352: Chapter 346 Body Cultivation Advances to Mid-Nascent Soul Stage

With a soft "chi" sound.

A boulder weighing ten thousand jin in front of him was sliced neatly in half, just like tofu.

The cut was as smooth as a mirror.

"So strong!"

Chen Zhiwen looked at this scene, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.

"The power has increased by at least sixty or seventy percent!"

"Combined with the hidden edge sword's own characteristics, as well as the 'Hidden Kill' Formation I added to it."

"The current hidden edge sword, although its grade is only Medium Grade."

"In terms of killing power, it is absolutely comparable to those Top Grade offensive Magic Treasures!"

"If I were to encounter someone like Xia Yu again."

"I wouldn't need to use Divine Soul attacks; just this one sword strike would be enough to break through his defense!"

After playing with it for a long time.

Chen Zhiwen reluctantly retracted the hidden edge sword back into his body to nourish it.

With his Lifebound Treasure successfully promoted, his confidence grew a bit more.

Next came the final step.

It was also the most painful step.

Chen Zhiwen sat cross-legged again.

He picked up the three "viper eye"s that had been placed to the side.

This item was a supreme treasure used to strengthen the Divine Soul and Cultivate pupil techniques.

However, the process of refining it was extremely dangerous.

If one was not careful, the Evil Qi within would destroy their Sea of Consciousness, turning them into a blind man, or even a madman.

"Wealth and honor are sought through danger."

"If I can't even endure this bit of pain, why bother cultivating for Immortal Ascension?"

Chen Zhiwen's eyes turned ruthless.

Without any hesitation.

He opened his mouth and inhaled, drawing the three eyeballs into his abdomen.

"Boom!"

Once the eyeballs entered his body, they instantly transformed into three icy, bone-chilling torrents, rushing straight toward his Sea of Consciousness.

"Hmph!"

Chen Zhiwen let out a muffled groan.

His face instantly turned deathly pale.

That feeling was like having countless steel needles stabbing into his brain simultaneously.

It was also like someone using red-hot iron tongs to stir his brains.

Pain!

Heart-wrenching pain!

But he gritted his teeth tightly, not making a sound.

The muscles all over his body were taut as iron.

He forcibly mobilized his Divine Sense to surround, devour, and assimilate those three foreign forces.

This was a war without smoke.

The battlefield was inside his mind.

Time seemed to become incomparably long.

One day.

Two days.

Ten days...

Chen Zhiwen was like a stone statue, sitting motionless in the Immortal Cave.

The aura on his body was sometimes strong, sometimes weak, extremely unstable.

It wasn't until half a month later.

"Crack."

It sounded as if some shackles had been broken.

Chen Zhiwen opened his eyes abruptly.

In that instant.

His pupils had actually turned into eerie slit pupils!

Just like that viper, cold, ruthless, and exuding a palpitating, ghostly light.

But it was only for an instant.

The slit pupils returned to normal.

Only, deep within his eyes, there was a trace of imperceptible depth and vicissitudes.

"Hoo..."

Chen Zhiwen exhaled a long breath of turbid air.

This breath was actually grayish-black, carrying a fishy, foul smell.

That was the Impurities in his body and the waste Qi from his Sea of Consciousness.

He slowly stood up.

His bones let out a series of "crackle, crackle" popping sounds.

Like a waking Vicious Beast.

"Mid Nascent Soul Stage... Peak."

Chen Zhiwen clenched his fists.

Feeling the surging, majestic power inside his body like a river.

In his eyes, there was joy, but also a faint trace of regret.

"After devouring these three viper eyes."

"My Divine Soul power has greatly increased, which in turn nourished my Physical Body."

"Allowing my Body Cultivator Realm to rush directly from the Mid Nascent Soul Stage to the Peak of the Middle Stage."

"I am only one step away from the Late Nascent Soul Stage great Cultivator Realm."

Even without using magical power.

Relying solely on the strength of this Physical Body, he could punch a small hill into pieces.

He could withstand attacks from ordinary Magic Treasures and remain unscathed.

"What a pity..."

Chen Zhiwen shook his head.

Looking at his fist, he sighed.

"After all, I'm still just that one step away."

"I failed to break through that Bottleneck."

He was very clear.

Body Cultivator is different from Spell Cultivator.

The further one goes, the harder it is to advance each small stage, as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Especially at the Nascent Soul Stage level.

To achieve sanctity of the Physical Body, the resources and Opportunity required are simply astronomical.

"The Body Cultivator and Spell Cultivator Realms must be kept consistent, or even the Body Cultivator side must be slightly stronger, to exert the greatest combat power."

"Now my Body Cultivator Realm has reached a Bottleneck."

"If the Spell Cultivator Realm cannot keep up, or if the Body Cultivator side cannot break through."

"The path ahead will only become increasingly difficult to walk."

"It seems..."

Chen Zhiwen looked up toward the outside of the Immortal Cave.

His gaze became firm and far-reaching.

"This chaotic world is both a calamity and my Opportunity."

"Only amidst slaughter and contention can I find that glimmer of an Opportunity to break through."

"Xia Family, Wan Family..."

"Are you ready?"

"I, Chen Zhiwen, am coming."

He waved his large sleeve.

Removing the Formation of the Immortal Cave.

He took a step out.

His figure turned into a stream of light, disappearing into the vast horizon.

Leaving only that empty, desolate island, still silent in the wind and rain.

The sea breeze howled.

On the desolate island, Chen Zhiwen stood quietly.

He looked down at his palms.

They were a pair of palms as white as jade, yet containing the power to collapse mountains and split the earth.

"It seems that ordinary Tier 4 Heaven And Earth Treasure no longer has any effect on my Physical Body."

He gently clenched his fist.

The air made a muffled popping sound between his fingers.

Ever since he used the nourishment of the "viper eye" last time to push his Physical Body to the Peak of the Mid Nascent Soul Stage.

During this time, he had tried consuming a few rare body-forging Spiritual Plants he had collected.

But the result was like a clay ox entering the sea.

Apart from slightly increasing the activity of his Qi and blood, his Realm did not move at all.

That feeling of helplessness from hitting the ceiling made him somewhat frustrated.

"This thing called a Bottleneck is truly the most headache-inducing."

"It cannot be forced."

Chen Zhiwen shook his head.

He simply stopped obsessing over the Breakthrough of his Physical Body.

He flipped his wrist.

A small carriage shimmering with green light appeared in his palm.

The wind-driving carriage.

This was Xia Yu's famous Magic Treasure, and also the last reliance that fellow depended on for survival.

"Xia Yu, oh Xia Yu."

"Although your skills aren't much, I really admire your ability to escape."

A playful smile tugged at the corners of Chen Zhiwen's mouth.

He recalled that battle that day.

If he hadn't planned ahead and used a Divine Soul secret technique to catch Xia Yu off guard.

Based solely on the speed of this wind-driving carriage.

Even if he used all his methods, he would probably only be able to eat dust behind the other person.

"If that day, I hadn't chosen to cooperate with that bull demon..."

Chen Zhiwen's eyes became deep.

His gaze crossed the vast ocean, as if he saw that behemoth known as the "Xia Family".

"Perhaps, I could choose to win over the Xia Family to deal with the Wan Family together."

"After all, the enemy of an enemy is a friend."

"This is the most common tactic in the games played in the Cultivation World."

But he quickly dismissed this thought.

A trace of disdain and coldness flashed in his eyes.

"Unfortunately, I don't like to muddy the waters."

"Especially this kind of stagnant water that is already turbid."

"If I were to let the Xia Family intervene, forming a three-legged standoff, the situation would only become more confusing and unpredictable."

"At that time, who is the hunter and who is the prey would really be hard to say."

He was very clear-headed.

In the Cultivation World, there are never any eternal friends.

Only eternal interests.

So-called cooperation is merely a temporary compromise based on equal strength.

"Having big fists is the hard truth."

"Schemes and plots, vertical and horizontal alliances, those are just auxiliary additions to the icing on the cake."

"In the end, one still has to rely on brute force to solve problems."

Chen Zhiwen stroked the cold body of the wind-driving carriage.

His eyes were firm as iron.

"Therefore, I killed you without hesitation."

"Compared to those Human Race Cultivators who are full of tricks."

"That bull demon, who only has one track of thought in his head, actually makes me feel more at ease."

Although it was a Yao Beast.

But sometimes, Yao Beasts are more trustworthy than people.

Or rather, they are simpler and easier to control.

"As for the contract..."

Chen Zhiwen sneered.

He took out a piece of parchment from his bosom that was radiating fluctuations of spiritual power.

That was the Soul contract he had signed with the bull demon.

It looked sacred and inviolable.

But in Chen Zhiwen's eyes, this was no different from a piece of waste paper.

"Human nature cannot stand the test."

"Yao nature is the same."

"There is no such thing as an absolutely unbreakable contract in this world."

"If one day, what is placed before me is an Opportunity that allows me to directly Ascend to become an Immortal."

"And the price is merely breaking an oath and enduring a little bit of contract backlash."

"How would I choose?"

Chen Zhiwen asked and answered himself.

Without any hesitation.

"I would tear it up without hesitation."

"If one does not look out for oneself, heaven and earth will destroy them."

"This is the most naked and real Law of the Cultivation World."

Having figured this out.

Chen Zhiwen's state of mind became even more transparent.

He refocused his attention on the wind-driving carriage in his hand.

His Divine Sense surged out like a tide, carefully probing every structure of this Tier 4 Magic Treasure.

"I have to say, this refining technique is indeed exquisite."

"The main body is crafted from ten-thousand-year evergreen spiritual wood, tough and light."

"And the core power source..."

His fingers gently stroked the pair of wings as thin as cicada wings on both sides of the wind-driving carriage.

They had extremely complex natural patterns on them, exuding a faint trace of Demonic Qi.

"This is... the wings of a Tier 4 Nascent Soul Stage flying Yao Beast!"

"No wonder the speed is so fast."

"This is not just a Magic Treasure, it is more like a living Yao bird sealed inside the carriage."

Chen Zhiwen exclaimed in admiration.

He then tried to inject spiritual power.

"Hum——"

The wind-driving carriage instantly expanded to a size of about a zhang, hovering in mid-air.

Its wings flapped gently, whipping up a gust of wind.

Chen Zhiwen flashed and landed in the carriage.

"Rise!"

With a thought.

The wind-driving carriage turned into a cyan stream of light, instantly rushing into the clouds.

The speed was extremely fast.

In the blink of an eye, it had flown several miles away.

However.

Chen Zhiwen, sitting in the carriage, gradually frowned.

"No."

"It's too slow."

"Or rather... this kind of speed has no meaning for me."

He stopped in the high sky.

He patted the carriage railing with some disappointment.

"In Xia Yu's hands, this thing, combined with his wind-attribute Cultivation Technique, is indeed a divine skill for escaping."

"But I Cultivate the Dao of the Sword, the Dao of slaughter."

"My spiritual power attribute does not completely match this wind-driving carriage."

"Forcing it to be driven not only consumes a huge amount, but the speed is also greatly discounted."

He silently calculated for a moment.

"Compared to when I unleash 'Sword Lotus Evasion Light' with all my strength."

"This thing is at most ten percent faster."

"For this ten percent of speed, I have to be distracted to control a Magic Treasure that is not handy, and I have to nourish it at all times."

"I even have to give up my focus on the hidden edge sword for this."

"This is simply putting the cart before the horse."

"It is tasteless to eat, but a pity to discard."

Chen Zhiwen sighed.

He looked at this priceless treasure carriage with some disdain.

For an ordinary Nascent Soul Cultivator, this is definitely a treasure that they would fight to the death to get.

But for him.

It had become a burden.

"I am a Sword Cultivator."

"A Sword Cultivator should be pure."

"Except for the sword in hand, everything else is an external object."

"Greed for too much leads to indigestion."

Chen Zhiwen's eyes turned cold.

He made a decision.

"Since this carriage is useless to me, then I will make use of the waste, squeezing out its last value."

In his mind.

The ferocious and domineering "Demonic Arm Ice Spider" Puppet appeared.

That was his strongest guard now, and also a meat grinder on the front battlefield.

But it had a fatal weakness.

It couldn't fly.

Or rather, its flight ability was extremely poor.

Once it encountered air combat, this big guy would become a living target, only able to be passively beaten on the ground.

"If..."

Chen Zhiwen looked at the pair of wings on the wind-driving carriage that were flashing with spiritual light.

A bold idea took shape in his mind.

"Detach this pair of wings."

"Install them onto the Demonic Arm Ice Spider."

"Make up for its final shortcoming!"

Once this idea emerged.

Chen Zhiwen suddenly felt enlightened.

"Wonderful!"

"It's simply a match made in heaven!"

"Xia Yu, oh Xia Yu, your greatest contribution in this life is probably sending me this pair of wings."

Since he had an idea.

Chen Zhiwen had always been a man of action.

He immediately drove the wind-driving carriage back to the desolate island.

He found a flat, open area.

"Boom!"

With a loud noise.

That Demonic Arm Ice Spider, which was several zhang tall, jet-black as ink, and exuding cold Evil Qi, was released by him from the storage ring.

It slammed heavily onto the ground.

Splashing up dust all over the sky.

This Puppet lay there quietly, just like a sleeping prehistoric giant beast.

On both sides of its back.

Originally, there were two pairs of transparent wings as thin as cicada wings installed.

Those were refined by imitating mantis wings, which were okay for short-distance gliding and sprinting.

But wanting to support this behemoth of tens of thousands of jin to fly long distances was simply a pipe dream.

"Too weak."

Chen Zhiwen walked up and reached out to pull on that pair of mantis wings.

With a "crack" sound.

They were directly torn off by him violently.

He threw them aside casually.

"If the old doesn't go, the new doesn't come."

Then.

His gaze turned to the wind-driving carriage hovering to the side.

There was not a shred of pity in his eyes.

"Zheng——"

The hidden edge sword left its sheath.

A deep purple sword light cut through the sky.

Carrying an indomitable sharp aura.

"Slash!"

Chen Zhiwen gave a low shout.

Hand up and sword fell.

"Chi——"

There was no loud sound of metal clashing as imagined.

Only a light sound like tearing silk.

That ten-thousand-year evergreen spiritual wood carriage body, which was incomparably hard and could even withstand attacks from an early Nascent Soul stage cultivator.

In front of the hidden edge sword, which had been promoted to a Tier 4 Magic Treasure.

Was as fragile as tofu.

It was directly sliced open neatly.

That pair of huge wings, exuding rich Demonic Qi, was perfectly cut off.

The cut was as smooth as a mirror, without even a single burr.

The wind-driving carriage that lost its wings.

Instantly dimmed in spiritual light, turning into a pile of waste wood.