Rao Mingxian asked, "I've seen the Magic Bag Garden. During that Celestial Ladder test back then, the Demon's main goal was to establish the Magic Bag Garden, right?"

"Mm."

"I can't figure out how the Demon was able to influence the Inter-School Joint Exam."

"Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask."

"Alright. Brother Shen, you're not still concerned about what happened back then, are you?"

Shen Jun gave Rao Mingxian an annoyed look and said, "Didn't know we were family back then. Now that identities are clear, let's not bring up irrelevant things."

Last year, Zhou Leng, Rao Mingxian, Deng Zhijue, and others under the protection of Chief Instructor Huang Jingqiu went on a mission to hunt down Demon Worshipers.

In a desolate village, they were ambushed by Shen Jun.

It was there that Zhou Leng killed someone; although Rao Mingxian wasn't very strong, he participated in the battle. It was also where Rao Mingxian first met Shen Jun.

"By the way, Brother Shen, it seems Mrs. Xiyang also knows Zhou Leng."

"What did she say?"

Rao Mingxian hesitated for a moment and said, "I can't disclose the lady's orders lightly."

Shen Jun gave Rao Mingxian a side-eye.

Rao Mingxian added, "The person Zhou Leng killed in that desolate village was a relative of Innate Master Gong Futian, right?"

"Mm."

"When will Master Gong Futian seek revenge?"

"Ask less of what's unnecessary!"

Shen Jun gave Rao Mingxian a side-eye and strode forward.

The next day, Zhou Leng still participated in the first class of cultivation as usual.

After cultivation, Zhao He invited him for a drink at the Tree-man Tavern that evening, but Zhou Leng politely declined, using his recovery as an excuse.

On the same day, Lou Fei Qiong arrived at the Tree-man Demon City Base, welcomed personally by Zhao He.

Zhou Leng continued to cultivate on his own.

Ordinary Spiritual Qi increases could only speed up the accumulation of Star Phoenix Feathers but couldn't increase the daily limit.

After cultivating with the Life White Mist, the daily limit of Star Phoenix Feathers increased significantly.

He could accumulate up to 15 feathers a day, more than three times the normal cultivation amount.

Once he advances to Blood Shocking Innate, the daily limit will be even higher.

While cultivating in the Tree Root Cave, not only did the Star Phoenix Rejuvenation Technique grow rapidly, but other cultivation techniques also developed faster, and the speed of compressing True Qi was several times the usual.

Among them, the Star Gazing Technique advanced the fastest.

After cultivating the Star Phoenix Rejuvenation Technique, Zhou Leng devoted all his time to practicing the Star Gazing Technique.

One cycle, one hour.

Two cycles, three cycles, four cycles...

After a full five cycles, he felt his body was swelling with energy.

Without the Power of Life enhancement, he could practice at most 3 cycles a day.

"It seems like the body's vitality also encompasses all endurance abilities. In the past, my body couldn't withstand such high-intensity cultivation."

Before reaching the Innate stage, the Star Gazing Technique was cultivated to the Mastery realm, then it hit a bottleneck and couldn't progress further.

Only after advancing to Innate did the realm start progressing toward Minor Achievement, but very slowly.

Now, just five or six days into the Tree-man Base, the Star Gazing Technique reached Minor Achievement.

Part of the reason is the solid foundation of Inner Power, having previously achieved Inner Power Divine Communication.

Part of the reason is the insights left by the Sea Suppressing Map and the Ancient River Jade Stele, enhancing the cultivation effects of the Cosmic Tsunami's artistic conception.

Lastly, it's due to the Power of Life here.

The difficulty of Inner Power achieving Minor Achievement is far higher than that of the Celestial Tide Palm.

Zhou Leng directed his consciousness into his Dantian, sensing the total amount of True Qi.

The measurement of True Qi quantity in the Innate Realm is based on the average True Qi quantity of newly initiated Innate Martial Artists, estimated in multiples.

When Zhou Leng came out of Hundred Peaks Valley, he hadn't even advanced to Innate, yet the total Star Gazing True Qi had already reached 2 times the Innate True Qi amount.

After advancing to Innate, the total True Qi amount increased to 5 times the Innate True Qi amount.

Now, with the Star Gazing Technique at Minor Achievement, the True Qi reached a full 9 times the Innate True Qi amount.

The growth of Star Gazing True Qi wasn't supposed to be so much, but the comprehension from the Sea Suppressing Map and the Ancient River Jade Stele allowed the True Qi amount to double.

Now the total True Qi is nearing the level of Qi circulating throughout the body and never-ending.

A slight further increase would allow entry into a new cultivation tier.

True Qi Perpetual Motion.

Blood in the human body flows continuously.

True Qi can too.

With True Qi Perpetual Movement, whether eating, sleeping, or running, True Qi will follow the Star Gazing Technique's path, continuously flowing from the Dantian, along the meridians and Qi blood, eventually returning to the Dantian.

This process continues relentlessly, unless additional consumption is formed by combat or training; otherwise, the True Qi amount always remains around ninety percent, never further declining.

In this process, it's equivalent to automatic cultivation of the Star Gazing Technique.

Simultaneously, unlike normal cultivation where part of the True Qi dissipates into the body,

Under True Qi Perpetual Movement, all True Qi will seamlessly integrate into the body, strengthening it.

This consumes enormously, requiring vast amounts of Dantian True Qi and rapid recovery capability.

Basically, martial artists only begin True Qi Perpetual Motion at the Muscle Innate Phase.

Only after enduring long-term True Qi Perpetual Motion, whereby the body is thoroughly "immersed" by True Qi, does the promotion to Grandmaster become more favorable when combined with Tongjin.

Because after reaching Grandmaster, it's all about Qi transformation throughout the body.

If the Grandmaster's body hasn't been permeated by True Qi Perpetual Motion, the effect of Qi transformation throughout the body will be significantly reduced.

The reason Chen Shouhu and the others have stayed in the Innate Phase for many years is largely to utilize True Qi Perpetual Motion to permeate the entire body.

The more thorough, the better the effect.

Zhou Leng's True Qi amount is indeed too much, and his recovery speed is extremely fast.

From what it looks like now, as long as he obtains the Ancient Tree Fossil, increasing his body's vitality again, he can achieve True Qi Perpetual Motion.

The Qi Marvelous Body and Blood Marvelous Body can also enhance the effect of True Qi Perpetual Motion, but both are harder to obtain than the Body of Wonders.

"For the Blood Marvelous Body, we might find a way to get it from the Dragon Race."

"For the Qi Marvelous Body, I'm relying entirely on Elder Tree for now. But for so long, there's been no increase..."

"Once the city defense battle ends, I'll go look for the Ancient Tree Fossil."

"However, my upgrade in the Star Gazing Technique was a bit too quick."

"Generally, it's when you reach Bone Forger Innate that Innate True Qi can reach Minor Achievement; I haven't even reached Blood Shocking Innate, yet my True Qi achieved Minor Achievement while still in the True Liquid stage. I fear even Zhang Xinglie couldn't keep up. His strength lies in his Innate Martial Body."

"Barring any mishaps, during the True Liquid Innate stage, I will advance faster, but entering the Bone Forging and Muscle phases, he will advance faster."

The advantages of achieving Innate Minor Achievement early are numerous, not only increasing the amount of True Qi and its intensity but also accelerating the cultivation speed of all martial arts.

The most evident benefit at present is the highly efficient compression of True Qi.

During the True Liquid period, there's a vague "compression multiplier" for True Qi compression.

Only by compressing the original True Qi density to ten times can compression be complete.

Only then can True Qi be fully transformed into True Liquid.

Currently, Zhou Leng's compression multiplier is about 5.5, making his True Qi density 5.5 times what it was before.

Unfortunately, he has run out of Embracing Essence Pills for compressing True Qi.

He's a bit reluctant to sell other items to exchange for more.

But at present, there's no other income, and the money has been spent.

"So poor..."

Zhou Leng thought silently as he fell asleep.

After getting up early in the morning, he still entered the first shift of cultivation, bathing in the Life White Mist.

After finishing cultivation, he walked out and saw Lou Fei Qiong there too.

Zhao He didn't expect the two to know each other, so he suggested they have dinner together tonight.

Zhou Leng had already refused once, but considering Lou Fei Qiong had helped him before, he agreed after a moment of hesitation.

Zhao He was very pleased, patting Lou Fei Qiong on the shoulder and saying, "Fei Qiong, you still have a lot of influence. Yesterday, when I invited him, he ignored me."

Lou Fei Qiong went into the second shift of cultivation, while Zhou Leng and Zhao He walked towards the Tree Root Cave. After a few steps, a group of Demon Spirit Masters came from the opposite side.

Some Demon Spirit Masters directly entered the second shift cultivation under the tree, while others stood outside the railing, waiting for the later shifts.

"Zhou Leng?" Cyan Flame was also waiting for the third shift when he saw Zhou Leng approaching quickly.

Zhou Leng briefly introduced Cyan Flame and Zhao He. Seeing that the two had things to discuss, Zhao He tactfully left.

Not far away, his follower turned around and glanced, then said, "This Zhou Leng, his circle is not ordinary. That Cyan Flame, so young, is already an Innate Demon Spirit Master. He must hold a remarkable position in the Demon Spirit World."

Zhao He said, "Whether it's Tree-men or Demon Spirit Masters, although they are willing to befriend humans, their relationships are generally average. There's only one exception, and that's the life-and-death camaraderie from fighting side by side. Whether it's those Tree-men or this Cyan Flame, they must have fought alongside Zhou Leng. The feeling between such comrades is different."

"It seems, Zhou Leng has gone through many battles. It's a pity that at the Tree-man Base, it's hard to contact Blue Star, otherwise, we might know more about Zhou Leng's information."

"There's no need to investigate further. The people he associates with are all exceptional, with Chen Shouhu and Lou Fei Qiong backing him, he can't be wrong."

"I heard that after that day, Chen Shouhu called him into the Martial Arts Dojo alone and beat him half to death."

Zhao He sighed, "If Brother Hu were willing to beat me, I would have been willing to fetch him foot-washing water for three days. Unfortunately, I know quite a few members of the Alien Race, but all are tied by interests; I've never forged the kind of friendship born from blood battles to gain such outworld comrades."

The two Innate Black Dragons with him were purely a hired relationship.

Over with Zhou Leng, he borrowed a hundred million from his outworld comrade, Cyan Flame.

"Once I get my next payout, I'll definitely repay you, five hundred and fifty million, not a penny short," said Zhou Leng.

"We need not be so formal. If you're really short on cash, there's no harm if you don't repay it. However, you must help me through the Demon Spirit Trials."

"I will do my utmost," Zhou Leng said.

"Starting from the tenth place, for each rise in ranking, I'll forgive a hundred million of your debt."

"No need, business is business. You've already helped me a lot, and participating in the Demon Spirit Trials benefits me as well," Zhou Leng said.

"I need to motivate you — raising a rank earns a hundred million Dragon Country Coins; it's a huge gain," Cyan Flame glanced around, "There are so many coming to support this time; the situation is not optimistic."

"There should be a major battle this time," Zhou Leng had learned a lot about the battlefield situation over these days.

The two stood chatting for a full hour, only parting when the next shift of cultivation began.

Zhou Leng glanced at Cyan Flame, who was meditating inside.

Although his social circle is small, meeting both Lou Fei Qiong and Cyan Flame in a single day seems to indicate that the forces in the Tree-man World are surging.

He also heard earlier that the Blood of Tyranny was coming too.

Originally intending to slowly accumulate Embracing Essence Pills, it now seems necessary to purchase them quickly.

Therefore, Zhou Leng used the newly borrowed money to purchase Embracing Essence Pills in Martial Arts City, collecting 90 pills while leaving the remaining 10 to accumulate slowly to avoid excess.

The Tree-man Base doesn't have much in reserve, so they will be supplied from the Shuizhou Demon City base.

After taking a few steps, Zhou Leng looked ahead again, seeing two more familiar faces, followed by a large troop of martial artists — no less than forty or fifty people.

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