Mythical Cultivation

Chapter 210 8th Level of Qi Refining

By this point, Yin Muchen had already arranged all the details of the operation, and he no longer needed to worry about the follow-up matters. However, he knew that the smooth implementation and complete success of this plan depended on the elders' concerted efforts and the fulfillment of their respective responsibilities. If he had to do everything himself, how would he have time to cultivate? What would be the point of holding the position of Sect Leader?

"Follow the Master's orders!" Following a resounding, uniform response, the ten elders rose to their feet, speaking in unison. Although each of them had already accepted their respective missions, their expressions varied. Some beamed with anticipation, while others frowned, their faces etched with worry. The Second, Sixth, and Seventh Elders, in particular, wore expressions of profound worry as they slowly left the hall.

It turned out that, while previously handling the Zhang Tianming incident, the three of them had inadvertently revealed some unforeseen concerns. Because of this, they were assigned an extremely difficult border mission this time: preventing the Netherworld Sect from infiltrating Qingjiang County. This mission seemed simple and straightforward, but in reality, it was fraught with difficulties.

You know, although two of the ten elders had previously been responsible for overall coordination, their sole responsibility was to maintain a stable presence at the border, relay important messages promptly, and offer assistance in times of crisis. However, this time, the three of them were tasked with ensuring, at all costs, that no member of the Netherworld Sect could even set foot in Qingjiang County, thereby preventing the Qingyun Sect's operational plans within the county from being leaked. By comparison, this mission was clearly many times more difficult than their previous missions. It was no wonder these three elders, unlike the others, appeared so distressed.

However, the tasks of the other elders were relatively easy. After all, the six major forces were nothing compared to the Netherworld Sect. Having their ten elders take action, assisted by a group of ordinary elders, was simply giving them contribution points.

After a long and arduous period of closed-door training, Wu Ming slowly opened his eyes, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "I've finally broken through to the eighth level of Qi Refining! Judging from my current progress, it seems that I really have a good chance of successfully reaching the ninth level of Qi Refining before the outer sect competition."

He then closed his eyes and looked inward at his Dantian. He saw eight cyclones of equal size, neatly arranged, moving in an orderly fashion within his Dantian, constantly drawing in and out the rich vital energy surrounding him. These cyclones were like sophisticated machines, rapidly refining the vital energy they absorbed and transforming it into his own spiritual power.

This retreat lasted over half a month, during which Wu Ming devoted almost all his energy to cultivation. Of course, in addition to diligent practice, he occasionally found time to refine talismans. Through continuous practice and exploration, his success rate in refining first-level advanced talismans has now increased to 50%. With continued effort, once the success rate stabilizes at around 70%, he can begin to attempt to refine second-level talismans. This thought filled Wu Ming with anticipation. If he could truly refine a second-level talisman, especially one as practical as the Earth Escape Talisman, it would provide him with an added layer of protection in the future, whether facing danger or carrying out missions.

Just as Wu Ming packed up his things and prepared to leave his room to stretch his muscles, he suddenly felt a slight vibration in his storage bag. With a sudden thought, he pulled out the communication jade talisman from the bag and checked it, only to discover that several unread messages were quietly waiting for him. Curious, Wu Ming opened them one by one, and the first one that caught his eye was from his good friend Zhao Xiaohai. Zhao Xiaohai had wanted to invite him to complete a mission together, but after learning that he was in seclusion and would not be able to leave for the time being, he had to set off ahead with Huang Hao and a few others.

Scrolling down, he saw the second message, from Wang Xiaohu. Wang Xiaohu enthusiastically invited him to find a time to get together, as they hadn't seen each other in over a month. Seeing these two messages, filled with concern and friendship, Wu Ming smiled with relief. Although the path of cultivation was long and arduous, he was fortunate to have such a group of like-minded friends by his side, making the journey less lonely.

Wu Ming happened to have some letters from Wang Xiaohu and the others at that moment. Thinking he should give them to them, he immediately sent a message to summon Wang Xiaohu and the others.

Time passed quietly, and after about an incense stick of time, Li Fei, Wang Xiaohu and Ishikawa hurried to Wu Ming's residence.

As soon as he entered the room, the impatient Wang Xiaohu couldn't wait to ask, "Brother Ming, did you gain anything from your expedition to that secret realm this time?"

Wu Ming shook his head slightly and said lightly: "There are not many significant results. The secret realm is vast and we have not yet set foot in many areas. Moreover, it is extremely dangerous. We are lucky to be able to return safely." Then, he briefly recounted the various hardships and dangers he had experienced in the Qingmu Secret Realm.

Hearing this, Wang Xiaohu couldn't help but exclaimed in amazement: "It's such a dangerous place! No wonder the sect only allows disciples in the late stage of Qi Refining to participate." There was a hint of fear and relief in his words.

At this time, Li Fei, who had been silent all the time, also interrupted: "I heard rumors that dozens of outer disciples who went out this time have not been able to return. Is this true?" His expression was solemn, and his eyes were fixed on Wu Ming, as if he wanted to get a definite answer from him.

"That's true, but compared with those other forces, they lost nearly half of their disciples, which is already quite good. You know, the situation of those independent cultivators is much more miserable, and their death rate is even as high as nearly half!" Wu Ming said solemnly.

However, at this point, he was unaware of what would happen next—a fierce battle between several Jindan-stage cultivators, the overwhelming force of which directly affected the numerous independent cultivators who remained present. In fact, nearly 90% of these cultivators tragically perished, their souls scattered.

Hearing this shocking data, Wang Xiaohu couldn't help but shudder, and said with lingering fear: "Oh my God! Such a high death rate? Fortunately, we chose not to go, otherwise we would not have been spared. No wonder the sect only allows disciples in the late stage of Qi Refining to participate!"