PDLP Chapter 12 Qi Refining Level 7
Chapter 12 Qi Refining Level 7
After his cultivation at the sixth level of Qi Refining stabilized, Zhao Chen's magical power surged like a river. His twelve-zhang-tall body stood tall in the underground space, and the pressure emanating from his body was several times stronger than before.
The wound on the left wing began to heal rapidly under the nourishment of magic. In less than half an incense stick's time, the scab had fallen off, and the newly grown feathers were even more lustrous than before, faintly revealing an indestructible texture.
Zhao Chen looked up at the rusty yet still magnificent spaceship in front of him, his eyes flashing with a sharp light.
The energy cubes, the exotic metals, and even the spatial essence within the black-purple centipede were all related to this civilization's creation. Although Zhao Chen had already looted the cargo hold and armory, the spaceship itself remained an unprecedented treasure trove for him.
Even though the spaceship's outer shell is made of silver-white alloy, its internal reinforcing components, and various damaged instrument lines... the metallic and strange energies it contains still far exceed those of any mineral in the outside world.
"In that case, let's refine the entire spaceship!"
With a thought, Zhao Chen unfurled his wings, which were several dozen feet long, and his magical power surged as he fully activated his Devouring Talent. In an instant, an invisible suction force erupted from his body, enveloping the entire crashed spaceship.
The rusty alloy hull trembled slightly, and the rust on its surface crumbled off. The previously dormant metallic energy was forcibly extracted, transforming into streaks of pale silver light that surged toward Zhao Chen.
Although this metallic energy was not as violent and pure as the energy block, it was boundless and limitless, like a trickle flowing into a river, constantly cleansing his meridians and dantian. Zhao Chen landed on the rock, silent, and devoted himself entirely to refining it, pushing his qi cultivation technique to its limit.
Ordinary alloy plates were decomposed by the power of devouring, transforming into the purest metallic magic power, which was integrated into his body, making his feathers, claws, and bones increasingly hard; the damaged instrument cores, reinforced supports, and other special materials were separately peeled off and integrated into the strange metal pile sealed in his body, continuously tempered and concentrated.
Time flew by in the silent underground space—one day, two days, three days…
Zhao Chen remained motionless like a rock, while the entire spaceship shrank and dissolved at a visible speed. The hard alloy walls were completely devoured, the intricate pipelines were all transformed into energy, and even the deep cracks that revealed bone gradually disappeared as the material was absorbed.
Nourished by magic, his size continued to grow rapidly, twelve zhang, thirteen zhang, fourteen zhang... His physical strength increased steadily, and when his wings flapped, they could even cause the surrounding air to explode with a sonic boom. The sharp metal energy at the tips of his claws was condensed but not released, and with just one strike, it could tear apart several feet of rock.
His dantian was already filled with magical power, and the barrier of the sixth level of Qi Refining was as fragile as paper, beginning to loosen violently under the impact of the massive magical power.
Zhao Chen remained calm and composed. He continued to activate his Devouring Talent, swallowing the last section of the spaceship's core into his stomach, enveloping it with his magic power, and forcibly refining it.
"boom--!"
A deafening roar, as if the heavens and earth were being created, resounded from within his body. His dantian expanded dramatically, and the previously condensed magical power was compressed again, transforming into even purer magical power that slowly circulated within his dantian. His aura surged, and his oppressive power swept across several miles, causing the surrounding rocks to shatter and collapse as his aura swept over them.
His cultivation level soared like a rocket, breaking through the shackles from the sixth level of Qi Refining and steadily stepping into the seventh level!
At this moment, Zhao Chen was surrounded by spiritual light, his twelve-zhang body swelled to sixteen zhang, and his wingspan reached a full forty zhang. Every feather was as if forged from spiritual gold, radiating a dazzling spiritual light. His claws were incredibly thick, and a light grip produced the sound of wind and thunder. His physical strength, magical power, and devouring power had all reached unprecedented heights.
His perception of space within his body became increasingly clear. The mysterious spatial sense he gained from the black-purple centipede merged with the faint spatial fluctuations in the core material of the spaceship, allowing his divine sense to seemingly penetrate the void and perceive the slightest detail several miles away.
Zhao Chen slowly opened his eyes, and two golden rays shot out from his eyes, shooting straight for several feet and leaving two bottomless holes in the rock.
He looked down at the ground that had long since been swallowed up. The huge spaceship had completely disappeared, leaving only a flat layer of rock, as if it had never existed.
His body was filled with magical power, his foundation was as solid as a mountain, and his cultivation at the seventh level of Qi Refining was extremely profound, far surpassing other cultivators of the same realm.
"Our chances here have run their course. It's time to leave this underground passage and see the outside world."
Zhao Chen spread his wings, a gale arose, and his massive body soared into the air, flying rapidly toward the exit of the underground passage.
The demonic beasts in the passage trembled and fled far away at the mere sight of his terrifying seventh-level Qi Refining pressure, daring not to offer the slightest obstruction.
Flying out of the crevice, a bright and clear view suddenly appeared before me.
This is a vast underground lake, its surface so expansive that it seems to stretch to the horizon. The water is a deep black, calm as a mirror, reflecting the eerie glow of the luminous moss overhead. The air is thick with moisture, and there's a faint, almost imperceptible energy fluctuation.
Zhao Chen landed on a giant rock by the lake and used his senses to probe into the lake.
deep.
It's too deep.
His senses extended five or six thousand feet, yet he still hadn't reached the bottom. Moreover, there were countless traces of life fluctuations faintly visible in the lake, some faint, some strong, densely packed, as if the entire lake were a giant nest of life.
"Interesting." Zhao Chen stared at the lake.
Zhao Chen was hesitating whether to go into the water when he suddenly sensed a strong danger approaching.
He looked up sharply.
In the sky, three dark purple figures were floating towards him.
That's right, it's floating.
They had no wings, and the space around their bodies was subtly distorted, as if they were being supported by some invisible force. Each one was about twenty-five zhang tall, covered in dark purple carapaces with strange patterns, and had several pairs of sharp legs. They hovered in the air, slowly approaching him at an astonishing speed.
That eerie aura was exactly the same as the previous one.
"Three?"
Zhao Chen's pupils contracted.
He could barely handle one, but if three attacked together, he had no chance of winning.
He turned and ran.
Three strange insects pursued him relentlessly, faster than he could go. They didn't need to flap their wings; with just a slight sway, they floated hundreds of feet away, quickly closing the distance.
Zhao Chen desperately tried to squeeze into the crack. The crack was narrow, barely enough for his size to pass through, but the three strange insects were just as big—they had no wings and their bodies were long and thin, so they could easily squeeze in!
Oops!
Sure enough, the three strange insects chased after them into the crevice without hesitation. They remained agile in the narrow space, their bodies twisting and their legs clinging to the rock wall, their speed undiminished.
Zhao Chen's heart sank.
He flew forward desperately, the crack getting narrower and narrower, and he could faintly hear the sound of water ahead—that was the other side of the lake, the source of the underground river.
There is no way out.
Zhao Chen gritted his teeth and rushed out of the crack.
Ahead lay a massive waterfall, its roar echoing as water cascaded down a cliff hundreds of feet high, crashing into a deep pool below. A misty spray obscured visibility.
Zhao Chen glanced back—three strange insects had already chased after him. They were hovering above the water, the space slightly distorted, and they were approaching him.
Go into the water? Or fight it out?
Zhao Chen hesitated for only a moment before making his choice.
Go into the water.
He folded his wings and plunged into the deep pool.
-
As soon as he entered the water, he sensed something was wrong.
His body was too heavy. As a bird, his skeleton was hollow to adapt to flight, and his feathers, though tough, were not waterproof. The resistance of the water flow drastically reduced his speed, and each stroke required many times more effort than in the air.
Worse still, his flames were completely useless here.
He tried to breathe out a mouthful of flame—only a few sparks struggled briefly in the water before extinguishing. The water carried away all the heat, leaving not even a bubble.
"Oh shit."
He could only thrash about in the water, desperately trying to swim deeper.
Behind them, three strange, dark purple insects also burrowed into the water.
But they are different.
They were completely unaffected in the water! Their bodies twisted, their legs moved, and their spatial abilities allowed them to easily pass through the currents, making them much faster than Zhao Chen.
The distance is rapidly closing.
Five hundred zhang, three hundred zhang, one hundred zhang...
Zhao Chen desperately tried to channel the energy within his body, but to no avail. He couldn't use the flames.
Fifty zhang, thirty zhang, ten zhang...
A strange insect had caught up behind them, its sharp forelegs suddenly stabbing out!
Zhao Chen swam to the side with all his might, narrowly dodging the stab, but another strange insect had already flanked him from the side, its legs like sharp blades, slashing at his waist!
There's no escaping it!
At the critical moment, Zhao Chen suddenly activated the vague spatial sense within his body—he didn't know what use it would be, but it was his only hope.
The surrounding space was slightly distorted.
The three strange insects suddenly slowed their movements by half a beat—not really slowed down, but the spatial distortion caused their attacks to deviate from their course. Taking advantage of this, Zhao Chen squeezed out of the gap and desperately swam deeper.
But the three strange insects only paused for a moment before immediately chasing after them again.
They chased each other in the water for a full half hour.
Zhao Chen had more than a dozen wounds on his body, and blood was flowing continuously. His strength was almost exhausted, and his speed was getting slower and slower.
The three strange insects seemed to have noticed this as well. Instead of attacking immediately, they dispersed and slowly approached from three directions, as if toying with their dying prey.
Zhao Chen felt a chill in his heart.
Just then, Zhao Chen sensed an extremely powerful life force.
It came from the deeper part of the lake.
The fluctuation was stronger than any creature he had ever seen—much stronger than these strange insects.
Zhao Chen didn't know what this was, but he knew he had no choice.
Zhao Chen mustered his last bit of strength and rushed in that direction.
The three strange insects hesitated for a moment, then continued their pursuit.
-
In the deep water, Zhao Chen finally "saw" that existence.
It was a giant fish.
A real giant fish.
Its body was over two hundred feet long, covered with silvery-white scales, each scale the size of a door panel. Its head resembled a dragon, with two long whiskers growing from its mouth, the whiskers wreathed in a faint blue light. Its eyes were closed, and it floated silently in the center of the lake, as if asleep.
That aura was terrifying and suffocating.
Zhao Chen's heart pounded wildly.
But he didn't stop.
Because behind him, the three strange insects were still chasing him.
Two hundred zhang, one hundred zhang, fifty zhang...
The giant fish opened its eyes.
It was a pair of silver-white eyes, without pupils, only pure light. It stared at Zhao Chen, its eyes devoid of any emotion.
Then, it saw the three strange insects behind Zhao Chen.
A flicker of emotion flashed in the giant fish's eyes—as if some ancient memory had been awakened.
The giant fish opened its mouth.
A terrifying suction force instantly enveloped the entire body of water.
Zhao Chen was helplessly sucked into the giant mouth. He struggled desperately, but to no avail. The three strange insects also struggled, but they faced much less resistance in the water than Zhao Chen, and were sucked in in the blink of an eye.
The giant fish closed its mouth.
Everything fell silent instantly.
Zhao Chen was still within the range of that suction force, but he noticed that the giant fish was no longer pulling him in—it was just quietly watching him, its silvery-white eyes seemingly carrying a sense of scrutiny.
Zhao Chen dared not move.
He floated in the water, staring at the two-hundred-foot-long giant fish.
Time seemed to stand still.
After an unknown amount of time, the giant fish flicked its tail, slowly turned around, and swam towards deeper waters.
Zhao Chen felt a sudden sense of relief and almost fainted.
He struggled to float upwards, using his last bit of strength to break through the water and climb onto the rocks on the shore.
Zhao Chen lay on the rock, panting heavily.
-
For the past few days, Zhao Chen had been thinking about the giant fish—why did it spare him? What grudge did it have against those strange, dark purple insects? And what were those insects, and where did they come from?
He didn't know the answer.
But he knew one thing—deep in this canyon, there seemed to be many secrets waiting for him to discover.
Zhao Chen stood by the lake, gazing at the calm surface of the water.
You saved my life today, and I will never try to take advantage of you again; consider it repaying you for your life.