sinovels Chapter 87 On the Eve of the Decisive Battle
Chapter 87 On the Eve of the Decisive Battle
Twenty miles north of Xuanze City lies Tianqing Gorge.
The gorge stands majestically, as if cleaved by a giant axe.
The cliffs on both sides of the canyon are over a thousand feet high, with steep rock walls that stretch for more than ten miles, creating a majestic and imposing sight.
Li Qingyi leaned against an ancient pine tree with gnarled branches, her eyes slightly closed, calming her mind and regulating her breathing.
A mountain breeze swept through the valley, carrying a chill, and ruffled a few stray hairs from his forehead.
Li Qingyi opened her eyes and saw Qin Xiyue standing in mid-air, her body surrounded by spiritual light, her magical power falling like a galaxy.
Countless golden runes leaped from her fingertips, weaving into intricate patterns in the air.
The array's radiance shone in layers, like a giant golden lotus blooming above Tianqing Gorge, enveloping the gorge entrance.
The banners fell like raindrops, precisely embedding themselves in the crevices of the rocks.
Li Qingyi's eyes twitched slightly as she gazed at the array flags flashing across the mountains and fields.
How many arrays did she set up?
Although Li Qingyi looked somewhat lazy, he was constantly monitoring his surroundings with his divine sense, and even the passing black crows could not escape his perception.
"Wait, where are my simulation rewards? Were they swallowed up?"
He suddenly realized that the rewards from this simulation hadn't been settled yet, even after all this time.
"..."
"They wouldn't really swallow my reward, would they?"
Just as Li Qingyi was muttering to herself, the reward settlement screen finally popped up.
[Rewards settled.]
[Reward 1: Qi Refining Level 6 cultivation, which can be used to break through to Qi Refining Level 7 after extraction.]
Reward 2: Fake Human Skin. Extracting this skin will grant you a disguise that makes you indistinguishable from others below the Purple Mansion Realm.
Reward 3: The Heart of a Hardcore Player. After extraction, you will receive the Heart of a Hardcore Player, which means that no matter what you do, you will definitely finish it and never get tired of it.
Reward Four: Your ashes after death...
"How did he turn into ashes again... That prince deserves to die!"
Li Qingyi cursed inwardly, and her protective sword aura unconsciously extended forward an inch.
Looking at reward four, he couldn't help but recall the tragic scene of being killed by the Crown Prince in the simulation, and he wished he could tear the Crown Prince to pieces.
After a long while, he exhaled a breath of stale air and looked upwards.
"The Heart of a Hardcore Player... Where did this come from? It couldn't be because I spent a month grinding day and night in the simulation to accumulate contribution points, could it?"
Looking at the item description, Li Qingyi felt something was off.
"Could it be some kind of conceptual ability?"
Li Qingyi began to have wild thoughts.
I will definitely finish it...
He thought about many things, then shook his head to dispel those unrealistic ideas.
Without any real improvement, the vague and misleading descriptions of the abilities are of no use in the current life-or-death battle.
Li Qingyi's gaze shifted upwards, landing on the fake human skin.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he realized another wonderful use for the simulator—
That means you can acquire rare magical treasures in the simulation and then withdraw them into reality through rewards.
"Do you want the fake human skin, or your cultivation level?"
Li Qingyi was troubled, then leaned heavily against the ancient pine tree behind her.
They were about to face Lu Zhenxuan, who was in the Foundation Establishment stage. The higher the cultivation level, the greater the chance of victory.
As for the fake human skin, it can be obtained quickly by taking on a few high-difficulty tasks after one's cultivation has improved, so there is no need to grind for a month like in the simulation.
After much deliberation, Li Qingyi finally made her decision.
With a formidable enemy at hand, there is no room for complacency.
To lose one's life because of greed for material possessions is truly a losing proposition.
I choose one.
The moment he made his choice, a surge of immense spiritual power rushed through his body like a river bursting its banks.
Li Qingyi's robes fluttered and rustled without wind, her aura rising steadily. The wild grass beneath her feet was pressed down to the ground by the surging spiritual pressure, and even the branches and leaves of the ancient pine tree rustled.
Qin Xiyue, who was setting up the formation, was startled by the sudden commotion and turned around to look.
"He's broken through again? And... this is the late stage of Qi Refining? It's only been a little over a month since we parted ways at Qingxin Peak, and he's already reached the seventh level of Qi Refining?"
Amidst her fluctuating emotions, the hand seals she was performing paused.
Because of the pause in her hand movements, the formation that was only half-set up began to show signs of collapse.
She quickly focused her mind and, with a few quick taps of her slender fingers, planted several more array flags to stabilize the array base once again.
Qin Xiyue multitasked, reflecting on her cultivation experience over the past month.
After taking the Heaven-Mending Pill and cultivating in the spiritually rich blessed land of Qingchi Immortal Sect, he has only reached the fifth level of Qi Refining.
She simply couldn't understand how Li Qingyi could cultivate so rapidly in this secular place where spiritual energy was scarce.
Li Qingyi's aura suddenly erupted, then immediately subsided completely.
He felt his mind was completely clear, his magical power was flowing like a river, and every pore was frantically absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
A moment later, Qi Refining Level 7, achieved!
If Qin Xiyue hadn't been focused on setting up the formation, Li Qingyi would have truly wanted to roar to the sky and express her joy.
"That was exhilarating! Truly exhilarating! The difference between the seventh and sixth levels of Qi Refining is like heaven and earth. No wonder I couldn't withstand Pu Yuan's attack back then!"
"Not only has his internal magical power surged, but his physical strength has also increased several levels!"
Li Qingyi can say without exaggeration that cultivators below the late stage of Qi Refining would absolutely be unable to break through his physical defenses.
Even I, who has mastered the "True Explanation of Swordsmanship," cannot do it.
Upon breaking through to the late stage of Qi Refining, a wisp of mysterious spirituality appeared within his physical body.
This wisp of spiritual energy greatly enhanced his physical strength, making him feel as if his whole body was filled with boundless power.
If Li Qingyi could kill Mu Chunfeng with one punch before, now one punch is enough to turn Mu Chunfeng into a bloody mist.
This wisp of spirituality completely sublimated his cultivation from the early to the middle stages of Qi Refining, reaching a height that was difficult to attain in the middle stage of Qi Refining.
The total amount of magic power has increased several times over.
To put it simply, the seventh level of Qi Refining is more than ten times stronger than the sixth level of Qi Refining.
What delighted Li Qingyi even more was that, having entered the late stage of Qi Refining, he was able to ride the wind. Although he could not fly for long periods, his travel efficiency had increased dramatically.
There are joys and sorrows.
If there's such a gap between the mid-stage and late-stage Qi Refining realms, how strong must Lu Zhenxuan, who's at the Foundation Establishment stage, be? Could he really defeat him?
In the last simulation, Lu Zhenxuan should have been killed by Master Xuanmi.
He only knew that the crystallized resentment was effective against Lu Zhenxuan, but he didn't know how much damage it could cause or how long it would take to kill him.
"It's a pity I was unconscious for three days, which delayed my cultivation. Otherwise, I should have been able to earn more spirit stones to simulate it again."
Only then did he remember that the consumption of the simulation would also increase after his cultivation level broke through.
He immediately checked the simulated prices and felt completely overwhelmed.
The cost of a single simulation has now reached as high as sixty spirit stones!
"Why don't you just rob it?!" Li Qingyi couldn't help but complain, then comforted herself:
"The strength has increased more than tenfold, but the price has only increased fourfold. It seems... not too bad... It would be strange if it weren't!"
As he spoke, he couldn't hold back anymore...
Sixty spirit stones? Is that outrageous?
How many talismans would it take to draw? How many days would it take to simulate it again?
"That's enough. Now that this matter is settled, I'll craft another corpse puppet to increase my money-making speed."
Without thinking of anything else, Li Qingyi immediately sat down cross-legged, facing upwards, and began to regulate her breathing to consolidate her cultivation.
As dawn broke and the sun rose in the east, countless golden rays gilded the canyon with a dazzling golden edge.
Just then, a clear dragon's roar suddenly came from within the formation, and the array patterns began to move as if they were alive.
With a gentle flick of her long sleeves, Qin Xiyue lowered the last array flag, completing the entire array.
She walked slowly to Li Qingyi, her dress fluttering gently in the morning breeze.
Hearing footsteps, Li Qingyi opened her eyes and looked up. She saw that Li Qingyi was covered in sweat, with a few strands of hair sticking to her cheeks, clearly indicating that she had exhausted a lot of energy.
"All done?"
Qin Xiyue coldly replied, "Hmm..."
Li Qingyi could see fine beads of sweat sliding down her jade-like cheeks.
"Thanks a lot."
"It's nothing compared to how you helped me obtain the Heaven-Mending Pill."
Li Qingyi looked dazed for a moment, then gazed at the newly formed array and asked softly:
"Can we... really kill Lu Zhenxuan?"
Qin Xiyue was slightly taken aback, then realized that Li Qingyi must have sensed the difference in their cultivation levels after breaking through, which made her waver in her decision to continue the mission.
She gently reassured him, "Don't worry. When you were at the sixth level of Qi Refining, your chances of winning were less than 30%. Now that you've broken through to the late stage of Qi Refining, your chances of winning are already 50%."
Upon hearing this, Li Qingyi would have run away if he hadn't had the Netherworld God-Slaying Talisman.
"What's the difference between a 50% chance and gambling with your life?"
Li Qingyi asked, "You dare to gamble with me when the odds are less than 30%?"
Her expression was as calm as a deep pool, her tone firm:
"What is there to be afraid of? Those who cultivate the Tao should naturally contend with Heaven's will."
If a moment of cowardice leaves one with inner demons, preventing any further progress in life, it's better to end it all on the spot. It's better than spending the rest of your life in regret.
For some reason, Li Qingyi saw a kind of calmness in her eyes that came from having experienced the vicissitudes of life.
That was how he looked in the previous simulations, after enduring a century of hardship, just before his death.
Seeing Li Qingyi stunned, Qin Xiyue added, "Being cowardly before the battle even begins is unlike you."
"When did I..." Li Qingyi began, but Qin Xiyue continued:
"That day you came to Qingxin Peak to find me, and you showed no fear in the face of so many Purple Mansion True Persons. Now, you're afraid of a Foundation Establishment cultivator?"
As soon as he finished speaking, all around fell silent, except for the rustling sound of the breeze rustling through the grass.
Suddenly, Li Qingyi burst into laughter: "Hahahaha... I was the one who was too attached to appearances."
"Indeed, they've even conquered Qingxin Peak. What's a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator compared to that?"
At this moment, my thoughts are clear and my mind is at peace.
Li Qingyi suddenly realized something.
A flash of sword light crossed his mind.
At this moment, he actually comprehended a technique called "Heart Sword".
The Heart Sword is naturally a sword that cuts through the heart.
This sword does not harm the physical body; it is specifically designed to slay delusions and inner demons.
He slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, feeling an unprecedented clarity in his mind.
"Indeed, just a Foundation Establishment cultivator, what is there to fear? Then... what is so mysterious about these formations you have set up?"