Chapter 18: Soul-Piercing Nails and Calming Incense
Chapter 18: Soul-Piercing Nails and Calming Incense
Luo Chen and Wang Yuan’s connection was actually quite simple.
Back in the day, they both entered the Great River Market as wandering cultivators around the same time.
However, unlike Luo Chen, who only had the strength of a First Stage Qi Condensation practitioner, Wang Yuan was a secular martial grandmaster who had fortuitously transitioned from martial arts to the path of immortality.
Thus, when he first entered the Great River Market, Wang Yuan displayed remarkable combat prowess.
He even joined a hunting team, daring to venture into the mountains to hunt low-tier demonic beasts.
At that time, Luo Chen had no real strength, but to make a living, he would follow along, helping with odd jobs and transporting goods.
Due to his personality and experiences, Wang Yuan was different from the cautious wandering cultivators. He was bold and decisive, embodying the demeanor of a martial grandmaster.
However, this boldness brought him trouble in the Great River Market.
A few Mid-Stage Qi Condensation cultivators ambushed and robbed him, taking everything he had and leaving him severely injured.
After recovering, Wang Yuan’s personality changed.
To gather resources for cultivation, he planned to venture into the mountains again.
A few acquaintances lent him some supplies, and Luo Chen, who could already refine Fasting Pills, lent him a few bottles as well.
The Eastern Wasteland’s vast mountains were teeming with demonic beasts.
Cultivators rarely dared to start fires or cook in the mountains, so Fasting Pills were incredibly useful.
This time, Wang Yuan ventured into the Ancient Plains Mountains alone, silently and determinedly.
A month later, he returned with the corpse of a First Tier demonic beast.
Not long after, the cultivators who had robbed Wang Yuan began to die one by one. Everyone knew it was Wang Yuan’s doing, but no one dared to challenge him because he had joined the Mountain Breakers Gang.
As the largest wandering cultivator faction in the area, the Mountain Breakers Gang had a formidable reputation. Combined with Wang Yuan’s ruthlessness, he had firmly established himself in the outer city.
In the years that followed, Wang Yuan frequently sold magical artifacts and cultivation techniques at the market.
These items were of dubious origin, and considering Wang Yuan’s notorious past, people were even more afraid of him.
It was a bit sad to think about it, but Luo Chen and Wang Yuan had entered the Great River Market around the same time.
Ten years had passed.
Luo Chen had barely reached the Third Stage of Qi Condensation, while Wang Yuan was already a Late-Stage Seventh Stage Qi Condensation wandering cultivator.
Truly, the gap between people was greater than the gap between humans and dogs.
“He wants me to join the Mountain Breakers Gang and says he’ll protect me. What’s behind this sudden move?”
After arranging the medicinal herbs, Luo Chen sat at the entrance, fiddling with the iron token engraved with the character “Mountain.”
“Is it because of our past connection?”
“Or because I killed that Fifth Stage Qi Condensation short-timer?”
Luo Chen didn’t know the answer, so he carefully stored the token.
The days that followed were monotonous.
Processing raw materials, practicing the Eternal Spring Art, and tending to his injuries.
It took nine days for the wound on Luo Chen’s abdomen to fully heal.
According to his plan, he could begin refining the Wondrous Pill the next day.
But Luo Chen’s attention was on something else.
“This Soul-Piercing Nail is actually a High-Grade Magical Artifact!”
In his hands, he held a pair of dark, heavy nails, sharp at the front and large and heavy at the back.
Both nails were soaked in a thick, bloody scent, with threads of red blood visible beneath the black surface, which was quite unsettling.
He continuously infused them with magical power, and the Soul-Piercing Nails hummed, then suddenly flew out.
Thud!
One of the Soul-Piercing Nails, moving at lightning speed, pierced deep into a large stone in the courtyard, disappearing from sight.
“Such sharpness!”
“If I’m not mistaken, it must have a Piercing Armor Array inscribed on it!”
Magical artifacts were divided into three grades: High, Medium, and Low.
The grade was determined by the number and quality of the inscribed arrays.
This pair of Soul-Piercing Nails had only one array inscribed, but it was a Second-Grade Piercing Armor Array, making them incredibly powerful.
“No wonder I was left severely injured without a chance to defend myself.”
“According to the short-timer’s dying words, even Wang Yuan couldn’t guard against it, indicating that its penetration ability has reached the pinnacle among magical artifacts.”
Wang Yuan was no weakling; before he turned to the path of immortality, he was a grandmaster in the secular world of martial arts.
After embarking on the path of cultivation, Luo Chen has killed countless humans and beasts.
His high realm and combat prowess are unmatched.
Even a mere Fifth Stage Qi Refiner like him could injure Wang Yuan, thanks to the Soul-Shattering Nail.
"However, the drawbacks are also quite evident."
"Launching a single Soul-Shattering Nail consumes half of my spiritual energy. If I were to fire two at once, I'd be left completely drained."
"And!"
Luo Chen continued to channel his spiritual energy, but the Soul-Shattering Nail inside the boulder remained immobile.
A one-way trip with no return!
The advantages and disadvantages of this high-grade magical artifact were stark.
Its ability to penetrate defenses was unparalleled.
However, it consumed a tremendous amount of spiritual energy and could not be controlled once launched. There was no way to summon it back using spiritual energy.
The only reason it wasn't considered a disposable magical artifact was its extreme durability, which prevented it from breaking easily.
Perhaps this was why, despite having a Second Rank array inscribed on it, it was classified as a high-grade magical artifact rather than a supreme-grade one.
Luo Chen broke open the stone and dug out the Soul-Shattering Nail, happily storing it in his storage bag.
"Being unable to retrieve it isn't really a drawback for me, as I haven't learned any retraction techniques."
"Compared to that rusty lower-grade magical sword I used before, this is like trading a slingshot for a cannon."
After his moment of joy, Luo Chen returned to his room and lit a Tranquility Incense.
The fragrance, reminiscent of orchids and musk, gradually calmed his restless soul.
A deep sense of comfort from his soul almost made him moan in pleasure.
But Luo Chen didn't have time to savor it. He hurriedly began circulating the Eternal Spring Technique.
One Tranquility Incense per day was enough to allow a cultivator to practice their life-essence technique five additional times beyond their usual limit.
With Luo Chen's original limit of two to three times, he could now circulate the Eternal Spring Technique eight times!
What did eight times mean?
Each circulation restored 20% of his spiritual energy, so eight times would be 160%, enough to cast 32 Fireball Spells.
In this sense, the value of the Tranquility Incense in his recent acquisitions was second only to the storage bag and the Soul-Shattering Nail.
It surpassed the lower-grade magical robe, the Qi Nourishing Pill, and everything else.
This box of Tranquility Incense would allow him to practice multiple times, increasing his proficiency in the Eternal Spring Technique and other skills.
"Once I have money, I'll not only buy a house but also a lot of Tranquility Incense!"
After finishing his practice and feeling the spiritual energy he had consumed from launching the Soul-Shattering Nail partially restored, Luo Chen reflected.
After his reflection, he took advantage of the calm and focused state induced by the Tranquility Incense to recall the events of that fateful night ten days ago.
He had been constantly replaying that night in his mind over the past ten days.
Even in his dreams, the scenes had repeated multiple times.
It was the first time he had faced death since crossing over!
He kept replaying the events not out of fear, but to remember the situation and prevent it from happening again.
Thanks to the Tranquility Incense, Luo Chen suddenly realized that he could have handled that battle better.
The Soul-Shattering Nail was fast, but he had practiced the Free and Easy Wanderer technique, which could have allowed him to dodge it.
Even if he couldn't dodge, he wouldn't have been so severely injured, nearly dying on the spot.
Moreover, the enemy was in a terrible state at the time. If he had taken the initiative, could he have caught the opponent off guard?
The first to strike has the advantage, while the second to strike suffers. He had been too hesitant and hopeful.
Even during the subsequent face-to-face battle, there were significant shortcomings.
The third Fireball Spell had already broken through the opponent's defense. He only needed to follow up with one or two more.
But in his excitement, he had used all his spiritual energy in one go.
As a result, he had no combat capability afterward.
It was only by luck that he encountered Wang Yuan.
What if he had faced someone else?
Would they recognize him? Would they let him off?
Ha, even if they recognized him, they might still be tempted!
The wealth of two Qi Refiners was a substantial gain.
"My combat experience is far too limited!"
(End of Chapter)
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