Chapter 2 The First Trial

  The passage ahead became somewhat curved, and the cold and hot mixed breath also became stronger. Along with this breath came an exceptionally rich heavenly spiritual energy.

  It's indeed a great place for cultivation!

  Nie Kong continued to walk forward for nearly a hundred meters, and the passageway gradually became wider. Small rooms separated by stone slabs appeared on both sides of the passageway. The bottom of each room had a small window, which made it convenient to deliver water and food without disturbing the tribe members who were meditating inside.

  Nie Kong walked along the way, discovering that dozens of room doors on both sides closest to the entrance were all hung with red plaques, which meant that the rooms had been occupied. If a black plaque was hung on the door, it indicated that the room was still empty, and generally, there would not be a phenomenon where someone deliberately hung a red plaque outside an empty room.

  "Whoosh."

  Suddenly, Nie Qingyan rushed past Nie Kong's side like a gust of wind and stopped outside a stone room not far ahead. He then sighed, "It's really something, there are so many people cultivating in the Ice Flame Cave today! The first half of the first segment is already fully booked..."

  To prevent tribesmen from mistakenly entering and to allow tribesmen of various realms to choose a suitable room for cultivation, the Ice Flame Cave was divided into four sections. The first section is suitable for tribesmen in the Connecting Spirit realm, the second section is for those in the Merging Spirit realm, the third section is for those in the Transforming Spirit realm, and as for the fourth section, it is for high-level cultivators above the Controlling Spirit realm.

  As Nie Kong walked closer, Nie Qingyan's tone suddenly changed, and he sighed: "......But it doesn't matter, after all, I'm the elder. As an elder, one has to give in a bit to the younger generation. As long as that person is willing to speak up, I don't mind giving up this room, we have to give some face to the genius, after all."

  After finishing, Nie Qing'an deliberately showed off the black card in his hand and looked at Nie Kong with a slightly arrogant smile, but his eyes clearly revealed a triumphant "come and beg me". Nie Qing'an had even prepared a response to Nie Kong's words, this time he would definitely vent the resentment from the fantasy realm before handing over the black card.

  However, Nie Kong seemed to have not heard his words and walked by Nie Qing's side calmly, directly treating him as air.

  "Huh?"

  Nie Qing'an was stunned at the moment, his triumphant smile frozen on his face, and his gaze followed Nie Kong's figure for tens of meters before he came to his senses.

  Nie Kong was still walking forward without stopping, Nie Qingyan couldn't help but call out: "The Spiritual Meridian Five Ranks and below are most suitable for cultivation in the front half of this segment, Nie Kong, do you not want this room?" These rooms had all been carved with spiritual patterns by the Nie family's predecessors, which could block sound, no matter how noisy it was outside, it would be difficult to disturb the people inside the stone chamber.

  "Keep it for yourself!"

  Nie Kong looked back and waved his hand, then turned around and left without looking back.

  Nie Qing'an was stunned for a moment, and then coldly sneered in his heart: I don't believe you won't come back to beg me, unless you're not planning to cultivate in the Ice Flame Cave today!

  Nie Kong stopped in his tracks at the end of the first quarter.

  As expected, you still have to come back and ask for my help!

  Nie Qingan was so excited that he almost burst out laughing, his mouth slightly opening to speak, but then he saw Nie Kong push open the door of the stone room on the right. His facial expression immediately became extremely colorful, and he rushed over in a flurry: "Nie Kong, that's my room, you..."

  Bang!

  The response to Nie Qing'an was the loud sound of the door closing, and Nie Kong's figure disappeared from his line of sight. A red card was inserted into the small gap in the door, shaking back and forth and knocking against the door panel. The number "88" on the red card seemed to have transformed into Nie Kong's smiling face, mocking him.

  "Nie Kong, come out for me!"

  Nie Qing'an was furious and kicked the door with one foot. The spiritual pattern on the door panel flashed a piece of enchanting red light, Nie Qing'an let out a cry of pain, hugged his toes and sucked in cold air repeatedly. After a long while, the pain subsided, Nie Qing'an tiptoed around for several steps, his face pale as he glared at the red sign: "Damn you, dare to use my room for cultivation, truly underestimating yourself, I want to see how long you can last?"

  Nie Qing sat down at the entrance of the stone chamber with a huff, muttering to himself.

  "Huh? Where's the sign?" A surprised voice rang out, and a 16 or 17-year-old boy appeared outside Shi Yu's stone room, where Nie Qing'an had taken the black token.

  "In here, in here." Nie Qing'an hastily jumped up, grabbed the black token and rushed over, pushing open the door to enter the stone chamber. From behind came a youth's annoyed voice: "A Tongling Ninth Rank actually ran outside to occupy our room, how ridiculous!" The footsteps gradually faded away towards the exit.

  Hang the red card on the door panel, Nie Qing'an's face is full of resentment. I don't want to either, but who made my room occupied? It's enough to be angry at that damned Nie Kong! After the footsteps outside completely disappeared, Nie Qing'an quietly opened the slightly ajar door and glanced at the stone chamber No. 88 in front of him.

  It didn't work out!

  Nie Qing'an retreated back into the room and after a few minutes, he poked his head out again to take a look. There was still no movement over there, and the red placard was still hanging on the door!

  ……

  The stone room was extremely small, about two meters long and wide, with only a futon in the center. After Nie Kong sat down cross-legged, he discovered that the spiritual energy inside the room was even more concentrated than outside the corridor. It seemed that the spiritual patterns carved on the stone walls not only blocked out sound but also gathered spiritual energy.

  The eighty-eight rooms of the first section of Bingyandong, where the cold and hot air masses are most closely integrated. However, even so, there is still a slight difference between the stone chambers on both sides, that is, the left side is slightly cold, and the right side is slightly hot. The heavenly spiritual power in Nie Kong's room is most abundant with fire elements.

  When outdoors, the cool and warm air made Nie Kong feel comfortable and relaxed, like a spring breeze. But in this stone room, after just a moment, the scorching heat gradually intensified, first on the surface of his skin, which felt like it was burning with fire, and then inside his five viscera and six bowels, where a fierce flame seemed to be ignited.

  At this time, Nie Kong only felt that what Nie Qingyan had said earlier was not wrong. The Five Elements Spirit Gathering Array was more suitable for cultivation in the forty-four stone rooms near the entrance. The further one went into the cave, the higher the required cultivation would be. Like this stone room, even Nie Qingyan wouldn't be able to cultivate continuously for a long time.

  Eliminate distractions, concentrate and circulate "Mu Yang True Spirit Formula".

  No matter what kind of spiritual mantra it is, its root source is the three orifices of the spiritual god. Different mantras have different amplitudes and frequencies of vibration of the three orifices, and even the way they cooperate with each other is different. The higher the level of the mantra, the more complex the vibration of the three orifices becomes.

  Nie Kong had cultivated the Five Star Shift for ten years, as the most basic universal spiritual technique, the vibration law of the three orifices was also the simplest. During cultivation, the three orifices always maintained the same amplitude and frequency, while the Wood Yang True Spirit Technique had many changes in amplitude and frequency.

  Yesterday, Nie Kong basically grasped the "Wood True Spirit Technique" at home. Now, as soon as he ran the technique, his spiritual aperture and three spiritual orifices shook proficiently, and the speed of the spiritual power flowing through his body also accelerated. In an instant, the wood spiritual power elements began to crazily enter his body through his pores.

  Among them, those wood spiritual power elements also contain a large amount of fire spiritual power elements.

  Under Nie Kong's control, the wood spiritual power was rapidly refined and the fire spiritual power was gradually merged. When the first strand of newly refined wood spiritual power containing the fire element burst out of the acupuncture points, Nie Kong's body began to boil, his spiritual power surging like a burning flame flowing through his meridians.

  Unbeknownst to him, the intense burning sensation gradually subsided, and Nie Kong's surroundings were once again filled with a strange, cold and hot aura. As the "Wood Yang True Spirit Technique" ran its course, the aura transformed into tiny hands that gently massaged Nie Kong's entire body, making him feel as if he was floating on air...

  ……