Chapter 588 245: Snow Mountain (3)

The night deepened. Chen Qing suppressed the turmoil in his heart and continued to immerse himself in his Cultivation, guiding the Qi Blood Power that surged like a stampeding Dragon Elephant to temper his Flesh Body again and again.

'Based on my current Qi Blood Power, if I convert all the Qi Blood Power derived from the Eight Extremes Vajra Body, my Dragon Elephant Wisdom Vajra Body should be able to reach the Third Layer at the very least.'

Chen Qing focused his Heart and Spirit and continued to guide the vast Qi Blood Power within him, converting it according to the Dragon Elephant Wisdom Vajra Body Technique.

His Qi Blood Power surged like the long cry of a Dragon Elephant, his tendons and bones chiming in unison. Beneath his skin, the Dark Gold Luster grew deeper and more profound, and faint, illusory phantoms of arcane runes seemed to flow within.

He could clearly feel the strength of his Flesh Body increasing at a speed far beyond what it had been before, steadily advancing toward the Third Layer.

...

「The Fifth Layer of the Black Water Abyss Prison.」

The scene here was completely different from the upper layers. The space was vaster and even more deathly silent.

The dense Evil Qi was almost too thick to disperse. It was no longer an intangible, formless current of air, but rather flowed slowly like a viscous black liquid.

The ground was not solid rock, but a black pool formed from the accumulated, dense Evil Qi. Occasionally, bubbles would rise from the black water, releasing a sinister and malevolent aura.

In the center of this black pool of Evil Qi, countless incomparably thick chains extended from the surrounding rock walls.

These chains were not made of ordinary metal. Their entire bodies had a dull, lightless color—they were, in fact, all forged from Mother of Destruction.

Countless Mother of Destruction chains crisscrossed, forming a massive cage that tightly bound a humanoid black shadow at its center.

The black shadow was completely enveloped in black Evil Qi that had been concentrated to the extreme, its specific appearance obscured.

RATTLE... RATTLE...

The chains swayed lightly, emitting dull clanking sounds that were exceptionally clear in the deathly silent space.

The figure of the Master of the Seven Sufferings appeared silently at the edge. A gentle, Glazed Buddha Light naturally emanated from his body. His Qi Blood was as potent and yang as a great furnace. In this supremely yin and evil environment, he was like the only lamp in the dead of night, forcing back and purifying all the surrounding Evil Qi that attempted to close in.

"Old monk, for thirteen years, you've come to chant scriptures once every three days. What's the use?"

From the center of the Evil Qi, the cold and severe voice spoke. "This Evil Qi... can you ever truly get rid of it? You being here is nothing more than a futile attempt to douse a raging fire with a single cup of water."

The Master of the Seven Sufferings placed his palms together, his expression as placid as an ancient well. He slowly said, "Amitabha Buddha. Purity and impurity reside in the heart, not the environment. This humble monk is not here to eliminate all the Evil Qi, but only to stand guard over a single conviction, to purify a single conviction."

There was a long silence from within the Evil Qi. Then the voice spoke again, with less mockery and more of an ineffably complex tone. "You homeless dog, why waste such effort to be trapped guarding this sunless place?"

The Master of the Seven Sufferings's eyelids drooped slightly, his voice still calm. "A dog with a home or a dog without, it matters not. You should know that you cannot leave. This place is your karmic cage."

"Not necessarily," said the voice from the Evil Qi.

"The Great Snow Mountain won't be able to help either."

The Master of the Seven Sufferings slowly raised his head, looking directly at the Evil Qi. "They failed to rescue you back then, and it's even more impossible now. Times have changed. Why must you cling to an old dream?"

"Hmph, times have changed? Old monk, you underestimate the Great Snow Mountain, and you underestimate me."

The voice from within the Evil Qi said coldly, "We shall wait and see."

The Master of the Seven Sufferings did not retort. The Buddha's Light around him dimmed slightly, and he slowly stepped out of the Fifth Layer.

Behind him, only the occasional scraping of chains and the ink-black Evil Qi, churning silently, remained.

...

Over the next few days, Chen Qing converted all the abundant Qi Blood Power he had cultivated from the Eight Extremes Vajra Body. As a natural result, he pushed his Dragon Elephant Wisdom Vajra Body directly to the Third Layer.

In the Cultivation Quiet Chamber, he slowly finished his practice, feeling the surging Qi Blood within his body. It was as if the roar of a dragon and the cry of an elephant were echoing deep within his veins.

He gently clenched his fist, and the air in his palm crackled with a soft popping sound. His tendons and bones chimed in unison, and the Dark Gold Luster flowing beneath his skin became deeper and more restrained.

'This top-tier Body Refining Secret Technique from the Buddhist Sect truly lives up to its reputation.'

Chen Qing praised it silently in his heart. 'To have such power at just the Third Layer... The strength of my Flesh Body is more than just a notch stronger than it was in the Vajra Indestructible Realm of the Eight Extremes Vajra Body. If I can reach the Fourth Layer, I'll be practically unrivaled within the Astral Force Realm based on this Flesh Body alone.'

Just as he was carefully savoring the earth-shattering changes in his body, a knock came from his courtyard gate, along with a young voice.

"Is Brother Chen in?"

Chen Qing reined in his aura, got up, and opened the gate.

Outside stood a young disciple dressed in the uniform of an Outer Disciple. His expression was respectful, and upon seeing Chen Qing, he immediately clasped his fist in salute.

"Brother Chen, I am Zhu Tao from Martial Discussion Peak."

The disciple introduced himself and then stated his purpose. "On the twenty-third of this month, the peak has arranged a martial lecture. It's intended to clear up confusion and answer questions for the junior brothers and sisters of the Inner and Outer Sects. Steward Wang has specifically sent me to ask if Brother Chen might have time to be the main speaker for one of the sessions."

Martial Discussion Peak was one of the Outer Twenty-Seven Peaks, specializing in organizing Martial Arts exchanges and lectures. It often invited experts, Elders, and Stewards from Within the Sect, and even True Disciples and Inner Sect Elite Disciples, to explain their Martial Arts insights and demonstrate Martial Arts.

The speakers not only received Contribution Points, but if the lecture was popular, they could also get an additional share based on the number of attendees.

When Chen Qing first entered the Inner Sect, Shen Xiuyong had dragged him to a few lectures. However, possessing the 'Heaven Rewards Diligence' Fate Plate, his Cultivation relied entirely on his own unceasing hard work. He truly had no need to depend on others' explanations, so he never went again.

"How many Contribution Points for one lecture?" Chen Qing asked, his expression calm.

"The base amount is three hundred Contribution Points."

Zhu Tao quickly replied, a fawning look on his face, "Additionally, there's a small share based on the number of disciples who attend that day. With Brother Chen's current prestige in the Inner Sect, not only will many senior brothers and sisters from the Inner Sect come out of admiration, but I'm sure a huge number of Outer Disciples will flock to attend as well. Your earnings will surely be substantial."

'There's a share, too?'

'It seems this is quite a lucrative position in many people's eyes.'

'Steward Wang must have some faction backing him.'

'How could the speaker's seat at a Martial Discussion Peak lecture be something an ordinary disciple could obtain?'

'This invitation is, in itself, a favor—a gesture of goodwill.'

However, Chen Qing remained unmoved.

'With the thirty thousand Contribution Points from Han Xiong, I'm not short on them for the time being.'

'Besides, the most important thing for me right now is to focus on my Cultivation, not get distracted by other matters.'

'Moreover, I know my path of Cultivation is different from others'. I don't really have bottlenecks, so how would I even give a lecture? It would only attract unwanted attention.'

He pondered for a moment and made his decision.

"Thank you for your consideration, Junior Brother Zhu. Please also thank Steward Wang for his kind offer on my behalf."

Chen Qing's tone was calm as he said, "It's just that my Cultivation is at a critical juncture recently, and I need to enter seclusion to meditate. I really can't spare the time to prepare for a lecture. Let's just forget about it."

Seeing that Chen Qing had refused, Zhu Tao didn't insist. He clasped his fist and said, "Since that's the case, I won't disturb your quiet cultivation any longer. I'll head back and report to Steward Wang now."

"Thank you for your trouble."

Chen Qing nodded. After watching Zhu Tao leave, he closed the courtyard gate again.

...