Chapter 247: Hexes of Fortune

Chapter 247: Hexes of Fortune

Though magic cultivators and body cultivators may appear to share similar cultivation stages, their paths diverge profoundly.

One of the most striking differences emerges from the Golden Core Stage onward, where their cultivation philosophies split.

Magic cultivators, during their cultivation and Foundation Building phases, focus on strengthening their physical bodies by reinforcing vital energy. However, once they forge a Flawless Golden Core, their priorities shift toward condensing true mana, studying spells, and enhancing both the quality and quantity of their mana. For them, physical fortitude is merely foundational—true mana is the core.

Body cultivators take a different route. While they also harness heavenly qi to nourish their vital energy during cultivation and Foundation Building, their focus shifts after forming a Life-Essence Core. From that point, they channel their energy through the body’s 108 major meridian points, unlocking and amplifying their physical potential. To them, mana is a tool—vital energy is the essence.

This divergence became vividly clear when Xiao Chen used the Blood Crystal to breakthrough to the Golden Core Late Stage. His 108 major meridian points resonated in unison, vibrating through his meridians and forging his internal organs. Faintly, the sound of thunderous tiger-and-leopard roars echoed from his abdomen.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

With each thunderous heartbeat, Xiao Chen felt his blood surge faster. His body temperature spiked again, surpassing its previous peak. In that moment, he felt like a living furnace. Weaker tissues, especially those not fully tempered before, melted into a crimson mist that dissipated into the air.

Simultaneously, a surge of power erupted within him. The areas where his vital energy had previously melted during Blood Crystal absorption now regenerated with renewed vigor. This energy accelerated his blood flow, radiating vitality to repair and rebuild his dissolved flesh into tougher, more resilient tissue. His cultivation aura, which had begun stabilizing after the breakthrough, surged upward once more.

The searing heat persisted for half an hour before the unstable blood flow and frantic heartbeat finally calmed.

This intense purification left Xiao Chen feeling an unprecedented abundance of vital energy. The surge of power ignited a primal confidence and urge to destroy—so much so that he felt capable of overturning mountains with his bare hands or punching oceans into submission.

This phenomenon was common for body cultivators post-breakthrough, a side effect of their path’s tendency to inflame tempers and impulsiveness. The key lay in mastering one’s mind afterward.

Xiao Chen, however, quickly regained composure—not out of discipline, but because breaking through a minor cultivation bottleneck had unveiled three new hex cards before him.

[Stellar Blessing I: The stars favor you. Randomly gain one Star Constellation Power from the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions.]

[Small Giant: Grow tall, live long. Your height increases to 100 meters, and you gain an additional 3,000 years of maximum lifespan. (One-time effect)]

[Rescue is on the Way: Crisis approaches—dodge wisely. After surviving five more years, choose one of four random auxiliary artifacts. (One-time effect)]

“Hmph. Silver hexes again.” Xiao Chen sighed, eyeing the silver-glowing cards.

After two consecutive golden hexes, a silver draw felt inevitable. He didn’t dwell on disappointment, shifting focus to the first hex.

“Star Constellation Power?”

The name sounded impressive. Xiao Chen knew the Twenty-Eight Mansions well—each held unique strengths. Yet, their effects varied widely, and not all suited him. Choosing this meant gambling on luck.

“Too unpredictable. Let’s check the others.”

Xiao Chen had always despised gambling, but the second hex made him gasp.

“100 meters? This ‘Small Giant’ title’s a lie!”

Objectively, the option was strong—no randomness, a solid reward for a silver hex. Longevity was a coveted asset in cultivation. Most Golden Core True Sovereigns barely reached 1,300 years, but this hex granted 3,000—enabling multiple forays into forbidden realms and ample time to comprehend the Dao.

Yet, the drawback was glaring. With 400 years of natural lifespan remaining, the longevity boost would take centuries to matter. The height increase alone felt trivial.

He turned to the third hex.

[Rescue is on the Way: Survive five years to claim an auxiliary artifact.]

“Crisis? Five years? What’s this ominous warning?”

The recent surge in disasters and abnormal omens came to mind. A looming catastrophe seemed inevitable. Strengthening himself became urgent.

“Random artifacts again? More gambling?”

Auxiliary artifacts varied wildly—some rivaled Divine Artifacts, while others were useless. Worse, most emphasized team synergy, offering little solo utility.

“Last time I gambled, luck favored me. But two random choices in a row? Hexes are forcing my hand!”

He grumbled about the irony—his calculated playstyle clashing with fate’s whims.

“Small Giant or gamble?”

He glanced at the height boost, then dismissed it. Crisis loomed—passive survival wasn’t an option.

Between the two gambles, he chose the immediate one.

“Better to endure short-term pain than prolonged anxiety.”

The Stellar Blessing’s instant effect appealed to him. The grandeur of the Twenty-Eight Mansions implied potency, even if the boon was minor.

Choosing [Stellar Blessing I], he felt a beam of starlight pierce his chest. A revelation followed:

Heart of the Moon-Fox (Eastern Azure Dragon’s Heart Mansion):
- Clarity Heart: Maintains mental clarity during cultivation, banishing distractions and enabling instant meditative focus.
- Enhances perception, deepening comprehension of cosmic laws.

“Useful or not?”

The mental clarity alone seemed valuable, especially for refining his understanding of the Dao. He’d test it later.

Suddenly, he remembered Su Li waiting nearby.

She’d gifted the Blood Crystal, fearing its cursed nature might backfire. During his breakthrough, her emotions had seesawed—joy at his progress, dread at his sudden fever.

“Could the Wuqi be problematic? Or is the cursed Blood Crystal too potent?”

Her hands trembled. If Wuqi endangered him, should she continue using it?

When Su Li unconsciously tightened her grip on her robe collar, she suddenly noticed deep red mist seeping from Xiao Chen's body before her eyes.

A breeze swept past, carrying a wave of blood scent—this was blood mist!

Su Li immediately widened her eyes, instinctively preparing to cast a spell to save him, yet hesitated to act.

The Moon Eclipse Curse was ruthlessly domineering. Even spells she cast would carry curse force.

A spell that originally could heal might instead worsen injuries.

What should she do?

Just as Su Li panicked, she saw Wu Blood surging across Xiao Chen's body surface, helping regenerate new flesh.

She was intimately familiar with this phenomenon.

During countless Moon Eclipse nights, when she tried weakening her own state, her Wu Blood would similarly heal wounds, forcing her to repeatedly slash herself again.

But the problem was—how could Xiao Chen have Wu Blood in his body?

Could it mean he also carried Wu Clan bloodline?

That shouldn't be possible.

Su Li momentarily felt confused, but she knew Wu Blood's presence meant temporary safety.

Realizing this, she exhaled half in relief, continuing to vigilantly watch over Xiao Chen.

Half a shichen later, the thinning blood mist finally stopped dispersing.

The previous high temperature rapidly dropped, while Xiao Chen's aura noticeably strengthened, signaling his recovery and even progress in cultivation realm.

Only then did Su Li finally relax.

She now had time to ponder why Wu Blood Purification had seemingly occurred.

Yet Xiao Chen's aura had already stabilized, and his breakthrough should have ended.

But he still furrowed his brows, as if facing an impossible decision.

His expression shifted unpredictably—neither clearly joyful nor sorrowful.

Watching Xiao Chen's tightly closed eyes, silent and motionless with knotted brows, Su Li couldn't help worrying again.

Could there be unexpected complications?

Fortunately, this time lasted less than half a teacup's duration (about three minutes).

Xiao Chen opened his eyes, smiling as he said, "Breakthrough successful! The Blood Crystal reinforcement effect is even stronger than expected."

Su Li finally smiled too, "Good, you're safe."

She quickly explained, "When I saw blood mist from you earlier, I wanted to help—"

"But my..."

Before she could finish, Xiao Chen raised his hand to stop her, "Actually, you needn't worry. Didn't I tell you before?"

"My constitution is special—it can resist various curses."

"As for that blood mist, judging by the result, it actually helped complete a Body Tempering session."

"I wish such good fortune would happen more often!"

He spoke these last two sentences with genuine conviction.

After all, he had indeed gained tangible benefits—replacing previously unrefined flesh while refining his internal organs.

Though still somewhat concerned, Su Li didn't press further.

Instead, she silently resolved to closely observe Xiao Chen over the next few days to discover the cause of his abnormal temperature spikes.

"Since today's cultivation realm breakthrough succeeded, we should celebrate properly."

Xiao Chen deliberately changed the topic, "I'll go catch a new sea fish species to bring back. Let's change our menu."

Su Li nodded, "Great, I'll go pick some mushrooms from the forest for side dishes."

After lunch, both arrived at the beach.

Xiao Chen sat cross-legged alone, beginning to test Clarity Heart's cultivation effect.

Yet merely three heartbeats later, he entered the rare 'flow state,' fully concentrating on cultivation.

Not only that, as surrounding heavenly qi flowed into his body.

Xiao Chen distinctly felt as though entering an entirely new world.

The sensation was profoundly mysterious, indescribable.

It was like previously seeing the real world through a grayish gauze curtain, now suddenly having that veil lifted.

The world instantly became clearer, more tangible.

Yet simultaneously, it felt like the vibrant world had transformed into five blurred, muddled colors, chaotically intermingling.

Leaving Xiao Chen dizzy and disoriented, unable to discern his current location.

These two contradictory sensations were indeed his most authentic current experience.

In this awkward situation, surrounding heavenly qi was absorbed at speeds faster than usual.

An enormous spiritual energy vortex immediately formed at the beach, directly drawing all spiritual energy within hundreds of li across the island toward this location.

Mysteriously, a thought flashed through Xiao Chen's spirit sea.

"What's happening today? Could this mean I'm suddenly Awakening?"

However, under Clarity Heart's effect, these stray thoughts couldn't distract him before being immediately expelled.

Half a shichen later, Xiao Chen suddenly opened his eyes, interrupting this state.

"Hmm?"

Initially dazed, could this rare 'Awakening' really end so soon?

Then he remembered—the reason for ending quickly was his pre-cultivation intention to cultivate for half a shichen first to compare results.

Realizing this, Xiao Chen's heart stirred, thinking to continue cultivating.

Immediately afterward, he truly re-entered that mysterious state, continuing cultivation while comprehending the heavens.

Theoretically, even powerful cultivators couldn't achieve this.

Controlling one's thoughts was humanity's greatest challenge.

Yet with Clarity Heart's assistance, Xiao Chen could now enter a thought-free ideal state at any time.

Moreover, cultivators generally lost external perception during meditation.

His state was even more extreme—not only concentrating on cultivation, but clearly remembering his previous testing intentions.

In other words, he could start at will, and control when or under what conditions to stop cultivating.

Summarized in two words—invincible!

Midnight.

After ending today's cultivation, Xiao Chen suddenly opened his eyes, sharp light flashing in the darkness, particularly striking in the night.

Never expected—this gamble to draw a hex had surprisingly good results.

After all, before today, he had one weakness—his foundation in law comprehension was extremely weak.

Previously breaking through to Golden Core Middle Stage, Xiao Chen relied on Enlightenment Crystal and Purple-Gold Bodhi.

Though this weakness had minimal impact at the Golden Core Stage.

As his cultivation realm gradually improved, this issue would increasingly surface until unavoidable.

But now—completely different.

Xiao Chen now realized that the blurred, muddled, interwoven indistinct elements were actually the Five Elements composing all heavenly and earthly things.

Not seeing them clearly was normal—his cultivation realm was still weak.

When the day came that he could truly see clearly, he estimated he could take another major step forward.

Realizing this, Xiao Chen's heart suddenly felt bright.

Even feeling exceptionally energetic, sleepless, eager to cultivate nonstop for three days and nights.

Yet he didn't continue cultivating. Instead, he lay back on the sand, sleeping under the stars.

Gazing at the starry sky, searching for the 'Heart Moon Fox' constellation, he began contemplating his future cultivation plan.

Originally, he needn't worry about this.

With Su Li providing Blood Crystals, to put it immodestly, breakthroughs to Golden Core were merely a matter of time.

But after seeing the third hex today, Xiao Chen felt a new urgency.

Theoretically, body cultivators with sufficient vital energy reserves would almost never encounter cultivation bottlenecks.

But relying solely on Blood Crystals to increase vital energy reserves would be extremely slow.

More importantly, completely depending on Su Li's Blood Crystals.

Xiao Chen couldn't precisely determine how much accumulation was needed before breakthrough to ensure 100% success.

Emphasizing 100% success was because his situation was special.

Though successfully forming a life-essence core, it wasn't formed through normal cultivation, and its location wasn't in the dantian.

Everything had two sides.

This approach's advantage was that even if Xiao Chen's life-essence core got damaged during a failed breakthrough, he wouldn't get injured.

Including situations like life-bound flying sword damage, nothing would affect him.

But the corresponding downside was.

Normal cultivators with damaged life-essence cores could, if not severely damaged, use their dantian to nurture and repair their golden core.

But Xiao Chen's dantian already contained a Flawless Golden Core, making it impossible to coexist with a life-essence core, thus eliminating repair possibilities.

Therefore, he must have sufficient confidence before attempting to break through to the Golden Core Realm.

Dual Cultivation (Body & Spirit) could surpass ordinary cultivators, but must also bear more complicated costs during breakthroughs.

Originally, he could proceed slowly—absorbing more Blood Crystals to accumulate sufficient vital energy for qualitative change.

But according to the hex's prompt, crisis would arrive within less than five years.

Therefore, Xiao Chen must actively prepare—searching for other Spirit Herbs increasing Nascent Soul Formation success rate.

Seeking a Pill Forging Master to help refine Jade Marrow Infant Pill.

Preferably a Fourth Stage Pill Forging Master, to obtain Stage Breakthrough spirit pills marked with intricate patterns.

Additionally, collecting Nascent Soul Formation secret techniques and insights, preferably learning from others' Nascent Soul Formation processes to better assist his own breakthrough.

However, this last point would likely be difficult—such insights within major factions were probably top secrets.

"Ah, right! Isn't Su Li a Golden Core True Sovereign?"

Suddenly realizing this, Xiao Chen's eyes lit up, "I can ask her about the specific Nascent Soul Formation process."

The reason he hadn't thought of her immediately was mainly because, aside from their first meeting's authority, Su Li had shown no True Sovereign airs afterward.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end