Free Web NovelChapter 422: Chapter 409: The Qi Refining Evolution Begins
Now that they had mastered the Qi Refining Method, they no longer needed to continue their dangerous Cultivation in the Valley of Meteorology.
Gu Ming and his group immediately returned to the academy and resumed their classes.
Cyan Treasure practiced Qi Refining daily without fail, and its pure Inner Core, nourished by the Innate Qi, grew increasingly dense and crystalline.
About a week later, it finally accumulated enough Power and began the incredibly perilous Scattered Pill process.
Once the process of scattering its Pill began, it was irreversible. The two Inner Cores had to be shattered completely in one fell swoop, then reverse-refined and re-fused within the Dragon Pattern Tripod.
At that moment, the Outdoor Adventure Club’s training ground was bustling with people.
Not only were all the club members present, but also teachers from various departments who had heard the news.
Even a few of the academy’s reclusive teachers, who rarely made public appearances, had quietly appeared in the courtyard, sipping tea. Their gazes were fixed on Gu Ming and his Cyan Snake in the center of the field.
Students who weren’t involved had wanted to find a spot to drink tea and watch their junior’s Pet Beast evolve.
But when they saw so many bigwigs present, they had to give up their just-warmed seats, not daring to occupy the best viewing spots in the courtyard.
"HISSS—" Cyan Treasure raised its head and glanced at the sunlight above.
Possessing Light Grass Dual Spiritual Roots, it was very sensitive to sunlight.
The sun was already high in the sky, the sunlight was ample, and the environment was perfect for a snake.
It was the perfect time for Evolution.
Gu Ming looked at it, nodded, and said, "Begin, Cyan Treasure."
Cyan Treasure immediately focused its mind, controlling the Foundation Establishment Platform Dragon Pattern Tripod. Light began to flow as the Dragon Elephant Illusion slowly materialized within the tripod.
Its two Inner Cores had been refined to the peak of the Two-star Realm, and the surrounding Innate Qi displayed a gradient from pale violet to a starlit white.
When Gu Ming’s Sword Qi Divine Sense entered its body to assist with judging the situation, it lightly tapped Cyan Treasure’s Inner Core.
Cyan Treasure resolutely activated the surging Power within its body and charged at its Inner Cores.
All the onlookers at the scene deployed their Divine Sense, sending it into Cyan Treasure’s body to observe.
This wasn’t an invasion of privacy.
Cyan Treasure’s Qi Refining Evolution was a new evolution project initiated by Gu Ming, one that was funded and supported by the academy.
Therefore, Cyan Treasure’s Evolution wasn’t just a personal matter for one snake. It was a project for the entire team, and by extension, the academy. It was everyone’s business.
The teachers who had rushed over out of curiosity were, of course, observers of this evolution experiment. They would also serve as crucial witnesses for Gu Ming’s new thesis on evolution.
Everyone couldn’t help but hold their breath.
A glint of determination flashed in Cyan Treasure’s serpentine eyes.
The vast energy inside its body, like an unstoppable torrent, fiercely crashed against the two stable Inner Cores!
"VMMM—!"
A violent Energy Fluctuation erupted from its center, sending the clothes of those standing nearby fluttering wildly.
Cyan Treasure’s body instantly went rigid, and it let out a pained, irrepressible hiss.
Beneath its emerald-green scales, countless streams of green energy seemed to dart about—a sign that its Power was spiraling out of control.
Countless cracks instantly appeared on the surface of the two Inner Cores it had so painstakingly cultivated.
Pure Mana surged like a bursting dam, gushing out of its Dantian and into its meridians, rampaging throughout its body.
Watching this unfold, Elder Huo couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.
’He really dared to have it scatter its Pill and start over.’
’The force of this Pill-scattering is so audacious. No holding back, full intensity. There’s absolutely no chance of the Inner Cores surviving intact.’
After Cyan Treasure had shattered everything,
The Dragon Pattern Tripod within its Dantian trembled violently. The dragon-shaped carvings on its body flickered wildly as the sound of draconic cries echoed from within.
An illusion of Cyan Treasure’s true self materialized, overlaying the Dragon Elephant Illusion. It attempted to restrain the destructive torrent of energy but was clearly unequal to the task.
The draconic illusion within the tripod bore the brunt of the impact, flickering violently.
Gu Ming’s brow was tightly furrowed, but he knew this was the most dangerous moment. ’I can’t be rash; I have to remain calm and assess the situation.’
He first glanced at the system’s log.
[Time Dragon Cyan Treasure is undergoing Qi Refining Evolution under the watchful eyes of the crowd.]
[As a Time Element Pet Beast, it appears to outsiders as a Grass and Wood Flood Dragon with a Sub-dragon Bloodline. The violent scattering of its Pill has caused it to instantly regress to Zero-star. The eruption of Grass Element Power and Dragon Race Power is allowing its body to undergo an evolutionary baptism.]
Gu Ming’s thoughts raced. ’The Qi Refining Evolution seems to be proceeding without any real problems. In that case, Cyan Treasure just needs to hold on.’
He sent a deep command through their contract:
"Cyan Treasure, Guardian Spirit Unity! Introduce the Qi into the Tripod."
"Don’t panic. This is all part of the process. Calm down! Use the Innate Qi as a guide to channel the energy back to its source!"
Cyan Treasure admitted to itself that it was, indeed, nervous.
Its two Inner Cores had scattered, and all the Power in its body had vanished.
A tremendous power roiled within it. Even with the Dragon Pattern Tripod suppressing the scattered remnants of its two Inner Cores, the pain wracking its body and soul was agonizingly real.
If its master hadn’t warned it about the various stages of the Evolution beforehand,
it truly would have thought the Evolution had failed.
"Calm down!"
Just then, its master’s voice reached its mind.
Cyan Treasure roused its spirits. Knowing that the Evolution hadn’t failed, it endured the excruciating, disintegrating pain and did as it was told.
The Innate Qi that had been circling the shattered Inner Cores seemed to receive a command.
Like a host of Spiritual Snakes, they washed over the Dantian, flowed into the meridians, and actively sought out the raging torrents of chaotic energy, merging with them.
Miraculously,
as soon as this seemingly gentle violet qi entered the fray, the rampaging energy—which had seemed ready to tear everything apart—became as if it had met its nemesis.
The energy grew somewhat docile and, guided by the violet qi, began to find its way back, converging toward the center of the Dragon Pattern Tripod.
"Good job. Just like that. Keep your mind steady." Seeing the situation instantly improve, Gu Ming’s face lit up with joy.
However, the energy produced by scattering the Pills was far too immense.
The initial guidance was nowhere near enough.
The Dragon Pattern Tripod hummed unceasingly, its walls glowing hot and taking on an ominous dark-red hue. New cracks spiderwebbed across its surface, and it looked as if it might shatter from the pressure at any moment.
The hearts of the observing teachers and students leaped into their throats.
"Elder Huo, this Qi Refining Evolution doesn’t seem to be going well. It clearly looks like it’s about to fail."
In the crowd, Elder Chen, who had originally been sitting and sipping tea, now stood up involuntarily.
He walked over to Elder Huo, feigning a chat, while his Divine Sense remained tightly focused inside the Pet Beast, observing its evolutionary journey.
The scene had been somewhat noisy before, with many people talking.
But as the Evolution reached this stage, the chatter abruptly died down.
Most of them held their breath, as if it weren’t Gu Ming’s Pet Beast evolving, but their own precious darling.
"Don’t be hasty. There’s still plenty of Innate Qi," Elder Huo said, shaking his head.
Elder Chen hadn’t gone with the group to the Valley of Meteorology, so he didn’t understand the miraculous effect of Innate Qi on a Pet Beast Inner Core, let alone the fact that Cyan Treasure had already absorbed a large amount of it beforehand.
A Perfection Level Breathing Technique, combined with the inherently noble Innate Qi, gave Cyan Treasure’s radical approach to Evolution a large margin for error.
And sure enough, at that very moment...
Cyan Treasure made a move that took everyone by surprise.
Instead of forcibly suppressing the energy, it began manipulating the Dragon Pattern Tripod. Coordinating with the Innate Qi inside, it made the entire tripod begin to slowly rotate!
