https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-768-Dao-Body-Revival-Transformation-of-Laws/12942842/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-770-Dispatching-Troops-to-the-Northern-Sea-Right-Now-/12942844/
Chapter 769: Array Manual, Sword Scripture, and the Return Journey to the Eastern Wilderness
Chapter 769: Array Manual, Sword Scripture, and the Return Journey to the Eastern Wilderness
"Fellow Daoist Fu, you've kept me in the dark all this time!"
The words were spoken softly, a mix of accusation, resentment, and admiration.
Previously, the other party had mentioned that the grand competition would last at most a year or so.
Indeed, according to the time calculation of the Mountain and Sea Realm, only half a year had passed.
However, for Luo Chen in the Mirage Dragon Cave, a full fifty years had gone by!
The lost lifespan was a solid fifty years!
Fu Chaosheng's face turned slightly red, and he bowed to Luo Chen.
"My apologies, I admit that I was not entirely appropriate this time."
Luo Chen slightly turned his body, refusing to accept the bow.
He strolled lightly in the courtyard, "You really don't need to do this, Elder. Now that Qinglan has entered the Forget-Mind Peak and has the potential to reach the Huashen realm, I can't accept such a grand gift."
A hint of embarrassment flashed across Fu Chaosheng's face.
In this cooperation, he had not informed Luo Chen beforehand, yet Luo Chen still gave his all. The difference between the two was clear.
Although a gentleman can be deceived, the current situation was a bit different.
Luo Chen's performance in the Mirage Dragon Cave had exceeded everyone's expectations.
Many hated him, but even more admired him! Currently, within the Heavenly Yuan Dao Sect, countless families were waiting to recruit Luo Chen.
If Luo Chen were to join another family, the Fu Clan would become a laughingstock.
However!
Compared to other families, the Fu Clan also had its advantages.
Fu Chaosheng understood Luo Chen's needs better!
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Three items appeared before Luo Chen.
A book, a jade slip, and a gourd.
"What are these?" Luo Chen narrowed his eyes, examining the three objects.
Fu Chaosheng introduced them one by one.
"This book is called 'Chamber of Divine Mysteries,' authored by an elder from our sect two thousand years ago. It records hundreds of large and small array formations, ranging from first to fourth rank, and even includes a fifth-rank defensive array, albeit incomplete. This elder had a connection with our Fu Clan in his youth and gifted us a copy before his passing."
"This jade slip contains a sword scripture named 'Heaven and Earth Transforming Sword Scripture.' Although not created by a powerful cultivator from our sect, it was personally written by a Shape Transformation Powerhouse from ancient times. It is not limited to flying swords or sword pills. If one can master this sword scripture, they will be able to dominate their peers. My granddaughter also cultivated this sword scripture, but due to her lack of killing intent, she only achieved minor success and cannot dominate her opponents."
"As for this gourd, you should be familiar with it. It contains the essence of a million souls. Moreover, I have left instructions on how to refine these soul essences, and it is the orthodox method of the Demon Origin Sect!"
Fu Chaosheng's words were spoken with care.
After he finished speaking, the courtyard fell silent.
Luo Chen finally turned around and looked at Fu Chaosheng seriously.
"Our cooperation has ended, and although I suffered a hidden loss, the compensation you provided earlier was sufficient. These items are unnecessary."
Indeed, Luo Chen was initially annoyed that Fu Chaosheng had not informed him about the time flow rate beforehand.
However, with his efforts, he managed to leave the Mirage Dragon Cave in just fifty years, minimizing his losses.
Moreover, after leaving the cave, Fu Chaosheng did not abandon him but continued to speak on his behalf.
By now, Luo Chen had already calmed down.
His previous display was merely a test of Fu Chaosheng's sincerity.
If Fu Chaosheng had left without a word, their relationship would have ended, and Luo Chen would have ceased all contact with him.
If Fu Chaosheng continued to apologize, Luo Chen would not have insisted on prolonging the matter.
But he never expected Fu Chaosheng to offer such a grand gift!
Fu Chaosheng smiled slightly, "These are not compensation or rewards, but a gift to invite you to become a Patron of the Fu Clan!"
A Patron of the Fu Clan?
Luo Chen's eyebrows rose.
"Although Qinglan has comprehended the Principle Essence and entered the Forget-Mind Peak, her path to Huashen is still long. As for me, my lifespan is limited, and in a hundred years, I will be nothing but a handful of yellow soil. By then, the vast Fu Clan will have no other Nascent Soul Realman to support it, which would be a pity."
Fu Chaosheng's face glowed with enthusiasm as he said, "If you are willing to become a Patron of the Fu Clan, the situation will undoubtedly change. I hope you accept!"
Luo Chen seemed to be deep in thought, realizing that Fu Chaosheng was planning for his future.
Hence, such a grand gift was offered.
As Luo Chen's gaze swept over the three gifts, he seemed to see Fu Qinglan's shadow in the array manual and sword scripture, except for the gourd containing the soul essences.
Array manual, sword scripture.
Array path, sword path.
Only Fu Qinglan, who had accompanied him for fifty years, knew his strengths and weaknesses.
Although Luo Chen was skilled in array formations, he did not possess any formidable large-scale arrays. The defensive array he set up in the cave was easily broken by Qi Xiong Cheng with a single palm strike.
Luo Chen possessed the Primordial Butcher Sword, comparable to a Spirit Treasure, but his control over it was rough, relying more on brute force than technique. If he had a proper sword cultivation manual, he could maximize the sword's power.
Luo Chen pursed his lips and accepted the three gifts.
"You've put a lot of thought into this!"
The word "you" indicated that Luo Chen understood the origin of these gifts.
Fu Chaosheng smiled heartily.
"Fellow Daoist Luo, you've worked hard in the cave. Please take a good rest, and I won't disturb you further."
"I'll see you off.
"
The two left the cave abode with smiles on their faces.
Luo Chen saw them off for quite a distance before returning alone.
Fu Chaosheng flew leisurely, his face beaming with joy. It was likely that many would witness this scene of him brimming with life. By then, no one would dare to think of digging into the Fu family's secrets.
The only regret was that Qing Lan had rejected his proposal to become dual cultivation partners, otherwise, he could have bound her even more deeply.
"But when I suggested it, that girl Qing Lan was obviously moved. Why did she still refuse in the end?" Fu Chaosheng was a bit puzzled.
He could see that there was indeed some affection for Luo Chen in Fu Qing Lan's eyes.
Especially when she addressed him as "Big Brother Luo" in front of everyone, it was undoubtedly genuine.
However, after entering the Forget-Mind Peak, her attitude underwent a significant change.
...
Back in the cave abode.
Luo Chen took out three items and carefully examined them.
He spent a long time studying the inscription on the gourd about soul essence refinement.
"It's refined like this, which is too vicious and greatly harms the harmony of heaven." Luo Chen noted the refinement method and sighed.
He now understood why the Yuanmo Sect didn't refine soul essence themselves but instead assigned this task to other Northern Sea cultivators.
If they had refined soul essence on such a large scale, not only would the Northern Sea cultivators harbor resentment, but even the other four sacred lands would likely not tolerate the Yuanmo Sect.
Now that Fu Chaosheng had taught him how to fish, he would have to use this method with caution.
After putting away the three treasures, Luo Chen exhaled a breath of turbid air and continued with his previous unfinished task.
With a thought, the attribute panel appeared before him like a cascading waterfall.
【Lifespan: 280/1500】
【Spiritual Roots: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth】
【Body Constitution: Fire Spirit Body (Five Spirit Body Concealed)】
【Cultivation: Third Level Nascent Soul 79/100, Fourth Rank Ancient 40/100】
【Principle: Waxing Waning True Intention - Wood 1/100】
【Cultivation Technique: Waxing Waning Dao Scripture Proficiency 135/200, Confluence of Ten Thousand Paths Grand Perfection, Ten Thousand Beasts Scripture Mastery 510/1000, Soul Shattering Art Proficiency 201/300】
【Technique: Phoenix Flame Inferno Mastery 620/1000, Fiery Dragon Descension Mastery 501/1000, Waxing Waning Finger (Divine Ability)】
【Physical Art: Bursting Step Grand Perfection, Nine Ten Thousand Miles Grand Perfection, Demon King Seven Dispersions Mastery 875/1000】
【Soul Art: Illusory Flower and Moon Grand Perfection, Spirit Intimidation Grand Perfection, Spirit Confusion Grand Perfection, Ghost and Demon Retreat Proficiency 110/200, Opening the Gate Perfect 385/500】
With just a glance, Luo Chen looked at the new term column.
The Wood Attribute Principle Essence Waxing Waning was clearly displayed, proving that Luo Chen wasn't seeing things.
It was the appearance of this new term that caused the long-hidden Five Spirit Body to glow faintly.
And the new terms didn't stop there.
In the technique column, a new entry appeared: 【Waxing Waning Finger】.
This was the new technique Luo Chen had created himself.
Unexpectedly, this technique didn't show any proficiency progress!
This was the first time in Luo Chen's nearly three hundred years of cultivation that such a thing had happened.
Moreover, the term was followed by the words "Divine Ability."
"Could it be that the new technique I've comprehended isn't an ordinary technique, but a Divine Ability recorded in the scriptures?" Luo Chen hesitated.
If that were the case, the absence of a progress bar could be understood.
Such Divine Abilities had never been strengthened through mechanical proficiency but by enhancing the core of the technique, the Principle Essence.
But when Luo Chen looked at the progress bar for Waxing Waning True Intention, he was only at the entry level, so he abandoned the idea of strengthening the Waxing Waning Finger.
It was too difficult! He had comprehended this True Intention with the help of the Waxing Waning Fire Spirit.
However, he was still clueless about how to cultivate the Principle Essence, leaving him at a loss for where to begin.
In the end, it all came down to the lack of a sect's inheritance! If he could have cultivated on the Forget-Mind Peak with guidance from a Huashen powerhouse, he wouldn't be so helpless.
Sighing, Luo Chen refocused his attention on the attribute panel.
As expected, his lifespan was the same as it had been in the Inner World.
It was 280 years, not the 230 years that had passed in the outside world.
This meant that the time spent in the Mirage Dragon Inner World was real and not an illusion.
Then, Luo Chen's gaze fell on the cultivation column.
Compared to the incomprehensible Principle Essence, the tangible and graspable cultivation realm seemed more reliable.
However, this Nascent Soul cultivation, which was almost at the Fourth Level, felt unstable no matter how he looked at it.
"My foundation is unstable!" Luo Chen concluded as he examined the panel and felt the vast, floating Essence Energy within his Purple Mansion.
Even his Nascent Soul body, though somewhat enlarged, lacked solidity.
The root cause of all this was the hasty absorption of a large amount of Primordial Energy.
In the past, Luo Chen had refined every bit of his Essence Energy meticulously, making it worth five or seven times that of his peers.
That was why his techniques were so overpowering that no one could match him in battle.
But now, this floating Essence Energy had become a hidden danger.
"The focus of my future cultivation needs to change. I'll reactivate the Waxing Waning Divine Prohibition to suppress my cultivation and refine my Essence Energy at the same time!"
With a thought, Luo Chen put away the panel, and the Nascent Soul within his Purple Mansion began to manipulate spiritual seals.
As the restrictions appeared, they hovered in the air.
With a flick of the little man's finger, all the restrictions landed on the Nascent Soul's surface and gradually disappeared within it.
When the Waxing Waning Divine Prohibition reappeared, Luo Chen's Nascent Soul became wrinkled once again, but this time, under his deliberate control, his appearance didn't change.
The vast amount of unrefined power, under Luo Chen's manipulation, detached from the Nascent Soul and flew towards a nearby small green tree.
The tree was only about three inches tall, but its branches and leaves were incredibly lifelike.
It was the Waxing Waning True Flame!
Unlike the illusory fire trees of the past, this small tree was incredibly solid, composed entirely of vast Yuan Qi and Fire Spirits.
Its cultivation realm was a solid fifth rank! However, at this moment, the Waxing Waning Fire Spirit was also restricted by the Waxing Waning Divine Prohibition, sealing its consciousness.
It wasn't Luo Chen's intention, but rather the request of the Fire Spirit.
There was an existence on Heaven-Earth Peak that could threaten it! Therefore, the Fire Spirit asked Luo Chen to suppress it until they left Heaven-Earth Peak.
"Although I cannot fight with you now, using you for cultivation is not a problem."
Luo Chen smiled slightly and drove a large amount of restless power towards the vicinity of the green tree.
The Fire Spirit seemed to sense this, and as its branches and leaves stretched, it drew in strands of power.
As it breathed and exhaled, it also released strands of even purer power, which Luo Chen's Nascent Soul absorbed.
Seeing this, Luo Chen was overjoyed.
He hadn't had the opportunity to test the combat prowess of the fifth-rank Waxing Waning True Flame.
But in his cultivation, it had already provided immense assistance.
The power absorbed and exhaled by the fire tree became purer, and the Fire Spirit didn't erase Luo Chen's spiritual imprint on the power.
Moreover, Luo Chen could even sense that if he absorbed spiritual energy from the outside world, the fire tree could help him refine and purify it.
These functions were not available before.
Even when Luo Chen occasionally used the Waxing Waning True Flame to refine power and treasures, it was time-consuming and exhausting, and there would be significant losses. How could it be like now, where he didn't have to worry at all, and the Fire Spirit could help him complete this step, controlling its own power without consuming Luo Chen's energy?
This way, Luo Chen could save a lot of time.
And he wouldn't waste this time.
The set of 'Chamber of Divine Mysteries' and 'Heaven and Earth Transforming Sword Scripture' sent by Fu Chaosheng became his research target.
...
While Luo Chen was refining his power and practicing formations and sword arts, the grand competition in the Mirage Dragon Cave was still ongoing.
Due to the previous actions of Qi Deng Zhenlao and Fu Chaosheng, none of the cultivators from Heaven-Earth Peak or the major families came to find Luo Chen.
Everyone knew that the Heavenly Fate Pill was gone.
Luo Chen was now firmly tied to the Fu family.
However, it wasn't that no one came to find Luo Chen.
For example, a month later, Luo Chen received a special guest, the same Heavenly Mountain Immortal he had fought with before.
The opponent had protected Yu Xu in the Mirage Dragon Cave for decades, but ultimately failed.
It wasn't the fault of this Heavenly Mountain protector; it was because Yu Xu didn't have that opportunity. The black energy in the Illusory Chess was full, forcing her to leave the cave.
Luo Chen later asked Fu Chaosheng, who said that Yu Xu might have been too eager for success, and while absorbing the Illusory Core's spiritual essence, she also inhaled a large amount of Mirage Dragon Qi, which was why she had to leave the cave before the time was up.
In any case, the Heavenly Mountain Immortal had neither merit nor fault, and this protection journey ended.
After leaving, he visited Luo Chen.
The two didn't have any major grudges, and since they would be cultivating together on Heaven-Earth Peak in the future, it was only right to establish a good relationship.
This meeting lasted for half a day.
Luo Chen learned a lot of Southern Frontier anecdotes from him, and he also shared some Northern Sea experiences.
With that, it ended.
Yu Xu's elimination marked the beginning of the grand competition's conclusion.
Not long after, Lin Bufen also activated the Illusory Chess and returned to the Mountain Sea World.
To the disappointment of the Lin Clan Patriarch, Lin Bufen hadn't comprehended the power of laws.
It had nothing to do with talent or others.
It was just that when he used the Illusory Core to cultivate, his spiritual essence leaked, attracting attacks from Illusory Beasts. Without Lin Jingtang by his side for protection, he had to activate the Illusory Chess to leave the Mirage Dragon Cave to survive.
After Lin Bufen, it was Gu Daosu's turn.
Surprisingly, no one protected him either, but Gu Daosu succeeded!
According to Fu Chaosheng, Gu Daosu had a Damaged Chess Black Stone bestowed by the Chess Saint Ke Lianshan, and he was already infinitely close to success. That's why, after his second enlightenment, he could comprehend the power of origins again.
With that, only four direct disciples remained in the cave.
And the time left was only one month.
Even within the cave, it was less than ten years.
Could Shi Ju, Gu Yuan, and Longyuan Mingyan succeed? Luo Chen no longer cared about all this; he sought out Qi Deng Zhenlao.
When he made his intentions clear, Qi Deng Zhenlao was a bit surprised.
"The Northern Sea war will start as soon as the grand competition ends. Why do you want to go to the Eastern Wilderness now?"
(End of Chapter)
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