Chapter 996: Chapter 428: Gaining the Ten-Thousand-Year Spiritual Marrow Jade; Accompanying Innate Spiritual Liquid (3)

Although his lifespan is long, who would dislike a longer life?

The advancement of cultivation is even more fundamental.

Xu Ping did not rush to take it but spent a good half month meditating and adjusting his breath, bringing his state to its most perfect peak.

His mana was full and harmonious, his divine sense was clear and transparent, his vital energy surged like mercury, and his whole person was in the best state for absorption and refinement.

On this day, feeling the time had come, Xu Ping did not hesitate any longer. He pulled out the cork and swallowed the cool, transparent innate spiritual liquid in one gulp.

The spiritual liquid entered his stomach, not bringing a burning sensation but instead dispersing like eternal profound ice, an extreme coldness sweeping through his limbs and bones as if to freeze his blood and meridians.

But immediately after, an indescribable, exceedingly pure life energy erupted from that coldness, like a frozen volcano suddenly bursting forth.

Xu Ping immediately circulated his main cultivation technique, guiding this tremendous energy along specific meridian routes through his body.

The spiritual qi of heaven and earth within his cave mansion was drawn in, madly gathering towards him, even forming a small spiritual vortex above his head.

The refining process lasted for a full two months.

During this period, Xu Ping was enveloped in dense spiritual qi, nearly turned into liquid form.

The mana in his body, washed and supplemented by the innate spiritual liquid, continuously became more refined and powerful, and his nascent soul seemed to become more solidified, emitting an even more brilliant luster.

"Hoo!"

On this day, Xu Ping abruptly opened his eyes, a brilliant light like lightning flashing within.

A powerful aura uncontrollably spread out, instantly dispersing the spiritual liquid droplets gathered around him into mist.

"The effect of this innate spiritual liquid is even better than expected!"

Xu Ping carefully sensed the changes within his body, a look of surprise and joy appearing on his face.

With a thought, a familiar data panel emerged in his mind:

[Lifespan: 526 / 4651 years]

[Realm: Mid-Stage Nascent Soul: 83 / 100]

...

"Lifespan increased by 210 years, realm progress increased by 8 points!" Xu Ping’s lips curved into a pleasant arc.

He could now regard the increase in lifespan relatively calmly, but the significant advancement in realm was truly exciting.

points of progress meant he was getting closer and closer to the gates of the Late-Stage Nascent Soul.

"However, the realm’s advancement is too rapid, and the auxiliary spiritual objects and preparations needed for a breakthrough are somewhat lagging behind."

A breakthrough to the Late-Stage Nascent Soul is no small matter and requires thorough preparation.

"Perhaps... I can leverage the power of the Outer Sea Human Race alliance." A thought rose in Xu Ping’s mind.

Given the current delicate situation in the Outer Sea, he was undoubtedly a highly sought-after target for various factions.

Using this as leverage to exchange for some scarce breakthrough resources was not difficult.

With the plan in mind, Xu Ping temporarily put aside the breakthrough matter and took out the storage ring obtained from the emaciated cultivator.

His divine sense delved inside; it contained a lot of stuff, Spirit Stones, pills, materials, a wealth of items, indicating this person had accumulated much from his deeds of plundering and robbing.

But Xu Ping’s target was clear, and he quickly locked onto a jade box protected by multiple restrictions.

With a wave of his hand, he broke the restrictions; inside, there was not a jade slip or a manual as expected, but an extremely ancient, dark yellow paper fragment with charred edges as if scorched by fire and struck by lightning.

On the paper, there were no words, only an extremely complex, peculiar pattern made of countless tiny lines, neither a sword nor a talisman.

Xu Ping’s divine sense swept over it, his heart stirred, sensing an inexplicable connection, confirming this item was related to the skill that arouses heaven and earth’s primordial qi.

However, no matter how he probed with his divine sense or injected mana, this paper fragment remained unresponsive, like a dead object.

After pondering for a moment, Xu Ping brought out the emaciated cultivator, who was sealed within the Ten Thousand Souls Banner.

At this time, the emaciated cultivator’s nascent soul was waning, his mana sealed, his gaze filled with fear and despair as he looked at Xu Ping.

Xu Ping directly asked, "Does this paper fragment record your swordsmanship that arouses heaven and earth’s primordial qi?"

Seeing the fragment in Xu Ping’s hand, the emaciated cultivator fell into silence.

After a moment, he slowly said, "Release me first, and swear a heart demon oath not to harm my life, then I’ll tell you the method of activation."

"Otherwise, even if you attempt a soul search, you will gain nothing."

"A Nascent Soul cultivator defends their essence; unless a Divinity Transformation expert comes, a forced soul search will result in self-detonation of the nascent soul, destroying us both!"

The divine soul of a Nascent Soul cultivator is closely tied with their essence; if determined to die and protect their essence, it is extremely difficult for anyone to perform a soul search, with a high risk of the soul being shattered.

However, upon hearing this, Xu Ping merely smirked coldly.

Even without a soul search, he had other methods.

Xu Ping wasted no more words; with a thought, the Soul-Breaking Needle once again transformed into a ghostly light, piercing fiercely into the emaciated cultivator’s sea of consciousness.

"Ah!"

The emaciated cultivator let out a heartrending scream; his already heavily injured divine soul was critically hit again, his consciousness instantly blurred, falling into a dazed state. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

At this moment, Xu Ping’s lips moved slightly, a deep incantation filled with strange magical power and piercing the divine soul emerged. It was the "Demonic Chant," which he had cultivated to the Minor Success Realm.

"Tell me, how is this item activated?"

The emaciated cultivator, with a severely wounded divine soul and muddled consciousness, how could he resist this technique targeting the mind?

His eyes were unfocused, like a puppet on strings, stammering intermittently: "With... with one’s own pure sword qi... inject into the core of the pattern... only then can it be activated..."

"So it needs sword qi to activate."

A look of understanding flashed in Xu Ping’s eyes.

This was indeed consistent with the characteristics of sword dao inheritance.

Subsequently, Xu Ping asked a few more questions related to the fragment, to which the emaciated cultivator also intermittently responded.

After obtaining satisfactory answers, Xu Ping no longer paid attention to the now limp and powerless emaciated cultivator, sealing him back into the Ten Thousand Souls Banner.

He formed a sword with his fingers, cautiously injecting a highly refined and pure sword qi into the core of the peculiar pattern on the paper fragment.

Buzz!

At the instant the sword qi touched the pattern, a sudden change occurred.