Chapter 12 Crimson Sun Spirit Fruit

Another day passed, and Zhu Lingyue returned in the early morning.

Last night, Zhu Lingyue stayed overnight. She straightforwardly did everything that needed to be done, and after expressing her feelings, the two agreed to hold their wedding next spring.

However, there was still half a year until next spring; he had to make another trip to the Boundless Forest to retrieve the Crimson Sun Spirit Fruit.

With his current cultivation at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer, and possessing the Profound Bone Immortal Slaying Formation as a trump card along with several other Formation sets, he could give it a try.

However, as a squishy Formation Master, he was well aware of his weaknesses! He would be basically finished if anyone got close, so he needed a powerful close-quarters move to become the best at killing among Formation Masters.

The fourth-grade "Four Illusions Spear Soul Art" he obtained from Li Daoan was indeed a powerful weapon; one spear strike could manifest four traces of Spear Qi, specifically countering Yin Demonic Ghost Qi.

But this was a Foundation Establishment level Cultivation Technique; his cultivation was too low to practice it, and he fundamentally couldn't activate the fourth-grade [Flowing Shadow Silver Fire Spear] with his spiritual power.

However, among the third-grade techniques, there were the "Profound Shadow Ice Art" and "Yellow Springs Saber Technique." Both were killing moves at the Qi Refinement Stage, and he had looked at both.

The "Profound Shadow Ice Art" paired with the [frost condensing sword] allowed the sword to strike like a shadow, its cold air severing the soul.

The "Yellow Springs Saber Technique" paired with the [Yellow Springs Saber] was as heavy as a mountain and was also a killing technique.

Back at the Sect, his Master didn't have any close-quarters killing moves. It seemed he basically didn't duel with others, turning a deaf ear to outside affairs and focusing solely on reading Formation books.

When Chen Li was at the Sect, he was busy making Formations to earn Spirit Stones for qi overflowing pills. He hadn't practiced any third-grade killing moves, though he had practiced some minor first and second-grade sword techniques.

In the end, after picking and choosing, he still selected the "Profound Shadow Ice Art." He took the frost condensing sword out of his Storage Pouch. After unsheathing it, the cold air was biting. He gripped the hilt and began to learn the "Profound Shadow Ice Art."

Since he could even understand Fourth-grade Formation Patterns, as long as he was willing to put in the work, this "Profound Shadow Ice Art" was a piece of cake.

The two basic requirements were to strike fast and release cold air. The "Profound Shadow Ice Art" was about teaching a Cultivator how to use Spiritual Qi to make the sword both fast and cold.

A month later, on a clearing in Black Magpie Mountain, Chen Li finally performed a full set of the "Profound Shadow Ice Art." He had reached Minor Achievement; wherever the Sword Qi passed, the cold air gripped the soul.

The Azure Ox nearby watched Chen Li's powerful sword technique and let out a "Moo moo moo," seemingly saying that the Old Ancestor was awesome.

Looking at the Azure Ox, Chen Li sheathed his sword and shouted, "Brother Ox, how is your Fire Control Technique coming along?"

The Azure Ox seemed prepared. It raised its head, extended a hoof, and condensed a steady flame that moved along with the hoof.

"Not bad! After half a year, you've finally learned it. You're a Genius ox!"

The Azure Ox proudly raised its head, but Chen Li's tone changed. "I see the spirit rice is growing well, but there are some weeds. Today I'll teach you the Weeding Art; you must learn it today!"

Hearing this, the Azure Ox flipped its four hooves into the air, protesting. I'm an ox!

In the evening, Chen Li's cursing could be heard again. "Stupid ox, I've finished weeding all the grass, and you still haven't learned it. You're going to be the death of me."

Chen Li sighed. Thinking back to when he first got this Weeding Art, he had learned it in half an hour. So, he threw the Weeding Art down for Brother Ox to read on his own.

...

Three days later, Chen Li was ready. He sent a message to Zhu Yueling using a sound transmission stone, saying he was going on a long trip to the Sect's Cultivation Market to buy Formation Materials. He announced the same to the outside world.

Thus, he used a swift travel talisman to head towards the Beast Hunting Sect, but switched to the Boundless Forest midway using the Illusionary Form Technique.

In the Boundless Forest, this time with the Map Mode active, he was deep within a thousand kilometers. There were no absolutely safe routes, so he killed many first and second-level demon beasts along the way.

His Storage Pouch was filled with no fewer than a dozen carcasses; they could even be used as fertilizer back home.

He used the "Profound Shadow Ice Art" to kill these first and second-level demon beasts, taking the opportunity to practice his swordsmanship. The more he used the sword, the faster it became.

At the seven-hundred-kilometer mark, he encountered a Third-level Demon Beast. The "Profound Shadow Ice Art" came into play again. It was a bit troublesome, but after a hard-fought quarter-hour, another demon beast was tossed into his Storage Pouch.

At the eight-hundred-kilometer mark, he encountered seven Third-level Demon Beasts. With no other choice, he used the Spirit Trapping Formation plus the 3.8th Grade Wood Attribute Attack Array to take them all down.

After reaching the Qi Refining Sixth Layer, he no longer needed an extra 300 Spirit Stones to activate the 3.8th Grade Wood Attribute Attack Array.

At the nine-hundred-kilometer mark, he encountered a Fourth-level Demonic Beast. Using the Spirit Trapping Formation and the 3.8th Grade Wood Attribute Attack Array, the beast was heavily injured, and he chased it down to kill it with the "Profound Shadow Ice Art."

For the final fifty kilometers, Chen Li applied an invisibility talisman to himself and traveled slowly.

By this distance, Chen Li had been traveling for ten days and had used over a dozen swift travel talismans. He was highly focused, fearing that a Fifth-level Demonic Beast might suddenly jump out.

After another half-day of traveling slowly while invisible, he reached a mountain of unknown name.

But the Crimson Sun Spirit Fruit was indeed in this mountain, less than a kilometer away. Fortunately, he hadn't encountered any Fifth-level Demonic Beasts along the way; they likely required going even deeper to be found.

After all, in a battle against a Fifth-level Demonic Beast, he would certainly have to activate his Profound Bone Immortal Slaying Formation, but the commotion would be too great, and he feared attracting even more demon beasts.

Chen Li soon arrived within five hundred meters. He remembered that the Four-Colored Serpent Python guarding the chiyang spirit fruit tree was a Third-level Demon Beast, nothing to fear!

However, he had to worry about alerting nearby Fourth or Fifth-level Demonic Beasts. Furthermore, since this beast was guarding right next to the tree, he had to be careful not to damage it during the fight. Therefore, it was best to use wit if possible.

The key information about the Four-Colored Serpent Python was: [This snake is afraid of the cold and hibernates easily.]

This fear of cold wasn't about ordinary weather, but rather the cold produced by Spiritual Qi; the colder, the better. Thus, from several sets of first and second-grade Formations, Chen Li took out five first-grade Cold Gathering Formations.

Standing on an inconspicuous mountainside, he replaced his invisibility talisman twice more. Looking out from the mountainside at a spot five hundred meters away, he indeed saw a snake coiled beneath a tree.

From five hundred meters away, the tree was just over a meter tall and very unremarkable, looking no different from an ordinary fruit tree.

So, Chen Li decisively set up the Cold Gathering Formations. He quietly laid out these five sets of first-grade Cold Gathering Formations in a circle five hundred meters away from the snake, then activated them. At that moment, the spiritual power between heaven and earth converged into spiritual cold air, pouring into the area within the five-hundred-meter radius.

Since they were only first-grade Formations, it would take some time. Chen Li sat cross-legged in meditation outside the five-hundred-meter mark to rest.

A day and a night passed. Spiritual cold air had been poured into the five-hundred-meter area for a full day and night, to the point where the cold air was being forced back out.

Chen Li, who was sitting cross-legged, felt it and immediately opened his eyes. He looked at the serpent python under the tree five hundred meters away. By now, the serpent python was motionless, its body burrowed into the ground, leaving only its head exposed.

Holding the frost condensing sword, Chen Li formed a hand seal for a Cold-Resistant Energy Shield. In less than three seconds, he had rushed to the snake's head.

Without a word, he slashed directly at the snake's head with his sword!

The head and body were severed in two. Until the moment it died, the snake didn't know how it had perished.

Chen Li pulled the snake's body out of the ground, cut it into several segments, and tossed them into his Storage Pouch.

Then he formed a hand seal to send a signal to the Formations, stopping the generation of spiritual cold air.

Only then did he turn around to look at the chiyang spirit fruit tree behind him.