy and profound as an abyss.

Throughout the process, the spirit gold in Lu He's palm gradually turned to ash.

Who knew how much time passed.

The spiritual radiance surrounding the Myriad-Dharma Marvelous-Insight Treasure Wheel dispersed. Compared with before, the treasure wheel had visibly dimmed somewhat, and as it turned, it emitted an indescribable sense of profundity and weight.

The Layered-Origin Tide Breath-Absorption Method, which had originally been difficult to cultivate to the beginner level.

Had now become an innate talent for Lu He.

As though sensing something, he took out a jade bottle, poured out an Azure Water Essence Pill, swallowed it, and slowly closed his eyes.

The Myriad-Dharma Marvelous-Insight Treasure Wheel suddenly leapt above his head and began spinning madly, wantonly stirring the spiritual energy within the cave abode.

Time passed bit by bit.

Deep within his dantian, the Vermilion Essence Spring quietly took on a layer of deep radiance. The divine glow that had flowed within the spring suddenly froze, then rapidly whirled into countless tiny vortices.

Immediately afterward, the Azure Water Essence Pill transformed into vast water-element spiritual energy, flooding into the Vermilion Essence Spring like a burst dam. It was swiftly refined into Dharma power, cycling endlessly through those vortices.

With every cycle, the Dharma power grew heavier.

Until, after nine cycles.

A wisp of incomparably profound Dharma power quietly formed within his dantian. The moment it took shape, it brazenly forced all the original Dharma power into a corner.

Then came the second wisp, the third, the fourth...

Lu He carefully sensed the changes in his dantian, and a bright light could not help blooming in his eyes.

The Profound Nether Heavy-Origin Dharma Power cultivated through the Layered-Origin Tide Breath-Absorption Method—purely in terms of quality, one wisp was likely worth three wisps of his original Dharma power, perhaps even more.

Moreover, it seemed to possess a special attribute akin to "suppression."

That was truly absurd.

One had to know that Lu He's Vermilion Essence Spring had been opened by condensing seven Red Qiu True Talismans. It was a flawless Vermilion Essence Spring, and the quality of its Dharma power had already been extremely high.

Now that it had transformed into Profound Nether Heavy-Origin Dharma Power, its quality had risen once more.

Even with the same art, its power after being cast would be as different as clouds and mud.

If he entered the Ancient Demon Pass again.

Lu He reckoned that he would not need much time to easily kill that ape demon guarding the pass.

According to that senior brother, below the sixth layer of Breath-Consuming cultivation, the Layered-Origin Tide Breath-Absorption Method was nearly no different from a relatively weak mid-grade Breath-Consuming method.

For now, he would regard it as a mid-grade Breath-Consuming method.

Lu He's gaze sharpened slightly.

He had now personally experienced the might of a mid-grade Breath-Consuming method.

Then just how terrifying would a high-grade Breath-Consuming method be?

"By that reasoning, even if cultivation levels are the same and mastery of arts is at the same level, different Breath-Consuming methods would still make their strength as far apart as clouds and mud!"

Lu He murmured inwardly.

At this moment, he vaguely understood how those ranked before him on the Scorching Sun Golden Ranking had attained their strength.

Coming back to himself.

Lu He shook his head, casting aside the stray thoughts in his heart, and began cultivating with all his strength.

Only, one more item had quietly appeared in his plans—

A high-grade Breath-Consuming method!