Translator: AnubisTL
After thoroughly understanding the details of the vital energy martial dao's Innate Realm, Li Qing secluded himself in the city for a period of quiet contemplation. He finally grasped the secret of using vital energy to nourish his own body.
"Using one's own vital energy as nourishment to replenish the fleshly body—this is quite an ingenious concept."
Typically, Martial Artists refine their bodies to enhance their vital energy, thereby increasing their strength. But deliberately depleting vital energy to replenish oneself was indeed a novel idea.
Li Qing experimented briefly. After a barely perceptible depletion of his vast, sea-like vital energy, his fleshly body felt as if it had undergone a thorough cleansing.
Moreover, a faint, peculiar sensation of qi arose within his dantian.
His dantian was now a bustling hub. At its center resided a perfectly round, gleaming Golden Core, while two crimson shattered origin great fire seals floated and sank within it.
Additionally, a miniaturized Primordial Chaos Peerless Hammer orbited the Golden Core, absorbing Li Qing's true essence for nourishment.
At the very bottom of Li Qing's dantian, a tiny cluster of the source fire seed of the Netherworld Cold Fire burned slowly.
Just now, when Li Qing attempted to nourish himself with vital energy, a faint wisp of qi spontaneously arose within his dantian.
It had to be said, Li Qing's dantian was quite lively, almost as if it were forming its own world.
After confirming that this newly born innate true qi posed no harm, Li Qing resumed nourishing himself with vital energy without reservation.
However, his vital energy was exceptionally abundant, his fleshly body approaching that of a third-tier demonic beast. Li Qing's foundation was simply too profound.
If he were to fully cultivate to the Innate Realm, the innate true qi gathered in his dantian would likely become as vast as an ocean!
As Li Qing continued his efforts, a lively voice called out from beyond the courtyard wall:
"Master, I've brought what you asked for!"
Lin Jing, fully recovered from her injuries, leaped nimbly onto the courtyard wall, her two cat ears twitching playfully.
Hearing this, Li Qing slowly opened his eyes and said:
"So fast? I thought the Black Wind Domain was teeming with third-tier exotic beasts."
Xiao Jing leaped down from the courtyard wall, her movements as light as a falling leaf, landing without a sound.
"Hehe, Master, these are third-tier exotic beasts! If there were too many, how would the martial alliance survive?"
"Besides, since that demonic willow appeared in the Southern Wilderness, it's devoured quite a few third-tier beasts too!"
As she spoke, Lin Jing handed the intelligence report to Li Qing.
This report contained information on the frequent haunts of third-tier exotic beasts, which Li Qing had requested from the martial alliance.
He hadn't forgotten his primary purpose for coming to the World of Eternal Night: to fulfill his bargain with Wang Chan.
Now that he had successfully achieved core formation, he was confident in his ability to hunt third-tier beasts.
[Martial Alliance Calendar, Year 32: A group of disciples ventured out to hunt strange beasts in the western Black Wind Domain. They encountered a ferocious One-Eyed Giant Deer, and only two managed to escape. The deer is estimated to be a third-tier exotic beast—unbeatable!]
At the end of the intelligence report was a map marked with a red symbol, indicating extreme danger and caution against venturing there.
[Martial Alliance Calendar]
Over the years, the martial alliance had tracked the movements of four powerful third-tier exotic beasts—a truly astonishing revelation.
"The One-Eyed Giant Deer, Yin Serpent, Centipede, and an indescribable Many-Mouthed Worm?" Li Qing murmured, his eyes flickering with uncertainty.
The One-Eyed Giant Deer caught him by surprise. It was undoubtedly the same beast that had once chased him and Fan Tong into a desperate retreat—an encounter etched deeply in his memory.
After all these years, the deer had evolved into a third-tier exotic beast, a growth rate within his expectations.
He had no recollection of the other three third-tier exotic beasts, but the so-called Many-Mouthed Worm particularly piqued his curiosity.
As Li Qing tucked away the report, he noticed Lin Jing gazing at him with expectant eyes.
He knew exactly what that expression implied.
With a sigh, Li Qing replied, "Hunting third-tier exotic beasts is a perilous undertaking, even for your master."
As soon as these words were spoken, Lin Jing swiftly adopted a pitiful expression, pouting and muttering, "Master, please take me with you! We haven't seen each other in so many years. What if you leave again for many more years?"
"Xiao Jing isn't asking you to take me on a journey around the world. I just want to spend more time with you before you leave!"
She understood, of course, that her master couldn't stay forever after returning. But before he departed, she longed to be by his side as much as possible. She never wanted to experience another sudden departure like before, when he vanished for years without a word.
"Alright, but you must obey me completely on the road. No acting on your own!"
The next day, outside Giant Rock City, a magnificent, striped giant tiger galloped swiftly across the plains.
Fan Tong's current size rivaled the city walls themselves—a truly awe-inspiring sight!
"Aow-hoo!" With a mighty roar that shook the heavens, Fan Tong covered an astonishing distance in the blink of an eye, leaving Giant Rock City far behind.
"Wahahaha! Master, I've seen this strange beast before! It terrified me and my fellow disciples outside Precious Lotus City, sending us scattering in panic. I never imagined it was a creature you had tamed!"
Lin Jing's eyes lit up as she stretched out her furry paws, stroking Fan Tong's thick fur incessantly.
To confirm if this was the same strange beast that had once terrified her into trembling, she even climbed onto Fan Tong's forehead and stared into its eyes.
"Awoo!" Fan Tong shook its head impatiently, nearly throwing Lin Jing off.
Fortunately, she was agile and quickly leaped back onto its back, her face radiating pure excitement.
"Wahahaha! This is incredible!"
In Lin Jing's eyes, her master taming such a powerful strange beast was even more impressive than defeating the blood lotus in Precious Lotus City.
Watching his innocent and carefree disciple, Li Qing chuckled and shook his head. "Fan Tong is a strange beast with spiritual intelligence, not as ordinary as you think."
Upon hearing this, Lin Jing's expression turned even more incredulous. "Master, is that true? Does that mean I can talk to Fan Tong?"
Though Lin Jing was accustomed to strange beasts, she eagerly rushed to Fan Tong's massive ear and exclaimed, "Hello, Fan Tong! I'm Lin Jing, the 'Jing' from 'beautiful scenery'! It's so nice to meet you!"
Fan Tong responded with only a frustrated roar.
"Roar!"
But for Lin Jing, the fact that her words had actually been answered was the greatest miracle imaginable.
Her worldview was being reshaped in that moment. She realized that there were strange beasts in the world capable of communication and dialogue—creatures no longer just mindless, savage beasts.
"Awoo! Master, did you hear that? It spoke to me! This is truly incredible!"
Lin Jing felt like a door to a new world had been opened before her. She even rubbed her furry cat ears against Fan Tong's head in a gesture of affection.
Throughout their journey, Lin Jing's attention remained fixed on Fan Tong, and she played with him to her heart's content.
Thus, the trio—two humans and a tiger—raced westward across the Black Wind Domain, toward the region where the One-Eyed Giant Deer had been sighted.
Li Qing sat quietly behind Fan Tong, his posture perfectly stable.
He continued his meditative cultivation of the vital energy martial dao's Innate Realm, constantly attempting to nourish his fleshly body with his vital energy.
During this process, the true qi within Li Qing's dantian gradually grew denser, transforming into a vast, boundless sea within his dantian.
Meanwhile, in the western reaches of the Black Wind Domain, a fiercely violent One-Eyed Giant Deer slowly turned its head eastward.
(End of the Chapter)
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