Tumor Sword Immortal

Chapter 356 Qinzhou's Local Energy
The two elements of water and fire, in the great battle atop the Zhen Gu, unleashed a power no less formidable than that of the Returning to Emptiness Realm.

However, without the help of the ancestral fire vein and the ocean essence, the Five Virtues themselves do not possess such exaggerated strength.

Pei Xia wasn't so greedy as to want to retain that powerful water and fire energy.

However, now that we have escaped the influence of the Calamity Pig, regaining our Five Virtues in a normal way is a good way to enhance our strength.

Unfortunately, there was something strange about the spiritual sea in Qinzhou, and he really couldn't find any clues.

The three of them packed up quickly and, before it got dark, continued their journey eastward for more than ten miles.

Qinzhou was originally a vast prefecture with diverse local customs and unique scenery.

But now, if you walk for miles, you'll see almost the same desolate landscape.

Apart from the occasional wild forest, the land is barren everywhere. Even though it had rained not long ago, the soil still has a grayish-white texture that looks like it has died.

On the vast wasteland, apart from the withered yellow weeds, one can occasionally see only sporadic buds emerging from the ground.

There were also scattered bones.

Pei Xia and her group were lucky; they found a relatively dry cave before nightfall.

This place may have originally been the lair of some ferocious beast, but the fishy smell has disappeared, indicating that the beast must have been eaten long ago.

Scattered throughout the cave were some dry grasses left behind at some unknown time, and in one corner lay piles of bones that felt both familiar and strange.

It seems that those who eat wild animals are probably eaten as well.

Fortunately, there was also a ceramic pot inside.

Pei Xia instructed Feng Yao to take the jar, collect some tiles to wash, and then light a fire in the cave. Once the water boiled, Jiang Shu saw Pei Xia take out two jade ginseng roots, slice them, and start cooking. She then pulled out a handful of plump rice grains from somewhere and sprinkled them into the jar.

Even more outrageous is that Pei Xia even has salt—ever since she suffered a loss in the underground palace, Pei Xia has always kept these seasonings in her jade pendant.

It's funny, really. This porridge made with jade ginseng from the Lingguan Temple is probably very expensive even in other states, but it's the only thing we can eat in this cave in Qinzhou.

The ginseng porridge gradually released its aroma.

Pei Xia took a piece of tile and filled it with water. Just as she was about to call Jiang Shu and Feng Yao over, she suddenly heard a faint sound.

Along the way, apart from birds, Pei Xia Ke had hardly seen any decent animals.

He looked up, and the firelight illuminated the outside of the cave, gradually outlining the silhouette of a human figure.

A young man with long, flowing hair and fair skin.

He may have been drawn here by the light or the smell of food.

But as he got closer, he stopped and his gaze swept over Pei Xia and the other two. When he saw Jiang Shu, his pupils seemed to shrink slightly.

Jiang Shu didn't notice, but he still habitually tensed up, ready to strike.

Qinzhou is a very jungle-like place. Only here can you understand what it means to "encounter a wild beast called a human in the wild".

The three beasts locked eyes, and for a few breaths, the only sound in the dark cave was the bubbling of rice porridge.

Finally, Pei Xia smiled and said, "Come and sit down."

The young man paused for a moment, then laughed, "I have some dried horse meat here, which is perfect for cooking together."

He came in, sat down by the fire as before, and then actually took out a cloth bag and pulled out some dried meat from it.

Instead of throwing it into the earthenware jar, he handed it to Pei Xia first.

Pei Xia understood what he meant; he wanted him to confirm the "type of meat".

Pei Xia had no knowledge of the mysterious meat, so she could only put it into the earthenware jar after Jiang Shu confirmed it.

Both jade ginseng and spirit plants are spiritual plants, but they are not very flavorful when cooked in soup without meat and oil. However, when horse meat is added, a mouthwatering aroma soon wafts out.

The entire meal exuded an eerie harmony.

Needless to say, Feng Yao was fine. Pei Xia and the long-haired man ate together very naturally. Only Jiang Shu, who was unaware of what was going on, was very nervous and rarely took her eyes off the man.

After they finished eating, the other party offered to help Pei Xia and the others clean the jars.

Watching his departing figure, Jiang Shucai asked Pei Xia, "How can you be so sure he won't eat people?"

“I wouldn’t say I’m sure,” Pei Xia picked up a blade of grass from the ground, wiped it on her clothes, and put it in her mouth. “Although it’s very faint, there are traces of spiritual energy on him.”

In Qinzhou, there are only alchemists and military strategists. Military strategists don't cultivate the spiritual sea, while alchemists' cultivation is entirely within their flesh and blood, allowing them to sense spiritual energy. Therefore, this person is most likely not a native of Qinzhou. Jiang Shu frowned: "An intermediary?"

Pei Xia shrugged: "I'll just ask him later."

The local Qin people, apart from the warlords, do not seem to be resistant to Guo Han. If it is true, the other party should not care too much about their identity being exposed.

But when the long-haired man returned and heard Pei Xia ask about it, he couldn't help but chuckle.

He shook his head and introduced himself: "My surname is Qu, Qu Ying. I am indeed a warrior, but I am also a Qin person."

Jiang Shu blinked, momentarily stunned.

But Pei Xia quickly understood his meaning: "Were you taken out of Qin Prefecture by Guo Han?"

Qu Ying nodded, lifted the hem of her clothes, and sat down not far from Pei Xia: "I was lucky enough to be sold to a cultivation sect in Zhenhai Prefecture. I started learning martial arts and have made some progress."

Pei Xia confirmed once again that although the traces of spiritual energy on his body were weak, they were continuous and could not be maintained by taking pills like he did.

A thought flickered in his mind: "The Opening Realm?"

Qu Ying smiled somewhat embarrassedly: "Yes."

If the inner cauldron is shattered and the spiritual palace is opened, then spiritual power will naturally form a source within the body, endlessly regenerating.

Even though they are also restricted by Qin Prefecture and their spiritual power cannot be stored for long, as long as they have a spiritual palace, it is like having a spring that can maintain their spiritual power at an extremely low level and keep it there.

Pei Xia sized up Qu Ying's face and appearance. Judging from his appearance, he was probably around twenty years old and had been cultivating for at most ten years. To have reached the Open Mansion Realm was quite remarkable.

"Someone like you has a bright future in a sect in another state."

Qu Ying waved his hand and laughed at himself, "What talent do I have? I just got a head start because of the local resources of Qinzhou. After the influence of my hometown dissipated, I'm just an ordinary person. I've been stuck in the Kaifu realm for three or four years and haven't made any progress."

Not only did they not talk about it, but when they mentioned that they had been lingering for three or four years, Pei Xia's eyes widened even more.

Does that mean that this kid already had his own residence when he was sixteen or seventeen?

He noticed something special in Qu Ying's words: "The earth's energy is..."

Qu Ying looked at him with some surprise: "You didn't know?"

When Pei Xia mentioned calling him "Guo Han," Qu Ying thought he knew him well.

After carefully considering his words, he slowly explained, "Since the Dragon Cauldron shattered in Qinzhou, the land has undergone tremendous changes, and the spiritual sea has retreated. At the same time, it has also brought other blessings. The people of Qin all have a kind of earth energy in their bodies. As they grow older, this earth energy will gradually integrate into their flesh and blood, making them more powerful in the Qin region."

“When a child is young, this earth energy is at its most concentrated. If used to cultivate spiritual power and martial arts, the progress will be twice as fast and the results will be twice as good. Of course, there is a contradiction in this.” Qu Ying smiled wryly.

Pei Xia nodded. Qinzhou was a place devoid of spiritual energy, making it impossible to cultivate martial arts.

However, if one leaves Qinzhou before the earth's energy permeates one's flesh and blood, according to Qu Ying's earlier words, the earth's energy will quickly dissipate.

No wonder those martial arts sects always commission Guo Han to find Qin Zhou fresh fruits with suitable aptitude. These Qin children are timid and docile, yet they start very quickly. With the support of the earth's energy, their foundation can't be bad.

Qu Ying sighed: "No matter what, the fact that Qinzhou is still Qinzhou of the Qin people today is thanks to the blessing of the land. Otherwise, how could those warlords who fight their own battles have intimidated the Ling and Yi people?"

Qinzhou has a vast territory. When the old state existed, it was the second most powerful country in the Nine Provinces after Da Ling and Bei Yi. It was rich in resources, had a large population, and also had the convenience of maritime transport from Dongzhou.

This land was plagued by frequent wars and divided among warlords, and the people were so impoverished that they resorted to cannibalism and longed for the help of the Han dynasty.

Given the national strength of Da Ling and the Northern Barbarians, if they so desired, their military might would be as overwhelming as a tiger, and the people would wholeheartedly welcome them.

But the truth is, they can only wage proxy wars behind the scenes.

Judging from Qu Ying's words, even a powerful force like Ling and the Northern Barbarians could not defeat the Qin people on the battlefield in Qinzhou.

No wonder General Qinzhou could lock himself in a room and beat his brains out.

Pei Xia had only a vague understanding of these things before, and even Jiang Shu, a true Qin native, listened with wide eyes.

Having lived this long, he never knew that he had so-called "earth energy" in his body.

"Then, since you are not a Guo Han, why did you come back to Qin Prefecture..." Pei Xia asked.

Qu Ying hesitated for a moment, then reached out and touched the red rope around her neck. Following the rope, she pulled out an exquisite jade carving from her chest.

Upon seeing the jade carving, Jiang Shu's eyes visibly narrowed.

Qu Ying made no attempt to hide his true feelings, frankly stating, "I am a man of broken jade, and this journey eastward is to head to the two rivers and overthrow Jiangcheng Mountain."

(End of this chapter)