4: Chapter 4: Heading Straight to Mount Ling to Seize the Initiative

Ji Yebai put the spirit ginseng away, turned around, and continued chatting with the man.

Through their conversation, he gained a basic understanding of the location where the man had dug up the spirit ginseng.

He secretly cross-referenced it in his mind; it was indeed within the region where the Spiritual Qi recovery would occur.

With their minds completely at ease, the two of them had a very pleasant chat for the remainder of the journey.

And good times always fly by.

Especially on a high-speed train, a long distance is crossed in a short amount of time.

When the train arrived at the station, Ji Yebai bid farewell to the middle-aged man. At the station entrance, he hopped into a random car heading toward the city and set off.

It was now past noon.

Although Ji Yebai really wanted to head straight for his destination to verify if Spiritual Qi truly existed there, on second thought, it was getting a bit late.

According to the information released by the state in his previous life, the initial location of the Spiritual Qi recovery in Zhangjiajie was deep in the mountains, twenty kilometers from the Yuanjiajie scenic area.

Furthermore, because this site of Spiritual Qi recovery was merely a small leaking Spiritual Vein, its effects only reached a radius of ten kilometers.

If he went there now, it would likely be dark by the time he made the round trip.

That being the case, he might as well stay in the city and set out tomorrow morning.

...

Early the next morning, Ji Yebai woke up early. After washing up, he checked out, went downstairs, and had breakfast.

Taking the opportunity, he gave yesterday's driver a call.

He chartered the car for the day, asking the driver to take him into the mountains.

Breakfast was finished quickly, and the driver arrived on time. Ji Yebai bought some water and set off immediately.

Just as the sky was brightening, the two of them entered the deep mountains.

The scenery of Yuanjiajie was beautiful.

Steep peaks towered high, jagged rocks stood in graceful poses, and the strange and the perilous complemented each other, making one linger and forget to return.

Layers of clouds and mist hung low like a curtain draped over the magnificent peaks, adding a touch of Immortal Qi to the entire landscape.

The road ahead was no longer suitable for a car.

Ji Yebai waved goodbye to the driver and walked alone into the deep, ancient forest.

As he went deeper...

The entire environment fell silent.

This silence was not a void of sound; rather, it was filled with the sounds of various crawling insects and chirping birds.

It was precisely because of these various sounds that the deep forest felt exceptionally tranquil.

Holding a long wooden stick, Ji Yebai probed the grass as he advanced.

In his previous life, he had spent nearly half a year in even more dangerous mountains; his wilderness experience was quite extensive.

As for the loneliness of being alone, he had long since grown accustomed to it.

On the contrary, he felt a sense of familiarity.

Time passed quickly.

In the deep mountains, even if the distance is only a few kilometers, the actual path traveled is many times that distance.

Such was the case for Ji Yebai.

But when he pushed aside a bush and stepped out of the dense forest, the scenery before him jolted his spirits.

The mountain ahead was covered in lush, verdant vegetation.

At a glance, it appeared remarkably different.

Having walked all this way through deep forests with flourishing trees, logically, everything should be lush, and there shouldn't be such a stark difference.

Yet, the scene before him was intoxicating.

Because it wasn't just lush; it was extraordinarily vibrant.

The leaves shimmered with an emerald luster, and the entire mountain forest radiated a sense of spiritual vitality, to say nothing of the rich fragrance.

Ji Yebai smiled.

He knew he had found it.

"This is the place!"

Ji Yebai quickened his pace and entered this clearly different mountain.

He was so excited that he couldn't stop smiling.

He breathed greedily, as if wanting to inhale the entire space into his lungs.

This was Spiritual Qi; air infused with Spiritual Qi. In the entire world at this time, there were very few places that possessed such air.

Ji Yebai wished he could stop and Cultivate immediately.

But he suppressed the thought.

It was already afternoon, and the deep mountains had begun to cool down.

If Ji Yebai turned back now, he could probably make it back to the city before dark.

But after some thought, he decided to stay in the mountains tonight.

To stay, he had to find a suitable location.

Spiritual Qi had been recovering here for some time; the insects and wild beasts living here must have been affected to some degree.

And such influence could make venomous insects more toxic and wild beasts more feral.

To avoid these dangers, he had to carefully consider where to sleep at night.

Putting his experience from his previous life to full use, Ji Yebai quickly found a suitable dwelling.

"Not bad, not bad. This place can definitely be turned into a long-term residence!"

Ji Yebai looked excitedly at the cave before him.

It was a recessed cave.

Not large.

But it provided good shelter from the wind and rain.

Furthermore, the internal space was just right for one person.

"This is the spot."

Ji Yebai immediately decided to make this his living quarters.

He dropped his backpack and did some tidying up.

Ji Yebai gathered a pile of wood and started a fire.

Even though it was summer, the deep mountains were still chillingly cold.

Especially inside a cave.

As the bright flames rose, they brought warmth to his body.

Only then did Ji Yebai relax.

Taking out the outdoor cookware he had purchased yesterday, Ji Yebai poured in a bottle of water and began to boil it.

That wasn't all.

Ji Yebai also took out the spirit ginseng he had acquired on the high-speed train, broke off a section of the rootlet, and threw it into the pot.

Having done this, Ji Yebai let everything else go and began to Cultivate.

Hu!

Exhaling a breath, Ji Yebai focused his mind and began to perform the Longevity Fist with full concentration.

The fist technique was neither fast nor slow, possessing a lazy and free-spirited air.

Looking closely, it seemed to have traces of Taiji, yet it was something else entirely.

Suddenly, his whole body jolted, resembling the stomping power of Baji.

As he shifted and moved, he was like a roaming Dragon.

The entire fist technique radiated a peculiar beauty.

If Ji Yebai were to participate in a martial arts competition now, the judges would likely jump up in shock.

In this era, to be able to practice a set of fist techniques to such a Realm was unique.

Ji Yebai's mind was calm, his expression leisurely, and his eyes followed his hands; he performed at a level higher than in his previous life.

Having experienced life and death, his mind had undergone a transformation, and his understanding of the fist technique had naturally reached a higher level.

Soon, he finished one round of the fist technique.

Ji Yebai panted slightly.

These days, he had been practicing his boxing continuously and could now do three consecutive rounds before feeling fatigued.

Without pausing, Ji Yebai continued his practice.

Longevity Fist was a technique suited for external cultivation.

As long as one practiced continuously, it could serve to temper the physical body.

Moreover, it could draw Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi into the body.

Of course, this induction of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi was extremely weak, making it essentially imperceptible.

Unless one birthed Internal Energy and became mentally invigorated, one could only slightly feel the Spiritual Qi being absorbed.

The second round of the fist technique was soon finished.

The third round began.

By this point, sweat had appeared on Ji Yebai's forehead.

His entire person radiated heat.

This was the increase in body temperature caused by intense exercise.

When this round was finished, Ji Yebai was soaked.

Streams of sweat poured out continuously.

Hu!

Exhaling a breath, Ji Yebai paused slightly.

His eyes were bright; although his face showed fatigue, his expression appeared very joyful.

Walking to the fire, he lifted the pot lid.

Weng.

A strange fragrance immediately permeated the air.

"It smells so good!"

Ji Yebai's eyes lit up as he looked excitedly at the spirit ginseng rootlet in the pot.

The water had now turned slightly yellow.

That was caused by the medicinal power of the spirit ginseng dissolving into the water.

Taking out an iron bowl and pouring it out, Ji Yebai drained the water in the bowl in one gulp.

As the warm water entered his mouth...

Ji Yebai immediately felt a rich fragrance spread throughout his oral cavity.

It gave his spirits a jolt.

His mouth watered.

Swallowing in large gulps, he soon drank all the water into his stomach.

A short while later.

A distinct warmth spread out from his abdomen.

Ji Yebai hurriedly added cold water to the pot again to continue boiling the spirit ginseng rootlet.

Meanwhile, he stripped off his shirt and began practicing his fist technique once more.

While the medicinal power was at its peak, the effects would be doubled.