Chapter 78: Re-entering the Phantom Spirit Cave

  The last time he entered the Phantom Spirit Cave, in Li Ruo Dao's plan was just a warm-up and to test his own strength. After that trial, Li Ruo Dao became even more convinced that as long as he successfully broke through the eighth level of Jing Yuan Qi, in the fourth layer of the Phantom Spirit Cave, he would have an even stronger survival ability, with a great possibility of surpassing Shan Zhi's record and successfully entering the Golden Sword List.

  There are still 23 days before I return home to visit my family. Can this wish be fulfilled in these 23 days?

  Li Ran had no bottom in his heart, took out a pellet of marrow-washing pill and put it in his mouth, the spiritual pill gradually dissolved into a liquid, which was swallowed with saliva into the abdomen.

  In an instant, Li Ran felt infinite clear streams spreading throughout his limbs and body, threads of energy like countless ants drilling in and out of his muscles and bones, both sour and numb, yet with a hint of extreme comfort amidst the coolness.

  Li Ran Dao knew that the key to success lay in his ability to focus his mind and channel the energy of the Ling Dan into his meridians. As he did so, a fine mist of heat rose from his body, carrying with it the impurities that had been purged from his muscles and bones by the medicinal properties of the Washing Marrow Dan.

  Before long, Li Ran was like sitting in a steamer basket, with water vapor swirling around him and his whole body completely soaked.

  Knowing time was of the essence, Li Ran grasped every breath of time, running the cycle of heaven and earth to refine the medicinal power again and again.

  This time in deep seclusion, Li Ran's knife was silent and motionless, his breath unbroken, the energy of the elixir accumulating endlessly in his dantian, growing more abundant and richer with each passing moment.

  Ten days have passed, and Li Ran's body has been purged of all impurities by the Washing Marrow Dan. His skin is now rough and dirty, with sweat stains all over, but beneath the dirt, his skin is robust and full of flexible elasticity, as if it could burst forth with explosive power at any moment.

  Twelve days have passed and Li Ruo's body no longer feels any unusual sensations, his entire being has entered a state of deep meditation.

  Fourteen days have passed, and the energy in the dantian is still surging and unstoppable, having already reached the seventh peak of Jingyuan's realm, just one step away from crossing the threshold of the eighth.

  "There are still eight days until I leave the sect. Can I break through that barrier in these eight days? Can I achieve a breakthrough in my Eightfold Power?"

  Li Ran's heart was as tough as a knife, and he continued his dry practice over and over again. The cycle of the week did not stop, and the energy did not cease.

  On the fifteenth day, at some point, Li Ran felt that the energy of the Washing Marrow Pill was still surging like a rising tide, and suddenly, with a loud rumble in his chest, it was as if a barrier had been opened, and the energy surged forth in a wider direction.

  "Did I just break through the eighth layer of Jingyuan's power?"

  Li Ran's eyes widened in shock and delight, he quickly opened his eyes and secretly calculated the time. This time, he had only used 10 days to achieve a breakthrough of an entire level, a speed that would make even Qin Fengchuan jump with astonishment if it were told to him.

  The magic pill is indeed miraculous!

  Feeling the energy still surging inside his body, Li Ran nodded to himself, he was used to cultivating with medicinal soup, and had neglected the powerful energy of the spiritual elixir. If he were to use medicinal soup to break through the eightfold barrier, it would likely take a good many days, but the energy of the spiritual elixir was too strong, and in one fell swoop, it broke through the barrier, achieving a new breakthrough.

  Li Rendao suddenly stood up, and at this time Li Rendao was no longer the Li Rendao of yesterday. With absolute strength alone, he had already taken the lead in the real strength of this generation of disciples, and with the addition of sword intent, and the unity of body and sword, Li Rendao's ambition soared to new heights.

  Carrying a long sword, without alarming anyone, he quietly left the Xuanhuo Cave, and took a refreshing bath in the clear spring between the mountains. He climbed mountains and leaped over ridges, arriving at the Hanshi Peak transmission cave. Entering deep into the cave, he activated the transmission array, and a brilliant light burst forth, transporting him to a mountain valley near the Huangling Cave.

  It was still the same old man in a green robe guarding the entrance of the Phantom Spirit Cave, hearing the footsteps outside slowly opening his eyes, suddenly narrowing them again, surprisingly it was that new disciple who had come to challenge the pass more than ten days ago - Li Rendao from the 13th Heaven's Peak.

  It has been just a few days since Li Ruo's reappearance left Qing Yi and Lao Zhai utterly astonished.

  Li Ruo Knife bowed and saluted: "Senior brother, I want to venture into the Phantom Spirit Cave again."

  The old man stared intently at Li Ran's knife, seeing the difference in his aura, and nodded slowly: "So many days have passed and your skills have broken through again? Good, good, this is a transmission symbol, go ahead, be careful, I wish you success in entering the Golden Sword List."

  Watching Li Ruo Knife step into the purple light ban, the old man in green knew that this time Li Ruo Knife's entry was not trivial, and it was very likely that the entire Xuanji Mountain Sect's Golden Sword List would be rewritten. Not daring to slack off, he opened the Heart-to-Heart Reflecting Stone at the cave entrance, where the old man in green could directly see every battle of Li Ruo Knife inside the cave.

  The first three layers were almost no effort for Li Ruo Dao, using the shortest time to pass through, and stepped into the fourth layer of the Lingyuan Cave. Looking at the place where he had squeezed out last time, Li Ruo Dao's ambition was ignited, and he flew up to a mountain rock in one direction. Seeing the back shadow of a red demon, Li Ruo Dao's toes touched the ground, like a big bird taking off, actively approaching the red demon.

  A crimson, humanoid bear with two clusters of fiery red fur on its shoulders, as if flames were burning on its back, a green face with sharp teeth, long arms that reached past its knees, and massive paws the size of lotus leaves.

  He suddenly turned around to look at Li Ruo's knife, his eyes seemed to spew out fire, he let out a low growl, and puffed out a misty breath, his massive body swooped over.

  A loud metallic clang echoed through the air as Li Ruo's long sword clashed with Chi Yan's massive palm, and Li Ruo felt a surge of immense force rushing towards his chest, as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer. His sword was knocked askew, and he involuntarily stumbled backward, flying out several meters before stumbling to a stop.

  Panting heavily, Li Ran nodded silently.

  Last time, I only used the Seventh Layer of Jingyuan's power to test the strength of Chi Mei. The power of this spiritual beast was too strong, and I almost got killed in one hit. Now that I have broken through the Eighth Layer of Jingyuan's power, my own power has increased exponentially, and with just my skills alone, I can already withstand one or two attacks, and won't be forced to retreat so miserably.

  After breaking through his powers, Li Ran felt extremely satisfied with himself and the mutated spirit beast that had undergone a transformation.

  The red demon let out a loud roar and pounced again, Li Ran's long sword was held at an angle, the secret pattern of the sword intent poured into the sword, the long sword flashed with a cold light, a flowing light wrapped around the bear's palm, the sound of metal clashing loudly, a sword slashed diagonally, cutting a bloody wound on the red demon's long arm.

  Bajie's precise and powerful swordsmanship combined with Jianyi's intent, Li Ran's knife was at a disadvantage.

  The bloodthirsty Red Fiend's stimulation became even more frantic, the energy within his body surging like a tidal wave. With a circular motion of his palm, he struck down at Li Furan's head with his knife.

  Li Ran's heart was clear and bright, every move of the red demon's trajectory was obvious in his chest. His body slightly tilted, narrowly avoiding the giant palm by a hair's breadth. The long sword swiftly and fiercely thrust out, making a "chi" sound as it once again opened up a bloody mouth on the red demon's ribs.

  The roar of voices echoed far and wide, a man and a beast fought with smoke filling the air.

  Li Ran's knife was indeed in the upper hand, but Chi Mei was not easily killed. His body had one wound after another, but the strength of his arms increased without decreasing, and he fought as if he were mad.

  In the distance, two more long whistles came, and two fiery red figures rushed across the mountain rocks.

  The old man in green outside the cave jumped heavily in his heart, and his eyebrows were all raised.

  If he persists, Li Ran's knife will surely be able to kill the red demon and turn it into his own achievement, but now it seems that there is not enough time.

  The old man in green clothes knew that Li Ruo Dao was going to risk everything to kill the spiritual beast before the other two arrived. The old man felt a tense atmosphere, and he didn't know if Li Ruo Dao would succeed.

  Two red deers approached from afar.

  Li Ran's hand trembled with his sword, the long sword shone with a cold gleam, the sound of breaking wind made people's hair stand on end, and in the midst of flying blood and flesh, that red demon knew that reinforcements had arrived, gritting its teeth to hold on desperately.

  The two red demons in the distance drew closer, their silhouettes clearly visible. It seemed that with just a few more leaps, they would arrive. The old man in green robes was so anxious for Li Feng's safety that he broke out in sweat, clenching his fists and shouting quietly: "Run quickly, or it will be too late!"

  Just then, Li Ran suddenly made a swift mistake, and the red demon flashed past him, his long sword spinning around, following the momentum to sweep back, and with one horizontal swing of force, the red demon lost its balance and stumbled forward, taking a step back.

  Li Ran's sword flashed back, his long sword flew out of his hand, and a stream of light poured into Chi Mie's back heart, pinning Chi Mie's massive body to the ground with one sword.

  In the distance, two red eyes let out a loud roar, and the massive shadow descended like two black clouds. Li Ran's knife foot pointed to the ground, and he swiftly flew out like a swallow skimming the water. He turned around in mid-air, swung his long sword out, and his body spun around, shooting out over ten zhangs away. In an instant, his figure vanished like a wisp of smoke behind the distant mountain rocks.

  Two red demons behind him, in a rage but unable to catch up.

  The old man in green finally let out a sigh of relief, and after just a short while, his forehead was already beading with fine sweat.

  The battle just now was on the line between life and death, Li Ran's knife actually managed to kill Chi Mei in the last moment, and escaped at a frightening speed. The old man in green clothes was also shocked and his heart skipped a beat.

  "Are all young monks nowadays so desperate?"

  The old man in green suddenly smiled and sighed softly: "This Li Ran's determination, just relying on this desperate energy, maybe this time it will really succeed!"