Chapter 652 - 264: The Foremost

"Amitabha Buddha!"

Master of the Seven Sufferings placed his palms together and replied, "It is good that you understand."

Chen Qing paused in thought before asking, "Master, about the Blood Bodhi—when do you need me to find it?"

The Master of the Seven Sufferings’ fingers continued to flick his prayer beads as he replied calmly, "For me, the sooner I have it, the better. However, such opportunities cannot be forced. Simply do what is within your power. I believe you are a man of your word, Donor Chen. Since you have given your promise, you will not make me wait in vain."

"I will certainly do my best."

Chen Qing nodded, then asked, "Master, I’ve noticed the Evil Qi in this prison seems more restrained and calm than before. Has its source been completely suppressed?"

Upon hearing this, the Master of the Seven Sufferings said, "The Evil Qi is like the tide; it ebbs and flows. The previous purification only temporarily soothed its agitation, making it fall silent for a time. But its roots run deep, like Earth Fire. It may seem extinguished, but a torrent rages below, ready to surge forth at any moment. The real trouble has not..."

Before he could finish, his brow suddenly furrowed, and the hand holding his prayer beads came to a halt.

The Master of the Seven Sufferings whipped his head around, his gaze fixed on the corridor leading deeper into the prison. A grave expression crossed his face, as if he had sensed a subtle change.

"Feel free to go about your business. I must investigate deeper."

After hastily saying this to Chen Qing, the Master of the Seven Sufferings said no more. With a flicker, his form vanished like a wisp of gray smoke, swiftly and silently disappearing into the darkness. His presence faded in an instant.

Chen Qing stood where he was, watching the direction the Master of the Seven Sufferings had vanished, lost in thought.

’Whatever could make the Master of the Seven Sufferings’s expression change so drastically and rush off immediately must be no small matter. It’s most likely connected to that restless source of Evil Qi.’

Chen Qing took another look around the first and second floors before returning to his small courtyard on True Martial Peak.

Inside his Quiet Chamber, he took out and consumed a Dragon Tiger Bone Tempering Pill. Sitting cross-legged, he sank his Heart and Spirit into his body and began to circulate the Dragon Elephant Wisdom Vajra Body according to the Fifth Layer technique newly taught to him by the Master of the Seven Sufferings.

The power of the elixir dissolved and circulated with his Qi and Blood Transport. However, after several cycles of circulation, Chen Qing’s brow furrowed slightly.

[Fourth Layer of Dragon Elephant Wisdom Vajra Body (2/15000)]

’Only two points of progress?’

Chen Qing observed the progress on his panel. ’Moving from the Fourth Layer to the Fifth Layer is a massive hurdle, far more difficult than the breakthroughs for the first three layers. Relying solely on Dragon Tiger Bone Tempering Pills and my daily arduous cultivation is just too inefficient.’

’I’ll have to ask Elder Zhang if he has any more potent Great Pills.’

He carefully contemplated the description of the Fifth Layer technique. Once mastered, his blood would become as heavy as mercury, and its flow would be accompanied by the phantom sounds of roaring dragons and trumpeting elephants.

With a single swing of his arm, the strength of his Flesh Body would surge, allowing him to withstand a direct Gang Qi attack from an ordinary Early-stage True Essence Realm cultivator without injury.

He would even be able to initially condense a phantom of the Dragon Elephant Dharma Body, generating a natural pressure when facing enemies that would make it difficult for an ordinary Astral Force Realm expert to even get near him.

’Truly one of the supreme Body Refining Secret Techniques in the world!’

Chen Qing marveled internally. ’The Fifth Layer alone possesses such terrifying power. If I could truly cultivate it to the Eighth Layer, or even the legendary twelve-layer Perfection, my Flesh Body would achieve a form of sainthood. Subduing dragons and taming tigers would likely be more than just a figure of speech.’

He compared it to the Body Refining Hard Skills he had seen in the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect’s Wanxiang Hall. Based on their described power, they were at most comparable to the Seventh Layer of the Dragon Elephant Wisdom Vajra Body.

Furthermore, most of those Hard Skills focused on defense or excelled in a single area like strength or resilience. They were nowhere near as comprehensive, tyrannical, and full of limitless potential as the Dragon Elephant Wisdom Vajra Body.

’Not to mention that beyond these eight layers, the West Desert Buddhist Pure Land Great Sumeru Temple is said to hold the subsequent four layers—the very essence of the technique...’

Chen Qing suppressed the excitement in his heart. ’No need to rush. I’ll take it slow. Haste makes waste. Tomorrow, I’ll go to Ten Thousand Laws Peak to look up information on the Blood Bodhi.’

Although the Master of the Seven Sufferings was the one who requested the Blood Bodhi, wasn’t this also a great opportunity for himself?

This item was a supreme treasure for Body Refining, created using the entire Essence Blood of a True Essence Realm master as its base, supplemented with numerous Treasure Medicines. It contained a vast amount of the Essence of Qi and Blood, along with a trace of True Essence spirituality.

If he could obtain it, his Cultivation of the Dragon Elephant Wisdom Vajra Body would be twice as effective with half the effort. It would drastically shorten the long, grinding process and might even allow his Flesh Body to reach the threshold of True Essence Realm combat power ahead of schedule.

「The next day, Chen Qing arrived at the Scripture Pavilion on Ten Thousand Laws Peak.」

After searching through a vast sea of ancient texts for a long time, he found very few records that directly mentioned the "Blood Bodhi," and those that did were vague and unspecific.

They only mentioned that it was not a naturally occurring item, but a rare object created through a special technique under fortuitous circumstances. Because the refining technique was unorthodox and the conditions were incredibly strict, very few existed in the world. It was something one could only stumble upon by chance, not actively seek out.

However, one miscellaneous record did mention that in the territory of the neighboring Cloud Water Upper Sect, rare treasures from all over gathered due to its developed waterways and bustling trade. Occasionally, unorthodox yet powerful items similar to the Blood Bodhi would surface there.

The Cloud Water Upper Sect was one of the Six Great Upper Sects, on par with the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect.

Their Sect was located closer to a vast expanse of ocean, facing the overseas Celestial Star Seventy-Two Islands across the sea.

The Celestial Star Seventy-Two Islands were rich in resources, particularly known for producing all sorts of rare Treasure Fish and Heavenly and Earthly Treasures unique to the sea. However, due to its proximity to the deep ocean, it was also a place where marine Exotic Beasts roamed freely, making it exceptionally dangerous.

Relying on their advanced waterways and commerce, the Cloud Water Upper Sect had connections with the Seventy-Two Islands and even forces in more distant waters, making them even more prosperous than the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect.

The relationship between the two sects had never been particularly amicable, with constant minor conflicts arising over resources and territory.

However, for the past century, both sects had been entangled in their own troubles. The Celestial Treasure Upper Sect had experienced an internal rebellion that damaged its strength, and it also had the Infinite Demon Sect lurking in the shadows.