Immortality Begins With The Alchemical Master Chapter 733: Unimaginable Cultivation Speed, Late Bloomer - Novel Cool

Chapter 733: Unimaginable Cultivation Speed, Late Bloomer

Chapter 733: Unimaginable Cultivation Speed, Late Bloomer

Sang Jinghe left and soon returned.

Upon his return, he also brought back news of Fu Chaosheng's impending homecoming.

The day of his return was approaching, but the exact date was still unknown. Fu Chaosheng still had numerous matters to settle regarding his business in the Northern Sea.

Especially regarding the Demon and Immortal factions, his role as a mediator in the war was not as simple as dining and socializing. It also involved a significant amount of collaboration between the Heavenly Yuan Commerce Alliance and the two factions.

This situation also revealed that the Heavenly Yuan Dao Sect's Commerce Alliance in the Northern Sea was nominally governed by the four Great Elders, but Elder Shen Wanding clearly held a higher status.

Elder Shen did not need to exert himself outside, he only needed to stay in Divine Essence City, the headquarters, to manage the overall situation.

Unlike Fu Chaosheng and the other two, who rarely had free time and were constantly traveling.

This situation was not solely due to the difference in cultivation realms but was also related to their "family background."

The Fu family had declined, and on the surface, only Fu Chaosheng and the newly advanced Nascent Soul cultivator, Fu Qinglan, were supporting the family.

Although the Shen family was not among the top thirty-six families, they still had other clan members who had advanced to the Nascent Soul stage years ago, and their overall strength was formidable.

This disparity was evident in the contrast between the outward appearances of the Shen and Fu families, one leisurely and the other busy.

This was not a case of the capable working harder, but rather the weak working harder.

Luo Chen did not want to delve into the real reasons behind this. After learning that Fu Chaosheng's return would still take some time, he suppressed his impatience and focused all his energy on his own cultivation.

Using Tribulation Lightning Power to refine the soul was too dangerous, as a slight mistake could easily lead to soul fatigue. Therefore, he needed to control the process carefully.

He continued to take the Great Soul Pill monthly, primarily focusing his efforts on his current cultivation.

Based on the progress bar on the attribute panel, he roughly estimated his current cultivation speed.

The result left him astonished.

Even though the Great Perfection level of the Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Sutra was barely usable, as long as he had the support of a normal fourth-stage Spirit Vein, he could advance to the next realm, the second layer of the Nascent Soul stage, within ten years!

If he had the assistance of the Celestial Essence Pill, with its immense medicinal power, taking one every half a month and slowly refining it, this speed could be further increased to seven years, six years, or even half that time.

This result completely overturned the common knowledge about the realms before the Nascent Soul stage.

Shouldn't the Nascent Soul stage be even more challenging to cultivate? Shouldn't the sudden doubling of the lifespan limit be for the purpose of preparing for a long cultivation journey?

Luo Chen was perplexed by this.

"Could it be that my Fire Spirit Body physique is the reason for this?"

"But in the world, those who achieve the Nascent Soul stage are all outstanding in talent and tenacity. They take decades, even hundreds of years, to advance to the next realm."

"Especially those who are older when they break through to the Nascent Soul stage, they may never reach the threshold of the late Nascent Soul stage in their entire lives."

After reading numerous scriptures, Luo Chen still couldn't find the answer to this question.

This made him realize that without a famous teacher's guidance, sect inheritance, or peer exchange, even if he secluded himself for cultivation, he would only understand the 'what' but not the 'how'.

Therefore, Luo Chen had the idea of exchanging insights with fellow cultivators of the same realm.

There were quite a few Nascent Soul cultivators staying in Divine Essence City, many of whom wanted to join the Heavenly Yuan Dao Sect to leave the Northern Sea.

However, Luo Chen had no intention of befriending them. Instead, he set his sights on Zhou Yunding.

It wasn't that he wanted to take advantage of someone's honesty. Those who achieve the Nascent Soul stage and establish a great family couldn't be described as 'honest'.

The main reason was that they had a 'connection'.

Because of this complex connection, Luo Chen's initiative to seek guidance would not only avoid annoyance but also bring them closer.

That's how human relationships work; sometimes, people want you to ask for their help.

After Zhou Yunding had settled his clan members, he also began to frequently visit the Nascent Soul cultivators in Divine Essence City, and he readily accepted Luo Chen's invitation.

"The daily cultivation of a Nascent Soul cultivator?"

Zhou Yunding was surprised by Luo Chen's question.

Luo Chen was straightforward, "I'm a loose cultivator without a sect's inheritance, so I know very little about these common knowledge. I didn't realize it before, but the more I cultivate, the more confused I become. So, I seek your guidance, fellow cultivator."

Zhou Yunding hesitated for a moment, but seeing Luo Chen's eager gaze, he smiled and said, "Alright, it's not some core secret technique, just some experiential insights."

After smiling, his expression turned serious.

"Before that, please release your Nascent Soul domain and let me experience it."

Luo Chen nodded, and with a thought, the Nascent Soul within his body opened its eyes slightly, releasing its aura from the Purple Mansion, attracting the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

He did not use the means to melt and annihilate space but simply unleashed his Nascent Soul domain with all his strength.

Instantly, a massive amount of fire-attributed spiritual energy gathered, forming a red cloud in the sky above Xiao Qing Mountain, resembling a burning cloud.

At the same time, two other streams of blue and green spiritual energy rushed in, forming another Nascent Soul domain.

The two domains collided, and in an instant, the burning cloud was forced to retreat continuously.

This also revealed the vast gap between the two.

After the collision of the two domains, Luo Chen exclaimed, "Fellow cultivator, your cultivation is profound. I am no match for you!"

However, Zhou Yunding was even more shocked.

During the direct collision, he could feel how solid the other's domain was and how vast the spiritual energy it attracted.

Even though it was not as powerful as his own, it was far beyond what a typical first-layer Nascent Soul cultivator could achieve.

Of course, he did not show any reaction on the surface.

After retracting his Nascent Soul domain, he asked, "Did you notice anything special?"

Luo Chen was taken aback. What was different? Wasn't it just a simple domain collision? But then, he seemed to realize something.

During the direct collision, aside from the stray spiritual energy attracted from the heavens and earth, there was also the cultivators' own power.

In Zhou Yunding's perception, although Zhou Yunding's mana was abundant, the difference between them was not as vast as heaven and earth.

The reason his domain crumbled was due to the combined effect of the cultivator's mana and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

Luo Chen hesitated, "Between you and me, when comparing pure mana, it doesn't seem to be that significant, does it?"

Zhou Yunding smiled, "As expected of a loose cultivator who can still break through to the Primordial Infant stage, your comprehension is exceptional, seeing the essence from the details."

"Please elaborate, fellow cultivator!"

Zhou Yunding's smile faded, and he spoke earnestly, "Among our fellow cultivators, when comparing pure mana, unless it's a late-stage Primordial Infant Grand Cultivator, the difference between each other isn't that significant. The reason why there's a noticeable disparity during battles is that when using mana to manipulate external spiritual energy, the gap in mana is amplified several times over."

"Battles between Primordial Infant Cultivators are no longer simple clashes of treasures or physical exchanges, but rather, they emphasize the manipulation of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth."

"Whether it's the Primordial Infant domain or true artifacts that can communicate with external spiritual energy, they are all manifestations of this method."

Luo Chen frowned, carefully pondering Zhou Yunding's words.

If he were to understand it using his usual quantitative thinking, it would be like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, corresponding to the mana quantity of each Primordial Infant stage.

The difference between 1 and 2 wasn't significant, and even between 1 and 5, or 1 and 6, it was still within a normal range.

However, when it came to combat, a simple addition or subtraction couldn't be used for comparison.

The power level of 1's mana, when manipulating the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, was basically just 1.

But 2's mana power level, when manipulating spiritual energy, was at least 2, or even 3 or 4, or more.

In this comprehensive situation, 1 multiplied by 1 would be less than 2 multiplied by 2, 2 multiplied by 3, and so on.

If the gap in cultivation stages were to be increased, then 1 multiplied by 1 would be far less than 5 multiplied by 5, 5 multiplied by 6, 7, 8, and so on.

This was also the reason why, just now, without using the 'Melting Void' technique, his domain wasn't a match for Zhou Yunding's.

Following this line of thought, Luo Chen asked a few more questions.

"Before the late-stage Primordial Infant stage, there's no absolute gap in mana, and the real difference lies in the manipulation of spiritual energy?"

"Yes."

"Is there a way to reduce this gap?"

"Of course, there are ways. High-level spells, innate abilities, secret techniques, body constitutions, and the true artifacts we commonly use can all help! As for the specifics, it varies from person to person."

"I'm sorry to ask, but was that your full strength just now?"

Zhou Yunding laughed, "Haha, I'm old, and using my full strength would strain my body. Besides, didn't you also hold back?"

The conversation ended there.

Luo Chen returned to the original topic but became even more perplexed.

"For us cultivators to advance in cultivation, the most basic aspect is the increase in mana. Since the difference in mana at each stage isn't significant, why do Primordial Infant Cultivators often take a hundred years to progress through a minor realm?"

Zhou Yunding pointed to the sky and said matter-of-factly, "The higher the cultivation stage, the stronger the mana, and the more spiritual energy of heaven and earth one can manipulate. But the more spiritual energy one manipulates, the greater the backlash, and the easier it is for the Primordial Infant to lose its sense of self and be assimilated by the heavens. Therefore, the more aggressively we cultivate, the more cautious we must be, constantly organizing our mana and not allowing any negligence."

"But isn't there the Purple Mansion Barrier?"

"Haha, fellow cultivator, don't you know that the Purple Mansion Barrier originates from the Spirit Root?"

Luo Chen was taken aback, but then he suddenly realized.

Humans cultivating immortality require a Spirit Root, but Spirit Root is just a general term, and it is divided into three parts.

One is located on the tip of the tongue, one in the Dantian, and one in the Jingfang.

The former influences the sensitivity to external spiritual energy, efficiency, and so on. It is rare for a high-level cultivator to have a severed tongue.

The latter isn't as critical, as long as the Yuan Yang/Yuan Yin is maintained before Foundation Establishment.

The most important one is the Dantian.

As the cultivation stage increases, the Dantian undergoes constant changes, from the initial cultivation of the Dantian, to the Dantian becoming a sea, and finally, the derivation of the Purple Mansion.

Therefore, if we carefully consider it, the Purple Mansion is indeed a derivative product of the Spirit Root!

Zhou Yunding was explaining the most basic principles, and the logic was simple and straightforward.

"The fewer Spirit Roots one has, the easier it is to precisely perceive the corresponding spiritual energy attributes, making it easier to absorb, and thus, the cultivation speed is naturally faster."

"A cultivator with a single Spirit Root, the Heaven Spirit Root, is known as the favorite of heaven."

"But that's only limited to before the Primordial Infant stage!"

"After the Primordial Infant stage, the Spirit Root derives the Purple Mansion. The fewer the Spirit Roots, the smaller the Purple Mansion, and the thinner the barrier. It seems like we're closer to heaven, but how dare we fully integrate with it?"

Zhou Yunding smiled as he looked at Luo Chen and asked, "You should have heard of the most widespread rumor in the cultivation world, right? The cultivation speed of a Heaven Spirit Root cultivator."

Luo Chen replied without hesitation, "Ten years to Foundation Establishment, a hundred years to Golden Core, two hundred years to Primordial Infant, five hundred years to Divine Transformation..."

As he spoke, his tone became hesitant, but his mind felt like it had been enlightened.

Combining this with the simple exchanges he had with Langya Zhenren during their few days of travel together, the confusion that had plagued him for days was instantly resolved.

Zhou Yunding didn't know that Luo Chen had already understood, and he continued with his simple explanation.

"Those with a single Spirit Root have a significant advantage in the early stages. Even if their cultivation path is slightly turbulent, by the time they reach the Primordial Infant stage, their lifespan is still only around three hundred years."

"At such a young age, they have ample time before reaching the thousand-year lifespan limit."

"However, from the Primordial Infant stage to the Divine Transformation stage, it takes a full five hundred years!"

"The obstacle lies in the Purple Mansion Barrier of the Heaven Spirit Root cultivator, which is too thin, too thin. They dare not engage in aggressive cultivation!"

"Even at this stage, they dare not consume too many cultivation pills. The pill toxins can damage the Purple Mansion Barrier, turning the already fragile thatched cottage into a drafty house, leaving the Primordial Infant without shelter.

Speaking of this, Zhou Yunding couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.

The world is fair, and the Great Dao treats all equally.

The initial conveniences it grants are counterbalanced by subsequent obstacles.

If the path of cultivation starts with numerous difficulties, then once you reach a profound realm, it will be like the clouds parting to reveal the moon, and your journey will be smooth and unobstructed.

His innate talent wasn't bad; in terms of spirit roots, he had a dual spirit root, which was why he could form his Nascent Soul at 400 years old.

But the following 400 years were like walking on thin ice. At one point, his Primordial Soul fell into the Abyssal Sea, losing himself and being trapped in the fourth layer of the Nascent Soul realm for many years.

This is one of the reasons why the outside world believed he was only at the fourth layer of the Nascent Soul stage.

Later, even after breaking through the barriers, he only advanced by two minor realms.

Now, at 800 years old, he wanted to rely on the remaining 200-300 years to break through to the late Nascent Soul stage and strive for Divine Transformation.

Zhou Yunding smiled bitterly as he looked at Luo Chen, sensing his youth and knowing that he was only at the middle stage of the Golden Core realm during the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly.

Such youth and rapid advancement to the Primordial Soul stage must be due to a single fire attribute spirit root.

In the past, he would have considered him a sect genius and a pillar of the family.

But now, he could only feel a hint of sorrow for him.

Having overcome the most difficult hurdle, he discovered that there were still mountains ahead, and his heart was filled with immense confusion and despair.

Today, he actively sought him out to resolve his doubts, and the reason for this was right here!

Sensing Zhou Yunding's pitying gaze, Luo Chen blinked but didn't explain anything. Instead, he brought up another question.

"Spirit Binding and Command, Spirit Soul Enslavement?"

"In this aspect, I do know a thing or two."

"The Spirit Master of Eternal Valley, Yu Ling, is my good friend. His Dao name, Yu Ling, speaks for itself."

"He once shared some small insights with me, which I explored and incorporated into the Blood Coral Grand Array in the Coral Sea, and the results were extraordinary."

"I can share a few of them with you, but these insights vary from person to person. If you want to use them, you'll need to consider them carefully."

Luo Chen hadn't expected that his casual question would yield a small surprise from Zhou Yunding.

Recently, he had been researching Puppetry Art and was struggling with how to control the powerful spirit souls within the puppets. Zhou Yunding's insights about Spirit Master Yu Ling gave him great inspiration.

After their conversation, Luo Chen personally saw Zhou Yunding off.

The two walked down the mountain path from Xiao Qiong Mountain.

As they were about to part ways, Luo Chen suddenly asked, "Zhou, what are your plans for the future?"

"The future?"

A trace of mist appeared on Zhou Yunding's aged face, and then he said firmly, "I must find a way for the Zhou family's descendants. I plan to go to Central State and join the Heaven-Earth Peak of a Daoist sect. You probably have the same plan, right? At that time, we can support each other. After all, Central State seems to attract powerful cultivators from all over, but it's also very exclusive. If we don't stick together, we might end up as mere cannon fodder."

Luo Chen smiled. No wonder Zhou Yunding had been so forthcoming earlier.

Repaying the Black King for saving him was one reason, and the other was to establish a connection with him for future cooperation.

Although Luo Chen didn't plan to stay in Central State for long, having someone familiar to work with would likely be safer.

Since this was the case, he should return the favor.

Luo Chen flicked his wrist, and a storage pouch appeared.

"What's this?"

Zhou Yunding was puzzled and didn't take the storage pouch.

Luo Chen smiled and said, "Inside are three low-grade defensive treasures. Some I crafted myself, and some I obtained unexpectedly. I heard that the outstanding members of the Zhou family suffered significant losses in the Coral Sea. These items are my gifts to them for self-defense."

Zhou Yunding hesitated, "I can't accept such a gift without a reason..."

"Why say there's no reason? Our earlier discussion could save me from many detours. These three low-grade treasures, which are of no use to me, still make me feel a little embarrassed. Moreover..."

Luo Chen smiled slightly, "Back then, your Zhou family sent a batch of medicinal ingredients to help me refine pills. At that time, I promised to tailor-make defensive treasures for your Zhou family's newly advanced Golden Core cultivators, but later, I fled to the Demon Sea, and this promise remained unfulfilled. Now, it's just a small compensation. I hope you won't reject it."

Having said this, Zhou Yunding no longer hesitated.

Three treasures weren't that valuable.

But defensive attributes were indeed what his Zhou family's younger generations lacked.

There were very few people left, and if they were to suffer losses, he might not be able to bear it at his age.

"In that case, I won't be impolite."

Zhou Yunding smiled and accepted the storage pouch, then bid farewell with a bow.

After he left, Luo Chen's smile didn't fade, and he didn't use his mana but slowly walked along the mountain path.

His confusion was simple, and the answer had already been provided by Langya True Person, but it was too general, causing him to be blinded by a single detail.

With Zhou Yunding's years of experience in the Nascent Soul stage, the confusion was instantly resolved.

"My Purple Mansion Barrier, though seemingly formed from a single fire spirit root, is actually derived from the Five Elements spirit root."

"No!"

"My spirit root was also enhanced by the Spirit Shaping Holy Spring in the Bright Proclamation Heavenly Pill Hall. It's of the utmost quality."

"The Purple Mansion derived from this is unparalleled in the world."

"With the protection of this Purple Mansion, I don't need to worry about the influence of heaven and earth during cultivation. At the same time, my fire-attributed body ensures perfect absorption of fire-attributed spiritual energy, which is why I can cultivate at such a fast pace."

"Once I improve my proficiency in refining the Celestial Essence Pill, and can refine middle-grade or even top-grade Celestial Essence Pills, my cultivation speed will surge again!"

"Haha, I've been hindered by low talent my entire life, wasting countless resources. But who would've thought that after achieving the Primordial Soul stage, I'd suddenly possess so-called genius talent. It's quite mysterious."

Luo Chen was in a great mood.

Upon returning to the mountain, his progress in researching Puppetry Art also improved significantly.

A month later, Luo Chen, at his peak state, took out the Primordial Cauldron.

With a thought, his divine sense locked onto the objects within the cauldron!

(End of Chapter)

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