Chapter 283 Ancient Spirit

Chapter 283 Ancient Spirit

Chapter 283 Ancient Spirit
Xiao Jie thought that this evaluation was not very good, but when he thought about it, it was not completely unreasonable. Based on his experience, it seemed that immortals did not treat humans as human beings.

Whether it is Kaiyang Xingjun, Tianxuan Zhenren, or Shenjizi, from what they said, immortals and mortals are two completely different levels of existence. Therefore, for immortals, once they become immortals, mortals are like ants, and life and death are no longer important.

But he did not think there was anything strange about this kind of thing. Immortals are essentially human beings. They just gained extraordinary powers, so their mentality naturally cannot get rid of human characteristics.

In reality, let alone becoming an immortal, there are many examples of couples turning against each other even if they win the lottery by chance.

It is very normal for friends who played together in childhood to become strangers once their social status diverges after they grow up.

Kaiyang Xingjun and Xiaoyue Zhenren seemed to be good friends, but after becoming immortals, they never met their old friend again. To put it bluntly, they were no longer from the same world.

If I became an immortal, would I have this kind of mentality?

Xiao Jie felt that it would not happen in the short term, but it was hard to say what would happen if it took a long time.

And judging from Xiao Jie's experience, there are still some immortals who can do things, such as the demon-subduing master Lin Xuance.

He suddenly remembered something and couldn't help but smile and said, "You can't say that. Aren't those three volumes of heavenly books passed down by immortals? It can be seen that whether it is a human or an immortal, their personalities are different and cannot be compared.

When an immortal does good deeds, the changes they bring about are earth-shaking, so how can it be said that they are not beneficial to the Tao?"

Ying Baiyu was stunned by what he said. He had never thought about this question before and was speechless for a moment.

Xiao Jie added: "You learned your understanding of Qigong from books. Where did those books come from? They were compiled by people, and as long as they are people, they will have their own standpoints and personal inclinations. I'm afraid that these words in the book were not arranged by Master Xiao Yue, right?"

True Man Xiaoyue was abandoned by Star Lord Kaiyang, so he naturally felt resentful. So it was normal to arrange these contents about Qi-refining practitioners in elementary school textbooks.

Ying Baiyu looked confused after hearing what he said, and it was obvious that his three views had been greatly impacted.

Xiao Jie chuckled, stopped talking, and concentrated on looking for what he was looking for.

The mission requires exploring the ruins, and the reward is three Qi-refining secrets. That is to say, these three Qi-refining secrets are likely to be hidden somewhere in the valley, most likely in a secret location.

After wandering around the valley, a huge cave finally appeared in front of us.

Sure enough, the places where these Qi-refining practitioners found to practice all had caves.

Xiao Jie walked towards the cave. To his surprise, there was no restriction or test at the entrance of the cave. This was much easier than the Tianpu Cave in Konglao Mountain.

Could it be that finding the ruins was a test in itself? It was very possible. If he hadn't cheated and found a boss to fly over, he would have encountered many dangers along the way if he had explored the ground normally.

However, he still remained on guard, fearing that there might be someone similar to Red Dust Immortal here.

We walked along the winding cave for a short distance before arriving at an empty cave.
This is a huge cave with many stalactite columns hanging upside down on the top of the cave.

A corpse suddenly appeared before my eyes.

The linen robe on the corpse was torn beyond recognition, but the body still maintained the posture of sitting cross-legged in meditation.

Looking around, there were more than ten corpses, some sitting and some lying. Most of them were wearing linen robes, had disheveled hair, and looked like dry bones.

It looks like they are all the corpses of Qi Refiners.

Surrounded by this group of corpses, there stood a stone tablet, about two meters high. The stone tablet was square, with a smooth black surface, and no words or pictures on it. Surrounded by such a group of skeletons, it looked like a tombstone without any words on it.

These corpses surrounded the stone tablet, their faces facing it, and they looked as if they were trying to comprehend the contents on the stone tablet.

I just don't know why they all died.

Xiao Jie felt a strong sense of alertness in his heart. If this situation was not handled properly, it might trigger a fight.

He summoned Daju first. During this period of time, he had gained experience points and had already reached level 17. After all, he was still a monster and could provide a certain amount of combat power. If there really was a fight, every bit of strength would be precious.

Letting Ying Baiyu and Daju stand guard nearby, Xiao Jie walked forward cautiously and right-clicked on the stone tablet.

[System prompt: An ordinary black stone tablet, seemingly nothing special.]

Xiao Jie thought that this prompt was the biggest special feature. If there was really nothing special about it, there would be no response at all when clicking the mouse.

Now it seems that there must be something behind this thing. It should require certain specific conditions to trigger the answer.

He did not dare to try it rashly. He looked at the corpses around him. So many Qi Refiners died without realizing the truth. He could not act recklessly. Who knew if the deaths of these Qi Refiners had any connection with this stone tablet.

He walked around the surroundings again, but there was no other way out of the cave, and he didn't see any carvings on the walls.

This is a bit strange, how do I learn the three Qi-refining secret techniques?
Xiao Jie opened the skill bar and took a look at the corpse speaking technique.

I wondered whether I should wake up a corpse.

Just as he was about to cast a spell, a faint voice suddenly came from behind him.

"Little brother, please don't disturb the dead. If you have anything to say, just ask me."

Xiao Jie was startled and when he turned around, he saw a white figure looking at him indifferently.

Ancient Spirit (the spirit of the Qi Refiner): Level 52. HP 871/3600.

Xiao Jie immediately took a few steps back and stood behind Ying Baiyu.

However, he immediately discovered that this ancient spirit was not hostile, and the system displayed it as a neutral unit.

"Who are you, Your Excellency?"

"I am the spirit body transformed from an ancient Qi cultivator after his death."

"Don't ancient Qi cultivators have souls?"

"Only when the golden elixir is fully developed will the soul merge into the golden elixir and no longer appear. When I died, the golden elixir was not yet complete, so I left behind a spirit body."

The ancient spirit explained to Xiao Jie that because the ancient cultivators had been absorbing and refining spiritual energy for a long time, their bodies and souls had been transformed by the spiritual energy. Therefore, after death, they would not turn into ghosts, but instead become things like mountain elves.

It is neither a god nor a ghost, neither alive nor dead. If we have to find something closer, it would probably be something like a sword spirit. However, the ancient spirit is ultimately the product of failed Qi refining. Since the Qi of its body has been cut off, it is impossible for the ancient spirit to transcend and it will only gradually disappear with time.

"I have been wandering in this cave for more than two thousand years. It is rare to meet a younger generation now. If you have any questions, just ask me. I will tell you everything I know."

Xiao Jie thought that this was convenient. It seemed that this professional task was just to search for ruins.

"Are you the only one here?"

"Yes, the other ancient spirits left because they couldn't stand the inevitable destruction." The ancient spirit's tone was quite lonely.

Leaving nature means death. Staying here still has a thin spiritual energy that can allow the ancient spirits to preserve their form and delay the time of extinction. Once they leave Xuanming Mountain, they will dissipate at twice the speed. It is estimated that those who have left are gone.

"What was your Dharma name when you were alive? Could you tell me?" The ancient spirit shook his head. "Since I became a spirit, I have gradually lost my memory. Over the past two thousand years, I can no longer remember many things, let alone my name."

"What's up with that stone tablet?"

The ancient spirit looked at the stone tablet and said calmly, "That is not a great thing, it is just a piece of stone that fell from the sky. At that time, the sky collapsed and the spiritual energy dissipated. We, a group of Qi cultivators, gradually felt that there was no hope of ascending to immortality, so we placed our hopes on the outside world and found many strange things, hoping to find a chance to ascend to immortality.

This stone tablet from outer space is one of them, but I have been pondering it for hundreds of years and have gained nothing. I also didn’t understand anything before I died.”

A stone tablet from outer space? This was strange. Xiao Jie came forward to take a closer look. Ying Baiyu also came forward to take a closer look. Of course, they couldn't see anything. Even Daju came forward and even licked the stone.

Xiao Jie observed the stone tablet but did not expect to really see anything. This group of Qi Refiners had studied it for hundreds of years and still hadn't figured it out. How could he possibly succeed so easily?

If it were any other game, it would be fine, but everything in this game is run according to real logic to a certain extent. In other words, if this stone tablet has any secrets, it will definitely be impossible to study it thoroughly even after hundreds of years.

The ancient spirit suddenly sensed something and asked, "Are you also a Qi Refiner?"

"Yes."

"I didn't expect there are still Qigong masters today, really... haha? Are you here to find the secret of Qigong? Or to find a blessed place with abundant spiritual energy? If so, I'm afraid you will be disappointed. As you can see, the Qigong masters in Xuanming Mountain have limited achievements. There is not even one who has become an immortal. The spiritual energy has long been dissipated, and it is only a little better than outside.

If you want to cultivate Qi here, you are probably looking for fish in a tree."

Xiao Jie explained: "That's not the case. I came here to learn some Qi Refining Secrets."

The Ancient Spirit was relieved after hearing this. "Haha, have you finally accepted your fate? Well, learning a few Qi-refining secret techniques and enjoying a hundred years of freedom is better than wasting your time. If you want to learn this useless technique, why not teach you?"

Xiao Jie naturally knew why the other party said so. The secret technique of Qi Refining consumes spiritual energy when it is performed, and spiritual energy is something of vital importance to Qi Refiners. Therefore, the secret technique of Qi Refining is, to put it bluntly, a very useless spell.

It is equivalent to a skill that costs one's life. The more one uses it, the lower one's cultivation level will be. After using it for a while, one will become useless. Forget about becoming an immortal. I'm afraid one won't be able to maintain the original realm.

Therefore, there are very few Qi Refiners who would specialize in this. After all, the more they use it, the lower their realm will be. If they want to ascend to immortality, how can they dare to waste this little spiritual energy?

"Thank you very much, Senior."

"I can teach you, but listen to my advice. If you really want to achieve the Great Dao, you must not abuse this Qi Refining Secret Technique. Otherwise, you will never be able to achieve immortality. My Xuanming Mountain family wasted too much energy on the Qi Refining Secret Technique and failed to achieve the Great Dao. Alas, this is really helpless. There are many monsters around Xuanming Mountain. If you don't have a few secret techniques to save your life, it will be difficult to live in peace.

I think the defeat of my Xuanming Mountain lineage was a foregone conclusion from the moment I chose this blessed land to practice.

Oh, I'd better not say more, little brother, there are three ways to practice the Qi Refining Secret Technique of my Xuanming Mountain lineage, you can choose one to practice. "

Why is it another three-choice game again... Xiao Jie began to think that the designer of this game has obsessive-compulsive disorder.

"Can't you teach them all?"

"No, no, if I teach you everything, it would be harmful to you. You don't have much spiritual energy to begin with, so just learn a few secret techniques to protect yourself. How can you learn more? Besides, you can't digest too much if you bite off more than you can chew. These three secret techniques are completely different. If you practice them together, they will inevitably affect each other and it will be difficult to succeed. There is no point in talking any more, so make your choice quickly."

An option box popped up in front of Xiao Jie.

System prompt: Please select the Qi-refining secret technique you want to practice.

Option 1: Healing Secret Art. A secret art that uses spiritual energy to heal wounds, remove disease toxins, and strengthen the body.

Option 2: Secret Art of Attack and Defense. A secret art that uses spiritual energy to transform swords, swords, and armor to attack and defend.

Option 3: The Secret Art of Sensing Spirits. This is a secret art that senses the spiritual energy in the enemy's body and manipulates it to cast a spell on the enemy.

Xiao Jie looked at the introduction of these three secret techniques and thought about it carefully.

The first one is purely for auxiliary treatment. This one is definitely the most valuable in reality. The only problem is that it cannot directly improve combat effectiveness. It would be good if you take the auxiliary route.

The second door looks good. The spiritual energy can transform into swords, armor and so on, which is of great help in battle. The problem is that I can't use this spiritual energy as a consumable. Besides, I don't lack means of attack, such as swords, armor and so on.

The third door should be a secret technique to inflict negative status on the enemy. This technique may not seem very useful at first glance, but if you think about it carefully, it is the biggest benefit for Xiao Jie to improve his current strength.

I have no shortage of damage skills or recovery methods. In a duel between true masters, success or failure is often determined by the strength of both parties.

Whether you are dealing with a BOSS or fighting with other players, it will be much easier to fight if you can apply a few DEBUFFs to the enemy first.

"I choose the third one, the Secret Art of Sensing Spirits."

"In that case—it's all right."

The ancient spirit waved his hand, and lines of white words immediately appeared on the stone wall behind him.

Xiao Jie hurriedly right-clicked to study.

System prompt: You have learned the secret techniques of Qi Refining - Qi Exhaustion Technique, Decline and Destruction Technique, and Heavenly Tribulation Technique.

Is that it? Xiao Jie was pleasantly surprised. This was actually very simple.

I quickly clicked to check, and sure enough, there were three new skills in the skill list.

【Qi Exhaustion Technique (Qi Refining Secret Technique)
Unlocked (Unlocked at the third level of Qi Refining)
Use: Causes a target to fall into the 'Exhausted' state, increasing the Stamina consumption by 300% for 30 seconds.

Consumption: 80 spiritual energy points.

Spell introduction: The first push is strong, the second push is weak, and the third push is exhausted. ——This skill is ineffective against Qi Refiners. 】

【Death Art (Qi Refining Secret Art)
Unlocked (Unlocked at the fifth level of Qi Refining)
Use: Causes a target to enter a 'decay' state, with all basic attributes reduced by 50%. This effect will gradually decay over 60 seconds.

Consumption: 120 spiritual energy points.

Spell introduction: The music stops, the light on the body suddenly disappears, the body is covered with water, the scene is hard to leave, and the eyes blink several times. This is a sign of decline and death. This skill is ineffective against Qi Refiners. 】

【Heavenly Tribulation Technique (Qi Refining Secret Technique)
Not unlocked (unlocked at the seventh level of Qi Refining).

Use: Causes a target to enter the 'Disaster' state, triggering a natural disaster within 24 hours. This effect cannot be dispelled by any spell (in the Disaster state, the player will be in combat by default).

Note 1: The calamity will be randomly generated according to the target's environment.

Note 2: The higher the target's merit value, the lower the power of the heavenly tribulation.

Note 3: For yellow-named players, the power of the calamity is increased by an additional 25%. For red-named players, the power of the calamity is increased by an additional 50%.

Consumption: 500 spiritual energy points, 500 merit points.

Spell introduction: The sky is filled with murderous intent, and the stars are moved. The earth is filled with murderous intent, and dragons and snakes rise from the land. People are filled with murderous intent, and the sky and the earth are reversed. The sky and people are combined, and the foundation of all changes is fixed. ——This skill is ineffective against Qi Refiners. 】

(End of this chapter)