https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-451-Gathering-the-Power-of-a-Sect-to-Aid-One-s-Breakthrough/12934844/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-453-Congratulations-Dao-Friend-on-Your-Golden-Core-Achievement-/12934846/
Chapter 452: Solidifying the Foundation, Foundation Establishment Ninth Level, Ice Fortress Battle D
Chapter 452: Solidifying the Foundation, Foundation Establishment Ninth Level, Ice Fortress Battle Damage, Chu Kui's Invitation
In front of Sima Huiniang, Luo Chen displayed absolute confidence in his ability to form a pill.
However, was this really the case?
The answer was no!
Although Luo Chen had prepared well for his pill formation, there was still more to consider.
Whether it was the traditional trio of essence, energy, and spirit, or secret techniques and elixirs, he had prepared them all.
But as the true watershed realm that separates low-level and high-level cultivators in the cultivation world—the Core Formation Stage—it was not something that could be easily predicted.
Those thousand-year-old Nascent Soul Supreme Sects had, from the very beginning, provided their disciples with a complete set of cultivation methods, allowing them to cultivate their Qi to the Nascent Soul stage.
Throughout this process, they were also supported by complementary secret techniques, pills, spirit lands, and guidance from their teachers.
However, even with all this, there weren't many Core Formation Cultivators in the Supreme Sects.
On the contrary, there were numerous failures.
Even some disciples of the Great Sects occasionally had news of unfortunate pill formation failures after hundreds or thousands of years.
Could it be that the Core Formation Great Sects didn't provide their most valued disciples with the best pill formation resources?
It was obviously impossible.
Therefore, no one dared to claim that they could pass the pill formation stage with absolute certainty.
Luo Chen's unwavering confidence was merely to reassure Sima Huiniang.
If he didn't have confidence, how could others maintain their faith in him?
...
After returning to his cave mansion on Heavenly Wave Peak, the first thing Luo Chen did was not to cultivate but to heal his injuries.
The wounds from the Great Snow Mountain trip appeared minor on the surface, but they were actually quite severe.
They weren't injuries inflicted by others but were caused by his excessive use of various techniques, resulting in a depletion of his primordial energy.
This depletion manifested in various ways, such as the exhaustion of spiritual energy, fatigue of the soul, and weakness of the physical body.
These things were not easily recoverable in the wilderness.
That's why Luo Chen was in a hurry to get home.
After returning home, the first thing Luo Chen did was to sleep soundly for three days and three nights.
When he woke up, feeling refreshed, he began to work on healing his injuries.
The Flourish Sutra, left behind by Sun Sifang after her death, played a significant role in this process.
It recorded several prescriptions for restoring primordial energy, and their effects were even better than Luo Chen's enhanced version of the Nourishing Primordial Elixir.
Luo Chen chose the Thousand Gold Formula, the most expensive but also the most effective method, to restore his body, which was more precious than a thousand gold.
In addition to this, Sima Huiniang also started to regularly send various demonic beasts to Luo Chen.
Most of them were first-tier, with the occasional second-tier beast.
The only, or perhaps the second, requirement was that they had to be large and alive! The larger the demonic beast, the stronger its vitality! Luo Chen slightly cruelly refined these living demonic beasts with the Withering Flame, thereby seizing their vitality.
Even though the Withering Flame absorbed most of their vitality, Luo Chen could still benefit from a significant portion of it.
With the infusion of increasingly dense vitality.
Luo Chen's physical recovery ability also became stronger and stronger.
If Luo Chen's previous body had the level of an ancient third-tier beast, it could be considered an indestructible steel plate.
This represented his absolute strength.
But sometimes, being overly strong, hard, and rigid didn't necessarily mean it was the best.
Once injured, recovery could be quite troublesome.
The reason why Luo Chen slowly began to cultivate medicine alongside his pill refining was that his body took an unusually long time to recover after injuries.
However, with the absorption of abundant vitality, his body gained not only strength and hardness but also an inner "softness."
Inside the cave mansion.
Luo Chen watched as a second-tier demonic bear, at least twenty feet tall, turned into ashes amidst painful screams, and he slowly retracted his hand.
A thoughtful expression appeared on his face.
"It is said that in the ancient Mountain and Sea Realm, there were numerous ancient beasts and ancient creatures. These beings, though not following the path of demonic energy transformation, possessed formidable power."
"Pursuing stars and moons, destroying mountains and seas is just one aspect. There's also the mystery of regenerating severed limbs and resurrecting from a drop of blood."
"If I absorb enough vitality and let my body's recovery ability reach the level of ancient ancient beasts, can I also achieve resurrection from a drop of blood?"
This idea seemed a bit far-fetched.
But it wasn't without basis.
Taking cultivators as an example, the higher the cultivation level, the stronger the life-preserving ability.
After reaching the Nascent Soul stage, as long as the Nascent Soul remains intact, the cultivator cannot die.
In a sense, this is also similar to the demonic beasts' ability to resurrect from a drop of blood.
"However, if I want to achieve the level of resurrecting from a drop of blood, relying solely on the vitality I've plundered so far is like a drop in the ocean."
"What about the Sever Life Finger?"
On Luo Chen's attribute panel, there was a third-tier technique called Sever Life Finger.
This technique originated from Li Jinhuang.
It was infinitely mysterious and could extract a strand of vitality from a cultivator, allowing them to exist in the world for a period of time.
From decline to prosperity, and then, at the peak of prosperity, it would wither and fall like a fleeting flower.
This extracted vitality couldn't be absorbed.
But if it were to be performed with the Primordial True Fire and Withering Flame, could it be absorbed more effectively into his body instead of being absorbed by the Withering Flame? The fantasy was beautiful, but putting it into practice faced numerous obstacles.
After several attempts, Luo Chen's experiments all ended in failure.
He gradually abandoned this idea and focused on using the Withering Flame to absorb the vitality of demonic beasts.
Under this daily routine.
Luo Chen's vitality became increasingly vigorous, and his injuries healed faster and faster.
Initially, it was estimated that it would take two to three years to recover to his peak state, but in just half a year, Luo Chen regained his peak form! Moreover, once, when Gu Caiyi came to visit him, she was surprised to find a few black strands among his grayish-white hair.
The good news didn't stop there.
The Evergreen Longevity Sutra, which he had derived from the perfected Yimu Yaowang Jing, finally reached the level of Great Perfection after many years of difficulty.
After reaching perfection, it was no longer possible to continue deriving from it.
After all, the Yimu Yaowang Jing was merely the Foundation Establishment stage cultivation method of the latter.
Luo Chen was incredibly fortunate to have been able to complete it using the system.
The Great Perfection Evergreen Longevity Sutra, in addition to the early stages of nourishing the body with spiritual energy, expanding spiritual perception, and unblocking meridians and washing the marrow, had an additional effect.
Or rather, it was an enhancement!
The automatic Qi recovery effect that accompanied the Eternal Spring Art at the Grandmaster level during the Qi Condensation stage was suddenly enhanced! Now, the automatic Qi recovery effect was ten times stronger! At present, when Luo Chen releases a powerful technique, as long as he is in a place filled with spiritual energy, he doesn't need to do anything, and his consumption can be instantly replenished.
Even in a place devoid of spiritual energy, it can automatically recover a significant amount.
This solved Luo Chen's issue of sustaining his combat endurance.
It was somewhat miraculous.
The Withering Flame, which refined vitality, enhanced Luo Chen's recovery abilities.
The completion of the Evergreen Longevity Sutra further strengthened his spiritual energy recovery.
These two changes didn't significantly aid his cultivation progress, but they allowed him to break through in combat prowess.
If he were to return to Great Snow Mountain again, he believed he could do even better!
"It's better not to go!" Luo Chen sighed, self-mockingly.
He had no desire to engage in battles at the moment.
Currently, his top priority was cultivation.
He planned to cultivate diligently and reach the Foundation Establishment Ninth Level.
Luo Chen set out his plan.
For the next few years, he would ignore everything else and focus solely on two things: cultivation and pill refining.
Daily cultivation couldn't be neglected, and its long-term benefits surpassed the effects of consuming pills.
Pill refining was Luo Chen's preparation for the Foundation Establishment Ninth Level.
He intended to refine all the Jade Dew Pills needed for the Ice Fortress in the future, as well as the Premium Blood Enhancing Pills, Supreme Dust Reduction Pills, and Mystic Passage Pills required for his future cultivation.
Once that was done, he wouldn't need to worry about pill refining anymore.
He could then focus solely on matters related to cultivation and breaking through cultivation levels.
Time passed slowly, and days turned into years.
In the first year, Luo Chen refined all the Jade Dew Pills needed by the Ice Fortress for the next twenty years.
In the second and third years, he refined all the Premium Blood Enhancing Pills and Dust Reduction Pills required for his cultivation.
During this period, he also perfected his improved second-stage Mystic Passage Pill, reaching the Grand Completion level.
Then, he refined a large batch of pills in one go.
This massive pill refining project consumed an enormous amount of resources.
The spirit stones Luo Chen had earned over the years were almost entirely spent.
Not only that, but even the batch of Foundation Establishment cultivators' essence blood left by Blood Demon Xuan Yu was completely used up.
This was why he stopped refining the Premium Blood Enhancing Pills.
The raw materials were all gone!
Even so, the stockpile of Premium Blood Enhancing Pills he had accumulated was sufficient for him to cultivate to the Foundation Establishment Grand Completion.
With everything in place, Luo Chen truly entered a period of arduous solitary cultivation.
He secluded himself from outsiders and ignored worldly affairs.
...
Years passed, and time flew by.
Solitary cultivation made one oblivious to the passage of time.
Before he knew it, ten years had quietly passed since Luo Chen returned from Great Snow Mountain to Heavenwave.
On this day, in the 17th cave mansion on Heavenly Wave Peak.
Suddenly, a long howl echoed.
Hearing this sound, Bai Meiling, who had already awakened from the Soul Nourishing Banner, immediately flew back to the cave mansion.
"Master, have you broken through your cultivation realm?"
In the living room, Luo Chen, freshly bathed and refreshed, nodded with a smile while wearing a loose robe.
Seeing this, Bai Meiling couldn't help but smile with joy, "Congratulations, Master, on your progress. You're not far from the Core Formation Stage!"
Luo Chen accepted her compliments with a smile.
Indeed, the Core Formation Stage was within reach!
The Foundation Establishment Eighth Level to the Ninth Level was the longest stage in all his cultivation.
It took him more than twenty years!
This lengthy period brought him tremendous benefits.
He finally solidified his previously shaky foundation.
Moreover, based on his original state, he sorted out his own condition, allowing his essence, energy, and spirit to break through.
Now, not only did he possess a physique comparable to a Tier 3 Ancient Beast, but his spiritual energy was also more robust than that of a Foundation Establishment Grand Completion cultivator.
As for his soul's foundation, after experiencing two heart demons, one heart extraction, one heart inquiry, numerous minor realm breakthroughs, and the continuous consumption of Mystic Passage Pills, it reached an unimaginable level.
At this moment, he was at the Foundation Establishment Ninth Level.
However, his soul's foundation not only surpassed that of a Foundation Establishment Grand Completion cultivator but also gave others the illusion that he was not far from a Core Formation cultivator.
This was the Foundation Establishment Ninth Level!
Luo Chen still had one more minor realm to go in the Foundation Establishment Stage.
Once he reached the Foundation Establishment Grand Completion, he believed he would achieve even more breakthroughs.
"Only now do I truly have the confidence to face the Golden Core Tribulation with composure!"
Luo Chen's heart was filled with indescribable emotion, and he hesitated for a while.
He even felt that with his current accumulation, without waiting for the Foundation Establishment Grand Completion, he still had a chance to succeed in the Golden Core Tribulation by reversing the spiritual vortex formed by the Clear Source Elixir Art in his dantian.
However, that would be too risky.
He had made so many preparations for the Golden Core Tribulation; how could he rush into it?
Haste makes waste, so he decided to stabilize himself first.
Luo Chen looked at Bai Meiling, his sharp eyes seeming to see through her.
After examining her for a while, he nodded slightly.
"It seems your condition is quite good."
Bai Meiling smiled, "I've completely absorbed that Third Stage Demon King's Essence Yin Qi, and with the help of the Soul Nourishing Banner, cultivating the Ghostly Mysteries Record is twice as effective. If nothing unexpected happens, I might be able to advance to the Third Stage Demon King Realm in a hundred years."
Luo Chen raised his eyebrows.
"Are you that confident?"
Bai Meiling scratched her head, "I can't explain it, but I do have this feeling. In that Essence Yin Qi, there were fragments of consciousness crushed by you, and I made a judgment based on the experience I gained from absorbing them."
Luo Chen nodded thoughtfully.
Indeed, the experience of a Third Stage Demon King still held some reference value.
Aside from other things, the fact that Pang Ren Xiong's remnant soul, after his fall, took only three to five years to advance to the Third Stage Demon King Realm was already indicative.
He relied not only on his Golden Core cultivator's soul foundation but also on the state of Sword Heart Enlightenment.
More importantly, his remnant soul absorbed all the Yin Qi left by the three Third Stage Demon Kings in Great River Market!
It was due to this opportunity that he could recover his Third Stage strength in such a short time.
Furthermore, with Luo Chen's current understanding, if Pang Ren Xiong had refined that Demon Realm, and with the Sword Sect disciples occasionally feeding him the souls of demonic beasts, he could not only restore his peak abilities but also advance further.
The battle in Great River Market was not only a calamity for Pang Ren Xiong but also an opportunity.
"What's the latest news? Tell me about it."
Bai Meiling nodded her head slightly, and soon she recounted all the intelligence that the Luo Tian Association had sent over the years to Luo Chen, one by one.
First, it was the news about the Ice Fortress that Luo Chen was most concerned about.
Four Golden Core Cultivators had died mysteriously!
As a result, the Ice Fortress held a funeral, but strangely, no outsiders were invited to attend.
Even the closely-affiliated Luo Tian Association was not invited.
Luo Chen frowned, "Four Golden Core Masters died? Could they have fallen in the siege of the Great Snow Mountain by the Ten Thousand Demons?"
He remembered clearly that not only Han Zhan had helped Cang Lang during his tribulation.
The elite forces of the Ice Fortress had also come out in full force.
Aside from Cang Lang, who needed to undergo the tribulation, and the new Golden Core Master Ice Spirit Fairy who stayed behind in the Ice Fortress, the other eight Golden Core Masters had put everything on the line.
In the Moonlight Ice Castle, one person guarded each level.
With the help of high-grade treasures and the power of the Fourth Rank Spirit Land, they bravely resisted the countless demonic beasts summoned by the Boneless Black Snake in the Great Snow Mountain.
The number of Tier 3 beasts was unimaginable, and there were likely over a hundred of them!
Under such circumstances, it was normal for three to five Golden Core Cultivators to die.
However...
"Is there any news of Cang Lang Senior's successful advancement to the Nascent Soul Stage?"
Bai Meiling shook her head, "I specifically searched through countless pieces of intelligence, but there's no related news. I'm afraid that senior has failed her tribulation."
"Failed?"
Luo Chen murmured, a trace of disappointment appearing on his face.
He had hoped for Cang Lang's success.
After all, he addressed her as "Senior Sister."
After the disappointment, came worry.
If Cang Lang failed to advance to the Nascent Soul Stage and the Ice Fortress lost four Golden Core Masters at once, there might be further changes ahead!
These "changes" were not limited to internal power struggles within the Ice Fortress but also involved the external situation and the upcoming Colony War in a few years.
With its strength greatly diminished, would the Ice Fortress still participate in the Colony War as usual?
As a subordinate, would the Luo Tian Association be affected? Thinking about the Colony War, Bai Meiling timely shared the related intelligence.
In her description, the Jade Cauldron Domain was like a huge cauldron about to boil.
Countless foreign domain cultivators rushed to the Jade Cauldron Domain, eagerly anticipating the Colony War thirty years later.
And this was just the loose cultivators.
Perhaps in some time, the sect powers on the list of participants would also arrive in the Jade Cauldron Domain one after another.
"We've taken Radiant Light Market!"
This was one of the rare pieces of good news among the various pieces of intelligence.
"Big Brother Duan led the Luo Tian Association cultivators and invited the Kang Family from Mount Tai Market and the Luo Family from the adjacent Raksha Pavilion to attack the Pine Family in Radiant Light Market."
"Although that battle had its twists and turns, there were no major casualties. It was only during the fight for the Tier 3 Ancient Cypress that Feng Xia Senior Sister was severely injured while trying to preserve the spirit plant. However, with the full treatment of the Luo Tian Association cultivators, she has now recovered and is back to normal."
Feng Xia had already achieved Foundation Establishment years ago and had taken over from Bian Zhen as the head of the Spirit Medicine Hall of the Luo Tian Association.
A well-preserved Tier 3 Ancient Cypress was of immense value.
As the head of the Spirit Medicine Hall, she would do everything to preserve it.
Luo Chen took the file and carefully read about the situation of that battle.
Aside from the casualties and gains, it also mentioned the rise of some of the younger generation cultivators of the Luo Tian Association.
Zeng Yi Long, who had achieved success in body refinement, the rising star among the Artificer Hall cultivators, Bai Lian, and Qu Ling Jun, who had successfully established his foundation...
"Wait, how did Ling Jun end up on the battlefield?"
Luo Chen frowned.
Qu Ling Jun's successful Foundation Establishment was within his expectations.
After all, over the years, he had enjoyed special treatment in terms of various pill resources, even more abundant than what Luo Chen had during his Qi Condensation stage.
In terms of cultivation methods and daily practice, he had guidance from Foundation Establishment True Cultivators of the Luo Tian Association.
Moreover, Li Yingzhang had tailored the 'Triple Unity Secret Art' for him.
Therefore, when he was 62 years old, after consecutively consuming two Foundation Establishment Pills, he successfully established his foundation.
However, the Luo Tian Association had never allowed pill cultivators to go to the battlefield before.
Except for the Danxia Defense Battle and Luo Chen himself, these were the only exceptions.
Bai Meiling shrugged, "It's said that he applied for it himself. He said that throughout his cultivation journey, he had smooth sailing and rarely participated in direct combat. So he took the initiative to apply to join this battle to temper himself."
"He's the head of the Pill Hall and your disciple, so others couldn't refuse him."
"President Sister considered it and then allowed him to participate in that battle."
After hearing this explanation, Luo Chen still felt somewhat dissatisfied.
But when he heard about Sima Hui Niang's final decision, he suppressed the dissatisfaction in his heart.
"Perhaps, protecting him too much has made him too sheltered."
"It's only right for pill cultivators to possess strength that matches their immense wealth."
Luo Chen found a reason to let go of his obsession with this matter.
Speaking of which, there was a stark contrast in the combat capabilities of pill cultivators.
There were extremely powerful ones, like Luo Chen and Dan Yangzi of Green Pill Valley.
And there were also extremely weak ones, like Dan Yuanzi from the Battle of Qinhuajing.
Despite having reached the middle stage of Foundation Establishment, he was brutally killed by a remnant technique left behind by Li Jinhuang.
This showed how weak Dan Yuanzi was in combat.
Luo Chen's cultivation of Qu Ling Jun had been too gentle, almost leading him down the same path as Dan Yuanzi.
Participating in battles to temper oneself was the right approach.
Sima Hui Niang's consideration was indeed comprehensive.
The battle at Radiant Light Market was a well-planned move by the Luo Tian Association, with the assistance of the Kang Family and the Luo Family as allies, making it a sure-win battle.
In this situation, Sima Hui Niang's decision to let the younger generation of the Luo Tian Association go to the battlefield for tempering was indeed a wise choice.
"I'm not very good at cultivating disciples."
Luo Chen laughed at himself and then asked about other pieces of intelligence.
Bai Meiling had an excellent memory!
Not only had she read through all the intelligence from these years, but she had also organized it and memorized it all.
At this moment, she recounted everything in detail, allowing Luo Chen, who had been in seclusion for many years, to gain a thorough understanding of the outside world.
Finally!
Bai Meiling brought up one matter.
"From last month, Chu Kui has been asking to see you."
Luo Chen was taken aback, and then a delighted expression appeared on his face.
"Wait for me at home, I'll go to his cave mansion."
After saying this, Luo Chen didn't care about the deep night outside. He summoned a gust of wind and hurriedly left the cave mansion.
(End of Chapter)
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