"The formation of Luminescence spirit water requires two major factors: Presence of extremely dense spiritual energy and concentrated starlight over a long period, both of these factors are easily noticeable by others. Yet you are saying that a pool of it went undiscovered, and was only recently unearthed? Are you sure that's Luminescence spirit water?"
A hologram of Yun Dingxing and Long Qianmei was being projected inside the cave by a purple jade, known as a Transmission Amulet.
Each of these amulets had a unique and secretive imprint on them that could be used to connect with people who are far away.
While a basic amulet would only allow the transmission of voice messages, a more advanced one could be used for visual projection.
These are further graded on the range they can cover and how secure the transmission is.
But even the most basic amulet would cost around ten thousand spirit stones, which was something only Jade core realm cultivators could afford.
Thus, other than his parents and himself, only the patriarch possessed a transmission amulet in the entire Long Clan.
Common people used communication talismans, the amulets were a commodity of the rich.
Currently, Tianlong was privately conversing using the amulet in his possession.
"Affirmative, both of us have checked the substance repeatedly, it matches the textbook description." He said in response.
Yun Dingxing took out a set of jade slips from his ring. Each of them contained information on various topics that could be directly read by scanning with spiritual sense.
"Let me check… got it! Hmm, so to create this specific spirit water, we need to first select a spirit vein and isolate a portion of it over a water surface. Next, an array formation or treasure that specializes in condensing starlight would be put inside it. Over a long period, the spiritual energy will condense into Luminescence spirit water."
He continued, "Now consider the quality of the spirit liquid. Any spirit liquid that isn't sealed by appropriate methods will quickly lose its energy. So, unearthing a pool of low-quality spirit liquid means that it was either sealed by someone long ago …or it has just started to condense naturally …Need some help?"
Tianlong shook his head. "I'll first gauge the situation myself."
"What's their cultivation level?"
"Yin Yang cleansing… But they are demons." Tianlong grinned.
Yun Dingxing sneered. "So you want to flaunt your superior bloodline over others eh?"
"And what's wrong with that? Not only do I have sacred blood, but I'm also a Qi and body dual refiner." He retorted.
Even though they knew that Tianlong was aiming for dual refining, it was still surprising for them. A person simultaneously refining Qi and the body was simply unheard of.
After a moment of silence, Long Qianmei asked "When?"
"Just an hour ago"
"Did that 'thing' react?" Long Qianmei asked.
"No."
Both Yun Dingxing and Long Qianmei breathed a sigh of relief.
"While in theory, dual refining seems promising, it's simply not practical in real life. Moreover, body and Qi refining clash with each other." Yun Dingxing shook his head.
Even if someone had the resources necessary for dual refining, they'll still not necessarily choose this path due to the conflicting cultivation methods.
Generally, a Qi refiner's cultivation included large periods of meditation and a little bit of combat; the act of body refining demanded the exact opposite.
Moreover, time spent in progressing only one minor realm in both Body and Qi refining stages could've been very well spent in ascending multiple realms in a singular method.
His parents had already told him multiple times to not waste his time trying to walk both paths at the same time, but couldn't convince him.
"I know what I'm getting into, but I still want to at least complete the first three stages of both methods. We have both resources and time, and I don't care if others leave me behind."
"Do what you want, you are already a grown-up." Knowing that he couldn't be convinced anymore, they gave up.
After saying their farewells, they cut off the transmission.
"You can come in now."
Respecting their privacy, Qingxue was standing outside the cave till now.
When she saw the Amulet in his hand, she sighed in wonder.
"Young master Tianlong, what command do you have for this servant?"
Tianlong ignored her dramatics and said, "Since we are going to seize the spirit pool, the trip might take longer than usual. Do you want to go back or tag along?"
"Uncle won't be coming here?"
"Not unless it's absolutely necessary."
Qingxue's expression changed and she said, "Isn't it too dangerous?"
"Dear, do you think I'm going for a direct confrontation with a Yin Yang Cleanser?" Tianlong chuckled. "For now, I'm just investigating the situation there."
"But the way she was attacked…" Qingxue still wasn't convinced.
"Don't use that woman as an example. She was able to steal from a Yin Yang Cleanser and backstab her saviour for a treasure. I'm pretty sure there's more to the story."
In the end, Qingxue decided to continue her journey with him.
Just a few days in the mountains and she had already experienced so many battles. For her, these were all precious experiences.
That night, none of them cultivated. It was a day filled with twists and turns and both of them were mentally exhausted.
Qingxue was having visions of Su Fei. Even though she wasn't the one who had killed her, she still felt guilty.
As for Tianlong, he had personally 'hunted' her and put her to death. So although he was feeling incredibly refreshed due to opening his meridians, he didn't cultivate.
Qingxue tightly embraced him while treating him as a body pillow to fall asleep.
The next day.
After sleeping like a log for eight hours, Tianlong woke up with a fresh feeling. Seeing that she was still sleeping, he carefully moved her body and got out.
Once he washed his face and did some light exercises, he felt that his perception of the world has changed.
"My spirit sense has strengthened."
While both body and qi refiners possessed a spiritual sense, they differed in their basic nature.
Spirit Sense was divided into two different aspects.
The first part of it is somewhat merged with physical senses, which gives heightened vision, hearing, smell, touch and taste. It increases the person's reflexes and combat instincts.
The other part was like an outward perception that acts somewhat like telekinesis and can be used for various things.
Qi refiners majored in the latter aspect while the Spirit Sense of Body refiners had more of the former aspect.
Hence, Tianlong who was both a Body and Qi refiner, felt that his spirit sense had changed uniquely.
Back in the cave, he took out a Qi Condensation manual from his interspatial ring.
The manual was provided to all mortals and immortals alike in the Long Aristocratic Clan. It gave a brief description of the Qi condensation realm and a Qi circulation technique.
"…the five elements are connected in four dynamic cycles: generation cycle, exhaustion cycle, destruction cycle and suppression cycle. The generation and destruction cycle ensures that the internal alchemy of a cultivator remains stable. While the Exhaustion and Suppression cycles are undesirable as they are signs of Qi deviation…"
Tianlong had already read the manual so many times that he could recite it word to word. Still, he continued to review the topics.
"…in the Qi condensation realm, practitioners must balance their internal alchemy using the creation cycle…"
"…wood fuels fire; the ashes turn into the earth; earth gives birth to metal; metal condenses water; water nourishes wood, forming the generation cycle. The elements are further divided based on Yin and Yang, but that's a concern for Yin Yang cleansing stage."
He continued to turn the pages and read the details of the book. After thoroughly revising the entire text once more, he closed the manual and kept it inside his ring.
He closed his eyes and scanned his entire body, paying special attention to the three hundred and sixty-one meridian acupoints.
A cultivator should have had a basic foundation in physiology and anatomy. Otherwise, a slight mistake could destroy the foundation and create a fatal injury.
That's why alchemists and physicians were highly respected by everyone and nobody wanted to offend them.
Next, he took a bottle of spirit liquid and drank a small mouthful from it.
As soon as the liquid entered his mouth, pure attributeless spiritual energy started to spread throughout his body.
Quickly surrounding the energy with his spiritual sense, he sent it towards his liver meridian.
The meridian had fourteen acupoints which included the Cyclic gate, Gate of Ordering, Swift pulse, Yin Side, Interval pass, etc.
Since he awakened the Cyclic Gate first, he'd have to condense all the fourteen vortexes of the meridian before moving on to the next one.
His knowledge of human anatomy was already at a very high level. Qi Condensation realm was just a breeze for him.
While he immersed himself in cultivation, Qingxue woke up.
The very first thing she noticed was that her body now had an additional Qi vortex and she was just a step away from the fourth level of Qi condensation.
Without disturbing him, she quickly freshened up and sat down to cultivate herself.
Time passed by. Two hours… Three hours… Six hours.
Tianlong was cultivating for this entire time. As the spiritual vortex had just newly formed, it was still in its infancy and needed spiritual energy for nourishment.
The spiritual energy from the spirit water was helping to quickly congeal.
Buzz!
After cultivating for six hours, Tianlong let out a breath of foul air. There was an additional vortex in his Gate of Ordering.
Because he used Luminescence spirit liquid instead of spirit stones to cultivate, he was able to easily absorb the energy without needing to refine it.
Combined with the talent he inherited from his mother, this speed of cultivation was only natural.
Currently, he was feeling a saturation in his meridians which was a sign telling him that cultivating further would yield little to no result.
As his cultivation base progressed, his capability to store spiritual energy would increase and he'll need to stay in meditation for a longer period.
"As far as I can understand, this liquid has at least fifty per cent more efficiency than spirit stones. However, it can only be used by the first four levels of Qi condensation, even reaching the fifth level with it will be a stretch…"
"… I wonder if the demonic core of Rank 3 beast came from the same pond. Otherwise, why could a mere Yin Yang Cleanser possess such a thing?'
He looked at the bottle with a pondering expression before shifting his gaze.
Suddenly his nose twitched and he sent his Spirit Sense outside.
It was a pack of four Direwolves. Three of them were in early rank one while the alpha of the pack was in mid-stage. All of them were currently digging a spot about a thousand meters away from the cave. It was where they had buried the body of Su Fei.
While Tianlong wanted to burn her corpse to leave no clues, Qingxue insisted on keeping her body intact.
She pitied Su Fei's fate.
As a result, the smell of blood couldn't escape the sharp nose of Direwolves who didn't shy away from scavenging.
"I've never fought against a mid-ranked beast alone…
Taking out his Greatbow, he nocked an arrow on it. Since the bow was larger than most bows, the arrows it shot were similarly gigantic. At first glance, they looked like spears rather than arrows.
Going out of the cave, he silently closed in on the pack. He covered his body with a faint layer of wind that isolated his smell.
When he was three hundred meters away from them, he drew the bow to a full moon shape. The black iron arrow slowly started to gain a greenish taint on it.
*Rustle**Rustle**Rustle*
The pack of Direwolves soon dug up the buried corpse of Su Fei. The corpse's eyes were rolled out and there were dry bloodstains on her chest.
All the wolves got excited after seeing that they had found a fresh cultivator's corpse. Just like how beasts were nutritious to cultivators, the cultivator's bodies were also delicious to the beasts.
A nine-meter tall wolf stepped forward. As the leader of the pack, it got to have the first bite of the prey.
Just as the wolf leader was going to sink its jaws on the tender flesh of the female cultivator, an immense sense of crisis struck him and it immediately sprang away from its position.
Shua!
Unfortunately, his subordinates weren't so lucky as one of them got its head skewered by the arrow. The arrowhead went through its eyes and came out of the backside of its head with the pinkish brain matter on it.
Awoo!
"One," Tianlong mumbled inwardly.
The wolf pack let out a howl. Following the path of the arrow, it was easy for them to locate Tianlong. They immediately started sprinting towards him with a feral glow in their eyes.
Disregarding the murderous intent directed towards himself, Tianlong calmly nocked one more arrow in the greatbow. There was no fear in his mind towards the oncoming wolves.
As the wolves came closer and closer, the three beasts gradually split up. The alpha of the pack took the lead while the other two circled Tianlong.
The wolf leader's speed was much greater than the others. Even if one doesn't consider its large physique, its superior cultivation base gave it an edge over the others.
When it was barely 80 meters away from Tianlong, it used its hindlegs and sprang towards him.
Just as the wolf leader had reached him, Tianlong kicked of a gust of wind and sidestepped towards the other wolf on the left. His Greatbow locked on to its throat in an instant.
Shua!
"Two."
Releasing an arrow in mid-air, he pierced the throat of the wolf. This aerial manoeuvre gave the other wolf enough time to reach him. It opened its jaw and waited for Tianlong to directly fall in its jaw.
"Three."
The moment Tianlong was going to enter the jaw of the beast, he took one of the arrows and directly hurled it inside the mouth of the beast. Like a spear, it penetrated the beast and killed it on the spot.
Awoo!
On seeing another member of its pack dying, the wold leader let out a sad howl. Not only had the human disturbed him during his meal, but it had also halved the pack. Only by tearing him limb to limb and feasting on his flesh would quench its flames of anger.
Seeing the wolf leader sprinting towards him with a savage growl, he kept the bow in his back and took out the Thunder Spirit Blade.
The wolf was fast, but he was faster. Sidestepping at the last moment, he evaded the bite and slashed at its neck while sending in a bit of lightning energy inside the beast.
Crackle!
It felt a sharp numbing sensation as the lightning from the blade zapped his body.
Meanwhile, the other wolf quickly closed in on him as he was still fighting. Without turning around, Tianlong rolled on the ground and evaded its pouncing attack.
Tianlong's sudden roll caused the airborne wolf to crash into the wolf leader who was still standing around in a dazed state.
Swoosh!
Still lying on the ground, Tianlong took advantage of the situation and slashed open its midsection with the blade.
He instantly rolled away and distanced himself from the place before the wolf's innards spilled out and created a gory mess.
"Four."
As the fresh blood of its companion hit his body, the alpha wolf regained clarity.
By now, all of its companions were dead. Even if it wanted to tear Tianlong to pieces, he understood that he was no match for the latter.
Direwolves always hunted in a pack. Having lost its pack, the Direwolf leader had lost the prime advantage.
Moreover, from this close distance, he could sense a threatening feeling from Tianlong's blood. Retreating was the best choice for now.
Seeing that the Direwolf was slowly retreating, Tianlong gave it a scornful smile. "Your fangs and claws are imbued with venom that numbs the opponent similar to my blade. I say both of our weapons are equally matched, so why are you hesitating?"
Seeing that the beast was still retreating while looking at him with hateful eyes, Tianlong shook his head and put the blade back inside his ring. Putting one of his hands behind his back, he made a taunting gesture with the other.
As if understanding the meaning behind his words, the Direwolf stopped retreating. The blade was one of the reasons it was hesitating to fight him.
However, now that it was gone, the beast's instinctive desire kicked in and it sprang towards him with a ferocious growl.
Tianlong sneered at the oncoming wolf and made a grabbing motion with his hand.
In that instant, the Direwolf felt that an invisible pair of hands had grabbed him. Due to the sudden increase in its speed, the trajectory of the wolf was disrupted and its exposed underbelly presented itself before Tianlong to which he immediately spent a spinning kick.
Kacha!
With a sharp sound, many of its ribs broke apart. The impact of the kick sending it away tumbling through the air.
The Direwolf winced in pain as it crashed into a tree. However, it didn't have time to collect itself, as Tianlong was already reaching towards itself.
The Direwolf condensed all of its spiritual energy in its mouth and condensed a green mass of destructive energy. As soon as Tianlong was within ten feet of him, the beast locked onto him and released the energy sphere.
Seeing the oncoming sphere, his lips curled up into a smile. Extending his forefinger and middle finger in the form of a sword, he covered them with a rotating vortex of wind.
The moment the ball of spiritual energy approached him, multiple veins in his legs swelled up as he used his Gale Wind Shift to instantly cover the rest of the distance.
With a somersault, he jumped on top of the wolf's head and drilled his fingers inside the skull of the beast. The swirling winds around them making a mush of the brain matter and instantly killing it.
Crack!
Having missed Tianlong, the green sphere shot into the distance and struck a mountain rock and blew it to smithereens.
Boom!
The direwolf spasmed for some time before breathing its last.
"Well, that wasn't so tough."
As Tianlong sighed and retracted his scaled arms from inside the beast's skull, Qingxue's voice came from the distance.
"What the hell happened here?"
Seeing the scene of gore and carnage, she was stupefied. The loud boom from the explosion breaking her meditation.
He took the Direwolf leader's corpse on his back and said, "I was preparing today's lunch."
Tianlong was about to say that he didn't want to disturb her cultivation and thus decided to fight them alone. But seeing that he had done a poor job at keeping the fight silent, he didn't say it out loud.