After David surfaced, he said something to Ling Shuang that no one could understand.
“What do you mean?” Jiang Xuelan asked.
“That means this spiritual vein isn’t from the 26th Heaven. It fell from a higher level.”
David’s eyes shone brightly, “The twenty-seventh level of heaven, or even higher. If I can completely refine this remnant root, my Chaos Origin can be restored to the peak of the eighth rank, or even directly break through to the ninth rank.”
“But you can’t get out now.”
Ling Shuang poured cold water on the idea, saying, “Heng Xuan has sealed off the entire Twenty-Sixth Heaven, and the patrol density of the Border Patrol Division is ten times higher than usual. If you show your face, you will be discovered.”
“Then we won’t show ourselves.”
David grinned, revealing a roguish smile. “We’ll just stay here underground. Anyway, there are remnants of spiritual veins, underground rivers and springs, and natural shielding here. It’s much safer than outside.”
“Hengxuan wants to find us, let him look. Once he’s tired and his guard down, we’ll go out and give him a big surprise.”
Thus began David’s life of “surviving” at the bottom of the underground river.
During the day, he would dive into the deepest part of the underground river and use the primordial chaos to refine the remnant root of that ancient spiritual vein bit by bit.
Although the remaining root was broken, the Daoist essence it contained was extremely powerful, and the refining process was extremely slow.
David can only absorb a small portion each day, but even that small portion allows his chaotic origin to recover, condense, and transform at a visible speed.
At night, he would surface and take turns practicing dual cultivation with Jiang Xuelan and Ling Xiyue.
The Xuanbing Origin and the Star and Moon Dao Rhyme alternately cleansed his meridians, nurtured his Dao foundation, and stabilized his cultivation.
In his own words, David’s performance during this process was like this: “I was drained by the spiritual veins during the day, and drained by you guys at night. I’m just a human-shaped power bank.”
Jiang Xuelan gave him a kick with a cold face, while Ling Xiyue blushed but couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Ling Shuang sat on the opposite bank of the dark river, watching these people still making a ruckus in their desperate situation. Even the corners of her perpetually icy lips couldn’t help but curl up slightly.
She hadn’t practiced dual cultivation for a very long time, and she felt a little itchy.
Two months later, David’s aura rose again to the early stage of the eighth rank of the Great Luo Golden Immortal.
The Chaos Origin is more condensed, more substantial, and more harmonious than before. Its ability to devour Daoist essence has been completely integrated into every flow of the Chaos Origin, making its combat power far surpass that of its peers.
He tried to use the Chaos Origin to activate the resonance of the four treasures. This time, the resonance was more stable and stronger than before, enough to support him in a head-on confrontation with a sixth-grade Immortal Lord.
“That’s about it.”
David emerged from the underground river, shook his wet hair, and gave Jiang Xuelan a bright smile. “Time to go out and cause some trouble.”
“What are you planning to do?” Jiang Xuelan asked.
“Isn’t that bastard Hengxuan supposed to have sealed off the entire territory? Then he must have mobilized most of the patrol forces to search for us.”
The outer and inner sects of the Heavenly Pivot Sect, and even the patrolling Heavenly Palace, are definitely less heavily guarded than usual.
David rubbed his chin, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “Let’s not provoke Heng Xuan. Let’s go check out his lair.”
“Doesn’t he like taking in cultivators under investigation? Let’s release everyone in the investigation area, then smash his verification mirror, and let everyone in the Twenty-Sixth Heaven see that the orthodox shackles are nothing more than a chain he uses to tether his dogs.”
Ling Shuang frowned slightly: “Are you crazy? No matter how weak the Heavenly Palace’s defenses are, there are still fifth-rank Immortal Lord inspectors stationed there. If you go there, you’ll be walking into a trap.”
“I didn’t say I would go by myself.”
David’s smile grew even more wicked. “I’ll just go for a stroll, stir up some trouble, and then run away.”
Heng Xuan will definitely be furious and chase after me with his men. While he’s chasing me, his seals will break down.
If chaos ensues, the suppressed cultivators outside will have a chance to escape.
The more people running around, the busier he gets. The busier he is, the easier it is for me.
“You just run around playing with him like that?” Ling Xiyue asked.
“That’s right. When the enemy advances, we retreat; when the enemy camps, we harass; when the enemy tires, we attack; when the enemy retreats, we pursue.”
David patted his chest. “I know this trick very well. Back in the secular world, I used this method to walk my dog.”
Jiang Xuelan glanced at him: “Are you walking Heng Xuan, or are you walking us?”