C10 Fearless(1)

On the outskirts of Silverflow Canyon, within a secluded cave, Zhang Heng sat cross-legged before a jade box. The Dark Night Demonic Lotus pod had been cracked open, revealing twenty-three glistening, fragrant lotus seeds nestled inside the box.

Zhang Heng had meticulously sorted through the belongings of the three young Taoists. The other two had little of value, possessing only a pair of standard goose-feather sabers and a military crossbow. However, the young Taoist priest had amassed quite a fortune. His storage bag, an item that gold and silver could not buy, was worth a thousand bottles of Qi Refining Pills on the market—if it could even find a buyer. Additionally, his high-grade yellow-ranked Pine Pattern Ancient Sword was valued at five hundred bottles of Qi Refining Pills.

It was worth noting that Zhang Heng's Wishful Blade, a low-grade yellow-ranked weapon, had only been used to parry the ancient sword a few times before it sustained irreparable cracks. "It looks like I need a new Origin Weapon. I wonder if I can exchange the Pine Pattern Ancient Sword for a high-grade yellow-ranked long spear at the academy," Zhang Heng mused, though he quickly doubted the possibility.

His thoughts continued as he examined the rest of the Taoist priest's items, which included nineteen bottles of Qi Refining Pills. "I had used up almost all of my Qi Refining Pills while practicing a secret technique and during my trials in the western deserts. This replenishment comes at the perfect time."

Among the other treasures were three thousand low-grade yellow stones, rich in natural Yuan Qi and extracted from the earth's veins. These stones were vital for most braves to rapidly absorb natural Yuan Qi and enhance their cultivation. Ten low-grade yellow stones could be traded for a bottle of Qi Refining Pills.

Gazing at the stones before him, Zhang Heng reflected, "My ability to draw in Yuan Qi through the state of 'desirelessness and thoughtlessness' is just as efficient as cultivating with these stones." He concluded, "Therefore, these stones hold no use for me, but they can certainly be exchanged for Qi Refining Pills." With three thousand low-grade yellow stones at his disposal, he could trade for three hundred bottles of Qi Refining Pills.

Zhang Heng's eyes sparkled with excitement as he gazed at the neatly arranged stones in his storage bag, his heart swelling with joy.

As for the demonic beast crystals.

Upon seeing the demonic crystal before him, Zhang Heng paused, puzzled. Although he couldn't pinpoint the difference, he sensed that something had changed.

He picked up a Cloud Leopard demonic crystal and narrowed his eyes in contemplation. "This crystal originally weighed a full kilogram. Why does it now weigh only half as much?"

After a thorough examination that yielded no answers, Zhang Heng reluctantly ceased his investigation and resumed his sorting.

Among the crystals, there was a Wind Thunder Demonic Tiger crystal, a high-grade item within the first level of the Qi Refining Realm. Additionally, there were fifteen Cloud Leopard demonic crystals. Aside from the leader Cloud Leopard's crystal, which was mid-grade in the first level, the rest were low-grade within the same realm.

"There must be a problem somewhere. I wonder if they still hold any value?" Zhang Heng mused skeptically as he glanced at the pale red crystal before shifting his attention elsewhere.

"And there's a segment of the Night Demonic Lotus Stem. Its value is uncertain."

Eventually, his focus returned to the jade box.

He looked at the twenty-three jade-white lotus seeds and, unable to resist, took one in his hand.

Legend claimed that consuming a Night Demonic Lotus Seed could significantly enhance the cultivation speed of a brave Qi Refining cultivator. Supposedly, before reaching the third level of the Qi Refining Realm, each seed consumed could advance one's cultivation by a minor degree.

With anticipation, Zhang Heng popped a seed into his mouth.

Instantly, a refreshing coolness coursed through his body.

However, a quarter of an hour later, once the medicinal properties had been absorbed, Zhang Heng found his Qi Refining realm unchanged, still in the mid-stage of the first level.

Undeterred, he ate another seed.

Yet again, there was no breakthrough until, after consuming the third seed, he finally advanced to the late stage of the first level of the Qi Refining Realm.

"It seems that demons are not only resilient but also greatly deplete precious natural resources."

"Perhaps my Qi Sea is so vast that it requires an immense amount of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures to elevate my cultivation," Zhang Heng mused as he produced three more lotus seeds and consumed them in one go.

This time, he distinctly felt his Qi Sea expand slightly and become more refined.

Despite this, Zhang Heng did not achieve another breakthrough.

Understanding his unique constitution, he wasn't frustrated. Zhang Heng simply reached into the jade box and took out another three lotus seeds, tossing them back into his mouth without a second thought.

After eating the seeds, he grimaced and grumbled to himself, "These lotus seeds are incredibly bitter. I wouldn't touch them if it weren't for their ability to enhance my Qi Refining grade—even if someone were to plead with me or offer payment."

Complaints aside, Zhang Heng, resigned to his tough lot in life, continued with a grimace, taking out each white, bitter seed and reluctantly popping it into his mouth.

If anyone were to witness this scene, who knows if they would berate him for his attitude.

Here he was, with access to divine treasures, yet he was grumbling non-stop! Was there no sense of order or natural law left?

After consuming three seeds, and then nine more, Zhang Heng finally achieved his desired breakthrough, reaching the pinnacle of the first grade in Qi Refining.

He had never even considered the possibility of reaching full completion.

With only five seeds of the Dark Night Demonic Lotus remaining, it had taken Zhang Heng a total of fifteen seeds to advance from the late stage to the peak of the first grade.

The number of seeds required to go from the peak to full completion would undoubtedly be even greater, making success seem out of reach.

Ultimately, Zhang Heng decided to give the last five seeds to Lee Qi, to aid in accelerating his friend's condensation of Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi.

After all, Lee Qi, though reticent and not particularly eloquent, was the only friend and brother Zhang Heng truly trusted.

"Even though I haven't reached the full completion of the first grade in Qi Refining, I feel that my combat strength has more than doubled," he reflected.

To test his theory, Zhang Heng fully activated his Qi Sea, channeling the tumultuous Yuan Qi into the tip of his Damascus Steel Spear. Focusing the immense energy at the spearhead, he executed the Overlord Spear Technique, thrusting the spear toward a stalactite.

With a soft whoosh, the stalactite cave was pierced by the Damascus Steel Spear.

The immense Yuan Qi at the spear's tip burst forth instantaneously, spreading throughout the entire stalactite.

With a resounding crash, the once formidable stalactite was blasted into fragments by the ferocious Yuan Qi. The pieces, no larger than a finger, shot outwards in all directions.

"Not bad. While it hasn't reached the level beyond Great Completion, the power of my Overlord Spear Technique has become even more domineering and explosive."

"What's more, as my Qi Refining level improves, I've gained a more precise control over the Yuan Qi within my body and the Damascus Steel Spear."

Meanwhile, Zhang Heng couldn't help but lament, "Unfortunately, the academy doesn't offer any Body Tempering techniques. I'm at a loss as to how to advance my Body Tempering level."

"They say that only ancient sects with millennia of heritage, like the great cultivation sanctuaries of Pofreyae such as Stonetips, possess Body Tempering methods."

"Relying on cultivation techniques to temper the body won't be easy."

Shaking off the momentary regret, Zhang Heng's thoughts turned to the Dark Night Demonic Lotus Seed. "Its primary benefit isn't just to directly enhance the grade of refining; it significantly boosts the speed at which brave cultivators in the Qi Refining realm absorb Yuan Qi from Heaven and Earth."

"Now is the perfect time to test how quickly I can absorb Yuan Qi from Heaven and Earth."

Seated cross-legged, he unfolded the Qi Refining Technique and laid it upon his knees.

Guided by the technique, Zhang Heng once again entered a profound state free of desires and thoughts.

Suddenly, a Yuan Qi tornado, towering three meters high, formed above Zhang Heng.

The chaotic Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi began to converge rapidly towards his location.

Moments later, Zhang Heng emerged from the wondrous state, feeling a significant surge of Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi within him. His eyes sparkled with excitement. "This is incredible. The Dark Night Demonic Lotus Seed truly lives up to its reputation. My current rate of absorbing Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi has more than doubled."

"If my equipment refining speed was considered above average in the academy before, now it has surely reached the level of an elite."