Cultivation Starting from Choosing Augments-Chapter 65 - 63: Besieged by a Pride of Lions. What’s the Use of Wood Element Techniques?

Chapter 65: Chapter 63: Besieged by a Pride of Lions. What’s the Use of Wood Element Techniques?

The benefits one gained from Flame Pool Body Tempering depended on two things: how much Fire Qi a cultivator could withstand, and how long they could remain in the water.

The longer one soaked, and the shorter the rest periods outside, the more advantageous it was.

As a rule, the water closer to the inner sections was more effective, but the Fire Qi it contained was also more violent, shortening the time one could endure it.

Therefore, choosing a location with the highest overall efficiency was key to achieving the best improvement.

But miraculously, Lin Ping’an had actually found a special small lake in an obscure corner where the Fire Qi was much milder. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Xiao Chen followed along, also reaping the benefits of this special pool.

He had previously absorbed a Fire Spirit Crystal, which naturally gave him an extra layer of resistance to Fire Qi. Most of the Fire Qi couldn’t even penetrate his skin.

With the Fire Transformation Treasure Talisman helping to absorb any invading Fire Qi, on top of this special pool, he felt practically no pressure while soaking in the water.

Every thirty minutes, Lin Ping’an had to get out and meditate for forty-five minutes to deal with the Fire Qi that had entered his body.

The second time he got out to regulate his breathing, Xiao Chen was focused on guiding the Fire Qi for his Body Tempering.

The fourth time, Xiao Chen was using the Fire Qi to clear his Meridians.

The sixth time, Xiao Chen was just squinting his eyes, enjoying the hot spring.

A day passed in the blink of an eye. Lin Ping’an’s initial curiosity turned to surprise, then to shock, and finally, slowly, to numbness.

Rumor had it that this Junior Brother Xiao had a Wood Spirit Root, but he was beginning to have serious doubts.

’This has to be a Fire Spirit Body, damn it. How is this fair?’

Just as Lin Ping’an was questioning his entire existence, Xiao Chen finally stood up from the lake’s edge.

Lin Ping’an’s spirits lifted. ’Is Junior Brother Xiao finally reaching his limit?’

However, Xiao Chen didn’t get out of the water. Instead, he simply adjusted his position and sat cross-legged in the lake, leaving only his head above the surface.

Besides the two prominent effects of Body Tempering and healing latent internal injuries, the Flame Pool could also speed up the circulation of Spiritual Qi.

Xiao Chen didn’t have any latent injuries, so he didn’t need to rest and recuperate.

So he decided to take this opportunity to practice the Magic he had just acquired.

Feeling the disturbance in the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, Lin Ping’an was completely numb.

He silently moved to the other side of the lake to continue meditating and regulating his breathing.

「Soon, it was the final day.」

The once-empty lakeside was now covered in thorns with sharp barbs.

Emerald-green thorny vines reached deep into the lake, gathering behind Xiao Chen like strands of his own hair.

SPLASH!

As Xiao Chen stood up, a massive number of thorny vines emerged from the water with him, twisting and spreading through the air.

As he shifted his gaze, the vines moved like living things, stabbing or slashing menacingly in that direction.

This was the Wood Element Technique from among the five types of Magic in the palace—the Cyan Thorn Technique.

Lin Ping’an stood far off, more than fifty zhang away. "Xiao, it’s time for us to head back."

Xiao Chen dispersed his Magical Power. The thorny vines immediately lost their energy, fell to the ground, and were quickly dried out by the surrounding Fire Qi.

He came ashore, dried the moisture from his body, and stretched lazily. "Ah, that was refreshing. Lin, let’s go."

Lin Ping’an immediately corrected him. "You’re being too polite, Xiao. On the path of cultivation, the stronger one takes precedence. You should just call me Junior Brother."

The route he took back was different from the one Xiao Chen had taken before. It seemed there were multiple paths within the Secret Realm.

Along the way, they unsurprisingly encountered Two-headed Lions several times.

But things were different now.

Xiao Chen only needed to point a finger, and thorny vines would shoot out from his fingertip, tightly entangling the Two-headed Lion.

With a light wave of his hand, he would strangle the Two-headed Lion, crushing it into dozens of pieces.

Seeing this, Lin Ping’an couldn’t help but ask, "By the way, Xiao. Had you already broken through to the ninth level of Qi Refining before you came here?"

"The ninth level of Qi Refining?"

Xiao Chen shook his head. "Before entering the Secret Realm, I had only cultivated to the eighth level of Qi Refining."

Lin Ping’an glanced at the thorny vines, his wide eyes full of disbelief. "Are you really only at the eighth level of Qi Refining?"

Xiao Chen added, "I came across a Fire Spirit Crystal on another path earlier."

Hearing this, Lin Ping’an fell silent.

’This is a bitter pill to swallow. Everyone thinks I’m always stumbling upon Treasures of Heaven and Earth, but who knows the immense price I pay for every divination I perform?’

Then, he smiled, as if a weight had been lifted.

He sighed. "Everyone says I’m lucky, but if you ask me, you’re the one who’s truly blessed by fortune, Senior Brother."

Xiao Chen replied humbly, "Not at all. Didn’t you also receive a perfectly suited inheritance this time, Junior Brother Lin? You’re sure to turn misfortune into good fortune in the future. Your prospects are limitless."

While the two of them were relaxed and at ease, Ye Fei and his group were locked in a bitter struggle.

Unlike ordinary disciples, since they had come all this way, they all naturally wanted to obtain some Fire Crystals from the Secret Realm to take back with them.

For one, Fire Crystals could be used like Spirit Stones.

For another, they could be given to friends and family as special gifts.

After their initial setbacks, they had performed a simple Body Tempering in the Flame Pool closest to the inner section to properly acclimate to the Secret Realm’s environment.

Afterward, they regrouped and found several more junior brothers who were interested in entering the inner area, forming a large team of twenty to begin exploring again.

These people could all be considered elites of the Li Huo Sect.

Having learned from their previous experience, this time they prepared Magical Artifacts and Water Magic as their main methods of attack right from the start.

They also adopted a strategy of concentrating their Flying Swords to take down enemies one by one.

Under Song Zhongwen’s orderly command, they actually managed to smoothly deal with the Guardian Spirit Beast at the entrance and successfully stepped into the inner section.

But they soon discovered that the Fire Crystals at the entrance to the inner section had already been completely mined.

So the team decided to venture deeper, only to fall back into a siege by a pack of beasts, getting trapped at the mouth of a narrow cave.

It was a naturally formed cave, its entrance only wide enough for two Two-headed Lions to approach side by side.

After losing four adult Two-headed Lions, the thirty-plus remaining ones outside chose to lay siege.

"How is it? Can we dig through the back?"

Liu Shi Qing, who was guarding the cave entrance, asked with concern.

Jiang Cungang shook his head helplessly. "We’ve tried everything. This is a mine; we can only pry it open bit by bit with Flying Swords."

"Today is the last day. We’ve only dug a little over ten zhang. We probably won’t make it in time."

Chen Guangyu was panicking. "Then what do we do? If we can’t get out when the time is up, we’ll be trapped in here for fifty years! That’s a death sentence!"

Song Zhongwen ordered everyone to stop digging and begin resting in shifts. "Yuan Peng, you come rest too. I’ll guard the entrance."

He did his best to keep his tone firm. "At this point, we have no path of retreat. We must take the initiative and break out."

"To leave enough time for a safe withdrawal, we can’t wait until the last moment."

"One shichen. If the lion pack hasn’t dispersed in one more shichen, we’ll force our way out."

Su Yuanpeng asked, "What’s the specific order of operations? How are we fighting this time?"

Song Zhongwen thought for a moment before assigning tasks. "The left flank has the fewest adult lions. Everyone who knows the Sword Control Technique will concentrate on the left and open a breach as quickly as possible."

"Finally, escape through the breach. It’s every man for himself. We save whoever we can."

Chen Guangyu immediately became anxious.

His Cultivation was on the lower side. If it was a free-for-all escape, his chances of survival were very slim. "How can that work? With no one covering the rear, won’t our formation fall apart instantly?"

Song Zhongwen remained silent. A chaotic formation was, of course, part of the breakout plan.

If they didn’t do it this way, none of them would get out.

The others quickly understood the situation as well. They all lowered their heads, lost in their own thoughts. The atmosphere instantly became tense.

When it truly came down to Life and Death, it would all depend on who was luckier.

One shichen passed quickly, and the pack of lions outside showed no signs of thinning.

Song Zhongwen cleared his throat and took out a stack of Talismans. "Ahem. Fellow disciples, we’re out of time."

"I have some Wood Vine Talismans and Earth Shield Talismans here, just enough for two per person. Make do with them. I hope we can see each other on the other side."

The pressure was too much for Chen Guangyu, and he spoke out mockingly, "It’s not like we haven’t tried that before. The Secret Realm is full of Fire Qi; the Wood Vine Technique is completely useless here."

"What good are these Talismans?"

"What good is a Wood Element Technique?"

Song Zhongwen just gave him a cold look, chose not to argue, and continued to place two Talismans in each person’s hand.

Just then, the pack of lions outside suddenly fell into a commotion.

Waves of roars and snarls could be heard.

Everyone quickly crowded the cave entrance to look. In the distance, they saw dozens of emerald-green thorny vines sweeping across the landscape in every direction.

One by one, the Two-headed Lions that pounced were swiftly wrapped into emerald-green balls.

At the same time, more thorny vines shot out violently from the balls.

Everyone was stunned by the sight. Afterward, many of them turned to glance at Chen Guangyu.