https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-549-The-Demon-Emperor-s-Remains-The-Battle-for-the-Obsidian-Sea/12942199/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-551-Nine-Palace-Trigrams-Inviting-the-Wolf-into-the-Room/12942229/
Chapter 550: This Vote, Let's Do It! (Attribute Breakdown Included)
Chapter 550: This Vote, Let's Do It! (Attribute Breakdown Included)
In the mysterious and dark depths of the ocean, the water flowed steadily and rhythmically, with schools of fish swimming freely.
A ray of sunlight pierced through the layers of water, revealing a glimpse of crimson before disappearing.
The tranquil Coral Sea Trench, spanning thousands of miles, was a forbidden zone for all living creatures.
Any being with a hint of spiritual intelligence would instinctively avoid this place.
For beneath the vibrant clusters of blood coral lay countless bleached bones.
A layer of red light spread along the rock wall, separating the water flow.
Deep within the rock wall, there was a simple cave dwelling.
Inside, a Taoist monk in a loose white robe sat motionlessly.
At first glance, he seemed lifeless, without a sound.
But every thirty-six breaths, his lips would slightly part, exhaling a long and thick breath.
Unmoving like a mountain, majestic like a pine, he gave off the illusion of an ancient primordial turtle.
Suddenly, the white-robed Taoist slowly opened his eyes.
With calm eyes, he examined himself and nodded in satisfaction.
"Three months of seclusion, refining my cultivation, has finally extinguished that restless fire within me."
As his mind shifted, his aura suddenly burst forth, climbing higher and higher, like a long-dormant volcano about to erupt. Its domineering power was beyond the reach of ordinary Golden Core cultivators, and only a great cultivator could match its terrifying spiritual pressure.
In an instant, the aura receded like a retreating tide, completely restrained within his body, leaving him as still as a withered tree or a silent sparrow, without a hint of disturbance.
At this moment, he appeared no different from an ordinary mortal.
This release and restraint demonstrated that Luo Chen's cultivation had stabilized, and he had thoroughly become a mid-stage cultivator of the fourth layer of the Golden Core realm!
However, despite being at the fourth layer, Luo Chen had the confidence to challenge even a late-stage Golden Core cultivator!
Lifting his eyelids slightly, he gazed into the void.
A transparent screen of light unfolded like a curtain.
[Lifespan: 136/480]
[Spiritual Root: Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth]
[Cultivation: Fourth Layer of Golden Core 1/100, Ancient Third Stage 67/100]
[Cultivation Technique: Proficiency in Phoenix Rebirth Scripture 157/200, Perfection in Ten Thousand Paths Confluence, Perfection in Ten Thousand Beasts Scripture 375/500]
[Spells: Fourth Stage: Mastery in Dragon Slaying Art 750/1000
Third Stage: Perfection in Azure Sun Great Seal, Mastery in Blazing Heaven Seven Rings 623/1000, Beginner in Life Severing Finger 15/100,
[Martial Skills: Perfection in Cloud Probing Divine Claw, Perfection in Fiery Poison Mist, Perfection in Exploding Void Step 486/500]
Perfected Spells (Click to view details)
Profession:
[Fourth Rank Alchemist]
[Alchemy: Perfection in Scale Turning Hand, Perfection in Phoenix Burning Hand, Perfected Alchemy (Click to view details)]
Fourth Rank Pills: Beginner in Shapeshifting Pill 5/100
Third Rank Pills: Perfection in Starry Night Pill, Perfection in True Flame Pill, Beginner in Dark Essence Pill 6/100
First Rank Pill: Perfection in Water Condensing Pill
Perfected Pills (Click to view details)]
[Third Rank Physician: Medical Skills (Click to view details)]
[Third Rank Array Master: Third Rank Arrays: Perfection in Concealment Array
Second Rank Arrays: Perfection in Water Avoidance Array, Mastery in Nine Turns Flame Dragon Array 501/1000, Proficiency in Armor Piercing Array 215/300, Proficiency in Five Wheel Rolling Stone Array 207/300, Core Stabilizing Array...
First Rank Arrays: Perfection in Five Elements Basic Array, Perfection in Spirit Gathering Array]
[Achievement Points: 151]
Looking at his attribute panel, Luo Chen felt a sense of accomplishment.
It had been twelve years since he escaped from Cangwu Mountain.
Twelve years was enough time for an infant to grow into a teenager who understood the ways of the world.
For him, it was a time of earth-shattering changes!
First and foremost was the terrifying change in his lifespan!
It increased directly from 446 to 480, a whopping thirty-six years.
The change, aside from the fixed twenty years from the third to the fourth layer of the Golden Core, was attributed to his feat of refining ten thousand Blue Ring Sea Snakes with the True Flame of Growth and Decline in the Xintian Sea years ago, according to Luo Chen's judgment.
The ten thousand first-rank sea snakes, after absorbing immense vitality, granted him sixteen years of lifespan.
It was indeed a pleasant surprise!
Because of this surprise, Luo Chen had once felt an overwhelming urge to hunt demons extensively, even venturing into the Obsidian Sea to hunt for demon crabs, driven by his desires.
However, despite these urges, he managed to restrain the greed within him.
Some things, if taken too far, could lead to undesirable consequences.
What good was a higher lifespan limit if one's cultivation didn't advance?
It would always remain an unreachable dream, like the moon in the water or a flower in the mirror.
On the contrary, indulging in slaughter could easily invite disaster.
After hunting demon crabs for five years, he had attracted the siege of the Demon Spider Crab Clan. If he truly let loose, who knew which Demon Emperor might show up next?
Setting aside the changes in his cultivation realm, another pleasant surprise was his progress in physical cultivation.
However, because he had been closely monitoring his physical growth for the past five years, Luo Chen wasn't as excited about this improvement.
In the ancient times, the third stage of cultivation had progressed to sixty-seven percent.
This meant that he had reached the later stages of cultivation.
Ancient beasts, unlike human-like demons, focused solely on physical strength and were known for their robust physiques.
The physical strength of a late third-stage ancient beast, when compared to the current Three Realms, was enough to crush most third-stage demons.
Perhaps, it could even rival some fourth-stage demons who didn't focus on physical training.
"This is the result of my five years of bitter cultivation in the distant Obsidian Sea!"
A faint smile hung on Luo Chen's lips.
In five years, from the initial mid-stage to the sudden advancement to the later stage, he had gained formidable power.
However, amidst his joy, Luo Chen also had a lingering concern.
"My physical strength demands more and more from external sources. The third-stage Black King Ointment still works, but it no longer provides the same rapid progress as before."
"If I want to maintain high-speed growth in the increasingly challenging later stages of cultivation, I might have to consider the fourth-stage Black King Ointment."
"But the fourth-stage Black King Ointment..."
Luo Chen was in a dilemma.
The main ingredient of the fourth-stage Black King Ointment was third-stage demons!
Demons that could cultivate to the third stage were essentially local tyrants, and they could be called Demon Kings; they were by no means weak.
Especially the Demon Spider Crab Clan, which was suitable for refining the Black King Ointment, they lived in groups.
In these many years, Luo Chen had only killed three Demon Kings three months ago and collected two complete crab shells.
Oh!
The captured third-stage Demon Spider Crab had already been dealt with.
Its shell was refined into medicine.
The crab meat was divided and consumed by Luo Chen and Black King.
The pair of giant claws and eight crab legs were carefully collected as refining materials, intended for use after leaving the Obsidian Sea.
The same went for the demon core.
Luo Chen bestowed all the remaining fragments upon Black King, allowing him to devour and refine them.
Finally, there was the demonic soul!
It was personally absorbed by Luo Chen into the Soul Refining Banner, becoming the third great Ghost King-level main soul of the Ten Thousand Souls Banner.
Under Han Zhan's control, it could unleash formidable power.
It could be said that the existence, previously referred to as "Taoist friend" by Luo Chen, had been utilized to the extreme.
Returning to the main topic.
Thinking about refining a large amount of fourth-stage Black King Ointment, Luo Chen felt a bit troubled.
It could even be said that it wasn't just the fourth-stage Black King Ointment; in the current situation where alerting others could be detrimental, hunting low-level Demon Crabs and refining the third-stage Black King Ointment might also be challenging.
"Let's take one step at a time!"
"No matter how much I prepare, it's no match for the changes."
Luo Chen shook his head, his gaze moving downward.
His two primary cultivation techniques were progressing slowly and had reached perfection, respectively, so there was no need to elaborate.
The Ten Thousand Beasts Scripture, which specialized in enslaving demons, had reached the perfect level of proficiency, an unexpected joy.
This was likely due to his frequent use of Black King and Celestial Whirl.
Through long-term control, Luo Chen had gained some insights into how to enslave demons.
Therefore, it was only natural that his proficiency in the second-stage Ten Thousand Beasts Scripture increased so rapidly.
"Speaking of which, there's a famous Ten Thousand Beasts Sect in this realm. Although it's only at the Nascent Soul stage, its ancestor was rumored to have been a Divine Transformation expert. Unfortunately, this sect is not in the Eastern Ancient Realm, nor in the Northern Sea, but in the Southern Border, where people's faces change at its mention."
After muttering, Luo Chen's gaze continued to move.
The Primordial One Breath Great Seal, which had been renamed, had already reached perfection ten years ago.
The self-created defense spell, Blazing Heaven Seven Rings, progressed rapidly due to its originality and had reached the Master level.
The long-practiced Cloud Probing Divine Claw and the Flowing Poison Mist had both reached perfection.
The self-created Exploding Void Step also progressed rapidly, achieving perfection and was just one step away from perfection.
These were all welcome changes in Luo Chen's combat power.
It also meant that his hardware had received an absolute upgrade.
Apart from that, there was the "software."
Currently, Luo Chen was proficient in three major skills, which could also be considered three professions.
The highest achievement was in the profession of alchemy.
It had reached the fourth stage!
He was adept at various alchemy techniques, both in theory and practice, and could be considered an outstanding master.
Calling him a master alchemist or even a Master would not be an exaggeration! The third-stage True Flame Pill he personally refined had reached perfection, aiding his cultivation.
The first-stage Water Condensing Pill, which originated from the Flying Swallow Archipelago, allowed Luo Chen to gain a firsthand understanding of the Northern Sea's alchemy techniques after refining it himself.
He refined it to perfection in one go, simultaneously integrating the Northern Sea's alchemy style into his own system.
In the future, if he could learn more about advanced Northern Sea alchemy, it might elevate Luo Chen's alchemy to a higher level.
A third-stage physician?
Luo Chen shook his head; perhaps this path would end here.
After focusing solely on fire-type spells, he lacked the other four types of mana from the Five Elements, even if he could temporarily convert them.
However, in practical applications, it was quite inconvenient.
Medicine often involved various aspects and required comprehensiveness rather than specialization.
If he were a master of water-type or wood-type spells, it would be better, as they had stronger inclusivity.
The Fire attribute is domineering, making it challenging for him to cultivate medical skills of other attributes.
As a physician, his path is clear, but as an array master, his progress is astonishing!
After Min Longyu and Fu Jiusheng laid the foundation for Luo Chen, he now has the personal guidance of Han Zhan, a Fourth Stage Array Master.
Luo Chen's learning of basic arrays in various attributes is progressing rapidly. He has achieved perfection in the basic Five Elements arrays and the Spirit Gathering Array.
He also has a good grasp of some Second Stage arrays, especially his favorite, the Nine Turns Flame Dragon Grand Array. Through diligent practice, he has reached the Master level.
Luo Chen believes that with sufficient materials, the power of this array might even surpass the Nine Turns Flame Dragon Grand Array set up by Min Longyu back then, by a margin of three!
Now, he has also obtained a Third Stage Array Disk.
For Luo Chen, it's like finding the perfect pillow for his sleep, as he can now put into practice all that he has learned over the years.
However, the Array Disk is primarily for Water attribute arrays, and some adjustments are needed.
Luo Chen has already asked Han Zhan to help modify the Array Disk, and he expects results after some time.
As Luo Chen reviews his progress, he can't help but feel proud.
Finally, his gaze falls on the Achievement Points column.
【151】
The highest value ever! Twelve years ago, it barely broke a hundred.
But in just twelve years, it has skyrocketed by fifty Achievement Points.
"As expected, a cultivator's secluded meditation is always the best way to cultivate, surpassing even battles."
"If it were the me from before, busy and toiling, not only twelve years, but even another ten or twenty years wouldn't have earned me this many Achievement Points."
The dazzling number not only fills Luo Chen with pride but also gives him a sense of security.
He even has a hint of anticipation.
"I only have the list of medicinal ingredients for the Core Formation Pill, but I don't have the corresponding ratios, refining methods, details, taboos, and so on."
"In the future, if I want to deduce the actual pill formula, it will undoubtedly require a huge amount of Achievement Points."
"Crossing a major stage requires a lot of Achievement Points, but no matter how many, it won't exceed a hundred points. My 151 points should be enough!"
As Luo Chen mutters to himself, he feels even more confident about his future cultivation path.
The path of cultivation is filled with difficulties and obstacles.
Even without encountering strong enemies, there are limitations due to the resources one needs.
But through his efforts, Luo Chen overcomes these limitations one by one.
Cultivation methods, pills, spiritual lands, and treasures...
"It's just a matter of adapting to the situation!"
Closing the attribute panel, Luo Chen smiles and stands up, leaving his secluded cultivation cave.
...
"Is this the intelligence sent back from the Celestial Whirl Island?"
In the outer hall, Luo Chen holds the wooden board handed to him by Black King, with the intelligence personally written by Celestial Whirl.
The handwriting is crooked but reveals a hint of elegance.
Celestial Whirl is a female! Of course, this isn't the focus; the focus is on the intelligence.
"The Five Great Demon Crab Clans, the Flying Cloud Gorge cultivators, the Ringed-Head Turtle Clan... Why are these forces gathering at Obsidian Island?"
As Luo Chen mutters, he senses an impending pressure, like a storm about to break.
According to the report, these forces have all come out in full force.
In the Obsidian Sea area, there have been several clashes and fights.
Even the Flying Cloud Gorge cultivators have been inadvertently involved once, and a Golden Core cultivator has died. Luo Chen doesn't believe that there isn't something attracting them.
"Could it be a Fourth Stage Spirit Vein?" Black King cautiously asks.
Luo Chen raises an eyebrow. He has known about the Fourth Stage Spirit Vein in the Obsidian Sea area for a long time.
It's located on Obsidian Island.
This Spirit Vein has also attracted countless demons to settle there.
That's why, when he initially chose his base, he deliberately stayed away from Obsidian Island.
It's not impossible that they are fighting over the Spirit Vein.
But!
What are human cultivators doing by getting involved? In the current Northern Sea cultivation world, they can barely maintain their own territories, let alone initiate a war.
Forget about starting a war; even going out to hunt at sea is fraught with danger.
The Flying Cloud Gorge has only seven Golden Core cultivators, and her tone was persuasive.
Luo Chen shakes his head, dismissing this possibility.
Perhaps there's some precious treasure or opportunity inside, which is why these forces are fighting over it!
Wait a moment! Luo Chen looks at the wooden board again, which mentions the Five Great Demon Crab Clans and the number of Third Stage Demon Kings they've lost.
The more he reads, the faster his heart pounds.
He had been worrying about how to refine a large amount of Third Stage Black King Ointment.
If he can get involved, he might be able to take advantage of the chaos and get a few Third Stage Demon Crabs, which would naturally solve this problem.
Third Stage Demon Crabs have enormous bodies, and the Black King Ointment refined from them is worth a hundred Second Stage portions.
With seven or eight, no, maybe just five, would be enough for his late Ancient cultivation needs!
Just thinking about this, Luo Chen can hardly contain his excitement.
"I'm in!"
(End of Chapter)
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