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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Seventy-Seven: Refining the Perfect Inner Pill
As night fell and heavy snow blanketed the mountains, a full moon and a few twinkling stars appeared strangely in the high sky.
Zhao Yang stood at the entrance of the Outer Sect cafeteria, gazing at the snow piled up to his waist. He felt increasingly puzzled and murmured, "Could it be artificially controlled snowfall? The humidity and temperature shouldn't allow for such heavy snow."
After saying this, Zhao Yang returned to his room. He had intended to further explore the mysteries of the Spirit Pearl, but with the snowstorm raging outside, he found it impossible to venture out. Since he had not yet reached the Foundation Establishment Stage, he could not sustain True Qi outside his body for long enough to ride the wind.
Meanwhile, atop a steep and beautiful peak among countless snowy mountains, a young woman sat playing a zither. There were no snowflakes around her; the music was sorrowful and resonant. The zither, made of jade, was ethereal and exquisite, featuring seven strings, though she only played the first five. In the lower right corner of the zither's surface was a small Yu character.
The woman's beauty was astonishing; she appeared no older than sixteen. Yet her demeanor was as cold as ice, with delicate brows slightly furrowed. Her long dress billowed in the cold wind, accentuating her graceful figure.
"Qingxue, it's time to return," another voice called out. A middle-aged beautiful woman appeared at the peak, her gaze soft as she addressed the young girl. "You think reaching Foundation Establishment Stage and Enlightenment is that easy? Your state of mind has already merged with the celestial phenomena. If you continue to ponder like this, Myriad Spirit Sect will soon be buried under snow."
Only then did the girl lift her gaze toward Myriad Spirit Sect below and realized that what the middle-aged woman said was indeed true. With a slight shift in her thoughts, the flying snow within a hundred miles immediately became fine like foam and soon stopped altogether.
"I'm sorry, Master. I was too eager," the girl apologized, though her expression remained as cold as frost.
"Silly child, come back with me," the middle-aged beautiful woman chuckled gently, her eyes filled with affection for the girl.
The girl nodded and followed the middle-aged woman as they flew toward a unique elder courtyard in the Inner Courtyard of Myriad Spirit Sect.
High above under the full moon, its light swayed, casting an enchanting glow on the girl's graceful figure, making her appear like Chang'e descending to earth—unlike anything mortal.
In the stillness of the night, Zhao Yang returned to his room and, illuminated by the bright candlelight, carefully examined the Spirit Pearl resting against his chest. The once clear and flawless jade now bore numerous speckles, some large and some small, distributed irregularly as if naturally formed within the gem. An oddly shaped Flood Dragon image coiled around the Spirit Pearl, appearing almost like a garment draped over it. Zhao Yang could not decipher its mysteries; he only knew that the Spirit Pearl would fluctuate in temperature when it encountered treasures, buzzing and vibrating to urge him to take action.
"This thing won't be trying to coax me into stealing anything it sees, will it? What if it leads me into a deadly trap from which I can't escape? That would be a tragedy," Zhao Yang muttered. He was aware that the Spirit Pearl possessed consciousness; otherwise, it wouldn't have been able to communicate. "If it finds out that I need to subdue spirit beasts as well, then I'm doomed. Who knows, it might even want me to dig out an inner core from some ancient serpent or something—I'd be in deep trouble."
After pondering for a while, Zhao Yang tried reciting some spells he had heard in his previous life, such as "Open Sesame," "Bodhi," and "Quickly as the Law Commands," hoping to see if the Spirit Pearl would change in any way. However, much to his disappointment, there was no response from the Spirit Pearl. He then infused his Chaos True Qi into it, but after emitting a brief burst of scorching light, it returned to calmness without any further change.
With no other options, Zhao Yang reluctantly put the Spirit Pearl back against his chest and began examining the inner core of the Jade Crawler within him. Since he had not yet reached the Foundation Establishment Stage and had not developed Divine Sense, he could not perform internal observation for now. However, relying on his strong senses and spiritual awareness while circulating True Qi throughout his body, he distinctly felt a pearl filled with mysterious energy floating above his Dantian within the Qi Sea. The pearl radiated a gentle secret power, its aura spreading like mist under the moonlight, with countless fine tendrils extending toward every corner of the Qi Sea as if trying to envelop it.
"This must be the inner core of the Jade Crawler. Truly remarkable! It is currently enhancing my foundation, supporting my Dantian and solidifying my Qi Sea while nourishing my Chaos True Qi, making it even more robust and powerful."
Zhao Yang decided to refine the inner core of the Jade Crawler right away. He slowly raised his arms; acupoints along his meridians lit up as intricate patterns appeared on his arms, shimmering brilliantly. The Spirit Energy stored within countless meridians was released to wash over the Jade Crawler's inner core in the Qi Sea while his Chaos True Qi circled around it, aiming to refine it.
Unbeknownst to anyone, countless strange lights were tracing peculiar trajectories behind Zhao Yang at that moment, resembling ancient celestial diagrams flashing by in an extraordinary display. First came a divine moon descending gracefully, followed by an unusual weapon appearing with a resonant clang—radiant and pure—while numerous rare treasures manifested amidst sounds of ritualistic chanting that echoed like ancient scriptures recited by a Buddha.
Zhao Yang's body was filled with endless points of light representing various major acupoints and hidden points within his meridians. His bones and organs pulsed rhythmically like a divine melody resonating with radiant treasure light that harmonized with the nourishing aura descending from the Jade Crawler's inner core.
In an instant, symbols behind Zhao Yang transformed; sounds of Dao resonated through him as clouds billowed and colors flowed vibrantly in a dazzling display.
Zhao Yang felt a definite change in his physique; his vital energy surged through him like an unstoppable tide as if he were on the verge of breaking through. However, he had only recently entered the ninth layer of Qi Refinement Stage. The Great Perfection was a path every cultivator had to traverse; Zhao Yang was no exception. Thus, he only heard sounds akin to bamboo shoots sprouting after rain within him but did not receive any indication of a breakthrough.
He sensed an overwhelming surge of potential within him; every cell felt as if it had been nourished by the perfect Flood Dragon's inner core—infused with boundless vitality. Countless previously dormant cells in his flesh and blood sprang back to life like parched earth meeting refreshing rain—new shoots bursting forth in vibrant competition for brilliance, imbued with an aura of rebirth. His once ordinary body received nourishment from Dao Fruit as if a desert were being irrigated by dew; this sudden awakening of potential left him astonished.
Suddenly, Zhao Yang had a wild thought: what if he charged straight into the Foundation Establishment Stage? Although he knew this was somewhat hasty, staying in the Outer Sect offered him no sense of challenge anymore; lingering here would not benefit his quest for enlightenment either.
With a determined heart, Zhao Yang felt a sense of calm settle within him. As the Enlightenment Realm descended, everything around him slowed down, yet his thoughts became remarkably clear. He sensed the Chaos True Qi within him, like a hidden dragon lying in wait, majestic and powerful, nourishing his vibrant life force. The Flood Dragon's inner elixir shone like a blazing sun, radiating intense light that illuminated all beings and nourished his cells.
Time passed without him noticing—perhaps an hour, a day, a month, or even a year. Zhao Yang felt as if he were an embryo being nurtured, undergoing an astonishing transformation.
This period was filled with indescribable torment, setbacks, bitterness, and trials for Zhao Yang. With his senses dulled but his receptivity heightened and thoughts sharper, memories of the past would flood back to him, bringing forth countless old grievances that affected his mood. He endured relentless suffering akin to purgatory, and time seemed to drag on painfully slow. Yet he managed to persevere.
The Spirit Energy sealed within him was depleting at an alarming rate. During the refining process, Zhao Yang consumed the Revitalizing Pill given to him by the Three Elders, along with thousands of Spirit Qi Pills he had gathered, all swallowed in one go.
Days passed, and various scenes continued to unfold behind Zhao Yang—beautiful figures like jade, supreme beings shedding blood, unparalleled divine weapons, dragons soaring and phoenixes dancing, and nine serpents paying homage.
Life surged within Zhao Yang until it roared like a tumultuous sea, breaking through his previous level and entering the Qi Refinement Stage's Great Perfection Realm. His physical body was now covered in a faint glow; he no longer appeared filthy after days without bathing but instead was free from any dust or grime.
When Zhao Yang opened the door again, he found the ground outside still blanketed in thick snow. Puzzled, he thought to himself, "It feels like I've been cultivating for at least three months; why is there still no sign of melting snow? Could it really have only been one night?"
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