Chapter 177: Immortal's Blessed Land!

Wa-la-la!

As Xiao Zhangqing stood up and casually stretched his muscles, a crackling sound burst from his whole body.

That was only the superficial layer; the truly massive changes were in the flesh, blood, bones beneath Xiao Zhangqing's skin, and even deeper layers.

In terms of Xiao Zhangqing's past life, he could clearly feel his cells evolving! As a result, not only did his body become tougher, his blood thickened, and Xiao Zhangqing sensed his flesh possessed a certain "attribute," much like a cultivator's magical power varies with spiritual roots and techniques.

Xiao Zhangqing's current flesh now seems to have a distinct attribute.

Boom!

His thoughts whirring, Xiao Zhangqing inhaled forcefully; around him fierce winds formed, and clouds condensed rapidly. He extended his palm, like a cloud dragon's claw, tearing the wind and clouds.

His form roamed, gathering wind and clouds, and he rose into the air.

"Transform Dragon Body Refinement Formula! At the third tier, why do I feel a bit like a flood dragon?"

Xiao Zhangqing felt shocked.

Body Cultivation has utterly declined in the current Cultivation World; among a hundred cultivators, none practice the Body Refinement art.

Its lineage is almost extinct.

Yet now that Xiao Zhangqing's Body Cultivation has reached third-tier lower grade, he knows its decline isn't due to weakness, but other reasons.

For example, the cultivation is difficult, requires talent, and the consumption of rare materials far exceeds that of magical power cultivation…

But once Body Cultivation succeeds, it will never be weaker than magical cultivation of the same level.

Feeling his flesh's formidable change, the wondrous "attribute" ability certainly surpasses most early Core Formation cultivators.

If he were to spar with a cultivator like Blood Crow, who has just broken through the mid Core Formation stage, Xiao Zhangqing's current flesh strength alone, without any other means, could match the opponent using only Body Cultivation techniques.

Moreover, in a prolonged battle, the defeated party would certainly not be Xiao Zhangqing, but Blood Crow.

"Longevity increase isn't much…"

Xiao Zhangqing sensed his life force, vigorous yet not of the long‑lasting type.

In the Cultivation World, once a cultivator successfully forms a Core, even a false Core cultivator, completing the life leap, their longevity limit rises to five hundred years.

Although each cultivator's foundation, technique, or hidden ailments differ, longevity varies accordingly.

But five hundred years is a rough median.

Usually the difference is only a few dozen years.

Xiao Zhangqing vaguely sensed his lifespan limit, roughly four hundred years.

"Body Cultivation's flesh is clearly stronger, blood like a rainbow, why is its longevity shorter than magical cultivation?"

Xiao Zhangqing was puzzled.

By his reasoning, Body Cultivation's longevity should be longer than magical cultivation, right? After pondering briefly, he let the thought go.

After all, he isn't a cultivator who walks only the Body path; sooner or later he must return to the Core Formation road.

With a shorter longevity, once he succeeds in Core Formation, his lifespan will naturally increase.

"However, although Body Cultivation has declined in the current Cultivation World, its lineage nearly broken, it seems especially suited to me?"

Xiao Zhangqing contemplated internally.

Magical power— the system cannot directly bestow a breakthrough to accelerate his cultivation.

At most it can enhance his spiritual root or his comprehension.

But Body Cultivation is different.

It seems in the system's evaluation, Body Cultivation isn't counted as cultivation level, more like a divine ability, which doesn't manifest in cultivation rank.

Like the Dragon Chant Technique, Nightmare Technique, Azure Sky Sword Formation, Plucking Stars, Changing Dipper Sword Formula, Great Roc Riding the Wind, etc., when refined to the extreme they wield Nascent Soul‑level power, but limited by Xiao Zhangqing's Soul Transformation and magical power, they remain at third tier.

Body Cultivation, however, can stand apart from the cultivation system; as soon as a skill is unlocked it directly boosts strength! "If I could find a few high‑grade Body Cultivation Magic Treasures, wouldn't I instantly ascend to the heights of the Cultivation World?"

Xiao Zhangqing couldn't help but fantasize.

But he immediately laughed and shook his head.

The idea sounds lovely, but in reality it's unworkable.

Not to mention that in today's Cultivation World, Body Cultivation's lineage is severed and long extinct, so there are hardly any high‑grade Body Cultivation Magic Treasures that have been used.

Furthermore, even in the era when Body Cultivation was flourishing, it remained a niche compared to magical cultivation.

At least according to the records Xiao Zhangqing has seen in various Cultivation World chronicles, since antiquity no Body Cultivation has ever truly reached the pinnacle of the Cultivation World to transcend the tribulation.

Of course, speaking of this now is far beyond Xiao Zhangqing's immediate concerns.

Even if Body Cultivation's future is cut off, so far it has been of great help to Xiao Zhangqing, one of his trump cards.

"Third‑tier lower‑grade Body Cultivation, Plucking Stars, Changing Dipper Sword Formula, Great Roc's Wing, plus all my previous tactics…" "Tsk tsk, even now, facing a late‑stage Core Formation cultivator, I can move freely, can't I?"

"That's a conservative estimate. As long as I don't meet a great cultivator like Character: Liyang, whose Core Formation is perfected, I should have a fighting chance against most late‑stage Core Formation cultivators."

Late‑stage Core Formation cultivators, compared to mid‑stage, differ essentially in stronger magical power.

After all, the gap between minor realms isn't that large.

Generally, a late‑stage Core Formation cultivator's magical power is about twice that of a mid‑stage one.

Of course, two mid‑stage Core Formation cultivators teaming up still can't match a late‑stage one.

Because when magical power increases, the potency of various artifacts and divine abilities also rises proportionally.

In the Cultivation World, common knowledge holds that a late‑stage Core Formation cultivator can generally fend off three to five mid‑stage cultivators.

A pair like Wei Wufeng and Bi Yu, when they fully unleash their drug‑enhanced bursts, can briefly reach late‑stage Core Formation strength. Their assault on Character: Liyang was almost a sure thing. Even if Character: Liyang weren't as badly injured as expected, or not injured at all, they could still retreat unscathed.

Unfortunately, Character: Liyang was too cunning, playing his part perfectly.

Not only did he avoid injury, his power even surged, achieving Core Formation Perfection. When the two's condition waned and the drug effect faded, he then slew them one by one.

Wei Wufeng and Bi Yu's combined strength versus Character: Liyang's wasn't as vast as outsiders imagined.

After a long adjustment, Xiao Zhangqing finally found time to inspect the last piece of equipment, the 'Key'.

The skill extracted by this key does not help Xiao Zhangqing's strength.

In fact, Character: Liyang's guess was correct.

According to the system's identification, this key represents qualification to explore a "celestial blessed land"!

The system also did not give a very detailed explanation, only a general description: this concerns a legendary Transformation God Venerable from the Great Chu Cultivation World several thousand years ago, who left behind the ruins of a cave residence. Though called a cave residence, it already qualifies as a celestial blessed land, because there are rumors that the Venerable attained self‑immolation here, and also rumors that he eventually ascended to the celestial realm. In short, after the Venerable vanished, his cave residence remained, and it opens once every one hundred and twenty years. Only with this key can one enter the cave residence to seek opportunity.

When he first touched the key, although no skill could be extracted, Xiao Zhangqing immediately decided to take the key.

This is a cave residence of a Transformation God realm cultivator, and it might even be a celestial blessed land of an ascended one!

In today's Cultivation World, the Transformation God realm has already become extinct! At least in the Da Yu Cultivation World and several nearby cultivation nations, Transformation God Venerables have long ceased to exist.

Not to mention the Transformation God realm, even senior Nascent Soul cultivators in the later stage are unknown in the nearby cultivation nations! Anyway, the two True Lords of the Seven Star Sword Sect in the Da Yu Cultivation World and Xingyue Palace are both in the Nascent Soul Initial Stage.

In the Nascent Soul Middle Stage, one can dominate several cultivation nations and be invincible! It is easy to imagine how great an opportunity it would be for Xiao Zhangqing if he could someday enter the celestial blessed land behind this mysterious key.

Even now Xiao Zhangqing does not know the specific details of this celestial blessed land, and he does not even know where the Great Chu Cultivation World is.

At least around the Da Yu Cultivation World, there is no place called the Great Chu Cultivation World.

"No need to rush; we don't know the information now, but there will be a chance to learn it in the future."

"I am only at the Foundation Establishment Realm now; when I later form a Golden Core, my status and insight will grow, and perhaps I will hear news of the Great Chu Cultivation World."

"Taking a step back, if the Golden Core stage still doesn't work, then Nascent Soul! Anyway, even this at least Transformation God realm, possibly an ascended one's cave residence, is still a great opportunity for Nascent Soul cultivators."

Xiao Zhangqing is in a good mindset.

Having an inventory, he also has enough confidence to eventually reach the level where he can explore this celestial blessed land.

For now the key is of little use to him, so he stores it away; perhaps in the future the help and benefits it brings will far surpass those of a magic sword, a great hammer, or the Great Roc's twin wings! ……

……

Xiao Zhangqing underwent the system's "guanding" for seven days, advancing from second‑tier middle grade to third‑tier lower grade body cultivation. Although it was not as massive as the commotion when Gu Zongyuan formed his Golden Core—when the entire Character: Liyang Celestial City witnessed the Golden Core anomaly and the sky filled with rosy light—.

But after all, breaking through to the third tier, a leap in the level of life, the massive spiritual pressure that spontaneously radiates can make ordinary cultivators feel tremendous pressure.

It was not only the Lin sisters, but all cultivators of the cave residences in Jin Xiu Fang who felt inexplicable shock and unease.

Under this pressure, they could hardly complete their cultivation, their thoughts constantly disturbed.

Fortunately, the neighboring cultivators of Jin Xiu Fang basically all know Xiao Zhangqing.

After all, his feats—deputy commander of the Character: Liyang Guard, wiping out the Song family, one of the ten great clans, and teaming with Gu Zongyuan to slay the puppet Evil Cultivator and the Blood Crow Real Person—have already made Xiao Zhangqing famous.

Not only friends like Zhu Xiaochuan know, but other neighbors also know Xiao Zhangqing's background and his unfathomable depth.

When they sensed that this strong pressure emanated from Xiao Zhangqing's cave residence, the crowd was shocked yet not surprised, even feeling it was only natural.

During this time, Gu Zongyuan personally came to Jin Xiu Fang to meet Xiao Zhangqing and discuss in detail.

Before Character: Liyang left, he naturally informed his successor of the general agreement between him and Xiao Zhangqing.

Gu Zongyuan already had a good relationship with Xiao Zhangqing; with his master's arrangement, the two will truly join hands for the next thirty years to guard Character: Liyang Celestial City.

However, after Gu Zongyuan arrived and learned that Xiao Zhangqing was in seclusion cultivation and that such a powerful, uncontrolled pressure was spreading, he sighed inwardly: "Brother Xiao truly lives up to his name; he is indeed unfathomable! Even now that I have become a Golden Core Real Person, I still cannot see through Brother Xiao's true nature, far inferior indeed!"

He then turned and left, ordering his subordinates to monitor the happenings in Jin Xiu Fang, and to come back after Xiao Zhangqing notifies him that his seclusion has ended.

He had just formed his Golden Core, a time for consolidating and strengthening his power, but Character: Liyang Celestial City underwent a massive change, and he had to assume his master's position as city lord; he was swamped, with no time at all. (End of chapter)