Chapter 19: Breakthrough, Myriad Manifestations True Man

Ji Ning and the other were constantly refining storage treasures, examining the treasures left behind by the four Wanxiang Adepts they had slain. For cultivators... some important treasures were always carried on their persons! Because only by one's side was safest. Of course, if one died, treasures were meaningless to them, so cultivators still carried many treasures with them.

"All refined." Mu Zishuo let out a sigh of relief.

"Truly each one is quite wealthy." Ji Ning smiled. "Killing a cultivator is far better than killing those Wanxiang monsters."

Although the Wanxiang monsters also relied on formations and occasionally killed cultivators with the help of allies, the treasures they obtained from killing cultivators were usually exchanged for liquid elemental essence or other rare items. After Ji Ning and the other killed the three Wanxiang monsters, they gained very little.

"Bei Hezhou, Xu Manquan, Nong San, and Ji He." Mu Zishuo sighed. "Many of them had great formations of treasures. Bei Hezhou's nine Earth-ranked flying swords... they are probably high-grade Earth-ranked flying swords."

"Mm." Ji Ning nodded. "These fellows are considered formidable among Wanxiang Adepts, and their treasures are extraordinary."

For instance, the first Wanxiang Adept he had killed, Xu Li, carried very ordinary Earth-ranked treasures. Xu Li was merely mediocre among Wanxiang Adepts, while Bei Hezhou and the others were top-tier.

"We have a total of thirty-two Earth-ranked treasures, not counting the Human-ranked ones. These treasures alone are probably worth two to three thousand catties of liquid elemental essence." Mu Zishuo was very excited. "There are also many talismans like the Minor Teleportation Talisman, some formations, elixirs... especially the liquid elemental essence. The four Wanxiang Adepts had a total of eighteen hundred catties! Senior apprentice-brother, you are still at the Zifu Disciple stage, so this liquid elemental essence should go to you. With this, you can probably break through to the early Wanxiang stage. Then your strength will greatly increase."

Ji Ning said, "No rush, junior apprentice-brother. You also need to increase your strength."

"Even if I had eighteen hundred catties of liquid elemental essence, it's hard to say whether I could break through to the late Wanxiang stage." Mu Zishuo shook his head helplessly.

Ji Ning paused, then nodded slightly.

Indeed.

It was hard to say. Every time a cultivator advanced a major realm, their ability to absorb natural elemental energy increased tenfold or even a hundredfold... Similarly, at the Zifu stage, perhaps a thousand catties of liquid elemental essence could allow one to cultivate all the way to the early Wanxiang stage. But from the early Wanxiang stage, one might need tens of thousands of catties to reach the early Primordial Daoist stage!

From the early Primordial Daoist stage, one might need a million catties to reach the early Earth Immortal stage!

Tens of thousands, millions of catties of liquid elemental essence? How absurd?

Thus, even in large sects and clans, outstanding disciples could still afford to use liquid elemental essence for cultivation at the Zifu stage. But once they became Wanxiang Adepts or Primordial Daoists, they had to cultivate slowly. Even the most monstrous geniuses could at most receive generous support from their clans. Being willing to provide tens of thousands of catties of liquid elemental essence was already remarkable.

A million catties of liquid elemental essence?

Even immortals couldn't produce that!

"Senior apprentice-brother, you should break through quickly." Mu Zishuo said, "Once you break through to the early Wanxiang stage, even your rate of refining natural elemental energy will increase dozens of times. Then, cultivating for a year might be equivalent to hundreds or even a thousand catties of liquid elemental essence."

"Alright." Ji Ning nodded. "I'll keep this liquid elemental essence. But all the treasures go to you, junior apprentice-brother."

Mu Zishuo said happily, "Good, good, good. I won't refuse."

The two made a simple division.

All treasures went to junior apprentice-brother Mu Zishuo.

All liquid elemental essence went to Ji Ning.

As for talismans, elixirs, and other items, they split them evenly.

In terms of value, it seemed junior apprentice-brother Mu Zishuo had the advantage, but since they were in Yushan Great Wasteland, these treasures could only be exchanged for liquid elemental essence back at the Red Dragon Mountains. So relatively speaking, Ji Ning had gained somewhat. Ji Ning understood this and silently kept it in mind.

"Ahead is the Yinglong Guard outpost." Ji Ning walked to the side of the ship, looking through the thin mist at the distant below. "After we deliver these human slaves to the outpost, we'll find a place where I can peacefully refine the liquid elemental essence."

"Alright." Mu Zishuo nodded.

...

At the Yinglong Guard outpost in Yushan Great Wasteland, a mountain peak stood proudly, covered with cave dwellings where many Yinglong Guards were stationed.

The dragon-headed warship hovered in midair, approaching the mountain peak.

"Leave immediately." A black-robed old man stepped through the void, appearing directly before the dragon-headed warship, and shouted angrily, "You two are candidates for the Yinglong Guard assessment. You are not allowed to enter the outpost. If you do, you will be considered to have failed the assessment."

Ji Ning and Mu Zishuo immediately bowed respectfully.

Both sensed the old man's aura... It felt similar to some Primordial Daoists at the Black-White College.

"Ji Ning (Mu Zishuo) pays respects to senior." Both spoke respectfully.

"No matter how respectful you are, it's useless. Leave." The black-robed old man waved his hand.

Ji Ning then said, "Senior, we do not intend to enter the outpost. Rather, when my junior apprentice-brother and I were dealing with the Wanxiang monsters, on their monster mountain... we discovered many pitiful humans being raised. So we brought them here, hoping the Yinglong Guard would properly settle them."

The black-robed old man paused, anger flashing in his eyes. "These monsters truly never change their ways."

The old man's gaze toward Ji Ning and the other softened, and he said, "Release those human slaves for me to see."

"Yes." Ji Ning and Mu Zishuo responded.

Immediately, a cabin door opened, and the group of human slaves, who had been eating and drinking in the warm cabin, looked out in fear.

Seeing the human slaves, clad only in bark and leaves, with panic in their eyes, the black-robed old man's expression grew even darker. He sighed softly, "These human slaves... the adults probably have no hope. The children still have some. These humans, treated as food by the monsters, generation after generation, are utterly miserable. Now that they have escaped this calamity, the Yinglong Guard will naturally take good care of them. Leave them to me. You two continue on in Yushan Great Wasteland. When the three months are up, come back."

"Yes." Ji Ning and Mu Zishuo were overjoyed.

Earlier, they had worried that the Yinglong Guard might not care for them. Now it seemed the Yinglong Guard was quite merciful toward these humans raised by monsters.

Soon.

That black-robed Primordial Daoist took all the human slaves away. The child most familiar with Ji Ning and Mu Zishuo, named 'Tie Wa,' kept staring at them, as if trying to remember them completely.

"I wonder what will become of them." Mu Zishuo said softly, his expression complex.

"Each has their own fate." Ji Ning said. "Let's go."

"Mm." Mu Zishuo nodded.

The two then boarded the dragon-headed warship again and quickly left the outpost area, heading deeper into Yushan Great Wasteland.

...

Half a day later, it was completely dark.

Ji Ning and the other chose a desolate mountain with no monsters. Ji Ning used his divine sense to scan the entire mountain, confirming there were no monsters, then they entered a deep cave within the mountain.

Inside the cave, an underground river flowed.

The two set up a great formation for warning, and Mu Zishuo also deployed some puppets and personally stood guard.

"Senior apprentice-brother, just cultivate. Leave everything to me. Not even an ant will crawl in." Mu Zishuo grinned.

"Troubling you, junior apprentice-brother." Ji Ning smiled.

Then, without further thought, he sat cross-legged on a rock that had been smoothed by the Northriver Sword. Before him was a jade bottle containing the liquid elemental essence from the four Wanxiang Adepts, a total of eighteen hundred catties.

"Whoosh!"

Ji Ning opened his mouth, and the liquid elemental essence, like fine wine, flew directly into his mouth.

Inside his body, the Zifu space began a frenzied refinement. The entire Zifu sea... rotated slightly, as a steady stream of pure elemental power surged from the source at the bottom of the sea. The Zifu sea expanded in all directions, continuously encroaching upon the void.

One hundred catties, three hundred catties, five hundred catties... six hundred catties!

Ji Ning continued refining.

"Mm? Back at the Black-White College, I had already refined eight hundred and eighty catties of liquid elemental essence. Then I cultivated for over three more years, which was roughly equivalent to another one or two hundred catties. So my internal elemental power was about a thousand catties." Ji Ning pondered. "Now I've refined another six hundred catties, yet I still haven't reached the limit."

"Let's see."

"I want to see just how far my Zifu sea can expand." Without hesitation, Ji Ning continued refining the liquid elemental essence, causing his Zifu sea to expand and encroach upon the surrounding void, growing larger and larger, while the entire Zifu space became more solid.

Seven hundred catties, eight hundred catties, nine hundred...

"My master once guessed that I would need between sixteen hundred and two thousand catties. But now I've already... uh, two thousand catties." Ji Ning counted his previous Zifu sea as a thousand catties, and now he had refined another thousand. Yet he still hadn't felt the limit.

"Come on."

"Continue."

Gradually, the expansion of the Zifu sea slowed, becoming difficult, as the surrounding void generated tremendous resistance, hindering further expansion.

Rumble~~~

With a tremor throughout the Zifu space, the Zifu sea could no longer expand at all. The entire Zifu space was now extremely solid.

Ji Ning understood that his Zifu sea had finally reached its limit.

Counting his previous accumulation and this refinement... it was a full two thousand five hundred catties of liquid elemental essence!

"Regardless, my Zifu Disciple stage is truly complete." Ji Ning thought silently. "Now I can break through to the early Wanxiang stage." In fact, he could have broken through over three years ago, but that would have left an unstable foundation. Ji Ning was ambitious, so he had waited until now.

In his mind, Ji Ning recalled the incantations for breaking through to the Wanxiang stage from the 'Water Source Manual'...

With a thought.

Immediately, the entire Zifu sea began a dramatic transformation...

...