Chapter 91 of 100

Chapter 91

11 min read2,635 words

(Receiving another 250 monthly votes today, I thank the two new alliance leaders, Xingye United and Tieba whcy166, for their generous support...)

Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter his mother had given him.

The golden sea of soul energy formed from the blood of the six-armed giant troll was powerful enough that Chen Xun did not worry about the supply of spirit consciousness. However, although the consumption of blood, qi, and divine radiance seemed minimal, it continued to accumulate over time, like grains of sand forming a tower.

Outside the window, the sky alternated between light and dark, day and night cycling endlessly. The dharma pearl generated a vortex, continuously absorbing and fusing blood, qi, divine radiance, and spirit consciousness, showing no signs of stopping.

Chen Xun did not know when the dharma pearl would be successfully refined, nor what changes would occur after its success, but his heart was filled with anticipation.

Chen Xun gritted his teeth, took out a Nine-Origin Nourishing Aperture Pill from his chest, and swallowed it to ensure a continuous supply of blood, qi, divine radiance, and spirit consciousness, which would be injected into the dharma pearl and transformed into spiritual power...

Chen Xun's mind was completely immersed in the dharma pearl. He did not know how long this process lasted, and the cycle of day and night only gave him a sense of illusory light and shadow.

As the third Nine-Origin Nourishing Aperture Pill's effects were about to run out, Chen Xun hesitated about whether to take the last one. Suddenly, the dharma pearl, which had been absorbing spirit consciousness, blood, qi, and divine radiance for months, underwent a sudden change.

A burst of blinding light erupted from within the dharma pearl, illuminating the dark study.

In the next instant, the intense light was violently sucked back into the dharma pearl.

It seemed as if the space around the dharma pearl collapsed in that moment, and Chen Xun's thoughts were uncontrollably drawn into a mysterious void.

The space was not large, empty and desolate, with no objects inside. It was filled with spiritual energy, and the walls were a dim, chaotic haze that his thoughts could not penetrate.

Chen Xun was greatly surprised, unsure whether this space was hidden within the dharma pearl or if the dharma pearl was merely a magical tool to unlock this space.

How could such a small space contain the essence of the Way and spiritual energy?

At that moment, a gentle but irresistible divine thought surged forward, directly entering Chen Xun's soul sea, forming four ancient characters:

Void Essence Space!

Void Essence Space?

Just as Chen Xun's doubts arose, his thoughts were abruptly pulled out of the mysterious Void Essence Space and returned to the study.

The dharma pearl in his hand was now exceptionally lively, constantly resonating with his mind. Chen Xun confirmed that the dharma pearl had indeed been successfully refined, despite his initial blind attempt.

Apart from containing a space called the Void Essence Realm, the dharma pearl seemed to have no other special abilities.

Chen Xun's thoughts once again probed the mysterious space, carefully measuring it. The Void Essence Space was even smaller than his study, probably less than ten cubic meters.

Could this be a storage magical tool for cultivators?

Chen Xun looked at the candle holder on the desk, and with a thought, a beam of spiritual light shot out from the Void Essence Pearl, enveloping the candle holder. In an instant, the candle holder was moved into the Void Essence Space.

At that moment, Chen Xun's emotions were intensely stirred. The Void Essence Space, though small, was incredibly practical for him.

The only thing that puzzled Chen Xun was why the Void Essence Pearl, as a storage magical tool, was completely empty.

The Void Essence Pearl had been covered in dust for a hundred or a thousand years, changing hands many times, and no one had been able to refine it. Where had the items stored by its previous owner gone?

There wasn't even a single medicinal herb inside, and Chen Xun, though delighted, felt a bit disappointed.

Hearing someone approaching the courtyard with a torch, and recognizing the voices of Cai'er and Zong Ya discussing the movements in the study, it seemed that the intense light from the successful refinement of the Void Essence Pearl had alarmed them.

Chen Xun was about to stand up when a black shadow suddenly pounced through the window.

Chen Xun was startled, wondering how the little leopard had grown so large, weighing nearly two to three hundred pounds. It pounced through the window, creating a strong wind that knocked into his chest, nearly knocking him to the ground.

Chen Xun noticed a thick layer of dust on his sleeves and was puzzled for a moment: How long had he been sitting in the study?

Stepping out of the study, a cold breeze blew in, and the courtyard was covered in frost and snow, a world of white.

"A Xun, you've finally emerged from seclusion!" Zong Ya, seeing Chen Xun open the door, was moved to tears, his voice trembling.

"How long have I been in seclusion? It's already winter?" Chen Xun was puzzled. When he was refining the Void Essence Pearl, it was just the beginning of summer. He thought he had spent about half a year in the study without eating or sleeping.

"It's already spring of the next year! Master, you've been in seclusion in the study for nine months!" Cai'er, wiping her red eyes, said excitedly, "The first few days were fine, but after ten days, everyone was terrified, thinking you had meditated yourself into a coma..."

Chen Xun never imagined that refining the Void Essence Pearl would take him nine months.

Chen Xun was stunned, never expecting that he had spent nine months in the study without rest or sleep.

Refining the Void Essence Pearl consumed a limited amount of blood, qi, and divine radiance, and the continuous flow of spirit consciousness into the Void Essence Pearl did not deplete the soul sea formed from the blood of the six-armed giant troll.

No wonder Yue Lun could not refine this pearl. Even a newly ascended Rebirth Realm expert would not have such a vast amount of spirit consciousness to be consumed by the Void Essence Pearl!

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At that moment, Grandfather Zong Tu and Zhao Tu entered the courtyard. Chen Xun remembered that Grandfather had a chance to enter the Rebirth Realm and should have returned to Wuyang to enter seclusion nine months ago. He asked, "Why didn't Grandfather return to Wuyang?"

Zong Tu, both wanting to cry and laugh, said, "How could I return to Wuyang with no idea what was happening to you?"

In the mountains, time seemed to pass unnoticed. Chen Xun was so immersed in cultivation that he barely felt the passage of time, but he never realized how much his family had suffered.

Barbarian martial cultivators face the physical tribulation, and Grandfather's lifespan was nearing its end. If he could not break through, he might not live for many more years.

Chen Xun never imagined that Grandfather had stayed in Canglan to protect him, wasting the last nine months of his precious cultivation time. His throat tightened, and he did not know what to say.

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The Void Essence Pearl, which took him nine months to refine, Chen Xun thought, must be at least a Rank 1 magical tool.

Even Rebirth Realm experts, let alone True Yang Realm cultivators, mostly possess only mid-to-high-level talisman tools.

In Canglan City, the appearance of any magical tool would cause a great stir.

The matter of the Void Essence Pearl should not be publicized. Chen Xun asked Zhao Tu and Cai'er to return and rest, not to spread the news, and invited Grandfather and Zong Ya into the study to talk.

"Void Essence Pearl!" Zong Tu, hearing that Chen Xun had spent nine months in the study without eating or sleeping, only to refine the Void Essence Pearl, was stunned, finding it hard to imagine the intricacies involved.

"Is it just a storage tool that required such a long time to refine?" Zong Ya, wide-eyed and speechless, also felt it was a waste for Chen Xun.

Before the age of sixteen, all the blood and qi in the body can be used to cultivate the barbarian soul.

After the age of sixteen, when the emotions of men and women begin to develop, part of the blood and qi will transform into the kidney essence that can nurture life; even with kidney essence cultivation techniques, the effect will be much weaker.

Therefore, disciples of the sects would seize the time before the age of sixteen, trying to use every moment for cultivation.

In Zong Ya's view, if Chen Xun could reach the peak of the ninth level of Barbarian Martial before the age of sixteen, he would have a great chance of entering the Celestial Essence Realm and becoming a supreme celestial barbarian who dominated Canglan.

However, the refinement of a magical tool had cost Chen Xun the most precious nine months before the age of sixteen, and Zong Ya felt a bit regretful.

Chen Xun laughed.

During the nine months he spent refining the Void Essence Pearl, the blood, qi, divine radiance, and spirit consciousness generated in his body, in addition to being continuously injected into the Void Essence Pearl and spontaneously fusing into spiritual power, also fused slightly in his soul sea.

Now, when he stopped visualizing the barbarian soul, that thread-like spiritual power moved continuously in his seemingly dormant soul sea, appearing weak but with an indescribable spiritual aura.

Although it could not compare to the innate spiritual energy cultivated by Rebirth Realm experts, Chen Xun knew that for a Barbarian Martial to cultivate a thread of spiritual power at the True Yang Realm was extremely precious.

By integrating this pure and weak thread of spiritual power into his blood and qi, he could directly break through to the seventh level of Blood Change.

However, Chen Xun would not waste such a precious seed.

The Dragon Binding Technique passed down by Su Tang only involved the cultivation of spirit consciousness and did not cover the cultivation of spiritual power.

Although he did not have the technique to cultivate spiritual power, the presence of a thread of spiritual power in his soul sea, which resonated with his divine soul, provided the seed for cultivating spiritual power.

In Chen Xun's view, even the mysterious Dragon Binding Technique was a method derived from the ancient sages' understanding of the universe.

Even without the Dragon Binding Technique or other spiritual cultivation techniques, cultivators might still have a chance to cultivate spiritual power through fortunate encounters.

The unintentional fusion of blood, qi, divine radiance, and spirit consciousness in his soul sea during the refinement of the Void Essence Pearl was his opportunity to cultivate spiritual power.

Such a precious seed, Chen Xun would not use it merely to break through to the seventh level of Blood Change.

Chen Xun also deeply understood why noble clans and sects placed such importance on disciples with ancient bloodlines.

Those with ancient bloodlines have an incredibly powerful divine soul without cultivation.

Only disciples with ancient bloodlines can provide the powerful spirit consciousness needed to fuse and cultivate spiritual power before reaching the Rebirth Realm.

In other words, ordinary cultivators usually need to reach the Rebirth Realm to cultivate spiritual power, while those with ancient bloodlines can cultivate it at the later stages of the True Yang Realm. The difference is vast!

At the same time, Chen Xun increasingly appreciated the importance of sects and noble clans.

Sects with a thousand-year legacy naturally have no shortage of secrets, but as a wandering cultivator, where would he find the secrets of cultivating spiritual power?

Chen Xun guessed that Lou Shiyi, having joined Qingyangzi's disciples, had likely already started cultivating spiritual power. Even if he had grasped the seed of cultivating spiritual power, he would need to work even harder to avoid falling behind Lou Shiyi.

Chen Xun did not explain too much to Zong Ya, only smiling and saying, "A storage magical tool is at least a Rank 1 magical tool. Even the Ghost Xi Tribe, known as the strongest in Mangya Ridge, might not have one. Spending nine months to refine it is worth it..."

Zong Tu, with his extensive knowledge and being half a step into the Rebirth Realm, knew that Chen Xun's nine months of refining the Void Essence Pearl was far more complex than it seemed. He immediately instructed Zong Ya to keep the secret and not reveal a word.

"I'm hungry, Zong Ya, can you find me something to eat?" Chen Xun said.

"You haven't eaten or drunk for nine months, I don't know how you managed," Zong Ya, supporting himself on his knees, stood up. "Grandfather had Cai'er continue to bring you meals to avoid suspicion—I'll check the kitchen to see if there's any food left."

In the past, one Nine-Origin Nourishing Aperture Pill could only supply Chen Xun for half a month, but during the refinement of the Void Essence Pearl, the consumption of blood and qi was minimal, and the continuous generation of spirit consciousness from his soul sea allowed the three Nine-Origin Nourishing Aperture Pills to sustain him for nine months.

Regardless, the secret of the Nine-Origin Nourishing Aperture Pill must not be revealed, and it was fortunate that Grandfather did not return to Wuyang, allowing for such meticulous arrangements.

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