Luo Li nced at Luis in Spirit Lake, and the look in her beautiful eyes gradually became firm.
She shook her head at the female mermaid who came over and said, "Xiaoqing, go back first. Don''t worry about me."
"Father will take care of it and Luis has stationed many armies in the water."
---
In the Spirit Lake, Luis''s Dantian Qi Sea seemed to have expanded to its limit. The pace of expansion gradually slowed.
Seeing this, Luis simply let the Vortex absorb his energy freely.@@novelbin@@
Suddenly, the expansion of the Dantian Qi Sea surged once more. Finally, it stopped entirely, unable to grow even a fraction further.
"It''s reached its limit!" Luis thought to himself.
Not only had the Qi Sea in his Dantian reached its peak, but his sea of consciousness had also expanded to an incredible degree—at least a hundred timesrger than before.
This seemed almost impossible.
When a cultivator in the Qi Refining Stage begins their practice, the sea of consciousness typically resembles a faint glimmer of light amidst darkness. Except for the small area illuminated by this faint light, the rest of the sea remains shrouded in shadow.
But now, Luis''s sea of consciousness was filled with light. The illuminated area was at least a hundred times wider than it had been during the Qi Refining Stage.
This was undoubtedly an abnormal phenomenon.
For a typical Qi Refining cultivator building their foundation, an expansion of tenfold in their sea of consciousness would already be considered extraordinary. This usually manifests as an increase in the range of spiritual sense, growing from about one mile to ten miles in radius.
Luis, however, extended his spiritual sense outward and scanned the surrounding area.
"One thousand miles!"
Luis took a deep breath and said, "Doesn''t this mean that my spiritual awareness is nowparable to that of a Golden Core cultivator?"
Thinking of this, Luis couldn''t help but focus on the Vortex at the center of his sea of consciousness.
That''s it!
Perhaps this Vortex held many functions he had yet to understand. However, his current cultivation was too low—he had only just established his foundation—making those mysteries impossible to uncover for now.
For the moment, Luis had discovered only four functions:
Teleportation between two worlds.
Infinite energy, which was by far the most crucial.
A subtle ability to increase the loyalty of those who essed the Vortex.
Talent Enhancement after travelling between two worlds.
"Maybe... I can temper my body further," he murmured.
It was true—once a breakthrough was achieved, the clouds would clear, and the sun would shine brightly. Right now, Luis felt as though the storm had passed and warm sunlight was beaming down on him.
Taking another deep breath, he tapped into the Vortex energy within his Dantian Qi Sea to temper his true essence for the second time.
When he had first refined his Qi, its quality had increased threefold. After breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage, his Vortex Qi transformed into Vortex Essence, enhancing its quality hundredfold.
This transformation emphasized quality over quantity. Although the amount of energy remained constant due to its connection with the Vortex, Luis never had to worry about running out—he had infinite energy at his disposal.
As he concentrated on his breakthrough, changes began to stir in the outside world.
Just as the female mermaid, Xiaoqing, had expected, the Green Water Ape n sent an elite force from the rear to test the strength of the Mermaid n.
Although the chief of the Green Water Ape n was aware that the mermaid chief, Luo Xiuyuan, was seriously injured, the extent of the injuries remained a mystery. It was even more uncertain whether Luo Xiuyuan had already recovered.
Therefore, during this time, the Green Water Ape chief refrained from acting recklessly. However, no matter how long they waited, the leader of the Mermaid n never made an appearance.
This prolonged absence made the Green Water Ape chief, who had initially been cautious, grow restless.
Defeating the mermaids would allow them to im thousands of miles ofnd in Demon Ape Mountain. Such a vast territory promised countless resources and treasures, which could be traded with humans.
With control over Demon Ape Mountain, the Green Water Ape n would rise to prominence.
Once they became stronger, they could sever ties with their current human backers, the Wu family, and align themselves with a more powerful faction, such as the Zhou family of Guang''an Prefecture.
Another critical reason for attacking the mermaids was the disparity in strength between the two ns.
The mermaid chief, Luo Xiuyuan, was in thete Foundation Building stage, nearly at the Golden Core level, while the Green Water Ape chief had only recently advanced to thete Foundation Building stage.
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If they did not eliminate Luo Xiuyuan before his injuries healed, the Green Water Ape n would inevitably face retribution once he recovered.
After all, they had witnessed what had happened to their close rtives, the Water Demon Ape n.
Ahead, an elite team of twenty Green Water Monkeys soared through the skies, heading from the rear of the Demon Ape Mountains toward the location of the Main Spirit Eye.
"Um?"
The leader of the group, an early-stage second-order Green Water Ape, spotted Luo Li and Xiaoqing near the Spirit Lake.
It gestured to the tribesmen behind it and transmitted amand through spiritual sense:
"Kill them. Don''t let them ry the message!"
Monsters in this world were highly intelligent, especially those resembling apes.
Generally, a first-level monster''s intelligence wasparable to that of a seven- or eight-year-old human child, while a second-level monster''s intelligence rivaled that of a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old adolescent.
For ape-like monsters, their intelligence was even more remarkable. A second-level Green Water Ape possessed a cognitive ability equal to that of an ordinary adult.
At themand of their leader, the twenty Green Water Monkeys surged forward in a powerful, coordinated charge toward Luo Li and Xiaoqing.
"Your Highness, be careful!" Xiaoqing warned.
Luo Li nodded. "You too!"
No sooner had they spoken than the twenty Green Water Monkeys descended upon them.
There was no time for words or negotiations—both sidesunched into battle immediately.
Luo Li was unfazed by the sudden sh. She was long ustomed to such encounters.
Monsters were far more straightforward than humans. They feared the strong but showed no mercy to the weak, often exhibiting a level of cruelty beyond human norms.
In the underwater realm of the Ten Thousand Star Sea, thew of the jungle reigned supreme.
It was this brutal adherence to the survival of the fittest that allowed Zhenhai Pce to forge an unassable reputation among monsters and alien races through relentless ughter.
"Kill!"
Luo Li unsheathed her twin Red Shadow Swords and charged into the midst of the Green Water Monkeys. Xiaoqing nked her, guarding her side.
The battles between mermaids and monsters were vastly different from those involving humans.
Monsters possessed naturally robust physiques, and mermaids, who also practiced physical training techniques, preferred closebat. For them,bining true energy with physical strength resulted in far greater power than relying on long-range magical weapons.
Of course, the Green Water Ape n didn''t have magical weapons to begin with. Instead, they wielded crude iron rods, likely scavenged from some unknown source.
The group of Green Water Monkeys surged toward Luo Li and Xiaoqing with a ferocious whistle of movement.
"Swish! Swish! Swish!"
Luo Li''s form blurred into a series of afterimages, darting through the Green Water Monkeys with incredible speed.
However, the Green Water Ape leading the group wasn''t fooled. As an opponent of the same cultivation level, it could easily track her movements. Its focus remained on the real threat—the magical weapon in her hands.
With her true essence infused into the Red Shadow Swords, the power unleashed was leagues beyond what a typical Qi Refining cultivator could achieve. Together with Xiaoqing, Luo Li systematically injured the Green Water Monkeys, their numbers steadily dwindling.
The leading Green Water Ape watched the scene unfold, its face twisting into an ugly scowl.
"Twote-stage Qi Refining mermaids injuring twenty of my nsmen of the same level? Unbelievable."
Its emerald green eyes narrowed as it shifted its focus to Xiaoqing. A malicious gleam flickered in its gaze as it barked out an order:
"Kill her first! I''ll deal with the leading mermaid."
The brief sh had revealed an rming problem: these two mermaids wielded far too much power for their level. If they weren''t dealt with swiftly, reinforcements from the mermaid n would undoubtedly arrive.
Seeing this, Luo Li felt both anger and anxiety rise within her.
She watched as the foundation-building Green Water Ape charged toward her, its intent clear.
Without hesitation, she activated the spiritual armor Luis had given her. Its shimmering surface red to life, forming a protective barrier around her.
"Your Highness, be careful!" Xiaoqing called out, her voice tinged with urgency.
Xiaoqing turned to face the iing wave of Green Water Monkeys, their iron rods poised to strike. Her expression hardened, and her eyes burned with fierce determination.
Meanwhile, Luo Li had no time to look out for Xiaoqing—her attention was entirely consumed by the powerful foe rushing toward her.
Luo Li made up her mind and immediately activated a forbidden technique.
With the power of this forbidden technique, her speed increased several times over, and the attacks from the second-stage ape were deflected by her innate spiritual armor.
Empowered by the technique, Luo Li''s figure blurred into countless afterimages as she evaded the leading ape''s relentless assault.
Unfortunately, the ape''s thick, durable skin proved to be an insurmountable obstacle. Her sword strikes only managed to scratch the surface of its flesh.
Worse still, the second-level monster''s recovery abilities outpaced the injuries Luo Li inflicted. No matter how many strikes shended, its wounds began to heal almost instantly.
As time wore on, the effects of the forbidden technique began to fade.
Luo Li''s heart sank as she saw countless iron rods descending toward Xiaoqing once again. Despair gripped her chest.
In that moment, it felt as if time itself had slowed.
Through tear-filled eyes, she caught a glimpse of Xiaoqing''s face—there was fear, but also determination. Luo Li thought she even saw a hint of tears forming in Xiaoqing''s eyes.
"What are you scared about?"
Just as despair threatened to consume her, a familiar voice echoed in Luo Li''s ears.