I am in Yellow Maple Valley, and I have a demonic beast clone!

Chapter Seven: Twelfth Level of Qi Refining! Earth Escape Technique!

After a brief opening speech, the auction officially began.

The first item auctioned was a high-tier fire-attribute attack magic weapon called "Blazing Blade," which was eventually sold for 150 spirit stones.

The second item was a 120-year-old "Seven-Leaf Ginseng," which sold for 160 spirit stones.

The third item in the auction slightly tempted Zhou Ding; it was a top-tier water-attribute flying sword called the "Frosty Water Sword," exuding a chilling aura and possessing unparalleled sharpness.

The bidding was quite fierce, and it was eventually won by a guest in a private room for a high price of 350 spirit stones.

Although Zhou Ding was somewhat tempted, the properties didn't suit him, and the price had exceeded his expectations, so he didn't make a move.

Soon, the fourth item was presented on the platform. It was not an actual object, but an ancient-looking blue jade slip.

The white-haired old man stroked his beard and introduced, "This is a jade slip containing a cultivation technique called the 'Hundred Beasts Body Forging Technique.' It has nine levels. Theoretically, if one cultivates it to perfection, one can directly reach the late Core Formation stage! The starting price is one hundred spirit stones, with each bid increasing by no less than ten spirit stones. Please proceed!"

"Body cultivation techniques?" A low murmur arose from the audience.

In the cultivation world of Yue Kingdom, body cultivation is indeed a niche within a niche.

This is because the path of physical cultivation not only requires a massive amount of resources, but the cultivation process is often accompanied by great pain, and it places extremely high demands on the cultivator's will and physical foundation. It is far less "cost-effective" than the methodical advancement of cultivation.

Therefore, unless there are special circumstances or no other choice, few monks would choose to major in this path.

As expected, after the old man announced the start, there were very few bidders. Only three or four people tentatively placed a few bids, slowly raising the price to two hundred spirit stones, before seemingly running out of steam.

Inside the private room, Zhou Ding was deeply moved.

"Body cultivation technique... 'The Hundred Beasts Body Forging Technique'..."

His physical foundation is now far superior to others of the same level due to feedback from his clone, and he is worried about not having a systematic way to train and utilize the power of his physical body.

If one can acquire this technique and combine it with one's own strengths, one might be able to forge a unique path of dual cultivation in the future!

Even if you don't major in it for the time being, you will still benefit greatly from studying the techniques for tempering your body and using strength.

Seeing that no one else was bidding, the old man was about to bring down the gavel. Zhou Ding did not hesitate any longer and calmly quoted a price through the communication device in the private room: "Two hundred and fifty spirit stones."

As soon as the price was announced, the few interested cultivators below shook their heads and gave up.

Body cultivation techniques are already unpopular, and 250 spirit stones is not a low price; it's enough to buy a decent high-level magic weapon or several bottles of pills to improve one's cultivation level.

"Two hundred and fifty spirit stones once, two hundred and fifty spirit stones twice... Sold! Congratulations, fellow Daoist!" As the old man's gavel fell, a maidservant quickly delivered the jade slip into Zhou Ding's private room.

After exchanging spirit stones and obtaining the jade slip, Zhou Ding did not linger.

He quietly left the private room, found the manager from before, and used the spirit stones he had just received to buy ten bottles of Qi Condensation Pills, spending two hundred spirit stones.

Afterwards, he returned to that secluded corner of the market, changed back into his original clothes, removed his cloak, and reverted to the appearance of an ordinary Yellow Maple Valley disciple.

Back at the agreed-upon location with Lin Hai, Lin Hai soon arrived from the direction of Wanbaolou, looking excited. Clearly, he had seen many good things at the auction.

The two met up, chatted for a while about what they had seen and heard in the market, and then returned to Xuankun Mountain together.

……

In the quiet room of the small courtyard, Zhou Ding took out the jade slip containing the body cultivation technique that he had acquired for 250 spirit stones and immersed his divine sense into it.

The Body Tempering Technique of a Hundred Beasts.

The opening outline exudes a wild and fierce aura.

"Using demon blood as a medium, one externally forges the physical body and bones, and internally refines the spirits of the beasts in the spiritual sea; when soaked in blood, the body becomes strong, and when infused with spirits, one's magic becomes unimpeded. The body and magic complement each other, and the beast power follows. One punch can unleash the immense strength of the physical body, and one finger can guide the beast spirit's magic. This is called the body being forged by a hundred beasts, and the body and magic becoming one."

The cultivation method details how to gradually strengthen the physical body by absorbing and refining the essence of different demonic beasts, and how to open up a unique "Beast Spirit Sea" within the body to simulate, store, and control some of the characteristics and power of the absorbed demonic beasts.

It is divided into nine levels, corresponding to the three major realms of Qi Refining, Foundation Building, and Core Formation.

The jade slip also records two matching physical cultivation techniques (or combat skills): "Beast King Fist," which purely mobilizes the physical strength and blood energy, making it unparalleled in its ferocity; and "Beast Spirit Seal," which mobilizes the beast spirit power stored in the "Beast Spirit Sea," transforming it into a strange spirit seal that combines physical and elemental attacks, offering even more variations.

"Truly wondrous! Cultivating both body and spirit, complementing each other..." Zhou Ding was deeply moved.

If this technique can be mastered, it will be suitable for both close and long-range combat, and one's survival and fighting abilities will surely reach a new level.

However, after the initial excitement, he quickly calmed down.

A cultivator in the Qi Refining stage has a lifespan of no more than 120 years, so Foundation Establishment is of paramount importance, as it concerns the very foundation of their cultivation path.

His primary goal right now is to strive for the Qi Refining Perfection stage in preparation for the Blood Forbidden Land and Foundation Establishment.

Although the "Hundred Beasts Body Forging Technique" is good, its cultivation is inevitably time-consuming and laborious, and requires a large amount of demon beast essence blood resources. Now is definitely not the best time to be distracted by cultivation.

"I'll remember this method for now. I can practice it again after I've successfully established my foundation, greatly increased my lifespan, and solidified my foundation." Zhou Ding decisively put away the jade slip and didn't look at it any longer.

A steadfast heart and the ability to make choices are indispensable qualities on the path of cultivation.

I tossed a metal-attribute spirit stone to Little Gold and watched it happily gnaw on it.

Zhou Ding also took a newly purchased Condensing Essence Pill, sat cross-legged in meditation, and began his daily arduous cultivation.

……

Time is like an arrow, the sun and the moon are like a shuttle.

In the blink of an eye, another six months have passed.

On this day, in the quiet room of the small courtyard on Xuankun Mountain, the spiritual energy fluctuated violently, then slowly calmed down.

Zhou Ding slowly opened his eyes, his pupils gleaming with a clear blue light, and his aura was even more profound and concentrated than before. He gently exhaled a breath of stale air, a genuine smile appearing on his face.

Qi Refining Stage 12, achieved!

Feeling the even more powerful and pure Green Wood magic power within his dantian, he had a slight thought, and his divine sense spread outward like a tide.

One hundred and fifty meters, two hundred and fifty meters... and finally came to a steady stop at three hundred meters!

"Three hundred meters of divine sense... This is a level of strength that only a Qi Refining Perfection cultivator can achieve!" Zhou Ding thought with joy.

A breakthrough in cultivation and a further increase in divine sense mean that his advantages in detection, early warning, and manipulation of magical artifacts will become even more pronounced.

However, the changes did not end there.

Almost at the same moment he completed his breakthrough and relaxed his mind, that familiar and warm current surged back from the point of connection between his souls, its target being his clone in the corner—Xiao Jin!

"Here it comes again!" Zhou Ding immediately focused his attention to sense it.

Through the connection with his clone, he could clearly "see" and "feel" that strange heat enveloped Xiao Jin's demonic body, flowing through its meridians, flesh, and bones, bringing waves of familiar, yet more intense, tingling, numb, and distending pain than before.

Under the influence of this force, Xiao Jin's body is undergoing a visible transformation.

The whole process lasted for about an hour.

Once the heat dissipated, Xiao Jin showed significant changes: its size had increased again, now reaching the size of an ordinary mongrel, and it looked quite robust squatting there; its gray fur was even shinier, faintly gleaming with a metallic sheen; its claws had become longer and sharper, and with a gentle scratch, the air seemed to be torn apart; its golden pupils, with their restrained brilliance, appeared even more profound and mysterious.

Zhou Ding couldn't wait to switch his consciousness and personally experience Xiao Jin's enhanced strength.

With its power surging, it casually scratched at the ground, and the hard bluestone crumbled like tofu.

The Earth Hearing Technique was activated, and the feedback range suddenly expanded to an astonishing 1,500 meters!

The precision and penetration of the probes have also been significantly improved.

But what surprised Zhou Ding even more was a completely new ability that originated from his bloodline instincts!

With a slight thought, a flash of earthy yellow light appeared around Xiao Jin, and his sturdy demon body seemed to become faint in an instant, as if sinking into water, and his lower body disappeared into the blue stone ground under his feet without any hindrance!

Immediately afterwards, the entire body completely disappeared, leaving only a slightly rippled mark on the ground that quickly subsided.

Zhou Ding could clearly "feel" that Xiao Jin was currently several feet underground, moving freely as if a fish were entering water, without any hesitation!

It's even faster and more stealthy than moving on the ground!

"This is... earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a type of magic that allows one to escape from the ground)?! The real earth-遁 technique!" Zhou Ding was both surprised and delighted.

This is not the burrowing and digging technique that ordinary earth-elemental monsters can do, but a more advanced, faster, and more concealed "earth-遁" (earth-遁 is a type of magical technique)!

"Could it be... that this is also a mutation brought about by the feedback from the clone? Did it cause a benign mutation in Xiao Jin's bloodline or talent when he advanced, awakening a new 'mutation technique'?" Zhou Ding wondered excitedly.

The technique of escaping underground, combined with the already powerful ability to hear the earth!

This is the perfect combination for treasure hunting, exploration, stealth, and escaping!

The underground world is a blind spot that is difficult for most cultivators to access, but Xiao Jin, who has the ability to burrow underground, can explore those buried ruins, mineral veins, or caves hidden by predecessors as if he were a fish in water!

"Great! That's wonderful!" Zhou Ding's consciousness returned to his body, and he couldn't help but clap his hands and laugh.

The feedback from this breakthrough in the main body not only greatly increased Xiao Jin's strength, but also unexpectedly granted him a powerful and practical ability such as "Earth Escape Technique".

The connection and mutual promotion between the main body and the clones are indeed his greatest reliance in the cultivation world!

Although the road ahead is treacherous, with such a trump card in hand, Zhou Ding has gained more confidence for the upcoming journey to the Blood Forbidden Land, and even for the more distant future.