Chapter 81 Dual Spiritual Roots

Two months later, Chen Songxuan emerged from seclusion, having broken through to the Qi Refining Fifth Layer.

Inside the Artifact Refining Residence, Chen Songxiao had produced a third-grade flame fire sword when Chen Songxuan arrived.

Seeing the third-grade flame fire sword, Chen Songxuan wondered how to integrate it with his Puppets. After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Chen Songxiao made a suggestion.

"Third Brother, let's design a saber. We both use sabers, so I think we could design a good, handy one."

Chen Songxuan had the same intention, and the two began collaborating on the design within the Artifact Refining Residence...

In the outskirts of the Boundless Forest, Chen Songli and Chen Li were present. A month ago, he had already mass-produced fifteen sets of Fourth Grade Spirit Trapping Formations within the Great Sun Seed Cultivation Cave Mansion.

This was different from an ordinary Fourth Grade Spirit Trapping Formation; typically, a Spirit Trapping Formation consisted of four flag poles.

This time, he increased the quantity, using twelve flag poles for a single set. The amount of Spirit-Restricting Stones added was pushed to the limit—over ten times the usual amount. Furthermore, the inscribed Fourth Grade Spirit Trapping Formation lines had all their flaws repaired, making the Formation's circuit flow more smoothly.

A typical Fourth Grade Spirit Trapping Formation could generate a trapping range of two hundred meters, which an Early Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator could likely break through in about ten minutes using their own cultivation. Last time, Huang Jin's Tiangang Formation was able to trap an Early Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator, making it a relatively High Grade array among Fourth Grade Formations.

He had tested it in the Boundless Forest: with a trapping range of six hundred meters, it took ten consecutive strikes from the Fourth Grade offensive Formation, the Profound Bone Immortal Slaying Formation, to break this array. However, his Fifth Grade Poison Toad Formation could break it in a single strike.

Thus, he concluded that his over-specced Fourth Grade Spirit Trapping Formation could withstand several techniques from the Late Foundation Establishment Stage, and could likely trap someone at Foundation Establishment Perfection for a dozen seconds. As for those at the False Core Realm, it probably wouldn't be able to trap them.

At this moment, Chen Li and Chen Songli were practicing the Wind Shadow Evasion Technique, which could be cultivated up to the Golden Core stage. This evasion technique involved merging one's form into the wind, allowing one to escape using the wind when present—it was fast, stealthy, and consumed little spiritual power.

The vast expanse of the Boundless Forest was perfectly suited for practicing this evasion technique.

Chen Songli and Chen Li began practicing their "running away" in the Boundless Forest...

...

Inside an Immortal Cave near Duan Ya Mountain, Lin Feng was opening the spoils from his recent trip.

Three hours ago, he had just robbed an Early Foundation Establishment Stage old man whose Lifespan was nearing its end. He loved robbing Cultivators like this the most; two hundred years of accumulation surely hid many treasures or longevity-extending Medicinal Pills.

He was already one hundred and sixty years old, and his entire cultivation had been gained through robbery—the qi overflowing pills were stolen, and the foundation establishment pills were stolen too.

His most bountiful harvest came ten years ago from robbing a Sect Cultivator; back then, he had managed to kill that Sect Cultivator only after a difficult ambush.

It was that incident ten years ago that made him feel the Golden Core stage was within reach, because inside that Cultivator's Storage Pouch, he found a Core Formation cultivation technique that was extremely suitable for a Loose Cultivator like him.

Thus, he had spent the last ten years desperately robbing people to pile up his cultivation to Perfection. He would sell the stolen treasures to buy Medicinal Pills to boost his cultivation; once he reached Perfection, he could practice that technique.

However, once he began practicing this technique, he would have to go into seclusion for fifty years because it required slow, painstaking work—fifty years was the minimum time requirement. This was why he desperately robbed those dying old men, as they were sure to have many longevity-type Medicinal Pills.

Inside the Immortal Cave, his internal aura was at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage, only three or four years away from the Perfection Realm. Robbing a few more people might even speed up the process.

That Golden Core Senior on Duan Ya Mountain had lived there for so many years; he wanted to go up and live there too.

...

In the Pill Refining Residence on Black Magpie Mountain.

After two months of Alchemy, Zhu Lingyue had refined over thirty foundation establishment pills. During the first month, she had been constantly experimenting and used up quite a lot of herbs, which pained her quite a bit.

So, she summarized her experience every time, thinking that if her husband were here, he would probably advise her: "A few wasted herbs are nothing; experiment boldly and don't carry any psychological burden!"

She thought he probably would. She smiled, a happy smile, for she knew her husband all too well!

Once again, she immersed herself in Alchemy, and another three months passed...

One day, Chen Songli and Chen Li returned from the Boundless Forest. They had practiced "running away" in the forest for three months. Chen Li had mastered the Wind Shadow Evasion Technique as befitting a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, and Chen Songli had also mastered the evasion technique to the Late Stage Qi Refining level; even with Chen Li suppressing his cultivation, he couldn't catch her.

Three days later, at the Zi Pavilion, Chen Li was drinking tea again.

After finishing his tea, he went to the Dao Seeking Platform and took out the Flowing Shadow Silver Fire Spear to Cultivate the Four Illusions Spear Soul Art to Perfection.

At this moment, on a flat piece of land at the foot of the mountain, Chen Songxuan was directing Li Chun and Luo Anyue to start digging a fish pond. The two-to-three-acre pond would be surrounded by fruit trees, providing a place for fishing in the future.

Inside the Artifact Refining Residence, a Magical Artifact resembling a Tang saber was already lying on Chen Songxiao's workbench.

At this time, he was making a second one. "This shouldn't be a third-grade Magical Artifact, right?"

He swung it twice, and the sharpness of the blade was so intense that it left marks on the stone walls of the Artifact Refining cave.

Not bad. He hung the one from the workbench in the warehouse; this one was exactly what they wanted.

In the warehouse were the ten third-grade frost condensing swords made by Chen Li, thirty flame fire swords made by Chen Songli, twenty crossbows they had made themselves, and many failed products they were unsatisfied with, though all were Magical Artifacts.

Inside Concentric Heart Hall, Chen Songmei was eager to try.

"Second Brother, come quickly and see if I can Cultivate yet!"

Lately, Chen Songmei had been clamoring to Cultivate, but Chen Songyan told her that her Spiritual Root couldn't be detected yet.

Chen Songmei would ask every once in a while. Besides his daily care of Chen Songmei, Chen Songyan also had to manage the breeding of the Iron Fire Ants.

The Iron Fire Ants were growing rapidly now. The refined iron ore dug from the Boundless Forest provided them with excellent nutrition; in another three years, they should reach the third-level.

During his daily "pulse-checking," Chen Songyan felt that it probably hadn't fully developed yet. Although he had probed many times and there was a Spiritual Qi reaction, it was blurry, making it impossible to determine what kind of Spiritual Root it was, so it would still take some time.

Chen Songyan began to channel Spiritual Qi. "Eh?" Chen Songyan was a bit excited; he seemed to have sensed his fifth sister's Spiritual Root Aptitude!

He looked at Chen Songmei, thinking his sister was truly blessed!

Seeing her Second Brother's expression, Chen Songmei said excitedly, "Second Brother, can I Cultivate now?"

Chen Songyan nodded. By channeling Spiritual Qi, he could clearly feel two elemental reactions—wood and water. This meant Chen Songmei had a Dual Spiritual Root, which was one of the top-tier cultivation Aptitudes!

Fearing his detection might be wrong, he carried Chen Songmei to the Dao Seeking Platform to find Chen Li.

"Second Brother, is my Spiritual Root good?" Chen Songmei asked with a dazed expression. Seeing her Second Brother's excited yet disbelieving look, she was confused too.

"Haha, you have a great Spiritual Root, but we need Father to confirm it. I'm afraid I might have misjudged!"

At the Dao Seeking Platform, Chen Li stopped practicing and learned of Chen Songyan's purpose.

Chen Li took Chen Songmei's small hand and channeled Spiritual Qi. He nodded and said, "Songmei indeed has a Dual Spiritual Root!"

"Father, will I have to go into seclusion for a long time too?"

"Haha, no, but you will still need to go into seclusion."

"Hooray!" Chen Songmei raised a small fist and said happily.