Chapter 605 - 605: Won't Go In

Cultivation in the Martial Spirit Realm is a process of continuously accumulating Primordial Liquid in the Qi Sea.

Once a cultivator reaches the ninth-level Martial Spirit and their Primordial Liquid has been refined and compressed to the extreme, the next step is to solidify this liquid into a Primordial Pill.

By condensing the Primordial Liquid in the Qi Sea into a Primordial Pill, one can break through the Martial Spirit Realm and enter the Martial King Realm.

A Grand Realm is often subdivided into three tiers, with levels three and six acting as the dividing lines.

If the entire Martial Dao is viewed as a whole, the three realms of Martial Artist, Martial Artist, and Martial Spirit can be grouped together. They represent a simple process of accumulating Primordial Power.

However, solidifying the Primordial Liquid into a pill to become a Martial King marks the transition into a different stage entirely.

After a King Realm Expert dies, their Primordial Pill quickly dissolves into Primordial Power and dissipates into the world.

Only under extremely special conditions, or when an expert uses a powerful Sealing Skill, can a Primordial Pill be preserved and extracted from the body of a recently deceased Martial King Realm expert.

However, Chu Qingyun was still a little puzzled.

'It's normal for the Primordial Pill of a Martial King Realm expert to constantly emit powerful fluctuations of Primordial Power. After all, even Primordial Spirit Liquid does the same.'

'But the Primordial Power fluctuations coming from this particular Primordial Pill are just too outrageous.'

'At this intensity, everyone in the entire Withered Wood Forest can probably feel it clearly!'

Chu Qingyun snapped out of his daze and, with a sharp SNAP, shut the lid of the box he was holding.

But perhaps because the seal on the box had been destroyed, closing it again did nothing. It was completely unable to stop the endless waves of Primordial Power from radiating outwards.

'Damn it…'

Chu Qingyun was instantly filled with regret. He shouldn't have been so rash in breaking the seal.

But it was too late for regrets now.

Chu Qingyun then tried to put the box, along with the Primordial Pill, into his Storage Ring.

A Storage Ring contained its own separate dimension, so it should naturally be able to mask the Primordial Pill's fluctuations of Primordial Power.

However, after two attempts, he was stunned to find that while the box went into the Storage Ring just fine, the Primordial Pill itself refused to go in!

'Wh-what's happening?'

Chu Qingyun was shocked. He had never encountered anything like this before.

SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH…

While Chu Qingyun was still reeling in shock, a series of whooshing sounds cut through the air. Soon, five ninth-level Martial Spirits appeared nearby, every single one of them staring at the Primordial Pill in his hand with greedy, covetous eyes.

They were the ones who had been closest, the same people who had been within the range of Chu Qingyun's sensory imprint earlier.

The moment they sensed the astonishing fluctuations of Primordial Power, they had rushed over.

"That's... a Primordial Pill! The Primordial Pill of a Martial King Realm expert!"

"With such incredible fluctuations of Primordial Power, it's definitely not from an ordinary Human King Realm expert. It might even be from an Earth King Realm expert!"

"To think... to think it's a Martial King Essence Pill!"

Once the five of them got a clear look at the object in Chu Qingyun's hand, they were all instantly overcome with excitement.

All five of them were ninth-level Martial Spirits. It was safe to say they were at the stage where they needed a Martial King Essence Pill the most.

Because if a ninth-level Martial Spirit could successfully refine a Martial King Essence Pill, they could ascend to the heavens in a single bound and directly become a Martial King Realm expert!

For a ninth-level Martial Spirit, the chance to break through to the Martial King Realm was an irresistible temptation.

Among the ninth-level Martial Spirits participating in the Inner Sect Qualification Competition, very, very few were truly confident they could break through to the Martial King Realm on their own power alone.

Even the highly-regarded Outer Sect Seed Disciples were only considered promising contenders; they were merely seen as having a chance to win the Inner Sect Qualification Competition.

In reality, only a scant twelve people actually won each year.

And only a few dozen would successfully break through to the Martial King Realm.

Compared to the tens of thousands of Outer Sect disciples, or even the several hundred so-called Seed Disciples, the odds were far too low.

Besides, a large portion of the participants in the Inner Sect Qualification Competition weren't even considered Seed Disciples.

They participated purely to try their luck, to go all out and see if they could find some opportunity to break through to the Martial King Realm.

And into this situation, a Martial King Essence Pill had suddenly appeared.

One can only imagine how desperately these ninth-level Martial Spirits coveted it!

"Hey, isn't that Chu Qingyun from the Saint Extreme Sect? The one who talked back to an Inner Sect Elder yesterday."

"Heh heh, got some nerve, that one. Too bad he's only an eighth-level Martial Spirit."

"Don't underestimate an eighth-level Martial Spirit. That guy on the ground looks like Shi Cheng from the Stone Spirit Sect, and he's a ninth-level Martial Spirit..."

"Tch. The Stone Spirit Sect is full of trash!"

All five of them were ninth-level Martial Spirits. With feverish eyes fixed on the Martial King Essence Pill in Chu Qingyun's hand, they slowly closed in on him from all sides.

Sigh.

Weighing the Martial King Essence Pill in his hand, Chu Qingyun let out a soft sigh.

He didn't know why the Martial King Essence Pill couldn't be put into his Storage Ring, but he knew one thing for certain: a huge fight was now inevitable.

Unless he was willing to just hand over the Martial King Essence Pill.

But that was simply out of the question. Chu Qingyun wasn't concerned with the opportunity to directly become a Martial King; he was confident he could break through on his own.

However, the massive amount of Primordial Power contained within the Martial King Essence Pill was something he desperately needed!

With the Primordial Pill of an Earth King Realm expert, he'd have more than enough power to go from an eighth-level to a ninth-level Martial Spirit; it might even be enough to break through from the ninth-level Martial Spirit all the way to the Martial King Realm!

Therefore, he had to have this Martial King Essence Pill!

"Kid, hand over the Martial King Essence Pill, and we'll spare your life."

"Hand it over quietly. A Martial King Essence Pill isn't something a mere eighth-level Martial Spirit like you can hope to keep!"

Two of the five sneered.

But Chu Qingyun, clutching the Martial King Essence Pill in one hand, simply revealed a chilling smile. "The Martial King Essence Pill is right here," he said. "If you've got the guts, come and take it yourself."

As he spoke, he glanced around at them, his expression completely devoid of fear.

He wasn't concerned about five ninth-level Martial Spirits!

"Well, kid. You've chosen the hard way."

"An arrogant eighth-level Martial Spirit... you're just asking to die!"

"Enough nonsense! That Martial King Essence Pill is still pulsing with Primordial Power. Let's just finish him off and take the Treasure!"

The five of them pressed even closer, completely sealing off all of Chu Qingyun's escape routes.

However, just as they were about to make their move, SWOOSH! Three more figures flashed through the forest, and another three ninth-level Martial Spirits leaped out from the trees together.

"Chu Qingyun!?"

"And... that's a Martial King Essence Pill!"

Recognizing Chu Qingyun and getting a clear look at what he was holding, the three newcomers' faces instantly lit up with unrestrained, joyous surprise.

All three of them were Outer Disciples of the Purple Cloud Sect!