Suddenly, Gu Qingfeng opened his eyes, a flash of delight passing through his gaze.
"Qi Gathering Seventh Level! I never thought I'd reach the Late Stage of Qi Gathering so quickly," Gu Qingfeng murmured to himself.
The gap between the Qi Gathering Sixth Layer and the Seventh Level was a significant divide, marking the boundary between the middle and late stages. It was akin to the difference between a middle schooler and a high schooler.
The Qi Gathering Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Layers corresponded to grades seven through nine, while the Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Levels were like grades ten through twelve. Thus, the leap from the Sixth Layer to the Seventh Level represented a qualitative transformation, akin to passing a major exam.
And now, Gu Qingfeng could proudly say that he had passed.
But what was the deal with this ink-black Qi?
Gu Qingfeng fell into deep thought, using his inner vision to observe the Qi within his body and scanning its properties with his soul power.
After a while, he reached a conclusion!
The mutation in his Qi must be due to the Black Dragon Immortal Body!
The nature of this ink-black Qi closely resembled that of the Black Dragon Immortal Body—fierce, domineering, and with an incredibly fast recovery rate. It felt like he was constantly standing in a fountain of energy, replenishing his Qi (or "mana") at an astonishing speed.
The most crucial point was that this ink-black Qi had only appeared after he obtained the Black Dragon Immortal Body.
This was his first cultivation session since acquiring the Black Dragon Immortal Body.
Though he practiced the same technique, the change in his physique had altered the nature of his Qi.
To be honest, this defied logic. According to reason, all members of the Gu family who cultivated the Dragon God Technique should produce Qi of the same nature—a faint black color. While individual physiques varied, the power generated by the technique should be consistent, differing only in strength.
But in Gu Qingfeng's case, his physique had changed, and so had the nature of his Qi.
There must have been some unknown interaction between the Dragon God Technique and the Black Dragon Immortal Body, but Gu Qingfeng's current martial realm was too low to comprehend it.
However, while he couldn't understand it, Gu Qingfeng found it easy to accept. After all, in his previous life, there was a bald man who did 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10-kilometer run every day for three years, and he became a superhuman.
Meanwhile, others who trained the same way only became slightly stronger ordinary people.
Thus, even the same technique could yield different results depending on the individual.
Since he couldn't figure out the principle behind it, Gu Qingfeng decided not to dwell on it. After all, it was a good thing.
As the old saying goes, "Enjoy the good fortune, and don't ask why."
......
Having finished his cultivation, Gu Qingfeng decided to grab some breakfast, as it was already dawn, and he had been cultivating all night.
After some thought, he remembered that the donkey meat sandwich he had last time was quite good, so he set off.
Riding his small, shabby horse to the outskirts of the city, he suddenly heard Demon Pu's voice in his ear.
Without haste, Gu Qingfeng retrieved the Dandelion-brand communication device from his dimensional space.
"Gu Qingfeng, come to Ten-Mile Slope immediately."
Demon Pu repeated the message three times. After listening, Gu Qingfeng tossed the device back into his dimensional space and continued on his way to get the donkey meat sandwich.
Food came first, and Demon Pu could wait.
......
An hour later, after eating his fill, Gu Qingfeng finally arrived at Ten-Mile Slope.
From a distance, he spotted Demon Pu and called out, "Hey, Demon Pu, what do you need me for?"
In a flash, Demon Pu appeared in front of Gu Qingfeng. "What took you so long? Did something happen?"
"Nothing happened. I just had a donkey meat sandwich. Want one?"
"Yes."
Huh...
Demon Pu had learned to be sly. He knew Gu Qingfeng was just being polite and hadn't actually brought any sandwiches. Yet, he still said yes. Besides, what would a dandelion even do with a sandwich?
Gu Qingfeng quickly changed the subject. "So, what did you call me here for?"
"I've prepared some things for you," Demon Pu said, producing a silver-white mask, a pill, and a jade talisman.
As Gu Qingfeng took the items, he immediately sensed their immense treasure aura. These were no ordinary objects.
"What are these?"
"The silver-white mask is called the Phantom Spirit Ghost Mask. The wearer can freely alter their appearance, body features, and even their aura and cultivation level. Even a Dragon Transformation Realm expert would find it difficult to see through the disguise. It's a low-grade Heavenly Tier artifact.
The pill is the Frenzy Demon Pill. Upon consumption, it greatly enhances the user's strength in a short period, but at the cost of pushing the body to its limits, inducing a bloodthirsty and berserk state. Despite its severe side effects, it's an excellent tool for survival.
The jade talisman is the Minor Teleportation Talisman. Once activated, it can instantly teleport the user a thousand miles away. It can be reused, but only up to three times before its spatial energy is depleted."
After hearing Demon Pu's explanation, Gu Qingfeng was stunned. "All of this is for me?"
"Yes. The Phantom Spirit Ghost Mask will help you conceal your identity. If you're discovered, the Frenzy Demon Pill and the Minor Teleportation Talisman will ensure your escape. All you need to do is go to the third layer of the Demon Suppression Prison, devour the Blood Divine Son, and annihilate it completely. This will weaken the Blood Demon's power."
Upon hearing Demon Pu's words, Gu Qingfeng's first thought was that Demon Pu had gone mad. His second thought was to immediately stash the items into his spatial ring.
Whether Demon Pu was crazy or not, the items were now in his possession, and not even the heavens could make him return them.
After doing this, Gu Qingfeng noticed that Demon Pu showed no signs of regret, which put him at ease.
Truly, a Dragon Transformation Realm expert! Such extravagance!
What does it mean to be ridiculously generous?
This is what it means!
These three treasures were things he had never even heard of, let alone seen.
A Heavenly Tier spiritual weapon that existed only in legends, like true love! Although it was just an auxiliary weapon, even a Dragon Transformation Realm expert couldn't see through it. Didn't that mean only a Divine Realm expert could?
But the Divine Realm was even more elusive than love, so it might as well be considered impossible to see through.
He had struck gold this time!
Seeing Demon Pu's generosity, Gu Qingfeng suddenly felt that he had been a bit too harsh in the past. He should have brought a donkey meat sandwich after all.
"Demon Pu, why are you suddenly so generous? Did something go wrong with your cultivation?" Gu Qingfeng asked suspiciously.
Demon Pu's face darkened, and he cursed inwardly. "You're the one who messed up your cultivation! If it weren't for the Blood Demon's orders, fearing you might fail at a critical moment, who would bother giving you treasures?"
"I just want you to complete the mission successfully. Enough talk. If you have no other needs, go back and familiarize yourself with the items I gave you. Remember, there must be no mistakes this time!"
With that, Demon Pu turned to leave.
Gu Qingfeng quickly stopped him. "Wait, who said I don't need anything else? How about some more divine techniques, secret arts, pills, talismans, spiritual weapons, or formation arrays?"
Demon Pu's eyes flashed with anger. "Why don't you just take my spatial ring while you're at it?"
"Well, I wouldn't want to impose, but if you insist, I suppose I can't refuse," Gu Qingfeng said with a sheepish grin, scratching the back of his head.
"Hmph! Utterly unreasonable!" Demon Pu snorted in anger and vanished on the spot.