Chương 2: Breakthrough to Qi Refining Level 1! The Golden-Eyed Rat Undergoes a Mutant Change!

The Golden-Eyed Rat Undergoes a Mutant Change!

Chapter Two: Breakthrough to the Eleventh Level of Qi Refining! The Golden-Eyed Rat Undergoes a Mutant Change!

Zhou Ding's mind sank into that wondrous dual perception, carefully experiencing the unique feedback brought by Little Golden's body.

"So this is Xiao Jin's treasure-hunting ability?"

Controlling Xiao Jin's body, his perception of the surrounding spiritual energy became exceptionally keen and concrete.

Centered on the stone table, within a radius of about 100 meters, Xiao Jin's body could clearly capture everything, including the thin earth energy emanating from the soil, the five elements spiritual energy floating in the air, and even the faint fluctuations of green wood spiritual energy generated when his body unconsciously circulated his cultivation technique. These fluctuations presented a vague sense of "strength" and "location".

In addition, Xiao Jin was born with the ability to conceal its demonic beast aura. If it weren't for its pair of dazzling golden eyes being so eye-catching, at first glance, it would be almost indistinguishable from an ordinary gray rat in the mountains.

"Is there a limit to the distance?" A thought popped into my head.

Zhou Ding immediately got up and took Xiao Jin to the more remote back mountain of Xuankun Mountain.

He found a secluded spot, put Xiao Jin down, and then stepped back, attempting to connect with her mentally.

At first, the perception remained clear at ten zhang, fifty zhang, and a hundred zhang...

Even after he retreated to the other side of the ravine where he could barely see Xiao Jin, that unique "second perspective" remained firmly in his mind, and his control over Xiao Jin's body was still effortless.

"There are no distance restrictions!" Zhou Ding was shocked.

This means that no matter where the little golden body is, as long as he has a thought, he can immediately take over its body and share its senses.

This is far beyond the effect of an ordinary spirit beast contract; it's more like a true, spatially transcendent clone.

Back in the courtyard, the initial excitement gradually subsided, and Zhou Ding began to calmly consider the practical benefits that this clone could currently bring.

However, after some deduction, he couldn't help but feel somewhat disappointed.

His treasure-hunting ability only covers a hundred meters, which is less than the distance he could explore with his divine sense when he was at the tenth level of Qi Refining, let alone now.

Moreover, this ability is more about sensing "abnormal spiritual energy". In Huangfeng Valley, a sect with people coming and going and remnants of arrays and restrictions everywhere, what undiscovered treasures could there be within a hundred-meter radius?

The chances are extremely slim.

If you're hoping to find a treasure by wandering the mountains and fields, and instead flaunt a clearly extraordinary golden-eyed rat in the city, you might not only fail to find the treasure but also attract unnecessary attention or even trouble.

"Perhaps, only when Xiao Jin's strength improves will his innate abilities be enhanced," Zhou Ding sighed.

However, when he took stock of his own situation, the few dozen low-grade spirit stones and the few talismans in his storage bag were only enough to maintain his own cultivation expenses. To think that he could help Xiao Jin advance was nothing short of a pipe dream.

"We have this cheat code, but right now it's as if we don't have it at all..." A hint of helplessness appeared.

But he quickly suppressed that emotion.

"Enough of external things; only one's own cultivation is fundamental. I must first improve my strength! Perhaps once I reach Foundation Establishment, I will have more resources and means to nurture Little Gold."

He calmed his mind and looked inward at himself.

Although he failed to break through to the eleventh level of Qi Refining before, he had refined his magic power to be more pure and condensed. He is currently at the peak of the tenth level of Qi Refining, just one step away from breaking through.

He decided to stop rushing things and instead spend several months further solidifying his foundation and bringing himself to a perfect state.

Time flows quietly like a stream, as one meditates, circulates energy throughout the body, and studies magical arts.

Three months passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, the quiet room was filled with spiritual energy.

Zhou Ding sat cross-legged, his face solemn.

The "Azure Wood Technique" has been activated to its limit. Within the dantian and sea of qi, azure magical power surges like a tide, impacting the invisible barrier again and again.

After an unknown amount of time, a soft "crack" was heard from within the body, as if some kind of shackle had been broken. Even more refined and vast magical power surged out, flowing through the limbs and bones, and finally returned to the dantian, stabilizing at a new level.

Qi Refining Level 11, Success!

Zhou Ding slowly opened his eyes, a flash of blue light appearing in them.

His divine sense then spread out, easily covering an area of over 130 meters in radius, a significant increase compared to before his breakthrough.

A pleasant smile crept onto his lips, a mixture of the exhilaration of the breakthrough and anticipation for the future.

However, this feeling of pleasure did not last long before a sudden sensation of "burning heat" and "throbbing pain" that did not originate from myself suddenly came from another sensory center in my mind!

"No! This isn't my body!" Zhou Ding suddenly turned his head and looked at the corner of the quiet room.

It's Xiao Jin!

The little goldfish, which had been quietly curled up, was now trembling slightly. Beneath its gray fur, there seemed to be an undercurrent of movement, and an abnormal red light was faintly visible.

Through the close connection with his clone, Zhou Ding could clearly "feel" that a strange and scorching current of energy was surging wildly within Xiao Jin's body, violently washing over its meridians, bones, and flesh, bringing waves of tearing pain, while also seemingly forcibly changing something.

This process lasted about half an hour. During this time, Zhou Ding could only try to calm himself down while observing nervously.

Finally, the violent heat gradually subsided.

Looking at Xiao Jin again, its appearance has changed significantly: it is a size larger than before, and more robust and muscular; its gray fur has become glossy and smooth, with a healthy matte sheen in the dim light of the quiet room; the most eye-catching feature is still its pair of golden eyes, which now seem like two small golden flames, with an inner radiance and extraordinary mystique.

Zhou Ding immediately switched his consciousness to Xiao Jin's body.

The first thing I felt was the increase in power. My claws lightly scratched the stone bricks on the ground, leaving faint marks, and they became exceptionally sharp.

But that's not the key point.

He manipulated Xiao Jin, who instinctively crawled down, pressing his abdomen against the cold ground.

The next moment, something unexpected happened!

An invisible and intangible yet real and undeniable mysterious fluctuation spread rapidly outwards from Xiao Jin in all directions like ripples on water!

Immediately afterwards, an even more complex, massive, and clear flow of information surged back like a tide, directly appearing in Zhou Ding's main consciousness through the perception of his clone.

Inside the quiet room: His seated figure exuded a stable, Qi Refining eleventh level azure wood spiritual energy fluctuation, like a clear "point of light"; the simple warning barrier set up in the corner of the wall flowed with faint but well-structured array spiritual light lines.

Outside the quiet room: the courtyard's walls, ground, and even the shallow underground soil and stone structures are perceived in a vague outline; the vibrant essence of the old trees outside the courtyard is like a small green vortex; further away, the life force of crawling ants and insects is captured like fireflies...

Any object on the ground or in direct contact with the earth seems to have its shape, spiritual energy, and life force detected and fed back by this strange fluctuation!

The area covered a radius of several hundred meters!

It's far more comprehensive and three-dimensional than the simple spiritual energy sensing we had before!

"This is... a mutation in my treasure-hunting ability?!" Zhou Ding was shocked. His consciousness instantly returned to his body, his eyes filled with disbelief.

The previous treasure-hunting ability was more like a vague "monitor of spiritual energy anomalies".

Now, this all-around detection capability, which is like a "ground radar", is completely different!

Not only can it sense spiritual energy, but it can also perceive terrain and life, and its range has increased several times over!

Based on his knowledge of the original setting from his previous life, a startling guess took shape in Zhou Ding's mind.

"A mutated spirit beast!"

Among spirit beasts, there are "wild and exotic species" and "mutated spirit beasts," both of which are extraordinary, but their origins and properties are quite different.

"Wild and exotic species" are new species that have evolved from the bloodlines of powerful ancient spirit beasts over time and with changes in the environment. Although they are rare and precious and have great abilities, the same species often have similar characteristics.

"Mutant spirit beasts" are even rarer and more unique, each one being an isolated case!

These are ordinary spirit beasts that, during their growth process, undergo random mutations due to unrepeatable coincidences such as devouring strange objects, encountering drastic changes, or experiencing accidental reversion or mutation of their bloodline.

The results are mixed, but those individuals who undergo benign mutations often awaken a variety of incredible and unique abilities known as "alienation techniques," with immeasurable potential!

Clearly, Xiao Jin's current situation is more in line with the characteristics of a "mutated spirit beast"!

Its treasure-hunting talent has undergone a positive and comprehensive transformation and sublimation!

After the initial euphoria came doubt.

Why did Xiao Jin suddenly mutate out of nowhere?

Moreover, Zhou Ding could sense that Xiao Jin's demonic power level was still at the mid-level of the first stage and had not broken through.

"I just broke through to the eleventh level of Qi Refining..."

Zhou Ding's eyes flashed, and a bold association emerged: "Could it be related to my breakthrough in cultivation? Will the advancement of my main body produce some kind of unknown 'blessing' or 'catalyst' on my clone, causing changes in its appearance and even its abilities?"

If that's the case, then does the reverse hold true?

If the clone advances in level, will the main body also receive feedback or benefits?

Zhou Ding felt a surge of excitement.

But all of this is just speculation for now, and more facts are needed to verify it.

However, neither the main body can achieve a breakthrough in the next stage, nor can the clone be upgraded in the short term.

Suppressing his turbulent thoughts, Zhou Ding continued to carefully examine Xiao Jin's changes.

In addition to the newly acquired powerful detection ability, Zhou Ding named it "Earth Listening Technique".

The ability to conceal one's presence seems to have been enhanced as well.

He scanned it repeatedly with his divine sense, and if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he could hardly sense Xiao Jin's demonic aura. At this moment, it lay there like a lifeless gray stone.

A moment later, Zhou Ding reappeared on the back of Xuankun Mountain.

He found a secluded spot and gently placed Xiao Jin on the ground covered with fallen leaves.

Shift in consciousness.

"Earth Listening Technique, activate!"

Xiao Jin's body slightly bent, and that mysterious fluctuation rippled out again, spreading, touching, and reacting in a spherical shape from its center to the surrounding ground and the space close to the ground.

Zhou Ding "saw": the intricate network of tree roots underground, the cracks in the rocks, a few pieces of mineral containing a trace of spiritual energy under the soil, the course of the stream in the distance, a few insects burrowing in the soil... Within a range of several hundred meters, the "pulse" of the earth and everything attached to it were transformed into a three-dimensional and dynamic sensory picture, presented to him "before his eyes".

He controlled Xiao Jin and began to move through the relatively familiar mountain forest.

Like a mobile, ultra-sensitive radar, it meticulously scans this seemingly ordinary back mountain land from a completely new perspective.

Each fluctuation brings back new information.