233: Qi Refining Level 9

The group said no more and quickly packed up.

They left the valley, which was filled with the aura of death and despair, and headed deeper into the Secret Realm, towards the increasingly perilous and unknown core region.

The deeper they went, the more horrifying the surrounding scenery became, as if they were stepping into the legendary Netherworld Blood Prison.

The sky was no longer a monotonous grey, but a heart-pounding dark red, as if congealed blood, pressing down low, so thick it couldn't dissipate, making it hard to breathe, as if viscous blood rain could fall at any moment.

The ground beneath their feet was cracked and shattered, with huge fissures like hideous scars, from which no longer emerged cold black Qi, but viscous, dark red blood plasma emitting a strong, pungent stench, bubbling and gurgling.

It was as if the earth was rotting, and the withered trees twisted into various struggling, pained ghostly figures, their branches like bony claws desperately reaching towards the sky.

The air was filled with a nauseatingly sweet, metallic smell, and faintly, there were phantom sounds of countless spirits wailing mournfully and cursing venomously, directly affecting their Divine Sense.

It continuously eroded and disturbed their minds; those with weaker cultivation would likely lose control of their minds and fall into madness in just moments.

The previously common Shadow Skeletons were almost extinct, replaced by a more bizarre and spine-chilling existence—Blood Puppets.

They had no fixed form, appearing to be pieced together from congealed blood clots, shattered bones, and countless twisted resentments, like constantly wriggling and shape-shifting blood-colored quagmires or terrifying aggregates.

Their strength generally ranged from the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining to the Early Foundation Establishment Stage, and they were extremely difficult to kill completely; even if dispersed, they could quickly absorb the surrounding blood fiend Qi and reorganize.

Unless the blood-colored crystal within their core, which contained vast Qi and blood essence and resentment, was precisely destroyed.

Surprisingly, this blood-colored crystal could not directly enhance Spiritual Power cultivation like a soul fiend crystal, but the immense Qi and blood essence it contained...

Had an excellent effect on tempering the Physical Body and strengthening the physique.

It could significantly enhance a Cultivator's Qi and blood power, Physical Body strength, and recovery ability.

Of course, this enhancement also had its limits and could not help one Break Through the Physical Body Bottleneck of a major Realm, but for Qi Refining Cultivators, it was an unexpected joy, a rare treasure.

"Heh! I didn't expect such a benefit!"

Xu Shousheng swung his thick-backed broadsword, forcefully shattering a Blood Puppet that had been killed many times and could no longer maintain its form, digging out a pigeon-egg-sized, warm-to-the-touch blood-colored crystal that pulsed with surging Qi and blood.

A look of pleasant surprise appeared on the fat man's face:

"This stuff is much stronger than Body Refining Medicinal Pills! It's simply outrageous, this Secret Realm is truly Heaven-Defying!"

Enhanced physique meant improved stamina, defense, and close-quarters combat ability. In this perilous Secret Realm where Spiritual Power recovery was slow, it was undoubtedly an invaluable safeguard.

With this accumulation, he was confident that he could compete for a Qinglan Sect True Disciple spot after leaving the Secret Realm.

Lin Jingyu activated his Divine Thought to its fullest, like the most precise radar, covering a radius of several tens of zhang, preemptively avoiding several large waves of Blood Puppet groups.

Occasionally encountering small, scattered Blood Puppets, Xu Li and Qin Yue, both at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, would take the lead in attacking, while Lin Jingyu provided support with his powerful Divine Thought.

He could always precisely locate the core node of the Blood Puppet's energy flow and destroy it with a single finger, with extremely high efficiency.

His finger wind often struck before the Blood Puppet's attack was fully launched, shattering its core, and the Blood Puppet would instantly disintegrate into a puddle of foul blood, as if all its power had been drained.

Then, it would contribute a blood crystal to the group.

During their journey, Lin Jingyu unreservedly absorbed and refined the top-grade soul fiend crystal from the Foundation Establishment Bone Spider.

With the Spirit Refining Art operating at full power, pure and vast energy surged into his Dantian like a bursting flood, while the malevolent resentment within was easily refined and stripped away.

Instead, it became nourishment for his Divine Sense.

His cultivation steadily climbed at a visible pace, advancing towards the Peak of the Eighth Layer of Qi Refining, and the Spiritual Power lake within his Dantian continuously expanded, surging with waves, becoming deeper and vaster.

In a relatively hidden crevice naturally formed by several huge rocks, the team temporarily rested. Lin Jingyu sat cross-legged.

His eyes were slightly closed, and the Spiritual Qi around him began to fluctuate violently, his aura rising steadily like a tide! The surrounding air seemed to be pulled, forming a faint vortex.

Suddenly, a stronger Spiritual Pressure spread out from him as the center. Although deliberately suppressed, it still caused Qin Yue, Xu Li, and others nearby to feel it, as if a towering mountain had quietly risen.

Ninth Layer of Qi Refining!

It came naturally, without any Bottleneck!

The range of his powerful Divine Sense also surged, clearly covering an area of nearly thirty zhang, perceiving every minute detail with utmost clarity.

Not only that, after absorbing more than ten blood-colored crystals, his physique, which was not originally his specialty, also underwent significant tempering.

His Qi and blood were full and surging, his limbs and bones were filled with power, and his Physical Body strength had actually reached a level comparable to a Qi Refining Sixth Layer Body Cultivator!

Spirit, Body, and Divine all advanced, and were incredibly coordinated!

At this moment, Lin Jingyu's strength had undergone a qualitative leap. His aura was as solid as a mountain, and when his eyes opened and closed, a sharp light was contained within, giving him an unfathomable feeling.

Qin Yue, Xu Li, and the others stood guard, feeling the profound and complete aura emanating from Lin Jingyu, their hearts filled with both shock and joy.

Lin Jingyu's increase in strength was undoubtedly a huge boost to the entire team.

The other members of the team also made significant progress in their strength, especially Xu Li, who, with the help of the blood crystals, recovered to his Peak state.

And he claimed to be stronger than before, which filled everyone with confidence.

After resting, everyone was refreshed and continued their journey.

Soon, Lin Jingyu's Divine Thought stirred, and he raised a hand to signal the team to stop. Ahead appeared a bizarre crimson stone forest, with jagged, peculiar stone pillars, dark red like blood.

Their arrangement seemed chaotic, yet faintly exuded a strange fluctuation that twisted space and sealed Divine Sense, like an invisible giant net blocking their path.

"There's a Formation remnant, the Devilish Qi hasn't completely dissipated... It's the Black Fiend Soul Locking Formation, recently set up."

Lin Jingyu said solemnly, a faint blue light flashing in his eyes, his powerful Divine Thought already like mercury flowing across the ground, having discerned most of the Formation's energy vein and node distribution.

This Formation specializes in locking down Divine Sense, isolating internal and external detection, and possesses offensive capabilities, making it quite sinister and troublesome.

"Can it be broken?" Xu Li gripped his sword hilt, his gaze sharply sweeping the stone forest, his Sword Qi hidden but ready.

"It can be broken."

Lin Jingyu affirmed, "But we need to find the key nodes. Forcibly breaking the Formation will inevitably be time-consuming and create a lot of commotion, which will definitely alert the Formation setter."

He pondered for a moment, then turned his gaze to the uneasy Ouyang Ming beside him:

"Elder Ouyang, your Ouyang Family has always been skilled in Formations and Talismans. In your opinion, what is the true nature of this Formation? Can you discern its operational hub and 'Gate of Life'?"