Chapter 111: Spiritual Energy Cocoon

Boom...

Carefully activating the Phoenix Fire Technique, Wang Changsheng immediately felt a surge of immense spiritual energy entering his body. This energy was vast and carried a powerful burning sensation, causing him to cry out involuntarily.

Though the burning was intense enough to make him shout, Wang Changsheng noticed that the absorbed spiritual energy gradually transformed into true qi, flowing smoothly within him without any sense of danger.

The sensation was reminiscent of when he had previously cultivated the Longevity Art, except that the true qi from that practice would eventually gather in the dantian, whereas the Phoenix Fire Technique strengthened his entire physique.

“Is it stable now?” Wang Changsheng’s face lit up with surprise.

The burning sensation persisted but was now within a bearable range and no longer threatened his body. Earlier, he had cried out only because he was unprepared.

“If I can train amidst the Earth Core Flame while absorbing spiritual energy, even with some burning, it’s bearable!” Wang Changsheng murmured. “Then if I return to the Li family, I can cultivate without worry?”

The spiritual energy scattered by the Li family had previously caused burning too, but that was on an entirely different level from now. Moreover, that earlier burning damaged the meridians, whereas this current burning was only a sensation without harm.

This meant that after absorbing the Phoenix Fire’s true blood, Wang Changsheng could finally train with peace of mind.

Feeling reassured, he boldly absorbed more spiritual energy to continue his cultivation.

The energy absorbed through the Phoenix Fire Technique didn’t return to his dantian but circulated through his meridians once before being assimilated by his body. His meridians even absorbed some of the spiritual energy.

Wang Changsheng clearly sensed that his body was becoming more vibrant. Even in this short time, his constitution strengthened, and his meridians grew increasingly resilient.

“Is this using spiritual energy to nurture the body?” he wondered.

Having never practiced any physical refinement methods, Wang Changsheng didn’t know how others trained their bodies, but he knew many cultivators relied on various means to temper their physique, different from his current approach.

Without any references, he resolved to continue cultivating the Phoenix Fire Technique as instructed.

When cultivators enter deep concentration, time seems to slip away unnoticed. Immersed in the Earth Core Flame, Wang Changsheng had no idea how much time had passed.

“Phew... reached the first level...” opening his eyes, he watched the protective true qi shield gradually thin and a sigh escaped his lips.

He had reached the peak of the first stage of the Phoenix Fire Technique and was at the critical moment of breaking through to the second stage when the true qi shield trembled, jolting him awake.

The shield had thinned considerably, and the Earth Core Flame’s heat intensified. Wang Changsheng felt that if he didn’t break through soon, his body might be scorched by the fire.

Furthermore, he wasn’t sure whether reaching the second stage would fully protect him from the flame’s burning effects. Only Li Yunqing had mentioned it, but the specifics remained unknown.

“The true qi shield is down to about one-third thickness... could it have been two years already?” Wang Changsheng pondered.

Since he had been continuously cultivating, he felt no passage of time. Li Yunqing had said the shield could last three years, so this was his only estimate.

After some thought, he dived back into cultivation.

Unbeknownst to him, as he struggled to break through the second stage, the spiritual energy he absorbed swirled around his body, gradually condensing into a fiery red cocoon.

Upon closer inspection, the cocoon was composed of solidified spiritual energy.

After nearly half a year, the massive cocoon fully enveloped Wang Changsheng, hiding him from view.

“I want to see what this Wang Changsheng is up to!” a voice muttered as a figure approached the Phoenix Fire Pool.

If Wang Changsheng had looked, he would have immediately recognized her as Li Ziqi.

As a core disciple of the Li family and daughter of the clan leader, Li Ziqi was well aware of many family affairs, including the immense value of the Phoenix Fire’s true blood. She herself had received a drop upon coming of age.

She had never imagined Wang Changsheng could obtain a drop of this precious blood, and moreover, he was not a Li family disciple yet managed to cultivate the Phoenix Fire Technique.

Even Li family disciples without great achievements or exceptional talent could not practice this technique.

Approaching the Phoenix Fire Pool, Li Ziqi felt the intense heat, but it affected her not in the slightest.

Leaping boldly, she plunged into the pool.

Circling the stone walls around the pool, a puzzled look crossed her face.

“Huh? Nothing here?” she muttered, clearly confused.

“Wasn’t he supposed to be in the Phoenix Fire Pool?” Li Ziqi spoke in a low voice. “Could he have left?”

“Impossible!”

“Could it be...?” Li Ziqi peered into the Earth Core Flame, but its scorching energy was chaotic and scattered. She failed to detect Wang Changsheng’s aura.

“With the Phoenix Fire’s true blood and Grandfather Yunqing’s aid, it might just be possible!” she said solemnly.

Patting her waist, Li Ziqi produced a crimson Riling—a magical weapon forged with the Earth Core Flame and resonating with her true qi, which was now lengthening slowly.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The Riling stirred the Earth Core Flame, roaring as the molten lava began to churn.

“Found it!” Li Ziqi’s voice rang out as she sensed a place within the flame radiating overwhelming spiritual energy far surpassing the surroundings.

Encased by the Riling, she let out a shout and pulled a massive fiery red cocoon from the heart of the flame.

“Cocooning?” she gasped, eyes wide with disbelief.

Seeing the fiery cocoon, Li Ziqi thought she must have been mistaken.

She knew well what cocooning meant—as a core disciple of the Li family, she understood that when a cultivator practicing the Phoenix Fire Technique reached the fourth stage, breaking into the Golden Core path, they would undergo cocooning.

However, cocooning didn’t grant special abilities; instead, it signified the purification of their bloodline.

Not every disciple who reached the fourth stage cocooned—only those with exceptionally pure bloodlines.

As far as Li Ziqi knew, even her father hadn’t cocooned when he reached that level.

“No way, this is impossible!” she exclaimed in disbelief.

Bang!

Under the immense force of the Riling, the giant cocoon exploded with a tremendous blast.

A figure was blasted outward—Wang Changsheng.

He had awakened during Li Ziqi’s stirring of the Earth Core Flame and noticed the cocoon surrounding him. Before he could react, the cocoon floated upward.

Spitting a mouthful of fresh blood, the searing heat instantly evaporated it.

Boom!

He crashed against the pit’s rocky wall and fell swiftly toward the Earth Core Flame below.

“Not good!” Wang Changsheng shouted in alarm.

Desperately, he stablized his posture and, to his surprise, began to rise.

Though his form wavered and tilted, descending toward the flame, his speed lessened considerably.

Boom!

Kicking off the rocky wall, Wang Changsheng propelled himself out of the pit with a powerful rebound.

At the same moment, he retrieved a set of clothes from his storage ring and quickly wrapped himself up.

Sparks from the Earth Core Flame scorched some of his garments, but when the flames touched his body, they only caused pain without inflicting real harm.

“True qi?” Wang Changsheng’s eyes brightened as he sensed strands of true essence mixed within his flowing qi.

But there was no time to rejoice.

A crimson Riling hurtled toward him. Wang Changsheng lunged forward.

Boom!

The Riling struck the edge of the pit, roaring fiercely as it passed by his side.

“What do you want?” Wang Changsheng glared at Li Ziqi, fury flashing in his eyes.

He had barely broken through to the second stage of the Phoenix Fire Technique, with no time to consolidate his gains, yet Li Ziqi had disrupted his cultivation and caused him severe internal injuries.

“You liar! Today I’ll expose you!” Li Ziqi’s voice was cold and resolute. “You deceived me to steal the Li family’s Phoenix Fire true blood and the Phoenix Fire Technique!”

“What do you mean, ‘deceive’?” Wang Changsheng shouted angrily. “The Li family’s ancestor personally taught me! If you have any questions, go ask your ancestor!”

No sooner had he spoken than Li Ziqi’s Riling shot at him again.

“Crazy woman!” Wang Changsheng cursed. “Did I provoke you? Why won’t you just leave me alone? If you have a problem, take it up with your ancestor!”

Without hesitation, Wang Changsheng turned and fled.