Chapter 684 - 287: Defeated in One Move
Chu Lingguang and Guo Wei were also enveloped by the roots of the Spirit Herbs and Medicines.
However, instead of being dragged underground, the two of them were able to draw power from the roots of the Spirit Herbs and Medicines.
Their own Star System Spiritual Power began to resonate subtly with the power being channeled from the roots of the Spirit Herbs and Medicines.
"Is this a Spirit Root Attribute enhancement?"
Chu Lingguang muttered to himself.
"Master, how do you feel?"
"I’m fine. I just feel really hot."
"ARGH!"
As the two of them spoke, another young practitioner was dragged underground, vanishing from sight. The Spiritual Qi in the valley then increased by a tiny amount.
「Three days later.」
The roots of the Spirit Herbs and Medicines receded from everyone’s bodies.
Chu Lingguang glanced at the crowd and was shocked to see that a third of the people were gone. Jiang Ruhong and his two henchmen were still among the survivors.
Everyone felt a lingering fear after leaving the herb field.
’It must be because of the Qi Refining Technique and the Qi Condensation Technique that my master and I are all right,’ Chu Lingguang mused. He realized that everyone who made it out of the herb field had achieved a certain level of mastery over the Qi Refining and Qi Condensation Techniques.
"The Qi Manipulation Technique!"
After everyone left the Spirit Valley, each person was given a new Cultivation Technique.
The Qi Manipulation Technique.
It was a Magic Technique for controlling Spiritual Power and a necessary Skill for the early stages of a Practitioner’s journey.
Chu Lingguang trained diligently for two days, then checked his status panel.
Favors: 1,799,812
Qi Manipulation Technique: (12-600,000)
(Remaining Lifespan: 800 years)
Chu Lingguang noticed the cost to master the Qi Manipulation Technique was similar to the Qi Condensation Technique, so he immediately raised it to the Perfection realm.
Favors: 1,199,800
Qi Manipulation Technique (600,000-600,000)
"I heard Jiang’s Spirit Root Attribute broke through to level two, and he’s cultivated both the Qi Refining Technique and the Qi Condensation Technique to the Great Success realm."
"The Jiang Family isn’t some ordinary Noble Family in Great Qin."
"Jiang Ruhong knows all sorts of things about the sect that we don’t, and he has backers. We can’t possibly compete with him."
"I heard Chu snatched first place from him, and he’s been holding a grudge ever since."
"It’s not like there was even a reward for first place, so what’s the point of fighting over it?"
The disciples murmured among themselves.
Chu Lingguang’s extended Spiritual Sense picked up on their conversation.
For more than a month, he and Guo Wei had focused on cultivating. Chu Lingguang kept Jiang Ruhong and Chen Liang in mind, but he hadn’t had any further contact with them.
He had only seen Jiang Ruhong again in the Spirit Valley while strengthening his Spirit Root Attribute. The other man’s aura was indeed much stronger than before.
However, it was still within the range of what he could handle.
He just hadn’t expected that the man’s Spirit Root Attribute had already been elevated to level two.
The higher the Spirit Root Level, the greater one’s affinity with the corresponding Spiritual Power.
Chu Lingguang’s own Spirit Root Attribute had also been elevated in the herb field.
He felt that his Spirit Root Attribute had likely reached the peak of level two.
The Gold Spiritual Power that he had an affinity with became increasingly easy to control. Aided by the Qi Manipulation Technique, Chu Lingguang could form a Wind Blade with a simple flick of his finger.
It was like a flash of cold light zipping past.
Now that his Qi Manipulation Technique was at the Perfection realm.
With the breakthrough in his Spirit Root Attribute, Chu Lingguang understood that, in the future, he might be able to conjure a massive storm with a wave of his hand and forcibly draw all the surrounding Gold Spiritual Power to himself.
Such was the advantage of a high Spirit Root Level.
The days flew by.
「Another month passed in the blink of an eye.」
"Hah!"
In his room, Chu Lingguang manipulated the Gold Spiritual Power with his Qi Manipulation Technique. With a flick of his finger, a small storm coalesced in his palm.
With a twitch of his fingers, a dozen Wind Blades shot forth, slicing off a corner of the wooden table in the room. The cut was as smooth as a mirror.
’I can finally be considered a true Practitioner. Not only has my cultivation reached the fifth layer of Qi Refining, but I’ve also mastered a Divine Ability—the Qi Manipulation Technique.’
’On top of that, the remaining response within my body is stirring. I wonder if I’ll be able to obtain a Tri-Element Spiritual Root, like Yan?’
By relying on his advantage in Favor Points, Chu Lingguang had raised every cultivation and Magic Technique he obtained in the Profound Celestial Sect to the Perfection realm. Boosted by the abundant Spiritual Qi, his cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds since the day he joined.
Before he knew it, he had reached the fifth layer of Qi Refining.
"Guo Wei!"
Just then, a voice called out from outside the courtyard.
Chu Lingguang extended his Spiritual Sense and found Jiang Ruhong standing outside the gate, followed by a crowd of Outer Disciples.
After everyone’s Spirit Root Attributes had been enhanced in the herb field, Jiang Ruhong’s status among the Outer Disciples had steadily risen, bolstered by the Jiang Family’s influence in the mortal realm of Great Qin.
Before he knew it, a good number of disciples had started to follow him.
"Junior Brother Jiang, were you looking for me?"
Guo Wei stepped out of his room.
In the Profound Celestial Sect, a disciple’s rank was determined by their placement in the entrance assessment.
He and Chu Lingguang had both ranked higher than Jiang Ruhong, which made Jiang Ruhong their junior brother.
"I brought the others to see how you’re coming along with the Qi Manipulation Technique."
"We’ve all been in the Profound Celestial Sect for a while now, and we still haven’t seen you two, master and disciple, use your Spiritual Power."
Jiang Ruhong said tauntingly.
"You want a demonstration?"
Chu Lingguang answered for Guo Wei.
"That’s exactly what I had in mind."
Jiang Ruhong nodded.
A current of water appeared in his palm.
Evidently, the power that matched his Spiritual Root was Water Spiritual Power.
Water benefits all things and does not contend, yet Jiang Ruhong went against this principle, still fixated on the day Chu Lingguang and Guo Wei had taken his place.
"Fine. I’ll give you a little demonstration."
Chu Lingguang said without the slightest hesitation.
Although more than two months had passed since the assessment, he hadn’t forgotten it. He had been planning all along to find an opportunity to settle the score for himself and Guo Wei.
"Good. Then let’s go to the Martial Arts Arena."