Chapter 1115
The Intense Stage
"This monster's power is so great." Shi Ji was secretly shocked, but he did not back down. Instead, his will to fight became even stronger.
The battle reached its climax. Shi Ji and the demonic beast moved swiftly through the valley, their sword light and claw winds intertwining, creating a deafening roar. Each clash seemed to tear the air apart.
Time passed slowly, and Shi Ji gradually figured out the monster's attack pattern. He discovered that although the monster was powerful, its movements were somewhat clumsy, and it would pause briefly after each attack.
"Now!" A glint flashed in Shi Ji's eyes. Taking advantage of the pause after the monster's fierce attack, he moved like the wind to its side and thrust his sword into the monster's weak spot.
"Thud—" The longsword pierced through the leather armor and deeply penetrated the beast's vitals. The beast let out a painful roar, and its massive body collapsed with a thud.
Shi Ji, panting heavily, looked at the fallen monster and breathed a sigh of relief. Although the battle was difficult, he had ultimately won.
He stepped forward, drew his longsword, and wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve. The demonic beast was dead, and the valley returned to silence, broken only by the sound of the breeze rustling through the leaves.
"It's finally over." Shi Ji murmured to himself. He looked up at the sky, and the sunlight shone through the clouds onto his face, bringing a touch of warmth.
He carefully picked the Xuanqing Spirit Grass and put it away with great care.
The journey back to the sect was equally arduous, but Shi Ji's unwavering belief sustained him all the way.
Shi Ji carefully plucked the Xuanqing Spirit Grass, her eyes sparkling with excitement and anticipation. This spirit grass was the key to breaking through his bottleneck, and a treasure she had found after overcoming countless hardships.
On the way back to the sect, Shi Ji held the Xuanqing Spirit Grass tightly in her hand, fearing any mishap. Although the journey was arduous, her heart was filled with hope and anticipation.
Finally, Shi Ji returned to the sect. He couldn't wait to find Qing Yangzi, handed him the Xuanqing Spirit Grass, and excitedly said, "Senior Qing Yangzi, I have found the Xuanqing Spirit Grass!"
Qingyangzi took the spirit herb, examined it carefully, and then nodded in praise: "Not bad, this is exactly the Xuanqing spirit herb you need. Shiji, you did a great job."
Shi Ji smiled and said, "Thanks to your guidance and help, senior, otherwise I would not have been able to find the spiritual herb so easily."
Qingyangzi shook his head and said, "This is your own effort and luck, it has nothing to do with me. Now, you can start preparing to break through the bottleneck."
Shi Ji nodded, her expression solemn, and said, "I will. This breakthrough is very important to me, and I will do my best."
Qingyangzi patted him on the shoulder and encouraged him, "Keep going, Shiji. I believe you will definitely be able to break through the bottleneck and reach a higher level."
Shi Ji looked at Qing Yangzi gratefully and bowed deeply: "Thank you for your encouragement and support, senior."
He then turned and left to prepare for breaking through his bottleneck. He knew this was a crucial turning point on his cultivation path, and he had to give it his all to reach a higher realm.
However, just as Shi Ji was preparing to go into seclusion to break through her cultivation barrier, an unexpected challenger appeared. A cultivator who had always harbored resentment towards Shi Ji stepped forward and said with a sneer, "Shi Ji, do you think you can break through smoothly just because you found the Xuanqing Spirit Grass? Hmph, it's not that easy!"
Shi Ji frowned, looked at the cultivator, and asked in a deep voice, "What do you mean?"
The cultivator sneered, "What do I mean? The Mysterious Azure Spirit Grass in your hand is a treasure. Don't you want to share it?"
Shi Ji understood the cultivator's intention and said coldly, "I went through countless hardships to find this spiritual herb. Why should I share it with you?"
The cultivator smiled slyly, his eyes gleaming with ill intent: "Don't you know that the Xuanqing Spirit Grass cannot be used alone, otherwise it will cause a person to die suddenly? You only have one spirit grass in your hand right now, so you can't safely break through the bottleneck at all."
Shi Ji was startled, but his face did not show any panic. He calmly replied, "What nonsense are you talking about? Senior Qingyangzi has already told me how to use the Xuanqing Spirit Grass correctly. I don't need your fake kindness."
The cultivator continued to sneer: "Qingyangzi? Ha, do you really think he'll tell you all his secrets? The Xuanqing Spirit Grass must be used in conjunction with two other spiritual herbs to be safe; otherwise, your breakthrough will just be a joke."
Shi Ji frowned, her mind racing. Although Qing Yangzi had told her how to use the Xuanqing Spirit Grass, he had never mentioned the need for other spiritual herbs. Could this cultivator's words be trusted?
Just then, Qingyangzi happened to walk over. Seeing the tense scene, he asked, "What happened?"
Shi Ji immediately repeated the cultivator's words. Qing Yangzi frowned slightly after hearing this, and then said, "Shi Ji, this cultivator is right. The Xuanqing Spirit Grass does indeed need to be used in conjunction with two other spiritual herbs to be safe. I originally planned to tell you this when you were preparing for seclusion, but he said it first."
Upon hearing this, Shi Ji's doubts vanished instantly. He looked at Qing Yangzi gratefully and said, "Thank you for the reminder, senior. Now, how should I prepare the other two spiritual herbs?"
Qingyangzi nodded and said, "What you need are Fire Lotus and Ice Heart Grass. These two have extremely cold and extremely hot properties, respectively. Only when combined with Xuanqing Spirit Grass can their medicinal properties be stabilized. However, these two spiritual herbs are also very rare, and you will need to find them yourself."
Upon hearing this, Shi Ji's expression hardened: "I understand, Senior Qingyangzi. No matter how rare these two spiritual herbs are, I will find them."
The cultivator sneered from the side, "Hmph, that's easy for you to say. Fire lotuses grow on the summit of volcanoes, and ice heart grasses are hidden deep in snow-capped mountains. Do you think they're so easy to find?"
Shi Ji glanced at him and replied calmly, "Even if there are many difficulties, I will not give up. The path of cultivation is inherently defying the heavens. If one retreats because of difficulties, what kind of cultivation is that?"
Qingyangzi nodded in agreement: "Shiji is right. Cultivation requires this kind of spirit of facing difficulties head-on. Don't worry, I will take care of things in the sect for you."
Shi Ji bowed and said, "Thank you, senior. I will set off now."
He turned to leave, but was stopped by the cultivator: "Shiji, if you can't find these two spiritual herbs, you might as well come back and ask me for help. Perhaps I can lend you a hand."
Shi Ji stopped and turned around, looking at the cultivator with a firm gaze: "Thank you for your kindness, but I, Shi Ji, must walk my own path of cultivation. If I truly cannot find it, then it is my fate, and I will have no regrets."
After saying that, he strode away from the sect and embarked on a journey to find the Fire Lotus and the Ice Heart Grass.
Several days later, Shi Ji arrived at the summit of the volcano. Here, lava flowed, and waves of heat washed over him; the environment was extremely harsh. He looked around and finally spotted a blooming fire lotus beside a lava lake. "Finally found you," Shi Ji thought to himself with delight. He carefully approached the fire lotus, preparing to pluck it.
Just as Shi Ji was about to reach out and pick the fire lotus, Qing Yangzi's words of advice suddenly echoed in his mind: "Do not touch the fire lotus directly with your hands, or you will be burned by its heat." He quickly stopped, took out a specially made spiritual cloth from his pocket, carefully wrapped the fire lotus, and then gently picked it off.
"Finally, it's a success." Shi Ji breathed a sigh of relief and carefully placed the Fire Lotus into his storage bag. At that moment, he felt the rocks beneath his feet begin to tremble, as if the volcano was showing signs of awakening. He quickly left the volcano's summit and headed towards his next destination—the snow-capped mountain where the Ice Heart Grass was located.
After several days of trekking, Shi Ji finally arrived deep in the snow-capped mountains. Here, the wind was biting cold, the snow was deep, and the air was filled with a chilling atmosphere. He struggled through the snow, searching for traces of the Ice Heart Grass.
Finally, beneath an icefall, Shi Ji discovered a cluster of crystal-clear Ice Heart Grass. The Ice Heart Grass grew on a hard ice surface, where the surrounding temperature was extremely low, making it impossible for ordinary people to approach. Shi Ji knew that she must use her spiritual power to protect herself in order to safely harvest the Ice Heart Grass.
He circulated his spiritual energy, forming a thin protective shield around his body, and then slowly approached the Ice Heart Grass. The shield blocked the invasion of the cold air, allowing him to move freely on the ice. Shi Ji carefully wrapped the Ice Heart Grass in a spiritual cloth and successfully harvested it.
"Finally, we've found them all." Shi Ji was filled with relief and put the Ice Heart Grass into her storage bag.
Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard footsteps behind him. Turning around, he saw the cultivator walking over with a sneer: "Shi Ji, you're quite lucky. You actually found the Fire Lotus and the Ice Heart Grass."
Shi Ji looked at him coldly and asked, "What is your purpose in following me here?"
The cultivator chuckled slyly, "I just wanted to see if you could actually find these spiritual herbs. Now that you have, it's time for me to collect the price."
Shi Ji frowned: "What price?"
A glint of greed flashed in the cultivator's eyes: "You must give me half of the Fire Lotus and Ice Heart Grass you found, or don't even think about leaving here safely."
Shi Ji sneered: "On what grounds?"
The cultivator sneered, "With my Golden Core cultivation, and yours being just a Foundation Establishment brat, do you think you can defeat me?"
Shi Ji knew he was no match for his opponent, but he would never surrender easily. He clenched his fists, his spiritual energy surging within him, ready for battle: "Even if your cultivation is higher than mine, I will not give away the spiritual herbs I've worked so hard to find!"
The cultivator laughed heartily: "What an arrogant brat! Well then, I'll show you what true power is!"
Before the words were even finished, the cultivator launched his attack, a sharp sword aura hurtling towards Shi Ji. Shi Ji swiftly dodged, simultaneously gathering her spiritual energy to counterattack. Despite the cultivator's profound cultivation, Shi Ji, relying on her unwavering resolve and agile movements, engaged in a fierce battle with him.
During the battle, Shi Ji gradually realized that although the opponent's attacks were fierce, they were not fast. He used his speed advantage to frequently dodge the opponent's attacks and look for opportunities to counterattack.
Finally, at the moment when the opponent revealed an opening, Shi Ji seized the opportunity and struck the cultivator's chest with a sharp sword aura, forcing him back several steps.
Enraged, the cultivator roared, "You Foundation Establishment brat, how dare you injure me!"
Shi Ji calmly looked at her opponent and said firmly, "The path of cultivation relies on strength and character, not on bullying the weak. Today I will show you that even a Foundation Establishment cultivator can possess indomitable power!"
The cultivator, enraged, was about to continue his attack when he suddenly felt a powerful aura approaching from behind. He whirled around and saw Qingyangzi standing coldly not far away: "Enough! Bullying your fellow disciples, using the strong to oppress the weak—is this your Dao heart?"
The cultivator's face turned deathly pale. He quickly withdrew his spiritual power and bowed his head in apology: "Senior Qingyangzi, I was wrong, I shouldn't have..."
Qingyangzi waved his hand to interrupt him: "Go back and reflect on your actions for a month."
The cultivator dared not say another word and hurriedly left.
Shi Ji watched the cultivator's hasty departure and breathed a sigh of relief. She then turned around and bowed to Qing Yangzi, saying, "Thank you for your help, senior."
Qingyangzi smiled slightly and nodded, saying, "Shiji, no need to be so polite. You did very well. On the path of cultivation, not only strength is needed, but also a steadfast mind. The courage and determination you showed today are commendable."
Shi Ji humbly replied, "You flatter me, senior. I only did what I was supposed to do."
Qingyangzi nodded in satisfaction: "Alright, the matter here is resolved. You should take the Fire Lotus and Ice Heart Grass back as soon as possible. These spiritual herbs are crucial for your cultivation, so don't delay."
Shi Ji gratefully replied, "Yes, senior."
Qingyangzi gazed at the distant horizon and said thoughtfully, "The path of cultivation is long and arduous. Remember, never give up your beliefs. If you encounter any difficulties, you can come to me at any time."
Shi Ji nodded solemnly: "Thank you for your teachings, senior. I will keep them in mind."
Qingyangzi smiled slightly, then his figure flashed and disappeared into the horizon.
Shi Ji gazed in the direction Qing Yangzi had departed, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He put away the Fire Lotus and the Ice Heart Grass and quickly returned to his sect. He knew that even more arduous cultivation and greater challenges awaited him, but his heart was filled with confidence and determination.
Upon returning to the sect, Shi Ji immediately handed the Fire Lotus and Ice Heart Grass to her master. Her master nodded in satisfaction: "Very good, Shi Ji, you have indeed not disappointed me. These spiritual herbs will greatly enhance your cultivation."
Shi Ji said firmly, "Master, I will cultivate even harder and live up to your expectations."
The master smiled with satisfaction and said, "Good, I will protect you. You should absorb the power of these spiritual herbs with all your might."
Shi Ji entered her secluded cultivation chamber, sat on a lotus throne, and calmed her mind to begin absorbing the spiritual energy of the Fire Lotus and the Ice Heart Grass. These two spiritual herbs, one fire and one ice, required careful and balanced absorption; otherwise, it was extremely easy to suffer a qi deviation. (End of Chapter)