Cultivating immortality relies on spatial abilities; defying fate to become the protagonist.

Chapter 131 Refining Qi (Part 3)

Time passed by, but it seemed to drag on endlessly.

Fine beads of sweat gradually appeared on Gu Shihan and Yu Tong's foreheads. These beads of sweat slid down their cheeks and evaporated into water vapor before they could drip.

The two of them had exhausted a great deal of spiritual energy, and their bodies were beginning to give out. Their spiritual energy became unstable, and their heads throbbed as if they were being hit by a heavy hammer.

Upon seeing this, Shi Qinghan and Long Teng, who had been closely monitoring the situation, did not hesitate to unleash their flame powers.

In an instant, two blazing flames quickly covered that spot, taking over from Gu Shihan and Yu Tong to continue burning that small point.

Gu Shihan and Yu Tong took the opportunity to withdraw their flames and dragged their tired bodies to the side.

Without any delay, they immediately took out the pills, put them in their mouths, sat cross-legged, closed their eyes, and entered a meditative state, focusing all their energy on meditation to restore their depleted spiritual power.

As the cycle repeated, the already enormous corpse underwent an astonishing transformation. It rapidly expanded, becoming as large as a small mountain in the blink of an eye!

Its enormous body lay there, stretching and undulating, roughly estimated to be four or five zhang long.

The situation is becoming increasingly urgent, and every minute and second is so precious. If a breakthrough cannot be found on the periphery as soon as possible, the consequences are unimaginable.

Gu Shihan was extremely anxious, large beads of sweat rolling down her forehead. She pushed the Red Lotus Karmic Fire to its limit, and the surging flames continuously rushed towards the strange mark, as if she wanted to burn away all obstacles with endless fire.

Shi Qinghan rested for a while. After a brief moment of thought, he took out a jar of spirit wine from his storage ring, slapped it shut with mud, and the clear aroma of the wine filled the air.

He slowly walked a hundred paces away from the corpse, respectfully bowed to it, and said in a low voice, "Senior, you have been turned into a puppet. I imagine your heart must be filled with pain and resentment."

If you still possess even a shred of your spirit, you surely wouldn't want to see your body exploited for evil purposes, would you? Senior, please rest assured, we will help you escape this predicament. We hope you can cooperate a little.

After speaking, Shi Qinghan poured the wine from the jar along the ground in a circle as a tribute to this senior.

Upon hearing Shi Qinghan's words, Gu Shihan's heart trembled slightly. The Red Lotus Karmic Fire in her hand did not stop burning; instead, it burned even more fiercely.

Not only that, she began to chant the "Soul Purification Mantra" in a low voice. The clear and melodious incantation echoed in the air, as if it contained some kind of magical power, trying to awaken the soul sleeping within the corpse...

In reality, this was just a soulless puppet, and all its actions were in accordance with its master's will. Logically speaking, all the mistakes it made should be attributed to its master.

He was soulless and spiritless, so he didn't need any rituals to help him pass on. But cultivation is not easy, and it's pitiful and lamentable that such a dignified immortal met such a tragic end.

Shi Qinghan also joined in chanting the "Soul Purification Mantra".

After repeating it three times, the two looked at each other and shouted at the same time, "Senior! May you have a safe journey! If you know this in the afterlife, please lend us a hand and destroy this evil thing!"

Just as they finished speaking, a sudden change occurred! The corpse that had been lying quietly on the ground suddenly emitted bursts of spiritual light, and the Supreme Yang Qi Shield flickered a few times like lightning. Then, with a crisp "sizzle," a small hole was torn open where the gunpowder was intended to burn.

Immediately afterwards, wisps of extremely pure Yang energy slowly drifted out of the small hole like smoke. Seeing this, Yu Tong, Long Teng, Xiao Hei, and Xing Bai reacted quickly, each taking out their prepared jade boxes and skillfully collecting this invaluable Yang energy.

They are beasts and do not need this supreme yang energy, but Gu Shihan and Shi Qinghan can refine it to temper their muscles and bones and strengthen their physical bodies.

Xingbai, who had been watching the situation closely, shouted to Gu Shihan, "Hanhan, that's enough! Quickly unleash the Crimson Lotus Karmic Fire to burn this corpse to ashes!"

Upon receiving the instruction, Gu Shihan dared not delay and immediately activated her spiritual power. She formed a hand seal, and in an instant, a blazing red lotus karmic fire erupted from her palm.

The flames, like a fiery dragon, surged through the small hole in the broken protective barrier, instantly engulfing the entire corpse.

Time passed second by second, and after a full hundred breaths, the Red Lotus Karmic Fire gradually dimmed its light until it was completely extinguished.

Looking at the spot where the body had been, it was now completely empty, without even a trace left.

At the same time, Gu Shihan felt a dazzling golden light suddenly erupt from his dantian. The light was brilliant and seemed to contain endless power. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be an extremely large amount of merit.

Before Gu Shihan could recover from her surprise, Shi Qinghan beside her was also looking completely bewildered.

It turned out that not only Gu Shihan received this merit, but Shi Qinghan's body was also gently touched by golden light.

Even more surprisingly, the four beasts not far away, Yu Tong, Long Teng, Xing Bai, and Xiao Hei, also began to glow with a faint golden light, clearly benefiting from this merit.

"Oh no, I'm about to advance!" Shi Qinghan's expression suddenly changed drastically, and he couldn't help but shout out.

His spiritual energy fluctuated violently, as if it were about to break free of its restraints at any moment.

"Me too!" Gu Shihan, who was standing next to her, also felt the surging spiritual power within her body.

She forcefully suppressed the power and turned to Xingbai, saying, "Xingbai, please protect us. Big brother, I think it would be safer for us to advance inside the space."

Xingbai nodded, patting her chest vigorously with her little paws to assure them, "No problem, you can go ahead and break through with peace of mind. With me here watching over you, no one will find out that you suddenly disappeared!"

After receiving Xingbai's promise, Gu Shihan and Shi Qinghan did not hesitate for a moment and entered their own spaces in a flash.

After entering the space, Gu Shihan went straight to the spiritual spring, sat down, and began to meditate.

Time passed second by second, and in less than half an hour, her aura suddenly surged, and she successfully advanced to the mid-stage of the seventh level of the Golden Core realm.

Feeling the powerful spiritual energy flowing through her body, Gu Shihan couldn't help but think to herself that if she hadn't been deliberately suppressing her spiritual energy, she might have been able to continue advancing.

However, she also understood that she had only recently advanced to the sixth level of the Golden Core stage, and if she allowed her cultivation to grow rapidly without consolidating her foundation, it might leave hidden dangers in the future.

(End of this chapter)