Chapter 47: Spiritual-Grade Spirit Root

Upon arriving on the island, Qingxi gazed curiously at the scenery along the roadside and soon stood before the cluster of buildings at the foot of the mountain. He looked up, his eyes landing on the three bold characters inscribed above the entrance gate.

Volcano Hall.

Those three words sparked a sense of familiarity within him, as if recalling a grand food court he had seen in his previous life, teeming with all sorts of delicacies.

The thought nearly made him drool, and with mounting anticipation, he strode toward the entrance.

“Halt! Who goes there?”

Two golden spears crossed in his path. Focusing his gaze, Qingxi saw two young armored guards standing resolutely before the gate.

“I’m not allowed in?” Qingxi asked, looking at them.

“This evening, Volcano Hall is hosting the Eastern Domain Heroes’ Gathering. No unauthorized individuals may enter,” one guard explained. His tone was cold but not overbearing, which left Qingxi with a favorable impression of the Water Immortal Sect.

“I’m here to participate in the Heroes’ Gathering,” Qingxi replied, startling both guards, who widened their eyes in surprise.

“Young man, you must be joking. To take part in the Heroes’ Gathering, you need at least the twentieth level of Qi Refinement. It’s not that we look down on you, but at your age, it’s unlikely you’ve reached that stage,” the guard said, shaking his head, though he made no move to drive Qingxi away.

Among the four great sects of the Eastern Domain, the Crimson Flame Sect and the Spirit Origin Sect were near rivals; the Pleasure Sect was allied with Crimson Flame, and together they seemed poised to confront the Spirit Origin Sect. Yet outright conflict was always averted thanks to the neutrality of the Water Immortal Sect.

The Water Immortal Sect’s enterprises spanned far and wide, and the scent of commerce permeated their dealings, making their members generally amiable in manner. In any other place, he would likely have been turned away already.

Seeing that the guards’ attitude was reasonable and that no one else was around, Qingxi produced the deep blue ancient token given to him by Ouyang Changfeng and said, “This is my proof.”

“A Blue Grade Token!”

The two guards started in surprise, accepted the token for inspection, and upon confirming its authenticity, returned it with utmost respect. “So you are the descendant of a distinguished guest—please, enter!”

One guard remained at his post while the other led Qingxi into Volcano Hall, arranging accommodations for him and explaining some important rules.

Learning that the Heroes’ Gathering would not begin for more than half a day, Qingxi began to consider how he might enter the volcano to convert the energies of metal and fire elements.

He sought out a sweet-faced maid and inquired about this. She explained that during normal times, the volcano island was always open to the public, and many alchemists came to harness the intense terrestrial flames for their craft. By paying a certain fee, one could enter a private chamber built within the volcano.

“What, you have to pay? What if I just show my face?” Qingxi asked, bemusing the maid with his odd question.

“Forgive me, honored guest, but I do not understand your meaning. If you wish to enter a volcano chamber, a fee must be paid…” Her words trailed off as she saw Qingxi produce the Blue Grade Token.

“A Blue Grade Token!” Her almond-shaped eyes widened in astonishment. “So you are a true honored guest. With this token, you may select any volcano chamber you wish, except for those classified as Heaven Grade, all free of charge.”

Qingxi happily pocketed the token, marveling at how useful Ouyang Changfeng’s gift had proven to be.

Guided by the maid, he passed through a tunnel into a scorching, secluded chamber. As the gate opened, a torrent of searing terrestrial fire erupted forth, and the dense fire and metal energies in the air left Qingxi thoroughly satisfied.

“Ding! You have obtained a wisp of metal elemental essence.”

“Ding! You have obtained a wisp of fire elemental essence.”

…

Despite the stifling heat, which soon drenched him in sweat, the steady gains of metal and fire essence made the ordeal a pleasure amidst the pain.

“Ding! The five elemental essences have reached the threshold for spirit root advancement. Would you like to proceed?”

Upon hearing the system prompt, Qingxi surveyed his surroundings. The chamber, apart from being uncomfortably hot, was perfectly sealed—an ideal place for advancement.

“Advance!” he declared.

No sooner had he spoken than, within his system space, a thousand wisps from each of the five elements—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—surged into his body, spreading through his limbs and bones, initiating the transformation.

A wave of refreshing coolness swept over him, akin to gulping ice water on a scorching summer day. In Qingxi’s own words, at that moment he felt as if he had ascended to immortality.

Simultaneously, vast energies poured into his dantian, causing his sea of Qi to expand threefold, his reserves doubling in an instant. Strength coursed through his body; where once a single punch might fell an ox, now perhaps it could bring down two.

“Ding! Congratulations, host. You have taken a great leap forward: your spirit root has advanced to the Spirit Grade, and your cultivation has broken through to the thirty-third level of Qi Refinement.”

The system’s notification caught Qingxi’s attention. He quickly checked himself and found that his cultivation had indeed surged three levels in succession, reaching the thirty-third—commonly known as the peak of Qi Refinement.

The next step would be the critical condensation of true Qi. Once accomplished, he would step into the realm of Innate cultivation.

With his former trash-grade spirit root, this would have been an arduous trial. But now, with his spirit root elevated to Spirit Grade, the difficulty was much reduced.

More importantly, the dual advancement of both spirit root and cultivation now qualified him to vie for supremacy at the Eastern Domain Heroes’ Gathering.

However, seeing the thick, black, viscous liquid coating his body after the marrow cleansing, Qingxi wrinkled his nose and continued to absorb the abundant fire and metal energies present.

When he could endure the stench no longer, he dashed out, rushing to the riverbank. Under the astonished gaze of an elderly fisherman, he leapt into the river.

Washing in the cool water was a delight. As Qingxi spat a mouthful of water and looked up, his expression froze.

On the bank, the old man was staring at him, their eyes meeting.

Sensing reproach in the elder’s gaze, Qingxi noticed the fishing rod in his hands and realized he had disturbed the man’s peaceful angling.

“Sir, I’m sorry. I was just in a hurry to cleanse myself and—”

Before he could finish, the elder exclaimed with excitement, “Did you just climb out of a latrine?”

Qingxi was stunned, feeling the old man’s inexplicable delight.

“I fell into a latrine? Why would that make him so happy… No, no, I didn’t fall into a latrine!” Qingxi shook his wet hair and swam toward the shore, only to see the elder toss aside his rod and grab him by the collar, hauling him out onto land.

“Thank you, senior. Sorry for the disturbance—I’ll be on my way,” Qingxi said, realizing he was now clean and eager to leave.

“Wait!”

The elder’s hand shot out; before Qingxi could react, it pressed down on his shoulder like a mountain, rendering him immobile.

Alarmed, Qingxi turned to assess the man’s information.

[Species: Human]
[Name: Hong Jiu]
[Spirit Root: Quasi-Spirit Grade]
[Cultivation: Mid-Innate Stage, Peak]
[Age: 126]
[Note: This man is one of the ten inner elders of the Water Immortal Sect and has served as island master of Volcano Island for thirty years. His cultivation is profound, with a sharp sword aura within. He is a sword master on par with Ouyang Changfeng.]
[System Alert: There is a 99% probability that Hong Jiu knows Ouyang Changfeng. Please respond accordingly.]