Cultivation begins with ice harvesters

Chapter 111: Bloodthirsty Frost Toad

This spiritual power from the Heavenly Origin Spirit Fruit did not actively merge into the magic power. Instead, it formed a force on the surface of the magic power. When it completely occupied the surface of the magic power, it immediately took effect, stripping all the magic power in the dantian.

All the magical power and spiritual power of the spiritual fruit converged together, flowing upstream, and instantly submerged the bottleneck.

At the same time, a series of sounds of mutual wear and tear came, and in his divine sense, he could even feel wisps of smoke that did not actually exist rising up.

In his divine sense, the bottleneck to advancing to the eighth level of Qi Refining rapidly thinned along with this non-existent smoke.

When the second Heavenly Origin Spirit Fruit was incorporated into it, the last and most stubborn bottleneck, which was only as thick as a sheet of paper, was instantly broken open, and could no longer stop the cultivator's cultivation from advancing.

All the magical power attached to the bottleneck, like cats smelling fish, flowed down through openings of different sizes and merged into the new eighth level of Qi Refining cultivation.

The second Heavenly Origin Spirit Fruit, which had not yet been fully consumed, also actively merged into the rapidly transforming and improving magical power during this process.

During this process, Tong Bingfeng could clearly feel that as the unique power of the Heavenly Origin Spirit Fruit was integrated, his cultivation at the eighth level of Qi Refining quickly became stable and consolidated.

Originally, after each advancement in cultivation, it would take at least ten days of arduous training for a cultivator to stabilize their cultivation level. However, this cultivation level stabilized quickly in this way, without any risk of dropping.

"To have reached the eighth level of Qi Refining in such a short time is already enough, even if there are no further gains from this exploration deep into the Ice Domain."

Tong Bingfeng felt the abundant magical power in his dantian and the power generated by his new cultivation realm, and an unprecedented sense of satisfaction appeared on his face.

Starting as a lowly ice harvester in the early stage of Qi Refining on Ice Spirit Island, easily bullied by everyone, and now a genuine eighth-level Qi Refining cultivator, the difference is unimaginable. Only he knows the hardships he has endured along the way.

As a cultivator, one should be courageous and relentless, forging one's own path in this cruel world of cultivation.

"The Northern Ice Region is ultimately just a peripheral area of ​​the cultivation world. I wonder if I will ever have the chance to travel to the true holy land of the cultivation world, the Central Continent."

Tong Bingfeng's eyes flashed with hope. According to the information he obtained from the jade slip, compared to the resource-poor and harsh environment of the Northern Frontier Ice Region, the Central Continent was the true core area of ​​the cultivation world.

Here, all kinds of flowers bloom, spiritual resources are abundant, and there are numerous spiritual veins of various levels. Even rogue cultivators, after reaching the late stage of Qi Refining, still have the opportunity to guard spiritual veins, cultivate spiritual fields, and nurture spiritual herb gardens to form a legacy passed down from generation to generation.

On the Central Continent, there are numerous families and sects of all sizes, and the number of independent cultivators is countless. Foundation Establishment stage cultivators are emerging in an endless stream, Golden Core stage cultivators are not uncommon, and even the traces of Nascent Soul stage ancestors can be seen occasionally.

However, these are luxurious dreams that are completely impossible to realize in the cultivation world of the Northern Frontier Ice Region. Even if a rogue cultivator is lucky enough to reach the Foundation Establishment stage, the difficulty of developing a second-tier spirit island from scratch is not low.

"The Central Plains are too far away. One would need at least the late Foundation Establishment stage to even consider a trip there. It's simply too far for me. It's better to focus on the present and look to the future."

After much contemplation, Tong Bingfeng banished all unrealistic ideas from his mind, focusing on his Qi Refining Level 8 cultivation in his dantian. The gaze in his eyes became even more resolute.

"Where exactly is the Blood Fiend Toad that the Niu brothers mentioned? What treasures lie in its lair that would make it worthwhile for an elder of the family to pay such a heavy price to find it?"

Tong Bingfeng recalled a long-suppressed thought: the information about the Blood Fiend Toad that he had overheard from the nest of the Flood Dragon Bull Spirit Turtle.

The three Niu brothers were all late-stage Qi Refining cultivators. Although their elder was still in the Qi Refining stage, he was at least at the Great Perfection of the ninth level of Qi Refining.

Although cultivators of this strength are destined to miss the Foundation Establishment stage due to their age, they have accumulated a wealth of skills over the long period of time.

For example, various one-time-use, lethal treasures that can be obtained by chance from auctions, underground auctions, black markets, and stalls set up by independent cultivators.

There's an unspoken rule in the cultivation world of the Northern Ice Region: dwarfs and old men should never be easily provoked; one should give way or avoid them if possible.

The reason why the old cultivator is not to be provoked is because of the foundation he has accumulated during his hundred years of arduous cultivation. The reason why the dwarf is not to be provoked is because he is limited by his talent and can only practice some special inherited techniques. Moreover, his personality is often quite stubborn.

This Blood Fiend Frost Toad was originally a high-grade first-tier demon beast, containing potent poison within its body, and possessing a long, elusive tongue. Its combat power surpassed even that of the Flood Dragon, Bull, and Spirit Turtle.

However, for a cultivator who has been immersed in the ninth level of Qi Refining for many years, as long as the strategy is appropriate and the corresponding countermeasures are prepared in advance, the success rate of the hunt is still not low.

Ironically, this seemingly easy and simple hunt brought almost the annihilation of an old cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Refining.

As for the reason why this Qi Refining Level 9 cultivator took action, considering the few words left by the Niu brothers, it is most likely related to Foundation Establishment.

"Although there aren't many Blood Fiend Frost Toads in the Northern Frontier Ice Region, you can still find three to five if you look carefully. The only question is, where exactly is this particular Blood Fiend Frost Toad?"

Whenever he thought of this, facing such a clueless and unpredictable situation, Tong Bingfeng couldn't help but frown.

As his cultivation level and overall strength increased, he steadily approached the Foundation Establishment stage, and his need for various spiritual items to help him build his foundation and advance to the Foundation Establishment stage naturally became more urgent.

As a lone cultivator with no one to rely on, I have reached the eighth level of Qi Refining almost entirely by risking my life.

Although I have been searching for information about spiritual objects that can assist in Foundation Establishment since I advanced to the seventh level of Qi Refining, such spiritual objects are rare and I have not found any accurate and effective information so far.

Therefore, this piece of information about the Blood Fiend Toad, which was obtained by chance, is so valued. However, given the current situation of having nothing, there is no suitable and effective way to break the deadlock.

"Although this Blood Fiend Frost Toad is troublesome, it must have been injured by the desperate counterattack of a senior cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Refining. For now, we can only start from this point. But I wonder which spiritual object this senior cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Refining is eyeing?"

After much deliberation, Tong Bingfeng could only make this judgment: to delve deeply into this single clue and follow it closely, leaving no stone unturned.