Chapter 48

Chuxue was somewhat stunned as she watched the scene unfold. Today, Zongshou and this mutated slime beast had given her too many surprises. So many that her little head could hardly contain them all.

Seeing the current state of Little Jin, it seemed more like a spirit weapon or a talisman soldier than a guardian spirit beast.

The corners of Zongshou's lips curled up slightly, and his fingers trembled lightly. A black talisman knife appeared between his fingers and palm. Not only did cloud patterns flash within the blade, but a gentle breeze also stirred around it, making the aura of the talisman knife even more dangerous and unpredictable.

After putting away the talisman knife, he took out the pine-patterned wind sword. Immediately, a layer of silver-white spread from his palm to the sword, eventually covering the entire blade.

Zongshou smiled slightly, his eyes showing a pleased expression.

Whether it was the ability to devour or the ability to purify, both were Little Jin's innate powers.

The ability to transform into anything was what Little Jin awakened after advancing to the second stage.

At this moment, Little Jin not only made the pine-patterned wind sword more solid but also allowed the spirit veins within its body to function like a natural talisman array, enabling Zongshou to perfectly utilize the wind-controlling ability of the Wind Spirit Green Pearl. If the situation became critical, it could also replace the original wind-storing sphere as the core of the Wind Wall Talisman Array.

However, this ability was still not strong enough at this stage, and could only serve as an auxiliary. It would not fully manifest until the fourth stage.

With a slight thought, Little Jin understood his intention. The silver-white covering his arm immediately contracted and retracted back into his sleeve.

At this moment, Zongshou suddenly felt a foul smell enter his nose. He looked down and saw that his clothes were already soaked through, especially on his chest and abdomen, where a layer of black mud-like substance had seeped out, emitting a pungent odor.

Zongshou's brows furrowed slightly, then he smiled, glancing at Chuxue with a mischievous look.

Calculating the time, it was about the right moment for a medicinal bath. Conveniently, he was so exhausted that he couldn't even move a finger.

※※※※

For the next few days, Zongshou did not use the technique of devouring essence. Every day, he practiced the Fetal Breath Spirit Fist without fail, at least 48 times, no less. He also practiced the guiding technique, at least 30 times. Even his sword practice was reduced.

While solidifying his foundation, he also used this set of fist techniques to gradually control the surging true qi within his body.

During his occasional meditations, he focused all his efforts on consolidating the three wheel meridians of the fetal breath, occasionally opening one or two extraordinary points to store true energy. This brought the number of usable extraordinary points in his body to 20, mostly belonging to the water and wind elements.

By around midnight, he would use the Heavenly Mirror Soul Reflection technique to gather moonlight, continuously burning his soul.

The number of copper mirrors had increased to 16, and their surfaces had been polished to be even smoother. The heat of the gathered solar essence fire had also increased by three times!

"The soul observation that spirit masters speak of is the act of examining one's own soul and intentions, or visualizing them, to constantly grasp the changes in one's soul. Like the previous practice of stabilizing the mind, it is not only a practice for the initial stages of a spirit master but also a daily task even at the True Action realm. It has some similarities with the self-awareness of martial artists—"

Perhaps because of his deep immersion in martial cultivation in his previous life, even though Zongshou was now a spirit master at the soul observation stage and a dual cultivator of spirit and martial arts, his mindset had not changed. He still regarded himself as a martial master.

In his previous life, he had already crossed the threshold of the Immortal Martial realm in the game. In reality, he had also, with average talent, forcefully entered the Celestial Rank during the era of the extinction of the spirit tide.

Since all methods have the same origin, even though Zongshou had always followed the path of a martial artist, his cultivation in soul energy was also highly beneficial.

In just a few short days, the process of soul observation had made significant progress. Apart from the still insufficient accumulation of soul energy, he had already roughly grasped the structure of his soul.

Truly speaking, his spirit master cultivation could be considered to have entered the middle to late stages of the soul observation realm.

Spirit master cultivation is like this, emphasizing insight and talent. As long as each step is thoroughly understood and executed, the realm can be instantly elevated, reaching new heights.

Zongshou remembered that in the era of the Divine Emperor, the fastest spirit master cultivator had advanced from the initial mind-stabilizing realm to the Yang Restoration realm in just one year.

Unlike martial cultivation, which requires step-by-step accumulation and gradual progression.

In comparison, his current cultivation speed could only be considered average. The only thing that made him slightly proud was that over these few days, under the Heavenly Mirror Soul Reflection technique and the Twelve Heavenly Talismans, his soul had returned to a pure state.

The fluctuations in soul energy caused by the forced expansion of the soul sea seemed to be calming down.

"If I can maintain this purity, the fifth realm of spirit master, Night Roaming, might be skipped directly, and I could enter the sixth realm, Yang Restoration—"

Thinking this, Zongshou stopped meditating. When he opened his eyes, the first rays of sunlight were already shining through the window.

Although his dual-meridian body made him physically weak, even with his cultivation at the martial master realm, there was little improvement.

Only his mental state was more abundant. Meditating for three hours this night was better than a full night's sleep, and all his fatigue was gone.

However, as soon as he woke up, a strong sense of hunger suddenly hit him. His stomach even made a 'gurgling' sound.

Zongshou couldn't help but smile. The direct effect of consolidating the fetal breath and opening the marrow wheel was to greatly increase his appetite.

His daily food intake had tripled. This also indicated that his physical condition was improving and that he needed more energy. Therefore, there was no need to worry, but rather, it was something to be happy about.

"After running continuously for seven days in this Black Mud Swamp, it's time to stop and rest. I remember that the most delicious thing here is the Black Mud Swamp Crocodile. Legend has it that this crocodile not only has the most delicious meat but also provides many benefits for martial artists in bone strengthening and tendon training. I can ask Uncle Yin to catch one nearby—"

Thinking this, Zongshou frowned. The dangerous feeling he had felt earlier had neither increased nor decreased over the past few days. It was like a bone-deep sore that couldn't be shaken off.

This made him start to doubt whether the sense of danger was just his own illusion.

Suddenly, the carriage gave a slight, almost imperceptible shake, then slowed down slightly. Zongshou raised an eyebrow and then sneered.

After waiting for so long, they finally came—

His figure flickered, and he was already out of the carriage, at the front of the Cloud-Flipping Cart. He saw that Yin Yang and Chuxue both had furrowed brows, looking to the right.

Following their gaze, Zongshou focused and saw that about a thousand feet to the right, a pack of wolves was running in a frenzy.

At the forefront were five Cloud-Treading Horses fleeing towards the Cloud-Flipping Cart. Four men and one woman were riding them, all dressed as martial artists, but they all looked panicked.

As for the woman, Zongshou was momentarily stunned by just one glance. Her appearance was like a lotus blooming, exquisitely beautiful, and her charm was unparalleled.

Even in the midst of fleeing for her life, she still exuded a captivating aura, evoking deep sympathy. Her gaze was filled with tears, and she looked pleadingly, making one want to risk their own life to help her.

However, Zongshou only remained stunned for a moment before shaking his head. "Ignore them, speed up and go around!"

Xue'er's expression showed a moment of hesitation, but she ultimately prioritized Zongshou's safety and remained silent.

Yin Yang, however, looked stern and swung the whip again, drawing a sharp crack in the air above the 18 Cloud-Treading Horses, causing the Cloud-Flipping Cart to suddenly accelerate!