One year later, Lǐ Qiūyè successfully cultivated this cultivation method to minor accomplishment.
Not only that, but the magic power within his body had also been meticulously refined and was quite substantial.
This morning, Lǐ Qiūyè left the sect's mountain gate and headed towards the Mòlíng Mountain Range to the north.
His plan was to first travel and explore the Mòlíng Mountain Range, which was less dangerous, and then proceed to the Spirit Beast Mountain Range.
Lǐ Qiūyè was not in a hurry. Having finally found some leisure time, he naturally wanted to properly appreciate the beautiful scenery of the mountains.
For this reason, he intentionally did not use spiritual energy to travel, walking the entire way on foot through the mountains and rivers.
If he got tired along the way, he would find a cave to rest; if he was thirsty, he would drink the dew from the leaves.
The journey was quite pleasant.
Thus, after walking for more than half a month, a continuous range of mountains appeared in Lǐ Qiūyè's sight.
Lǐ Qiūyè stopped and gazed. This was his first time visiting the Mòlíng Mountain Range, and seeing such a spectacle, he couldn't help but sigh repeatedly.
As the Mòlíng Mountain Range was a territory of the demonic race, cultivators rarely appeared here anymore.
Lǐ Qiūyè entered the mountain range. Along the way, he saw almost no human figures, though occasionally he would see groups of rogue cultivators.
But upon seeing Lǐ Qiūyè, they hastily detoured, glancing back at him warily as they walked, as if mice spotting a cat.
Lǐ Qiūyè was used to this. Some rogue cultivators with lower cultivation levels would often choose to team up to search for treasures in the Mòlíng Mountain Range.
He observed that the highest cultivation level among them was only fourth layer of Qi Refining. Seeing him, a cultivator at Qi Refining Layer 5, they naturally had to be careful to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Lǐ Qiūyè gave a wry smile, shook his head, and continued forward.
After walking for some time, Lǐ Qiūyè saw that it was getting late and decided to find a place to stay.
He scanned his surroundings, and his gaze finally settled on a cave atop a steep cliff.
This cave was the nest of a low-grade Iron Claw Lizard. Lǐ Qiūyè saw that the beast's cultivation was not high, so after driving it away, he occupied the cave.
After being driven out, the Iron Claw Lizard lingered around its nest for a while before reluctantly leaving.
For several days, Lǐ Qiūyè had been wandering in this area. He hadn't found any spiritual items, but he had been incessantly pestered by a group of low-level demonic beasts.
One day, after Lǐ Qiūyè had just slain a low-grade Spirit Feather Chicken, he returned to the cave where he was temporarily staying. After setting up an alert talisman at the cave entrance, he plucked the Spirit Feather Chicken's feathers and placed it on the campfire to roast.
He sat quietly by the campfire, waiting for the Spirit Feather Chicken to cook.
Lǐ Qiūyè planned to head into the depths of the mountain range after tonight to try his luck.
In the outer areas, any place that could produce spiritual items had already been thoroughly scavenged by cultivators. Moreover, any demonic beast with a bit of strength would not be willing to stay in the outer regions.
Although there were many demonic beasts in the depths of the mountain range, Lǐ Qiūyè was confident that with the help of spirit talismans, he could escape as long as they were not Level 2 demonic beasts.
Just as he was lost in thought, a burnt smell wafted into his nostrils.
"Damn! It's burnt!"
Lǐ Qiūyè suddenly snapped back to reality, quickly picked up the burnt Spirit Feather Chicken, removed the burnt parts, and after a simple taste, his eyes suddenly lit up.
"Hmm~ Who said this chicken is burnt! This chicken is amazing!"
...
The next morning, Lǐ Qiūyè left the cave and traveled thirty kilometers through the dense forest.
Ahead of him lay a bottomless pool, surrounded by rocky cliffs, with a waterfall cascading into the pool.
Lǐ Qiūyè stood on a large rock by the pool, gazing up at the sky.
He was now deep within the Mòlíng Mountain Range and intended to rest here for a bit.
But just then, bubbles suddenly appeared in the middle of the pool.
Lǐ Qiūyè looked down and saw a huge head emerging from the water.
Its emerald green eyes stared intently at Lǐ Qiūyè above, as if considering him an intruder and prey.
With a "boom" sound, the water churned, and a massive body leaped out of the water, then plunged down from mid-air.
The beast had moss-green skin, with numerous large and small pustules covering its back. It was unmistakably a toad as large as a water buffalo.
"Azure Phantom Toad!"
Upon recognizing the beast, Lǐ Qiūyè shouted and instantly leaped several hundred meters away, drawing the Wind Spirit Blade and holding it defensively.
The Azure Phantom Toad was no simple creature. Although it was only a Tier 1 Mid-grade Demonic Beast, the pustules on its back contained potent venom. Once it made contact, the toxin would corrode the spiritual energy in the dantian through the meridians, rendering a cultivator unable to use magic power for a short time.
The Azure Phantom Toad, seeing Lǐ Qiūyè retreat, had no intention of letting him go.
It opened its wide mouth, and a long tongue shot out.
Lǐ Qiūyè's expression turned grave. If that tongue ensnared him, he would likely be swallowed whole.
At that point, no matter how much he struggled, he wouldn't be able to escape, becoming merely a delicacy in the beast's maw.
To be safe, he applied a Swiftness Talisman to himself.
The moment the tongue shot out, empowered by the Swiftness Talisman, he easily dodged to the side.
He then swung his sword, pinning the beast's tongue to the ground.
The Azure Phantom Toad cried out in pain as it tried to retract its tongue, the stinging sensation on its tip causing it to emit roars.
However, the beast was decisive. With a strong pull, it yanked its tongue back, letting it dangle by its mouth like a snake's.
Lǐ Qiūyè found this amusing. He gathered a ball of azure light in his palm and used the Fire Spirit Art. Instantly, searing flames surged from his palm, engulfing the Azure Phantom Toad.
Seeing this, Lǐ Qiūyè was overjoyed. A flash of light from his waist revealed a mid-grade explosion talisman between his fingers. He was about to deliver the final blow to the Azure Phantom Toad.
Just then, a "sizzling" sound came from within the flames.
The next moment, the fire began to extinguish at a visible rate.
"Bang!"
With an explosion, the Azure Phantom Toad broke free from the flame restraint. The pustules on its back began to ooze green poisonous liquid. It was precisely this venom that had corroded and extinguished the remaining flames.
"This is bad! The Azure Phantom Toad's venom can corrode spiritual energy. How could I forget this?" Lǐ Qiūyè lamented.
After breaking free, the Azure Phantom Toad's eyes were filled with rage. Its massive body pressed down, and its cheek pouches began to contract.
Seeing that the situation was not right, Lǐ Qiūyè realized the beast was brewing something.
He immediately channeled magic power into the Wind Spirit Blade and then struck the hilt with his palm.
The Wind Spirit Blade shot out like lightning, forming an afterimage, aiming directly for the Azure Phantom Toad's head.
However, just as Lǐ Qiūyè thought the beast was surely doomed.
The Azure Phantom Toad opened its mouth wide, its aura suddenly surging. A shocking sound wave erupted from its mouth, causing the entire forest to tremble.
Under the impact of the sonic wave, the Wind Spirit Blade vibrated uncontrollably. After holding on for a moment, it was vibrated into the air and disappeared, its whereabouts unknown.
Lǐ Qiūyè himself was sent flying dozens of meters before finally stopping after crashing into a large boulder.
Lǐ Qiūyè grunted, and a mouthful of fresh blood slid down the corner of his mouth.
He placed one hand on the ground, the other clutching his chest, and slowly stood up.
"So strong!"