C17 Mechanical Qi Training Third Layer

"Why the rush to leave?" Wang Liang, Lee Zhi, and three others stepped out of the car.

Armed with guns, Wang Liang and Lee Zhi looked ready for trouble, while their companions brandished long knives.

"Do you really want to end up sliced in half again, Wang Liang? Move aside!" Chu Xing glared at him, his impatience palpable. He was concerned for his clone, even though it was of no use to him.

"Chu Xing, this time we've brought cultivators with us. You'd do well to just give up!" Lee Zhi taunted.

"Enough talk! Attack, but watch out for his throwing knives," Wang Liang said, barely able to contain his glee at the prospect of vengeance.

"Got it, Young Master Wang. Watch us go!" The three men, knives in hand, charged forward.

Chu Xing quickly sized them up; all were at the Qi Training First Layer and likely skilled in martial arts. "Without my Mechanical Clone, I need to be extra cautious."

Drawing his broken sword, Chu Xing lunged at one of the attackers. The sword clashed with the knife, forcing the man back a step. In a swift move, Chu Xing's sword tip pierced the man's arm, severing it from his body.

Caught off guard, Chu Xing took a knife slash to the back from another assailant.

Fighting with reckless abandon, Chu Xing knew he had to eliminate some of his foes quickly if he was to stand a chance, especially with two gun-wielding adversaries waiting.

The unexpected turn of events shocked Wang Liang and his crew. The man with the severed arm wailed in agony, causing the others to falter.

"I'll double your pay—just kill him!" Wang Liang bellowed.

Spurred by the offer, the remaining two closed in on Chu Xing, albeit with heightened caution.

Chu Xing, ignoring his pain, channeled his spiritual power into a sword slash, simultaneously thrusting the sword tip forward. This time, however, it was parried, and the two assailants pressed in, putting Chu Xing in grave danger.

"These two really have some skill. Wang Liang sure knows how to pick his fighters."

Chu Xing's swordsmanship had significantly improved, but his practice time was limited. Before long, he had accumulated several wounds, with the fiery spiritual energy of his two opponents searing into his flesh. Yet, Chu Xing clenched his teeth and endured.

Beside him, Wang Liang burst into delighted laughter. "Chu Xing, just give up already!"

Lee Zhi chimed in with excitement, "Young Master Wang, let's drag him behind the car later." He was already fantasizing about ways to torment Chu Xing.

"That's a brilliant idea," Wang Liang said, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Chu Xing, however, had a trick up his sleeve. He possessed a Fire Dragon Talisman capable of taking out an opponent unexpectedly. But in the light of day, and with the possibility of killing someone, he was reluctant to resort to such measures.

His only choice was to deploy the turtle shell sooner than planned, a defense against Wang Liang and Lee Zhi's firearms.

Seizing the right moment, Chu Xing used the turtle shell to isolate one attacker, then relentlessly struck at the other with his sword. To his surprise, he sliced through the attacker's saber. Capitalizing on the shock, Chu Xing swung his broken blade and severed the man's arm.

The other assailant ceased his attack, stepping back in fear. Wang Liang, coming to his senses, fired his gun at Chu Xing, and Lee Zhi joined the fray. But Chu Xing deflected their shots with his turtle shell.

The area echoed with the sound of gunfire and the pained howls of the two men on the ground.

Just then, another SUV pulled up. Lin Miaoke and her guards stepped out, taken aback by the scene.

Before she could utter a word, two more cries of agony rang out.

Chu Xing had deftly used his sword to slice off the gun-wielding arms of Wang Liang and Lee Zhi. Everyone has their limits, and while Chu Xing hadn't planned on killing, he wasn't about to leave them unscathed.

Lin Miaoke, witnessing Chu Xing drenched in blood, was struck speechless by the sight.

After sheathing his weapon, Chu Xing quickly bandaged his wounds and prepared to depart.

Lin Miaoke hurried over, her voice tinged with distress. "Chu Xing, I saw Wang Liang following you and feared the worst. I had to follow, but I'm afraid I'm too late."

Chu Xing glanced at her ashen face and gave her a reassuring wink. With a smile, he said, "Don't worry, this isn't on you. Just let Wang Liang know that if there's a next time, he'll lose more than just an arm." With those words, Chu Xing revved up his motorcycle and sped off.

Lin Miaoke's gaze lingered on Chu Xing's retreating silhouette until it blended with the sunset's glow. His smile, as unforgettable as the stunning sunset, was etched in her mind.

Once Chu Xing and his clone regrouped, they sought refuge in a hidden cave. The clone tended to his wounds while Chu Xing practiced his Qi Training technique, the spiritual energy flowing through his meridians, soothing the injury with a growing coolness.

After completing his practice, Chu Xing reflected on the day's skirmishes. It had been a perilous day, with both his main body and clone facing threats. The ordeal underscored the urgency of enhancing his strength, for the future was fraught with uncertainties.

Chu Xing examined the weapon he had seized from Duan Dezhang—a High Rank Yellow Grade sword. However, as he channeled his spiritual energy into it, the blade shattered piece by piece.

Holding the hilt of what was left, Chu Xing muttered in disbelief, "I risked everything for this sword, and it turns out to be a dud, weathered by time. Duan Dezhang must be even more frustrated!"

Next, Chu Xing inspected the storage bag pilfered by his clone. Emblazoned with a mountain peak symbol, it measured nine square meters. Inside, he found a primer on alchemy, a dozen bottles—only one containing spiritual herbs—and a jade box with a Demonic Pill.

The alchemy primer detailed the foundational knowledge of pill-making and provided an overview of common pills and herbs. Alchemy involved cultivators using their controlled spiritual fire or a Heaven and Earth Strange Flame to transform refined herbs into medicinal pills. These pills were categorized into four grades—Heaven, Earth, Profound, Yellow—and three ranks—Low, Normal, Highest Grade.

Alchemists, typically cultivators with fire or a combination of fire and wood attributes, could achieve great success due to the high demand for pills in the cultivation world, granting them esteemed status.

Elder Hsu cautioned that overindulging in medicinal pills could significantly hinder one's progress in cultivation, echoing the adage that all medicine carries an element of poison. He advised Chu Xing not to become overly dependent on such pills and to use them sparingly.

Despite his affinity for fire-attribute spiritual qi, Elder Hsu was dedicated to pursuing the Dao and did not engage in pill refining.

Chu Xing learned from "An Introduction to Medicinal Pills" that the pills in the bottle were Low Rank Yellow Grade Qi Increasing Pills, which were fairly common. They could boost spiritual qi for a brief period, making them ideal for use in battle, but only three remained.

Upon examining two pills he had seized from the pill furnace, Chu Xing discovered they were Middle Rank Yellow Grade Body Tempering Pills, effective in purging bodily impurities and greatly beneficial for body refinement.

Inside the jade box was a Demonic Pill, which Chu Xing identified after meticulous inspection. The pill was about two centimeters in diameter, with a golden surface speckled with earthen yellow patches.

Holding the Demonic Pill, Chu Xing mused, "This is a gold and earth attribute Demonic Pill. Elder Hsu mentioned it could be absorbed directly, which means my Mechanical Clone could enhance its power. Pill refiners usually aim to create medicinal pills, but I'm curious about the extent of power gain from direct absorption."

He also acquired three medicinal herbs, each standing around seventy centimeters tall with robust branches and deeply colored leaves, indicating their considerable age. Chu Xing was unfamiliar with the species, but reasoned, "If the men in black were so desperate to obtain them, these herbs must be extraordinary." With that thought, he carefully stored them in the black ball.

Ignoring the day's exhaustion, Chu Xing, in the dead of night, split his consciousness and began practicing the Profound Heaven and Earth Technique with the Demonic Pill in hand. The golden spiritual qi from the pill surged toward the vortex with vigor.

The Demonic Pill contained the concentrated essence of a Demonic Beast, its spiritual qi already solidified and rich in quantity. Under the influence of the black ball, a torrent of metallic spiritual qi rushed into the clone, whose vortex rapidly spun, absorbing the qi and circulating it throughout the body for refinement.

A considerable amount of Spiritual Qi continued to be drawn into the black ball, which acted like an insatiable void, greedily absorbing not only metallic Spiritual Qi but also that of the earth element.

"The black ball seems capable of absorbing various types of Spiritual Qi. How should I handle the absorption of other attribute Demon Pills in the future? Perhaps they should be placed at the core of the black ball," Chu Xing mused, his suspicions growing clearer.

His mechanical clone was on the verge of advancing to the Qi Training Second Layer. Fueled by an influx of Spiritual Qi, it achieved this milestone in under an hour, with the Demon Pill shrinking only slightly in size.

The Demon Pill wasn't something that could be absorbed quickly. Chu Xing took out a Body Tempering Pill, ready to begin his cultivation. These pills were unremarkable, merely standard fare.

As humans age, their bodies accumulate impurities, unlike the pristine condition of a newborn. Cultivation is a continuous refinement of the body, and the Body Tempering Pill could hasten this process.

After ingesting the pill, Chu Xing commenced his cultivation with the Profound Heaven and Earth Technique. He soon experienced a dull ache in his abdomen. By the next morning, black spots, sticky to the touch, had appeared on his skin. A quick trip to the bathroom resulted in the expulsion of a mass of black waste. A thorough wash later, Chu Xing felt refreshed, his body seemingly lighter.

"Cultivation is not an overnight endeavor. I'll take another Body Tempering Pill in a few days," Chu Xing planned, his attention drawn back to his clone.

The clone, bolstered by the Demon Pill's abundant Spiritual Qi, had reached the Qi Training Third Layer after a night's cultivation. The Demon Pill had dwindled to a tiny speck, soon to vanish entirely.

Having ascended to the Qi Training Third Layer, the clone's internal cyclone expanded, providing an increased supply of spiritual energy. Its body, a Low Rank Yellow Grade magic treasure, showed no significant change.

"Yet, with two levels ascended, my strength is bound to have grown considerably," Chu Xing thought, clenching his fists. He was determined not to find himself in as dire a situation as the day before.