Begin your practice with the crane-shaped stance.

Chapter 92 Enlightenment (8th Update)

During a break from practicing basic fire control techniques, Xia Dong keenly noticed something extremely peculiar.

Ever since the bronze bell was revived on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, every time the moon is full and the giant snake spits out its inner elixir and devoutly worships the moon on the cliff, the bronze bell in Xia Dong's sea of ​​consciousness will generate strange sensations.

Although this mysterious ancient bell still doesn't absorb much moonlight, it vibrates very slightly with the rhythm of the giant snake's breathing, and emits a faint, mysterious bell sound.

Under the cleansing influence of this mysterious sound, the originally cold and clear lunar radiance underwent an indescribable and special transformation.

Earlier, when winter had just begun, all things in the world were dormant and life was lurking. The effects of the transformed moonlight were not yet very obvious.

But now that the ice and snow have melted and spring has arrived, bringing new life to all things, the moonlight, cleansed by the ancient bell, has displayed an extremely terrifying and heaven-defying effect.

On Xia Dong herself, apart from making the Xuan Yin magic power more refined, this Taiyin moonlight did not show any remarkable external manifestations in a short period of time.

However, for the spiritual fields outside the cave, this transformed lunar essence was even more wondrous and mysterious!

Under the repeated nourishment of the moon's essence, the purple-spotted leaves, green corn, and spirit blood vines in the spirit field began to grow wildly and almost frantically.

According to the records, those "purple-spotted leaves" used to assist in the later stages of Qi cultivation, even with sufficient spiritual energy, would require several years of day and night care and careful cultivation before they could barely mature and be used as medicine.

But now, just a few months later, these purple-spotted leaves have not only fully matured, but their leaves are also broad, thick, and full of vitality.

Xia Dong examined it closely and found that its age and the degree of heat treatment were not much different from the "thirty-year-old" purple-spotted leaves described in ancient books!

Most remarkably, these purple-spotted leaves were completely free from any pest infestation during their growth.

Under the bright midday sun, a faint purple mist even rises from the leaves, creating a dreamlike and ethereal scene.

Not only the purple-spotted leaves, but also the batch of "green corn" that was originally delicate and hard to dry has also had a bumper harvest.

Each stalk of spirit rice is thick and upright. When the ears of rice that grow are peeled open, the grains of spirit rice inside are plump and round, crystal clear like the finest green jade, and exude an enticing fragrance.

As for the Spirit Blood Vine planted on the outermost edge of the spirit field as a protective barrier, it has fully grown under the nourishment of the moonlight. The thick, dark red vines intertwine and entwine, covered with dense thorns and hooks, as hard as iron, gleaming with a chilling eerie light, protecting the entire spirit field like an iron barrel.

Looking at the vibrant and extraordinary spiritual field before him, Xia Dong was filled with immense shock and surprise.

The mysteries of the ancient bronze bell clearly hold many astonishing potentials that he has yet to uncover.

Not only the spiritual herbs in the spiritual field, but even the emerald pool next to the spiritual field, after absorbing the yin essence that had undergone mysterious transformations through the ancient bell time and time again, has undergone an astonishing change.

Originally, the fish in this pool were just ordinary wild fish from the deep mountains, but since Xia Dong occasionally added waste pills to it, and with the nourishment of the molting moonlight over the past few months, the fish in the pool have undergone a complete transformation.

Standing by the pool, Xia Dong gazed out and saw countless spirit fish swimming and darting about in the clear water. They were plump, their scales shimmering with a faint light, each one brimming with pure and abundant spiritual energy, appearing vibrant and full of life in the water.

In the stillness of summer, a sudden urge to stir arises. Xia Dong uses his Dragon-Catching Hand technique to casually pluck a plump, spirited fish about a foot long from the pool. After scaling and cleaning it, he simply roasts it over a campfire by the pool.

The moment the fish entered his mouth, Xia Dong's eyes lit up. The fish was not only incredibly tender, but also completely free of any earthy taste from the mountains and swamps. Each bite was fragrant and left a lingering aftertaste.

Even more miraculously, when the fish meat, brimming with spiritual energy, entered his stomach, it instantly transformed into an extremely pure and warm current, which spread throughout his limbs and bones.

This heat flow is different from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth for cultivators. It is extremely compatible with the physical body. Without the need for deliberate cultivation techniques to refine it, it naturally integrates into Xia Dong's flesh and bones, transforming into extremely pure martial arts blood and qi.

Xia Dong closed his eyes, feeling the surging blood and qi within his body. He felt his entire body filled with a boundless power that seemed about to overflow, and even his long-standing inner strength martial arts foundation was thoroughly cleansed by this power.

He gently clenched his fist, feeling the deep, thunderous sound, like a cowhide drum, emanating from his flesh and bones. This spirit fish might not greatly enhance magical power, but it would be of immeasurable benefit to martial arts cultivation.

Xia Dong took a deep breath and slowly suppressed the boiling blood in his body.

He could clearly feel that the bottleneck of his peak inner strength realm, which he had honed to its limit, was now beginning to loosen noticeably.

The day when he truly steps into the fifth level of martial arts, the "Transcendent Realm," is not far off.

However, upon closer examination, the one who benefited the most from this stroke of luck over the past few months was neither Xia Dong himself, nor the thriving spiritual plants in the garden, nor the plump spiritual fish in the pond—but rather, the giant snake.

On every full moon night, the giant serpent coils on the cliff, spitting out the round, nascent inner core, greedily absorbing the essence of the moon.

At that moment, it could clearly hear the mysterious chime of the ancient bronze bell as it shone with the moonlight.

It's hard to describe that feeling accurately in words.

Since he subdued the giant serpent, a very close spiritual connection has been established between the man and the serpent.

This vast, ancient bell sound seemed to disregard the physical barrier, traveling directly to the depths of Brother Snake's consciousness through this invisible connection.

Each time the bell tolled, a remarkably human-like clarity would flash in the serpent's originally murky beastly eyes, as if it had received some kind of profound enlightenment from the bell's sound.

After several months, Xia Dong helplessly discovered that his master's cultivation progress was far slower than that of the giant snake.

The sound of this ancient bronze bell seemed to have an incredible blessing and catalytic effect on the monstrous serpent.

Now, as the giant snake coils outside the cave, the ferocious aura it exudes has far surpassed that of the ghost-faced spider that once cornered Xia Dong underground.

Xia Dong secretly estimated that if this trend continued, it might not be long before this big guy could successfully break through the natural barrier and complete the "foundation building" of a demon beast!

Even though the giant serpent possesses the bloodline of the ancient Blackwater Serpent and has a trace of the Teng Serpent's roots within it, giving it an extraordinary innate foundation, such a terrifying cultivation speed is still extremely rare among the demon race, which has a long lifespan and slow progress.

All of this, except attributable to the incredible power of the ancient bronze bell, makes no sense at all.

Of course, the giant snake, whose strength had increased dramatically, did not show any arrogance towards its master Xia Dong; on the contrary, it became even more affectionate and obedient.

Although it would occasionally playfully brush Xia Dong's tail twice with its tail like a mischievous child in the mountains and forests, it would never resist or hesitate in the slightest when Xia Dong gave it a real command to do something.

As the giant snake grew increasingly intelligent, Xia Dong stroked his chin, a strange thought creeping into his mind.

"The cultivation manuals say that once a demon beast cultivates to the Core Formation stage, it can shed its beastly body and transform into human form. I wonder what kind of appearance Brother Snake will have then? In this desolate wilderness, I've spent the most time with him. Perhaps, through constant exposure, when he transforms—he'll look like me?"

Upon thinking of this, Xia Dong couldn't help but imagine two identical men staring at each other in the cave, and he immediately felt a chill run down his spine.

However, despite the embarrassment, Xia Dong looked at the giant snake's massive, tower-like body and a relieved smile appeared on his lips.

The more powerful the snake brother is, the more secure he feels.

Often, monsters are far more trustworthy than humans.