Another month passed quietly and silently.
Spirit Pavilion, Withered-and-Flourishing Blessed Land.
Time here seems to be cut in half by an invisible sharp blade.
On the left side is eternal vitality, with vines like dragons and towering ancient trees; on the right side is endless dead silence, with bones exposed and yellow sand filling the sky.
Only the figure of the young man sitting cross-legged on the boundary between life and death remained as motionless as a needle in the sea.
But this immobility is just an appearance.
If an outsider approaches at this moment, they will be horrified to find that the surface of Chu Bai's body is undergoing strange changes.
The left half of his cheek was as rosy as jade, and the skin could be broken by a blow; while the right half of his cheek was drying up at a speed visible to the naked eye, as if he had aged dozens of years in an instant.
The flow of prosperity and decline, the alternation of life and death.
This is a necessary disaster to absorb [Withered-and-Flourishing Azure Qi]. Every ray of spiritual energy entering the body is a destruction and reshaping of the physical body.
If it were an ordinary Qi Refining monk, his mind would have collapsed and become possessed by this inhuman torture.
But Chu Bai does not.
The perfect "Origin Return Formula" showed its domineering side at this moment.
As the last blue-gray air flow was sucked into the nose, Chu Bai's whole body suddenly felt a strange fluctuation.
If you look inside, you can see a shocking sight:
In his Dantian Qi Sea, next to the two qi of gold and water that were originally distinct, there is now an extremely strong force.
All he could see was a faint green light of vitality on the left side, and a deathly grayness lingering on the right side. The two intersected and entangled in his body, and finally turned into an endless, tough and silky blue-gray Spell Power vortex.
Metal generates water, and water generates wood.
The three-color brilliance slowly circulates in the sea of air, forming a stable triangle that is incomplete but has begun to take shape.
Every time the spiritual power circulates for a week, the triangle will tremble slightly and spit out more pure Spell Power, nourishing the damaged meridians just now.
"Withered-and-Flourishing Azure Qi, it's done."
Metal generates water, and water generates wood.
"Huh..."
As the last breath of turbid breath was exhaled, the withered half of Chu Bai's cheek quickly returned to normal.
He slowly opened his eyes. In the depths of those originally dark eyes, the light was more restrained than before, but also deeper. It was as if he could see the changes of time at a glance, and life and death were just a thought in his eyes.
"Withered-and-Flourishing Azure Qi, it's done."
Chu Bai clenched his fist, and there was a crisp sound like exploding beans between his knuckles.
Five-Element Spiritual Qi, we have obtained three of them - the strength of metal to destroy evil, the purity and tolerance of water, and the resilience and vitality of wood.
At the same time, under the almost abnormal throughput efficiency of Perfected Level and Origin Return Formula, his cultivation level also improved by leaps and bounds in this month.
Call up the panel, and rows of data appear:
[Realm: Qi Refining Second Layer(58/100)]
The progress bar is suddenly halfway through!
If this kind of speed were to spread, I am afraid that even those old students who have been working hard for two or three years to break through the first level of bottlenecks would be ashamed to death.
This is the terrifying effect of top-tier resources and top-tier "talent".
But the joy on Chu Bai's face did not last long.
He stood up and explored his small vault out of habit.
The next moment, his expression froze.
Divine Sense probed into the identity plate, and found that Dao Merit, who was originally quite wealthy, now only had a few dozen left.
"Only a few dozen o'clock left..."
Chu Bai The corners of his mouth twitched.
In the past month, in order to improve "Golden Eye Illusion-Breaker" to the [proficient] level, he not only spent a lot of time and energy, but also treated the precious reply Pills and high-level Spirit Cuisine as a daily routine.
Even if he diligently goes to the prison every day to clock in and inspect Law Net, those two points of "minimum living allowance" of Dao Merit will not even make a splash if thrown into this huge consumption hole.
"That's not the most terrible thing."
Chu Bai walked out of the Spirit Pavilion, thinking it was time to find a task to earn some Dao Merit.
"As the cultivation level increases, the effect of the ordinary Spirit Cuisine is also weakened, and it must be replaced with a more expensive one... This is not cultivation at all, it is clearly a waste of money."
A strong sense of crisis surged into my heart.
"We can no longer work behind closed doors. If we can only get out but not get in, let alone the graduation exam in a few months, I will starve to death next month."
Chu Bai sighed, turned around and walked out of the hall, "I have to find an opportunity to take on some high-paying tasks. Even if it is to be a human punchbag, it is better than sitting on the mountain now."
Returning to the room area, several roommates were not there.
During this time, Zhou Tong found a task to collect companion spiritual herbs, and several people participated in it together. Chu Bai was busy with the Spirit Pavilion's practice, so he did not join them. Now everyone has become familiar with each other, and it is normal for them to form a team to take on tasks in order to make a living.
Just as he was thinking about where to go to get some quick money, a familiar and energetic voice came from not far away.
"Junior Brother Chu!"
Chu Bai looked up and saw Zhang Shan walking quickly.
We haven't seen each other for only a month, but the aura of this former sparring brother has already undergone a qualitative change.
He was wearing a brand-new cyan robe, and his spiritual power was strong and solid, no longer as frivolous as before. Especially his eyes, which were piercing and lively, and his movements carried a sense of confidence and calmness unique to Qi Refining Third Layer monks.
"Congratulations, senior brother, for breaking through Qi Refining Third Layer! We can look forward to the great road!" Chu Bai saw the clues at a glance, smiled and said congratulations.
"Haha, it's just a fluke, it's just a fluke."
Zhang Shan waved his hand. Although he spoke modestly, the joy between his brows could not be concealed, "The bottleneck that has been stuck for more than a year has finally been overcome. Now we only need to polish it to perfection, and then we can start preparing Graduation Examination."
After the two exchanged a few words, Zhang Shan suppressed his smile, looked around, and lowered his voice and said, "Junior brother, I am squatting here specifically today, not to show off. I just want to ask you, are you short of Dao Merit recently?"
"It's missing! Why is it not lacking?" Chu Bai didn't hide it, pointing to his empty pocket, "I can't even open the pot. I just looked at the price of Fire-Element Spiritual Qi, and almost Dao Heart was broken. Senior brother, do you have any good ideas?"
"That's natural."
Zhang Mountain God smiled secretly, "You also know that when it comes to Qi Refining Third Layer, whether it is cultivation resources or magic weapons and talismans, the cost is even greater. I recently joined an elite Demon Hunt team, and happened to take on the 'Cleaning Up the Rat Infestation' mission released by the Dao Academy. But there is still one person missing in the team to meet the attendance allocation, so I thought of you first."
"A rat problem?" Chu Bai raised his eyebrows slightly.
"This is not an ordinary mouse, but a type of Demon Beast named 'Burrow Rat'."
Zhang Shan explained, "There has been an upsurge of Great Wall Prefecture underground Killing Intent recently. This thing is multiplying very fast in Abandoned Mining District in the south of the city. Although the individual combat power is not high, it is at the level of Qi Refining Early Stage at most, but it is more powerful because of its large number, and it is good at digging holes and sneak attacks, making it extremely difficult to deal with. In order to sharpen its students, Dao Academy released it as a long-term bounty."
"How is the remuneration?" This is the core question that Chu Bai is most concerned about.
"Pretty generous!"
Zhang Shan stretched out a finger and waved it in front of Chu Bai: "Killing an ordinary Burrow Rat, with its corpse or Demon Core, can be exchanged for ten Dao Merit points; if you encounter an elite rat from Qi Refining Second Layer, it will be twenty points! We will form a team of five, and we will allocate according to our contribution in the end. With the Dao Academy Instructor as a guarantee, there is no reason to be greedy."
A ten o'clock?!
Chu Bai made a quick calculation in his mind. Since Burrow Rat is a "rat infestation", there must be a lot of them. If he is lucky, if he kills eight out of ten rats in one day, his income in that day will be worth the two months he worked in the prison!
Where is the mouse here? This is clearly the Dao Merit bag running all over the floor!
"I'll take this job." Chu Bai nodded immediately, and then asked cautiously, "How strong are the other people in the team?"
"Don't worry, the team is led by a third-year senior named Wang Qingli, Qi Refining Third Layer has perfected his cultivation, and his earth element Spell Arts is superb, and his defense is extremely strong, so he was nicknamed 'Iron Wall'. The other two are also good players at Qi Refining Second Layer."
Zhang Shan patted his chest. "If Non-Self also has some respect, and if you, junior brother, are really outstanding in combat power, I might not be able to get into a team with this level of configuration. Especially Senior Sister Wang, who has a very high vision."
"Then thank you senior brother for the introduction."
After a while, Dao Academy East District, a high-level practice room specially designed for teams to run in.
Chu Bai followed Zhang Shan and pushed the door open.
The room was not noisy, but instead filled with a chilling atmosphere. Three figures were sitting cross-legged in a cross-legged shape, seemingly undergoing some kind of tacit understanding training.
Sitting in the first place was a tall woman in light yellow attire with a cold face, just like her name "Wang Qingli". She carried a huge Tortoiseshell Shield sign behind her back, and she was obviously a master of heavy defense flow. At this moment, she was closing her eyes to rest, and there was a faint earthy yellow halo flowing around her body.
The other two are a man and a woman. The man's name is Zhao Gang. He is thin and has lively eyes. He has a row of Willow-Leaf Flying Knife hanging around his waist. The woman's name is Lin Xiaoyun. She has a sweet appearance and plays with a Greenwood Staff in her hand. She is a rare therapeutic aid.
"Captain, I brought the people."
Zhang Shan took a step forward and broke the silence, "This is the Chu Bai I mentioned to you, the leader of this freshman exam."
"First grade?"
The thin man named Zhao Gang frowned slightly and didn't even stand up. He just glanced up and down at Chu Bai with some scrutiny.
"Zhang Shan, we are going to the south of the city this time Abandoned Mining District."
Zhao Gang said with clear distrust in his tone, "The terrain there is complicated and rats are infested. Once surrounded, it will be a hard fight. Bringing a first-year student... I'm afraid it will be a bit of a drag, right? If we need to take care of him by then, then it's better for the four of us to go."
Although the treating girl Lin Xiaoyun didn't speak, there was a trace of worry in her eyes. After all, according to common sense, most of the first-year freshmen are still working around Qi Refining First Layer, and Spell Arts is not very experienced, so they just go there to deliver food.
Wang Qingli slowly opened his eyes, his eyes falling coldly on Chu Bai.
"I have heard the name of the leader." Her voice was clear but with a hint of coolness, "But in Abandoned Mining District, the name cannot kill Demon Beast. What we need are teammates who can survive independently and have output capabilities."
As she said that, she glanced at Zhao Gang.
Zhao Gang understood this and stood up suddenly, with a provocative smile on his lips, "Since you are the leader, you must have some tricks. You say you have no basis, but show your hands?"
Before he finished speaking, Zhao Gang's wrist flicked.
Brush!
A ray of cold light flew out like lightning. It was a Willow-Leaf Flying Knife, and it pierced the Black Iron wooden stake in the corner of the practice room with great precision for testing its power.
"Attsu!"
With a muffled sound, the flying knife sank more than three inches deep into the wooden pile, and the tail of the knife was still trembling slightly.
"Qi Refining Second Layer, the flying knife penetrated the wood three inches." Zhao Gang crossed his arms and looked at Chu Bai, "This is just a casual blow from me. Abandoned Mining District's elite Burrow Rat's fur is as hard as this wooden stake. If it can't break the defense, it will be in vain."
This is a show of force and the most direct interview.
Zhang Shan was a little embarrassed. He was about to open his mouth to smooth things over, but Chu Bai raised his hand to stop him.
Chu Bai looked calm and was not angry. In the world of immortality, strength is always the best passport, and there is no point in wasting words.
"It's normal for senior brothers and sisters to have such concerns."
Chu Bai smiled slightly and glanced at the wooden stake, "Since you want to join the team, you should prove that you are not a burden."
Before he finished speaking, he raised his hand and waved casually.
Phew!
There was no charged forward movement at all, not even a spell was recited. A blue stream of light instantly cut through the air, causing a sharp whistle, and the speed was actually three minutes faster than the flying knife just now!
That was not an ordinary water arrow, but one that was condensed to the extreme and even had a hint of metallic coldness [Spirit Water Needle]!
Poof!
A dull but heartbreaking sound.
Everyone looked closely and saw that the Black Iron wooden stake did not vibrate, nor did it pierce it like a flying knife.
"This..." Zhao Gang was stunned, "Missed the target?"
"No, look behind you." Wang Qingli suddenly spoke, with a hint of solemnity in his tone.
Zhao Gang Turned his head hurriedly and saw a small deep hole on the stone wall behind the wooden pile. Looking back at the wooden pile, he saw a small hole with translucent front and back and smooth edges like a mirror beside the place where the flying knife originally penetrated!
Penetrate!
The Black Iron wooden stake, which was strong enough to withstand Qi Refining Second Layer's full blow, was pierced in an instant!
"Hiss--"
Zhao Gang took a breath of cold air, and the originally scornful look on his face instantly froze. He thought he was also an expert at playing with flying knives, but to achieve this level of penetration, it was absolutely impossible unless he used his natal flying knife that had been warmed for a long time by his spiritual power.
"Proficient Level Spell Arts?"
Wang Qingli finally stood up, looked at Chu Bai with burning eyes, and said to the point, "And... it seems to be integrated with Geng Metal Qi? It has such strong penetrating power."
As soon as an expert takes action, he will know whether it is there or not.
The output ability of Spirit Water Needle and Chu Bai, which are instant and powerful, has been the best proof. This kind of penetrating power, let alone Burrow Rat, even Ironback Lizard, which is famous for its defense, will be stabbed to the core.
"Besides attacking, how about defense?" Wang Qingli asked. In a group attack environment like Burrow Rat, you can't survive long if you only know how to attack.
Chu Bai had a thought in his mind.
Buzz!
A translucent pale golden light shield instantly appeared in front of him. The shield surface was not rigid, but fluid. As Chu Bai and Divine Sense moved slightly, the light shield instantly split into three and rotated around the body, automatically adjusting the defense angle as if it was spiritual.
"Proficient Level "Origin Guard Shield"."
Chu Bai dispersed the light shield, looked at the few people, and said in a calm tone, "The offense and defense are acceptable, and it shouldn't hold you back. In addition, I am a major in martial arts and can recover energy quickly, so I don't need to take care of you."
There was silence in the house.
Zhang Shan watched with excitement on the side, as if he was the one who stole the show. "How about it? I'll just say that Junior Brother Chu is a monster! Even though he is only in the first grade, in a real fight, it's not certain who among us will lose and who will win!"
Zhao Gang had already put away his contempt at this time, scratched his head in embarrassment, clasped his fists at Chu Bai and said, "I'm just blind. With strong reinforcements like Junior Brother Chu, we are at least 30% more sure of cleaning up Abandoned Mining District this time."
Lin Xiaoyun's eyes also lit up. After all, the higher the output in the team, the less pressure she would have as a nanny.
"Since there is no problem with your strength, you are welcome to join the team."
Wang Qingli is not a person who is dragging his feet. He immediately made a decision and started arranging tactics. "Since Junior Brother Chu is good at killing and controlling, after entering the mining area, I will be responsible for attracting hatred from the front row. Zhang Shan and Zhao Gang will be responsible for covering the two wings. Junior Brother Chu will provide support in the center, responsible for cleaning up the fish that have slipped through the net and killing elite rats, and Xiaoyun will be responsible for logistics. How about it?"
"No problem." Chu Bai nodded. This position is very reasonable and can maximize the range advantage of his "Spirit Water Needle" and the explosive power of "Golden Eye Illusion-Breaker".
"Okay, let's gather at the entrance of the Dao Academy at 9 o'clock tomorrow morning. This task is expected to require continuous cleaning for three to five days. Everyone should go back and prepare dry food and Pills."
"Yes!"
Everyone agreed in unison.
Walking out of the practice room, Chu Bai looked at the gorgeous sunset on the horizon, and the anxiety caused by poverty in his heart finally dissipated a lot.
"Burrow Rat..."
Chu Bai touched the empty money bag and raised a smile at the corner of his mouth.
"I hope your quantity will be enough to satisfy my appetite."