After the Great Dao died

Chapter 56 Qi Circulation, Dao Foundation, Golden Palace, Golden Core, Nascent Soul

Chen Lingxi returned to the servants' quarters in the west courtyard under the moonlight.

Upon entering the room, the Concealed Edge Technique slowly retracted within the body, and the thin, resilient barrier that had been enveloping the spiritual energy loosened inch by inch. The azure energy in the dantian, like a living creature that had been imprisoned for a long time, finally gained its freedom, unfolding and slowly circulating through the meridians.

He let out a long sigh of relief, and his tense mind finally relaxed a little.

After changing his clothes, Chen Lingxi sat cross-legged and meticulously reviewed everything he had seen and heard that night at the Eastern Palace of the Golden-Inlaid King, word by word.

Wu Mohe's words came to mind.

"Lin Su came from the Chi Po Academy of the Daoist Academy and studied under the Golden Palace True Man Jing Shi Jue. This True Man also possessed a cauldron like the Hopeful Pool."

Lin Su Ri's origins, which he could only guess at before, were finally confirmed tonight.

"Golden Palace".

Chen Lingxi silently repeated these two words in her heart.

He recalled what Crown Prince Yingchi had said in the East Palace during the evolution of Chejue.

"Seeking the foundation of the Way, the foundation of the Golden Palace."

At the time, he thought the two words were obscure and strange, but now he has gradually come to appreciate their meaning.

The foundation of the Way lies ahead, the Golden Palace lies behind.

He then recalled what Ying Chi had said when he mentioned the Taoist priest at the academy.

"The academy's Daoist master is a Golden Core cultivator who has attained the position of True Lord. He wields the Golden Core Cauldron, the Heaven-Fixing Brush, which can determine a person's destiny. It is said that on the day he breaks through his cultivation, he is very likely to ascend to the Nascent Soul stage, hold the Mysterious Throne, and become a Mysterious Lord."

Qi circulation, Dao foundation, Golden Palace, Golden Elixir, Nascent Soul.

These five words appeared in his mind one after another.

He is currently only at the third level of Qi cultivation, and the azure Qi within his body is no more than the thickness of an infant's arm, yet he can still unleash the Purple True Treasure Qi to kill the Silver Bone Perfection Beard with a single blow.

Although it was due to the advantage of being intimidated by the Dragon's Roar technique, and although the Purple True Treasure Qi itself was incomparably sharp, its strength in Qi cultivation was beyond doubt.

The third floor of the Qi circulation system is already so extraordinary.

What about Lin Su Ri?

Chen Ling closed her eyes and recalled everything she had seen during her visit.

He had seen Lin Suri draw his bow and condense a golden arrow, which shot into the clouds and disappeared without a trace; he had seen him use spiritual energy to activate the incense burner, trapping the Purple True Treasure Qi inside and refining it day and night until it was completely consumed; he had also seen him levitate three zhang in the air, his robes fluttering, just like an immortal god in the world.

That kind of power was far beyond his current comprehension.

In addition, Lin Suri exchanged the Spirit Pearl for the Candle of Time, and at the cost of twenty years of his lifespan, he gained the opportunity to break through the sixth floor.

"Lin Suri obtained the spirit amber and has been refining it for so long that he has probably already climbed from the fifth floor to the sixth floor."

Chen Ling made an estimate in his mind.

He circulated his Qi to the sixth floor, drew his bow and shot at the Dipper, displaying his overwhelming power.

"There are extraordinary martial arts in this world, but their upper limit is far lower than that of the path of immortal cultivation."

The path of martial arts involves the stages of Iron Body, Copper Red, Silver Bones, Golden Body, Jade Qi, Nine Revolutions, and Entering the Profound Realm.

"Now that I think about it, the lightning bolt that Lu Baizhong used to kill me in the Complete Awakening Divine Power was truly incredibly powerful. Lin Suri was able to contend with him, so his combat strength must be no less than Lu Baizhong's." He tried to compare them in his mind: "Therefore, Lin Suri's combat strength is even stronger than Zhao Qinglou and Zhao Yong."

Zhao Qinglou had achieved the Great Perfection of the Golden Body, his body radiating golden light like the sun, and the sound of the golden bell was deep and resonant, suggesting that he had probably mastered the Purple Grinding Wheel.

Zhao Yong was also a Golden Body Realm expert, with his Qi and blood forming threads and his ability to transmit sound in secret, which he kept hidden in the Marquis's mansion.

But compared to Lin Su Ri, they are like fireflies compared to the bright moon.

"Lin Su's daily Qi circulation reaches the sixth level, which is very likely to be comparable to Jade Qi, or even the ninth level."

Chen Lingxi made up her mind.

He then thought of Crown Prince Ying Chi, Lu Baizhong, and the monk surnamed Chao.

"These people all have masters in the Great World. Ying Chi comes from the Southern Heaven Domain, Lu Baizhong's origin is unknown, and Lin Su Ri speculates that the cultivator surnamed Chao comes from Chi Yun Yi."

He squinted, thinking of another thing Wu Mohe had said.

"This grotto-heaven is not a realm of Qi. Now that it has been exposed to the world, you should know the fate of this grotto-heaven and the creatures within it."

Since we're all going to die eventually, what difference does it make whether it's sooner or later?

He listened to these words with a calm expression, but his heart was in turmoil.

Even now, recalling it again, I still feel a sense of surprise and doubt!

"Dongtian" (洞天).

He uttered those two words in a low voice.

The world he lived in contained the Great Li Kingdom, the Great Zhou Kingdom, dozens of smaller kingdoms, countless islands, and hundreds of millions of living beings.

In Wu Mohe's words, this was nothing more than a grotto-heaven.

A grotto-heaven exposed to the elements, where all living beings "will eventually die."

"About a billion people, are they all going to die?"

He muttered to himself, his voice tinged with disbelief.

The moonlight outside the window had dimmed a bit at some point. A cloud passed in front of the moon, briefly swallowing the shadows of the old locust trees outside the courtyard before reappearing.

Chen Lingxi sat in the darkness for a moment, then suddenly shook his head.

He recalled the tone of Wu Mohe's voice when he said those words.

There was no intimidation or threat, only calm.

The survival of a celestial realm, the life and death of a billion people, is not worth mentioning too much.

"They don't care."

Chen Lingxi understood.

Wu Mohe didn't care, Lin Su Ri didn't care, Ying Chi didn't care.

These cultivators from the Great World come to this grotto-heaven seeking truth, cauldrons, and opportunities. Their goal is to attain spiritual apertures, the foundation of the Dao, the Golden Palace, and the Golden Core and Nascent Soul.

The fate of the indigenous people in the cave was not of their concern.

"Those who seek the truth all have powerful backers and may be able to leave this grotto-heaven, but me..."

Chen Lingxi's mind was in turmoil.

When the grotto-heaven is destroyed, what will he do?

He had no teacher, no powerful backer, no real secrets, and even the method of circulating qi was learned by stealth.

If he wants to live, what can he rely on?

Chen Ling thought for a moment, then her consciousness entered the divine chamber space.

The shrine was shrouded in mist, and tadpole-shaped characters floated in the air.

[Progress of Thorough Awakening and Energy Replenishment: 12.6%]

"The progress of Chejue's replenishment is too slow."

He closed his eyes and pondered.

His greatest source of confidence lies in his two supernatural abilities: seeing and traveling, and thoroughly understanding.

The journey allowed him to glimpse Lin Su Ri's whereabouts, cultivation level, and plans. It also allowed him to secretly learn the Six Qi True Method from the breathing technique and to learn about the secrets of the Purple True Treasure Qi, the Ancestral Mountain Mother Qi, and the fragments of the cauldron.

Chejue allowed him to foresee the future, and he obtained the Qingfeng and Cangfeng techniques, the Qiankun Bag, and the Longhe technique from the Crown Prince.

"How can I speed up the process of fully awakening and replenishing my vital energy?"

Chen Lingxi immediately thought of the Beast Fighting Palace.

"Touching or using treasures like the cauldrons, such as the Beast Fighting Palace, seems to significantly increase the progress of replenishing vital energy."

"Oh, right! And the willow tree too."

He thought of the unusually thick willow tree in Willow Street.

When he touched the willow tree that day, the progress of replenishing his vital energy with the Chejue Divine Power jumped from four percent to fifty-two percent.

He was greatly surprised at the time, but because he did not know the details, he did not rashly use his spiritual energy to investigate further.

Looking back now, that willow tree was no ordinary thing.

"Could that willow tree also be a fragment of a bronze vessel?"

Chen Lingxi pondered in her heart.

If it truly is a fragment of a cauldron, then touching it can accelerate the replenishment of vital energy in the Chejue Divine Power, which makes sense.

In the Beast Fighting Palace, he used spiritual energy and blood to sacrifice to the cauldron-shaped human face, and his energy replenishment progress jumped from 99% to 100%. His Thorough Enlightenment Divine Power also underwent a transformation, gaining the new ability to "steal spiritual energy".

If the willow tree in Ruoliu Street is indeed a fragment of a cauldron, he should go there again and examine it carefully with his spiritual energy; perhaps he can find something there.

Chen Ling was excited; he even stood up.

But after a few breaths, he slowly sat down again.

"What if it isn't?"

He recalled the rumors about the plague circulating in Willow Street, and the strange fact that those who moved in died of the disease within a year.

"If it is a demonic or evil creature, rashly using spiritual energy to investigate it may only result in harm."

He weighed the options in his mind.

Although he is in a hurry, he cannot lose his composure.

The fact that Lin Suri, Ying Chi, and Lu Baizhong, these cultivators from beyond the realm, are still in Yuanjiang Prefecture, still plotting to obtain the ancestral mountain's mother energy and the fragments of the cauldron, indicates that this grotto-heaven has not yet reached the point of collapse.

He still has time, and he needs to proceed steadily and surely, without being too hasty or taking unnecessary risks.

Chen Lingxi gathered his thoughts and began to practice breathing exercises.

As night deepened, all was quiet.

-

For the next few days, Chen Ling stayed indoors without leaving the house.

He practices swordsmanship during the day and takes ordinary Qi and Blood Pills at night, constantly practicing breathing exercises.

Every day, the radar remains unmoved as tourists are seen.

On this day, Chen Lingxi went on a tour and saw Lin Su Ri sitting cross-legged, holding the [Spirit Amber] bestowed by the Time Candle in his hand.

"This amber is much smaller, only the size of a peanut. I'm afraid it will be used up soon."

Seeing the broken incense burner, he pondered in his heart, a hint of worry appearing in his eyes, and his gaze fell on the incense burner on the table.

He is now certain that Lin Su Ri is using these incense burners as a medium to extract spiritual energy from the cocoon of heaven and earth.

The various incense burners in the Baosu Marquis's mansion, when combined, form a kind of array.

He himself was also using the spiritual energy within the formation to cultivate.

"When my Qi cultivation was still weak, I didn't need much spiritual energy for breathing, and the amount I got from the formation was negligible, so Lin Suri wouldn't have noticed."

Later, as my cultivation level increased, Lin Suri continued to absorb the spiritual energy within the amber, unaware that the spiritual energy gathered by the array was decreasing.

Chen Lingxi frowned slightly.

Now he has reached the third level of Qi cultivation, and his spiritual energy is much stronger. The amount of spiritual energy he needs to breathe every day is much greater than before.

If they continue to rely on the spiritual energy in the Marquis's mansion for cultivation, Lin Su will eventually find out when he runs out of spiritual amber.

"We can no longer use breathing exercises to cultivate ourselves in the Marquis's residence."

Chen Lingxi made a decision in her heart: "I still have a lot of silver on hand. If I buy more pills, I can last for a while. If I can successfully obtain the Qi Gathering Pill, I won't have to worry about spiritual energy for a short time."

Upon realizing this, Chen Lingxi immediately took out a silver note, counted out eight hundred taels, changed into a set of fine clothes he had bought, and held a folding fan, looking just like a dashing young gentleman.

He pushed open the door and stepped out, avoiding the servants on the road. He circulated the Concealed Edge Technique within his body, completely concealing his aura, and quietly left the mansion.

I left at dusk, and returned late at night.

"Eight hundred taels of silver may seem like a huge sum, but once it gets involved in cultivation, it really doesn't last long."

Chen Lingxi looked at the many medicine bottles on the table in front of her and sighed.

There were more than ten medicine bottles, which he obtained by concealing his presence and visiting more than ten pharmacies throughout the city.

"With so many pills, if I were an ordinary cultivator of Qi and Blood, I'm afraid the accumulation of pill toxins would damage my foundation."

The wonder of spiritual energy lies in this: it can dispel the poisons and impurities of elixirs, absorb the vital energy and nutrients within, and seize the faint spiritual energy within.

A small incident occurred while I was buying the medicine.

Two pharmacies, seeing that he was a stranger and that he was very generous, secretly sent people to follow him.

I don't know what they want to do.

Having witnessed Wu Mohe's mystery and learned some of the secrets of the cave, Chen Lingxi had lost interest in such worldly struggles. He simply shook off his pursuers and returned to the Baosu Marquis's residence.

Swallowing pills and practicing martial arts.

Two or three days later, the Marquis's residence gradually became busier.

News from all sides poured in.

It is said that the imperial concubine would leave the palace in the dead of winter, December, to enjoy the scenery and admire the snow.

Yuanjiang Prefecture was prominently featured on the travel route.

There are even rumors that the Imperial Concubine does not intend to stay at the official residence of the government office, but will instead stay at the residence of Marquis Baosu.

The Baosu Marquis's Mansion was a hereditary marquisate, comparable to many princely mansions in the capital.

The East Courtyard had been vacant for a long time, and Lin Longyue ordered it to be renovated.

The roof tiles were renovated, the pillars were repainted, the curtains were replaced, and the furnishings were arranged. The rare and precious paintings and calligraphy purchased from the capital alone filled several large carts.

The west courtyard was also affected, with a constant stream of craftsmen, purchasing agents, and managers coming and going.

Chen Lingxi continued his cultivation peacefully and was not greatly affected.

Until one day at noon, Liu Zhu came and knocked on the door.

"Miss has sent word that you should go to Young Master Yang's Qingjiang Villa."