64: Chapter 64 Su Qinghan's Sword

bone-corroding demon vine, miasma inner core, and that half-section of blood-colored taisui still squirming slightly.

Any single one of these items, if taken outside, would make the Qi Refining Stage Cultivators out there fight tooth and nail for it.

But to Qi Yang, these were the perfect sustenance to boost his cultivation!

"Cultivating with a Five-Element Mixed Spiritual Roots is as slow as a snail; I can only use my life to bridge the gap!"

Qi Yang snorted coldly. With a flick of his wrist, the black gourd covered in profound spiritual runes appeared in his palm.

He carefully unstoppered it and dripped the emerald-green liquid accumulated over this past month onto each of these three top-grade toxic fiend items.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!

The bone-corroding demon vine expanded at a speed visible to the naked eye. Densely packed barbs grew on its originally pitch-black vines, emanating a suffocating poison gas.

The miasma inner core flared with eerie light, the toxic miasma inside so dense it nearly dripped liquid.

As for that half-section of blood-colored taisui, it swelled significantly, an eerie blood-red halo swirling on its surface as if it had come alive.

"They're fully matured! Devour!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Qi Yang grabbed the barb-covered bone-corroding demon vine, stuffed it into his mouth, chewed hard, and swallowed it down.

Boom!

Violent toxic fiend force exploded inside his body!

"Ugh, ah!"

Qi Yang's whole body shuddered violently, the veins on his forehead bulging out like earthworms.

The pain was immense!

It felt as if ten thousand poisonous ants were frantically gnawing on his internal organs and Eight Extraordinary Meridians!

The Meridians of a Five-Element Mixed Spiritual Roots were already fragile beyond measure, cracking inch by inch under the impact of this terrifying toxic fiend force, oozing wisps of black blood.

"Rotate for me!"

Qi Yang gritted his teeth tightly, a beast-like low growl escaping his throat.

Inside his Dantian, the five types of Spiritual Roots—Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—transformed into a massive Five Elements Grindstone and began operating frantically!

That violent and deadly toxic fiend force was forcibly ground down bit by bit by the Five Elements Grindstone, stripping away the purest power and ultimately transforming it into incomparably domineering dark-green Poison Wood Spiritual Power!

Immediately after, Qi Yang grabbed the miasma inner core and the blood-colored taisui, swallowing them down without hesitation.

In the secret room, only the muffled rumbles continuously emanating from inside Qi Yang's body could be heard.

Time passed slowly.

Qi Yang was like a dark-green toxic statue, his entire body covered in a thick layer of poison mud.

Until late one night.

Crack!

Accompanied by a crisp cracking sound from within his body, Qi Yang's tightly closed eyes snapped open!

From his murky old eyes, two terrifying rays of dark-green gleam burst forth, even corroding the surrounding air into a sizzling noise.

"Peak of the Ninth Layer of Qi Condensation!"

Qi Yang panted heavily, feeling the Spiritual Power inside his Dantian that was several times stronger than before, a look of wild joy finally appearing on his face.

But he quickly calmed down.

Qi Yang inspected his Dantian internally, his brows furrowing tightly.

Although the Poison Wood Spiritual Power inside his Dantian was immensely vast, at this moment it had become viscous like mud, firmly stagnated within his Qi Sea, completely unable to naturally flow and liquefy like those Geniuses.

"This won't do... Qi Refining Tenth Layer is the watershed for Spiritual Power liquefaction."

Qi Yang gritted his teeth, his expression somber.

"The Meridians of my Five-Element Mixed Spiritual Roots are too fragile. If I forcibly compress the Spiritual Power to liquefy it, my Dantian will definitely explode on the spot, ending up suffering Qi Deviation and dying a violent death just like Deacon Pan Ping!"

The Cultivation World was just that cruel.

Spiritual Roots determined the limit.

For a Genius like Su Qinghan, who possessed a purified Three-element Profound Spiritual Root, liquefying Spiritual Power was as simple as drinking water.

But he, Qi Yang, had to rely on external help!

"earth core jade marrow!"

The tattered map left behind by Deacon Pan Ping immediately surfaced in Qi Yang's mind.

It clearly recorded that deep inside Ten Thousand Snake Valley, outside the territory under Xuantian Sect's jurisdiction, lay a supreme spiritual item capable of stabilizing Meridians and increasing the success rate of liquefaction—earth core jade marrow!

"This Ten Thousand Snake Valley, I must go there."

Qi Yang stood up, patted off the poison mud on his body, and swallowed an improved grade 2 wuxiang pill.

As the pill's potency dissolved, his terrifying cultivation at the Peak of the Ninth Layer of Qi Condensation was firmly sealed, reverting him back to that old trash with withered blood qi and a Five-Element Mixed Spiritual Roots at only Qi Condensation Third Layer.

Following the tunnel, he returned to the thatched hut on the ground.

Just as he pushed open the door, Qi Yang's keen perception caught a wave of cold and fierce Sword Qi.

A figure in moon-white robes landed from the sky, alighting steadily outside the Nether Grass Field.

It was none other than Su Qinghan.

"Fairy, what brings you to this old man's herb field today?"

Qi Yang immediately put on that honest, wrinkled smile, stooping his back as he stumbled forward to greet her.

Su Qinghan looked at Qi Yang, her aloof face showing no extra expression.

"The inner Sect is organizing a group of Disciples to go to Ten Thousand Snake Valley outside our territory to gather Spirit Medicine soon. I am one of the leading Disciples and will depart tomorrow."

Su Qinghan's tone was calm, yet her words held a hint of warning.

"Ten Thousand Snake Valley is filled with toxic miasma and infested with Yao Beasts. While I am away from the Sect, you old bones stay dutiful, don't run around, and especially do not provoke the Spirit Plant House's new manager."

Hearing this, Qi Yang was practically blooming with joy inside!

He was just worrying about finding an excuse to sneak out, so this was literally a pillow sent right as he was getting sleepy!

"Oh my, Fairy is going to such a perilous place like Ten Thousand Snake Valley? You must be extra careful!"

Qi Yang put on an act of fear and trepidation, bowing repeatedly.

"Rest assured, Fairy, this old worthless life of mine still wants to live a few more years! I will definitely stay indoors and guard this herb field!"

Su Qinghan nodded slightly and said nothing more.

She turned toward an open space next to the herb field and said casually, "I am about to lead the team out of the Sect, but this sword art is still a bit sluggish. I will practice it here a few times; do not disturb me."

Qi Yang nodded repeatedly and backed to the side.

Outside the Nether Grass Field, cold mist swirled.

Longsword in hand, Su Qinghan's figure moved like lightning, shifting and dodging across the open ground.

After all, she was a Genius who possessed a purified Three-element Profound Spiritual Root, and her cultivation was now firmly at the Qi Refining Tenth Layer.

Every strike she delivered carried a sharp whistle that tore through the air, her fierce Sword Qi plowing deep furrows into the ground.

To an outsider, this sword art seemed flawless and possessed astounding power.

However, Qi Yang, squatting at the door of the thatched hut munching on a steamed bun, secretly shook his head.

He was now at the genuine Peak of the Ninth Layer of Qi Condensation, and coupled with the keen perception granted by the Five Poisons Nourishing Spirit Art, he saw through the flaws in Su Qinghan's sword technique at a glance.

"This girl is too eager for quick results."

Qi Yang commented secretly in his heart.

Although Su Qinghan's Sword Qi was fierce, during a few crucial footwork transitions, the flow of Spiritual Power in her body clearly experienced stagnation.

It was like a surging river suddenly blocked by a few hidden reefs.

Though it was only a brief pause of half a breath, in a true fight to the death, half a breath was enough to die ten times over!

"In name, she's at least my wife. If she dies outside, my herb garden's protective umbrella will be gone."

Qi Yang rubbed his chin.

Su Qinghan was currently a Personal Disciple of Jianzhi Peak. With her around, even the manager of the Spirit Plant House didn't dare trouble him.

This protective umbrella had to be secured.

Qi Yang stood up, patted off the steamed bun crumbs from his hands, picked up a pot of coarse tea from the table, and stooping his back, ambled slowly toward Su Qinghan.

"Fairy must be tired from practicing your sword. Have a sip of tea to moisten your throat."

Qi Yang smiled until his face wrinkled, shuffling over with the teapot.

Su Qinghan was right at a crucial moment in her practice, her brows tightly knit as she clearly noticed the sense of stagnation in her sword art as well.

Hearing Qi Yang's voice, she instinctively wanted to withdraw her sword.

Right at that moment, Qi Yang's withered hands suddenly shook.

Splash!

A pot of scalding hot coarse tea splashed right out, landing without missing a millimeter precisely on the key footwork spot where Su Qinghan was about to step next!

"What are you doing!"

Su Qinghan's face turned cold as she brought her footwork to a sudden halt, nearly suffering a backlash from the chaotic Spiritual Power within her.

Just as she was about to flare up, she heard Qi Yang muttering under his breath while frantically wiping the water marks on the ground.

"Oh dear, this old man's hands aren't listening to me! Forgive me, Fairy! Forgive me, Fairy!"

While wiping, Qi Yang grumbled in the tone of an old farmer tending crops.

"Water is just like watering crops in farming—it has to flow along the furrows. If you insist on forcibly blocking it, won't it just splash mud all over you? Follow the flow of water, don't force it; that's the real farmer's way..."

Boom!

These seemingly nonsensical farmer turns of phrase from Qi Yang struck Su Qinghan's ears like a thunderclap exploding in her mind!

Follow the flow of water? Don't force it?

Su Qinghan snapped her head down, staring intently at the puddle of water Qi Yang had splashed onto the ground.

The direction of that water flow just happened to curve around the point where her footwork originally forced its power, forming a completely natural arc!