章 9: Chapter 9: Qi Refinement Level 7
The next day, at dawn.
Lu Li opened his eyes, feeling the mana within his body had improved yet again, which made him extremely satisfied.
The sensation of his strength increasing bit by bit was truly enchanting.
He took out an Ice Spirit Fruit and swallowed it whole.
A very sweet taste instantly filled his entire mouth, juice splattered everywhere, and wisps of coolness circulated through his body.
Then, a warm current surged from his stomach, slowly spreading throughout his body.
After the warm current subsided, he paid close attention to the changes.
"Not bad, my mana has increased, and even my strength has grown considerably, quite noticeably."
If this fruit were to be consumed regularly, the effects would likely be astonishing, and the hope for Foundation Establishment would greatly increase.
Generally, Qi Cultivation disciples over sixty years old would slowly lose bodily functions, and the hope for Foundation Establishment would decline year by year.
Moreover, Foundation Establishment has "three barriers," Divine Sense, the physical body, and mana all need to meet the standard for Foundation Establishment.
If an old body with weakening life force is forced into Foundation Establishment, the majority end up dead and their path annihilated.
One of the reasons why Foundation Establishment pills are so precious is that they can allow those who fail at Foundation Establishment to survive.
..........
Time flies, and in a blink of an eye, the end of the year arrived.
Inside a secret chamber in the Sunset Peak cave.
Lu Li sat cross-legged on a cushion, his surroundings brimming with Spiritual Energy crazily rushing into his body, causing his meridians to swell.
He exerted his full effort to circulate the Vast Sea Kun Void Technique, aiming for the seventh layer.
Before long, an aura much stronger than before emerged in the secret chamber.
Lu Li opened his eyes and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.
"After nearly half a year of arduous cultivation, I have finally reached the seventh layer of Qi Cultivation."
During this past half-year, he had dived into the sea floor several times; aside from a few instances, he usually returned with some gains.
He only dared to roam within a thousand miles of Golden Qilin Island, and his cautious nature kept him from exploring further into the distant sea floor.
Thanks to a large number of Spirit Fruits from the sea floor, his cultivation progressed day by day, and even his physical body became extremely strong, enough to match a mid-stage Qi Cultivation Demon Beast.
That was just the short-term effect; if he were to consume Ice Spirit Fruits regularly and in large quantities, the result would likely be even more astonishing.
He felt the surging mana inside his body and was very satisfied.
This Cultivation Technique was truly extraordinary; with his current seventh-layer Qi Cultivation mana, it was almost equivalent to an ordinary eighth-layer Qi Cultivation level.
As for the top-tier Cultivation Techniques from the large sects of the Immortal Sect, their might was hard to comprehend, probably known only to a few true inheritors of those Sects.
Moreover, the past half-year saw the Green Spirit Python grow much, which was quite pleasing.
Lu Li stepped out of the cave and released "Iron Pillar."
"Ooooo..."
Upon being released, Iron Pillar couldn't help but emit sounds of joy.
Compared to before, its python body had undergone a transformation like heaven and earth.
Its nearly twenty-foot-tall body exerted a significant oppressive force, with scales as dark as ink, arranged neatly and tightly, its defensive power extremely formidable.
Its cultivation had also reached the seventh layer of Qi Cultivation.
It lowered its head to look at Lu Li, its eyes instantly softened, affectionately entwining around him.
Lu Li felt the spirit beast's presence, giving him an oppressive feeling; in the deep sea, he probably wouldn't be its match.
As a Demon Beast King, naturally possessing a profound foundation, it was not impossible for it to fight beyond its level.
This half-year, he fed the Green Spirit Python daily with Spiritual Liquid refined from Sea Floor Demon Beasts, with most of the liquid being used up on it.
Iron Pillar did not disappoint, becoming his strong support.
Lu Li let Iron Pillar play freely as he headed to a spirit field on the mountainside.
The entire spirit field was filled with Spirit Rice; each grain was plump, thoroughly translucent and glistening, and the air was rich with a fragrant aroma.
He summoned his Magic Artifact, swiftly harvested several acres of Spirit Rice, then turned over the soil of the spirit field and planted new rice seeds.
After completing this, he cast the Cloud Rain Skill over the entire spirit field.
He looked at the fruits of his labor, a look of satisfaction on his face.
This was already the third harvest of Spirit Rice this year.
Spirit Tooth Rice was a mid-grade first-order Spirit Rice, aiding mid-stage Qi Cultivation cultivators in increasing their mana, with one harvest per year.
Due to Lu Li's long-term use of the Spiritual Liquid from the refining pot to irrigate them, the ripening speed of the Spirit Tooth Rice was greatly accelerated, a result of his accidental experiment.
Over the past half year, the reason for the rapid advancement in his Qi Cultivation to the late stage could also be attributed to the prolonged consumption of Spirit Rice.
"This time, the harvested Spirit Rice shall be handed over to the family."
Having packed up the Spirit Rice, Lu Li planned to submit it to Third Aunt during the annual family meeting at the end of the year.
Just as he was about to return to his cave, he suddenly noticed several mortals anxiously pacing outside the array of Sunset Peak.
Lu Li frowned and leaped down to the base of Sunset Peak.
He opened the array and walked out.
He then saw the elder named Lu Qing, along with several middle-aged men, standing outside the array, looking very anxious and uneasy.
"Is there something urgent you need assistance with?"
Upon seeing Lu Li emerge, Lu Qing and the others were overjoyed.
"At last, Immortal Master Lu has come out; this old body has important matters to report. I am truly flustered to disturb the Immortal Master's cultivation."
Lu Li, with a calm expression, replied, "Just tell me what the issue is, and cut to the chase."
Lu Qing, with a sorrowful face, said, "Strange occurrences have been happening on Golden Qilin Island; every so often, our clansmen and livestock die, and their deaths are extremely terrifying. The island's inhabitants are panic-stricken."
"We had no choice but to trouble the Immortal Master. After many attempts, we finally managed to meet you."
Lu Li nodded his head, "Have the local authorities looked into it?"
If it were just ordinary mortal killings, he had no interest in intervening.
"The head of the local authorities, Elder Xing, had a look and determined it wasn't the work of humans; I'm afraid there's an evil creature breeding on the island!"
Lu Qing and the others promptly knelt on the ground, their faces filled with terror.
"Please, Immortal Master, rid us of this evil presence and restore peace to the island."
"Then I shall accompany you to take a look."
Lu Li walked slowly forward with his hands clasped behind his back.
Seeing Lu Li agreed to take action, the group followed behind him with joy on their faces.
To the northeast of Golden Qilin Island, near the sea, there was Golden Scale Town, a small town with just a few thousand inhabitants, mostly Lu Family mortals who had lived there for generations, making a living from the sea and leading a life of poverty.
Before long, Lu Li and the others arrived at a street.
The street was flanked by orderly stone houses, with the ground paved in large stones. Some houses had incense burners out front, and white cloth hung from the door curtains, creating a somewhat cluttered appearance.
It was the middle of the day, yet the street was depressingly quiet.
Lu Li, accompanied by the group, walked through the street and arrived in front of a much larger building.
Two stone lions were placed in front of the house.
Before even entering, they saw a sturdy middle-aged man who bore some resemblance to Lu Qing walking rapidly out.
"Immortal Master Lu graces us with his presence; this humble person is overcome with apprehension."
Lu Qing, too, stood beside him with a smile on his face, "Immortal Master Lu, this man is my son; he's responsible for the security on Golden Qilin Island."
Lu Li nodded and walked straight in.
"Are those bodies still here? Lead me to them," Lu Li asked.
Mentioning the bodies, Lu Qing wore an expression of fear, "They are currently in the backyard; we dared not dispose of them ourselves for fear of the evil creature."
He then led the way to the backyard.
The group passed through the main hall and into a courtyard.
Approaching, Lu Li could sense a faint evil aura permeating the air.
In the back of the yard lay seven or eight bodies covered with white cloths.
At that moment, Lu Li stepped forward, and had someone uncover the cloths, revealing several shriveled corpses.
Their manner of death was extremely tragic, blood completely drained from their bodies, leaving them like withered husks.
On their necks were two large holes, from which the evil aura seemed to emanate.
"This matter is now known to me; I will wait here in the coming days for the evil creature to appear again," Lu Li calmly informed the group.
With those words, he turned and walked away.
Lu Qing and the others, hearing this, showed faces of joy; the events of the past few days had left them restless and filled with dread.
............
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