Chapter 42: Heaven and Earth Profound Qi, Third Layer

Chapter 42: Heaven and Earth Profound Qi, Third Layer

"Plop!"

Ning Xiaochuan leaped into the great river once more, vanishing into the icy waters.

Xiao Li stood on the riverbank, staring at the pitch-black surface of the water, and snorted coldly. "Let’s see how long you can stay underwater."

Though a martial artist’s body was strong, it was still impossible to achieve a state of complete suspended breathing—especially for a warrior at the Ninth Level of Profound Qi. Staying submerged for even ten minutes was already an extraordinary feat.

Ning Xiaochuan’s body sank to the riverbed, where he moved swiftly along the bottom. After about ten minutes, he began to feel his internal breath faltering, his movements slowing, and his mind growing sluggish.

"If my mouth can’t breathe, then I’ll use my Martial Arts Heart Palace to breathe. I’ll use my pores to breathe."

Ning Xiaochuan sat cross-legged on the riverbed and began cultivating the Heaven and Earth Profound Qi.

Profound Qi was omnipresent.

Even in water, there had to be Profound Qi.

The essence of cultivating Heaven and Earth Profound Qi was to absorb the Profound Qi between heaven and earth and transform it into one’s own Martial Arts Profound Qi.

"Boom!"

Under the immense water pressure and the life-or-death strain, Ning Xiaochuan’s absorption speed of Heaven and Earth Profound Qi suddenly doubled, reaching the third layer of Heaven and Earth Profound Qi.

With each layer of Heaven and Earth Profound Qi mastered, the absorption speed doubled.

The first layer was the normal absorption speed.

The second layer was twice the normal absorption speed.

The third layer was four times the normal absorption speed.

The fourth layer was eight times the normal absorption speed.

...

By the seventh layer, it reached sixty-four times the normal absorption speed.

If one could cultivate Heaven and Earth Profound Qi to the seventh layer, it would already surpass many top-tier cultivation manuals.

After all, even the Jian Pavilion Marquis House’s foremost divine scripture, the Heart Furnace Divine Canon, only reached sixty times the normal absorption speed at its sixth layer. And within the Jian Pavilion Marquis House, the number of people who had cultivated the Heart Furnace Divine Canon to the sixth layer likely did not exceed five.

Moreover, Heaven and Earth Profound Qi did not stop at just seven layers. Legend had it that someone in the Yulan Empire had once cultivated it to the eleventh layer, achieving an absorption speed over a thousand times the normal rate. Their cultivation surpassed even the Earthly Venerable Realm, reaching an even more profound and unfathomable state.

Of course, these were just legends.

The Heaven and Earth Profound Qi manuals circulating in the market only contained records of the first four layers.

Even the Jian Pavilion Marquis House only possessed the cultivation methods up to the sixth layer.

The early stages of Heaven and Earth Profound Qi were simply too difficult to cultivate, and the later methods lacked any recorded manuals. This was why no one chose to practice it, causing Heaven and Earth Profound Qi to become a commonplace, disregarded cultivation manual.

Having reached the third layer of Heaven and Earth Profound Qi, Ning Xiaochuan now possessed four times the absorption speed. He could finally barely sustain his physical state. Even if he stayed underwater for three days and nights, he wouldn’t suffocate to death.

Ning Xiaochuan once again began impacting his Hidden Meridian, determined to open the first one in the shortest time possible—or even break through three Hidden Meridians and reach the Divine Body Realm.

...

Xiao Li waited by the water’s surface for two full days, yet Ning Xiaochuan never emerged. A faint sense of unease crept into his heart.

He had dived into the river three times in a row to search for Ning Xiaochuan, but found no trace of him.

"Could he have already escaped?" Xiao Li grew impatient, considering whether to continue waiting. If Ning Xiaochuan had indeed fled, wouldn’t staying here be a waste of time?

Splash!

Ripples spread across the water’s surface.

A massive boulder slowly emerged from the depths, weighing at least 5,000 kg, yet it floated to the surface as if it were foam.

Then, a human hand appeared, holding up the enormous rock, followed by a figure stepping out of the river—first the head, then the entire body.

Ning Xiaochuan, carrying the 10,000-jin boulder with one hand, walked step by step from the riverbed onto the shore.

Xiao Li was both shocked and delighted.

Shocked, because a Heart Nurturer at the Ninth Level of Profound Qi could actually lift such a massive rock single-handedly. Delighted, because Ning Xiaochuan had finally emerged from the water.

Now that he was out, Xiao Li would never let him escape back into the river.

"Impressive! You’ve improved again. I underestimated you before." Xiao Li stood on the shore, dense Profound Qi gathering in his palm. If Ning Xiaochuan showed any sign of retreating into the water, he would immediately unleash his strongest strike to kill him.

Ning Xiaochuan sneered, took a deep breath, and with a crackling surge of Profound Qi within his body, hurled the 10,000-jin boulder with tremendous force.

Xiao Li knew Ning Xiaochuan was no easy opponent. His expression turned grave as he extended his hand, swirling Profound Qi coalescing into a three-meter-long beastly claw.

Roar!

The claw was razor-sharp, its scales clearly visible.

Boom!

The claw shattered the massive boulder into dust.

This was the Martial Arts Divine Ability he had awakened upon reaching the First Level of Divine Body Realm—the Gluttonous Claw.

With this technique, he could unleash the power of a gluttonous beast’s strike, capable of tearing apart even steel war chariots.

The moment the boulder exploded, Ning Xiaochuan lunged forward.

"Profound Qi Sword Seven Strikes!"

Having fully opened his first Hidden Meridian, forming a complete cycle, Ning Xiaochuan’s arms erupted with powerful Profound Qi fluctuations. With a leap, he soared six meter into the air.

His speed now rivaled that of a First Level Divine Body Realm martial artist.

Waves of sword intent surged toward Xiao Li, nearly overwhelming him.

By the sixth strike, Xiao Li, despite his cultivation, was forced to retreat, barely holding on.

The seventh Profound Qi Sword slashed through Xiao Li’s Protective Profound Qi Armor, leaving a foot-long gash across his chest, blood seeping out in fine droplets.

"You actually wounded me!" Xiao Li roared in fury. Being injured by a mere Ninth Level Profound Qi Heart Nurturer was a disgrace.

"Die! Gluttonous Claw!"

A beastly roar erupted from Xiao Li’s heart as his body became enveloped in Profound Qi, his hand transforming into a monstrous claw—larger than Ning Xiaochuan’s entire body, capable of crushing him into pulp with a single swipe.

Covered in mud, his hair hanging like wet weeds, Ning Xiaochuan’s eyes gleamed with a faint red light, more terrifying than a wild beast’s. Between his clenched teeth, he spat out two words:

"Demonic Sword!"

Ning Xiaochuan extended his palm and struck the massive beast claw, a sinister red light erupting from his hand.

"Boom!"

The water around Ning Xiaochuan churned violently under the powerful Profound Qi fluctuations, exploding outward and killing countless aquatic creatures.

Inside his Martial Arts Heart Palace, the demonic sword resonated wildly as crimson streams of energy flowed directly from his Hidden Meridian into his arm, locking onto Xiao Li's claw-like palm.

Xiao Li had believed this strike would be enough to kill Ning Xiaochuan, but he never expected an overwhelming force to surge from Ning Xiaochuan’s palm, draining the blood from his body.

Blood rushed out from the center of his palm at terrifying speed.

Xiao Li’s face twisted in horror. "You… you’ve practiced demonic cultivation… demonic cultivation!"

Ning Xiaochuan replied coldly, "I’ll use every drop of your blood to help me break through to the Divine Body Realm!"

Using Xiao Li’s blood, Ning Xiaochuan began impacting his second Hidden Meridian—connecting his Martial Arts Heart Palace to his internal organs, even the most vital parts of a man’s body.

Profound Qi swelled violently within him!

Xiao Li’s eyes widened as he watched his own arm wither and darken, the skin turning charred.

"No… no! I refuse to accept this!"

With a furious roar, a bestial howl echoed from his Martial Arts Heart Palace.

A desperate glint flashed in his eyes as he struck his own chest with his remaining hand, sending himself flying backward.

Finally breaking free from Ning Xiaochuan’s grasp, he crashed heavily onto the ground, coughing up blood.

When he looked at his right arm, he screamed in terror—it was completely ruined, shriveled beyond recognition, like the desiccated hand of a corpse. Even he was horrified by the sight, his hair standing on end.

Ning Xiaochuan circulated his energy, his organs enveloped in Profound Qi as his internal power surged dramatically.

He had fully opened his second Hidden Meridian—now, his blood could complete eight full cycles within his body in just a minute.

With his current Profound Qi cultivation, he could effortlessly unleash the "Profound Qi Sword Eight Strikes."

Now, only one final Hidden Meridian remained before he could step into the Divine Body Realm.

Though he hadn’t yet reached it, he already stood at the peak of the Profound Qi Realm. If he used the "Profound Qi Sword Eight Strikes," he would be invincible beneath the Divine Body Realm.

The so-called geniuses of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House—like Ning Hengqing and Ning Meier—were no longer his match. He could suppress them with ease.

Ning Xiaochuan stared down at Xiao Li, sprawled on the ground, and said darkly, "You wanted to kill me? Do you still think you can?"

"I underestimated you. Otherwise, you’d already be dead. In terms of cultivation, you’re still far behind," Xiao Li spat, his eyes filled with icy defiance.

As a Divine Body Realm martial artist, he had always looked down on ants like those in the Profound Qi Realm. How could he possibly lose to Ning Xiaochuan?

Impossible!

Ning Xiaochuan sneered, "Oh? Then stand up. Let’s fight again and see who’s truly stronger."

Xiao Li had lost too much blood—it wasn’t something he could recover from quickly. There was no way he could face Ning Xiaochuan now.

He scrambled up from the ground and fled into the forest at full speed, his hatred for Ning Xiaochuan burning fiercer than ever. He swore that once his injuries healed, he would make Ning Xiaochuan suffer a thousand cuts.

"Escape? Do you really think you can?"

Ning Xiaochuan channeled his profound energy into his legs, his steps swift as the wind as he pursued with terrifying speed.

Truly, the tides had turned.

Two days ago, Xiao Li had nearly driven Ning Xiaochuan to the brink of death. Yet now, two days later, it was Xiao Li who was running for his life.