Data Cultivation System

Chapter 10: Hundred-Year-Old Lingzhi

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

It was still by the small lake where Zhuge Xiang stood. He slightly lowered his body, resembling a poised cheetah ready to pounce. His limbs were bent, and his muscles bulged, displaying a tense and explosive posture.

The flow of blood essence quickened, causing the Qi within his body to surge. Zhuge Xiang could distinctly hear his heartbeat accelerating, as if it were on the verge of leaping out of his chest. His heart’s blood production function hastened, replenishing the oxygen and blood essence required by his body.

The Blood Lightning Slash represented the culmination of all the energy within him, erupting from a single focal point. In this moment, the explosive power sustained the circulation of the Blood Lightning Slash’s Qi. Zhuge Xiang intensely focused on delving into the profundity of the technique.

With each accumulation of strength, the Qi within Zhuge Xiang’s body grew denser and denser. When it reached a critical threshold, his body seemed unable to bear the burden. He raised his palm and morphed it into a knife-like shape. Simultaneously, Zhuge Xiang propelled himself forward with a leg kick, transforming into a swift shadow as he ferociously slashed out with his palm knife.

Faint sounds of wind and thunder could be vaguely heard. A blood-red light flashed at the edge of his palm, as the palm blade sliced through the air’s barrier. Its formidable power exerted an oppressive force, capable of cleaving even a tree trunk as thick as a bowl.

After executing the palm strike, Zhuge Xiang’s aura diminished, and the surging blood and Qi gradually subsided. The striking power of the Blood Lightning Slash was undeniable. Combined with its high-speed surprise attack, once it landed on the target, it pierced through like a sharply penetrating arrow.

A week had passed, leaving five days until the assessment. Zhuge Xiang was uncertain if he had successfully cultivated the Blood Lightning Slash. With sufficient accumulation of strength, he could barely unleash a trace of its power. He should have grasped the technique, but executing the Blood Lightning Slash required ten breaths’ worth of accumulated strength. In a real battle, who would afford him the time to accumulate that much strength?

Furthermore, despite the Blood Lightning Slash boasting the strongest attack power among the martial arts in the library, it consumed a substantial amount of Qi. Given Zhuge Xiang’s recent comprehension of Qi, he would deplete half of his Qi reserves after using the technique.

Taking a deep breath, Zhuge Xiang exhaled unsteadily. His gaze shifted towards Lu Yuling, who gracefully danced by the lake. In her hands, she grew increasingly adept at the Clear Wave Palm. Her movements flowed smoothly, resembling a celestial steed—effortless and elegant.

However, Zhuge Xiang understood the hidden danger concealed within this beautiful form. When the Clear Wave Palm was executed, it wove an invisible web like spider silk. Once ensnared within its aura, escape became arduous, akin to moths trapped in a spider’s web.

“Your Blood Lightning Slash can be considered successfully cultivated. However, due to Qi limitations, it requires an excessive amount of time to gather Qi,” Lu Yuling remarked after completing her set of Clear Wave Palm. Her composed tone revealed her attentiveness towards Zhuge Xiang’s cultivation of the Blood Lightning Slash.

Although Lu Yuling and Zhuge Xiang had exchanged few words in the past, the disparity between a disciple who had comprehended Qi and one who hadn’t was immense. It was akin to the difference between heaven and earth, or even two separate worlds. Subconsciously, both parties were aware of this distinction, even if they did not pay much attention to it.

However, since Zhuge Xiang had attained Qi Force, their interaction had noticeably increased. They engaged in more frequent conversations, at the very least. Despite Zhuge Xiang’s cultivation level being slightly lower than Lu Yuling’s, they were both disciples who had comprehended Qi Force. As such, they were qualified to regard each other as equals.

“Yes, that seems to be the reason,” Zhuge Xiang agreed. After analyzing the Qi circulation in the Blood Lightning Slash for five days, he believed that he had mastered it. However, it still took an extensive amount of time to gather enough Qi to activate the technique. It appeared that Lu Yuling’s assessment was accurate—it was indeed a limitation of his Qi. Zhuge Xiang believed that as his cultivation progressed and his Qi grew stronger, the performance of the Blood Lightning Slash would also improve, becoming more powerful and faster.

After speaking, Lu Yuling fell silent without further elaboration. However, it seemed that he had thought of something. After contemplating for a moment, he appeared to have made a decision. He said to Zhuge Xiang, “There are still a few days until the assessment. During that time, we should head to the headquarters deep in the Endless Mountains. A few days ago, I stumbled upon a 100-year-old Lingzhi that was about to mature in a forest. However, it was guarded by a medium-grade fox demon close to one-star strength. With your Blood Lightning Slash and my Clear Wave Palm, we should be able to defeat it.”

The Asura Sect’s base was situated within the expansive Endless Mountains, stretching for 1,800 miles. The headquarters resided in the deepest part of the mountain range. As for Zhuge Xiang and the others, they were merely in the branch of the Asura Sect, located at the edge of the Endless Mountains. It served as a training ground for the sect’s disciples. Once they passed the assessment, all Qi-comprehending disciples would be sent to the headquarters in the heart of the Endless Mountains.

“100-year-old Lingzhi,” Zhuge Xiang was slightly taken aback upon hearing Lu Yuling’s words. He was well aware of what Lingzhi was.

Ginseng, Lingzhi, Chinese Knotweed, Vermillion Fruit—these spirit herbs and fruits held great benefits for refining the blood essence and Qi of the body. Refining essence into Qi involved absorbing the essence of the body and transforming it into Qi. Therefore, when these spirit herbs and fruits reached maturity, they became invaluable to cultivators who had comprehended Qi. A hundred-year-old Lingzhi was already a rare and precious spirit herb.

Just a one-star mid-grade demon fox, Zhuge Xiang muttered to himself. Cultivators were at the stage of refining essence into Qi, just like demons. The first cultivation stage for both involved refining essence into Qi. However, demons in this stage were collectively referred to as demon beasts, as they retained their complete beast forms.

The refinement of essence into Qi was divided into six smaller stages: the Qi Nurturing stage, the Body Tempering stage, the Meridian Opening stage, the Air Splitting stage, the Innate stage, and the Reverting stage. Demon beasts were also divided into six smaller realms, each further divided into upper, middle, and lower grades. A demon beast close to one-star mid-grade cultivation possessed the strength corresponding to the third to fourth level of the Qi Nurturing stage. It was no wonder Zhuge Xiang had to seriously consider it. Although a hundred-year-old Lingzhi was valuable, it was not easy to obtain.

Although Qi Nourishing cultivators had comprehended Qi Force, their physical bodies’ ability to withstand attacks didn’t improve significantly. Carelessness could even lead to being knocked out by an old lady’s stick, serving as a classic example of high attack and low defense. Unless their strength broke through to the Body Tempering stage and utilized Qi Force to fortify their bodies, their physical defense remained limited.

The same applied to demon beasts. A one-star demon beast’s physical defense wasn’t particularly robust. With the attack power of his Blood Lightning Slash, Zhuge Xiang might be able to kill it if used effectively. However, it was equivalent to the cultivation of the third or fourth level of the Qi Nurturing realm. The speed and attack power of the demon fox must be truly formidable. If he failed, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Zhuge Xiang also understood Lu Yuling’s thoughts. After the assessment, he would be departing in a few days. Naturally, he was reluctant to let go of such a hundred-year-old Lingzhi. Moreover, if he succeeded and obtained the assistance of the Lingzhi, he would undoubtedly achieve a higher ranking in the competition. Being nurtured by the sect, it would create a virtuous cycle of growth.

Zhuge Xiang was not afraid of a demonic beast that was close to the mid-grade one-star level. However, Zhuge Xiang was not blinded by benefits either. He just looked at Lu Yuling seriously and said, “Senior Sister Lu, I want to know how strong you are. Moreover, once the 100-year-old Lingzhi is successfully picked, how should we distribute it?”

With a faint smile, Lu Yuling didn’t find anything objectionable in Zhuge Xiang’s question. His willingness to inquire about these matters before making a decision demonstrated his decisiveness and generosity. “A few days ago, I broke through to the third level of the Qi Nurturing Realm. My Clear Wave Palm has reached the advanced level. As for the distribution of the Lingzhi, you’ll receive 30%, and I’ll take 70%.”

“The third level of the Qi Nourishing stage!?” Lu Yuling’s words made Zhuge Xiang’s eyes widen slightly.

Among the 100,000 disciples, most were still diligently striving to comprehend Qi strength. Yet, she had already reached the third level of the Qi Nurturing stage. A genius who could grasp Qi strength in just half a year truly lived up to her reputation. As for the 30-70 split, Zhuge Xiang was quite satisfied. He even profited from it. His cultivation at the first level of the Qi Nurturing stage was solely used to assist Lu Yuling, and obtaining the third level was already a substantial gain.

“Alright, let’s give it a try.” Although there might be a disparity in strength between Lu Yuling and the fox demon, it shouldn’t be too significant. If he executed his Blood Lightning Slash effectively, it shouldn’t pose a problem. Zhuge Xiang nodded and agreed.

“There’s no time to lose. Let’s go now.” Lu Yuling’s tone remained calm, but he was a decisive individual. Once he made up his mind, he wasted no time in taking action. With only five days remaining, he still needed to rely on the Lingzhi to enhance his cultivation. Aware of the limited time, Zhuge Xiang nodded, and the two of them departed from the lake.