https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-119-Sect-Leader-Give-the-Entire-Earth-Fire-/12899992/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-121-Mountain-Collapse-Snow-Avalanche-Eternal-Spring-Perfection/12899994/
Chapter 120: Enlightened Spirit and Malevolent Energy Breaking, I Am the Hall Master
Chapter 120: Enlightened Spirit and Malevolent Energy Breaking, I Am the Hall Master
"Stop, stop!"
Uncle Mi hurriedly waved his hands, "Most places with Earth Fire are occupied by sects or immortal families. They're not something we wandering cultivators can get involved in."
He usually wouldn't mind giving advice, but Earth Fire was something he truly couldn't deal with.
Seeing Luo Chen pouting, Uncle Mi shook his head with a smile.
"You, why think so much? High-Grade cannot be forced. As long as you can steadily refine Medium-Grade Jade Marrow Pills, you'll earn more and more in the future. If it really doesn't work out, I'll get you a Medium-Grade or High-Grade Alchemical Furnace later."
Unable to tackle high-end technology, he chose to excel in the basics. This old guy is indeed shrewd.
Luo Chen spread his small hands, indicating he had heard.
"Also, the reason I asked you about Earth Fire Evil is mainly to remind you."
Uncle Mi's expression turned serious, his tone carrying a warning, "Cultivators who haven't reached Foundation Establishment should avoid too much contact with malevolent energy. You won't be able to control it."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Malevolent energy is extremely destructive. If it enters your body, it can severely damage your dantian, meridians, and even the spirit energy you have already refined."
"If you want to live a few more years, don't touch that stuff."
Luo Chen blinked. Is that true?
He didn't know that. And when he used the Malevolent Qi Control Technique to guide the Earth Fire Evil during alchemy, he didn't feel any discomfort!
...
Luo Chen didn't know if Uncle Mi was bluffing, so he asked Wang Yuan about it during their meal.
Wang Yuan's answer surprised Luo Chen.
"Malevolent energy is indeed harmful to Qi Cultivation cultivators."
"But it depends on the type of cultivator."
Wang Yuan ate his meat slowly and said, "Any cultivator who primarily practices Qi Cultivation should avoid malevolent energy. Only after reaching Foundation Establishment, when their spirit sense can extend outward, can they precisely detect malevolent energy entering their body."
"But we Qi Cultivation cultivators can also barely observe internally, and with the Spirit Eyes Technique, can't we detect malevolent energy?"
Wang Yuan glanced at him, "Have you killed anyone?"
Luo Chen was taken aback. As a proud Transmigrator and cultivator, he couldn't avoid it!
"Killing also accumulates malevolent energy, but it's intangible, often called divine malevolent energy."
"Do you feel any malevolent energy on you?"
This stumped Luo Chen.
He really hadn't felt any malevolent energy on himself.
But what Wang Yuan said made sense to him.
Killing too many living beings would accumulate malevolent energy. Even a butcher who slaughters pigs often gives off a fierce aura.
If you delve deeper, it's not something that appears suddenly but accumulates over repeated acts of killing.
In other words, the few cultivators Luo Chen killed might have brought him some malevolent energy, but he had never noticed it.
Since the topic was already here, Luo Chen asked about the rest of Wang Yuan's statement.
"Qi Cultivation cultivators are harmed by malevolent energy, but other cultivators aren't?"
"Body Refinement Practitioners aren't."
Wang Yuan ate another piece of meat slowly, pointing to himself, "Like me!"
Luo Chen was stunned.
"Why do you think my cultivation progresses so quickly?" Wang Yuan said calmly, "The reason is that I use malevolent energy to temper my spirit energy and refine my body."
Tempering spirit energy?
Isn't that what late-stage Qi Cultivation cultivators do to purify their spirit energy!
Luo Chen couldn't sit still anymore, "Malevolent energy can be used to purify spirit energy?"
"Of course, malevolent energy is extremely vicious and malevolent, leaving no room for external impurities. A strand of malevolent energy entering the body, when controlled properly, can continuously wear down the impurities in spirit energy."
"But wouldn't that damage a cultivator's physical body?"
"What do you think of my physical condition?"
Luo Chen suddenly understood.
Wang Yuan's physical condition was already incredibly strong even before he started cultivating. In the secular martial world, a grandmaster is known for their robust qi and blood, and a body as strong as steel.
This was evident from the time Wang Yuan created the Mountain Splitting Palm technique, showing that his body had been tempered for a long time.
After starting cultivation, his body would have become even stronger under the refinement of spirit qi.
"Of course, malevolent energy entering the body not only requires a powerful body but also an indomitable will to resist it."
"Qi Cultivation cultivators primarily focus on refining qi, with spirit refinement as a secondary focus. Body Refinement Practitioners, however, focus on refining the body, with willpower refinement as a secondary focus."
"If the will is not strong, the pain brought by body refinement is something ordinary people can't endure."
Very rarely, Wang Yuan spoke at length.
He wasn't boasting; he was simply stating facts.
Looking at the slightly dejected Luo Chen, he shook his head, "I can teach you the method of using malevolent energy to refine your body and spirit energy, but I don't recommend you try it because it's really painful."
Luo Chen has always felt that his physical condition wasn't bad.
He often ate Spirit Rice and beast meat, and the Essence Cultivation Spirit Liquid helped to strengthen his qi and blood and cleanse his body of impurities.
Because of these factors, he quickly mastered the Carefree Wander and the Mountain Splitting Palm.
But compared to Wang Yuan, he was clearly inferior.
Even Wang Yuan said it was extremely painful, which shows how terrifying it is for malevolent energy to enter the body.
But he was still not convinced. If he can't use it now, does that mean he can never use it in the future?
Once he reaches the Ninth Layer of Qi Cultivation, he can completely enhance his physical strength and then attempt to introduce Sha Qi into his body.
Wang Yuan didn’t hold back, directly telling Luo Chen the method he had mastered, word by word.
"Enlightened Spirit and Malevolent Energy Breaking?"
"Yes, after I achieved the pinnacle of martial arts, I personally killed a great demon in the martial world."
Speaking of the past, Wang Yuan’s tone was unusually filled with nostalgia.
"After slaying him in the demon lair, I obtained his legacy, which included this Enchanted Spirit and Malevolent Energy Breaking technique."
"At that time, I learned why a respected and revered senior became a great demon in the martial world in just a few years."
"He found a place filled with Sha Qi and, using his two hundred years of martial arts experience, created this martial art, Enchanted Spirit and Malevolent Energy Breaking. He used Sha Qi to refine his body, transforming essence into Qi, and forcibly transitioning from the martial path to the Immortal Path."
"However, the introduction of Sha Qi, combined with his advanced age and physical decline, led to a gradual loss of his mental clarity, eventually driving him to the path of demons."
"It was because of this senior that I was able to embark on the path of cultivation."
From these stories, Luo Chen could easily imagine how Wang Yuan had lived a life of vengeance and righteousness in the secular martial world.
Practicing martial arts, achieving the Primordial Qi.
Entering the demon lair, slaying the demon.
And that great demon, who was killed, might have had a glorious past as well.
Two hundred years of martial arts experience—that’s one hundred and twenty years.
If you add the years before he started practicing martial arts, the great demon was probably around one hundred and thirty years old.
At that age, he had almost surpassed the majority of Qi Cultivation Stage cultivators.
Shaking his head, Luo Chen picked up his wine glass and took a sip.
Just as he was about to take a bite of the food, he realized that all the meat on the table was gone!
All gone! No wonder Wang Yuan stopped talking and told him so much; he had eaten all the meat.
But his movements had always been so “leisurely”!
Luo Chen rolled his eyes and asked the waiter to bring a few more dishes of meat.
Having just received his share of the profits, he was still quite wealthy.
This restaurant was a new addition to the Great River Market, and they were currently offering discounts. Today, he could indulge himself!
While waiting for the dishes to arrive, Luo Chen casually handed over a jade bottle.
"These are the Jade Marrow Pills I refined recently. Even among medium-grade pills, they are among the best in terms of quality and potency."
"Brother Wang, you should try them."
Wang Yuan smiled, intending to say that he didn’t really need such pills, but he was touched by Luo Chen’s thoughtfulness.
But his expression changed, and he silently accepted the bottle.
Afterward, the two of them continued to enjoy the beast meat and drink, until they parted ways in the evening.
...
"Blood-Boiling Pill, a first-class pill derived from the Blood Fiend Pill?"
"Should I find someone to test its effects?"
In the secret chamber, Wang Yuan looked at the two blood-red pills, his face showing a hint of emotion.
He had thought that after so long without any news from Luo Chen, he had given up on the second-class pill formula.
But he hadn’t expected that Luo Chen had kept it in mind all along.
Although he still hadn’t refined the Blood Fiend Pill, he had gone to great lengths to deduce a first-class pill from the same source.
"Testing the pill?"
Wang Yuan smiled lightly and left the secret chamber.
He went to the Dragon Hall and summoned his subordinates.
"Today, the Sect Leader Mi has decided to establish a base in the Mount Tai Market."
"I don’t want to delay, so tomorrow morning, everyone will go with me to the Mount Tai Market to ask the Cheng Family if they are willing to give up their ancestral land."
"If they refuse, a conflict is inevitable. Everyone, be prepared!"
...
"Enchanted Spirit and Malevolent Energy Breaking!"
"Enlightenment of Mind and Nature, Unity of Spirit and Will."
"Rather than a method for refining with Sha Qi, it is more like a secret technique for refining the spirit and will."
After pondering it carefully several times, Luo Chen came to this conclusion.
As for what spirit and will are, Luo Chen understood them as the spirit soul and willpower.
And the spirit soul is something almost all cultivators involve themselves with.
Because the spirit soul gives rise to spirit sense, which is the foundation of cultivation besides refining Qi.
As for willpower, it is easier to understand, something almost all living beings possess.
Those with weak willpower tremble at the slightest glance from others.
Those with strong willpower can remain unperturbed even when subjected to the most severe torture.
That represents a great tolerance for pain, sorrow, despair, and other negative emotions.
Luo Chen didn’t dare to use the Enchanted Spirit and Malevolent Energy Breaking to guide Sha Qi into his body yet; his physical body, as Wang Yuan saw it, was far from ready.
And refining the body is not something that can be achieved overnight.
Therefore, Luo Chen decided to first cultivate the Enchanted Spirit and Malevolent Energy Breaking technique.
Without much ado, he first aimed to strengthen his will.
And how to strengthen willpower?
The Enchanted Spirit and Malevolent Energy Breaking technique put it simply: resist negative emotions!
Does Luo Chen have negative emotions?
A little, but not much.
After all, he spends his days refining pills and cultivating, without any life-threatening dangers or the need to hide, living a relatively happy life as a cultivator.
But if there are none, he can create them!
The simplest negative emotion is pain.
Following the method of the Enchanted Spirit and Malevolent Energy Breaking, Luo Chen gathered a small amount of spirit energy and directed it to a foot acupoint.
The Yinlingquan Acupoint, located on the Spleen Meridian.
This acupoint is a confluent point on the entire meridian, where the qi and blood of the Spleen Meridian converge. If the qi and blood here are obstructed, even a slight touch can cause intense pain.
Taking a deep breath, Luo Chen blocked the acupoint with the spirit energy.
"Heh, it's nothing!"
"Looks like I, Luo Chen, am also a person with a strong will!"
...
The next morning, Gu Caiyi got up early.
After washing up, she stepped out of the courtyard gate and called Luo Chen to have breakfast together.
The two walked down the misty street, chatting casually about the various decisions made in the gang yesterday.
Suddenly, Gu Caiyi frowned and looked at Luo Chen.
"What's wrong with you? Why are you limping?"
"Ouch, it's nothing! Really, it's nothing!"
Luo Chen said with a calm expression.
But Gu Caiyi still felt something was off when she noticed the occasional twitching of the veins on Luo Chen's forehead.
...
...
Luo Chen had underestimated the "Enlightened Spirit and Malevolent Energy Breaking" cultivation technique.
Initially, he didn't feel it, but as the blood and qi became blocked, the pain and discomfort grew more intense.
And this was just the first acupoint.
According to Wang Yuan, there would be a total of thirty-five acupoints to follow.
The Yinlingquan acupoint on the sole of the foot was the easiest one.
Thinking about the many acupoints waiting for him to stimulate one by one, Luo Chen felt a bit nervous.
However, Luo Chen understood why this cultivation technique had such strict requirements.
Whether it was a martial arts grandmaster or a cultivator, their physical bodies were already very strong.
To make them feel pain, it wasn't something that could be achieved by ordinary external forces; it had to be done internally.
Through repeated stimulation of the acupoints, the human body's pain tolerance threshold would gradually increase.
In other words, the will became stronger!
Only with a sufficiently strong will could one endure the pain of malevolent energy entering the body.
The "breaking" referred to breaking the pain brought by the malevolent energy, not breaking the malevolent energy itself.
The great demon who created this technique had found a place with malevolent energy but not a place with spirit energy.
So he could only use malevolent energy to stimulate the body, transforming essence into qi in a somewhat passive manner.
Unfortunately, he was old and weak, and ultimately couldn't resist the erosion of the malevolent energy.
In comparison, Wang Yuan was much luckier.
After achieving the Primordial realm in martial arts, he obtained this cultivation technique.
Later, he came to the Great River Market and came into contact with the cultivation world, absorbing enough free-floating spirit energy from the outside.
With the complementary effects of both, he truly embarked on the path of a Body Refinement Practitioner.
"Logically, 'Enlightened Spirit and Malevolent Energy Breaking' should count as a cultivation technique, so why isn't it showing up on my status panel?"
"Is it because I haven't truly mastered it yet?"
Enduring the intense pain at all times, Luo Chen thought about this question.
Just as he was distracted, a burnt smell wafted out.
"Hall Master, this batch of Jade Marrow Pills has failed."
"Alright, I know."
Luo Chen's expression remained unchanged. He waved his hand to signal them to stop and prepare for the cleaning process.
Leaving the alchemy room, Luo Chen frowned.
The intense pain from the acupoint stimulation was something he could still endure.
But being distracted had a negative impact on his alchemy.
Although his proficiency with the Jade Marrow Pill had reached the grandmaster level, even at this level, the failure rate was still as high as fifty percent.
However, the failure of the previous batch wasn't due to the pill failing during the final stage.
It was because he was distracted by a small detail before the pill was formed, leading to the failure.
"Looks like I need to be more careful in the future."
Luo Chen never considered giving up on this cultivation technique, even though he wasn't at the stage of malevolent energy entering his body yet. He had to persist.
Because it involved not only willpower but also the subsequent cultivation of the spirit soul.
To be honest, Luo Chen didn't have much confidence in his willpower.
Someone who grew up in a safe country, saying they have a strong will, was a joke.
Perhaps a failed exam or a job loss could make a person feel disheartened.
Even though he had been cultivating for nearly two years after his transmigration, it was only because of his persistent personality.
Luo Chen aimed for immortality!
Pursuing immortality required enduring an extremely long journey.
During this journey, one would face countless storms.
Without a sufficiently strong heart, one would eventually lose their way on the path of cultivation.
Now that he had this cultivation technique to temper his mind and strengthen his will, how could he give it up?
In comparison, a few failures in alchemy were completely acceptable.
And the consequences of failure were borne by the Mountain Breaker Gang.
Ultimately, the loss to him would only be a few dozen spirit stones.
Time slowly passed as he continued his alchemy.
By evening, when checking the finished Jade Marrow Pills and the raw material consumption, Sikong Shoujia noticed that the failure rate was higher than usual.
Previously, the success rate was around fifty percent.
But today, it was less than thirty percent.
Luo Chen's explanation was simple.
"My cultivation is not going smoothly, causing me distress and making my mind restless during alchemy. Once I adjust, my state will improve."
Sikong Shoujia nodded, believing this explanation.
...
In the cave, the spirit energy was dense.
A figure sat cross-legged on a cushion, his lips slightly parted.
With a deep inhalation, two faint transparent tornadoes seemed to be swallowed into his abdomen.
Luo Chen opened his eyes, satisfied with the end of today's cultivation.
Progress had advanced a bit, bringing him closer to the eighth layer of Qi Cultivation.
His gaze fell on the Moonlight Grass that Fu Xiuxiu had given him, which was growing very vigorously.
Previously, it was only a few centimeters tall, but now it has grown to the size of his palm.
"It seems that the large amount of Wood Spirit Qi gathered by the Spirit Gathering Array is very beneficial for the growth of this spirit medicine!"
After sighing in admiration, Luo Chen put on his coat and walked out of the cave.
Following the specially constructed underground tunnel, he soon arrived at Chang Yin Mountain.
The Breath Concealment Technique was running normally, and Luo Chen felt refreshed as he breathed in the fresh mountain air.
Stepping out of the narrow pass, Luo Chen walked outside.
He planned to explore Chang Yin Mountain thoroughly.
Of course, this was the territory of demon beasts, so he couldn't be too conspicuous.
Luo Chen intended to explore bit by bit, at least to familiarize himself with the surroundings.
In the future, even if he encountered danger in Crescent Moon Valley, he could escape to this side through the underground tunnel without panicking.
A clever rabbit has three burrows, and Luo Chen naturally had to find more safe havens for himself.
This exploration covered a small area, only about five miles.
Occasionally, when he encountered potentially dangerous places, he would proactively throw out Jade Marrow Wasted Beads to test the waters.
If the situation turned unfavorable, he would immediately retreat.
As the sky gradually turned a fish-belly white, Luo Chen wisely returned to Crescent Moon Valley.
Today's exploration went well, and he had confirmed the situation in most of the surrounding area.
Moreover, he noticed that there were far fewer Demon Wolves nearby than before.
He wasn't sure if they had been killed in internal conflicts or had migrated to other places.
Before going up, Luo Chen followed his usual routine to clean off any demon aura he might have picked up in the mountains.
During this process, he naturally avoided the strand of spirit energy on his shoulder.
"Hmm?"
With a light exclamation, Luo Chen's expression gradually turned grim.
The last time he checked, this strand of spirit energy, though pure, was in a state of dissipation and had a tendency to weaken and disappear.
But this time, he found that the spirit energy had returned to its original state.
High-rank powerful cultivators were said to have eternal spirit power that never ceased.
However, at the relatively low Foundation Establishment stage, he had never heard of any method to permanently solidify spirit energy.
In other words, this strand of recovered spirit energy must have recently received new, same-source spirit energy supplementation.
"Yesterday?"
"Uncle Mi didn't just find me to talk about the Earth Fire Evil. He probably secretly used some means to stabilize this strand of spirit energy marker."
Without any hesitation, Luo Chen instantly locked onto the truth.
His expression fluctuating, Luo Chen sighed.
That old man truly cares about him!
...
Ten days later.
"Collected fifty-seven pills, forty-one low-grade, and sixteen medium-grade."
After uttering these numbers, Sikong Shoujia was surprised and uncertain, and to prevent any errors, he counted again.
But no matter how many times he counted, the number of pills on the plate remained the same.
He couldn't help but ask, "Hall Master, why is today's alchemical success rate lower than yesterday's?"
You're asking me?
Luo Chen glanced at him expressionlessly and turned to leave.
Nonsense, he had stimulated another acupoint last night, causing him immense pain.
The fact that he could barely preside over the alchemy refinement today already showed his dedication.
Working while sick, who wouldn't praise him? Why are you questioning him here?
" Luo Chen!"
"I am the Hall Master, and I don't need to explain alchemy matters to an amateur like you."
With that, he directly entered the stone house and activated the array.
He didn't want to explain, but Sikong Shoujia couldn't sit still.
Not only because of his share of the profits from the Alchemy Hall.
Just five days ago, his son had held a wedding ceremony and officially became a son-in-law of the Mi Family.
The profits from the Alchemy Hall were now closely tied to his son's future cultivation resources.
With the profits down, he was more anxious than anyone else.
Without any nonsense, he went straight to the Mi Family Ancestral Land after work and found Uncle Mi.
" Sect Leader, the number of pills produced by the Alchemy Hall this month is quite low!"
"Hmm?"
Uncle Mi seemed to have just returned from outside, with a hint of fatigue on his face.
He rubbed his temples and asked about the situation.
"Over eleven days, Luo Chen only produced eight hundred and twenty low-grade Jade Marrow Pills and three hundred and fifty-seven medium-grade Jade Marrow Pills."
"This number is almost twenty percent lower compared to the previous few months!"
Hearing this data, Uncle Mi also became serious.
"What explanation did Luo Chen give?"
Sikong Shoujia replied, "He said his cultivation is not going smoothly, and his mind is restless, making it difficult for him to concentrate on alchemy."
Cultivation issues?
Uncle Mi's eyes narrowed slightly, and he subconsciously stroked his beard.
Luo Chen had only five essence roots, so encountering problems in cultivation was quite normal.
But this hadn't happened before!
Perhaps he had hit a bottleneck in alchemy, or he mentioned wanting to use Earth Fire Evil to improve the quality of his pills.
If he failed to break through, his skills might have regressed?
The specifics were unknown to Uncle Mi.
Alchemy was a specialized skill, and outsiders really couldn't give much advice.
After some thought, Uncle Mi said, "He is a smart person and will definitely adjust. We need to give him more time."
"Also, bring him some good news tomorrow."
As he spoke, he handed over an item.
Sikong Shoujia's eyelids twitched involuntarily as he looked at it.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
