https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-611-The-So-Called-Soul-Essence-Duan-Li-s-Promise/12942419/
Chapter 610: Embryo Formation Theory, Soul Fusion Secret Technique
Chapter 610: Embryo Formation Theory, Soul Fusion Secret Technique
"The Essence Washing Technique, Organ Refinement and Meridian Opening, opening all the body's acupoints to achieve a thorough and transparent body... So that's how it's done! Truly, listening to your words is more beneficial than reading for five years!"
"Old Fisherman, you're being too humble. These cultivation principles are naturally carried out unconsciously among our fellow Qi practitioners."
In the outer hall of the Star Palace, an elder and a youth were having an enjoyable conversation.
The old fisherman seemed to have gained enlightenment, thoroughly understanding the direction of his future cultivation.
Just as Luo Chen had said, there were indeed commonalities between body cultivators and Qi cultivators.
When Qi cultivators cultivate, even without intentionally focusing on body cultivation, their bodies are unconsciously tempered, making them less frail and able to withstand the impact of vast external spiritual energy.
However, while this sounds simple, the actual practice is not as easy as it seems.
For example, the techniques for organ refinement, meridian opening, and acupoint opening are all closely guarded secrets of various body cultivators. It may even require the use of corresponding secret medicines to achieve great success.
If one were to use a cultivator's Qi cultivation method for these practices, it would likely result in a distorted and ineffective outcome.
Noticing the old fisherman deep in thought, Luo Chen paused for a moment before offering guidance: "In fact, these low-level body cultivation methods are quite common in the cultivation world. Old Fisherman, if you're willing to spend some spirit stones, you can naturally gather many of them. Then, you can experiment with them and find the ones that suit you."
The old fisherman nodded, "Indeed, it's not difficult. The Monster Hunting Bureau has many related cultivation methods."
However, he then showed a troubled expression.
"But if you want to reach the third realm of body cultivation, the Furnace Refinement Realm, as you mentioned, it won't be that simple."
The second realm, Blood River Realm, and the first five minor realms are all foundational stages.
To achieve success, one must comprehend the changes in Qi and blood, and cultivate the four essences of Ming-An-Hua-Dan!
These four realms are not easy to cultivate; they require wisdom, talent, resources, and a significant amount of time.
The old fisherman suddenly looked up at Luo Chen.
"Friend Luo, it seems the path you're on is somewhat different from that of ancient body cultivators."
Luo Chen raised his eyebrows, "How so?"
He hadn't expected the old fisherman to be so perceptive, noticing this difference.
The old fisherman hesitated, "In fact, I've met a genuine body cultivator who had reached the advanced Furnace Refinement Realm. Even when he stood beside me, I could feel his overwhelmingly aggressive primal energy, full of aggression. He seemed like a furnace ready to melt everything into himself."
"But you're different!"
"The feeling you give me is one of vibrant vitality and surging blood, without that aggressive primal energy. You're more like an ancient beast standing before me!"
Luo Chen still had a smile on his face, but it had become somewhat forced.
He hadn't expected the old fisherman's perception to be so sharp.
The path he was on was indeed different from that of traditional body cultivators.
Through the system and his self-created cultivation techniques, he had skipped the four stages of comprehending Qi and blood changes, choosing instead a resource-dependent path of body cultivation.
Instead of Ming-An-Hua-Dan, he practiced Blood Replacement and Bone Transformation.
Over the years, by consuming large amounts of blood-based food and persistently taking the Black Emperor Elixir, he had undergone several blood replacements, and only three more were needed to reach the nine-time replacement completion.
Currently, his blood was like lead and mercury, surging like a raging torrent.
In terms of Bone Transformation, his bones had become increasingly sturdy, and even the impact of magical weapons couldn't harm him in the slightest.
Luo Chen now had the confidence to withstand a direct strike from a lower-grade magical treasure.
The reason other cultivators couldn't detect this was because of the Concealing Array engraved on his body, which forcibly concealed his terrifying, beast-like physique.
"What secret technique has this old fisherman cultivated to see through my strengths and weaknesses... No, wait!"
A thought suddenly popped into Luo Chen's mind.
The old fisherman's previous hesitation and uncertainty suggested that he hadn't confirmed this through perception but had obtained the information through another channel.
The battle at Cold Light Island!
Yes, at the Mo family's fish farm, although he had temporarily blocked external perception with a large array, there were survivors from that battle.
The older of the Wu family twins had escaped.
Given the Monster Hunting Bureau's intelligence capabilities, it was highly likely that they had gathered related information, which eventually ended up in the hands of the old fisherman.
Facing the old fisherman's thirst for knowledge, Luo Chen withdrew his smile and became slightly more serious.
"I'm sorry, but this is my exclusive secret technique, and I will never pass it on. I apologize for disappointing you."
The old fisherman opened his mouth, revealing a clear look of disappointment.
To prevent any lingering desires, Luo Chen added, "Actually, my body cultivation technique takes an extremely long time and requires a significant amount of resources. At your current stage, being at the ninth layer of the Golden Core, you're just a step away from the Great Perfection. It's too late to start practicing my method. As far as I know, when cultivators break through the Nascent Soul stage, they emphasize the unity of essence, Qi, and spirit. This unity isn't a true fusion but rather an optimization of the body's state to achieve the most harmonious condition, thus withstanding heavenly might. In this situation, a cultivator's physique doesn't necessarily need to reach the third realm of body cultivation. As long as the foundation is solid, and the meridians and acupoints can withstand the impact of external spiritual energy, it's sufficient."
The old fisherman listened to Luo Chen's explanation with a hint of disappointment.
Indeed, the logic made sense. He was already quite old, around four hundred years of age, and only a hundred years away from his lifespan limit.
In just a hundred years, he had to achieve Golden Core Perfection and start from scratch to reach the third realm on another path; it was nothing but a pipe dream.
But as he kept listening to Luo Chen's words, the old fisherman's eyes began to shine brighter.
Abruptly, he stood up, looking at Luo Chen with a mix of astonishment and uncertainty.
Seeing the old fisherman's unusual behavior, Luo Chen was initially puzzled but then felt his heart skip a beat.
He had probably revealed too much, given their brief acquaintance.
The old fisherman's voice was hoarse, "Friend Luo, are those theories about Embryo Formation you mentioned earlier true?"
As expected!
Luo Chen had a feeling that this was where the problem lay.
His theories about Embryo Formation were the result of his sudden enlightenment years ago, combined with occasional guidance from Han Zhan, and his own conclusions.
Such a principle is not profound.
However, for a wandering cultivator, it is a simple path, yet they seek a mere word or two without success.
Even as an eighth-rank Monster Hunter, in charge of the Monster Hunt Bureau, Old Fisherman seemed to lack the relevant knowledge.
Luo Chen feigned calm, "It should be true! I heard these words when Elder Fu of the Heavenly Origin Tower casually mentioned them while I was at Cold Light Island. Given the Nascent Soul Cultivator's status, he wouldn't lie to me."
The elder paced slowly in the hall.
Elder Fu?
He should be one of the four elders established by the Heavenly Origin Sect in the Northern Sea's Heavenly Origin Merchant Alliance, whose real name is Fu Chaosheng.
These common-sense facts were still known to him.
It was rumored that this person was very kind to the younger generation and often took the initiative to help them.
Given Qingyang Demon Lord Luo Hai's excellence, he might indeed have a chance to gain the other party's appreciation and thus receive some guidance.
He stopped walking and looked intently at Luo Chen.
"Is there more?"
Luo Chen smiled bitterly, "I'm just a wandering cultivator. It's already a great fortune to receive guidance from a Nascent Soul Cultivator, how dare I ask for more."
"That's true. Even though I have seven Nascent Soul Cultivators at the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly, I rarely receive their guidance." Old Fisherman said.
However, his gaze at Luo Chen remained half-believing and half-doubting.
In his heart, he had made up his mind.
In the coming days, he must find more opportunities to exchange cultivation insights with Qingyang Demon Lord.
Not only about body refinement but more importantly, Embryo Formation Theory.
Perhaps he could dig up more information.
Seeing Luo Chen's tired expression, Old Fisherman composed himself.
"Let's end our exchange for today!"
"I came here for another matter."
Luo Chen nodded, "Please go ahead."
"This first..."
Old Fisherman took out a book, flipped to the middle page, and handed it to Luo Chen.
"What's this?" Luo Chen asked, puzzled, and looked at the text above.
Old Fisherman explained, "This is the remnant of the white-robed cultivator from the Demon Origin Sect. Aside from some items taken by the Nascent Soul Cultivator, the rest are here. As I said before, these items will be placed in the Monster Hunt Bureau's treasury for wandering cultivators to exchange. You and Duan Li, as the involved parties, can have priority in choosing and exchanging, and your priority is even higher than Duan Li's."
Soul Sealing Sword: A mid-grade Spirit Tool made primarily from thousand-year-old peach wood. Its attack trajectory is extremely bizarre, and its power is not ordinary. It also has the special effect of sealing and suppressing vengeful spirits, and it is recommended for wood-attributed cultivators to use.
Ten Thousand Souls Banner: Originally had tens of thousands of souls, but most of them were consumed in battle. However, the foundation of this banner is good. If a cultivator replenishes a large number of souls, it might be able to restore its original power.
Essence Formation Insights: The insights of a genius Golden Core Cultivator on Essence Formation, which are relatively simple. It's evident that this person had an easy time forming their Golden Core and didn't encounter any difficulties.
Moon Gold Stone: A fourth-grade mineral suitable for refining Yin-attributed Spirit Tools.
...
The names of various resources and their descriptions were listed on this page.
At the top of the page, a name was specifically marked.
[Yan Zhixian]
Luo Chen seemed deep in thought. It seemed that the white-robed cultivator was indeed not named Qin Tianming, but Yan Zhixian.
"Have you made your choice?" Old Fisherman asked.
Luo Chen raised his head and asked tentatively, "Why isn't the secret technique for setting up the Dark Domain listed above?"
During the Qu Yang Defense, Yan Zhixian's various methods left a deep impression on Luo Chen, especially when he used the Ten Thousand Souls Banner to set up the Dark Domain.
It was like a ghostly abyss, and also seemed like a grand sealing array.
But the closest comparison was the Nascent Soul Domains released by Wolf King Aoxiao and Han Zhan during their battle on the Heavenly Drum Plain.
Within the Dark Domain, the enemy's spiritual power was greatly suppressed, and even their divine soul's thinking became somewhat slow.
Otherwise, Yan Zhixian, a mere early-stage Golden Core Cultivator, wouldn't have been able to face both Luo Chen and Duan Li, two Golden Core experts, at the same time.
If one could master such a method, it would be a huge advantage when facing opponents of the same level.
Regarding this, Old Fisherman regretfully said, "This secret technique must be a true inheritance of the Demon Origin Sect. Why would they carry a copy with them?"
Luo Chen was a bit skeptical.
But Old Fisherman's expression was calm, and he didn't seem to be pretending.
After some thought, Luo Chen pointed at a line.
"I choose this Soul Fusion Secret Technique!"
Old Fisherman smiled slightly, "I guessed right. I suspected you'd want this secret technique, after all, you also have a Ten Thousand Souls Banner of decent quality."
Luo Chen smiled in agreement.
His Ten Thousand Souls Banner was obtained from Yanan Tian, and it wasn't that powerful.
However, in the Xuan Yan Sea, Han Zhan secretly collected the souls of many demon kings, making it quite powerful.
During the battle at Cold Light Island, Han Zhan used the Sealed Sea Bagua Array to absorb the soul of Qian Ting, the late-stage Golden Core master of the Qian family.
Luo Chen was also able to resist the influence of the Dark Domain in his battle with Yan Zhixian with the help of that banner.
Especially after the battle, Old Fisherman allowed Luo Chen to devour the numerous demon kings within Yan Zhixian's banner.
After five years, the banner had undergone tremendous changes.
It could even be said that the demon king formed from Qian Ting's vengeful spirit had devoured most of the strange demon king within Yan Zhixian's banner, and it had become even more powerful.
If Luo Chen could obtain this Soul Fusion Secret Technique,
he might be able to merge the numerous scattered demon kings within the Ten Thousand Souls Banner into one, just like Yan Zhixian, and unleash tremendous power.
This way, Luo Chen would have one more ace up his sleeve!
"This technique is a spell that all disciples of the Demon Origin Sect's Soul Refinement lineage learn. Although it's not passed down externally, the Northern Sea cultivators have also explored some similar spells over the years."
"Therefore, the exchange price for this Soul Fusion Secret Technique isn't that expensive. Considering the reputation of the Demon Origin Sect, it's set at a price of two hundred thousand Spirit Stones."
"You are currently a four-star Monster Hunter, and after the discount, you only need to pay one hundred and twenty thousand Spirit Stones to exchange for it."
Old Fisherman said with a smile.
Two hundred thousand Spirit Stones indeed wasn't expensive, especially after the discount.
Luo Chen also sighed, "The star-level discount for Monster Hunters is really good! If I had a nine-star rating, no, even seven or eight stars would be great. The annual rent for Penghu Spirit Land is a huge burden for me.
"The Northern Sea Spirit Vein is abundant, making it seem less valuable."
However, those of higher quality remain expensive.
Penghu, spanning eight hundred li, costs three million spirit stones annually. Even with a 60% discount, it's still 1.8 million per year, and over five years, it amounts to 9 million!
If Luo Chen's monster hunter rank were higher, this rental fee might be reduced to 7 million, 6 million, or even lower.
For an eighth-rank monster hunter like Old Fisherman, renting a high-quality Tier 3 cave mansion would cost only 3 million over five years, which is practically a bargain! Perhaps the Monster Hunting Bureau even offers additional benefits, waiving this fee altogether.
Listening to Luo Chen's sigh, Old Fisherman shrugged.
"It's not that difficult. With your abilities, take on more missions, and before long, you'll be able to raise your rank. Even if you don't reach the eighth-rank level like us, there's still a chance to become a seventh-rank monster hunter."
In the Monster Hunting Bureau of the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly, first to third-rank monster hunters are mostly Foundation Establishment True Cultivators. Fourth to sixth-rank hunters are primarily Golden Core Cultivators, with occasional fourth-rank hunters at the Foundation Establishment stage who have made significant contributions.
However, seventh-rank monster hunters are quite rare.
Those with this rank are at least at the late Golden Core stage! No, to be precise, in the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly, seventh-rank and above monster hunters are all late-stage Golden Core Cultivators, but not all late-stage Golden Core Cultivators can become seventh-rank monster hunters.
Take Huangfu Song, for example; he's at the seventh layer of the Golden Core stage, yet his monster hunter rank is only six stars.
Old Fisherman's words were undoubtedly a significant acknowledgment of Luo Chen's abilities.
He directly compared Luo Chen to those formidable late-stage Golden Core Cultivators!
However, Luo Chen remained humble.
He waved his hand, "These missions are mostly dangerous. Even the most ordinary monster hunting missions require us to fight. It's not beneficial for our cultivation, and I don't wish to take them."
Old Fisherman was speechless.
The renowned Qingyang Demon Lord was tired of fighting and preferred to focus on his cultivation? It was a bit comical.
But after a moment's thought, remembering the previous farce, Luo Chen had handled it with restraint, indeed appearing unwilling to create unnecessary complications.
Old Fisherman realized he had misjudged Luo Chen.
However...
Old Fisherman sighed, "Unfortunately, the second thing I wanted to tell you will ruin your peaceful cultivation plans."
Before Luo Chen could ask, Old Fisherman directly explained the situation.
It turned out that Golden Core monster hunters had mandatory missions every five years, and everyone had to be aware of this before joining the Monster Hunting Bureau.
Luo Chen had been cultivating in Penghu for five years but had not undertaken a single mandatory mission.
Even with Old Fisherman's intervention, the situation could no longer be delayed.
"But don't worry too much; these tasks are generally not too dangerous; they just take a long time."
"Time-consuming?" Luo Chen's brows furrowed.
Old Fisherman waved his hand, "I know what you're worried about. You're afraid that the time spent will affect your cultivation, right?"
Luo Chen nodded; he was indeed concerned about this.
The longer he cultivated in Penghu, the more his cultivation progressed, and he was reluctant to waste time on trivial tasks.
If not for the necessity of going out, he would have preferred to stay home and cultivate until he reached the late Golden Core stage, even striving for the Great Perfection.
"I've already selected a few tasks with the shortest duration for you. Let me tell you about them." Old Fisherman smiled and said. As a senior member of the Monster Hunting Bureau, he knew better than anyone which tasks were dangerous, which were easy, and how long each task would take.
Obviously, to get on good terms with Luo Chen and learn more about cultivation from him, Old Fisherman had already started using his authority.
Luo Chen's eyes lit up, "I'd love to hear more!"
...
The next day.
In the Flying Dragon Mountain Range, within the Concealing Wind Cave.
A pale-faced male cultivator secured his cave mansion, activated the array, stepping out.
As soon as he emerged, he saw a streak of light flying from afar, heading towards a nearby mountain peak.
After flying for a while, it suddenly turned back and descended beside him.
"Is it Friend Duanli?"
Duanli glanced at the newcomer and hesitantly replied, "Friend Xiao?"
The visitor was none other than Xiao Bohuan.
The five-star monster hunter stationed on Qu Yang Island.
Xiao Bohuan laughed, "It's me. I never thought that a brief encounter would leave such an impression, and you still remember me."
Duanli managed a smile, "Don't you remember me as well, Friend Xiao?"
Xiao Bohuan smiled and then looked at the cave mansion behind Duanli with a puzzled expression.
"This is the Concealing Wind Cave?"
Duanli nodded, "Yes, I'm currently renting it, and we're neighbors."
Xiao Bohuan was surprised.
He had initially wanted to introduce Duanli to Qingyangzi, hoping they would become neighbors, but it seemed Duanli had gotten the better deal.
Seeing Duanli's pale face, he suspected that the aftermath of that battle had not been resolved yet.
Duanli was curious, "Friend Xiao, you haven't shown yourself for years. I thought you were in secluded cultivation, but it seems you've returned from a long journey. Could it be that you've just come back from Qu Yang Island?"
Xiao Bohuan replied, "That's right."
Duanli was astonished, "I thought the guarding missions were rotated annually. Why did you stay there for so long?"
"I'm different," Xiao Bohuan shook his head, "I took on a long-term mission, lasting ten years. During this period, my cave mansion here is still reserved for me. Moreover, these long-term guarding missions can gradually raise your monster hunter rank."
Duanli suddenly understood.
Indeed, these long-term missions that lasted for a decade required considerable effort from Golden Core Cultivators.
Especially on the front lines against demonic beasts, where battles could break out at any moment.
These missions were entirely different from the usual mandatory five-year missions.
Xiao Bohuan curiously asked, "What about Qingyangzi? Are you still in contact with him?"
Duanli unconsciously asked, "Don't you know about his situation? I forgot that you've just returned."
"What happened to him?" Xiao Bohuan became even more curious.
Duanli smiled, "I'm about to visit Qingyangzi in Penghu. Friend Xiao, do you want to come along?"
"Penghu!"
Xiao Bohuan's eyes lit up.
Qingyangzi was actually cultivating in Penghu, spanning eight hundred li! When did the cave mansions and spirit veins there become available for rent?
Without hesitation, Xiao Bohuan nodded.
"Let's go together!"
(End of Chapter)
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