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墨書 Inktalez
Li Hong was in seclusion in the Underground, unaware that the entire Nine Li Cave Heaven had been turned upside down in search of him. However, this Underground cave was so hidden that no one had discovered it.
Emerging from the ground and gazing at the long-lost daylight, Li Hong let out a long sigh and closed his eyes to savor the floral fragrance carried by the wind.
Silver Ball followed him out of the ground, nudging against him. Li Hong reached out to stroke its smooth scales and said reluctantly, "Silver Ball, I will come to see you again. Thank you for everything this time; take care of yourself."
He soared into the sky on his sword, spiraling upward amidst Silver Ball's reluctant gaze, disappearing in an instant.
In the Nine Li Great Hall, Ling Xuzi was sternly reprimanding Chu Huai: "I told you to take care of your junior brother, but instead, you took the last Fire Jade Cave for yourself and left Chu Hong outside! Now that he is lost, your Spirit Stone Master Uncle has been frantic for months without practicing, searching day and night for him. He even mobilized the entire Nine Vermilion Peaks, with a large group digging three feet into the ground at Mountain Gate every day. Elder Yue Changzi has heavily punished his eldest disciple for this and sent many people to search everywhere. It has been chaotic for several months now, yet there is still no news. How do you plan to clean up this mess?"
Chu Huai dared not argue back, feeling both anxious and angry. That guy had dared to go out on his own while looking for a place to cultivate by Fire Lake; he was too bold and had dragged himself into trouble. When he found him, he would make him pay!
Spirit Stone's eyes were vacant. Out of respect for Ling Xuzi, he reluctantly spoke a few words in favor of Chu Huai, but anyone could tell he was insincere.
Ling Xiangzi was also present. The few words Chu Huai had said to Chu Xi were immediately relayed to her, which made her furious; she just refrained from speaking out due to Chu Xi's reputation.
At this moment, she glared and erupted: "Don't be so hypocritical! You know very well what good deeds you've done! Putting on a facade in front of others while being different behind their backs—who are you trying to fool? Do you think we at Nine Purple Peak are easy to bully?"
Her words were sharp and unrestrained, leaving Spirit Stone and Ling Xuzi exchanging confused glances, unsure of what she meant. Only Chu Huai understood; his face turned pale with anger.
Ling Xiangzi was about to suggest that Ling Xuzi take on her "Captain" title when suddenly Ling Panzai burst into the hall shouting: "Reporting to the Sect Leader, Chu Hong has returned!"
Spirit Stone jumped up. "Where has that kid been? Where is he?"
"I’m back." Li Hong walked into the hall nonchalantly, his steps light and a bushy beard swaying beneath his chin.
He looked much taller and stronger than before he went missing; now he resembled a fully grown man. He still wore that white Fire Rat Robe, though it appeared a bit short on him now. His long hair was casually tied up with a branch adorned with green leaves.
With his light steps and cheerful smile, despite his disheveled appearance, he still looked quite appealing. Spirit Stone was stunned; was this really his sixth disciple? He seemed like a completely different person. However, upon closer inspection, he noticed that although Li Hong's appearance had become rougher, those bright black eyes remained unchanged—narrow and sharp with an inner brilliance that was very perceptive. In an instant, he took in everyone's expressions.
"Greetings to the Sect Leader and Master Uncle!" Li Hong bowed deeply before straightening up with a grin. "Fortunately, I thought I would miss this new disciple competition; I didn't expect there would still be two months left." He turned to Chu Huai and said, "I hope Senior Brother Chu Huai will guide me."
Thinking about how he had just been scolded by his elders and seeing Li Hong's carefree demeanor made Chu Huai even angrier. He forced a smile but quickly froze when he took another look at Li Hong. This guy had actually reached the same cultivation level as himself; they were both at the Initial Stage of Caution!
Little did he know that Li Hong's true cultivation level was already at the Late Stage of Heart Refinement, just one step away from forming his Golden Core. This was still due to the Six Spirit Salty Ritual that had artificially lowered his visible cultivation by five levels.
After a while, Chu Huai came back to his senses and forced a smile, saying, "Congratulations, Junior Brother, on your advancement."
He could tell that everyone in the hall noticed it even more.
Spirit Stone happily stepped forward and patted Li Hong's shoulder vigorously—upon this pat, he realized that Li Hong was now half a head taller than him. He exclaimed, "Good lad! Where have you been in seclusion? Master was almost worried sick!"
Li Hong felt touched; he could clearly see the concern and relief in Spirit Stone's eyes as they had been fixed on him. He laughed heartily, "The Nine Li Cave Heaven is so vast with so many good places; how could Master know all of them? Naturally, I went to enjoy the benefits."
Ling Xiangzi snorted from her nose and mocked, "Now that you're back and your cultivation has improved, everyone can finally disperse. No need to keep fumbling around the Nine Li Sect." After saying this, she summoned the White Reed and flew away.
Spirit Stone laughed heartily, apologized briefly, and took Li Hong along with him.
The great hall quickly fell silent. Chu Huai felt a mix of emotions and reluctantly called out to his master.
Ling Xuzi sighed deeply and said, "You need to undergo more training in the future. Go on; I’ll grant you three days off. You should rest well; this matter ends here." He couldn't bear to scold Chu Huai any further.
Chu Huai respectfully complied and walked towards the Corner Gate at the back of the hall, his figure appearing much more relaxed. As he walked, he thought that he had finally shed the annoying blame. That brat Chu Hong would still be under his watch; with such audacity, hmph! He wouldn't need to take action himself; someone would surely intervene. By then… a faint smirk appeared at the corner of his mouth.
********
Li Hong took a refreshing bath and ironed his Fire Rat Robe three times over the fire to remove the dirt before putting it back on. After securing his Dragon Tail Whip, he inadvertently caught sight of his bushy beard in the reflection of the water bucket. After thinking for a moment, he reached up to stroke his chin. As his hand passed over it, hairs fell away one by one until his chin was left smooth and clean.
After checking himself in the water, Li Hong walked into the living room.
Chuxiong had been waiting for him; several small dishes and two large jugs of wine were laid out on the table. He shouted, "Come here! Tell me where you’ve been in seclusion for these eight months and how you gained such benefits!"
Li Hong smiled mysteriously and deliberately kept him guessing to pique Chuxiong's interest.
Chuxiong's face was glowing; it was clear that he had made significant progress over these eight months as well—he had reached the late stage of Qi Refinement and advanced another level. He cheerfully pulled out two small jade bottles from his pocket to show off to Li Hong, each containing three Elixirs—Supplementary Spirit Pills and Fire Origin Pills. His rewards were already in hand.
"Big Brother, you might not know this, but I feel like I'm lagging behind; Chu Xia Girl actually advanced to the Initial Stage of Caution! It’s said she might advance another level before setting off—impressive, right? Even you can't compare!" Chuxiong exclaimed in amazement.
Li Hong felt a jolt in his heart; it was happening too fast! He remembered that when he first entered seclusion, Chu Xi had just reached the late stage of Qi Refinement. Now she had jumped so quickly to the early stage of Prudent Practice.
The transition from Qi Refinement to Prudent Practice can be considered a qualitative leap. By the time one reaches the Cautious Phase, they can wield Flying Sword artifacts. Chu Xi surprisingly advanced to the Initial Stage of Caution in just eight months, faster than his own progress! It seems that aside from receiving the rewarded Supplementary Spirit Pill and Fire Origin Pill, he must have received considerable help from Ling Xiangzi. This is simply akin to pulling up seedlings to help them grow.
However, with the upcoming newcomer competition in two months, improving strength is indeed quite important. As for any potential side effects, they can only be observed over time. Li Hong smiled and decided not to dwell on this issue any longer.
Chuxiong enthusiastically introduced that Chuxuan is now at the late stage of Qi Refinement, while Chu Liang is at the Qi Refinement Stage. Most people have only advanced one level. Among those transitioning from Qi Refinement Stage to late Qi Refinement, only Chu Xi has made the fastest progress.
Li Hong thought for a moment, and with a flicker of inspiration, he recalled the vast array of colorful crystals in his Cosmic Bag. He wanted to take one out to show Chuxiong. At that moment, he suddenly realized a series of terms popping into his mind—Cosmic Bag had assigned names and attributes to the colorful crystals, something he hadn’t noticed while frantically digging for treasures earlier.
“Supreme Celestial Stone, all five elements are complete.”
Supreme Celestial Stone? Just hearing the name sounds extraordinary. Does it mean this item was always there and not something only he could see or use? Moreover, it even has classifications of upper, middle, lower, and exquisite grades? He really struck gold!
Li Hong was overjoyed as he looked at Chuxiong, who appeared puzzled and couldn’t stop smiling. He took out a thumb-sized Supreme Celestial Stone and handed it over, saying, “Try absorbing it and see if it helps your cultivation.”
“What a beautiful gem!” This was Chuxiong's first thought. He turned it over in his hands for quite a while before finally holding the Supreme Celestial Stone tightly and closing his eyes. A visible crimson light slowly erupted from his body, making him appear as if he was glowing from within.
He was operating the Li Fire Scripture.
Li Hong didn’t rush him; he continued eating his meal while barely touching his drink.
As the firelight within Chuxiong dimmed, he opened his eyes and shook his head: “It does contain some Fire Spirit Energy; although it's pure, it's still not as much as that exquisite large fire jade brick you gave me. But this thing is so beautiful! What do you think about giving it to my mother to make some jewelry?” He completely regarded this Supreme Celestial Stone as a gem.
Li Hong rolled his eyes and quickly snatched it back from him. Since this item was recognized by the Cosmic Bag and named Supreme Celestial Stone, it might have significant origins. He said, “I rely on it for cultivating the Six Spirit Salty Ritual; you can't absorb it or waste it.”
Chuxiong chuckled foolishly. The two chatted about the Celestial Sect Grand Tournament when suddenly they heard someone outside say: “Hey! You two brothers are here drinking but forgot about me!”
Yun Jiuzi strode in with a shiny yellow wine gourd in hand.
Li Hong was delighted; just as he was thinking about going to see him, he showed up! He cheerfully pulled over a bamboo chair and said without hesitation: “Sit down; I’ll get you some chopsticks.”
“Don’t forget about me.” Another voice came from outside as Yue Changzi entered with Ling Yizi. The two were not surprised to see Yun Jiuzi; it seemed they had encountered each other on the way and were already aware of each other's presence. However, they still observed proper etiquette and greeted Yun Jiuzi first.
Yun Jiuzi accepted their greetings gracefully and glanced at the blue Porcelain Bottle in Yue Changzi's hand, smiling: “Looks like I’ll have to favor you; your wine is better than mine!” He snatched the Porcelain Bottle away and boldly sat down in the bamboo chair Li Hong had pulled out for him, pouring wine directly into his mouth.
Seeing him being accommodating, Yue Changzi was very happy and chuckled.
Li Hong quickly added more seats and bowls for them. Just as Yue Changzi and Ling Yizi took their seats, they saw Yun Jiuzi put down the Porcelain Bottle and call out, "Since you're here, why are you standing outside? Come in!"
From the dark distance, a figure slowly approached; it was Spirit Stone. He seemed a bit shy, his old face slightly flushed, holding a jade bottle of Nine-Turn Soul-Severing Wine. He presented the jade bottle to Yun Jiuzi and said softly, "Great-Granduncle came to Nine Vermilion Peaks, and I brought this to honor you."
Seeing him so formal, Yun Jiuzi felt somewhat displeased and furrowed his brow slightly.
Li Hong understood Yun Jiuzi's temperament best. He smiled and vacated his seat for Spirit Stone, deliberately trying to lighten the mood by patting Spirit Stone on the shoulder and teasing, "Master, why are you acting all shy like a young girl? Don't worry, Great-Granduncle is here for drinks, not for you!"
"Haha!" Yue Changzi burst into laughter, and even Chuxiong couldn't hold back, scratching his head and chuckling beside them.
With this distraction, Spirit Stone shot a glare at Li Hong but soon relaxed. It wasn't entirely his fault; Yun Jiuzi hardly paid attention to even the sect leader Ling Xuzi, so Spirit Stone never expected him to have such an approachable side. After a few drinks, Spirit Stone gradually loosened up and realized that Yun Jiuzi was actually easy to get along with. His persistent gratitude for the life-saving favor slowly faded but greatly benefited his cultivation.
While Spirit Stone was still somewhat naive, Yun Jiuzi had already understood. He smiled slightly without pointing it out.
Cultivating immortality is about cultivating the heart; as one's mindset improves, cultivation naturally follows. In Yun Jiuzi's view, although Spirit Stone had considerable talent, he was too closely following Sect Leader Ling Xuzi with too many mundane affairs and distractions, which hindered his progress in cultivation. After today, if Spirit Stone comprehended this, his cultivation would surely reach a new level.
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