Within Fumin territory, about eight hundred li from the end of Meiling, there lies a region named "Thorny Mountain."
This mountain, true to its name, is covered in a vast layer of thorny bushes, resembling an immense, spiky green carpet that envelops the entire mountain quite tightly.
If that were all, it would hardly deter the diligent humans.
Whether setting fires to burn the mountain or cleaving paths through it, nothing is too difficult once human effort is applied.
Yet, this mountain harbored many oddities, resisting all methods to clear the dense, spiky undergrowth. As the saying goes, "the spring breeze brings them back to life," but the thorns on this mountain seemed as if they were welded in place, impervious to fire and axe. Coupled with the large number of venomous insects and snakes and the absence of any rare or precious resources.
Especially in recent years, it seemed as if some plants and vines on the mountain had gained sentience, with strange occurrences happening frequently.
Gradually, the nearby human villagers began to move away, and the mountain became even wilder. In addition to the thorny woods, conifer and bamboo forests began to proliferate, lush and dense, becoming a veritable wilderness, a paradise for birds, beasts, mountain spirits, and wild monsters.
Until this night, when the starry sky above suddenly trembled.
A streak of starlight dashed from the far distance at an extremely high speed, so fast that the mountain spirits and wild monsters on the mountain remained completely unaware.
The stardust scattered, and Tao Qian's form was directly revealed.
His gaze immediately swept across the area, and with the aid of his soul perception, he could not be deceived by any transcendent entity on the mountain.
"There is some form of Source Qi converging here, which has given rise to many plant spirits. However, from the look of their auras, they are benign and have not mutated or fallen."
"The realms of these creatures are not high; none have cultivated the Basic Method. They merely rely on instinct to absorb and expel Source Qi, possessing a raw and barbaric force. However, should they face someone who has cultivated, they would likely be swiftly slain."
"Hmm, this is the place."
"If only there were Pregnancy Stones, I wouldn't need to search elsewhere for a place of tranquility."
Tao Qian muttered to himself and then his form flickered as he dove deeper into the mountain forest.
At another time, even if it were a temporary retreat, Tao Qian would have set it up properly.
Now, however, the stirrings of Immortal Spirit Qi in his body were becoming almost uncontrollable, so he leaned towards convenience.
He quickly found a secluded valley, carved out a rough cave, and directly cast out arrays like the "Xuan Yin Invisible Sword Array" and other Forbidden Techniques.
Once he was absolutely sure of their effectiveness, he released Little Sui and Lian Jing'er.
Then, he directly instructed them, "This place is secluded and remote, perfect for me to meditate for a few days to make a breakthrough. You two little ones can play around, but do not stray beyond this mountain."
As his words fell, Tao Qian patted both little beings on the head.
He then entered the cave, set the Forbidden Techniques, and prepared to assimilate the great benefits he would gain after surviving the second calamity of the Lingbao.
"Having passed the first calamity at Fragrant Meat Collection, not only has my cultivation greatly increased and I've acquired many new Divine Powers, but I also gained a substantial amount of cultivation resources."
"This second calamity at Meiling seems not as complex as that at Fragrant Meat Collection, but in reality, it is even more perilous. After all, back then, I did not need to face a monster of Qin Wuxiang's caliber."
"With such risk, the benefits ought to be..."
With great anticipation, Tao Qian meditated, his mind flickering briefly.
He closed his eyes, banishing all stray thoughts.
As Tao Qian entered into a state of cultivation, the Immortal Spirit Qi, Spirit Treasure Method, and Innate Dao Seed within him almost surged forward competitively, bursting forth.
Tao Qian's Primordial Spirit sat upright on the spirit platform, reciting the Spirit Treasure Method with Spirit Sound.
As he just began the first word, the Innate Dao Seed leapt out from the crown of his head and struck the Void with a thunderous impact, forcefully opening the Gate of the Great Dao.
The moment the gate opened, Spirit Treasure Source Qi poured forth in torrents that Tao Qian hadn't anticipated, completely engulfing both him and the newly established cave.
Even the Innate Dao Seed showed signs of slight stagnation, seemingly overwhelmed by its transformation.
Fortunately, Tao Qian was entirely concentrated, his mind free from distractions, and the Spirit Treasure Method activated, transforming the powerful torrents of Spirit Treasure Source Qi into serene and naturally Dao-influenced Spirit Treasure Immortal Spirit Qi.
He originally had three hundred sixty-eight strands of Immortal Spirit Qi,, needed to ripen the one hundred eighty Longevity Peach Seeds, consuming half of them.
Under normal circumstances, replenishing this half would take some time.
But now, the replenishment was exceedingly fast, with each sentient strand of Immortal Spirit Qi continuously emerging, quickly filling up.
The number three hundred sixty-eight began to rise again, without any need for counting, just listening to the frequent peals of thunder, he knew his cultivation was surging.
Although cultivating the Spirit Treasure Method didn't provide the addictive pleasure of cultivating the "Immortal Fish Technique," it felt more natural, more harmonious.
Tao Qian immersed himself, no longer concerning himself with external matters.
Letting time flow like water, he forgot both himself and his surroundings, focusing solely on experiencing the Dao Rhyme.
After an indeterminate period, Tao Qian suddenly came to his senses.
This awakening wasn't due to fatigue of the soul; rather, it seemed he naturally awoke after reaching a certain limit.
Before performing Inner Vision, Tao Qian speculated about the level his Immortal Spirit Qi might reach after this session of cultivation.
Maybe four hundred or more strands of Immortal Spirit Qi,, or more boldly, perhaps over five hundred strands?
These speculations completely dissipated after he performed the official Inner Vision.
Sitting in the rough cave, with the light-transformed body of the Innate Dao Seed above him, his body was almost entirely suffused with Spirit Treasure Immortal Spirit Qi.
His body even floated up, surrounded by auspicious clouds, sweet rain, Qingfeng and other auspicious magic, along with the pure and distinct Daoist spiritual sounds playing.
Anyone present would instinctively recognize that this must be a true cultivator from the Daoist tradition deeply engaged in cultivation.
"Nine hundred and ninety-nine strands!"
Tao Qian, after understanding the new number of Immortal Spirit Qi, couldn't help but exclaim,
No wonder he was so astonished; after attending three classes taught by Lin Xiaohua, he had significantly filled the gaps in his knowledge and understanding as a disciple from a major sect.
Thus, Tao Qian was well aware of the speed of his cultivation.
Even within the top sects like Taishang Dao, Spirit Treasure Sect, and Great Freedom Temple in the Cultivation World, his existence was extremely rare.
Particularly now, the amount of Immortal Spirit Qi was frighteningly high.
Tao Qian had not yet been initiated, so he did not know if this was normal, but from the knowledge taught by Lin Xiaohua, it probably was not.
Moreover, from the sparse words in the Spirit Treasure Nine Truths Diagram, Tao Qian faintly realized: normally, a Spirit Treasure Cultivator in the early stage of Qi Refining has only about ten or dozens of streams of Immortal Spirit Qi, the middle stage just over a hundred, and if there are two to three hundred streams, that already indicates one is in the late stage and should start planning for Foundation Establishment.
"I refined nine hundred and ninety-nine streams, is it because of the Innate Dao Seed, or because I've survived the second calamity, or is it both?"
"And, if I were to go out now with a sword and strike others, releasing nine hundred and ninety-nine streams of Selfless Sword Light all at once, how many Foundation Establishment cultivators could I kill?"
His thoughts drifted for a moment, then quickly refocused by Tao Qian.
He had no intention of exiting his meditative cultivation state but decided, after pondering for a moment, to give his all and strive for the Perfection of the Qi Refining Realm.
The reason was simple, aside from the seemingly already maxed-out quantity of Immortal Spirit Qi.
More importantly, based on previous experiences, Spirit Treasure Disciples who had endured calamities, whether it be through opportunities, luck, or other factors, received significant enhancements.
Moreover, with the Innate Dao Seed within him, why not seize the moment to break through the last barrier?
With that thought, Tao Qian closed his eyes again, not to meditate and refine Source Qi this time.
What Tao Qian intended to do was refine a spell.
The sign of a Spirit Treasure Cultivator advancing to the Perfection of the Qi Refining Realm is not the quantity of Immortal Spirit Qi, but the ability to refine a Divine Power Skill called the Spirit Treasure No-leak Body.
He sat down, regulated his breath, and suddenly formed a Dharma Seal with his hands, reciting special mnemonics aloud with Spirit Sound, "Spirit Treasure Origin, Store God and Firm Qi, Nourishing Essence and Protecting Body, Refining Hundred Bones, Wash away the impurities and leave the purity…"
As the mnemonics resonated throughout the cave mansion, immediate changes began within Tao Qian.
Those nine hundred and ninety-nine streams of Spirit Treasure Immortal Spirit Qi vibrated intensely, seemingly coming to life.
They each burst apart and then transformed into billions of tiny light points invisible to the naked eye, instantly merging into Tao Qian's body.
In an instant, every part of Tao Qian's body, in the truest sense of every part, was filled with Immortal Spirit Qi.
Gradually, they began to connect.
During this process, Tao Qian underwent a complete Light Transformation.
It was as if he lacked all flesh, skin, organs, bones…everything, all transformed into Spirit Light.
Turbid qi and filth he had accumulated over time were expelled bit by bit, accompanied by an indescribable, extraordinarily mystical sensation and transformation.
If at this moment an elderly person had reached this stage of cultivation, the scene would likely be unimaginably wondrous. This is the marvel of the Spirit Treasure No-leak Body, which could allow aged individuals to return to youth, rejuvenate appearance, refresh white hair to youthful dark, impart feathers-light body, replace mortal bones, and ascend to the Upper Pure.
Ordinarily, a Spirit Treasure Cultivator could easily succeed with three to five hundred streams of Immortal Spirit Qi in forming a No-leak Body.
Now, Tao Qian was casting it with the nine-extreme number.
He thought he could succeed in one step, but just as those elemental substances of Immortal Spirit were about to connect.
Even Tao Qian hadn't foreseen the complication that suddenly occurred within his body.
Suddenly, he shook uncontrollably, feeling an immense weight in his head, tears streaming down, becoming deaf, teeth falling out, and wrinkles forming.
Before Tao Qian could react, he suddenly felt extremely irritable and began to feel drowsy.
Then, a third symptom overlaid.
This time, Tao Qian began to experience hallucinations of desires, envisioning images of young girls in his mind, followed by appearances of Pan Hongniang and Master Xiao, real and intimate contacts with females emerged, various romantic fantasies threatened to engulf him like a geyser.
Tao Qian let out a cold snort as he struggled to break free from the lustful thoughts.
At that moment, his almost-refined No-leak Body suddenly exhibited a large number of lesions, withering and dying in just a few breaths.
Upon sensing, Tao Qian was shocked to find nine "alien" entities within his body.
These were nine strange insects, like nothing he had ever seen before, seemingly existing inside him from the start.
Regardless of their life force or origins, they were completely integrated with Tao Qian.
This complication threw Tao Qian into a state of bafflement.
However, immediately, a familiar throbbing feeling emerged in his mind, and a bundle of special Records surged forth.
"When a Spirit Treasure Cultivator refines the No-Leak Body, there is an extremely rare chance of triggering a special calamity[Three Corpses and Nine Worms]. If one cannot eradicate these corpse-worms, the cultivation of the No-leak Body fails."
"If one does eradicate them, by misfortune comes fortune, upgrading the No-leak Body to an extremely rare Divine Power Talent…Taishang Treasure No-leak Body!"
"The cost can be waived, the corpse-worms are annihilating."
When Tao Qian finished reading the Record, that indescribable and unimaginable force surged again within his abnormal soul, effortlessly smashing those extremely troublesome Three Corpses and Nine Worms completely into oblivion.
And Tao Qian himself, at that moment, was shivering continuously, as if he had encountered an inexplicable hiccup in his cultivation.
But in reality, at this time, he was fortunate as he silently chanted, "Having refined the Taishang Treasure No-leak Body, henceforth my soul shall be at peace, disasters will not arise, Evil Demons shall subdue, the body shall align with the Dao, achieving eternal freedom from sorrows."
Just as Tao Qian was boasting to himself, unbeknownst to him,
Due to the combination inside him of Nine Extremes Immortal Spirit Qi, Innate Dao Seed, Taishang Treasure No-leak Body, and the intense past second calamity...these elements together finally caused a stir in an incredibly distant place in the Penglai Sea, within an extramundane realm, alerting a little Demon Immortal who was on duty in a palace.
ps: Thanks to the book fan Laker Fan 1 for the alliance reward, an added update is recorded, and there will be more updates later.