Chapter 127: You Need to Know Better

Gu Changqing had applied medicinal paste to his limbs and consumed various remedies, which included pain-relieving properties, causing the agony in his body to nearly vanish. In the wounded areas of his limbs, he felt a cooling sensation followed by an itch.

After sending Li Youling away, Gu Changqing closed his eyes and immersed his consciousness within his acupoints, continuing to visualize the deity of the neck marrow, Mo Gai. Although he had previously manifested its physical form, it was merely functional. As he continued to refine it, the ability of the deity Mo Gai to suppress and control the Blood Prison would gradually increase, and even the number of souls he could command would rise.

In truth, visualizing the twenty-four deities within the body was the most time-consuming aspect of this "Flesh and Blood Divinity Refining Method." As the name of the technique suggested, the focus was indeed on this "Divinity."

While visualizing, Gu Changqing noticed that his progress had accelerated significantly. The willpower he had devoured from the two eight-armed, two-faced Bodhisattvas had clearly been effective; a thin black border had begun to appear along the edges of the blood-colored robes worn by the neck marrow deity.

After an unknown amount of time, Gu Changqing felt the speed of his visualization slow down again. On the handle of the bone whisk held by the neck marrow deity, a faint, subtle spiritual radiance began to shimmer.

Gu Changqing opened his eyes, and a river of blood surged from his palm. The neck marrow deity sat cross-legged atop it, and indeed, the edges of its robes featured a black border, while the bone whisk handle emitted a faint luster.

"Just as I thought!" With a flicker of thought, countless streams of blood coalesced into a physical body, and the face of Weng Ping emerged upon it. Immediately after, another body formed upon the river of blood; its clothing was of a style from a different world, and it held a sword. Its face was somewhat unfamiliar. Gu Changqing did not even remember what the man looked like, yet he knew his identity: Fu Yi.

A disciple of the Sword Master of the Qi Dynasty, a Level Six Awakened, equivalent to a cultivator at the eighth or ninth level of Qi Refining. In reality, a Level Six Awakened was slightly weaker in combat power than a cultivator at the eighth or ninth level of Qi Refining, particularly lacking the protective methods of the latter. Beyond talismans and magical artifacts, many Qi Refining cultivators specialized in protective spiritual light, which was quite formidable. Furthermore, in terms of offensive methods, the Awakened were relatively limited.

However, as blood-constructs summoned from the Blood Prison, they feared neither life nor death, so there was naturally no need to worry about defensive techniques. While their offensive methods were singular, the Blood Prison itself was fluid and versatile. With the addition of this new blood-construct, Gu Changqing’s strength had increased once more.

Gu Changqing felt quite pleased, but his current priority was Foundation Establishment. Other cultivators required Foundation Establishment pills for assistance—pills that were incredibly hard to come by and only served to increase the success rate. However, for those practicing the "Flesh and Blood Divinity Refining Method," such things were unnecessary. His spiritual power and blood essence had long since reached their peak, so this was not an obstacle.

During Foundation Establishment, one opens oneself, connecting the soul's consciousness to the heavens and earth; subsequently, the spiritual energy of the world enters the body, and both the physical form and the soul undergo a transformation. To use an analogy, Qi Refining is like being offline, where performing techniques only utilizes one's own spiritual energy. Foundation Establishment is opening oneself up and connecting to the network of heaven and earth. When using techniques, one can then channel the spiritual energy of the world, greatly increasing their power, while the soul's consciousness evolves into Divine Sense, which can be projected outward.

The greatest hurdle for Gu Changqing during Foundation Establishment would be the backlash of the souls within the Blood Prison. This was why he had fought desperately to tear a piece off those two eight-armed, two-faced Bodhisattvas, and why he had immediately focused on visualizing and upgrading the neck marrow deity upon returning to heal. This would make his Foundation Establishment much easier, though he still needed to prepare two items to protect his soul's consciousness.

Gu Changqing sat up from his cot. Although his limbs still ached slightly, it did not hinder his movement. He pushed the door open to find Li Youling napping at the stone table, where several jars were placed. Hearing the sound, Li Youling rubbed her eyes; seeing Gu Changqing, she rose and bowed gracefully, joyfully saying, "Young Master, you are awake! How are you feeling?"

"Nothing major."

"That’s a relief! I was scared to death seeing you like that two days ago!" Li Youling said, patting her modest chest.

"Two days already?" Gu Changqing asked, sitting at the table.

"It will be two days in a few hours... Oh dear, the food has gone cold. Let me go heat it up! Young Master, wait a moment!" Li Youling opened a jar, exclaimed in surprise, and hurried away with the jars to heat them.

By the time Gu Changqing finished his meal, nearly an hour had passed. He had consumed a jar of monster meat and three bowls of spiritual rice, and he felt a surge of warmth in his stomach, which was quite comfortable.

Seeing Gu Changqing walk to the door, Li Youling asked, "Young Master, are you going out? Do you need me to accompany you?"

Gu Changqing knew immediately that she was feeling stifled in the cave dwelling and wanted to seize the chance to walk with him. He didn't mind, so he beckoned her to follow and headed outside. Li Youling’s face lit up, and she followed behind with light steps.

They hadn't gone far down the mountain when a cultivator emerged from a nearby cave. The man froze upon seeing Gu Changqing, recalling a certain rumor. This must be the person who had seized Weng Ping’s cave; afterwards, it seemed some others had designs on him, only to disappear entirely. After all, when over a dozen people go missing for several days, it is impossible for no one to notice. Especially since the two sides had just been in conflict. Therefore, some cultivators had already formed their own speculations in private.

The cultivator knew this, and as thoughts raced through his mind, he nodded slightly at Gu Changqing as a greeting. However, Gu Changqing appeared beside him in an instant, his five fingers slightly curved, and he struck down at the man's head. It felt as if a great cauldron had descended from the heavens to suppress the mountains and rivers.

This strike from Gu Changqing was not the "Break" fist intent from before, but "Suppress"! A fist intent to suppress mountains and rivers, to suppress the world, to suppress all enemies. The previous "Break" fist intent had required much practice before he found the path to use it against others. But this time, without even thinking, he raised his hand to suppress the opponent.

The man was terrified by this move; he never expected his opponent to strike without a word, and his figure retreated toward the cave like a phantom.

"If you dare to run, I will beat you every time I see you! Let’s see if I can beat you to death!" Gu Changqing said with a ferocious grin, causing the cultivator to pause for a moment. In that moment of hesitation, Gu Changqing’s fingers had already reached the top of his head. The man felt completely overwhelmed by the opponent’s momentum, as if he had no power to resist.

"Fellow Daoist, what is the meaning of this?" he cried out in horror, simultaneously flashing a blue light as he ignited a mid-grade Azure Wood Profound Light talisman.

*Bang!*

Gu Changqing’s blood energy was immensely powerful; even while injured, he shattered the spiritual light of the Azure Wood Profound Light talisman with a single blow. His palm paused for a fraction of a second before descending again. The man only had time to block upward with both hands. With a *crack*, his hands were broken by Gu Changqing, and he was driven into the ground.

Then, Gu Changqing slapped the top of his head, scaring the man until he was deathly pale. However, Gu Changqing had already used most of his force breaking the talisman and shattering the man's arms, and he intentionally withheld his strength, merely tapping the man on the head.

"Do you understand now?" Gu Changqing asked.

"Li Changhai will follow your lead from now on, Senior Brother!" The cultivator felt as if he had just been granted his life, his heart nearly leaping out of his throat. A flash of insight struck him, and he bowed to Gu Changqing.

"Who the hell do you think you are, nodding at me?" Gu Changqing cursed, then added, "Consider yourself smart."

He reached out his hand, and Li Changhai, catching the hint, took out his storage pouch and handed over a bag containing more than a hundred spirit stones, wincing as he said, "This is a gift for you, Senior Brother!" These hundred-plus spirit stones were something he would have to struggle through months of dangerous tasks to save. The cultivators below who farmed spiritual fields and herbs only earned about eighty spirit stones a year.

"You’ll live longer this way," Gu Changqing remarked, finding the fellow teachable.

He ignored the man and walked downward, looking at his own palm, recalling the feeling of suppressing his opponent with that single strike.

He arrived at a lower cave and kicked the protective barrier outside. After kicking three caves in a row, someone finally asked, "May I ask which Senior Brother this is?"

"Come out! Practice your fists with me!" Gu Changqing said menacingly.

"Senior Brother, I am severely injured; it is not that I am unwilling, but that I cannot," the person coughed a few times, clearly having sensed the trouble and seeking a way to decline.

"Severely injured, are you? Next time I see you outside the mountain, I’ll beat you to death!" Gu Changqing sneered.

"Could it be Senior Brother Gu?" The person in the cave turned the thought over in his mind and settled on one name. Although the cultivators on Spirit Vulture Peak were combative, there were few so ferocious; thinking it over, it had to be Gu Changqing, who had recently arrived on the mountain.

"Know it's me and you still won't come out?" Gu Changqing sneered.

"Senior Brother, why be so aggressive? Fine, I shall risk my life to keep you company!" With a bitter expression, the person walked out of the cave, and Gu Changqing struck without a word. Seeing the palm descend, the person’s expression changed drastically, his figure retreating, only to hear Gu Changqing’s voice: "Come, take this blow, or I will beat you to death sooner or later!"

The cultivator had no choice but to step out again with a bitter face, drawing his sword and pointing it diagonally at the descending palm, hoping to force Gu Changqing to change his move. But when Gu Changqing’s palm struck the blade, he changed the palm into a claw, grabbed the sword, and twisted it, causing the man to lose his grip on the hilt.

Immediately following, another palm was raised and brought down, truly like a great cauldron of mountains and rivers suppressing him. The cultivator’s body had just twisted when he recalled Gu Changqing’s words. Gritting his teeth, he stood his ground and thrust both fists upward; a ferocious, glaring tiger seemed to charge out, extremely mighty.

However, as soon as it met Gu Changqing’s palm, the cultivator felt a terrifying force transmit from the opponent’s hand, pinning him into the ground. That force permeated his entire body, causing his joints to pop and his whole frame to go numb and weak, rendering him unable to muster any strength. He was terrified; what kind of strength did the opponent have to render him immobile with a single blow?

"Understand now?" Gu Changqing asked directly.

"Senior Brother, what exactly do you mean?" He had no idea what Gu Changqing was talking about, so he asked, bracing himself. He then saw Gu Changqing expressionlessly raise his hand, ready to strike again.

"Senior Brother, wait! Let me think!" Terrified, he shouted, sweat pouring down his face. He looked left and right in anxiety and saw a cultivator in the distance peeking out, shaking a storage pouch. He finally understood.

He scrambled to pull himself out of the ground, gritted his teeth, and took out a box from his storage pouch, saying with a pained expression, "This Full Moon Flower was obtained by chance; please accept it as a gift, Senior Brother."

"You understand a little now, but not enough!" Gu Changqing said.

The man gritted his teeth and pulled out another box: "This box of Nether Soil can increase the power of magical artifacts; please accept this as well as a gift."

Gu Changqing stared at him for a moment, then nodded and turned toward the next cave. Li Youling stepped forward, took the two boxes, and flashed a gentle smile at the man.

From the top of the mountain down to the mountainside, the cultivators of Spirit Vulture Peak had all become much more "sensible." Gu Changqing felt he had gained significant insight into the word "Suppress," and subsequently arrived at the Pavilion of Treasures: "Do you have any rare treasures for protecting the soul's consciousness?"

Li Youling’s storage pouch had grown considerably heavier.