Chapter 431: What Else?

Deep in the Fuyun Mountain Range, in a cave located underground.

Song Qingming, dressed in green, was sitting calmly on a round stone, eyes closed in meditation, with rays of green and red light occasionally flashing on his body.

Before long, a woman draped in red entered the cave with two giant birds, each over a person tall.

Seeing Song Qingming sitting on the stone, still motionless as before, one of the gray giant birds suddenly spoke: "Your Highness, this kid's cultivation talent is truly not very good. It's been so long, and it seems he still hasn't fully absorbed the medicinal power of the Red-Green Fruit. I estimate that his hope of Core Formation this time should not be very high."

"Humph! If this kid really fails and wastes the Red-Green Fruit that Your Highness obtained with such effort, I will throw him directly outside to feed those wild wolves." The one speaking was the other giant bird, which was green.

"Looking at him, he should be able to finish refining it in a few more days. Let's go first!"

The red-clad woman standing in front of the two giant birds looked at Song Qingming carefully, said a word softly, and then left the cave with the two giant birds.

Two months ago, Song Qingming, having prepared everything, had quietly left Mount Funiu and ventured deep into the Fuyun Mountain Range to come to the Fire Phoenix, preparing to go into seclusion here for Core Formation.

The reason he planned to attempt Core Formation at the Fire Phoenix's place was, on one hand, because the spirit vein where the Fire Phoenix and her companions resided was not of a low grade and was completely sufficient for an ordinary cultivator to use for Core Formation. On the other hand, it was also because the Fire Phoenix had promised Song Qingming that she would help him when he attempted Core Formation.

After Song Qingming arrived here this time and stated that he was going to attempt Core Formation, the Fire Phoenix truly did not deceive him and directly handed him a green spirit fruit of no low grade. It was precisely the Red-Green Fruit that Song Qingming was currently refining.

According to the Fire Phoenix, this Red-Green Fruit is a very rare third-tier mid-quality spirit fruit that can help cultivators strengthen and improve their dantian. Whether for demon beasts or human cultivators, it has a very good auxiliary effect during Core Formation after refining.

As long as he can fully refine this spirit fruit, Song Qingming's probability of success in Core Formation will increase by at least twenty percent. However, this is only the most ideal state imagined by everyone.

Under normal circumstances, the physical body of a human cultivator is very difficult to be as powerful as a demon beast of the same tier. For a high-tier spirit fruit like the Red-Green Fruit that grows naturally, Song Qingming's direct consumption is certainly not as effective as the direct swallowing by demon beasts like Long Feng.

Not long after taking the Red-Green Fruit, Song Qingming felt a large surge of powerful spiritual power appear in his body, constantly rushing toward several meridians and spirit acupoints around his dantian.

Because the spiritual power obtained after refining the Red-Green Fruit was very powerful, it soon began to run wild around Song Qingming's dantian, bringing him unbearable pain. Song Qingming relied on his own powerful perseverance to persist.

Two months passed quickly in this seclusion. Although Song Qingming tried hard to refine most of the spiritual power in the Red-Green Fruit, there was still quite a bit of spiritual energy that Song Qingming didn't have time to absorb and refine, and it slowly flowed away from his body.

However, this was something that couldn't be helped. Humans are not as physically strong as demon beasts, especially when low-tier cultivators refine high-tier spirit items. Facing the massive spiritual power that suddenly appears in the body, it is very difficult to fully refine and absorb it.

Many times, human cultivators choose to borrow the power of alchemists to refine these spirit items into elixirs with milder spiritual power. Only by taking them this way can they fully absorb the spiritual power contained in these spirit items and maximize their effects.

Although Song Qingming spent more time refining this fruit than ordinary demon beasts, he did indeed rely on the spiritual power obtained from the Red-Green Fruit to successfully strengthen his dantian, laying a certain foundation for his subsequent Core Formation.

Three days later, the Fire Phoenix, who was lying in her cave dwelling tasting delicious spirit wine, suddenly seemed to feel something. Her originally somewhat lazy expression changed slightly and immediately became serious.

Soon, as the Fire Phoenix waved her jade hand gently, the spirit wine and wine cups on the table suddenly disappeared, all collected into a golden jade bracelet on her hand, and then she slowly stood up and left the cave dwelling.

Song Qingming had been in seclusion for two months this time. Just as he walked out and wanted to go to the outer hall to walk around, he didn't expect to run into the Fire Phoenix walking toward him as soon as he got outside.

"Although it was a bit slow, you did refine quite a bit of the Red-Green Fruit's spiritual power. With your talent, it can already be considered not bad."

Song Qingming smiled somewhat awkwardly, cupped his hands, and saluted: "Thank you, Your Highness, for bestowing the spirit item. If I can succeed in Core Formation in the future, I will definitely not forget Your Highness's great kindness."

"Humph! Less of this human set. Giving you this is also because I promised you before. But that's all I can do to help you. As for whether you can succeed in Core Formation, that is not something I have a way to decide."

Having known the Fire Phoenix for so many years, Song Qingming naturally knew her temper. This eldest miss of the Demon Emperor, although her temper is a bit strange, as long as what she says, no matter how long it has been, can basically be fulfilled. As long as he is still of some use to her, Song Qingming basically doesn't have to worry about her killing the donkey after the millstone is done.

"Your Highness! I plan to go into seclusion for Core Formation next, but before that, I want to ask you for one more spirit item, hoping you can fulfill it."

"What thing? Tell me and see!"

Song Qingming looked at the Fire Phoenix's expression and saw it was still calm, so he paused and said softly: "I have obtained some Millennium Spirit Milk here at Your Highness's place before, but it has been almost used up over these years. I wonder if Your Highness can bestow some more."

"Hmm... what else?" After the Fire Phoenix heard Song Qingming finish speaking, she narrowed her eyes and asked another question.

"Nothing else. I only need some Millennium Spirit Milk; I have prepared everything else myself." Seeing the Fire Phoenix's gaze fixed on him, Song Qingming explained somewhat puzzledly.

Hearing Song Qingming say this, the Fire Phoenix frowned slightly and said sternly: "I never promised to give you this before. You come to me to ask for things—do you intend to just reach out and ask for them for nothing?"

"This... Your Highness, please don't be angry. It is my dullness. I came in a hurry this time and brought fewer things. Please forgive me. Your Highness, just say whatever else you want. As long as I have a way to take it out, it is all fine."

Coming to the Fire Phoenix this time, Song Qingming also knew he was asking for help. In order to please the Fire Phoenix and Long Feng and the others, Song Qingming had also spent a lot of effort and spirit stones to prepare many things they liked. However, he had already taken them all out when he came, and now he had no spirit items on him that could move them.

"If I had known, I shouldn't have taken everything out at the beginning." After the Fire Phoenix's reminder, Song Qingming cursed himself secretly in his heart.

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 432 =====