darknovel Chapter 57 Refining the Purple Horse
Chapter 57 Refining the Purple Horse
"Your Majesty!" The bat demon stumbled in, one wing drooping and dripping with blood. "Something terrible has happened! Someone has broken in!"
The scorpion demon opened her eyes, her brows furrowing slightly: "What's the panic? How many people are there?"
"Two...two, and a cow too!" the bat spirit cried, "The toad has been killed. That woman's swordsmanship is incredibly powerful; I risked my life to escape back and report..."
"Two?" The scorpion demon scoffed, leaning back against the bluestone, her tone full of disdain.
"A mere two people are nothing to make a fuss about? This Purple Mushroom Cave is a natural maze; even immortals would get lost without divination. How could they possibly get in?"
The bat spirit stammered, "But... they took the second fork in the road on the left, and they came straight this way..."
The scorpion's expression changed slightly, and it sat up straight.
This place is a natural maze. If my father had not consulted a diviner and learned that my opportunity to attain enlightenment was here, how could I have easily found my way in?
She pondered for a moment, then gave a cold laugh and leaned back against the wall.
"Even if I find the way, so what? This Purple Ganoderma Spirit will be fully mature in half a day. When it is, I will swallow it whole, and my cultivation will greatly increase. No matter how powerful that woman's swordsmanship is, what can she do to me?"
She waved her hand casually, "Have the men block the cave entrance and hold them off for as long as possible."
The bat spirit accepted the order and left.
The scorpion demon gazed at the horse-shaped purple fungus in the pond, her eyes burning with increasing greed. She licked her red lips and muttered to herself, "Wait a little longer... wait a little longer, and it will be mine."
……
Not long after, Zhong Xuan actually used his own aura sensing method to follow the aura left by the injured little demon, passed through the maze-like cave passages, and stepped into the Purple Bamboo Forest.
Purple light wafted through the underground valley, and the bamboo leaves swayed without wind, making a soft, bell-like sound.
A horse-shaped purple fungus in the pond has become increasingly solid, its four hooves seemingly about to take off.
But no one had time to look at it at that moment.
The Rakshasa woman and the Scorpion Demon met face to face and attacked without saying a word.
With a flick of her blue belt, the Rakshasa woman drew her two swords, one purple and one blue, with a clang. One sword multiplied into two, then into four, the sword light sweeping across like bolts of lightning, breaking purple bamboo and sending shards of stone flying.
The scorpion demon sneered, raised her hand and pulled out the purple jade hairpin from her hair. The hairpin grew longer in the wind, transforming into a scorpion tail hook more than ten feet long, with a purple-black body and a ghostly green poisonous light at the tip.
With a flick of her wrist, the scorpion hook coiled around her like a living thing, clashing with the twin swords to create a clanging sound of metal striking metal. Each strike sent sparks flying, burning black holes into the bamboo leaves that landed on them.
The two women fought with increasing speed, their sword light and hook shadows weaving into an impenetrable killing net in the bamboo forest.
The Rakshasa woman's swordplay was fierce, each move aimed at a vital point.
The scorpion demon, however, relied on the unpredictable nature of its scorpion stinger, sometimes using fierce and forceful attacks, and sometimes using gentle and entanglement. The stinger tip would occasionally spray out a wisp of poisonous mist that would condense in the air and not dissipate, forcing the Rakshasa woman to dodge.
On the other side, Zhong Xuan was also surrounded by seven or eight little demons.
These demon soldiers were well-trained, moved with measured steps, and wielded both swords and spears, clearly skilled in combined attacks.
Suddenly, the green ox froze, its fur turning to stone. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a motionless stone ox, its mouth still opening and closing slowly as it said, "I am preoccupied with my own survival right now. You must find a way to protect yourself."
Zhong Xuan raised an eyebrow, speechless, and could only take a step forward.
In an instant, three steel knives, two short spears, and a copper hammer came at him all at once, blocking all his escape routes in all directions.
His figure moved like a willow swaying in the wind; with a twist of his waist, he slipped through the gaps between the swords and spears.
His clothes fluttered in the strong wind, and he narrowly escaped being struck by the blade by just half an inch.
The demons, having missed their attack, immediately changed formation, flanking him from both sides and forcing him to dodge repeatedly.
The ground in the purple bamboo forest was soft, and with each step he took, he kicked up a clump of purple soil.
Bamboo leaves overhead were sliced off by the wind, fluttering down like purple snow.
In the midst of the struggle, a ghost-headed knife grazed his shoulder, slicing off half of his sleeve with a "whoosh," and the piece of cloth fluttered down.
The Rakshasa woman caught a glimpse of this out of the corner of her eye, her heart skipped a beat, and her sword strike slowed down by half a beat.
Taking advantage of the moment, the scorpion demon flicked her stinger, the tip grazing her temple and severing a few strands of hair. At the same time, she sneered, "Your skills are nothing special, yet you brought a lover along! Now that he's in grave danger, let's see what you're going to do!"
The Rakshasa woman blushed instantly, but her hands became even more ruthless.
She had maintained her purity since childhood, and her relationship with Zhong Xuan was still considered relatively innocent. The only ambiguous moments they had shared were merely attempts to survive in life-or-death situations. She considered herself a pure young girl who had never been intimate, so she naturally did not want to be spoken of in this lightly.
Then Rakshasa danced with her twin swords, creating a halo of light that forced the scorpion demon to retreat three steps.
Meanwhile, Zhong Xuan's eyes suddenly lit up.
He kicked something and looked down to see a two-meter-long purple bamboo lying on the ground. The bamboo was smooth and had a faint spiritual light, clearly indicating that it had been nurtured in this spiritual place for many years and was tough in texture.
With a flick of his toe, the purple bamboo sprang into his hand with a whoosh.
The bamboo feels slightly cool to the touch, and its weight and length are just right for my hand.
Zhong Xuan was overjoyed. He flicked the bamboo pole and drew an arc in the air.
This is precisely the energy application method of "Grasping the Sparrow's Tail" in Tai Chi.
The little demons pounced again.
A bronze hammer came crashing down, but Zhong Xuan neither dodged nor evaded. He used a purple bamboo stick to deflect the hammer's head, causing it to veer off course and smash into the steel blade of a companion beside him with a loud bang, making the demon soldier's hand go numb.
Another demon thrust his spear straight at his back, but Zhong Xuan twisted his waist, and the purple bamboo coiled around the spear shaft like a snake. With a gentle twist, the spear flew out of his hand and plunged into the domed stone wall above his head, embedding itself three inches deep.
In an instant, the purple bamboo seemed to come alive in his hands; he would point at it, push it, sweep it, or pick it up, using its force against it, achieving great results with minimal effort.
Seven or eight little demons circled around him, but each of them felt as if they were not attacking a person, but wrestling with a slippery mudfish.
His own force often inexplicably hit his companions, and his companions' attacks were always drawn towards him.
All that could be heard were cries of "Ouch!", "Watch out!", and "Why did you hit me?" The little demons were knocked off their feet by their own people, and their formation was thrown into chaos.
Zhong Xuan fought with increasing ease, the wind whipped by the purple bamboo whistling and occasionally striking the little demons. Though seemingly light, the force penetrated to the bone, making them grimace.
In less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, seven or eight little demons had been knocked to the ground, some clutching their arms, others hugging their legs, rolling on the ground and howling in pain.
A little demon struggled to crawl two steps toward the scorpion demon, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Your Majesty! This human boy is incredibly powerful! We can't hold on much longer!"
Upon hearing this, the scorpion demon was both angry and anxious. In a moment of distraction, the rhythm of her scorpion tail hook became disordered.
Rakshasa was not about to let this opportunity slip by. She combined her two swords and unleashed a sharp sword light that sent the scorpion demon staggering back several steps, shattering several pieces of bluestone beneath her feet.
The Rakshasa woman was overjoyed, but she didn't hold back her words: "What? Your subordinates are not as good as a novice cultivator?"
The scorpion demon's face turned ashen, and the venomous light on its stinger grew even more sinister.
The battle situation reversed instantly, and the spiritual energy in the Purple Bamboo Forest surged even more violently. The Purple Ganoderma Spirit in the pool seemed to sense something, and its head was slightly raised, emitting a faint hoofbeat.
With a flick of Zhong Xuan's purple bamboo, all seven little demons on the ground collapsed, none of them able to get up.
He looked up and gazed toward the Rakshasa woman.
The two women were locked in fierce combat, their sword flashes and hooks causing the purple bamboo to break and fly everywhere, and the wind cleaved the ground into furrows.
Zhong Xuan caught up with her, forming a pincer movement with the Rakshasa woman.
Although the purple bamboo is not a weapon, in his hands it is like a spear or halberd. He uses the opponent's force to his advantage, and is particularly good at breaking through the gaps in the scorpion demon's hook technique.
The scorpion demon, fighting two against one, was immediately overwhelmed.
The Rakshasa woman combined her two swords, unleashing a sharp sword light that slashed down. The scorpion demon parried with a horizontal hook, but the impact left her hands numb.
Taking advantage of the situation, Zhong Xuanzizhu pointed at her wrist. She hurriedly withdrew her hand, her body momentarily frozen, while the Rakshasa woman's other sword had already slashed down to her waist.
The scorpion demon screamed in agony as her purple robes tore open and her body twisted violently.
A cloud of black smoke exploded, revealing a scorpion the size of a millstone, its entire body purplish-black, its tail hook raised high, and its venomous stinger gleaming coldly.
"You just wait!"
The scorpion demon spoke in a human voice, sharp and venomous.
"When I find the right opportunity, I will avenge this!" Before the words were finished, it plunged into the ground, the soil churning, and disappeared in an instant.
The Rakshasa woman sheathed her sword and did not give chase.
Zhong Xuan put down the purple bamboo and turned to look at the horse-shaped purple fungus in the pond.
The sesame seed has completely transformed into the shape of a galloping horse, with its four hooves in the air, as if it might transform and run away at any moment.
Zhong Xuan asked the green ox, "How do I absorb this Purple Ganoderma lucidum?"
The green ox remained in the form of a stone ox, its mouth opening and closing: "If you know alchemy techniques, you can make good use of this treasure."
Upon hearing this, the Rakshasa woman's face darkened: "If you can't absorb it directly, did you lure us here to trick us into becoming your henchmen?"
Zhong Xuan raised his hand to stop her, then turned to the green ox: "Is it possible that as long as one learns the techniques of alchemy, or applies the thought process, one can use this spiritually vibrant purple Ganoderma lucidum as the main ingredient in a pill and refine it into the body?"
The green ox statue suddenly trembled, regained its flesh and blood body, and laughed three times, the laughter causing the bamboo leaves to fall in a rustling sound.
It looked at the Rakshasa woman: "This is the difference in comprehension. You, little Kun Dao, although you already have the talent of a dragon among men to have cultivated to the current state of Five Qi Gathering, the true comprehension talent is right in front of you."
Rakshasa was not annoyed. She just snorted and said to Zhong Xuan, "You hurry up and find a way to absorb it. I'll keep watch outside the cave." After saying that, she picked up her sword and walked out.
Zhong Xuan stopped her, saying, "Just take it. Why stay here and refine it?"
The Rakshasa woman paused, turned around and explained: "This Purple Ganoderma is extraordinary. Like Zhenyuan Daxian's Ginseng Fruit Tree, each has its own method of picking and consuming it."
"Ginseng fruit falls when it encounters gold, withers when it encounters wood, dissolves when it encounters water, burns when it encounters fire, and enters the soil when it encounters earth. It can only be picked by using a porcelain container padded with silk."
"The same applies to the purple sesame and horse spirit."
"It is rooted in the spiritual soil of the purple bamboo forest. Once it leaves this soil and this environment surrounded by bamboo, its spirituality will dissipate by more than half."
"Only by refining it here on the spot, using the spiritual energy of the Purple Bamboo Forest as a guide, can its medicinal properties be fully absorbed into the body."
The Rakshasa woman finally revealed her true nature: knowledge.
These records are only found in the ancient texts of those major schools and sects.
She paused, then rolled her eyes at Zhong Xuan: "That's why I said I'd keep watch for you, so that the scorpion demon wouldn't turn around and attack, or attract other monsters."
Zhong Xuan nodded and asked no further questions.
The Rakshasa woman turned and strode away, her footsteps fading into the distance. Only Zhong Xuan, the green ox, and the horse-shaped Ganoderma lucidum that quietly emitted a purple light remained in the purple bamboo forest.
The green ox didn't delay any longer and began to recite a mantra.
This is a basic incantation for refining the Three-Turn Golden Elixir, every word of which is inseparable from the principles of yin and yang harmony and the balance of water and fire.
As the incantation was recited, the already pervasive spiritual energy in the purple bamboo forest trembled slightly, and the spiritual light on the bamboo leaves flickered, as if the entire bamboo forest was echoing this fundamental principle of alchemy.
It had planned to ask the boy if he understood after it finished reading.
If you don't understand, quickly ask for guidance. I will answer whatever I know and make sure to help you refine the Purple Ganoderma Spirit before it is fully mature.
Once the horse-shaped Ganoderma develops sentience, it becomes a spirit. At that point, refining it would be tantamount to forcibly refining a life, which would defy the laws of nature.
Before the blue ox could stop chanting and stop shaking its head, its eyes suddenly widened.
The young man sat cross-legged by the pool, reached out and grabbed the horse-shaped purple fungus, swallowed it whole, then sat upright with his eyes closed, his aura contained, and began to refine it directly.
"You're being incredibly bold!"
The green ox's voice suddenly rose in pitch, causing the surrounding purple bamboo to tremble slightly from the sound.
"This Purple Ganoderma Spirit absorbed the life force and spiritual energy of the surrounding hundred miles of earth veins for three thousand years to accumulate into this celestial fruit that is about to become a spirit, and you just swallowed it whole?"
Inside the wooden fish, Zhang Chengming was unleashing the power of the Yin God to resist the lingering waves of powerful spiritual energy emanating from Zhong Xuan.
The spiritual energy surged out in waves, causing the space inside the wooden fish to creak and groan.
He still had time to speak, his words laced with sarcasm.
"Senior Green Ox, you just praised this kid for having a big vase but little water inside?"
Zhang Chengming wanted to see just how much water this reckless kid could possibly hold in his hands.
If it doesn't fit, the vase will probably break.
He deserved to explode and die.
Zhong Xuan had no time to pay attention to the words of the ox and the ghost.
The moment the purple sesame seed entered his stomach, a powerful and almost violent spiritual energy exploded within him, like hundreds of rivers flowing into the sea, like a mountain torrent pouring down.
He focused all his attention on introspection, and the purple light was reflected in the lake of his heart.
It was rampaging through his dantian, trying to find a way to release its pent-up energy.
The spiritual energy of the earth's veins within a hundred miles seemed to sense something and was flowing towards him continuously through the ground beneath his feet.
The concentration of spiritual energy in the purple bamboo forest suddenly increased, and the bamboo stalks moved without wind, emitting a dense rustling sound, as if the entire Aotou Mountain was resonating with it—yet it could not disturb Zhong Xuan in the present moment.
He was sitting upright with his eyes closed, his mind completely immersed in the Tai Xuan Heart Lake Illumination Method.
The moment the purple sesame seed entered his stomach, he used this fundamental skill as a yardstick to measure the sudden storm within his body inch by inch.
In his perception, the human body has always been a sophisticated yet highly flexible system.
Qi will intertwine like silk threads into a net, the five internal organs and six bowels will each be in their proper place, and the circulation of Qi and blood will follow a natural rhythm.
It is also like a logically rigorous and structurally complete article, with every word and sentence following a set pattern, and the introduction, development, transition and conclusion all within the rules.
The essence of this article is nothing more than a piece of information, condensed into a form according to specific organizational rules.
In the laws of spiritual practitioners, it carries an information density far exceeding that of the mortal realm.
But now, this neatly written article has been forcibly crammed into a completely different set of texts.
It was the explosion of the Purple Ganoderma Spirit in his dantian that unleashed not only spiritual energy but also a more fundamental amount of information, causing Zhong Xuan's spirit and body to become restless.
It is a threat to form, and also a threat to God.