Chapter 117: "It doesn't sound like something I can handle."

Chapter 117: "It doesn't sound like something I can handle."

"That's not a problem."

Chen Qiu sat on the roof of the temple and shook his head. As long as there were no hidden injuries, it was fine. Being attacked by a powerful cultivator at the fourth layer of the Golden Core stage and surviving was already a blessing. The pain was nothing to worry about.

He was only concerned about the damage to his Sea of Divine Perception, which might cause hidden injuries and prevent him from forming a Tenth Rank Golden Core.

In that case, he would be furious enough to kill.

But now, this was acceptable. Fortunately, he hadn't chosen the "Excruciating Pain" entry, which increased pain, or he might have died from the agony.

He didn't want to linger any longer and quickly headed towards the Zodiac Sect to seek medicine.

After a brief pause, he looked down at the shopkeeper below, who was still recovering from the shock, and said, "Shopkeeper, how about we change locations and I'll release you after some time?"

Then, with a wave of his hand, he sucked the shopkeeper into his Little World, and the shopkeeper didn't resist.

At the Mock Heaven Sect, in a clean disciple's dormitory.

The shopkeeper, still in a state of shock, suddenly appeared in the dormitory. Before he could observe his surroundings, a familiar voice reached his ears.

"Shopkeeper, I'm afraid you'll have to endure staying in this room for a while."

"I'll release you after unlocking the storage ring."

"Thank you, Shopkeeper. I'll double your payment this time."

Just as Chen Qiu waved his hand to signal the scholarly cultivator to prepare for the journey to the Zodiac Sect, he suddenly saw the Ten Thousand Toxins Sect Master's Golden Core being handed over by the scholarly cultivator. He was stunned for a moment. Originally, he had been feeling dizzy and in pain, but now he felt a bit more energetic and couldn't help but shake his head and laugh.

"A Second Rank Golden Core?"

"Yes." The scholarly cultivator also couldn't help but laugh, "Brother Qiu, it seems like you've gained some good fortune from this misfortune. A Second Rank Golden Core is hard to come by, and now one has come to you."

"Indeed."

Chen Qiu nodded and took out a wooden box from his pocket. He had many of these boxes, which were used to store the Heavenly Will Blessing pills. He placed the Second Rank Golden Core in the box and then put it in the storage room of his Little World.

Now he had three Second Rank Golden Cores.

Only six more were needed.

With nine Second Rank Golden Cores required, he had already completed one-third of the task. Calculating this, he felt that this unexpected attack might not have been such a bad thing after all.

Then he glanced at the scholarly cultivator's flying sword and frowned as he noticed several cracks on it. "I thought this flying sword was your Lifebound Spirit Treasure?"

"Yes."

The scholarly cultivator nodded and then shook his head helplessly, "It's a bit damaged. My Lifebound Spirit Treasure is closely connected to me, so I've suffered some injuries as well, but it's not a big problem. It's still usable, and as long as it doesn't shatter completely, I'll find a way to repair it in the future."

"Should we set off now, Brother Qiu?"

"Let's go."

As they passed by Windward City, Chen Qiu left the scholarly cultivator's younger brother there.

Chen Qiu and the other two headed to the Zodiac Sect to seek pills, so that in case of any unexpected events, they could quickly retreat to Windward City through the bloodline entry of the scholarly cultivator and his brother.

At the entrance of the Zodiac Sect's mountain gate.

"There shouldn't be any major issues."

The scholarly cultivator lowered his voice and said, "This Zodiac Sect has a good reputation. They've never attacked those who come to seek pills. Pill sects are usually neutral, treating demon cultivators, demon cultivators, and righteous cultivators equally."

"Hmm."

Chen Qiu nodded and looked at the mountain gate of the Zodiac Sect.

The Zodiac Sect was located on a high peak, with its main site at the summit and the mountain gate built halfway up the mountain. Two ten-zhang-tall stone pillars with strange carvings stood at the halfway point, open to the sky. This was the mountain gate.

Anyone who entered the Zodiac Sect's territory from elsewhere was considered an invader with hostile intentions.

At that moment, two disciples guarding the mountain gate were examining them.

One of the disciples, with a square face, spoke to Chen Qiu and the others in a solemn tone, "Are you here to seek pills? Do you have an introduction plaque from any of the elders?"

"No."

Chen Qiu shook his head and replied softly, "No, we've heard that the Zodiac Sect's pill refinement skills are unparalleled in the Northern Continent, so we've come to seek pills."

Then he waved his hand, and Fat Dragon quickly took out two storage bags containing ten Spirit Stones each and discreetly slipped them into the pockets of the two guarding disciples.

They were now at the edge of the Endless Desert.

From halfway up the mountain, they could see the endless expanse of the desert in the distance, with no oases, springs, or hills in sight. It was a boundless desert as far as the eye could see.

It was still winter.

But for some reason, Chen Qiu could feel the heat waves emanating from the Endless Desert, creating a stark contrast with the Endless Ice Plain.

"Ahem."

The two guarding disciples casually accepted the storage bags from Fat Dragon, and one of them coughed lightly before speaking in a low voice, "Have you been deceived, fellow cultivators?"

"Foundation Establishment pills can be purchased in the market below. Usually, only Core Formation stage pills require seeking at the mountain gate."

"We seek the Core Formation pill, the Spirit Repair Pill."

"The Spirit Repair Pill?"

The guarding disciple looked at Chen Qiu and the others in surprise. It was unusual for Foundation Establishment cultivators to request the Spirit Repair Pill, which was used to repair damaged spirit sense. Foundation Establishment cultivators rarely suffered spirit sense injuries, as they would die instantly if attacked by a Core Formation cultivator's spirit sense.

But after some thought, he guessed that they were probably seeking pills on behalf of a Core Formation cultivator in the background.

He didn't dare to be negligent and spoke seriously, "Follow me, fellow cultivators."

Then he flew towards the summit on his flying sword, with Chen Qiu and the others following closely behind.

Soon—

They entered the inner area of the Zodiac Sect, passing through the areas of the outer, inner, and core disciples, and arrived at the guest area, a spacious tea room filled with the scent of burning incense.

Along the way, they encountered many disciples, and the air above the Zodiac Sect was filled with the fragrance of medicinal herbs.

Most of the disciples were pill cultivators.

However, it seemed that there had been some serious pill refinement failures, as they heard over a dozen explosions during their journey.

"Please wait here for a moment."

The Mountain Guard disciple who led them here spoke with a serious expression, "I'll go inform the Elder, he'll be here shortly."

"Alright."

After the Mountain Guard disciple left, Fei Long heard occasional explosions from outside the window, and couldn't help but sigh, "No wonder Pill Cultivators spend a lot of money. With the rate at which these furnaces are exploding, just buying new ones would cost a significant amount in a year, right?"

"I remember that a Middle Rank Foundation Establishment Pill Refinement Furnace was auctioned off for 200 Spirit Stones at the Ask Heaven Market. If all the furnaces that exploded just now were of that rank, then in just this short time, several thousand Spirit Stones have been wasted?"

"In a single day, just the cost of the furnaces would amount to tens of thousands of Spirit Stones. That's a bit outrageous."

"I don't think so."

The scholar's expression turned strange as he looked towards the window, where explosions could still be heard from time to time, "I've also visited Pill Cultivator Sects, but I've never seen one where furnaces explode so frequently. This isn't Pill Refinement; they're making fireworks!"

After about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea,

An old man with white hair, his eyebrows and beard visibly scorched, entered the tea room with a slightly anxious and irritable expression. Upon seeing Chen Qiu and the others, his irritable expression softened, but his voice still held a hint of agitation.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Third Elder of the Zodiac Sect."

"Forgive me for making you wait, Fellow Daoists. I just had a furnace explode, and when I heard that esteemed guests had arrived, I quickly changed my clothes and rushed over."

"I just heard a brief report from my disciple. You require the Spirit Repair Pill to repair damaged Spirit Sense, is that correct? Could you tell me the Cultivation Level of the person who will be taking this pill? I can prescribe the medicine accordingly, as different Cultivation Levels can withstand different potencies."

"Foundation Establishment Peak."

Chen Qiu, who had been enduring pain for a long time, spoke in a slightly weary voice, "I took the pill, and an accident occurred, damaging my Spirit Sense. I've come to your Sect specifically for this pill."

"You?"

A hint of doubt flashed in the old man's eyes, and he subconsciously asked, "Nonsense! How can a Foundation Establishment Peak Cultivator have damaged Spirit Sense?"

In most cases, Spirit Sense damage occurs during battles with Golden Core powerhouses, where the Sea of Divine Perception of Foundation Establishment Cultivators is in a chaotic state, completely defenseless. Once subjected to a Spirit Sense attack, it can only be completely destroyed.

There's no way it could be damaged.

"Wait a moment—"

At this moment, the old man sized up Chen Qiu and suddenly took out a portrait from his bosom. He looked at the portrait and then at Chen Qiu, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, "Are you the recently renowned Chen Qiu?"

"The strongest Alchemy Cultivator and Heaven's Pride of Great Xia, Chen Qiu?"

"Weren't you in the Endless Ice Plain? How did you suddenly end up in the Endless Desert?"

Then, he suddenly realized, and his voice couldn't help but mix with a hint of admiration, "If it's Chen Qiu, then it makes sense. I heard that you once killed a Golden Core powerhouse, and I assume the Spirit Sense damage occurred during that battle."

"No wonder you're from Windward City, but you went to the Endless Ice Plain. There are many Pill Cultivator Sects in the South, so you must have gone there seeking a pill. It seems you didn't find what you were looking for."

"Unfortunately, the Zodiac Sect also doesn't have a solution."

"The Spirit Repair Pill is a low-grade Golden Core pill used specifically to repair damaged Golden Core Spirit Sense. Even if the potency is reduced, it's still beyond what a Foundation Establishment Cultivator's Sea of Divine Perception can withstand. Not only will it fail to repair the damage, but it may even worsen the condition."

"A Foundation Establishment Cultivator simply cannot take the Spirit Repair Pill."

". . ."

Chen Qiu frowned and remained silent for a long time before speaking again with a hint of reluctance, "Is there really no chance at all?"

"None."

The Third Elder shook his head regretfully, "If you had come a few months earlier, there might have been a solution, but recently, our Sect has encountered some unexpected problems, and it doesn't seem like they can be resolved in the short term."

"What kind of problem?"

Chen Qiu asked.

He was unwilling to give up any chance, as damaged Spirit Sense meant it would be difficult for him to form a Tenth Rank Golden Core. While it wouldn't affect him if it were repaired, with nine-tenths of his Sea of Divine Perception destroyed, forming a Tenth Rank Golden Core was nothing but a dream.

"This..."

The old man hesitated for a moment, as if he wanted to say something but stopped. After a while, he said, "Please wait here for a moment. I'll go consult with the Great Elder."

"Alright."

Soon, the old man followed behind another elder who appeared even older. This elder's hair and beard were a deep green, resembling the color of pickled garlic. Like the Third Elder, his beard and eyebrows were also scorched, indicating he had just experienced a furnace explosion.

"This is our Great Elder."

As soon as the Great Elder sat down, he turned to Chen Qiu with a solemn expression and said, "Chen Daoist, what I'm about to tell you is the core secret of the Zodiac Sect. I hope that regardless of whether you can help or not, you will try your best not to spread this information."

"I will only share this with you, Chen Daoist."

"And the Spirit Repair Pill you seek is closely related to this matter."

"I understand."

Chen Qiu nodded seriously, listening attentively.

The Great Elder sighed and said, "Since ancient times, most Pill Cultivator Sects have been located in the South, where the Life Energy is more abundant, naturally suitable for Pill Cultivator Sects."

"But the reason the Zodiac Sect is established in the northernmost part of Xuzhou, near the Endless Desert, is..."

"Because hundreds of years ago, our founder discovered an 'Earthfire' beneath the Endless Desert, flowing like an underground river. This constantly flowing Earthfire makes the Endless Desert extremely hot even in winter."

"That Earthfire is extremely gentle. Our founder spent decades guiding a strand of it to this mountain peak. Using this Earthfire, our Sect's disciples can refine pills with an extremely high success rate and at a very low cost."

"Especially since the Earthfire is so mild, we can control its temperature at will, allowing us to refine pills that other Sects cannot."

"For example, the 'Spirit Repair Pill' you seek, Fellow Daoist Chen, is something that no Sect in Great Xia can refine for a Foundation Establishment Peak Cultivation Level. Only our Zodiac Sect can refine it with the help of Earthfire."

"A while ago, the Earthfire was still as gentle as before."

"But a few months ago, for some unknown reason, the Earthfire suddenly became extremely violent, making it impossible to refine pills. We've tried countless times, but we can no longer use Earthfire for pill refinement. Instead, the Earthfire became even more violent. We were ready to give up."

The Grand Elder of the Zodiac Sect suddenly turned serious and earnestly looked at Chen Qiu, saying, "But unexpectedly, Fellow Daoist Chen, you suddenly paid us a visit. You are currently Great Xia's strongest Law Cultivator Heaven's Pride. If there's anyone who can solve this Earthfire issue, it's definitely you."

"As long as you can help the Zodiac Sect resolve this Earthfire problem."

"Not only can we refine the Spirit Repair Pill for you for free, but we will also offer a generous reward, and you will gain the Zodiac Sect's long-term friendship."

"Me?"

Chen Qiu furrowed his brows. "It doesn't sound like something I can handle."

"You can."

The Grand Elder of the Zodiac Sect looked at Chen Qiu with trust and said earnestly, "We've witnessed your battle in the Endless Ice Plain. To venture deep into the Earthfire and find out what's happening, you must maintain your Body Guard Spirit Qi at all times."

"But the Earthfire is too deep."

"We've even invited the Supreme Elder with a Golden Core Peak Cultivation Level, the founder of our sect. Even with the founder's cultivation, he couldn't reach the depths of the Earthfire before half of his Spirit Qi was exhausted."

"It's impossible to determine what's happening beneath the Earthfire."

"It even caused some injury to the founder, further reducing his already limited lifespan."

"Fellow Daoist Chen, the Spirit Qi within your body, according to the images on the Shadow Stone as observed by our Sect Master, is believed to be even greater than that of the founder. If you're willing to help us, perhaps we can find the reason for the Earthfire's violence, and then we can find a solution."

". "

After a moment of silence, Chen Qiu spoke softly, "Take me to see it."

"Okay."

Led by the Grand Elder, Chen Qiu and his companions arrived at the back mountain of the Zodiac Sect. Inside a house protected by a Formation, a well stood in the center.

Countless flames, like a solid substance, gushed out of the well, flowing through channels dug into the ground, reaching every corner of the Zodiac Sect.

The entire house was filled with scorching heat waves.

Even with the naked eye, one could observe a violent aura within the flames, far from being gentle in any way.

"It's right here."

The Grand Elder's expression was complex as he spoke, "Although we want to solve the Earthfire issue, Fellow Daoist Chen, I must remind you that the Earthfire below is more extensive and deeper than you imagine."

"A Core Formation Immortal can leave a strand of Divine Perception at the well's mouth, allowing them to return along the same path when their Spirit Qi is nearly exhausted."

"But with your Foundation Establishment Peak Cultivation Level, you cannot extend your Divine Perception. Once you fall into the Earthfire below, you will instantly lose your sense of direction, and there's a high chance you won't make it back until your Spirit Qi is depleted."

The Grand Elder didn't finish his sentence.

But his meaning was clear.

After the Spirit Qi is exhausted, staying in this obviously non-ordinary fire, a Spirit Fire that can corrode Spirit Qi, would not lead to a pleasant outcome.

"I'll go with you."

The Scholar looked at Chen Qiu.

"Mhm."

Chen Qiu nodded. With the Scholar, he was indeed not worried about the issue of returning. As long as he didn't exceed a distance of ten thousand li from his younger brother, he could instantly return to his brother's side.

"No problem."

Chen Qiu didn't want to delay any further. Since he had a good understanding of the situation, there was no need to waste more time. His Spirit Qi surged, enveloping Fatty Dragon and the Scholar, and they stepped into the fire well.

Although protecting two people would consume more Body Guard Spirit Qi.

But for him, it wasn't much of a difference.

Leaving Fatty Dragon alone in the Zodiac Sect made him uneasy.

The three of them disappeared from their original spot.

Just then—

A middle-aged man with a square face and a dignified expression strode into the room and scanned the interior, asking in a deep voice, "Where is Fellow Daoist Chen?"

"Sect Master."

The Grand Elder's expression was complex as he looked towards the fire well entrance, "They've already gone down."

"They've already descended?"

The middle-aged man paused, then sighed, "Let Fellow Daoist Chen give it a try. With the reputation of being Great Xia's Peerless Law Cultivator Heaven's Pride, he must have something extraordinary about him."

"But..."

"I didn't have a chance to tell him that the Earthfire has become even more violent, and the consumption of Spirit Qi will be even more severe."

"Let's hope for their safe return."

"You all go ahead and pack up. Prepare to move to Southern Continent. This Earthfire is becoming increasingly violent. Within a month, it will erupt in large quantities, covering the entire sect, making it difficult to survive."

"Already...?" The Grand Elder was stunned and exchanged glances with the Third Elder, disbelief in his voice, "Has it come to the point where we must relocate the sect?"

"Mhm."

After a long silence, the middle-aged man spoke in a hoarse voice, "The founder has just passed away. Don't spread this news. The founder's lifespan was already limited, and he didn't make it after sustaining an injury in the Earthfire."

At this moment, Chen Qiu had already taken Fatty Dragon and the others deep into the Earthfire.

As far as the eye could see—

The surroundings were filled with countless raging Earthfire, flowing like liquid, constantly corroding his Body Guard Spirit Qi, even though his Spirit Qi capacity far exceeded that of his peers.

But even that couldn't last for thirty breaths.

The Earthfire's corrosion of Spirit Qi was too strong.

The entire underground area seemed hollowed out, with nothing but Earthfire, like a vast underground sea of fire composed of flowing flames.

"Let's go."

Chen Qiu, feeling the scorching heat waves seeping into his body, didn't say much. His Spirit Qi surged into his arm armor, and countless sharp needles pierced his body, restoring his Spirit Qi while allowing him to repeatedly teleport within the sea of fire.

He didn't know if this was feasible or not.

But at this moment, this was the only path he could take. He had no idea what was happening beneath the Earthfire, causing the usually gentle Earthfire to become so violent. He could only rely on constant teleportation, stretching the timeline, to find the anomaly.

Just like that—

Two hours passed in the blink of an eye.

Chen Qiu was still randomly teleporting in the depths of the sea of fire, his mind blank. However, he wasn't agitated; his face remained calm as he surveyed the surroundings. With the experience he gained from the Forbidden Sea, only two hours had passed, and his heart was completely unperturbed.

"I never knew that beneath the Endless Desert, there was actually a hollow space, and so much Earthfire."

The scholar's expression was complex as he felt the distance to his younger brother: "I can sense that my brother is getting further and further away from us, which means we've been going deeper into the Endless Desert, but we're still under the Endless Desert."

"And we've already gone more than ten li deep."

"If nothing unexpected happens, there might be an entire sea of fire flowing beneath the Endless Desert, and this sea of fire is even larger than Xuzhou by many times. No wonder the Patriarch of the Zodiac Sect couldn't detect the end of the sea of fire."

"The Life Energy here has already merged with the Earthfire, and absorbing the Life Energy here will make the body feel unbearably hot. Absorbing too much might even cause the meridians to self-ignite. Here, we can only use the Life Energy within our bodies."

"The amount of Life Energy stored in a Core Formation Peak Cultivator's body is insufficient to explore this sea of fire."

Chen Qiu scanned his surroundings. Even now, he hadn't seen anything special; he only felt the heat waves getting stronger and stronger, and the speed at which they were corroding his Life Energy was increasing. This meant that the temperature of the Earthfire here was even higher.

Zodiac Sect.

Inside the room, next to the fire well, the sect master of the Zodiac Sect, who had been waiting by the fire well, had a complex look in his eyes. Two hours had passed, and Chen Qiu still showed no signs of returning.

Most likely...

He had perished.

The Patriarch had only stayed in the Earthfire for half an hour before returning. Even then, he had miscalculated and almost ran out of Life Energy when he was about to return to the fire well, unable to absorb the Life Energy that had merged with the Earthfire.

This caused damage to his meridians.

As a result, he didn't last long and passed away prematurely.

The elderly Core Formation Peak Cultivator was like a precious yet fragile piece of porcelain.

One touch and it would shatter.

Three more hours passed.

Night fell, and there were only two days left before the Heaven's Pride Ranking competition.

At this moment, deep within the Earthfire, Chen Qiu had lost track of how deep he had gone into the Endless Desert. But as the heat waves around him grew stronger, he finally found the source of the Earthfire's violence.

In the deepest part of the underground sea of fire.

A lotus-like Eight-Petaled Flame Lotus with no roots floated freely in the sea of fire. Its eight petals seemed to breathe, constantly moving up and down, and each movement made the surrounding Earthfire more violent.

This created waves of heat that surged towards the depths of the sea of fire.

The source of the Earthfire's violence was this Flame Lotus growing in the sea of fire.

However—

Chen Qiu had only observed for less than a breath when, before he could get close, he had to teleport away again and again to restore his Life Energy. But with each teleportation, he moved further away from the Eight-Petaled Flame Lotus.

".

Chen Qiu turned to look at the Eight-Petaled Flame Lotus, which was dozens of zhang behind him. He estimated the amount of Life Energy he had left, took out a large pile of Qi Supplement Pills from his pocket, and swallowed them all. Then, without activating his arm armor, he used his Body Guard Spirit Qi to withstand the sea of fire and charged towards the Eight-Petaled Flame Lotus in the depths of the sea of fire!

Then, his Life Energy surged out, enveloping the Eight-Petaled Flame Lotus and stuffing it into a wooden box. However, the Eight-Petaled Flame Lotus was entirely composed of flames, and the wooden box was instantly burned to ashes. He tried to put it into his Storage Ring, but the Storage Ring was also instantly burned to ashes.

After a moment's hesitation.

He directly threw it into his Little World. This time, it was stable.

The Eight-Petaled Flame Lotus floated in the air of the Little World, and for the first time, the dim Little World had a sun, with dazzling light shining on the ruins of the Mock Heaven Sect. At the same time, a scorching heat wave swept through the entire Little World.

After the Eight-Petaled Flame Lotus was put into the Little World, the surrounding Earthfire, which had been raging violently, suddenly began to calm down, and the violent aura gradually dissipated.

As his Life Energy was about to run out.

Chen Qiu directly brought Fei Long and the others into the Little World.

"Huff!"

Inside the Little World, Fei Long, shirtless and sweating profusely, waved the paper fan in his hand vigorously and looked up at the Eight-Petaled Flame Lotus floating in the air, serving as a small sun. His face was slightly excited: "Brother Qiu, let me tell you, this thing is definitely a great treasure!"

"I've never seen a flower that grows rootless in a sea of fire, and its entire body is made of flames."

"Such a large underground sea of fire is going crazy because of this thing. This thing is definitely not to be underestimated. Scholar, do you know what kind of treasure this is?"

"I don't know."

The scholar shook his head helplessly: "You overestimate me. Even at the peak of my cultivation, this underground sea of fire was not a place I could go, and this thing is not something I am qualified to touch."

Chen Qiu felt that the temperature was still bearable. The three Core Formation Vengeful Spirits on his back were cooling him down, and he didn't feel very hot. As he looked at the Eight-Petaled Flame Lotus floating in mid-air, he couldn't help but sigh.

This was the drawback of being a solitary cultivator.

It was hard to come across a treasure, and he didn't even know what this thing was or what it was used for. But then he thought that even the great sects in Great Xia probably wouldn't know what this thing was, and he felt a little better.

But

He couldn't just let this thing float in the air forever. He was a bit troubled about how to figure out what this thing was for. He could be sure of one thing: this Eight-Petaled Flame Lotus was definitely a top-tier Heaven and Earth Spiritual Treasure.

He just didn't know how to use it. If he had the chance to meet Old Man Cao, it would be great. Perhaps he would know.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end