42: Chapter 42 Studying Ancient Formations, Refining Poria Cocos, and Fuding Star Iron into Space

Ye Qing rode fast all the way until dawn, deep into a remote valley filled with miasma.

He found a natural stone crevice completely covered by vines, crawled inside, disguised the entrance with rubble and vines, set up a simple warning Restriction, and only then did he relax a little.

The gains from the Secret Market were significant and needed to be digested as soon as possible to avoid complications.

He first took out the dark yellow ancient Formation fragment, pressed it to his forehead, and sank his Divine Sense into it.

The information within the Jade Slip was fragmented and chaotic, with a large number of runes and structural diagrams missing or blurred, but it could still be discerned that what was recorded was indeed a part of a huge, complex ancient Formation structure far beyond his current understanding.

The core was exactly those twisted "Void positioning" runes, consistent with the remaining diagram. Surrounding it were a large number of profound Formation patterns involving spatial stabilization, energy transmission, and coordinate anchoring. Many concepts faintly connected with what he had realized from the "void wind seed" and Space itself, but were more systematic and profound.

"This Formation... is by no means an ordinary teleportation array. Looking at its structure, it does not seem to be a point-to-point teleportation, but rather possesses some embryonic form of 'Void Realm traversal' or 'inter-realm travel'? But it is too incomplete; the key energy core, coordinate locking, and protective parts are all missing. Even so, the spatial Formation concepts contained within have already opened my eyes."

Ye Qing felt as if he had obtained a treasure. He immersed himself in it, repeatedly pondering the intact rune structures and spiritual power flow routes, verifying them against his own knowledge. Many doubts he had when setting up Formations previously were suddenly cleared, and his understanding of the true meaning of Formation Dao such as "Void Realm," "positioning," and "stabilization" rapidly improved.

He could not repair or set up this Formation for the time being, but this knowledge had inestimable value for him to perfect his own Formation attainments, optimize the "Yinling Protective Formation," and even truly come into contact with the ancient teleportation array in the future.

Remembering the content of the fragment firmly, he carefully put it away. This item was of great importance and must not be easily shown to others.

Next, he took out the five-hundred-year-old "geocentric poria."

This object was shaped like a silkworm, earthy yellow all over, heavy in his hand, and exuded rich Earth-attribute Spiritual Qi and calm, heavy vitality. It was a top-grade Spirit Medicine for consolidating the Foundation, strengthening the internal organs, and nourishing the Meridians, especially effective for Body Refining.

Ye Qing did not consume it directly. Consuming such Spirit Medicine directly would waste its medicinal power, and the Earth-attribute spiritual power contained within it was too vast and needed to be properly guided.

After contemplating for a moment, he had an idea.

He placed the geocentric poria in his palm and communicated with the Space within his body.

The Space emitted a gentle suction force, not to absorb it, but to separate a wisp of pure, life-filled Origin energy and slowly inject it into the poria.

At the same time, Ye Qing circulated his own spiritual power, simulating the heaviness of the "Earth element" and the vitality of the "Wood element," like a slow fire, gently roasting and guiding it.

Under the dual action of the spatial energy and his own spiritual power, the surface of the geocentric poria glowed with a warm yellow light. Wisps of pure, heavy, yet gentle and easy-to-absorb Earth-attribute medicinal power and life essence were slowly extracted, turning into wisps of earthy yellow mist, lingering around the poria.

Ye Qing opened his mouth and slowly inhaled a wisp.

The mist entered his body and instantly turned into a warm current, dispersing into his limbs and bones. It was not as violent as ordinary medicinal power, but as heavy and gentle as the earth, slowly penetrating and nourishing every inch of his flesh, muscles, bones, internal organs, and Meridians.

He felt as if he had turned into the earth, carrying all things, heavy and boundless. His blood flowed more powerfully, his muscles and bones made a low roar, and his internal organs were nourished until they were warm and full of vitality. His Meridians were also slowly widened and reinforced under the nourishment of this heavy and gentle medicinal power, becoming more resilient.

"What pure and gentle medicinal power! Using spatial energy to assist in extraction really can retain the medicinal properties to the greatest extent and reduce the difficulty and risk of refining."

Ye Qing was happy in his heart and continued to slowly absorb and refine it.

For three full days, he did not step out of the house, wholeheartedly refining this geocentric poria.

When the last wisp of mist was absorbed and the geocentric poria turned into a small pile of lifeless ashes, Ye Qing's Physical Body had undergone a reborn change.

His blood was as vigorous as a Dragon, with the sound of wind and thunder faintly heard as it surged. His muscles and bones were as hard as iron, yet full of elasticity. His skin was tight, glowing with a healthy pale yellow luster, difficult to be injured by ordinary swords. His internal organs were full of vitality, and his recovery ability was greatly increased. His Meridians were wide and tough, enough to carry a more surging flow of spiritual power.

Although he had not specifically Cultivated advanced Body Refining Cultivation Techniques, based solely on this Physical Body Foundation, which had been repeatedly nourished and solidified by the geocentric poria and spatial energy, its strength, power, endurance, and recovery ability were completely not inferior to Body Cultivators of the same rank, and even exceeded them.

"Essence, Qi, and Spirit, the physique is the Foundation. Now that the Physical Body Foundation is extremely solid, there is a greater chance for future Foundation Establishment."

Ye Qing moved his muscles and bones, feeling that his whole body was full of explosive power, and his control over spiritual power was also more handy due to the strengthening of his Meridians.

He nodded with satisfaction and cast his gaze on that piece of "starfall iron."

The fist-sized starfall iron was pitch black, but its surface was covered with fine silver light spots, as if a starry sky was condensed within it, exuding cold, mysterious, and pure star power and spatial fluctuations.

This item was too high-level for him now. Whether it was Artifact Refining or setting up Formations, it was not something his current cultivation could handle.

But Space needed it.

Ye Qing could clearly feel that the Space within his body was sending a strong palpitation of near "hunger" for this piece of starfall iron.

He no longer hesitated, gripped the starfall iron, and communicated with the Space with his mind.

Hum!

The Space emitted an unprecedented, active suction force!

The starfall iron trembled slightly, the silver light spots on its surface suddenly lit up, and the entire Ore turned into a flowing river of stars, submerged into Ye Qing's palm, and disappeared.

The next moment, it had appeared in the center of the sixty-zhang Space, suspended between the moonlight jade tree and the "void wind seed."

The moonlight jade tree shone with silver brilliance, and the spatial spirals on the surface of the "void wind seed" rotated crazily. The entire Space was trembling slightly, emitting a joyful resonance.

The starfall iron rotated slowly, and wisps of pure, cold power containing star mysteries and spatial Origin were slowly extracted and integrated into the Space.

The gray mist at the edge of the Space churned violently again, crazily expanding outwards!

Seventy zhang... seventy-five zhang... eighty zhang!

It continued to expand until it was close to eighty-five zhang in radius, and the expansion trend slowly slowed down!

The central black soil surged accordingly, already twenty-five or twenty-six zhang square! The soil glowed with jade luster, the spiritual mist was thick enough to drip, and faint star light spots flickered. The moonlight jade tree absorbed the star power, and its silver brilliance even contained dots of starlight, making it even more miraculous. The three moon essence fruits glowed, their vitality surging, seemingly one step closer to maturity.

That "void wind seed," under the nourishment of star power, had its surface spiral rotation speed increased, the micro-storm inside became more solid, and the spatial and wind fluctuations it emitted were more than a notch stronger.

What surprised Ye Qing even more was that at the edge of the Space, the "Void Turbulence Zone," which was originally only a zhang or so in radius, had now expanded to about three zhang! And the turbulence was more obvious, with faint, small, silver spatial cracks flashing and disappearing, emitting a heart-palpitating tearing sensation. Although it was still weak and unstable, it undoubtedly represented that the spatial rules were more perfect, taking a solid step toward evolving to a higher level.

The fed-back energy, like a galaxy pouring backward, was vast, pure, and carried the depth of the stars and the mystery of Space, rushing madly into Ye Qing's body.

The barrier of the Late Stage of the Qi Refining Seventh Layer was broken instantly.

His cultivation stepped into the Qi Refining 8th Stage!

The Qi Sea expanded again, the total amount and purity of spiritual power skyrocketed, viscous like paste, with wind and thunder faintly following as it flowed, dotted with stars. The rotation of the Five Elements was more rounded and free, his perception of spatial fluctuations was strengthened several times, his Divine Sense skyrocketed, and his perception range broke through twenty zhang, condensed like substance.

His Physical Body received extra tempering from the star power. Although he did not specifically refine his body, his muscles, bones, and skin faintly glowed with a starlight-like shimmer, becoming tougher, and his affinity for Void power also increased a little.

Ye Qing slowly opened his eyes, his eyes seemed to have stars disillusioning, Void generating electricity, and then quickly converged.

Qi Refining 8th Stage, achieved!

The Foundation was still flawless, and because of the nourishment of star power and spatial Origin, the accumulation was deeper, carrying a trace of the unique aura of stars and the Void.

Inside his body, the eighty-five zhang Space operated steadily, moonlight flowed, starlight dotted, wind swirls were faint, the Void Turbulence Zone rotated slowly, full of vitality and Dao rhyme.

This time, the improvement in strength was more comprehensive and deeper into the Origin.

On the road of steady development, the efficiency of resource conversion had already entered the hall.