Chapter 10: The Sixth Layer of Body Refinement
On the sixth day, Tu Ze and others continued their search for Starry Essence Iron, while Qin Lie resumed his search for Ice Stem Grass, everything remained as usual
The entire ice stem grass was pulled out, measuring no more than half a meter in length, with a rhizome only two fingers in thickness
Over the past five days, Tu Ze and the other six have devoted all their energy to the search for Starry Essence Iron. The seven of them are unsure if their luck is simply too poor, as their harvest has been far from impressive. Together, they have only managed to obtain about ten small pieces of Starry Essence Iron, which is still insufficient to meet Tu Ze's individual needs for refining.
The crowd tightened their clothing, gazing at the knee-high weeds and shrubs in the valley, and used their weapons to carve a path into the depths of the valley
Ice Stem Grass is a fifth-grade spiritual herb of the common level, serving as the core ingredient for refining the Hundred Meridians Pill. The Hundred Meridians Pill enhances the toughness of the meridians, allowing the flow speed of spiritual energy within a warrior's channels to increase, thereby accelerating the warrior's ability to refine spirit stones and beast cores
After all, if he were to go to the pond alone, he would find himself in a dire situation if he encountered the Ice Spirit Python, facing a life-and-death predicament.
Tu Ze, Zhuo Xi, and others ignored Kang Zhi's contemptuous expression, their eager gazes fixated on a small piece of bright silver gravel, and soon everyone erupted in cheers, each one invigorated as they dove back into the depths of the pool
Zhuo Xi adjusted her stance, her athletic legs in a lunge position. With one hand on the arrow, she quickly bent the longbow to its limit, readying herself first for the impending battle.
Its swimming speed is astonishingly fast, and its body is extremely agile. Within its deep dark green eyes, a sinister glow shines, captivating the heart and mind
One, two, three, four, five, six
The remaining six individuals, all laughing heartily, took turns diving into the pool. First, they rinsed off their bodies, and then they all submerged to the bottom of the pond
The Ice Spirit Python has a shimmering white body adorned with cloud-like patterns. Its head is triangular in shape, and as it opens and closes its mouth, a frosty white mist surges forth, chilling to the bone
In the book he holds, there is a statue of his grandfather. According to his grandfather, in certain specific locations where spiritual beasts reside, that statue can serve a purpose
Suddenly, from the distant thicket, came the strange sound of a python rapidly flicking its tongue.
Qin Lie exhaled deeply, ceased the infusion of spiritual power, and his eyes gradually brightened, filled with confidence and anticipation for the future
Qin Lie observed for a while and, seeing that they had already begun searching for Starry Essence Iron, also started to wander around the crevices of the stones and the aquatic plants by the pond.
Of course, confirming that there is ice stem grass here, the outcome will naturally be entirely different
At night, Qin Lie borrowed a piece of Boundary Testing Stone from Tu Ze and quietly tested his true realm, avoiding the seven people.
Tu Ze and the others are unable to do so
A blue light represented a realm of existence. As Qin Lie's spiritual power increased, the blue light on the surface of the measuring stone emerged one after another.
The excited and maniacal laughter of the chubby Kang Zhi came from a corner of the pond, as he held a piece of bright silver gravel, no larger than a fingernail, shaking it continuously
Starlight Iron is a seventh-grade spiritual material of the mortal level. It is said that this material consists of fragments that fell to the mortal realm after the explosion of stars in the sky. When refined and integrated into spiritual tools, it can significantly enhance the toughness of the tools, making it a rather rare and extraordinary item
Upon hearing these words, everyone forced a laugh, realizing that their own performance had been somewhat inadequate
As Qin Lie was fiddling with a patch of seaweed, a sudden chill gripped his heart, and his complexion changed drastically. Without a moment's thought, he seized the largest stone beside him and hurled it forcefully into the center of the pool, simultaneously shouting, "There is an Ice Soul Python!"
Except for Tuo Ze Zhuo Xi, everyone else appeared troubled. At this moment, Zhuo Xi coldly spoke: "The Ice Soul Python is indeed more formidable than the Shadow Electric Eagle, but this spirit beast never gathers in groups; it always acts alone. When comparing a single Ice Soul Python to over thirty Shadow Electric Eagles, which poses a greater challenge? With the seven of us, plus Qin Lie, can we really not handle a single Ice Soul Python? Moreover, it’s not certain that we will even encounter one. Look at how scared you all are. Isn’t it embarrassing?"
Five days have passed in the blink of an eye
Before long, an inconspicuous blade of grass suddenly caught his eye. Qin Lie's expression brightened with joy as he immediately leaned forward, carefully pulling the ice stem grass up from a patch of weeds and algae.
While conversing all the way, under his guidance, a group of eight finally arrived at the valley he had mentioned at noon
The Ice Spirit Python is a second-tier spiritual beast, comparable to a martial artist at the Opening Origin Realm. Its single-target lethality is far more terrifying than that of the Shadow Electric Eagle. A blast of cold air surges forth, making it very difficult for martial artists at the Body Refinement Realm to withstand.
On the way to the valley's water pool, Kang Zhi turned his head, a苦笑 appearing on his chubby face, clearly showing some concern
"Ice Spirit Python!" Qin Lie frowned and said, "There are Ice Spirit Pythons active near the water pool. Sometimes, the Ice Spirit Pythons go to the pool to wash off the mud on their bodies. If one is unfortunate enough to encounter an Ice Spirit Python, it could lead to some trouble"
Sixth Layer of Body Refinement
A woman's nature is to appreciate cleanliness and simplicity. Usually carefree and unrestrained, Zhuo Xi could not contain herself at this moment, laughing charmingly and gracefully leaping into the water pool
By the edge of the pond, Qin Lie moved neither hastily nor slowly, maintaining a calm demeanor as he carefully searched...
Tu Ze and others were quite moved by his statement, and the gazes of the crowd towards him became increasingly friendly
The leaves of the ice stem grass are a bluish-brown color, feeling slightly cold to the touch. The surface of the leaves is covered with fine lines, which at first glance resemble the meridians of the human body, containing a certain mystery
The testing stone is a rhombic polyhedron, crystal clear and slightly glowing under the moonlight, specifically used to assess the realm level of martial artists
The spiritual sea has not yet been completely saturated with spiritual energy; with the refinement of the beast core, there should still be a certain degree of enhancement. Once the spiritual sea is truly filled with spiritual power, it is possible that... it could reach the level of the Seventh Layer of Body Refinement
It is evident that the Ice Spirit Python is not easy to deal with
The knee-high shrubs were broken in succession, accompanied by the sound of splintering wood, the splashing of shattered stones, and the howls emitted by the spirit beasts as they twisted and coiled together.
He willingly accompanied them to the pond, not because of a deep friendship with Tu Ze and Zhuo Xi, but for the sake of the ice stem grass
Upon confirming the presence of star iron at the bottom of the pool, the seven individuals became invigorated as if they had been injected with adrenaline, moving about in the water, only surfacing occasionally to catch their breath when they could no longer hold it.
Qin Lie nodded
Directly swallowing Ice Stem Grass can achieve similar effects, helping Qin Lie to quickly refine the lightning power within the beast core and accelerate his accumulation of spiritual energy
At the bottom of the pond, Tu Ze, Zhuo Xi, and others, upon hearing the raucous laughter from above, surfaced one after another. They saw Kang Zhi shaking his head and boasting shamelessly about being the "Chosen One" and the "Darling of the Earth" among other self-aggrandizing remarks.
It has come!" Kang Zhi screamed
Holding his breath and concentrating, Qin Lie gradually gathered the spiritual power from the Spirit Sea into the palm-sized Measuring Stone. A clear blue light gradually appeared on the smoothest side of the Measuring Stone.
Without the seven from Tuze, he would never take risks at this stage. Now that he has seven companions, he naturally wants to seize the opportunity
Upon hearing about the Ice Soul Python, everyone visibly changed their expressions, secretly alarmed.
Not long after, a python nearly nine meters long and as thick as a water barrel suddenly appeared
The Ice Spirit Python is an amphibious spirit beast, possessing formidable combat capabilities both in water and on land. It can exert its strength in ponds without being affected by the water flow
As expected, a pool of water suddenly appeared in the center of the valley. The pool was surrounded by dense aquatic plants, and a light mist lingered over the surface of the water. At first glance, the mist in the valley created a uniquely beautiful and ethereal landscape.
No, I will go with you all. " Qin Lie shook his head, his slightly youthful face displaying a calm and composed demeanor, "You need me to guide the way, and besides, I also need to go to that pond to find something...
Haha! I found it, I found a bit of starlight iron, it really exists!
What do you mean by encountering things that should not be encountered
If Qin Lie had not obtained his grandfather's map and was unaware of the presence of ice stem grass in this area, even if he were active nearby, it would be quite difficult for him to discover the existence of ice stem grass without a meticulous excavation.
The ice stem grass is only about half the length of a forearm, often with the other half wedged between the stones, leaving very little exposed above the water's surface. It is frequently mixed in with weeds and algae, making it generally difficult to detect
In the pond, as heavy stones fell one after another, the seven members of the Tuze were startled. They quickly surfaced and rushed towards the direction where Qin Lie was waving.
In the midst of the furious shouts, Qin Lie swiftly moved away from the direction of the eerie howling, trying to avoid any solitary encounters with the Ice Soul Python
In the frigid mountain range, there are countless valleys, none of which bear names. This may be due to their proximity to the snow-capped peaks and glaciers. Within the valleys, the cold winds blow fiercely, far more chilling than the desolate and cold ridges.
Hiss! Hiss!
Ah! The pond water is really quite cold!" Suddenly revealing his wet head, Tu Ze laughed heartily, "Come on in and take a good bath! After being in the mountains for so long, this is the first time I've seen such clean water; we must not miss this opportunity.
As a result, he survived, but the spiritual weapon, the Fire Cloud Hammer, was rendered useless. If it had not been for Qin Shan helping him with the repairs, that spiritual weapon would have been completely destroyed
However, that pond is not included, and the Ice Spirit Python was not mentioned by his grandfather; the statue is clearly not useful
The bright silver gravel, resembling a rare metal, sparkles under the sunlight, truly resembling fallen star fragments
"The Starry Iron is at the bottom of the pond?" Tu Ze looked at Qin Lie with excitement, finally confirming.
Qin Lie murmured softly, securing the ice stem grass tightly before placing it into the leather pouch at his waist, and continued to wander.
However, the reason his grandfather specifically marked that pond was not for the starlight iron, but for the ice stem grass found in the water algae within the crevices of the stones beside the pond
The sensation of immense spiritual power surging within, as if containing boundless strength, greatly enhanced his confidence
Qin Lie did not pay attention to them, focusing intently on searching for ice stem grass while also assisting the seven in keeping watch
Therefore, upon hearing that the Ice Spirit Python was approaching, they decisively surfaced from the water pool
Ling Feng of the Ling family, back in the day, encountered an Ice Spirit Python in the Extreme Cold Mountain Range along with Ling Chengzhi and others. After being sprayed with a breath of cold air, had it not been for the timely assistance of the Fire Cloud Hammer to help him resist the cold, he would likely have succumbed to the cold poison long ago
Tu Ze let out a cheer, disregarding the depth and temperature of the pond, and dove right in.
All levels of the fifth rank
With the assistance of the Ice Stem Grass, his speed in refining beast cores indeed increased significantly. In just five days, he refined more than twenty beast cores, and the spiritual energy in his dantian gradually began to fill up.
Over the course of these five days, Qin Lie has harvested more than a dozen Ice Stem Grasses. Every night, he consumes the Ice Stem Grass to refine the power of the Shadow Electric Carving Beast's core.
Then kill it
If they engage in combat in the water, their strength will be significantly affected, and many powerful attacks will be greatly diminished
"Lie Ge'er, this matter does not concern you; you need not accompany us. " Tu Ze pondered for a moment and suddenly said, "We are already very grateful for your guidance; there is no reason to involve you in further dangers. Well, we can part ways here..."