Longevity: Starting with an infant's innate growth potential

Chapter 172 Making a fortune and the second-rank assessment of the Heavenly Crafts Bureau
Upon seeing this, Deng Hu immediately felt his blood surge and his fists slammed down fiercely, unleashing two blood-red fist beams that roared out like two blood-red dragons.

They bombarded the sword formation, trying to break through the enveloping sword net.

However, the sword net was orderly, the sword light swept across, the sword energy surged, accompanied by rolling flames, its power was astonishing, and it directly destroyed the two blood-red fist energies.

"cut!"

Chen Ling made hand seals, using his divine sense to control nine sharp swords, condensing them into sword beams that slashed down one after another!

"not good!"

Deng Hu's expression changed drastically. He had already unleashed 80% of his power with that punch, yet it was so easily extinguished by this sword formation.

With a sharp shout, his blood energy surged, forming a blood-red protective shield several meters high.

It was as if a blood-red dragon was coiling around it.

At the same time, the other three also took action, unleashing their bone weapons to fight against the Golden Fire Crow and the Rock Rat.

But under the powerful attack of the Golden Fire Raven's flames and claws, the bone weapon was instantly blasted away, and the burly man in front of him didn't even have time to dodge before his body was torn apart by the claws.

The other person was terrified and darted into the jungle to avoid the Golden Fire Crow's attack.

Under the relentless barrage of sword light, Deng Hu's blood-based defensive shield quickly dimmed.

"You've cultivated your sword formation to such power? No wonder you dared to confront our Blood Beast Sect without any fear!"

Deng Hu took a deep breath and took out a bone arrow that shone with a white light, which flickered with an eerie black light.

Zhou Ling's gaze narrowed slightly, and he was also surprised that the opponent's Blood Shield was so powerful.

Without daring to delay, he activated the Hundred Swords Formation with all his might.

The sword intent ignited by the Eight Magic Swords merged with that of the Fire Gang Sword, unleashing the sword formation's power to its fullest extent.

Boom boom boom!
With the fusion of the Hundred Swords Formation and the Furnace Sword Intent, its power continuously increases.

The sword energy surged and slashed fiercely, instantly shattering the blood-red shield.

However, Deng Hu had already retreated rapidly at this moment.

"Boy, go to hell!"

Deng Hu gritted his teeth and roared angrily.

His blood surged, and his essence condensed into a blood pattern, which was then injected into the bone arrow. Instantly, the bone arrow was surrounded by blood energy and transformed into a giant blood-red dragon that was over ten feet long.

It exudes a terrifying aura, causing even mid-Foundation Establishment cultivators to tremble with fear.

[You are observing Blood Bone Patterns. Intermediate Observation +1, Blood Bone Patterns +1]

[You are analyzing Blood Bone Patterns. Intermediate Analysis +1, Blood Bone Patterns +1]

"Blood Bone Pattern?"

Zhou Ling was slightly startled upon seeing this.

Through his two talents, he knew that these were blood patterns from the Ancient Cloud Realm.

It involves using one's own blood energy to condense a blood talisman, which is then fused with a bone artifact to unleash a powerful attack.

Moreover, this bone arrow was made from the remains of a second-tier demonic beast, coupled with the blood energy cultivation of the man in front of him, who was at the mid-second tier.

The power of the condensed blood and bone patterns is no less than that of a mid-grade second-tier rune.

Its power looks quite astonishing.

"Boom!"

In an instant, the blood dragon roared ferociously.

It viciously slammed into the sword formation, directly breaking through several sword nets, and hurtled straight towards Zhou Ling.

Deng Hu was also a veteran of many battles and knew that the enemy could control the sword formation. If he could not break the sword formation, he would have no choice but to wait for death.

Therefore, he spared no effort to consume his own essence and blood to condense blood patterns in order to kill Zhou Ling.

boom!
Zhou Ling's body also surged with essence and blood, instantly burning more than two hundred drops of essence and blood.

Golden light surged from his body, and a golden phantom several meters tall appeared.

He instantly became like a dazzling, blazing sun, incredibly radiant.

Zhou Ling directly burned the essence of the blazing sun within his body to condense the Golden Sun True Body, which is both offensive and defensive.

Then, the golden body unleashed a powerful punch.

A massive golden fist-shaped beam of light, unstoppable, hurtled towards the blood dragon.

Rumble!
The golden giant fist clashed fiercely with the blood dragon, unleashing terrifying energy.

Golden light and crimson light surged forth continuously.

The blood dragon shattered continuously under the onslaught of the golden fist light.

Boom boom boom!
At the same time, the sword formation continued to slash down, and Deng Hu swung his fists repeatedly, gathering fist energy to bombard the sword formation.

Under the bombardment of the crimson fist light, some of the magical swords in the fierce sword formation began to dim.

Zhou Ling felt a pang of heartache upon seeing this.

These magic swords are all very valuable.

"The blazing sun burns the sky!"

Seeing that the sword formation could not suppress the opponent for the time being, and that the power of the condensed blood dragon fist light was getting stronger and stronger.

Zhou Ling immediately activated the beast flames within his body, condensing the beast flame divine power, and the blazing sun burned the sky.

As soon as he finished speaking, beast flames shot out from his hand, releasing an extremely violent wave of fire.

Followed by.

boom!!
The raging flames transformed into a gigantic Haoyang Bird, flapping its fiery wings and fiercely attacking the Blood Beast Sect elder, its flames radiating boundless light!
"not good!"

Seeing the Haoyang Bird hurtling towards him, Deng Hu couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

Confronting the sword formation left him no chance to deal with other attacks, so he could only focus all his energy on gathering fist energy and blasting it towards the Haoyang Bird.

"Boom boom boom!"

As the beastly flames crashed down, the fire surged wildly, its power resounding throughout the heavens and earth, like the exploding sun, the flames sweeping in all directions.

In an instant, the temperature in the sky soared, becoming incredibly hot.

Vast stretches of jungle were swept away and completely burned as the flames swept through.

A large number of birds took flight and fled into the sky from the jungle.

Behind Zhou Ling, Liu Yue'er watched the astonishing scene unfold before her, her red lips slightly parted, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Having spent time together, she knew that Zhou Ling's cultivation level was not low.

But no one expected that Zhou Ling's combat strength would be so terrifying.

Sword formation, blood-red golden body, and fire-based divine abilities!
Each of these challenges proved difficult for the Second Elder of the Blood Beast Sect to handle.

Such combat power and such methods are simply astonishing!
Putting everything else aside, Liu Yue'er is a sword cultivator.

She had some understanding of kendo.

Knowing how difficult it is to control nine magical swords while flying!
She is currently at the seventh level of Qi Refining, but she still finds it difficult to use her sword for attacks.

However, considering that Zhou Ling is a disciple of the sect leader, he must have some extraordinary abilities.

"How did the sect leader achieve such greatness at such a young age?"

As Zhou Ling's faint golden light gradually dissipated, Liu Yue'er murmured to herself.

Both body tempering and sword formation are quite difficult, yet Zhou Ling has achieved such success at such a young age, which is truly unbelievable.

"The Beast Flame can only unleash one attack!"

"It's also because the Blazing Sun Heaven-Burning Divine Power consumed too much energy!"

As the golden light faded, Zhou Ling reabsorbed the beast flames back into his body.

At this moment, the beast flame was the size of a fist, and it would take some time to recover.

Then, as the jungle gradually returned to calm and all four Blood Beast Sect disciples were killed, Zhou Ling's eyes revealed a look of satisfaction.

This time, he used three trump cards in succession to kill this Blood Beast Sect elder who was in the mid-stage of the second level of Body Refinement.

He was quite satisfied with his combat strength.

However, whether it's the Golden Sun True Body or the Blazing Sun Burning the Sky, the energy consumption is too great.

Half of the body's blazing sun essence blood has been consumed.

Beast Flame went into hibernation.

Furthermore, three of the eight magic swords were completely rendered useless.

"Hopefully, it won't be a loss!"

Zhou Ling let out a soft breath.

With a thought, he collected the bone arrows on the ground, as well as the storage rings and bags on the four people.

Then, he looked at the Golden Fire Raven in the sky and the Rock Rat not far away.

The Golden Fire Crow possessed a vigorous aura, and even after killing two late-stage first-tier Body Refinement cultivators, it still maintained ample combat power.

In contrast, the rock rat had several wounds, but fortunately, its thick skin meant they wouldn't have a major impact.

His gaze swept over Liu Yue'er again, and he asked, "Yue'er, are you alright?"

"Sect Master, I'm alright!"

Liu Yue'er replied respectfully.

"Alright, let's leave this place first!"

This would be too costly, especially if another mid-stage second-tier body refiner were to arrive.

Even Zhou Ling couldn't stop it.

The two then hurriedly left the place.

······.

At dusk, Zhou Ling and Liu Yue'er returned to Ziyun Mountain.

After killing the Blood Beast Sect elder, they continued their journey to the mine.

The rest of the journey was uneventful.

Upon arriving at the mine, Qi Feng, the head of the Qi family, had already prepared the minerals.

After the two finished collecting the materials, Zhou Ling toured the mine again. Through [Intermediate Observation] and [Intermediate Analysis], he unexpectedly discovered that the vein also contained a considerable amount of second-tier purple fire crystal ore.

After instructing the Qi family to speed up mining, the two left the mine.

After dinner, Zhou Ling gave Liu Yue'er a few words of advice, saying that he would be going into seclusion for a while and that she shouldn't disturb him. Liu Yue'er knew that Zhou Ling must have been quite exhausted from today's battle.

But they still cautiously inquired what to do if the Blood Beast Sect attacked again.
Zhou Ling told him not to worry, that if the Blood Beast Sect dared to go up Purple Cloud Mountain again, they wouldn't have attacked them on the way today.

In addition, he left the Golden Fire Crow and the Stone Rock Rat at Purple Cloud Mountain. With these two second-tier spirit beasts, even a mid-stage second-tier Body Refinement cultivator might not be able to defeat them.

Then, Zhou Ling went to the cultivation room.

"Twenty-eight second-tier purple fire crystals and over one hundred first-tier crystals."

Zhou Ling's face lit up with joy as he looked at the Purple Fire Crystal that shone with a dazzling purple light inside the storage bag.

This adventure was worth it. Just selling this ore in Qingyun Immortal City would be worth tens of thousands of spirit stones.

Furthermore, there was the additional benefit of killing those members of the Blood Beast Sect.

After collecting the ore, Zhou Ling took out the other spoils of war and began to count them.

Zhou Ling also found many good things in the Blood Beast Sect elder's storage ring.

Dozens of blood crystal stones.

Two mid-grade second-tier bone arrows, a blood bead, and some bone artifacts, spiritual herbs, ores, etc.

The other two books are "Blood Dragon Body Refining Technique" and "Blood Pattern Building Technique".

A second-tier mid-grade bone arrow, if infused with blood patterns, becomes terrifyingly powerful, even stronger than a spiritual weapon of the same tier.

Even at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, these two bone arrows still possess considerable destructive power.

Of course, the key is to condense the blood patterns.

The Blood Bead is formed from the blood core of a Blood Dragon, which can assist in the cultivation of blood energy.

In addition, there are two second-tier low-grade bone weapons, whose attack power is also quite high.

But these had limited effect on Zhou Ling.

Those medicinal herbs and ores are still more practical.

Thirty-six second-tier spiritual herbs and thirty-two pieces of second-tier ore.

Once these are absorbed, the Five Elements Thunder Body can be activated even further.

In addition, there are two body-refining techniques.

It must be said that the body-refining techniques in the Ancient Cloud Realm are all of high quality.

Both the "Blood Dragon Body Refining Technique" and the "Blood Pattern Building Technique" are low-grade Xuan-level cultivation methods.

It is enough to cultivate to the third level of Body Refinement.

With the "Three Yang Technique," Zhou Ling naturally wouldn't consider relearning other body-refining techniques.

Moreover, the cultivation process of techniques like the "Blood Dragon Body Refining Technique" requires a large amount of demonic beast essence blood, which is not suitable for him.

On the contrary, he was very interested in the "Blood Pattern Refinement Method". This "Blood Pattern Refinement Method" involves condensing blood patterns with one's own essence and blood, and then using the blood patterns to activate bone artifacts.

Powerful.

Zhou Ling continued to count the other storage bags.

The other three storage bags contained a considerable amount of blood crystals, bone artifacts, ores, herbs, and other items.

This is also a considerable fortune.

Zhou Ling made a fortune on this trip.

"So, I now have over a hundred second-tier spirit items, which have various attributes."

"If I absorb all of it, I won't be far from activating the Five Elements Thunder Body."

Zhou Ling organized these materials.

Second-tier spirit creatures, in particular, possess a wide variety of attributes.

However, there are only three lightning-attribute materials.

Of course, Zhou Ling was already very satisfied.

After all, lightning-attribute materials are relatively rare.

"Keep these bone artifacts safe. Next time we return to the Ancient Cloud Realm, we'll have Yue'er sell them."

After a short while, Zhou Ling finished counting the spoils and put them back into his storage ring.

Next, we'll return to Qingyun Immortal City.

After all, there are less than ten days left until the assessment by the Heavenly Crafts Bureau.

He then took out the teleportation array jade seal and three mid-grade spirit stones.

He recited the incantation, merging the spirit stone into the jade seal. Immediately, a flash of white light appeared before his eyes.

A ripple of space undulated.

Zhou Ling walked inside.

When he opened his eyes again, what appeared before him was the scene of the hermitage and the meditation room.

Zhou Ling breathed a sigh of relief, his face beaming with joy. This trip to the Ancient Cloud Realm over the past month had been incredibly fruitful.

Then, his divine sense swept over the room, and it was quiet.

Wang Xin has not returned yet.

At this moment, the sound transmission jade on his body began to vibrate continuously.

"Brother Ling, I haven't seen you these past few days. I've found a pretty good puppet, are you interested?"

"Zhou Ling, I have two artifacts that need to be inscribed. You can come to the workshop and take a look!"

······.

The first few voice transmissions came from Sun Dajie and Xu Qiang, respectively.

"Zhou Ling, there was an unexpected incident at Qingyun Immortal City during the Heavenly Crafts Bureau's assessment. An Inscription Master who was originally preparing to participate in the second-grade assessment was killed!"

"The assessment for the Second Grade Heavenly Crafts Bureau requires the crafting of mid-grade spiritual artifacts, or even high-grade spiritual artifacts."

“I saw the image jade that recorded your foundation-building seed assessment at the Dao Academy last time, and I think you could give it a try.”

"I'm giving you this recommendation spot. I wonder if you dare to accept it?"

The following voice transmission came from Lu Yunxi of the Heavenly Crafts Bureau.

Zhou Ling hadn't expected things to turn out this way; Lu Yunxi had actually secured him a spot in the second-rank Heavenly Craftsman's Guard assessment.

Now, he is able to refine second-tier low-grade inscriptions, and with the help of spirit sealing restrictions, the spiritual weapons he refines are powerful enough to reach the second-tier mid-grade level.

However, it is still some distance from being a second-tier high-grade product.

But this opportunity is rare.

After all, becoming a second-grade weapon refiner in the Heavenly Crafts Bureau will allow one to apply for second-tier materials in the future.

This is very beneficial for accelerating the activation of the Five Elements Thunder Body.

Moreover, the treatment and benefits are far superior to those of a first-class official.

However, the risks are also considerable; if it fails...

Then he would lose his spot in this assessment, and it wouldn't be so easy for him to get a spot next time.

After all, this spot was only obtained because both Deacon Qin and Lu Yunxi recommended him.

Although he could obtain a recommendation quota from the Heavenly Crafts Bureau through other channels while at the Xuan Yuan Dao Academy, he was well aware of his limitations.

Many disciples in the academy are vying for this spot; it's unlikely to fall into their hands so easily.

"Second-Rank Inscription Master Examination?"

Zhou Ling thought to himself, exhaled softly, and calmed down, "Then let's take a gamble."

"Although it's only my first year at the academy, there's no rush."

"It can involve future resources and accelerate the condensation of the Five Elements Thunder Body."

"Once I condense the Five Elements Thunder Body, my cultivation speed will greatly increase."

"This greatly increases the probability of foundation building!"

A glint flashed in Zhou Ling's eyes.

Although Zhou Ling currently possesses a low-grade spiritual root, his cultivation speed is not slow thanks to his talents such as [Born with Talent] and [Affinity to Spiritual Energy].

What can be cultivated is, after all, the "Five Elements Qianyang True Technique," and the difficulty increases significantly with each level.

Therefore, it is still necessary to activate the Five Elements Thunder Body as soon as possible.

After making his decision, Zhou Ling immediately sent a telepathic message to Lu Yunxi, "Deacon Lu, I accept the assessment for the Second Rank Inscription Master position!"

"Good, commendable courage, but be well prepared!"

"The reason we were able to secure this spot for you this time is mainly because you became the top Foundation Establishment Seed of Xuan Yuan Dao Academy."

"The Director of the Heavenly Crafts Bureau has approved it."

A moment later, Lu Yunxi's clear voice rang out from the communication jade.

"Yes, Deacon."

"What preparations should I make, Steward?"

Zhou Ling sent another telepathic message to inquire.

"If you can ensure that the inscription you refine reaches the level required for the Foundation Establishment Seed assessment, then there is still a high probability of passing."

A short while later, Lu Yunxi replied again.

Hearing this, Zhou Ling felt a slight sense of relief.

Compared to three months ago, he has made significant progress in both spiritual power and spiritual cultivation.

His progress with the Five Elements Spirit Flame was even greater; refining the inscription used in the Foundation Establishment Seed assessment was no longer a challenge for him.

However, assessments like this depend not only on ability but also on performance on the day and the level of other competitors.

But with Lu Yunxi saying this, he felt quite confident and immediately replied, "Thank you, Steward Lu, I will do my best."

After calming himself down, he took out the sealing jade slip and examined it.

The sealing of spirits also has different grades.

To ensure passing the assessment, at least a mid-grade second-level spirit sealing restriction must be drawn.

But, in less than ten days, will I be able to draw a mid-grade second-tier spirit-sealing seal?
Zhou Ling also felt considerable pressure.

(End of this chapter)