https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-121-Mountain-Collapse-Snow-Avalanche-Eternal-Spring-Perfection/12899994/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-123-Chaos-Gradates-the-grandmaster/12900077/
Chapter 122: Vajra Turns to White Jade, Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer
Chapter 122: Vajra Turns to White Jade, Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer
Where does the sense of urgency come from?
It's because the conflicts triggered by high-rank cultivators are beyond his capabilities at the Qi Cultivation Stage.
Even the slightest ripple of conflict could affect the innocent.
Strength is what causes Luo Chen's urgency!
However, despite the urgency in his heart, cultivation is something that cannot be rushed.
Luo Chen still follows his routine of alchemy and cultivation every day.
Of course, this is just on the surface.
In private, his exploration of Chang Yin Mountain has accelerated.
Before, he only explored a few miles, but in just a few days, he has already covered a hundred miles.
Based on his investigation, the Demon Wolves in Chang Yin Mountain have indeed decreased significantly, and there are no Second-Rank Demon Beasts left.
They seem to have migrated to other places.
Apart from a few Grayleaf Wolves and Frost Wolves, only some weaker First-Rank Demon Beasts remain in Chang Yin Mountain.
These Demon Beasts naturally cannot detect Luo Chen's Breath Concealment Technique.
Even if a talented First-Rank Demon Beast were to discover him, it would not be his match.
Taking advantage of this convenience, Luo Chen has set up several hidden escape points.
If anything unexpected happens at the Great River Market, he can avoid trouble immediately.
With his worries resolved, Luo Chen focused entirely on his cultivation.
...
"Finally, Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer!"
In the spirit vein cave, Luo Chen slowly opened his eyes.
The moment he opened his eyes, a faint white light flickered in the originally dim cave.
This was a sign of his advanced proficiency in the Spirit Eyes Technique.
His realm had just broken through, and he temporarily lost control of his spirit energy, automatically activating the Spirit Eyes Technique.
Blinking, Luo Chen took a deep breath.
This breakthrough took two days longer than he had expected.
Of course, this was not a bad thing.
A strand of spirit energy appeared at his fingertips. The previously pale white light with a hint of green had now turned a lighter shade of green.
This lighter green spirit energy was the culprit for the two-day delay in his realm breakthrough.
According to Luo Chen's speculation, when the spirit energy turns a deeper green, it means that his spirit energy at the Qi Cultivation Stage has been refined to its utmost purity.
"Although I have just entered the eighth layer, the purity of my refined spirit energy far surpasses that of ordinary independent cultivators."
"Moreover, my spirit energy is much thicker than that of cultivators at the same stage. This gives me a significant advantage in battles with peers!"
"I wonder how my spirit energy compares to that of a non-fully cultivated Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer cultivator?"
Luo Chen began to ponder this question.
The cultivation of the later stages of Qi Cultivation is entirely different from the early and middle stages.
In the first two stages, the focus is on constantly breaking through the dantian's upper limit to accommodate more spirit energy.
In the later stages of Qi Cultivation, while there is still a requirement to refine more spirit energy, the focus shifts to refining the spirit energy.
After a cultivator advances to Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer, their dantian expands by a factor of two and then stabilizes temporarily. It will only expand again after reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage.
Therefore, advancing from Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer to Eighth Layer involves filling the expanded dantian with spirit energy.
Luo Chen has already completed this task.
Advancing from Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer to Ninth Layer involves refining the spirit energy thoroughly.
It sounds simple, but it is actually the most challenging part.
Firstly, independent cultivators lack specific methods to refine their spirit energy.
Secondly, a thorough refinement means purifying impurities repeatedly.
Each time a small amount of spirit energy is refined, more spirit energy must be added to keep the dantian full.
The resources required for this are substantial, a significant amount of spirit stones.
Ordinary independent cultivators find it difficult to bear this burden.
This is evident from the fact that among the more than ten thousand independent cultivators at the Great River Market, only a few hundred are at the later stages of Qi Cultivation, and only a few dozen are at the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer.
Most of these few dozen are older cultivators like Sikong Shoujia, who have spent most of their lives gradually advancing to Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer.
By the time they reach the Ninth Layer, they lack the strength to advance to the Foundation Establishment Stage.
Among the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer cultivators Luo Chen knows, most are over sixty years old.
Luo Wudi, Yang Wei, Zhang Shicong, Mi Junping, and Zeng Wen, among others, have little chance of advancing to the Foundation Establishment Stage.
Unless someone provides them with more than two Foundation Establishment Pills.
Relatively younger Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer cultivators also have their own means of support.
Qin Liangchen and his wife secured a Spirit Fish Lake through combat, using it as a resource to advance to Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer over a decade.
Kou Yuelin of the Beast Hall ingested a spirit grass in the Ganyuan Mountain Range, achieving his goal.
Gu Caiyi had excellent luck.
While cultivating at the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion, although she did not obtain the orthodox cultivation technique of the Joyful Sect, she received occasional guidance from cultivators like Xiang Xiang and Foundation Establishment cultivator Gong Huiqin, which helped her progress significantly.
Even so, she relied on a bottle of High-Grade Dust-Transforming Pills given by Fei Bowen to break through to Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer by chance.
"Xiaoxiu Sister must have also received help from her partner to quickly advance to Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer and even reach full cultivation!"
That partner, whose deeds he has heard of, comes from the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect.
After failing to advance to the Foundation Establishment Stage, he was assigned to the outer sect.
Originally, he was a prodigy.
Naturally, he would not lack methods to refine his spirit energy.
Luo Chen laments for these independent cultivators, who obtained cultivation techniques but in a truncated form.
When they are just one or two steps away from the Foundation Establishment Stage, they are held back for ten or twenty years.
Without specific methods, they can only fumble their way through, even resorting to consuming pills to compress their spirit energy, achieving a form of refinement.
However, this causes significant damage to their dantian.
Even if they cultivate to full Qi Cultivation, the aftereffects of dantian damage make it very easy to fail when attempting to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage.
After the sorrow, comes relief.
Now that his Eternal Spring Technique is fully cultivated, he has made up for the deficiency in his refined spirit energy.
Although he is still in a state of knowing what but not why, he can now cultivate normally.
Once he thoroughly refines his spirit energy and advances to Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer, he can deduce the specific principles through repeated cultivation techniques.
At that time, he will know both what and why.
After breaking through to a new realm, the fluctuations of Luo Chen's spirit energy were quite significant, and his mind was somewhat chaotic, leading him to think a lot.
However, after his thoughts became more organized, he calmed his mind and familiarized himself with his current state. Whether it was the Flame Manipulation Technique or the Breath Concealment Technique, both emphasized the control of spirit energy. Now, he had become extremely proficient at suppressing his spirit energy fluctuations.
By the time dawn arrived, his spirit energy fluctuations had returned to the state they were in at the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer. This, of course, was thanks to the Master-level Breath Concealment Technique.
...
"Another meeting of the sect?"
Luo Chen pouted. Why did he still have to attend monthly meetings after crossing over?
He found this matter a bit annoying and wasn't very keen on going.
However, Sikong Shoujia had repeatedly emphasized that today's meeting was important, so he reluctantly went to the headquarters.
But when he arrived at the headquarters, something strange happened.
In the Bright Moon Hall, all nine halls were represented, and the four elders were present, but the Sect Leader, Uncle Mi, was nowhere to be seen. The meeting was chaired by Mi Junping, and while the matters discussed were indeed more important than usual, they weren't as crucial as Sikong Shoujia had made them out to be.
"Playing me?"
Don't they know that I just broke through a realm and have a lot of things to do?
Luo Chen could only complain, "Cao Pi's father-in-law doesn't speak—Zhen Ji's father is speechless."
After receiving his share of the profits and pills, Luo Chen sought out Wang Yuan.
The two of them headed to Wang Yuan's residence to discuss the Blood-Boiling Pill.
As they passed through the courtyard, their steps halted.
"Is this the body cultivator who follows the ancient path of Body Refinement Practitioners?"
Seeing the two smiling faces, Luo Chen and Wang Yuan respectfully lowered their heads.
Uncle Mi smiled and said, "Indeed, it is. Wang Yuan, come and meet Warden Miao."
Wang Yuan did not hesitate and said, "Junior Wang Yuan, I meet Warden Miao!"
"Hehe, compared to Warden, I prefer to be called True Cultivator Miao."
Once a cultivator reaches the Foundation Establishment Stage, they are considered to have truly embarked on the path of cultivation. Therefore, Foundation Establishment Cultivators are called True Cultivators. Golden Core Cultivators are revered as Superior Beings, and those who reach the Nascent Soul Stage are respected as True People.
The reasons for these titles are unknown to ordinary scattered cultivators, but everyone follows the trend and calls them as such.
"Quite a good seedling. Looking at this physique, it seems to have transformed from Adamantine to White Jade, likely nearing the Foundation Establishment Stage. Alas..."
Before he could finish, the mere mention of "nearing the Foundation Establishment Stage" caused the atmosphere to become solemn.
The usually composed Wang Yuan felt a chill down his back.
He could clearly sense the intense gaze from Uncle Mi.
This Warden Miao truly had sharp eyes! Or perhaps, it was his extensive knowledge.
Ordinary people couldn't see through the mysteries of body cultivators, but considering he came from the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect, having such knowledge was understandable.
Perhaps sensing the strange atmosphere, Warden Miao laughed and turned to Luo Chen.
"Then this must be the alchemy master of your sect, Alchemy Dust!"
Damn! Don't look at me!
Luo Chen forced a smile, "Junior Luo Chen, I meet True Cultivator Miao!"
...
...
Luo Chen really didn't want to be noticed by Warden Miao.
It wasn't because of his identity as an alchemist, but because he had just broken through to the Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer the night before. To avoid Uncle Mi discovering the truth about his rapid cultivation speed, he had deliberately used the Breath Concealment Technique to hide his true realm.
As for whether the Master-level Breath Concealment Technique could deceive a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, Luo Chen had some confidence. He had previously used the Breath Concealment Technique to hide from Second-Rank Demon Beasts in the Chang Yin Mountains. Although ordinary Second-Rank Demon Beasts were not as sensitive as Foundation Establishment Cultivators, the Second-Rank Demon Wolves he faced had senses that rivaled those of Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
This was why he dared to attend the Bright Moon Hall meeting today. However, he lacked the confidence to deceive Warden Miao.
Who knew what divine detection methods a disciple of a major sect might possess? Especially since Warden Miao had just seen through Wang Yuan's cultivation progress, which made Luo Chen even more worried.
It was said that disciples of the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect could enjoy the Clarity Liquid after reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage. Long-term use made their eyes as sharp as swords, enhancing their insight and providing benefits in battle.
To his surprise, Warden Miao seemed not to have seen through his concealment?
Or perhaps, he simply didn't care.
To Warden Miao, there was no difference between Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer and Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer. Only someone like Wang Yuan, who followed the path of Body Refinement Practitioners and was close to the Foundation Establishment Stage, would catch his attention.
Luo Chen humbly smiled, "True Cultivator Miao, please just call me Little Luo. I don't deserve the title of alchemy master."
"No, no, no. You may not deserve it now, but you might in the future!"
Warden Miao looked at Luo Chen and praised him.
"Without going into other details, the faint trace of pill energy on you, without any medicinal or fire energy mixed in, already shows the hallmark of an alchemy master."
Luo Chen was stunned.
Can one discern alchemy prowess by smell? He indeed had no medicinal or fire energy on him, as he had removed them with the Cleansing Technique. The faint trace of pill energy was something he had deliberately retained. He had asked Gu Caiyi about this before and wasn't worried. However, he hadn't expected Warden Miao to have such keen eyes and an even keener sense of smell.
"Truly impressive!"
Warden Miao sighed and turned to Uncle Mi.
"Friend Mi, your Mountain Breaker Gang truly has a wealth of talent. It will surely develop better in the future."
Uncle Mi smiled, "That would be thanks to the support of Friend Miao!"
"Of course, of course. However, I also ask you to put more effort into the matters I entrusted to you."
"Of course, I will do my utmost!"
"I won't keep you any longer. Farewell!"
Warden Miao spat out a sword pill, which flew out of his mouth, grew in the wind, and transformed into a three-foot-long green sword. He leaped onto it and flew away at great speed, a standard sword riding technique.
Luo Chen watched this scene, his eyelids twitching.
Doesn't he find it dirty? He'll have to swallow it back and nurture it in his dantian later.
After Warden Miao left, the atmosphere among the three became a bit strange.
The source of the strangeness was Uncle Mi's gaze on Wang Yuan.
Wang Yuan initially kept his head down, but under that searing gaze, he gradually lifted it to face the other person head-on.
Luo Chen’s whole body stiffened.
Uncle Mi frowned, his gaze locked firmly on the other’s iron-like black eyes, staring intently.
Was it an instant?
Or a myriad of years?
Luo Chen felt as if a mountain of pressure was crashing down on him, making time seem unbearably long.
After a long while, a sigh finally echoed in his ears.
"Should you need anything, feel free to come to me."
With those words, Uncle Mi left the courtyard.
That’s it?
It’s over just like that?
The imagined tension and conflict, or the scenario of a clever rabbit being hunted down, never came to pass.
This left Luo Chen utterly bewildered.
Slap!
A heavy slap landed on his shoulder, causing Luo Chen to turn his head. He then noticed that Wang Yuan’s face was slightly pale, leaning on his shoulder and gasping for breath.
Meeting Luo Chen’s puzzled gaze, Wang Yuan managed a weak smile.
"The spirit sense of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator truly has the might of a celestial being."
Luo Chen seemed to recall something, his face showing disbelief.
"Brother Wang, you didn’t use your will to resist the spirit sense of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, did you!"
Cultivation of Qi and the spirit, refinement of the body and the will.
This was something Wang Yuan had mentioned to Luo Chen in his spare time.
Luo Chen had always thought that Wang Yuan was exaggerating the power of the will.
But what just happened had left him profoundly shaken.
High-rank cultivators, with a single thought, could reach the heavens or delve into the nine netherworlds.
But ancient Body Refinement Practitioners had a will as unyielding as iron, indestructible.
Wang Yuan had clearly used his lifelong, thousand-honed will to directly confront the spirit sense of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
The result was obvious: Uncle Mi had won.
But Uncle Mi was a genuine mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, while Wang Yuan was only at the eighth level of Qi Cultivation, on par with Luo Chen.
Even if his physical body was close to Foundation Establishment, it was still just close.
...
In the quiet room, a soundproofing talisman was activated.
Wang Yuan sat cross-legged on the ground, his pale face gradually regaining its color.
Luo Chen sat quietly by his side, waiting for him to recover.
After a long while, Wang Yuan opened his eyes.
"Indeed, Foundation Establishment Cultivators are not easy to deal with. Just a glance from Uncle Mi almost made me lose my composure. If I had bowed then, I might have never progressed beyond Foundation Establishment for the rest of my life."
"Is it that serious?" Luo Chen couldn’t help but ask.
Wang Yuan said seriously, "A true man can bend and stretch, without losing his heroic character. But in the face of true choices, one must hold fast to their heart. Otherwise, if the will is broken, that bent back will remain bent for life."
These words seemed to have a deeper meaning.
Luo Chen felt a bit uneasy; he was the type who could bend and stretch very well.
But he had never encountered a situation that truly forced him to make such a "choice."
If he were in Wang Yuan’s position, could he raise his head, straighten his back, and face everything calmly?
Luo Chen didn’t know the answer.
Wang Yuan didn’t seem to want to dwell on this topic, so he quickly changed the subject to the Blood-Boiling Pill.
"The results of the pill testing are in."
"When human cultivators take it, they don’t lose their reason; they just become more easily angered."
"Additionally, the other effects of the Blood-Boiling Pill are the same as when you tested it on beasts."
The same!
That meant the effect of catalyzing muscle essence and blood to produce a large amount of spirit qi, thereby increasing strength by thirty percent in a short time, still existed.
Of course, the side effects should be similar as well.
Luo Chen was more concerned about another point. "How long does it last?"
"Half a cup of tea!" Wang Yuan thought for a moment, frowning slightly. "It also depends on the realm. I tested it on a mid-stage Qi Cultivator. Perhaps due to his weak physical body, the duration was significantly shortened after he used a high-grade magic artifact."
"The other Blood-Boiling Pill is still with me; I didn’t use it."
Then how did you come up with the half-cup-of-tea time? Luo Chen grimaced, lacking a sufficient control group, making it difficult for him to determine the exact duration.
Wang Yuan hesitated for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Can you mass-produce it?"
Luo Chen was curious. "A few spare ones should be enough. Why mass-produce it?"
"I might be able to use this pill to break through my realm at a critical moment."
"No way!"
Luo Chen quickly reached out to stop him. "This thing is clearly a combat pill, not suitable for cultivation. Don’t get any funny ideas. I’ll think of some other ways to study the Blood Fiend Pill formula and derive a pill that can be used for cultivation."
Wang Yuan looked deeply at Luo Chen, his lips tightly pressed together.
After a long while, he finally spoke.
"Thank you for the trouble."
Luo Chen shrugged. It wasn’t much trouble; it just required more time.
Even if he did derive the formula, the raw materials needed for alchemy would definitely be provided by Wang Yuan himself.
As an alchemist!
That’s what they do, otherwise, where would their high status and good relationships come from?
After some thought, Luo Chen still felt something was off.
He asked curiously, "Brother Wang, why do I feel like you’re in a hurry?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Luo Chen became even more convinced of his thoughts.
Yes, Wang Yuan was indeed in a hurry!
In the past, he had devoted himself to cultivation, doing dirty work for the Mountain Breaker Gang for ten years.
But in the last year, his personality had drastically changed, constantly grabbing attention.
Whether it was making a name for himself in the Mountain Breaker Gang, fighting on the Dao Discussion Platform, or taking charge of a hall.
None of these things seemed to match Luo Chen’s impression of Wang Yuan.
Of course, Wang Yuan might have always been like this, just keeping a low profile when he first entered the cultivation world.
However, some recent events made Luo Chen feel uneasy.
Urgently bringing a second-rank pill formula for Luo Chen, who at the time could only refine the Wondrous Pill.
Now, attempting to use the spirit-damaging Blood-Boiling Pill to break through his bottleneck.
The word that stood out was "hurry."
Faced with Luo Chen’s curiosity, Wang Yuan whispered, "How could I not be in a hurry?"
"Do you remember the unfinished sentence of Steward Miao?"
Luo Chen recalled the scene. The conversation hadn’t been much, but the presence of two Foundation Establishment Cultivators had put him under great pressure.
After careful recollection, he remembered the sentence.
"Unfortunately?"
"Unfortunately, he could not attain immortality!"
(End of Chapter)
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