Chapter 363: Virtue Robe, Taking the Initiative

Chapter 363: Virtue Robe, Taking the Initiative

"I never expected it to be these two cultivation methods."

Lu Qing's eyes lit up with surprise after comprehending the two cultivation methods provided by the demon cultivator.

Indeed, both methods were related to the application of Merit Light.

One was called 'Virtue Robe', a cultivation technique.

The other was a method to refine Merit Light into a treasure.

Both methods focused on the utilization of Merit Light, and even without understanding Buddhist or Daoist cultivation techniques, one could still cultivate them.

So, even Lu Qing could cultivate them.

However, when it came time to choose, Lu Qing found himself in a dilemma.

He had resolved the State Capital City's tribulation, receiving the response of Heaven and Earth, and obtained Merit Light.

Although he had acquired a considerable amount of Merit Light, it was still insufficient for him to cultivate both methods simultaneously.

Therefore, he could only choose one to cultivate.

Lu Qing began to contemplate the advantages and disadvantages of the two methods.

'Virtue Robe' involved using one's acquired Merit Light and refining it into a robe through a unique cultivation method.

Once the 'Virtue Robe' was formed, it could bring blessings and ward off calamities, deterring evil and protecting the soul.

It was especially effective against soul-related attacks.

It was a unique cultivation technique that focused on soul defense.

Moreover, as Merit Light increased, the 'Virtue Robe' could be upgraded.

At its highest level, it could transform into the 'Heaven Virtue Robe', a power so formidable that all evil would retreat, even Demon Sovereigns and Demon Generals would be wary of it.

Naturally, the amount of Merit Light required to condense the 'Heaven Virtue Robe' was immense.

It far exceeded the small amount of Merit Light in Lu Qing's brow center acupoint.

Additionally, the cultivation method passed down by the demon cultivator only briefly mentioned the 'Heaven Virtue Robe' without providing specific refinement techniques.

As for the method to refine Merit Light into a treasure...

To be honest, this method was slightly inferior to the 'Virtue Robe'.

It mainly focused on infusing Merit Light into magical treasures.

The refined Merit Light treasures were highly effective against demon and evil cultivators, as well as other malevolent entities.

However, in Lu Qing's opinion, the refinement method was not as profound as the 'Virtue Robe'.

After some contemplation, Lu Qing ultimately decided to cultivate the 'Virtue Robe'.

He had no choice; the upper limit of this cultivation technique was too high, and it captivated Lu Qing's imagination.

Although he would likely struggle to obtain Merit Light in the future, even the initial stages of the 'Virtue Robe' provided soul defense that made Lu Qing envious.

Coincidentally, he estimated that the Merit Light in his brow center acupoint space was just enough to cultivate this technique to its initial stage.

After making his decision, Lu Qing activated his extraordinary ability and began to wholeheartedly comprehend the 'Virtue Robe' cultivation method.

Soon, a warm aura emerged from Lu Qing's body.

Half an hour later, a faint golden light emanated from his body.

The golden light intertwined, forming a simple-looking robe that draped over Lu Qing.

"Is this the 'Virtue Robe'?"

Lu Qing opened his eyes, looking at the robe on his body with surprise.

The robe appeared thin, but he could sense an incredibly mysterious power flowing through it.

It could effectively protect his soul, preventing malevolent entities from invading.

"Lu Xiaolangjun, what is this...?"

"Flame" sensed the changes in Lu Qing's body and materialized from the Fire Separation Cauldron as a phantom, gazing at the 'Virtue Robe' on Lu Qing with astonishment.

It could perceive the dense Merit Light on this robe.

"I obtained a cultivation method to utilize Merit Light from the demon cultivator, and when I tried cultivating it, I succeeded unexpectedly," Lu Qing explained.

"Flame": ...

It was not surprised that Lu Qing acquired a cultivation method from the demon cultivator.

After all, that demon cultivator was under Lu Qing's soul spirit enslavement and couldn't defy his will.

What surprised it was Lu Qing's cultivation speed.

Judging by the aura of the robe on Lu Qing's body, this technique was undoubtedly profound.

Yet, he had quietly cultivated it to success without any signs.

Despite witnessing Lu Qing's comprehension abilities multiple times, 'Flame' couldn't help but be amazed once again.

Lu Qing experienced the profoundness of the 'Virtue Robe' for a while before retracting it into his body.

Once the 'Virtue Robe' was cultivated, it automatically protected its owner, requiring no further attention from Lu Qing, making it incredibly mysterious.

"When Master returns, I can pass on this cultivation method to him and see if he can also refine the 'Virtue Robe'."

After experiencing the profoundness of the 'Virtue Robe', Lu Qing felt confident.

Master had always been benevolent, practicing medicine for decades, and the Merit Light accumulated on his body was not weak.

If he could condense the Virtue Robe, it would bring him numerous benefits.

However, his master had gone into the mountains to gather medicinal herbs in recent days, and no one knew when he would return.

Lu Qing could only wait for his master's return before receiving the cultivation technique's transmission.

As Lu Qing pondered, a sudden thought crossed his mind.

After more than ten breaths, a voice sounded from outside the courtyard.

"Lu Xiaolangjun, are you there?"

"Wei Family Head, please come in."

Soon, Wei Xinghe's figure appeared in the courtyard.

"Wei Family Head, has something else happened?" Lu Qing asked, noticing the seriousness on Wei Xinghe's face.

"It's like this, Lu Xiaolangjun. I've just received news from the spies in the mansion.

A group of powerful monks has appeared in the Western Province, and in a very short time, they've subdued numerous sects, unifying the entire province.

They immediately began constructing temples under the name of Hanging Mountain, with grand construction projects, making a huge commotion."

"Oh, so Hanging Mountain can no longer hold back and is about to make its move?"

Lu Qing's eyebrows raised slightly at this news.

However, he wasn't too surprised.

He had already learned about the Hanging Mountain Mystical Realm from the assassins of the Infinite Tower, knowing it was located in the Western Province.

With the Celestial Dao Sound ringing out for the fourth time and the heavenly rules evolving further, it was time for the Four Secret Places to emerge.

If they didn't act soon, they might miss the opportunity to seize the initiative in the revival of Spirit Qi.

"Have similar situations occurred in other places?" Lu Qing asked.

"Lu Xiaolangjun, your predictions are as divine as ever. Indeed, several other major provinces have experienced situations similar to the Western Province.

Mysterious experts have suddenly appeared, sweeping through entire provinces and establishing their dominance."

"Which provinces are they?"

Wei Xinghe named several provinces, leaving Lu Qing surprised.

He discovered that none of the Four Secret Places were located within the Central Province.

It was unclear whether this was because, during the ancient era when Spirit Qi had withered and the world was in decline, the Central Province had undergone the most drastic changes, making it impossible for Secret Realms to survive, or if there were other reasons.

"Alright, I understand. Wei Family Head, with the heavenly changes becoming more intense, even the Four Secret Places can no longer hold back.

It's clear that the coming days will bring even more chaos to the outside world.

So, it's best for everyone to stay and cultivate in peace for now, rather than venturing out."

"Good, I'll make sure to inform Zihao and Zi'an about this when I return."

Without needing Lu Qing's instructions, Wei Xinghe knew what to do.

Even the legendary Four Secret Places were now vying for territory.

The world was about to descend into chaos.

Only a fool would choose to venture out during such times.

Moreover, since Lu Qing had set up the array, the Spirit Qi around Nine Li Village had become increasingly dense, showing signs of transforming into a blessed land.

Wei Xinghe could feel that cultivating in the other courtyard not only accelerated his cultivation but also brought a sense of peace to his soul.

There was no need to worry about the risk of going astray.

Knowing that all these changes were due to Lu Qing, Wei Xinghe was determined not to waste this opportunity.

After Wei Xinghe left, Lu Qing fell into deep thought.

The Four Secret Places choosing this time to emerge didn't surprise him.

The Celestial Dao Sound had already sounded four times, and the heavenly rules had evolved to the point where Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators could move freely.

According to 'Flame's' explanation, as the heavenly rules continued to evolve, more changes would occur in the world.

For example, certain geniuses and treasures might be preparing to emerge.

Even the legendary Secret Realm space might reappear after a while.

In such a situation, it was natural for the Four Secret Places to come out early and make their arrangements.

Lu Qing considered whether he should take this opportunity to go to the Western Province and give Hanging Mountain a surprise.

After all, Hanging Mountain had just emerged, and although it had unified the Western Province, it was likely still unstable.

If he went there now, he might be able to give them a big surprise.

After some contemplation, Lu Qing finally decided it was worth a try.

The grudge between Hanging Mountain and him could never be erased.

Instead of waiting for them to stabilize and then deal with him, he would take the initiative and strike first.

Even if he couldn't annihilate them, he could at least inflict a painful and crippling blow, disrupting their plans and leaving them no time to deal with him.

With this in mind, Lu Qing immediately began his preparations.

The next day, his master returned from the mountains with the medicinal herbs, and with someone to manage the array, Lu Qing quietly left Nine Li Village with Xiao Li, heading towards the Western Province.

"Lu Xiaolangjun, are you really going to Xizhou?"

Along the way, "Flame" communicated with Lu Qing through soul transmission within the Fire Separation Cauldron.

"Yes, Hanging Mountain has a deep grudge against me. If they completely take control of Xizhou, they will likely target me."

Lu Qing himself wasn't afraid of being targeted, but he couldn't say the same for Xiao Yan and the villagers of Nine Li Village.

Hanging Mountain had survived and thrived since the Ancient Cultivation Era, and its profound heritage meant it undoubtedly possessed numerous hidden trump cards.

It was hard to say whether the array he had set up was a simplified version and if it could completely defend against the revenge of this ancient secret place.

So instead of passively waiting to be attacked, he decided to take the initiative and strike first.

"If that Hanging Mountain secret place is indeed the same one from the Ancient Cultivation Era, Lu Xiaolangjun, you must be careful."

"Flame" warned from within the Fire Separation Cauldron, "Those monks are not ordinary; even in the Ancient Cultivation Era, they were one of the top powers.

To survive the depletion of Spirit Qi for tens of thousands of years and continue their heritage, they must possess countless means."

"I know, rest assured, Senior. I'll be careful," Lu Qing replied.

"Good, as long as you understand."

"Flame" felt relieved, seeing that Lu Qing wasn't rushing headlong with hot-blooded recklessness.

When Lu Qing first gained control of the Fire Separation Cauldron, "Flame" would never have had such sentiments.

At that time, it was threatened to hand over control of the cauldron and wished for Lu Qing's death, so it wouldn't have advised him.

But after these days, witnessing Lu Qing's terrifying cultivation talent and enlightenment, "Flame's" attitude had changed.

It knew that with Lu Qing's cultivation talent, as long as he didn't meet an untimely demise, his future achievements would be unimaginable.

Even compared to those few powerful beings who stood at the pinnacle of the cultivation world during the Ancient Cultivation Era, he wouldn't be any less impressive.

And in its future desire to break free from its confines, it could only rely on Lu Qing.

So, it genuinely cared for Lu Qing and didn't want him to face any mishaps.

Lu Qing naturally sensed "Flame's" change in attitude, but he didn't point it out.

Instead, he continued on his way to Xizhou with Xiao Li.

Xizhou wasn't particularly close to Cangzhou.

There were two large provinces in between, and even with the spirit talisman's boost, Lu Qing had to travel day and night for two full days to reach the outskirts of Xizhou.

Upon arriving in Xizhou, Lu Qing didn't rush in immediately.

Instead, he spent half a day adjusting his breath, replenishing his energy, and bringing his state to its peak before preparing to act.

With his powerful physical control, he used the transformation and disguise technique he had obtained from the Seven Kill Tower.

He altered the muscles and bones of his face, transforming his appearance.

Then, he took out a ghost face mask from the Heaven and Earth Qi Bag and put it on.

Finally, the soul talisman in his brow center acupoint underwent a transformation.

Lu Qing's physical appearance and soul aura had completely changed into another person.

He was confident that even his master might not be able to recognize him.

"I never thought that mortals' transformation techniques could be so ingenious."

"Flame" exclaimed as it watched Lu Qing's transformed appearance.

It was amazed to learn from Lu Qing that this was a secret technique created by mortal martial artists.

At the same time, it understood that Lu Qing had come well-prepared, which made it even more relieved.

"During the period of spirit qi depletion, martial artists could only cultivate up to the Primordial Realm. Beyond that, due to the limitations of heavenly rules, further breakthroughs were impossible.

Many martial artists who had lost hope of breaking through turned to researching various exquisite martial arts and secret techniques.

That's how this transformation technique came to be."

Lu Qing explained with a smile.

As his understanding of cultivation grew, he gradually pieced together how martial arts had evolved during the tens of thousands of years of spirit qi depletion.

"Indeed, the wisdom of your human race is boundless."

"Flame" praised again after hearing this.

In the Ancient Cultivation Era, humans were renowned for their exceptional enlightenment.

Despite their innate weakness, they relied on unimaginable enlightenment and creativity to comprehend and cultivate numerous powerful techniques, strengthening themselves.

They kept the Yaozu and Haizu in check and occupied the Central Province and other states where spirit essence was most abundant.

"Flame," as a spirit tool spirit, lacked this spiritual awareness.

This was one of the reasons it dreamed of breaking free from its confines and becoming a true living being one day.

"Alright, Xiao Li, let's go."

After a brief chat with "Flame," Lu Qing, now disguised, carried Xiao Li and headed further into Xizhou.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end