The Immortal's Legacy

The rich, dense natural energy made Ji Ning take a deep breath. He could feel the Xiantian true ki within his dantian surging and increasing with an audible rippling sound. "Such pure, such dense natural energy! And this was just from the stone door being pushed open—the energy leaking out is already this thick. What must it be like inside the chamber itself?"

"Don't barge in recklessly. There might be danger within." Ji Jiuhuo quickly warned. "Let me send a scouting insect in to investigate first."

Ji Jiuhuo opened his mouth. A black wasp immediately took flight, its wings buzzing as it swiftly flew towards the distant stone chamber, entering directly through the entrance. After the span of roughly ten breaths, the black wasp flew back out. Ji Jiuhuo opened his mouth again and swallowed it back into his body.

"How is it?"

Everyone looked at the Patriarch, Ji Jiuhuo. He smiled and said, "I've already scouted it. There's no danger inside at all. Come, let's go in and have a look! All of you follow behind me. If there is any danger still hidden in that stone chamber that wasn't detected, I'll be the first to die. Ji Ning, you walk at the very back!"

"That's right, Ji Ning at the back." Everyone looked at him.

Ji Ning felt helpless. He didn't argue further and obediently took the rearmost position. Patriarch Ji Jiuhuo and Granny Shadow were the first to enter. The moment they stepped inside, cries of surprise rang out. "What treasures! What incredible treasures!" "There must have been an Immortal cultivating here. There must have been!"

Their excitement made Ji Ning's heart itch. Just what was inside?

"All of you come in. I've swept the area with my elemental energy. There's no danger." Ji Jiuhuo said.

The group immediately filed inside. Ji Ning quickly followed.

"Such dense natural energy." The moment Ji Ning entered, he was struck by the overwhelming density of the natural energy. It felt as if every single pore on his body had opened wide, greedily absorbing the energy. Within the air of the room, a faint, life-filled green haze was barely visible—a sign that the natural energy had become so dense it was beginning to manifest as visible color.

"Ji Ning, close the stone door. Don't let this natural energy leak out. This stone room is special. Once the stone door is shut, the natural energy is completely sealed within." Ji Jiuhuo instructed.

"Yes." Ji Ning understood this as well. It was the same reason natural energy had leaked out when he had pushed the door open earlier. With a low rumble, the stone door slid shut.

Brimming with curiosity, Ji Ning carefully examined his surroundings.

The main chamber was roughly ten zhang in diameter. There was also a side door, suggesting other rooms beyond.

"Look at this." Ji Jiuhuo pointed to a large pool in the center of the chamber. The pool was filled with a thin layer of shimmering, emerald-green liquid. The liquid flowed slowly, exuding an aura of boundless vitality. The incredibly dense natural energy permeating the air was all due to the emanations of this liquid.

"I'm certain of this." Ji Jiuhuo said with absolute confidence. "The entire elemental ore mine was formed because an Immortal once cultivated here. They deliberately set up a grand formation to draw the boundless natural energy of heaven and earth to this spot. Over the long years, it accumulated and formed the elemental ore vein. But to that Immortal, what they needed wasn't the ore itself, but this—"

Ji Jiuhuo pointed at the thin layer of green liquid at the bottom of the pool, his voice brimming with certainty. "Primordial Liquid! This is the true essence of natural energy. Pure, ultimate Primordial Liquid!"

Ji Ning held his breath.

Primordial Liquid?

If the natural energy within high-grade ore was already extremely pure, placing a low burden on the body and increasing cultivation speed tenfold, then Primordial Liquid… this was the ultimate essence of natural energy, refined to perfection. It placed absolutely no burden on the body. A cultivator could completely refine it and convert it to their own use in a short period of time.

For example, some immortals who reincarnated, their memories sealed, living as mortals. Once their memories awakened, relying on their comprehension of the Dao and the strength of their soul, they would need to find a legendary 'Nine Revolutions Golden Pill'. A Nine Revolutions Golden Pill contained a massive amount of natural energy and also placed no burden on the body. The cultivator could absorb it freely.

If a reincarnated immortal woke their memories and swallowed a Nine Revolutions Golden Pill, with the natural energy from the pill… they could become an immortal again within a single day!

To increase one's cultivation, a strong soul, insights into the Dao, a cultivation technique, and natural energy—all four were indispensable. Reincarnated immortals possessed the first three, so with a single Nine Revolutions Golden Pill, they could instantly become immortals again. Without a Nine Revolutions Golden Pill, even a reincarnated immortal had to cultivate slowly, step by step. If an ordinary mortal ate a Nine Revolutions Golden Pill, they would be torn apart by the massive amount of energy contained within!

Nine Revolutions Golden Pills… were legendary.

Primordial Liquid, on the other hand—Ji Ning had read about it in books. If there was enough Primordial Liquid, it could completely rival a Nine Revolutions Golden Pill.

"The Immortal who cultivated here." Ji Jiuhuo said excitedly, "must have accumulated a great deal of Primordial Liquid in this pool. Through their cultivation, they had already refined and used most of it. Only this thin layer remains at the bottom. But even just this thin layer… is probably worth as much as the entire combined assets of our Ji Clan! And this kind of Primordial Liquid is something our Ji Clan couldn't buy even if we wanted to."

Everyone present was incredibly excited.

They all understood. Primordial Liquid could save one from the long, arduous task of refining natural energy! It was monopolized by the great sects and powerful tribes, bestowed upon truly monstrous talents or top-tier experts, allowing them to avoid wasting time slowly refining natural energy. Such a treasure was not something the Ji Clan could ever purchase.

"Patriarch, with this, can you break through to the Wanxiang Adept level?" Ji Ning pressed.

"Our Ji Clan's cultivation techniques are too inferior." Ji Jiuhuo shook his head. "Theoretically, there's a chance, but in reality, no one in our clan's history has ever become a Wanxiang Adept. I've been cultivating for nearly four hundred years. If I were going to become a Wanxiang Adept, I would have already broken through long ago. This Primordial Liquid is useless for me and Granny Shadow. It will be most useful for you, Ji Ning!"

"That's right, Ji Ning, you are the best one to use it." Granny Shadow also looked at Ji Ning, her eyes full of expectation. "You are so talented. Staying in our Ji Clan is holding you back. We are burying your potential. You have to work hard and slowly cultivate, refining natural energy. If you were in a top-tier great tribe, your cultivation would be many times faster."

"Ji Ning, you use it." Ji Yichuan also spoke up. "There's no need to be modest. I know your level of insight. I'm afraid all of us here are slightly inferior to you. With this Primordial Liquid, you can easily reach a higher level."

"Yes." Ji Liuzhen, Ji Jiuhuo, and the others all looked at Ji Ning with anticipation.

Ji Ning felt a warmth in his heart.

Such an incredible treasure… and everyone was giving it to him.

"Patriarch, I won't stand on ceremony." Ji Ning said directly. "I'll use this Primordial Liquid to cultivate right now." His Fiendgod Body Refining was very difficult to make a breakthrough in, and even if he did, it required the power of the Taiyin Star and the Sunstar. This Primordial Liquid was more suited to his Ki Refining path. His insights were already sufficient. He could definitely open his Zifu!

"Good." Ji Jiuhuo and the others were filled with excited anticipation. To them, the increase in strength from the Primordial Liquid was limited. But for their clan's most monstrous genius, Ji Ning… it could very well lead to a tremendous leap in power.

"I'll go check the other room, to see if there's anything else." Ji Jiuhuo quickly said.

There was a side chamber next door.

Inside the side chamber there was only a stone bed, a stone chair, and a stone table. Nothing else.

"It looks like this really was just an Immortal's secluded cultivation retreat. This room was where the Immortal rested and studied immortal scriptures." Ji Jiuhuo said. "The other room was where the Immortal cultivated."

"There's nothing."

"No other treasures."

Ji Yichuan and the others searched carefully, but the entire stone dwelling consisted of only one main chamber and one side chamber. Everything was simple and easy to see at a glance. They had also swept the area with elemental energy, but found no hidden treasures.

"Let's go." Ji Jiuhuo and the others returned to the main chamber. He looked at Ji Ning and instructed, "Ji Ning, you will cultivate here. Remember, close the stone door. There's a mechanism on the door. Once it's closed, it cannot be opened from the outside. We will wait for you on the ground above."

"Alright." Ji Ning nodded.

Patriarch Ji Jiuho and the others quickly walked out, leaving Ji Ning alone in the stone chamber. Ji Ning walked forward and pushed the stone door shut, sealing it tight.

Cultivation was a matter of great importance. One had to be cautious. It would be very dangerous if he were interrupted at the most critical moment.

"This time… I should be able to open my Zifu." Ji Ning looked at the pool filled with boundless spiritual Primordial Liquid. He hesitated no longer. He immediately sat down cross-legged at the edge of the pool and began to circulate the Water Element Art. Although the Water Element Art was a simple technique, it was still sufficient to open a Zifu.

However, after opening his Zifu, Ji Ning would need to switch to a new Ki Refining technique. Relying on such an inferior technique, it was only a theoretical possibility to reach the Wanxiang Adept level. As for the Primal Daoist realm? It was a complete impossibility, even in theory.

But Ji Ning wasn't worried. His main focus was on Fiendgod Body Refining. Eventually, he would leave Mount Swallow and naturally obtain more profound cultivation techniques.

Swish, swish, swish—

As Ji Ning circulated the Water Element Art, he began to absorb the natural energy of the outside world. The natural energy within the stone chamber was incredibly dense. It continuously condensed into true ki.

Ji Ning opened his mouth.

Whoosh!

A portion of the Primordial Liquid in the pool rose into the air. Under the control of his divine sense, it flew directly into Ji Ning's mouth and was swallowed into his body. The moment the Primordial Liquid entered him… it instantly transformed into natural energy. This supremely pure energy surged into his dantian, directly converting into true ki, all in one smooth, continuous motion! It placed absolutely no burden on his body. Ji Ning could absorb and transform it endlessly without pause.

Rumble… The water-green true ki within his dantian was as vast and boundless as an endless ocean tide, surging together, accumulating madly!

"Again." Ji Ning opened his mouth and took another sip. The Primordial Liquid entered his body directly.

Within his dantian, it was a scene of roaring waves and crashing tides. The true ki, which would normally require time to slowly accumulate, had reached its limit in an instant. The endless true ki spun wildly, squeezing and pressing against itself, as if complaining that the space within the dantian was too small to contain any more.

BOOM!

In that instant, it was as if Pangu had split open Heaven and Earth! Where before there had been only a chaotic, undifferentiated dantian, there was now an explosive sound!

Suddenly, a vast amount of water vapor appeared around Ji Ning, who was sitting quietly cross-legged by the pool. In this moment, he could even more clearly touch upon the 'Dao'. But this feeling quickly faded.

"Zifu, opened! With the Zifu established, the foundation for immortal cultivation is laid." Ji Ning murmured to himself.

In the place where his dantian used to be…

Now there was only a vast, endless void of nothingness. Within the void, an endless purple mist swirled. This strange location, which existed somewhere between the realms of the real and the ethereal, was the Zifu! Everyone's Zifu was the same when it was first opened. But what level of cultivation one could reach in the future depended on their own fate and opportunities.

"Absorb!" Ji Ning opened his mouth. The Primordial Liquid in the pool flowed into his body like a stream of wine.

Within the endless void of the Zifu, filled with purple mist, the first drop of Yuan power began to condense. Soon, a vast amount of Yuan power continuously gathered. A small puddle formed in the endless void, quickly growing into a small lake… The Yuan power continued to accumulate without pause, and the lake expanded without cease.