MM Racing Chapter 221 Spiritual Eye Divine Power, Body Refinement Advancement
Chapter 221 Spiritual Eye Divine Power, Body Refinement Advancement
Chapter 221 Spiritual Eye Divine Power, Body Refinement Advancement
Just after passing the fork in the road, the stone wall that had blocked the passage suddenly moved away slowly, revealing the path behind it.
Looking at the winding and circuitous route before him, Ji Wuchen couldn't help but sigh softly:
"It's a circuitous formation; no wonder I didn't notice how complicated it was when I came in last time."
At the same time, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief—the brute-force attack he had just used had finally paid off; otherwise, he would have not only failed to "show off" in front of Chen Yi, but would have also lost face.
After the two stepped into the passage, the Thunder Spirit Array behind them suddenly closed automatically. With a soft "boom," the stone wall returned to its original state, completely sealing off their escape route.
They didn't have time to look back; their eyes were all drawn to the scene ahead—in the center of the empty stone chamber not far away stood an ancient thunder pool, its entire body silvery-white. Fine silver thunder patterns swirled around the surface of the pool, and wisps of thunder power surged in the water. Occasionally, an arc of lightning would leap out of the pool and leave a scorched mark on the ground.
What's even more chilling is that a pale golden halo floats in the center of the bottom of the Thunder Pool. It is the ancient Thunder Spirit essence left over from ten thousand years ago. Even from several feet away, one can clearly feel the terrifying pressure contained within it.
As soon as the two people scanned it with their divine senses, the faint golden halo would dissipate on its own and disappear into the entire Thunder Pool, making it impossible for anyone to catch!
Chen Yi focused his senses for a moment, his expression becoming slightly serious.
This Thunder Pool was definitely not the top-tier third-order level previously estimated. Judging from the fluctuations of the Thunder Spirit's true intent, it had at least reached the fourth-order level or higher.
However, after ten thousand years of erosion, its level has dropped somewhat, but the lightning power contained in the pool still maintains a near-fourth-tier strength, far exceeding what ordinary Core Formation cultivators can handle.
Chen Yi withdrew his gaze from the Thunder Pool, turned to look at Ji Wuchen, and said in a somewhat solemn tone:
"This Thunder Pool is much more difficult than we expected. The power of the thunder within has exceeded the third level. Just by getting close, we can feel the tearing pressure."
Moreover, the wisp of lightning spirit essence at the bottom of the pool is even more troublesome. It gathers and disperses without form, sometimes merging into the lightning pool, sometimes floating on the surface. There is no shortcut to capturing and refining it.
He paused, then continued his analysis:
"I'm afraid the only option is to use a clumsy method."
First, refine all the true essence of the thunder spirit within the entire thunder pool. By doing so, gradually compress the activity space of that true essence of the thunder spirit, and finally completely trap and subdue it.
But this process requires not only a lot of time and effort, but also constant focus.
While refining the Thunder Pool, one must avoid external disturbances and contend with the occasional bursts of thunder spirits emanating from it; a slight misstep could result in a backlash from the lightning.
At this point, Chen Yi frowned slightly; there was still one more thing he didn't say:
Just now, when I tried to deduce the cause and effect after refining the Thunder Pool using "Perceive Heaven and Earth", I vaguely sensed that a hidden great crisis would be triggered ahead of schedule.
He just couldn't say it outright.
Firstly, they had already promised Ji Wuchen to accompany them, and now that they had arrived at the Thunder Pool, they couldn't simply turn back without even trying.
That would not only be a breach of trust, but also inconsistent with his style of doing things.
Secondly, Chen Yi carefully sensed the aura of danger for a long time and found that even if he did not come to this Thunder Pool, the danger itself would still exist objectively, but it would erupt when he triggered other causal lines.
So, in this light, allowing the crisis to occur sooner than expected isn't necessarily the worst-case scenario.
After all, with Ji Wuchen by his side, and with the many treasures Ji Wuchen carries, plus the life-saving measures the Ji family has prepared for him, even if a Nascent Soul True Monarch personally takes action, he might not be able to keep him.
With Ji Wuchen's help to share the pressure, and Chen Yi's own defense and escape abilities having reached the top level of the third tier, it shouldn't be difficult for the two of them to save their lives if they join forces.
Therefore, although Chen Yi's words seemed to say a lot, the core meaning was actually very clear:
This matter is not easy to handle; it is extremely difficult and fraught with hidden dangers. Ji Wuchen needs to be mentally prepared.
Upon hearing this, Ji Wuchen frowned, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes.
During his previous reconnaissance, he only dared to operate on the outer perimeter of the restricted area, never venturing into the core region. He never expected the actual situation to be so challenging. Not only did Chen Yi find the difficulty far beyond his expectations, but he himself also felt that the difficulty was indeed too high.
After all, this is an energy pool approaching the fourth tier, while Chen Yi is only a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator.
But he quickly composed himself, suppressed his concerns, and said firmly:
"Since our ancestor pointed us to this path through divination, it means that there is a possibility of success and that we will not take the risk in vain."
Brother Chen, you don't need to worry about the attacks on Lei Chi or external interference at all.
I will spend a great deal of money to set up a fourth-tier defensive formation here to protect you.
Whether it's the lightning strikes from the Thunder Pool, a sudden thunderstorm, or other array attacks that might be hidden in this space, they can all be blocked.
With such protection, if Brother Chen were to go all out, how confident are you that you can refine the Thunder Spirit's True Meaning?
They actually managed to set up a fourth-tier defensive formation?!
Chen Yi's pupils contracted slightly, and his gaze towards Ji Wuchen became more serious.
His assessment of Ji Wuchen's strength instantly rose to another level.
It's important to understand that even with various powerful magical treasures and the ability to set up a fourth-tier defensive formation, one must still possess the corresponding strength of a formation master.
Otherwise, it would be impossible to accurately control the formation, let alone make it change according to one's will.
"Brother Ji, you're actually a fourth-tier formation master?"
Chen Yi's tone carried a hint of surprise. He needed to confirm the other party's true strength, as this was crucial for his subsequent plan to refine the Thunder Spirit's true meaning.
Ji Wuchen shook his head and explained frankly:
"It can only be considered as a near-fourth rank."
With the assistance of a mid-grade array plate magic weapon, I was able to barely control the fourth-tier defensive array that my family had set up in advance.
Of course, this formation also has limitations. It barely reaches the fourth-tier level in terms of defensive strength, while its other abilities remain at the upper-tier third-tier level. Therefore, it is best used only for passive defense and not for active counterattacks.
At this point, Ji Wuchen no longer concealed his strength and explained in detail his control over the formation.
He knew that only by letting Chen Yi know his trump card could Chen Yi more accurately estimate the difficulty and risks of refining and formulate a more prudent plan.
After speaking, he looked at Chen Yi with a hint of anticipation in his eyes, a barely perceptible tension hidden beneath:
Whether we can turn the crisis into an opportunity by leveraging the true meaning of the Thunder Spirit and completely eliminate this major threat depends on this next step.
Chen Yi did not respond immediately, but instead used his "Perceive Heaven and Earth" ability again to carefully deduce the cause and effect for a long time.
After learning that Ji Wuchen could set up a fourth-order defensive formation, he clearly sensed that...
The ability to withstand risks has been greatly enhanced by joining forces with Ji Wuchen.
With this layer of protection, the chances of survival increase by at least 30% when the previously feared crisis breaks out, so it's definitely worth a try.
Moreover, this eternally dangerous place is currently of great benefit to him:
The lightning energy in the Thunder Pool is extremely pure and has a great effect on improving the quality of the lightning crystal. It might even be able to raise his lightning crystal core to the state of "ninety-nine strands close to the lightning crystal marrow" in one fell swoop, allowing his body refinement cultivation to touch the threshold of the late stage of the third level.
In addition to the ancient thunder spirit essence left over from ten thousand years ago, and the essence of the thunder walls around the thunder pool that have been transformed by thunder over ten thousand years, it may be possible to try to break through to the fifth divine aperture with the help of the system's devouring ability.
Thinking of this, Chen Yi felt he should show some sincerity and give Ji Wuchen some hope.
He took out a translucent white jade bottle from his storage bag. The bottle was engraved with fine lightning patterns. This was the third-grade superior lightning brew essence that he had refined in recent years.
"Brother Ji, I've managed to learn a little bit about the recipe for Thunder Brew Spirit Essence that you gave me three years ago."
"Now, after using a large amount of high-grade materials, we have barely managed to produce this bottle of Tier 3 superior-grade Thunder Brew Essence."
Chen Yi handed the jade bottle to Ji Wuchen, his tone calm yet resolute.
"With the help of the lightning spirit energy in this item, plus the protection of Brother Ji's fourth-order defensive formation, I estimate that I have a 50% chance of refining the true meaning of the lightning spirit."
Another 50% chance?
Ji Wuchen was numb.
It's important to understand that setting up a fourth-tier defensive formation comes at a great cost, consuming not only precious formation plates and materials,
Maintaining the formation's operation would require a significant amount of mana, yet Chen Yi still gave a "50% chance" of success.
In fact, Ji Wuchen clearly didn't know Chen Yi well enough.
If Qin Chengcheng, Ning Bu'er, or the little monk were here,
Hearing Chen Yi say he was "50% sure" would probably make him burst out laughing.
In their view, Chen Yi's "50%" basically meant "it's a sure thing".
After all, Chen Yi has always been cautious and never overestimates his abilities. Saying there is a 50% chance usually means that the actual success rate is much higher.
"Alright. Even if it's only 50%, it's worth the gamble!"
Ji Wuchen took a deep breath, suppressing the complex emotions in his heart. In the end, he chose to trust the guidance of the fourth-level divination master in his family, and said firmly,
"Brother Chen, you just focus on refining it. I'll take care of everything else, from array protection to dealing with emergencies."
At this moment, Chen Yi's face showed a hint of difficulty.
The cooperation between the two is now nearing a substantial stage, and the transaction regarding the refinement of the Thunder Spirit's true meaning has officially begun. It's time to finalize the subsequent compensation terms.
He carefully considered his words before speaking:
"Brother Ji, this Thunder Brew Essence is extremely precious, and I only have one bottle."
Moreover, with my current mid-stage Core Formation cultivation, I can only barely drive the power of the essence.
During the refining process, one must constantly endure the backlash of lightning power, resulting in immense costs in terms of both mana depletion and physical strain.
Ji Wuchen was incredibly perceptive; he immediately understood the unspoken meaning in Chen Yi's words.
The previously provided recipe for Thunder Brew Essence was merely a "deposit" for the collaboration; now is the time to formally discuss the compensation.
Without the slightest hesitation, he waved his hand confidently, his tone extremely self-assured:
"Brother Chen, there's no need to be so polite."
As long as you can help me successfully remove the demonic soul mark, it will be worth any price to pay!
I, Ji Wuchen, hereby solemnly promise that after this matter is accomplished, I am willing to grant you any request, as long as it is within my capabilities, without any hesitation!
Upon hearing this, Chen Yi's heart stirred slightly, knowing the time was ripe, and he immediately asked:
"Brother Ji, since you're so straightforward, then I'll speak frankly."
Is your ability to perceive spiritual vision something that can be passed on to others?
Or is there any cultivation method you could share?
Upon hearing this request, Ji Wuchen paused, a clear look of difficulty appearing on his face.
He hesitated for a moment before slowly explaining:
"Brother Chen, it's not that I'm unwilling to agree, it's just that this Spirit Insight Divine Power is too special."
It is a naturally occurring, extraordinary supernatural power. Its abilities are not classified according to conventional ranks, but rather increase in tandem with one's own cultivation level, making it a top-tier power within the entire supernatural power system.
This supernatural power cannot be acquired through cultivation techniques. I mastered it only by chance back then. To pass it on to you would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.
He paused, then added:
"The difficulty of this Thunder Pool is only at the initial fourth level. You helped me solve this matter, which is indeed a great achievement."
However, the value of the ability to see into the mind is slightly beyond the scope of this collaboration. Could we change our request?
Whether it's cultivation resources, high-level magic weapons, or anything else I can do, I can grant your request.
Seeing that Ji Wuchen's tone was sincere and that he genuinely seemed to be facing difficulties, Chen Yi didn't press him. After pondering for a moment, he said:
"Alright, then I'll change my request."
I would like to ask you to arrange an opportunity for me to receive personal guidance from a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, the Mountain-Shaking True Monarch, for a period of one month.
Upon hearing this, Ji Wuchen's mouth gaped open, and he remained speechless for a long time.
The personal guidance from a late-stage Nascent Soul expert for a full month—this level of favor would likely require a considerable price to pay, even if the Ji family patriarch himself were to intervene.
He himself has not yet reached the Nascent Soul stage. If he were to exchange such a favor for this matter, the resources he could obtain from the Ji family in the coming decades would likely be reduced by more than half, or even cut off altogether.
He paused for a moment, as if making a huge concession, and then spoke:
"Brother Chen, I am not entirely unable to pass on the Spiritual Eye Divine Power, but the process will be somewhat difficult. You will need to personally perceive a rare object to begin learning it."
"I can pass on the corresponding incantation to you, and lend you this wondrous object for a hundred years. If you succeed, great; if not, there's really nothing I can do. What do you say?"
"make a deal."
Upon hearing this, Chen Yi smiled and readily agreed.
After agreeing on the terms, Ji Wuchen began to set up a defensive formation.
He took out four high-grade magic treasures from his storage bracelet in succession.
They are a bronze shield, a silver longsword, a round jade disc, and a black banner. The four magical treasures are arranged in the four directions of east, south, west, and north to form a "Four Treasures Defense Formation".
Then, four more high-grade spirit stones, pure white in color, were taken out and embedded in the four corners of the formation as energy hubs.
Chen Yi watched from the side and was secretly astonished: four high-grade spirit stones, which is worth more than 40,000 low-grade spirit stones!
This Ji Wuchen is truly a "rich dog"!
His own bottle of top-grade third-tier Thunder Brew Essence, even after accounting for materials and refining losses, was only worth a little over 20,000 low-grade spirit stones.
It was something he had painstakingly cultivated over many years, and compared to Ji Wuchen, it was worlds apart.
Looking at the Four Treasures Defense Array, once set up, the four magical treasures simultaneously lit up with spiritual light. The bronze shield shone with a thick, earthy yellow halo, the silver longsword was surrounded by sharp golden light, the jade disc flowed with warm water patterns, and the black banner floated with a faint wood-type mist. The four colors of spiritual light intertwined to form a semi-transparent protective shield, enveloping the entire Thunder Pool area.
The protective shield also faintly revealed fine runes, emitting near-fourth-order energy fluctuations. Even if lightning arcs containing lightning spirit power occasionally struck out from the lightning pool, they would only cause a ripple when they hit the protective shield, and would be instantly dissolved and absorbed, unable to harm the people inside the array at all.
Seeing that the defensive formation was properly set up, Chen Yi also seized the time to prepare for refining it.
He first used his divine sense to carefully perceive the state of the Thunder Pool.
The pool contains near-fourth-tier lightning spirit power, as well as the true essence of lightning spirit left over from ten thousand years ago. Even with the aid of lightning brewing essence, it would be no easy task for him to completely refine it.
Fortunately, he has never slacked off in his body training recently, and now he has condensed a lightning crystal core with 80 strands of lightning patterns within his body.
With his body refinement strength approaching the peak of the second level of body refinement, and with the system's assistance, he felt confident enough to give it a try.
Chen Yi sat cross-legged by the Thunder Pool and took out the Magnetic Thunder Altar prop from his storage bag.
He channeled his magic power, manipulating the Magnetic Thunder Altar to draw out a jar of silvery thunderous liquid from the Thunder Pool, and placed the jar in front of him.
After making slight adjustments, he attempted to guide the lightning spirit power within the lightning magma to his right arm, which was covered in lightning crystals.
The moment I touched it, a long-lost burning sensation spread along my arm, just like the feeling I had when I first entered the Thunder Pool in the underground cave of the secret realm.
However, Chen Yi is no longer at the same level as he was back then.
With the differentiation and guidance of his natal thunder talisman and the 108 thunder crystal array within his body, he was still able to barely manage to neutralize the quasi-fourth-order thunder spirit power contained in the thunder magma.
At the same time, he quietly activated the system, devouring and decomposing the lightning spirit power, transforming it into the purest lightning spirit energy and ancient lightning spirituality.
He temporarily stored away the spiritual essence of thunder for later use;
He used the energy of the Thunder Spirit to accumulate Thunder Crystals. Whenever he accumulated a certain amount, he would stop refining and synthesize these energies into new Thunder Crystal Cores, gradually strengthening his own Thunder-type power.
As the number of lightning crystal cores continued to increase, Chen Yi used these cores to temper his body.
While forging his body, he was also slowly consuming the ancient thunder spirituality he had previously stored, integrating it into his natal thunder talisman to strengthen the rune inscriptions on the talisman's surface.
This is not only to reinforce the runes, but also to improve one's understanding of the rules governing the operation of the Thunder Spirit.
It should be understood that the ancient thunder spirits were closer to the fundamental rules governing the operation of heaven and earth than the thunder spirits of the present world.
In addition, during the process of refining the lightning paste and cultivating his body, Chen Yi always simultaneously operated the "Perceiving Heaven and Earth" method, absorbing spirituality while analyzing its essence, and gradually dismantling the rules and mysteries contained within it.
Gradually, the runes on Chen Yi's natal thunder talisman began to change.
It's not about adding new runes, but rather about developing finer and more complex branching patterns on the lines of the existing basic runes, connecting the entire rune surface like meridians.
As the patterns became more refined, Chen Yi's understanding of the power of thunder spirit also improved steadily, though slowly. He became increasingly adept at controlling thunder.
……
After about two hours, Chen Yi had refined nearly ten jars of thunder paste, and the silver thunder paste in the thunder pool had visibly decreased by about one-third.
At this point, he had nearly a thousand lightning crystals in his body, and about twenty lightning crystal cores had accumulated.
However, his cultivation at the second level of the Refining Realm had reached a bottleneck under the continuous tempering of the Thunder Crystal Core, leaving no room for further improvement.
Chen Yi stopped refining and looked up at the distance. Ji Wuchen was still diligently protecting the formation, his eyes fixed on the spiritual light fluctuations of the fourth-order defensive array, not daring to slack off in the slightest.
Taking advantage of this rare quiet moment, Chen Yi stopped being conservative and made up his mind to try to break through to the late stage of the third level of Body Refinement.
He called out:
"Brother Ji, I might have to take a little risk next. Could you lend me a drop of your thousand-year-old spiritual milk that can restore one's condition in an emergency?"
Upon hearing this, Ji Wuchen immediately snapped out of his daze and said with a hint of apology:
"It was my oversight; I should have prepared it for Brother Chen earlier."
After saying that, he took out a brand new, translucent white porcelain bottle from his storage bracelet, activated his magic with his fingertips, drew out a drop of glowing millennium-old spiritual milk, and accurately flicked it toward Chen Yi.
Chen Yi raised his hand, took out a small porcelain bottle, and steadily caught the spiritual milk before putting it away.
With this drop of spiritual milk, even if he fails to break through to the late stage of the third level of body refinement and suffers excessive consumption of mana and body, he will have a restorative holy medicine as a backup. He will not have to worry about losing his combat power and can go all out with more peace of mind.
After making preparations, Chen Yi no longer held back, took out the bottle of third-grade high-quality [Thunder Brew Essence], uncorked it, and drank it all in one gulp.
The moment it entered his throat, an extremely violent aura of lightning spirit exploded within his body.
The impact was so strong that he could barely maintain his physical form, and his body showed signs of transforming into a lightning spirit.
Chen Yi dared not be careless and immediately activated all his willpower.
At the same time, he activated the mana power of the mid-stage Golden Core realm and the divine sense power of the late-stage third rank, like two shackles, forcibly suppressing the surging thunder spirit energy within his body and stopping the abnormal changes in his body.
At this moment, the magical power and spiritual energy emanating from Chen Yi surprised even Ji Wuchen, who was standing to the side.
The fluctuations of these two powers alone made him clearly sense a sense of danger, far exceeding the level of an ordinary Core Formation cultivator.
Ji Wuchen was shocked and thought to himself:
"Brother Chen has also condensed the Purple Extreme Golden Core?"
Moreover, his divine sense has been cultivated to the late stage of the third level... No wonder he was confident enough to refine the Thunder Pool!
However, given his abilities, it's understandable that he could reach this level.
Ji Wuchen was no stranger to geniuses; he had seen many cultivators like Chen Yi with such magical power and spiritual awareness.
But there are two reasons why he was so amazed at this moment:
Firstly, Chen Yi came from a humble background as a rogue cultivator, without any powerful connections or sect support. All his opportunities were earned through his own efforts, making his current achievements all the more remarkable.
Secondly, Ji Wuchen knew that Chen Yi's true core strength lay in body refinement, rather than the magical power and divine sense he outwardly displayed.
This means that Chen Yi's overall combat strength is far greater than that of other cultivators of the same level.
Inside the formation, Chen Yi was doing his best to control the violent energy erupting from the third-grade superior thunder brew essence, not daring to relax in the slightest.
He transformed all his internal organs into a lightning spirit form to better bear the power of thunder.
At the same time, it tries its best to maintain the physical state of other parts of the body to prevent the body from completely transforming into a thunder spirit and going out of control.
"open!"
Chen Yi gave a low shout,
He then activated the high-level lightning crystal cores and golden lightning crystal cores throughout his body, using the body-refining methods of the "Thunder Spirit Body Forging Technique" and the "Diamond Skill" to repeatedly circulate and impact the energy within his body, aiming directly at the bottleneck of the third level of body refinement.
(End of this chapter)