CHAPTER 70: CHAPTER 70: THE INK SERPENT

"Is this Mana?"

"It feels completely different from Inner Qi."

Feeling the cool and clear power in his Sea of Consciousness, Qi Xiu was slightly moved. Mana didn’t give him the solid feeling that Inner Qi did.

Void and thorough. With form but no substance. Yet it contained a kind of latent might, vaguely able to instigate some changes and rules in this world.

After trying to manipulate the Mana in his mind for a while, Qi Xiu’s lips moved slightly as he chanted a short Spell. This was one of the Spells recorded in the Bitter Pool Elusive Scales Heart Scripture and was also the main Spell.

Mo Jiao!

As the chant was recited, abstruse and incomprehensible syllables spilled from Qi Xiu’s mouth. The Mana in his Sea of Consciousness followed the chant, turning into a light mist that poured into his body. It faintly condensed into mystical ancient symbols, inducing the Divine Marvel hidden in the depths. A swimming phantom slowly emerged from the void.

Just when everything was operating according to what was recorded in the Heart Scripture, the Dao Seed within Qi Xiu’s dantian suddenly trembled. It seemed to sense that a foreign energy had invaded its territory. The vast, magnificent, domineering, and mighty Purple Golden Inner Qi suddenly surged out fiercely. Like a ravenous tiger, it relentlessly shattered and obliterated the incoming Mana.

PFFT...

The clash of the two powers within him, and the backlash from the countercharge, forced Qi Xiu to spew a mouthful of old blood over two meters away.

You rebellious child!

With a shocked expression, Qi Xiu furrowed his brows. He hadn’t expected that his first use of a Spell would be cut short by his own hard-earned Purple Golden Skill. Drawing two Medicine Talismans with his hand to soothe the internal injuries, Qi Xiu gritted his teeth and circulated the Purple Golden Skill. He drew back the domineering Purple Golden Inner Qi, still rampaging within his body as if seeking any remaining Mana, back into the Dao Seed.

Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Qi Xiu gazed at the blood he had spat out and whispered to himself, "So this is the difficulty of dual cultivation in both magic and martial arts, huh?"

Inner Qi and Mana. Like fire and water. Coexisting within one body, they naturally repel and oppose each other. The two powers confronted each other, each wanting to shatter and extinguish the other and dominate the body. In the end, it was the cultivator himself who suffered.

But what Qi Xiu didn’t know was that the strong backlash he experienced wasn’t entirely due to the conflict between Inner Qi and Mana. It was because his method of cultivation was completely different from the normal dual cultivation of magic and martial arts. Normally, orthodox practitioners of dual cultivation would simultaneously cultivate Inner Qi and Mana and control the total amount of both. This was to maintain them in a relative state of balance, preventing one side from becoming too powerful and swallowing up the other.

However, Qi Xiu’s current situation was that his True Cultivation Power’s Inner Qi had already been cultivated to True Intent Perfection, bringing him to the Realm of forming the Dao Seed. Yet his Mana had only just begun. The complete imbalance between the two forces resulted in the Inner Qi completely overwhelming the Mana, causing the backlash.

This situation also reflected the shortcomings of Qi Xiu as a Loose Cultivator.

Lacking the guidance of a master or elder. Sometimes one might not just take a detour. One might even take the wrong path, a path that leads to a dead end.

Luckily for him, his foundation in True Cultivation Power was profound. The Purple Golden Skill also had an extremely strong healing effect. This extent of backlash wouldn’t injure his foundations. Otherwise, for someone else, this one instance would have ruined them.

Feeling his internal injuries gradually heal under the dual effects of the Medicine Talismans and the Purple Golden Skill, Qi Xiu’s determination was undeterred. He tried to use a trace of Mana once more. But this time, as soon as the Mana began to flow into his body, the Purple Golden Inner Qi immediately stirred, restlessly ready to pounce.

Hmph, have you gone wild? I cultivated you, and now you want to usurp my place?!

Seeing the Purple Golden Inner Qi once again rush towards the Mana, Qi Xiu immediately circulated his True Cultivation Power, forcibly suppressing the Inner Qi, striving to press it back into the Dao Seed. The whole process was extremely difficult. Forcibly suppressing the Inner Qi’s instinct threw Qi Xiu’s entire aura into chaos. Surging waves of energy erupted, sending nearby objects flying. As for him, veins bulged on his forehead, and his face turned beet red.

It took a full quarter of an hour to finally repress the restless Inner Qi back into the Dao Seed. Fortunately, the Purple Golden Skill was a True Cultivation Power he had refined and reconstructed by merging several martial arts techniques. It was essentially a martial art entirely of his own creation, granting him extremely strong control over it. Coupled with the Innate advantages of his primordial Dao Seed, he finally managed to force the Inner Qi back into the Dao Seed.

Had it been any other True Cultivation Power or martial art, this kind of restlessness originating from the Inner Qi’s instinct would have been utterly uncontrollable. The more you suppress it, the more restless it becomes. Qi Xiu gave a wry smile. He hadn’t expected that after stepping into the True Intent Realm, the first time he’d be forced into such a sorry state would be because of his own Inner Qi.

Taking advantage of the moment the Inner Qi was suppressed back into the Dao Seed, he quickly mobilized his Mana, recited incantations, and cast the Spell. While chanting the Spell’s incantations, he continued to restrain the agitated Inner Qi within the Dao Seed. Qi Xiu’s brows were tightly furrowed. Large beads of sweat dripped continuously down his cheeks, wetting a large patch of the ground beneath his feet.

As more and more symbols of condensed Mana formed within him, a Divine Marvel aura gradually intensified.

POP—

It sounded like an object bursting through the surface of water. A flash of azure light flickered in the depths of Qi Xiu’s eyes, and a hint of joy touched his heart.

Success!

He raised his right arm. From within his wide sleeve, a slender figure with a frigid aura, black scales, long horns, and crimson pupils filled with icy intent peeked out. Its lips parted to reveal rows of sharp, white teeth.

The Mo Jiao!

This was the core Spell of the Bilang Youscale Heart Scripture: using Mana to condense and nurture a Mo Jiao. By allowing the Mo Jiao to devour the noxious and shadowy energies of this world, it consolidated and strengthened its Mana. The applications of this technique were boundless. The Mo Jiao would absorb spiritual energy, digesting all filth and yin-aligned malevolence. The cultivator, in turn, would only obtain purified, pristine Mana. This way, unlike with other magical practices, one wouldn’t end up with a mutated body—a truly horrifying sight.

Compared to the likes of Wu Changqing, who nurtured spiritual insects within their own bodies until they became neither human nor ghost, their bodies like insect hives—the difference was like night and day.

"Worthy of a Heart Scripture on par with True Cultivation Powers. Its quality is truly exceptional," Qi Xiu mused. Teasing the Mo Jiao on his wrist, which was only as thick as a chopstick, his mood brightened considerably.

Compared to other spellcasters, his starting point was already far above many others. Other spellcasters practicing the Bitter Pool Elusive Scales Heart Scripture had to follow the rules meticulously. They employed methods like inscribing spell tattoos and soaking in cold springs, accumulating Mana bit by bit. The Mana accrued in such a manner was impure and inconsistent due to daily fluctuations in breath, thoughts, energy, and various other factors.

But Qi Xiu was different. His Mana was created entirely from Divine Marvel, conjured out of thin air. Pure, standard, ultimate! That was why he could condense the Mo Jiao so smoothly. Had it been any other practitioner of this Heart Scripture, their first attempt would certainly not have resulted in a Mo Jiao. Most would only produce lower-grade creatures like black snakes or loaches; cultivating a mid-grade black python would already be a stroke of incredible luck. They would need to endure grueling cultivation thereafter, slowly correcting their Mana until it could finally transform into a Mo Jiao. This was a far cry from Qi Xiu, who had formed a Mo Jiao from the very beginning, boasting a high starting point and a solid foundation.

After forming the Mo Jiao, Qi Xiu admired it briefly before his expression suddenly changed. He hurriedly recalled the Mo Jiao into his Sea of Consciousness. The instant the Mo Jiao returned to his Sea of Consciousness, the Purple Golden Inner Qi, which could no longer be suppressed, exploded out of the Dao Seed. Like a tiger descending a mountain, it roared and raged, rapidly surging throughout Qi Xiu’s body, searching for any trace of Mana’s aura.

However, with his previous experience, Qi Xiu had already withdrawn all his Mana back into his Sea of Consciousness. The Inner Qi primarily resided within the physical body and could not enter the Sea of Consciousness. After circulating throughout his body for over a dozen cycles, it "reluctantly" returned to the Dao Seed, giving up in vexation.

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