79: Chapter 79 Undercurrents

Zhao Ruoan crossed his legs and sat down in a quiet room specially prepared for Core Disciples.

The Spiritual Qi here was dense, and with every breath, pure energy surged into his limbs and bones.

He did not rush for success; instead, he first sank his mind into the Jade Slip recording the Burning God Scorching Heaven Art.

"First stage, God Scorching, Blood Burning."

Following the Cultivation Technique, Zhao Ruoan cautiously mobilized ten percent of his vital blood and Divine Soul power within his body.

Boom!

A violent surge of power instantly filled his entire body.

His Aura climbed steadily, directly surging by more than three times.

"This feeling..."

Zhao Ruoan clenched his fist, causing the air to emit a sharp sonic boom.

He had a strong confidence that if he were to face those two Spirit Pill Realm Protectors from the Nether Cult right now, he could take them down one punch at a time.

This was only the first stage.

He continued to try.

"Second stage, Scorching Heaven."

Thirty percent of his vital blood and Divine Soul power were ignited.

A fivefold increase in combat power!

Everything around him became slow in his perception, as if the entire world had been pressed onto slow motion.

He could clearly capture the trajectory of Spiritual Qi flowing and hear every powerful beat of his heart.

Power, an unprecedented sense of power.

Then what about the third stage?

Zhao Ruoan took a deep breath, a trace of resolve flashing in his eyes.

"Third stage, God Scorching Scorching Heaven!"

Fifty percent of his vital blood and Divine Soul power burned completely at this moment!

Hum—

Zhao Ruoan's mind went blank for a split second.

A power strong enough to destroy heaven and earth flashed briefly within his body, maintaining for less than a breath's time before receding like a tide.

The next second, an endless sense of emptiness and exhaustion swept over him.

His entire body went limp.

"Damn it..."

Zhao Ruoan lay on the ground, panting heavily.

This thing packs too much of a punch.

As expected, it could only be used as a desperate trump card. Once used, he would be spent, and it must never be easily employed unless facing a life-or-death crisis.

After thoroughly figuring out the details of the Burning God Scorching Heaven Art, Zhao Ruoan did not continue further.

Instead, he sank his mind into his Dantian Qi Sea.

The Great Dao Scripture operated automatically, its majestic spiritual power like a vast ocean, while the Fifth-Order Sword Intent was like a divine sword suppressing the center of the ocean.

"I have explosive secret techniques, but I still need a stealthy and concealed trump card."

Zhao Ruoan began his new attempt.

He mobilized a trace of Sword Intent, wrapping around a wisp of extremely pure spiritual power, and began extreme compression within his Dantian.

This process was extremely mentally taxing.

What he wanted to do was forge a natal Sword Qi that could be stored within his body and instantly defeat enemies upon release.

Once successful, this would be his greatest reliance for killing enemies above his realm.

Night fell.

Zhao Ruoan, having finished a day of cultivation, walked out of the quiet room and stretched lazily.

He took out many precious ingredients gifted by his Senior Sisters from his storage ring, including deep-sea spirit fish, ten-thousand-year stalactites, and some strange flowers and exotic fruits whose names he didn't know but were brimming with Spiritual Qi.

He intended to reward himself and the two little maidservants.

Soon, an enticing aroma drifted out from the small courtyard.

Zhao Ruoan's Spirit Chef skills steadily improved through continuous practice, and he was only a hair's breadth away from breaking through to the next grade.

To him, the process of cooking spiritual food was also a unique form of cultivation.

The next day, Zhao Ruoan decided to go out for a walk.

"The two of you stay here and concentrate on comprehending the Mystic Water Formless Skill. Don't run around blindly." He instructed Qiuyin and Xiamo.

"Understood, Young Lord."

The two girls obediently acknowledged.

Zhao Ruoan left the small courtyard alone, under the guise of familiarizing himself with the mining area environment, but in reality, he began a secret investigation.

Not long after walking, he "happened to encounter" Li Gui, who was leading a patrol team.

"Uncle-Master Zhao, why have you come out?" Li Gui's face was piled with an enthusiastic smile as he took the initiative to greet him.

"I stayed in the courtyard until I felt stuffy, so I came out to get some fresh air." Zhao Ruoan replied casually, "Nephew Li, you are busy with official business; you've worked hard."

"Serving the Sect is not hard work!" Li Gui said righteously.

While chatting idly with him, Zhao Ruoan quietly used inspection on the several patrolling Disciples behind Li Gui.

[Name: Zhang San, Identity: Qingxuan Sect Outer Sect Disciple, Status: Normal]

[Name: Li Si, Identity: Qingxuan Sect Outer Sect Disciple, Status: Eroded by the Nether Cult secret technique 'Soul Planting'...]

[Name: Zhao Wu, Identity: Black Wind Fortress spy...]

[Name: Sun Liu, Identity: Blood Blade Sect mole...]

A series of inspection results made Zhao Ruoan's heart sink bit by bit.

Good grief, this wasn't a patrol team; it was practically an undercover agents' convention.

He spent a whole day wandering around the outer periphery, the middle area, and even some mine entrances of the entire mining area.

The results were shocking to the eye.

Throughout the entire mining area, aside from the Mortal miners at the very bottom responsible for digging who had almost no cultivation, from Outer Sect Disciples to Inner Sect Disciples, and up to various stewards and managers, almost every faction had penetrated it like a sieve.

The Nether Cult moles were the greatest in number and the most concealed, followed by spies from various Demonic Path Sects and second-rate forces.

...

Night.

The small courtyard was serene.

Xiamo slowly withdrew her technique inside the room. After successfully running a full major heavenly cycle of the Mystic Water Formless Skill, her small face was filled with excitement.

She wanted to tell the Young Lord this good news at the very first moment.

Bearing a trace of elation, she pushed open the door and walked toward Zhao Ruoan's room.

Under the moonlight, the courtyard was silent.

Just as she was about to reach the door, a slender shadow took a step faster than her.

It was Qiuyin.

Xiamo saw that Qiuyin hesitated in front of the Young Lord's door for a moment, then gently pushed it open and slipped inside.

"Clack."

The door was closed.

Xiamo's footsteps froze in place.

An unspeakable soreness suddenly surged up from the bottom of her heart, instantly drowning out all her joy.

So... it had already begun, huh.

She was still feeling smug about initially mastering the Cultivation Technique, but Qiuyin had already...

She had clearly sworn to become the Young Lord's left and right hand, but in the end, she was still a step slow.

She just stood like that in the shadows for a very, very long time.

Finally, she bit her lip, turned around without a word, and silently returned to her own room.

...

Early the next morning.

Qiuyin walked out of the room looking radiant. After a night of cultivation, she felt her whole body filled with strength, and her skin had become even more hydrated and glossy.

"Xiamo, you're up!" Seeing Xiamo, she greeted her happily.

But she noticed that Xiamo's complexion was a bit pale.

"What's wrong with you? Did you Cultivate too late last night?" Qiuyin asked with concern.

"N—Nothing." Xiamo forced a smile.

"Wait a moment, I boiled a bowl of nourishing spiritual porridge for you!" Saying that, Qiuyin hopped and skipped into the kitchen, bringing out a bowl of fragrant porridge.

"Drink it quickly to nourish yourself."

Xiamo took the warm bowl, and listening to these words, her heart felt uncomfortably sour.

Is this the victor's flaunting?

She lowered her head and took a sip of the porridge, saying softly, "Qiuyin, thank you."

She paused and said again, "In the future, I will Cultivate even harder and strive to become the 'right arm' who can share the Young Lord's worries as soon as possible. As for serving the Young Lord closely, you should do it; you are more attentive than me."

"Ah?" Qiuyin was completely baffled, "Xiamo, what nonsense are you talking about?"

"Early in the morning, what kind of riddles are the two of you playing at?"

Zhao Ruoan's voice came from behind.

He had just walked out of the room when he saw the strange atmosphere between the two maidservants.

How perceptive he was; seeing Xiamo's absent-minded appearance and associating it with the two girls' usual nonsensical overthinking, he knew they must have misunderstood again.

He couldn't be bothered to pierce that layer of window paper, and directly changed the subject.

"How is the cultivation of the Mystic Water Formless Skill going? Have you encountered any Bottlenecks?"

The moment serious matters were mentioned, the two girls' attention was immediately diverted.

"Young Lord, Disciple always feels that spiritual power is lacking when running the section on 'Formless Transformation'!"

"Young Lord, me too. That technique of 'All Rivers Flow to the Sea' is too overbearing, and my Meridians cannot quite endure it."

Hearing this, Zhao Ruoan patiently explained to them one by one, ranging from the Profound Truth of the techniques to the skills of spiritual power circulation, making it simple and easy to understand.

Occasionally, he would personally guide the circulation of spiritual power within their bodies to help them correct mistakes.

After a round of guidance, the two girls were suddenly enlightened, and all their previous confusions were readily solved.

"Thank you for your guidance, Young Lord!"

"Alright, both of you go back and Cultivate well. This mining area is not peaceful, and one's own strength is fundamental."

"Yes, Young Lord!"

Watching the two girls rekindle their fighting spirit and run back to their rooms, Zhao Ruoan shook his head helplessly.

He also turned around and returned to the quiet room, continuing to hone that unformed natal Sword Qi.