278: An eerie calm

Above the Inner Academy, Great Elder, Jiang Donghua, and Wu Lao, the three strongest experts of the academy who had just arrived, hovered with solemn expressions. Their powerful Soul Power, like an invisible radar, meticulously scanned every inch of the Inner Academy below, trying to find the source of that terrifying fluctuation.

However, no matter how they searched, the Dou Zun Expert-level soul fluctuation was like a fleeting phantom, disappearing without a trace, no longer detectable.

That heart-palpitating feeling from just now was merely a collective illusion.

The three looked at each other, their eyes filled with confusion and deep apprehension.

"It's gone, completely undetectable."

Qian Lao's voice was low, his brows tightly furrowed.

"Either the opponent's concealment method is too advanced, far beyond our perception range."

Wu Lao's expression was grave.

"Or the opponent has already left."

Great Elder took a deep breath, suppressing the unease in his heart.

Facing a Dou Zun Expert who might be hidden in the shadows with unfathomable strength, they were indeed helpless.

If the opponent deliberately wished to hide, it would be impossible for them to find him.

But as the guardians of the Inner Academy, they absolutely could not show weakness or let it go unchecked.

Great Elder once again circulated his Dou Qi, his voice like rolling thunder, echoing throughout the Inner Academy, his tone carrying undeniable authority and a hint of warning.

"To which senior does this presence belong?"

"While our Jia Nan Academy is not a dragon's den or a tiger's lair, it is also not a place where one can come and go as they please!"

"Although our Academy Head, Mang Tianchi, is currently traveling, if the academy faces trouble, he will arrive instantly!"

"We hope senior will act with self-respect and not engage in such secretive actions that disturb the students! Otherwise, you will bear the consequences!"

He brought out the name of the Jia Nan Academy's true pillar, the elusive Academy Head Mang Tianchi, hoping to achieve a deterrent effect.

The implication was clear: We might not be able to find you, but we have someone backing us. You'd best weigh your options carefully!

After delivering these stern words, the three experts remained suspended high in the air, vigilantly watching below, not daring to relax in the slightest.

The atmosphere throughout the Inner Academy remained extremely tense.

Inside the secret chamber, the authoritative warning from outside, though muffled by layers of obstruction, faintly reached Jiang Donghua's ears, but he had no time to spare for it.

All his focus was on resisting the terrifying torrent of energy that was almost bursting his Soul Power!

The intense stinging and dizziness of his Soul Power being forcibly torn and expanded to its limit almost made him faint!

"Ugh..."

He couldn't help but let out a muffled groan of pain, veins bulging on his forehead, sweat pouring down.

However, just as he felt himself nearing his limit, his consciousness starting to blur, his gaze inadvertently swept over to Mu Chen opposite him.

At that sight, he almost gasped in shock!

Mu Chen, who was originally slender and even somewhat frail, had now swollen up like a round ball inflated to its limit!

His skin was flushed and glowing red from being overfilled with energy, even faintly shimmering, as if it would explode with a slight touch!

His facial features were contorted in extreme pain, unconscious, suppressed gurgling sounds escaped his throat, and his body trembled uncontrollably, with fine beads of blood even seeping from his pores!

He looked even more exaggerated and miserable than an inflated ox!

In comparison, Jiang Donghua suddenly felt that the intense stinging and expanding sensation in his mind at the Soul Power level wasn't so unbearable after all?

At least his physical appearance still looked relatively normal, while Mu Chen's was a truly, visibly, physically tragic sight!

This bizarre schadenfreude actually made Jiang Donghua, in his extreme pain, inexplicably feel a hint of relief and even a desire to laugh?

As a result, his spirit slightly lifted, and his willpower, which was on the verge of collapse, actually managed to hold on for a moment longer!

"Damn it, looks like I'm not the most miserable one!"

With that thought, he gritted his teeth, once again gathered his scattered will, and desperately circulated his cultivation technique, trying to speed up the refining process even slightly.

Just as Jiang Donghua felt his Soul Sea was about to burst and his will was on the verge of collapse, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck his mind!

"That's right! How could I forget this!"

He instantly recalled one of the core secrets for cultivating and controlling Soul Power from Venerable Huanhai's vast memory fragments!

Soul Power, especially external, unowned Soul Origin, while a great tonic, cannot be simply swallowed and absorbed to fully integrate it into oneself and make it one's own.

It requires a crucial refining process to remove impurities and foreign energies, leaving only the purest origin, for perfect absorption; otherwise, the repercussions would be endless!

And he, coincidentally, knew this refining method!

An abstruse and obscure, yet direct, incantation for Soul Origin flowed like a clear spring from the depths of his memory.

"Soul's extremity... guard the heavenly spirit... absorb and forge the soul..."

Without the slightest hesitation, Jiang Donghua immediately cast aside all distracting thoughts, his mind completely immersed in his Soul Sea, silently reciting this profound incantation over and over again.

At the same time, following the incantation's guidance, he circulated his own Soul Power.

Buzz—!

The incantation seemed to possess a magical power!

As the incantation circulated, the vast external Soul Power in his Soul Sea, which had originally been like an uncontrolled wild horse rampaging and spreading everywhere, trapping him within it, suddenly found an outlet and guidance!

They no longer surrounded and squeezed him like a viscous swamp as before.

Instead, they began to surge actively and majestically towards the core of his Soul Origin, like a guided tide!

More importantly, under the guidance of this incantation, Jiang Donghua felt his control over Soul Power instantly elevate by a level!

He was no longer passively enduring the impact, but could actively guide, compress, refine, and absorb this vast torrent of Soul Power!

"Condense!"

He let out a low cry in his heart, his powerful willpower driving the incantation, frantically compressing the surging Soul Power, forcibly eliminating and crushing the impurities and chaotic intentions within it!

"Refine!"

The pure Soul Origin was repeatedly tempered and forged by the power of the incantation, like refined steel, becoming more solidified and pure, then slowly and perfectly integrated into his own Soul Origin!

This process was still accompanied by intense Soul Power swelling pain and mental exhaustion, but it was no longer that chaotic, despair-inducing tearing sensation.

Instead, it was a controllable pain mixed with joy, full of hope and a sense of accomplishment!

His Soul Power was growing, solidifying, and sublimating at a speed visible to his Soul Power perception!

Steadily advancing towards that realm coveted by countless Alchemists: the Spirit Realm Soul!

Time quietly passed in this focused and efficient refining.

Inside the secret chamber, the originally violent and rampant energy fluctuations gradually subsided, transforming into a deep and orderly energy cycle.

On the other side, Mu Chen also displayed astonishing resilience.

As a Wood Attribute Dou Qi cultivator, although his body's meridians and muscles were constantly torn and damaged under the impact of the violent energy, causing immense pain, Wood Attribute Dou Qi itself possessed powerful nourishing and restorative abilities.

Whenever his body was damaged, his pure Wood Attribute Dou Qi would automatically circulate, rapidly repairing the injuries.

Although the process was accompanied by unbearable itching and pain, it at least ensured that he wouldn't collapse.

In this repeated torment of tearing-repairing-tearing-repairing, his body underwent a cruel tempering, becoming even tougher, and his aura steadily and firmly ascended during this process!

He also seemed completely immersed in this process of power being regained, and even breaking through to establish anew, a joyous and painful intertwining, no longer worrying about whether problems would arise. He simply, single-mindedly, frantically circulated his xuan-rank high-tier cultivation technique, greedily absorbing and refining every bit of energy.

Thus, after experiencing the initial earth-shattering and perilous moments, the secret chamber fell into an extremely peculiar calm, like the aftermath of a storm.