The medicinal pill in the jade box was melting. The medicinal fragrance instantly enveloped the cave.
Xu Qing didn’t know what the spirit whale pill was but he understood vegetation. After taking a sniff, his thoughts immediately spun as he identified the ingredients inside.
“Semiliquidambar cathayensis, hundred grass leaves, cynanchum… plumed cockscomb, trumpet vine…” Xu Qing mumbled. He lifted his right hand and seemed to have grabbed a wisp of fragrance. He brought it to his nose and sniffed it carefully.
“And climbing fern!”
Xu Qing’s gaze turned deep as he looked at the jade box not far away and analyzed it inwardly.
The composition of this pill was extremely complicated. It was very difficult for him to know all the medicinal ingredients from the fragrance. He could only determine the main ingredients.
However, with his attainments in the Dao of Poison and his knowledge of vegetation, he could still sense that the general effect of this item was mainly nourishing. After all, everything contained a certain amount of spirit energy, especially plants.
The principle of tonics was actually to extract the spirit energy in the plants in a special way and transform it into cultivation power that could be absorbed by cultivators.
“There are also a few medicinal herbs in this pill that contain a hint of blood. I do not know what creature’s blood it is. The name of the pill has ‘whale’ in it. Could it be the blood of a sea beast?” Xu Qing pondered for a moment before grabbing the air. Immediately, the jade box flew over and landed in his hand.
“Although I don’t know what it is, I can speed up its melting.” Xu Qing took out some medicinal herbs from his storage bag. He began to concoct them and added them to the jade box.
Time flowed by. Several hours later, night fell again. The snowstorm seemed to be even heavier than yesterday, drowning out all traces of the ground. It also completely covered the cave Xu Qing had chosen.
Only the whimpering sound of the wind couldn’t be completely blocked by the snow. It faintly rang out from the entrance and when it echoed in Xu Qing’s ears, he opened his eyes and looked at the jade box in front of him.
The medicinal pill that had completely melted, turning into medicinal liquid. This medicinal liquid was clear. The dense medicinal fragrance was clear and looked transparent. The dense medicinal fragrance also became lighter.
Xu Qing picked the box up and drank the medicinal liquid in one gulp.
The instant the medicinal liquid flowed down his throat and into his stomach, an indescribable heatwave spread in his body. This heatwave became a clear contrast to the coldness outside. At that moment, it seemed to have exploded and directly spread to every meridian in Xu Qing’s body, entering his flesh and blood.
It was as though his whole body was breathing, trying its best to absorb the spirit energy in the medicinal liquid.
Xu Qing’s body trembled and a strange glint appeared in his eyes. He could sense the astonishing medicinal effect of this medicinal pill, and he now believed 30% of the Diamond Sect’s ancestor’s words.
He no longer hesitated and circulated the Sea Transformation Art with all his might. In an instant, the 970-foot-high spirit sea that he had reached when he broke through to the ninth level outside the Sea Lizard Island erupted at this moment.
It expanded from 970 feet to 980 feet!
This wasn’t the end. Under the support of the spirit energy of the medicinal liquid, his spirit sea continued to expand. In an instant, it reached 999, until… 1,000 feet!
The instant it reached 1,000 feet, Xu Qing’s eyes erupted with a piercing purple light. His breathing became slightly hurried. The 1,000 feet high spirit sea directly allowed his Sea Transformation Art to break through and advance from the ninth level to the tenth level!
It had reached the limit of the Sea Transformation Art for the vast majority of disciples!
The Sea Transformation Art was divided into ten levels. Each level contained more spirit energy changes and an even more powerful Forbidden Sea’s aura. Its might and foundation far surpassed that of the arts of small sects. It could be said to be one of the upper-level cultivation arts.
This was also the reason why the Seventh Peak’s disciples were so powerful.
However, it also had a limit. One layer was equal to 100 feet high spirit sea, ten layers meant 1000 feet high spirit sea. This was the limit of this cultivation art but this limit wasn’t fixed!
In reality, there would occasionally be disciples who could break through this limit and increase their spirit sea to an even more majestic level. However, there were very few such people. Even if there were, most of them would only be able to increase their spirit sea by 300 to 500 feet.
However, even so, those who could break through the limit were all extraordinary talents.
Back then, Xu Qing had analyzed that what formed the limit of the Sea Transformation Art were anomalous substances!
When cultivators cultivated, the anomalous substances in their bodies would continue to increase. Over time, even if they used medicinal pills to expel them, it would only treat the symptoms and not the root cause.
After a long time, there would still be deep-rooted anomalous substances. Xu Qing judged that the more anomalous substances there were, the harder it was to break the limit of the Sea Transformation Art.
However, he… didn’t have any anomalous substances in his body.
“What affects the range of my spirit sea isn’t the anomalous substances but the limits of my endurance.”
A purple glint flashed in Xu Qing’s eyes. He sensed the medicinal spirit energy that was still erupting in his body and was a little surprised by the medicinal pill prepared by the Diamond Sect’s ancestor.
“To the Diamond Sect’s ancestor, this medicinal pill must be an extremely precious item…”
When Xu Qing thought of this, determination appeared in his eyes. Regardless of whether it was the possible dangers in the sect or his own desire, he really wanted to know how far his spirit sea could advance.
Xu Qing took a deep breath and circulated the Sea Transformation Art again, absorbing the spirit energy from the medicinal pills with all his might. His body was the same. Even the Ba shadow behind him manifested and breathed with all its might.
The outside world couldn’t hear the rumbling sounds that echoed in Xu Qing’s mind like huge waves. At this moment, the spirit sea in his body expanded again.
1010, 1,310, 1,610…
The expansion of the spirit sea was extremely terrifying. As time passed, it slowly reached 2,300 feet and it was still not over.
This astonishing breakthrough caused the pressure emitted by Xu Qing to be much stronger than before.
It even formed a vortex, causing the snowstorm outside to distort when they got close. Upon closer inspection, the area of distortion was the same as the area of Xu Qing’s spirit sea. It was 2,300 feet wide.
2,400 feet, 2,500 feet, 2,600 feet…
The medicinal properties in his body finally began to dissipate.
Within an area of over 2,000 feet, hurricanes swept in all directions.
Fortunately, the place he chose wasn’t the Red Plains anymore and was very remote. There was no one in the surroundings, especially since the snowstorm was quite heavy today.
Hence, no one saw this scene.
“According to the records of the Sea Transformation Art, since ancient times, the highest someone on the Seventh Peak has achieved is a Qi Condensation spirit sea of 2,700 feet…”
Xu Qing opened his eyes and performed a series of hand seals with both hands before waving them to the sides. The medicinal properties in his body that were gradually dissipating were squeezed dry by him with all his might. And with the spell he used, the mixed spirit energy from the wilderness also crazily surged in.
Since it was mixed, very few parts could be absorbed. However, it was still enough for support at this moment.
As the spirit energy in the surroundings gushed in, the instant the medicinal effects in his body dissipated, the spirit sea in Xu Qing’s body erupted once again.
2,630, 2,660, 2,690…
This lasted until 2,700 feet!
The entire cave rumbled and the area of 2,700 feet trembled in unison. The snowstorm was destroyed and the ground directly collapsed. It then exploded in all directions, revealing a huge deep pit and Xu Qing who was sitting there!
Terrifying spirit energy fluctuations circulated around his body, and the wind and snow in the surroundings didn’t dare to get close at all. There was also the Ba shadow behind him. It roared at the sky, and the fiery power in its body became even more violent. It had clearly grown.
One could see that there were even more cracks on the Ba shadow’s body and the magma inside was even redder. Hot airwaves swept in all directions, causing the surrounding snowstorm to directly turn into rain. They then instantly evaporated into white fog that surged into the air.
Vaguely, it was as though two bumps had appeared behind the Ba shadow. It was as though there were wings struggling inside, wanting to grow out.
Xu Qing opened his eyes. As the purple light flickered in them, he looked at his body. He sensed the spirit sea in his body and an aura that even he was shocked by spread out from his body.
Gradually, his eyes gleamed.
“Perfected Qi Condensation!”
Xu Qing mumbled. He compared himself to the Diamond Sect’s ancestor. After making his judgment, he felt that the current him didn’t need a divine attack. Coupled with his spells, heavenly saber, and poison path, he could still suppress the Diamond Sect’s ancestor.
Xu Qing pointed his right hand at the sky. Immediately, the plesiosaur formed by his Forbidden Sea Dragonwhale transformed and expanded abruptly in the air. After it reached the size of 2,700 feet, it rapidly shrank to 1000 feet.
At the same time, the spirit sea in his body was also compressed.
Xu Qing was used to revealing his sharpness only at the instant he erupted.
After putting on the disguise, Xu Qing stood up. His eyes revealed sharpness and deep anticipation.
He felt that his spirit sea still hadn’t reached its limit and seemed to have some space left to grow.
“I’ll know in the future!”
Xu Qing instantly rushed out like a bolt of lightning, leaving this place far behind. In the darkness of the night, he headed straight for the distance.
He wanted to go to another city and return to the Seven Blood Eyes through there.
He had been out for more than a month. Now that everything had been resolved and his cultivation had increased, he was prepared to return and see if the matter between the merfolk race and the third highness was really calm or not.
Just like that, Xu Qing used the flight talisman to speed all the way. Three days later, he finally arrived at his destination. It was the Seven Blood Eyes’ branch city outside the Red Plains.
He didn’t waste time in the city and headed straight for the teleportation array.
He paid the fee and stepped in the array. Before being teleported, he looked in the direction of the Red Plains in the distance. He heaved a long sigh of relief in his heart.
After such a long time, Xu Qing finally removed the thorn in his heart. Although the outcome of the Diamond Sect’s ancestor wasn’t death, Xu Qing felt that he could accept the outcome.
“Now, if everything is normal in the sect, I’ll really be able to have a good sleep.” Xu Qing muttered inwardly. The teleportation array shone and a sea of light spread from the edges and covered him.
As the sea of light dissipated, Xu Qing’s figure in the teleportation array was already gone.
The snowstorm continued to blow, covering the ground over and over again, turning it into white paper that revealed a hint of clarity.
It was very clean.
The cold permeated the surroundings, invading the wilderness inch by inch before turning into killing intent that revealed a hint of ruthlessness.
It was very cruel.