Within Li Ling's dantian, a third strand of small refined spiritual qi appeared with the other three from the late stage, naturally going round to make a cycle. When it returned to the starting point, Li Ling was 30% stronger than he had been at the eighth level, but that was not all.
The final three strands from the late stage shuddered and then merged together, forming a larger strand like the other three and then making another spontaneous cycle, widening Li Ling's meridians again and increasing his overall power by twice that of the previous stage.
His danger level towards this group of cultivators in the Langjue Camp had gone up drastically, which was why they were immediately unsettled by his breakthrough. Unlike higher stages of cultivation where comprehension was more important than accumulation, the Qi Refinement stage was one where you had to absorb energy and break through slowly and carefully.
Do you think everyone could just have their refined spiritual qi cultivated in their bodies move harmlessly and perfectly like Li Ling? That was obviously the system handling his perfect breakthrough procedure. For everyone else, the slightest mistake in merging refined qi could lead to an explosion in the dantian, while carelessly moving it too fast through the meridians could rupture them and cripple one's cultivation for life.
So to see someone actually do that before them was the proverbial "pigs flying" situation.
But things were even worse when Li Ling allocated his final Slaughter Point to his Fireball Technique, which had hovered at the entry level for years. Immediately, his entire meridian system—not just his mind—shifted in a manner that emulated the best way to execute the Fireball Technique at the advanced level, fitting for a person who had researched and practiced it for a long time.
As such, Li Ling did not share another word with the group as he pointed at the two highest cultivators. Immediately, a ball of condensed flame appeared at his fingertip, growing faster than usual by about twice the speed while also becoming twice the size it had been previously, now reaching the size of a large basin.
Li Ling fired it out, noting that the fireball itself moved about three times faster than at the entry level, even faster than a speeding bullet, leaving the shocked cultivators almost no time to dodge. Luckily for them, they had put up defensive methods once they had started the face-off, so they were not helpless.
But…
BOOOM!
Hiding behind a concrete wall will not leave you unscathed from the blast of a tank's cannon.
This was an apt description because whether it was the physical force of the fireball, the heat or the shockwave when it exploded, all of them mirrored the shell of a modern tank, which was a great upscale from the grenade-level explosion at the entry level.
Tan Guwan and Wu Ke had Golden Bell Shields around them right away, not hesitating to use talismans for their safety, but they cracked like fragile glass as the two men were sent flying backwards, crashing into nearby trees.
The others who had been behind them did not suffer as much since someone else took the brunt, but they did not have expensive defenses like Golden Bell Shield talismans, having to make do with the low-grade level 1 Water Shield talisman that even Li Ling had in his inventory.
Why a Water Shield talisman? Because the most used daoist art was the fireball, and so was the most used offensive talisman.
These shields significantly reduced the heat impact but could not protect the group from the explosion. They were also sent flying, their states just as miserable or even more so than their leaders, with the fellow at the fourth level of Qi Refinement dying outright as he crashed into the ground, neck broken.
Meanwhile, Li Ling took a step and appeared beside his short spear, pulling it out of the tree it was embedded in. When he turned to deal with the rest of them, he noted that Tan Guwan and Wu Ke were slowly rising to their feet while helping each other, both men severely wounded.
Tan Guwan had lost an arm with the majority of his body singed and charred like he had been in a fire for too long, while Wu Ke lost his right leg and parts of his face were melting like candlewax, his consciousness clearly blurry and on the verge of collapse.
Both men knew that they were likely dead the moment Li Ling increased his cultivation level, immediately marking him as some sort of genius monster that had some special physique or talent that let him level up without repercussions.
What they did not understand was why a person like that would want to kill small fries like them. If he wanted their possessions, he just needed to flex his muscles a bit and they would surrender immediately, just as Tan Guwan had before.
As for seeking revenge, if they had not dared to do so in the wild where no one was watching, how would they dare in the regulated marketplace? They were just members of a rather notable faction, not the Market Guards who could act with impunity.
Li Ling walked over and glanced at the two biggest fish, pointing at them with his spear. "Go on and call reinforcements. If you have stronger allies, let them come and save you."
Tan Guwan wavered, but Wu Ke, who was partially conscious, simply laughed in a shaky manner. This surprised his ally, who knew that the smaller man beside him was one who was seen as very perceptive due to his background as a common hunter before having his talent discovered.
Li Ling also glanced over with interest, wondering what was so funny about what he said.
Wu Ke's voice was raspy and broken, but his words were piercing. "I understand… now. You just… want… training dummies… to kill…"
Li Ling raised an eyebrow with surprise, while Tan Guwan's face changed greatly. When he combined Li Ling's current strength and actions versus how he acted before, the fellow seemed to realize that he had been played into a trap from the start, with the goal likely as his compatriots had stated.
If that was the case then… was his calling for reinforcements what had harmed Wu Ke and his team?