Chapter 354: Immortal Cultivation Technique (Monthly ticket bonus, two-in-one)

Amidst the mountains and forests, two figures flew past, heading in the direction of the Purple Chai Jingong.

Li Rui and He Qiannian walked side by side.

Moving at high speed, it did not affect their conversation in the slightest.

"Senior He, are you saying that the Exiled Immortal of this Purple Chai Jingong is not in the Purple Chai Jingong?"

Li Rui asked.

He Qiannian nodded: "Correct. I have been hiding outside this Purple Chai Jingong for the past few days, specifically using Secret Guard methods to probe. I can be certain that the Exiled Immortal is not in the palace."

Upon hearing this.

A weight lifted from Li Rui's heart.

'I knew it. Marquis Yuan is no fool; how could he rashly send troops to attack?'

It must be because the Exiled Immortal is away that Liu Qing has made his move.

Without the Exiled Immortal as a major variable, things become much simpler.

He Qiannian: "Let's go scout the situation first."

Although the Exiled Immortal has left, it is certain that he stayed in the Purple Chai Jingong for no short amount of time and must have left behind some traces. These things are enough to judge the Exiled Immortal's strength.

Very quickly.

He Qiannian and Li Rui arrived beneath the walls of the Purple Chai Jingong.

This was the rear of the Purple Chai Jingong.

Because of Liu Qing and the others, most of the Purple Chai Jingong's military strength was concentrated at the front; now was the perfect time to sneak in.

Without the interference of sentries.

These dozens of zhang of city walls were no difficulty at all for Li Rui and He Qiannian.

The two figures leaped.

In just a few breaths' time, they arrived atop the city wall.

Once they stood on the wall.

The top of the wall was empty, and with their extreme speed, no one discovered them. Like ghosts, they slipped into the Purple Chai Jingong.

He Qiannian had long since figured out the terrain of the Purple Chai Jingong.

Before long, he led Li Rui to a grand hall in the very center of the Purple Chai Jingong.

This grand hall was more imposing and magnificent than any other hall in the Purple Chai Jingong.

Even in the most tense of times, there were still experts guarding the entrance.

"Who goes there?!"

A burly man who appeared to be a commander shouted.

But he didn't even have time to continue speaking.

He Qiannian quickly said to Li Rui: "Do it."

Then he himself charged forward first, his left palm grabbing out to break the burly man's defense, and his right hand clenched into a fist and smashed down. With a *squelch*, the burly man's head became a shattered mess.

Smooth and fluid, done in one go.

A Primordial Realm expert was thus killed by He Qiannian.

At the same time.

Li Rui had also arrived beside He Qiannian, smashing his Zhan Jiao blade, still in its scabbard, onto the shoulder of a guard.

Instantly, more than half of the body was torn apart.

Painful screams came from before the hall; it was clear they wouldn't survive.

In a flash.

Li Rui and He Qiannian resolved the guards before the hall, extremely efficiently.

"Under my observation, the Immortal Charm is strongest here in the Purple Chai Jingong. This should be the Exiled Immortal's residence."

He Qiannian said.

Then he strode into the hall.

The hall was extremely large and deep, and in the night, it was pitch black, with nothing visible, as if it were a monster opening its mouth, waiting for prey to walk inside.

He Qiannian said to Li Rui: "Time is tight, search quickly."

After saying this.

He swept toward the depths of the hall.

He Qiannian was bold due to his high skill and naturally wasn't afraid, but Li Rui, by comparison, was much more cautious, following closely behind He Qiannian, not daring to take a wrong step.

Anyone who has been an immortal knows that when building a cave dwelling, one will certainly leave behind some measures inside to protect the residence.

One cannot be too careful.

He Qiannian and Li Rui soon arrived at a gorgeous room at the back of the hall.

This should be the Exiled Immortal's sleeping quarters.

Generally speaking.

The front hall is a place for work and won't have anything too important; what is truly important will be hidden in the place of rest.

People are like this, and the Exiled Immortal is likely the same.

The sleeping quarters were not large.

He Qiannian and Li Rui searched separately, not letting go of any detail.

Just as Li Rui arrived before a wall.

He furrowed his brows slightly.

Seeing the anomaly here, He Qiannian also walked over.

"What is it? Is there something about this wall?"

Li Rui nodded.

Just as he passed this wall, he suddenly felt a sensation in his heart.

He Qiannian pondered for a moment and shouted: "Step back."

Li Rui responded and retreated.

Then he saw He Qiannian actually raise his right arm directly, without any fancy moves, and with one punch, he smashed the wall in front of him open.

Only a *boom* was heard.

Instantly, dust flew and bricks and stones splattered.

Sure enough.

A secret passage appeared before He Qiannian.

Li Rui blinked his eyes.

There were clearly mechanisms hidden on this wall, yet He Qiannian had adopted the most direct way of opening it.

Although brutal, it was indeed very effective.

Just as He Qiannian chiseled open the secret passage, a golden light suddenly appeared, heading straight for He Qiannian's vitals.

This golden light appeared too suddenly.

Even He Qiannian was somewhat unable to react in time.

But he still made a reaction, his muscles bulging all over, almost bursting his wide robes.

Hard resistance!

The tyrannical physical body collided with the golden light.

One could see a pitch-black vortex like a black hole appear before He Qiannian; the golden light shot into it and then vanished without a trace.

Li Rui was shocked.

Great Great Henglian!

He didn't expect He Qiannian to have practiced Great Great Henglian to such a level.

He Qiannian groaned, retreated several steps, and his complexion turned pale at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Clearly.

Resisting that golden light just now was not as easy as imagined.

Li Rui hurriedly took two quick steps to support He Qiannian.

"Senior."

He Qiannian: "What a formidable method, worthy of an Exiled Immortal."

If it weren't for the fact that he specialized in external martial arts and his ability to withstand blows was top-tier among Third-Rankers, plus having Great Great Henglian on his body, he might have already been heavily injured; death on the spot would not have been impossible.

He bared his teeth and sensed carefully once more:

"Be careful."

"There shouldn't be any more traps."

He Qiannian took a deep breath, suppressing his injuries, and led Li Rui deeper inside.

Before long.

The two of them arrived at a small secret chamber, no more than five zhang in circumference, filled with quite a few items; it looked like a warehouse.

Li Rui only took one look.

And was attracted to a spot in the secret room.

That cave wall had been chiseled into an earthen platform large enough for one person to sit cross-legged; wisps of Purple Gold Qi circulated within that small space, incredibly miraculous.

He Qiannian also looked over.

Instantly, he was shocked.

"Withered Wood Meets Spring Qi?!"

Li Rui was also shocked.

He finally understood why he could sense the unusual aura.

It was precisely being attracted by this Withered Wood Meets Spring Qi.

His aura was linked with the little flood dragon, so over time, he had also become tainted with the flood dragon's ability to perceive treasures. Although far less powerful than the little white flood dragon, he could still sense it when close enough.

He Qiannian: "This Exiled Immortal really knows how to enjoy himself, actually hiding so much Withered Wood Meets Spring Qi."

A wisp of Withered Wood Meets Spring Qi is a supreme treasure.

Seeing so much Withered Wood Meets Spring Qi before his eyes, even with his experience, he was shocked.

A sharp light flashed in He Qiannian's eyes:

"Sit on it quickly, this is a stroke of fortune."

He hurriedly urged Li Rui.

This Withered Wood Meets Spring Qi is something that internal martial arts masters dream of. It is extremely difficult to take away; it requires a specially made Spirit-Fixing Jade Bowl. He naturally didn't know beforehand that there were such treasures in the Purple Chai Jingong, so he naturally wouldn't have prepared one.

Since it can't be taken away, then consume it all.

Seeing Li Rui not moving, He Qiannian rolled his eyes: "This thing isn't of much use to me. You take it quickly, don't waste time."

Upon hearing this, Li Rui no longer hesitated.

He sat directly on that earthen platform.

Instantly—

He only felt as if the Milky Way were descending, as if a force of ten thousand jun was pressing down on his head.

The Immortal Su Xuan Qi within Li Rui's body immediately circulated.

He crazily attracted the Withered Wood Meets Spring Qi into his body to temper his physique and primordial spirit.

This Withered Wood Meets Spring Qi is one of the nine treasures required for the Spirit-Raising Method, and it is the hardest to find. After all, such a quantity of Withered Wood Meets Spring Qi is unheard of; he didn't expect to encounter it in the Purple Chai Jingong.

It truly is a case of "finding it without effort after wearing out iron shoes."

Absorb it fiercely!

At the other end.

Purple Chai Jingong, before the palace gate.

Blood Shadow Xueying Laozu and Liu Qing stood in a standoff from afar, staring expressionlessly at the middle-aged man not far away: "Liu Qing."

Liu Qing smiled: "Qi Ying, it is a great pity that I didn't kill you in the Northwest back then. It just so happens that today, we shall settle the karma from before."

The world only knows Blood Shadow Xueying Laozu; only old Jianghu hands like him know Blood Shadow Xueying Laozu's real name.

Blood Shadow Xueying Laozu's eyelids twitched.

Both were famous experts; he had fought Liu Qing decades ago.

It was just that at the time, Liu Qing was Second-Rank, and he was Third-Rank.

He was chased for a thousand miles and almost died because of it.

Blood Shadow Xueying Laozu snorted coldly.

He was now also Second-Rank; with the same realm, he wouldn't necessarily lose.

He didn't waste any more words.

With a wave of his sleeve, large swathes of blood clouds attacked Liu Qing.

But just at the moment the two were about to clash.

Blood Shadow Xueying Laozu's expression changed.

He suddenly turned his head to look at the grand hall in the center of the Purple Chai Jingong.

Someone has broken into the Immortal Venerable's residence!

Comfortable!

In the room.

Li Rui's physical body was washed over by the Withered Wood Meets Spring Qi again and again.

After entering the Primordial Realm, true qi and the physical body merged. Nourished by the Withered Wood Meets Spring Qi, his physical body became even more full, and faint fluorescent light flickered.

He Qiannian to the side narrowed his eyes.

'Good lad!'

If he still couldn't see that Li Rui had already broken through to the Primordial Realm, he would be blind.

Originally, he wanted to let Li Rui use this Withered Wood Meets Spring Qi to break through; he didn't expect Li Rui to have already become a Primordial Realm expert long ago.

'His mouth is tight enough, hiding it from me so well.'

However, He Qiannian felt more gratification than anything else.

Being able to hide it from a Third-Rank Earth Immortal like him is a skill in itself.

He had high hopes for Li Rui.

Now it seems this unnamed disciple should be very capable of surviving. Being able to survive isn't just about a long lifespan; more importantly, it's about not fearing external dangers.

A dead genius is no longer a genius.

This Withered Wood Meets Spring Qi was naturally useful to him, but time was limited, so he decisively gave this stroke of fortune to Li Rui.

Wasn't it all so that Li Rui could grow faster?

It can be said his intentions were painstaking.

Only a stick of incense's time passed.

Li Rui slowly opened his eyes.

Spirit Root improved!

Strength greatly increased!

The powerful vitality of the Withered Wood Meets Spring Qi healed almost all the hidden injuries left behind by time in his body, and his Primordial Flawless Body became even purer.

!

In just one stick of incense, he saved at least ten years of bitter cultivation!

He looked somewhat reluctantly at the Withered Wood Meets Spring Qi, which had clearly been reduced by more than half.

'Truly a good treasure.'

It's just a pity.

That Spirit-Fixing Jade Bowl is a rare item; there isn't a single craftsman in all of Yunzhou who can make one, so even if he had the heart to search for it, there was no way.

Fortunately, he had always been content.

Encountering a single wisp of this Withered Wood Meets Spring Qi is a great stroke of fortune.

Eating his fill like today is already a heaven-splashing stroke of fortune.

One cannot ask for more.

Too much leads to overflow; leaving a surplus is best.

He Qiannian laughed as he looked at Li Rui: "You lad, secretly hiding from me that you entered the Primordial Realm."

Li Rui just wanted to speak.

But was interrupted by He Qiannian: "No need to say more, let's leave this place of right and wrong first."

Li Rui nodded.

Just now, while he was absorbing the Withered Wood Meets Spring Qi, He Qiannian hadn't been idle either.

He had been tinkering around nearby.

Clearly, he had already obtained the things he wanted.

He just wanted to respond with a "good."

But his gaze was attracted by a small booklet at hand.

"Since you've come, don't leave. Qi Ying, it seems you still don't have a long memory."

Seeing Blood Shadow Xueying Laozu's appearance, the smile at the corner of Liu Qing's mouth grew wider.

Did he really think he came to the Purple Chai Jingong today to surround and suppress?

Wrong.

Dead wrong.

He had long known the extraordinary nature of this Purple Chai Jingong. To put it bluntly, Blood Shadow Xueying Laozu was just a gatekeeper; the truly tricky one was that Exiled Immortal hidden in the dark.

'It seems He Qiannian has already succeeded.'

Everything today.

Was a trap set by him and He Qiannian together.

He Qiannian confirmed that the Exiled Immortal was not in the Purple Chai Jingong; that was the best time to sneak in.

This battle.

Their goal was actually to figure out the bottom line of the Purple Chai Jingong.

Only then could they deal with it in a targeted manner.

Blood Shadow Xueying Laozu's expression was gloomy.

Liu Qing's appearance didn't surprise him too much.

After all, it was he who deliberately let Song Shi spread the news; naturally, he had made full preparations. Tonight, the Purple Chai Jingong would not be defeated.

But someone dared to spy on the Immortal Venerable; that was absolutely unforgivable!

But just as he turned around, Liu Qing had already stepped forward to block his path.

"Looking for death!"

Blood Shadow Xueying Laozu was instantly furious.

He slapped his large palm toward Liu Qing, stirring up waves of ghostly wails.

Liu Qing was not flustered in the slightest.

The long sword at his waist didn't even leave its scabbard; he only used his fists and palms to fight. No matter how fiercely Blood Shadow Xueying Laozu attacked, he was like a reef in a raging sea, his feet not moving a single bit.

Blood Shadow Xueying Laozu's complexion turned even uglier.

Although both were Second-Rank, the gap between them was not small.

Liu Qing's Second-Rank foundation was deep; he was no match.

Just when the situation was at a stalemate—

Liu Qing, who had only been defending and not attacking, gently pushed a palm forward. It looked like a soft palm, but it caused Blood Shadow Xueying Laozu's figure to retreat violently.

The difference in skill was immediately clear!

Liu Qing narrowed his eyes, looking at the old man who had suddenly appeared.

"That old immortal from the Qi family?"

Only to see.

I don't know when, but behind Blood Shadow Xueying Laozu, there appeared a white-haired, hunched old man whose aura was like an abyss, making it impossible for people to see through.

It was precisely the pillar of the Southern Border Qi Clan.

Liu Qing tapped his feet, his figure floating backward.

"Retreat!"

Following his soft call.

The forty-plus people who were in the middle of the chaotic battle retreated in unison, exiting the Purple Chai Jingong in an orderly fashion and drilling into the Ten Thousand Mountains.

"Hall Master He."

Liu Qing's party, having already retreated to the outskirts of the Purple Chai Jingong, arrived at their previous position.

Li Rui and the others were already waiting.

It was just that compared to when they left, they had gone from five people to six.

The extra one was precisely He Qiannian.

Liu Qing cupped his fists toward He Qiannian.

He Qiannian also cupped his fists in return: "I did not fail the commission; I have already obtained the clues."

Liu Qing nodded with a smile:

"With Hall Master He making a move, I am at ease."

While speaking, he looked nonchalantly at the Purple Chai Jingong not far away.

The people of the Purple Chai Jingong did not chase them out.

"This Purple Chai Jingong is not simple; there are experts from the Ghost Nether Sect, and now even that old immortal from the Qi Clan has made a move. Could it be that the founding ancestor of the Su Xuan Kingdom has been resurrected?"

Liu Qing said with a laugh.

He Qiannian was shocked: "Are you saying that the Qi Clan's old ancestor, Qi Tiannian?"

"Is he also in the Purple Chai Jingong?"

He couldn't help but be shocked.

Qi Tiannian is an expert in the top fifteen of the Martial Rankings and one of the biggest pushers behind the chaos in the Wu Kingdom; his strength is beyond doubt.

Liu Qing nodded casually, not caring in the slightest:

"As long as that old immortal doesn't want to die, he wouldn't dare make a move against us."

"The Marquis has been keeping an eye on him."

He Qiannian was somewhat surprised: "The Marquis has also come?"

Liu Qing shook his head: "He hasn't come. With the Marquis's methods, he doesn't need to come."

He Qiannian deeply agreed.

That matter of the Yu Kingdom's Military Saint slaying a flood dragon from ten thousand miles away hadn't happened long ago; he still had a fresh memory of it.

For a person like Yuan Yuan Dingting, distance is simply not a problem.

To kill someone, he never cares where that person is; as long as he knows, then they are dead.

With Yuan Yuan Dingting's deterrence, the Qi Clan's old ancestor likely won't make a move again.

He Qiannian: "Let's leave here first and talk when we get back."

Liu Qing nodded.

The two immediately led a team of people and left the Ten Thousand Mountains.

Just as the sky was turning bright, everyone returned to Qinghe.

After last night's battle.

Although no one died, there were quite a few heavy injuries.

Li Rui and Cao Wei were responsible for the aftermath.

While Liu Qing, He Qiannian, Nie Nie Siming, and Yuan Xiong went to the General's Mansion to discuss the next steps.

If the Purple Chai Jingong only had ties to the Ghost Nether Sect, it could still be completely uprooted.

But now that it was involved with the Qi Clan, it was much more complicated.

The Southern Border Qi Clan now represents not just a family, but half of the Wu Kingdom; the gap here is too large.

Even the Qi Clan's old ancestor, Qi Tiannian, has made a move.

The matter is no longer something that Qinghe can solve, and it's not even a matter for Yunzhou alone.

It requires the Holy Emperor and several big shots to make a decision.

Of course.

These are not things Li Rui needs to worry about.

"Lord Li, do you think we won't lose our official positions this time?"

Cao Wei was in a very good mood.

Ever since returning from the Purple Chai Jingong, the smile on the corner of his mouth hadn't stopped.

Although they couldn't completely wipe out the Purple Chai Jingong this time, they had obtained a great deal of valuable intelligence. If it weren't for this surprise attack, the Yu Kingdom imperial court would still be kept in the dark.

A great achievement.

As an important participant, he didn't expect a promotion, but he certainly wouldn't be punished.

The imperial court has always been reasonable.

"I suppose... yes."

Li Rui smiled.

He naturally wouldn't tell Cao Wei that even if he hadn't gone, he actually wouldn't have lost his position.

This time.

It was entirely a wasted trip with his head on the line.

After pacifying all those who were injured this time, Li Rui had been busy for a whole day; when he returned home, it was already the second half of the night.

"Master, you're back."

Liu Liu Tiezhu was yawning.

Seeing Li Rui walk through the door, he instantly jolted awake.

"Liu Tiezhu, you don't need to wait for me in the future; just go to sleep yourself."

Li Rui looked at Liu Liu Tiezhu, who was idling in the courtyard, and knew that his disciple was specifically waiting for him.

Liu Liu Tiezhu bared his teeth: "It's nothing anyway. Does Master want a midnight snack? Should I cook a bowl of noodles?"

In the past, this was done by Wang Zhao; now that the little junior brother had gone to the Wu Kingdom, he consciously took over this task.

Li Rui shook his head: "Forget it, save it for tomorrow morning, go to sleep."

It wasn't that he wasn't hungry.

It was mainly that every time his disciple cooked noodles, they were half-cooked; they were truly hard to swallow.

Eating them was worse than not eating.

Liu Liu Tiezhu said "oh," and then obediently returned to his own room.

Li Rui smiled slightly and pushed the door to walk into the main room.

After returning to his room.

He was still savoring the feeling of being nourished by the Withered Wood Meets Spring Qi in the Purple Chai Jingong.

Truly comfortable.

Even now, it left him wanting more.

Withered Wood Meets Spring, Heaven nourishes all things; this Withered Wood Meets Spring Qi is a divine object naturally born of Heaven and Earth. Not only was his Spirit Root improved, but his strength was also increased by at least twenty percent because of it.

Twenty percent for a Primordial Realm martial artist.

That is already extraordinary.

Li Rui collected his thoughts and took a brand-new small booklet from his bosom.

This item was something he had grabbed randomly just before leaving, feeling a sensation in his heart.

I don't know why.

Li Rui felt an unusual sensation toward the small booklet before him for no reason.

Slowly flipping it open, by the moonlight, he clearly saw a line of small characters—"Five Spirits Body Refining Formula."

Just at this moment—

Lines of small characters appeared before his eyes.

【Congratulations to the host for completing the "Becoming an Immortal and Xueying Laozu" achievement, primary plot—Immortal Cultivation Technique.】

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 355 =====