Chapter 239: Life Fire Illuminates the Tiangong!

Early morning.

Having gone through a night of experimentation, Xu Qing looked at the three small bottles before him, feeling quite satisfied.

These were the ninth batch of small black insects he had formed after a great deal of experimentation and cultivation over the recent period.

In reality, the word "black" could no longer be used to describe this ninth batch; their color had become translucent, and their size, compared to before, was like the difference between a chicken egg and a peanut.

One must know that the previous small black insects were already invisible to the naked eye, and even with spiritual sense, it was difficult to perceive them with such precision; now, they were even more terrifying.

Even Xu Qing himself needed to use his own blood to guide them in order to detect them, let alone anyone else.

Furthermore, the toxicity contained within these small insects was far more concentrated than before. Through the vast sums of money Xu Qing had spent frantically purchasing poisonous herbs and conducting experiments during this time, once they entered an enemy's body, the poison released through their biting was several times more lethal than before.

The same was true for the heterogenous matter, and at the same time, the toughness of the small black insects themselves had mutated because Xu Qing had constantly exposed them to the Poison Prohibition Elixir.

Within this mutated ninth batch of small black insects, they contained an extremely tenacious life force; even in the environment within the Poison Prohibition Elixir, they could survive for dozens of breaths.

"It is a pity they lack sufficient intelligence; otherwise, if they could feign death, the effect would be even better."

"Additionally, they are still some distance away from my goal... to be completely integrated into the Poison Prohibition Elixir and survive while being nourished within it. I must not be complacent; I must strive to ensure they can thoroughly survive inside the elixir."

As Xu Qing thought of this, he felt a touch of regret, but he also put away his complacency.

However, he felt this was not an impossible task; after all, his pockets were now full of spirit stones, and he could still purchase those sky-high priced, rare poisonous herbs within the sect.

If he continued like this, the future was ultimately promising.

Thinking of this, expectation appeared in Xu Qing's eyes. With a wave of his hand, he took out two fingers, toyed with them in his palm, and looked up at Huang Huang Yikun, who was currently unconscious and sealed, lying motionless in the cell.

At this moment, in the entire prison, they were the only two alive.

As for Yan Yan, seeing Xu Qing frown early in the morning, although she was full of reluctance, she still sensibly took her leave. With Yan Yan's departure, Xu Qing felt a bit more comfortable.

He was not very accustomed to having living strangers around him. Now, sweeping a glance over the unconscious Huang Huang Yikun, he took out a jade slip to send a message. Soon, the prison door opened, and Little Mute was the first to run in, bowing respectfully before Xu Qing.

Xu Qing glanced at Little Mute; the other's cultivation base was improving quickly and was now at the ninth level of Qi Condensation, nearing the tenth. Thus, he waved his hand, took out an elixir, and tossed it over.

Xu Qing had seen Little Mute's diligence and earnestness during this period.

Holding the elixir, Little Mute's eyes shone brightly as he looked at Xu Qing, waiting for instructions.

Xu Qing pointed at Huang Huang Yikun.

"Put twenty shackles on him and take him to be locked up with Prince Sima Ling."

Little Mute nodded immediately, ran over at high speed, grabbed Huang Huang Yikun by the neck, and left the prison in a rush. Before closing the door on his way out, he slowed his movements and shut it gently.

Xu Qing withdrew his gaze and looked down at Huang Huang Yikun's two fingers. These two fingers were as brilliant as purple gold and emitted astonishing fluctuations, causing the baleful fire soul-devouring power within his own body to circulate on its own, spreading flames outside his body as if echoing with these two fingers.

"I don't know how to use this object, but I feel it cannot be used to open magic apertures; it is more like a catalyst to cause a technique to advance." Xu Qing pondered and took out a jade slip to send a message to the Captain to inquire.

Before long, the Captain replied.

"Haha, little Ah Qing, that fool went to you too, right? I figured as much, so I left you two fingers."

"Let me tell you, this is the Profound Dark Finger, a good thing. This Huang Huang Yikun is indeed a heaven-gifted talent, and he has great perseverance and determination to have actually forged as many as five!"

"The old man said this thing can allow our Seventh Peak's technique to undergo a transformation. He is still pondering the specific method, but he should be able to research it soon and make it one of our Seventh Peak's exclusive sequence techniques."

Upon hearing this, Xu Qing stopped thinking about the fingers and took out Huang Huang Yikun's storage bag.

"This Huang Huang Yikun seems a bit poor?" Xu Qing glanced at the storage ring. Like Prince Sima Ling's, it had a mark on it, and at the same time, Huang Huang Yikun's storage ring had no gemstones and looked very ordinary.

This time, without needing Xu Qing to give an order, the Shadow, which was constantly keeping an eye on Xu Qing, arrived at high speed. After grinding away at the ring for a while, once it reached a sufficient degree, it hurriedly emitted a fawning emotion and shrank back.

Clearly, it remembered what Xu Qing had promised it: if it performed well, he would give it the forbidden magic treasure fragments.

For the first time in his life, Xu Qing cast an appreciative look toward the Shadow.

This look made the Shadow freeze for a moment before it became so excited its body almost became unstable, instantly cracking several fissures on the ground; it was happy to the extreme.

But the Jin Gang Sect Ancestor was not happy; its thunder soul body was shivering uncontrollably at this moment, and a strong sense of crisis erupted within its mind.

Xu Qing's gaze swept intentionally or unintentionally over the black iron spike. After withdrawing it, he raised his right hand, released his magic power, and wiped it over Huang Huang Yikun's storage ring, sensing it with expectation.

But the next instant, Xu Qing's expression turned ugly, and he frowned.

"Could this Huang Huang Yikun be a fake heaven-gifted talent?" Xu Qing looked up at the direction of the prison door, feeling quite displeased in his heart.

In truth, inside Huang Huang Yikun's storage ring, apart from a few bottles and jars and jade slips, there were less than one hundred thousand in spirit notes, and not a single magic tool. As for the other things Xu Qing had expected, there were none at all.

At this level of poverty, Xu Qing felt that any random Foundation Establishment cultivator in the sect would be wealthier than Huang Huang Yikun.

But when Xu Qing's gaze fell upon those two fingers, he had his answer.

"He wouldn't have spent his life's savings on refining those five fingers, would he..." Xu Qing recalled the pride in Huang Huang Yikun's expression when he first arrived and raised his five fingers.

He felt that nine times out of ten, this was the case.

"He is also a pitiful person, actually showing off his treasure in front of the Captain." Xu Qing shook his head, took out the bottles and jars from the storage ring to check them one by one, and finally, a touch of gratification appeared in his eyes.

Most of these elixirs were for healing, but inside one small bottle was an elixir Xu Qing was familiar with; it was exactly the same kind of aperture-opening elixir as the one in Prince Sima Ling's ring.

Xu Qing did not hesitate. He took out this elixir, checked it, and after confirming it was the same as the one he had eaten before, he tossed it directly into his mouth. He knew this kind of elixir was extraordinary and guessed that it must be the kind of item heaven-gifted talents used to break their limits at critical moments.

But Xu Qing felt that rather than saving it for later, it was better to eat it now.

Thus, the next instant, a roar erupted within his body. During this period of constant soul-refining and cultivation, his eighty-ninth magic aperture, which had been worn down and was about to open, opened instantly, releasing more magic power to flow through Xu Qing's entire body.

There was still plenty of medicinal efficacy remaining, and it rushed toward the ninetieth magic aperture. As it bombarded, Xu Qing's body shook; he clearly felt the ninetieth magic aperture swaying violently, and cracks had already begun to appear. These cracks occupied about ten percent of the whole.

Soon, with the eruption of the medicinal power, the cracks became more numerous: twenty percent, thirty percent, forty percent...

Xu Qing's breathing was rapid as he exerted his full strength to break through. Gradually, at the location of his ninetieth magic aperture, the cracks reached sixty percent. At this time, there was little medicinal efficacy left, and after finally and barely reaching seventy percent, the efficacy vanished.

Xu Qing's eyes were somewhat red. At this moment, he could clearly feel the astonishing magic power contained within the ninetieth magic aperture, and he could also feel sparks emitting from the twenty-nine and a half apertures starting from the sixtieth.

These sparks were constantly gathering, as if wanting to form Xu Qing's third life fire, but because the ninetieth magic aperture had only opened halfway, although this third life fire was constantly condensing, it ultimately could not form.

Previously, Xu Qing had already felt some urgency in his heart. Now, being just this little bit away from the third life fire, his sense of urgency became even more intense.

"It must open today!" Xu Qing gritted his teeth fiercely, took out a jade slip, and issued an order.

"Send all the Night Owls captured by the other divisions over here!"

Following Xu Qing's order, the entire Criminal Investigation Division was mobilized, escorting Night Owls from various places into the 176th Port. The prison of the 176th Port seemed to have become a massive black hole; all the Night Owls sent inside were as if swallowed.

Just like this, with Night Owl prisoners from various districts being continuously sent in, when dusk arrived that day, along with the brilliant sunset in the sky, Xu Qing, who was sitting cross-legged in the 176th Port prison, suddenly opened his eyes.

The moment his eyes opened and closed, a strong purple light erupted from within them. The magic apertures in his body from the sixty-first to the ninetieth were now roaring like a sky-high furnace, emitting earth-shattering flames that continuously gathered within his body.

Until, after the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the third life fire formed abruptly within Xu Qing's body!

The moment this third life fire appeared, it was as if heavenly thunder echoed within Xu Qing's body. As it continuously exploded, his whole body trembled, and he radiated an incomparably terrifying flame power that swept in all directions, causing the surrounding cages to instantly turn into fly ash, and the walls also turned into black crystals.

But Xu Qing had long since arranged a large number of magic arrays here, and the prison itself also had magic arrays, so the fluctuations here did not spread out.

At the same time, under the full combustion of the three life fires within his body, faintly, above the life fires, a Tiangong was revealed more and more clearly, showing nearly ten percent of its area. From this ten percent, one could see that the Tiangong was vast and majestic, with carved railings and jade structures, an earth-shattering aura, and faintly, it seemed there were even auspicious beasts dancing, appearing both illusory and real.

Xu Qing guessed that the Tiangong... was related to the Golden Core!

The life fire burns, reflecting the Tiangong.

As for what the Tiangong specifically was, Xu Qing did not know the details, but he knew these eight words most likely described the process of Foundation Establishment transforming into a Golden Core.

"Three life fires..." Xu Qing raised his head. Behind him, the Jin Wu materialized and danced, emitting a silent roar. Its tail flames spread to the surroundings and merged with the life fire radiating from Xu Qing, turning into a rising sea of fire.

Furthermore, sparks in the shape of feathers flew past before Xu Qing's face.

If a painter could capture this scene, it would surely be exceptionally beautiful.

And at this moment, if an outsider were here to see this scene, their mind would surely be stirred by massive waves, because Xu Qing, standing amidst the flames and the Jin Wu, clearly did not radiate any pressure, yet his gaze alone was enough to make any Foundation Establishment cultivator tremble in their heart and be filled with horror.

Even in the flow of Xu Qing's gaze, there was actually a peerless intent like that of Saint Qing Yunzi!

Three life fires, one life lamp, an Imperial-grade technique.

This is... five-fire combat power!

Plus his poison, it is not impossible to have the power to fight even six fires!

Such might is naturally peerless.