Refining Ruins Cauldron

At that moment, the bell at the outer gate rang.

The ringing of the bell signifies the start of a new workday.

Each of the handyman disciples had their own medicinal herb field to manage, and Gu Qingyun was no exception.

He naturally still had to be present; as long as he remained in the Changsheng Sect, he couldn't escape these rules.

Moreover, he had been missing for three or four days because he was clearing wasteland, and his own medicinal herb field should have been tended to long ago.

The herb garden is crowded and noisy, so Zhao Long probably wouldn't dare to do anything reckless.

Besides, he is not the same person he used to be, and he may not be really afraid of Zhao Long!

Gu Qingyun walked briskly, watering and fertilizing as usual.

Gu Qingyun is not the same as before; his breakthrough in cultivation level has made him much more relaxed.

Even though manipulating the watering pot would quickly exhaust him in the past, now after several pots of water, there was no sign of spiritual energy depletion.

"Gu Qingyun!"

Just then, a familiar yet sinister voice came from afar.

Gu Qingyun instinctively jolted and stopped in her tracks.

Looking back, who else could it be but Zhao Long?

He looked at me with a forced smile, a hint of murderous intent flickering in his eyes.

Having narrowly escaped yesterday, this guy clearly won't let it go.

Gu Qingyun didn't say much, but only mustered up her courage to look at the other person.

His improved cultivation level has given him more confidence when facing Zhao Long, and he is no longer as flustered as before.

The herb garden was crowded and noisy, and there were also senior disciples from the inner sect guarding it, so Zhao Long dared not make a move here.

Zhao Long walked towards Gu Qingyun step by step, his gaze fixed on him.

A moment later, a look of surprise appeared on his face.

"How is this possible? You actually broke through?!"

With just one glance, Zhao Long could see that Gu Qingyun was unusual.

His aura was calm and steady, and his spiritual energy circulation was quite orderly, which was definitely not a state that one could achieve at the first level of Qi Refining.

Gu Qingyun remained noncommittal, clenching his fists.

"The squad leader is overthinking it. I just had a good night's sleep last night, so I feel more energetic today."

Without absolute certainty, Gu Qingyun naturally wouldn't break ties with Zhao Long.

Otherwise, you'll only suffer the consequences.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Long gave Gu Qingyun a deep look, walked over, and patted him heavily on the shoulder.

A stream of spiritual energy flowed into Gu Qingyun's body, but he still couldn't detect anything unusual. Only then did he speak: "Not bad. Take good care of the herb field, and the sect will not treat you unfairly."

Zhao Long's words were loaded with meaning, deliberately emphasizing the word "mistreated," which carried a strong sense of threat.

However, he did not linger and left the herb garden after speaking.

As the leader of the third shift of miscellaneous workers, Zhao Long also had his own things to do, so it would be suspicious if he stayed in the herb garden all the time.

Gu Qingyun watched the other person leave, then stood there, his eyes growing increasingly cold.

Just now, if it weren't for the mysterious and unpredictable "Flowing Qi Refining Technique" that altered the flow of spiritual energy within my body and concealed my aura, I would probably have already been exposed.

Zhao Long showed no intention of letting him go from beginning to end.

As he said, only the dead can truly shut up.

Now that I know so many of his secrets, I need to come up with a plan.

Either make him afraid to lay a hand on you, or make him disappear completely!

Having figured this out, a hint of coldness flashed in Gu Qingyun's eyes.

The path of cultivation is inherently one of survival of the fittest; resources are always reserved for the strong.

If you can't be the hunter, you'll only become the prey.

Gu Qingyun wants to live!

Right now, the most important thing is to improve our strength.

If he has enough power, Zhao Long would have to think twice before he could take action against him!

He made a hand seal and irrigated the last spiritual field, still having a surplus of spiritual energy within his body.

Sure enough, the difference between the third level of Qi Refining and the first level of Qi Refining was like heaven and earth.

……

Next, Gu Qingyun continued to irrigate the medicinal herb garden and tend to the fields as usual, as if nothing had happened.

He moved slowly and methodically, completing each task perfectly.

The surrounding disciples came and went, so it wasn't very lively, but it wasn't so lonely either.

But in the shadows, there was always a pair of eyes watching him.

Gu Qingyun knew that Zhao Long had never truly left, but was secretly hiding in some corner.

It's obvious to anyone with a brain that he's afraid of being exposed while he's alive, and he'd probably take drastic action at the slightest sign of trouble!

As long as he lived, Zhao Long would never have peace of mind!

Gu Qingyun pretended not to know, but he was secretly making plans.

After much thought, Zhao Long realized that the only opportunity he could take action was during his last trip down the mountain to fetch water that night.

It was late at night, and there were few people around. Plus, the journey was remote, so we were always able to find an opportunity.

Once successful, the next day they could simply label themselves as "traitors to the sect."

It kills two birds with one stone, and won't implicate you!

The sect doesn't care about the lives of the outer disciples; countless disciples go missing every year.

The more Gu Qingyun thought about it, the colder she felt inside.

There's no time to lose; we must quickly develop the ability to protect ourselves!

After finishing his work, Gu Qingyun took advantage of a break to find a slightly secluded spot and quickly sat down to regulate his breathing.

From a distance, he looked like he was resting, but in reality, he was repeatedly practicing the Seven Star Sword Technique in his spiritual consciousness, memorizing every incantation and every variation.

The Heavenly Rank Technique truly lives up to its reputation.

Given Gu Qingyun's current cultivation level, it would be almost impossible for him to fully comprehend the Seven Star Sword Manual.

Even the first move is obscure and difficult to understand.

Gu Qingyun read it countless times before he finally grasped even a fraction of its meaning.

Mastering this first move will be enough to deal with Zhao Long!

"First move: A single spark can start a prairie fire."

The sword moves may seem simple, but they contain unparalleled power.

The sword slashed horizontally, its sharp edge accompanied by a strong fire elemental aura.

Even if they are not injured by the sword energy, they will still be defeated by the aggressive fire elemental power.

Once the momentum is established, the enemy can be killed in an instant.

However, this single sword strike was enough to drain most of the spiritual power from his body.

Gu Qingyun only had one chance to make a move. If he failed, he would be like a lamb to the slaughter, powerless to fight back.

Gu Qingyun gritted her teeth, her eyes filled with determination.

He faced death to live, and had no way out!

He quickly circulated his spiritual energy.

Fire-attribute sword techniques naturally require fire spiritual power to activate them; other attribute spiritual power cannot unleash their true power.

However, Gu Qingyun was a mixed spiritual root, possessing all five elements. Although his cultivation speed was slower, it was not entirely impossible for him to even begin.

Combined with the "Flowing Qi Refining Technique", the speed can be increased even further.

This addition and subtraction brought Gu Qingyun's cultivation speed back to a normal level.

The cultivation of "Spark Spreads Like Wildfire" went unexpectedly smoothly, but the spiritual energy in his body quickly ran out.

Gu Qingyun quickly took out a Guiyuan Pill and swallowed it.

The purple aura reappeared, and combined with the medicinal power of the Guiyuan Pill, Gu Qingyun's condition was rapidly restored.

From the current perspective, the purple aura has at least doubled the quality of the Guiyuan Pill.

With his spiritual energy restored, Gu Qingyun did not hesitate any longer and continued cultivating.

You must master this first move completely, without making the slightest mistake!

Otherwise, your life will be in danger!

Despite repeated failures and attempts, Gu Qingyun never gave up.

While practicing the Seven Star Sword Technique, Gu Qingyun also remembered to water the plants, doing both at the same time.

Every time he went down the mountain to fetch water, he could clearly sense that Zhao Long's cold gaze was still hidden in the shadows.

Noon was approaching, and I had less than half the time left...