That day, in the dense forest, Duan Rong sat cross-legged on a bluestone, suddenly let out a long howl, and the invigorating aura inside his dantian meridians clashed, surged, then fused and settled, gathering into a solid-like sphere, entrenched within his dantian...
After refining the fifth bottle of Yang Pill, Duan Rong finally achieved the First Level of the True Qi Realm.
His eyes lit up with joy as he leaped up from the large bluestone. In mid-air, with a swoosh, he drew the Minghong Saber.
In the dense forest, Duan Rong began to practice the Withered and Flourishing Wisdom Saber technique, move by move.
After achieving the First Level, the power of the Withered and Flourishing Wisdom Saber increased significantly.
As Duan Rong wielded the saber, with each rise and fall, the True Qi surged, and a weak yet strange sound of wind pulling echoed in the air.
It was the sound of the collision and friction between the True Qi emanating from the saber’s edge and the air.
Duan Rong performed the technique three times in a row, then sheathed the saber and stood still. He glanced up at the sky through the trees and murmured, "Looks like it’s time to visit the Stone Workshop."
When Duan Rong arrived at the Stone Workshop, Ximen Kankan hadn’t finished work yet.
Ximen Kankan, carrying a large iron hammer, walked out of the fiery cave.
He leaned the large iron hammer on the ground, used the blackened towel on his shoulder to wipe away some sweat, and looked at Duan Rong, saying, "Weren’t you just here a few days ago? Why are you back again? What? Missing me already?"
Duan Rong glared at Ximen Kankan and said, "Who the hell misses you! Are you out of your mind?"
Ximen Kankan let out a strange laugh and said, "Then why are you here again?"
Duan Rong said, "I came for something. Last time, the cave with the discarded weapons, take me there again."
Ximen Kankan gave Duan Rong a peculiar look. Last time, Duan Rong rummaged around in that cave full of junk, and now he wanted to go again.
"It’s over there, no one’s in charge of that place, you can go by yourself." Ximen Kankan said, turning his head and motioning with his chin towards the direction of the cave.
"Alright then." Duan Rong glanced at a certain cave over there. He actually knew the place; he was just giving Ximen Kankan a heads-up. "Once you’re done, come find me there."
"Alright!" Ximen Kankan said, "Why are you so fond of rummaging through that pile of junk? Why don’t you come work for us as a junk collector? We’re short of hands at the Stone Workshop!"
"I ought to collect you first!" Duan Rong cursed and then turned to leave.
Ximen Kankan laughed, "You’re actually calling me junk! You better watch your back!"
Upon hearing this, Duan Rong’s face turned dark.
The first time he came to the Stone Workshop, this brat sneakily kicked him in the butt. But Ximen Kankan’s words now carried another implication. He was using the words that teased Jiang Qingyu and tossing them at him!
Duan Rong suddenly bent down, turned around, picked up a stone by his foot, and hurled it at Ximen Kankan.
Upon seeing Duan Rong’s action, Ximen Kankan quickly slouched his shoulders and ducked his head, only to hear a "whoosh" overhead as the stone hit the rock wall behind him, making the stone chips rain down...
"Are you serious?!" Ximen Kankan looked at the stone wall behind him, the crumbling chips, and nervously touched his head.
"Who told you to have a loose tongue?!"
Duan Rong bent down again and grabbed another stone.
Ximen Kankan had already picked up the large iron hammer and dashed into the forge cave.
Duan Rong tossed the stone in his hand into a corner, dusted off his hands, and said, "Consider yourself lucky for running fast."
Duan Rong arrived outside the cave storing the discarded weapons. He picked up a torch at the entrance, fetched a flint from the pocket inside his robe, and ignited the torch.
Holding the torch aloft, Duan Rong walked into the dark cave.
Passing through a dark tunnel, he reached the inner area of the cave.
Under the light of the torch, Duan Rong looked at the piles of discarded weapons, like small mountains before him, unable to suppress the excitement in his heart.
To others, this was just a heap of junk, but to him, it was a treasure trove of secret martial arts manuals.
No, even more advanced than secret martial arts manuals.
Martial arts manuals still need to be practiced.
With his ability to devour artifact spirits, after absorbing and digesting these, he’d have ready-made realms.
Although inner strength still required him to refine and accumulate to achieve it.
But with ready-made realms and familiar inner strength techniques, his speed far surpassed ordinary people, even those considered inherently gifted would find it hard to compete with him.
Moreover, the current Duan Rong had already mastered the Eleventh Layer of the Fetal Concealment Scripture.
His spiritual power level had reached the twelfth level, meaning he could devour Tier Twelve artifact spirits.
Tier Twelve artifact spirits! In the past, he wouldn’t have even dared to think about it.
Duan Rong did some quick calculations. The First Level of the True Qi Realm corresponded to Tier Four artifact spirits.
The Fourth Level of the True Qi Realm meant Tier Seven artifact spirits.
And the Tier Twelve artifact spirits he could devour had already reached the First Level of the Qi Vortex Realm.
Duan Rong glanced at some figures working deep in the cave, and those people clearly hadn’t noticed him at all.
Duan Rong placed the torch into a holder in the stone wall not far away, turned around, and walked towards the piles of discarded weapons like small mountains.
Duan Rong looked up at the heaps of discarded weapons far taller than him, his eyes clear and bright with anticipation. "I wonder if I can devour martial arts at the Qi Vortex Realm?"
Duan Rong knew that martial arts at the Qi Vortex Realm were already considered supreme skills!
They could be said to be the pinnacle of martial arts.
Beyond the Qi Vortex Realm, there was the Dark Grotto Heaven Realm.