飘零影音

Chapter 91 - Arc 7: Dragon Ascension Gate | Chapter 91: Bloodthirsty Demon Vine is Guarding

Translator: Lynn

Sponsored chapter (9/10)

In the cave, two figures gracefully moved up and down, their movements intertwining.

The crisp and melodious sound of clanging metal and iron filled the air, creating a pleasant and harmonious rhythm.

Upon closer observation, the figures turned out to be two young men with remarkable temperaments.

One of them wore a gentle and elegant green shirt, while the other was dressed in a proud red attire, resembling the radiant sun.

The young man in green held a peculiar black weapon that appeared to be made of gold yet not gold, wood yet not wood. Its shape resembled a stick, but with a sharp tip, akin to a sword, making it appear quite unique.

The young man in red wielded a red flying sword, which gleamed with fiery red hues. However, a thin layer of blue radiance enveloped its outer edge, resembling flames.

The two engaged in a fierce and intense battle, with Hong Yi’s movements displaying a powerful and daunting sword technique. The young man in green focused primarily on evasion, lacking offensive moves. However, he made up for it with his agility. Initially, he seemed a bit flustered, but gradually grew more familiar with the situation, becoming increasingly nimble.

After fighting for a while, the young man in red suddenly swung his long sword, causing the blade to release blue flames as it directly approached the chest and abdomen of the young man in green! Startled, the green-clad youth swiftly rolled mid-air, pressing against the mountain wall and turning his head to evade the attack.

Subsequently, their exchange of moves came to a halt. The flames on the red-clothed boy’s sword dissipated, but the sword’s tip had already reached the throat of the green-clad boy. Zhang Yang smiled and said, “Brother Ziqing, you’ve lost once again!”

The young man in green skillfully deflected the sword’s tip with his steel-wood weapon and smiled wryly, “Yes, I’ve lost again.”

These two young men were none other than Xu Ziqing and Su Xin, who had been practicing martial arts together for several days.

Today marked the sixth day since Su Xin had made his promise, and he had remained steadfastly by Xu Ziqing’s side during this time, earning Xu Ziqing’s deep appreciation.

However, despite Su Xin’s higher level of spiritual power, Xu Ziqing had more losses than wins. It was clear that his combat skills and experience were lacking.

In truth, it wasn’t Xu Ziqing’s fault. Su Xin had been a disciple for a long time, practicing various spells alongside his master and fellow senior brothers and sisters. He had access to a wealth of knowledge and training opportunities, which naturally gave him an advantage. On the other hand, Xu Ziqing relied on his own exploration, with occasional guidance from Yun Lie. Due to their different cultivation methods and physical attributes, Xu Ziqing couldn’t fully grasp certain techniques, which explained his disadvantage in these friendly competitions.

Furthermore, these sparring sessions weren’t life-and-death battles, and Xu Ziqing deliberately refrained from using the Bloodthirsty Demon Vine to assist him, keeping a hidden trump card. However, this made him more aware of the limitations of his own abilities. No matter how quickly his cultivation base progressed, he couldn’t neglect the cultivation of spells. Otherwise, when confronted with real danger, he would be at a significant disadvantage. Su Xin had been with him for many days and could see these shortcomings. He inquired, “Brother Ziqing, have you never practiced swordsmanship?” People who primarily used flying swords generally had to study sword techniques, as they were crucial for combat. However, Xu Ziqing’s moves lacked finesse, revealing his deficiency in this aspect.

Xu Ziqing nodded and sighed, “I have lived a wandering life, never staying in one place for long. The techniques I’ve learned were acquired by chance. As for sword tactics and other offensive techniques, I’ve never come across them before.”

Upon hearing this, Su Xin straightforwardly commented, “Brother Ziqing, although the weapon you wield is unconventional, it shares similarities with a sword. In the future, you should combine it with sword techniques to fully unleash its power. Otherwise, when we spar, no matter how much spiritual power we possess, the result will always be ‘defeat’ for you. If my cultivation level were higher, I might not even be able to defeat you through sheer leapfrogging. This would put you at a severe disadvantage when facing real enemies.” Xu Ziqing wasn’t aware of this truth!

Although he had discovered techniques such as the “Muhua Finger Technique,” he didn’t dare choose randomly when it came to sword techniques. He had read some sword manuals before, but there weren’t many wood attribute swordsmanship styles, and those he did find seemed lackluster. With Xu Ziqing’s understanding of Yun Lie’s sharp sword energy, he couldn’t place much value on them.

Moreover, his practice time was still short, and it wasn’t easy to become proficient in what he had already learned. He had to focus on suppressing the Bloodthirsty Demon Vine, communicating with thousands of trees, and trying to comprehend the numerous techniques derived from the “Ten Thousand Woods Great Heart Planting Technique.” Therefore, he couldn’t afford to be greedy. With this in mind, he set aside the idea of practicing swordsmanship.

Now, as Su Xin brought it up, Xu Ziqing sighed softly, “For now, I need to focus on my current practice and be more attentive in my daily cultivation. If I truly wish to practice swordsmanship, I may have to wait until I become a disciple in the larger world and seek guidance from my master.”

Su Xin had always been favored by fortune and rarely faced hardships. Upon hearing Xu Ziqing’s concerns, he offered comfort, saying, “Building a solid foundation around you won’t be a problem, and delaying the pursuit of swordsmanship for a few days is fine. At present, even though your swordsmanship isn’t exceptional, your evasive skills are profound. If you can’t win a battle, being able to escape is also valuable.” Upon hearing this,

Xu Ziqing smiled faintly, “If it ever comes down to a life-or-death situation, even if it means losing face, running away quickly would be the right course of action.”

Su Xin also burst into laughter, saying, “When facing death, what need is there for pride? Even I, under such circumstances, would have no choice but to act shamelessly to save my life! Hahaha!” After a few coughs, he continued, “In reality, Brother Ziqing, you need not worry too much. Your array of tricks is quite adept at bluffing people, so you won’t easily find yourself in such dire situations.” After their conversation, they took a sufficient break and began practicing once again. They alternated between periods of intense practice and short breaks, repeating this cycle until darkness descended, catching them by surprise.

Usually, Su Xin would have left by now and not lingered, but today she paused and said, “The sixth day has passed, and starting tomorrow, I need to enter deep meditation. I won’t disturb you anymore.”

Xu Ziqing smiled and replied, “I also plan to focus on refining my spiritual power. Let’s bid farewell for now and meet again at sunrise.”

And so, they said their goodbyes. Xu Ziqing watched as Su Xin departed and then turned his attention to something else. Raising his hand, a flickering blue light appeared. Countless blue grass stalks rushed out of his palm and intertwined into a massive net in an instant. The net was so fine and dense that there were almost no gaps.

With a command of “go,” the giant net swiftly flew out with a swoosh and its corners attached to the stone wall at the entrance of the cave. It expanded rapidly, tightly sealing the entrance. The cave grew darker by the moment. Xu Ziqing flicked his fingers again, unleashing an invisible force that transformed into a hazy blue light. It enveloped the giant net, casting a faint glow. This was the protective barrier he always set up during normal times. If someone were to touch it, it would alert him. With these two layers of protection, Xu Ziqing still couldn’t rest assured with so many monks around. After a brief moment of contemplation, he placed his hand on his dantian, gathered his consciousness, and sent it inside.

“Rongjin, Rongjin…” Xu Ziqing’s consciousness called out softly.

Soon, a familiar sense of closeness emanated from deep within the dantian. “Mother, mother! Long time no see!”

Xu Ziqing felt a twinge of guilt. In his heart, both Chonghua and Rongjin were already considered family. Chonghua was a monster that needed to absorb the essence of the sun and moon, so it was always allowed to fly outside. Rongjin, on the other hand, had a bloodthirsty nature that couldn’t be restrained, resulting in a lack of self-control. Thus, Xu Ziqing kept Rongjin in his dantian and couldn’t call upon it all the time. They were like childlike consciousnesses, always joyful when near him. However, despite his heartfelt thoughts, various circumstances prevented him from being by their side, leaving him with a sense of guilt.

With these thoughts in mind, Xu Ziqing’s consciousness grew even gentler, sending comforting thoughts. “Rongjin, you are the most obedient. Today, I plan to enter seclusion, and I hope you can guard the cave entrance for me, alright?”

Rongjin responded eagerly, “Rongjin, come out, mother…”

Hearing Rongjin’s protective tone made Xu Ziqing’s heart warm. He said, “But if someone breaks in, don’t harm them and leave them alive. Rongjin, remember, okay?”

The Bloodthirsty Demon Vine obediently replied, “Yes,” and soon after, a sense of growth followed.

Xu Ziqing smiled faintly, extending his right palm. Two thin white vines emerged and quickly wrapped around his sides, remaining close by.

The Bloodthirsty Demon Vine twisted its vines and suddenly placed two leaf buds on each side of Xu Ziqing’s face, gently rubbing against each other, displaying an intimate connection.

Knowing that they wouldn’t harm him, Xu Ziqing allowed the vines to rub against each other. After spending some time like this, he pointed towards the cave entrance and whispered softly, “Rongjin, go.” This time, the Bloodthirsty Demon Vine didn’t hesitate at all.

In an instant, it swiftly retracted into Xu Ziqing’s body, appearing as two white snakes shooting away!

In the blink of an eye, the two vines had already hung from the cave ceiling, descending like a sparse curtain.

This happened because the Bloodthirsty Demon Vine had turned its head back and retracted into Xu Ziqing’s body. Xu Ziqing cultivated in silence, feeling as though his body was hidden deep within his dantian. Finally, he felt at ease. Observing the sealed cave entrance, now protected by three layers, he could finally rest assured.

As soon as he closed his eyes, Xu Ziqing felt a lightness, and his consciousness became like a radiant moon, hovering above his inner world, looking down from above. The veins of muscles and bones, the texture of flesh and blood, and the internal organs—all were clearly reflected in the depths of his consciousness. He wasn’t sure why this was happening, but it felt instinctive to observe. It was as if all emotions had been stripped away, and his consciousness had fused with every minute detail, inseparable.

The surging spiritual energy resembled a massive flood wave, rushing down from the spiritual root, sweeping through every meridian before gathering again and pouring frantically into the dantian.

Soon, the dantian became full and expanded, seemingly unable to contain any more spiritual energy. Yet, it remained insatiable, swiftly devouring all the aura in its path! Then, the formulas within Xu Ziqing’s body spun rapidly, guiding the trajectory of the spiritual power along the established route. At this moment, the dantian became like a whirlpool. After absorbing enough spiritual energy, it suddenly compressed! It felt as if all the spiritual energy had disappeared in an instant, leaving the dantian empty. But within this empty core, a single round droplet of water appeared.

No, perhaps it wasn’t just a droplet of water. It was something condensed and solid, more substantial than spiritual power.

Crystal clear and pure, this was pure energy devoid of impurities. The power contained within it surpassed ordinary spiritual power by a hundredfold or even a thousandfold!

True Essence!

After days of arduous effort, Xu Ziqing finally managed to condense the first droplet of true energy!

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