139: Chapter 98 Continued Seclusion

Chen Xuan withdrew his gaze and looked toward the distant Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range.

The Demonic Qi had already faded significantly, but it had not yet completely dissipated.

Deep within the mountain range, Foundation Establishment Yao Beasts were still entrenched.

Those Yao Beasts were watching, waiting, waiting for the Human Race to reveal a flaw.

But they would not get their chance.

The footsteps of the Human Race would not stop.

His footsteps would not stop either.

"Senior Sister, I need to go into seclusion."

Liu Lili looked up at him.

"Going into seclusion again?"

"Yes. The transition from the Foundation Establishment Fifth Layer to the Sixth Layer is the barrier between the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage and the Late Stage. This barrier is more difficult than the previous five layers combined. I need a large amount of Spiritual Qi and Medicinal Pill assistance to even have a chance of breaking through within ten years."

Liu Lili nodded.

"What do you need? I will go prepare it."

Chen Xuan took a Jade Slip out of his Storage Pouch and handed it to her.

"This is the list."

Liu Lili took the Jade Slip and extended her Divine Sense into it.

The list was very long, densely written over three pages.

Materials for upgrading the Second-Stage Spirit Gathering Array, Third-Stage Spiritual Incense Dragon Saliva Incense, Second-Stage Foundation-Nurturing Pills, Second-Stage Qi Gathering Pills, Second-Stage Spirit-Condensing Pills, auxiliary Materials for Second-Stage foundation establishment pills, as well as various spirit fruits, spirit teas, and spirit wines.

Every item was not cheap.

Every item was a consumable.

After reading it, Liu Lili put the Jade Slip away.

"These items are enough for a Foundation Establishment Family to use for ten years."

Chen Xuan nodded.

"That is why I said I would break through within ten years."

Liu Lili bit her lip.

"Junior Brother, rest assured and go into seclusion. I will prepare these things."

She turned and walked toward the pile of Storage Pouches, selected a dozen or so, and slung them over her shoulder.

"I will go to the Qingyuan Chamber of Commerce first to exchange these for the supplies you need."

Chen Xuan watched her back and called out.

"Senior Sister."

Liu Lili turned back.

"What is it?"

Chen Xuan was silent for a moment.

"Thank you."

Liu Lili was stunned for a moment, then smiled.

"What are you thanking me for? I am your Dao Companion; it is only right that I do this."

She pushed open the door and walked out.

The door closed behind her.

Chen Xuan stood in front of the window, watching her back disappear at the end of the alley.

Then he turned and walked toward the meditation room.

The soul-soothing incense from last night was still burning in the meditation room; white smoke curled and spiraled slowly under the candlelight.

Chen Xuan sat down on the meditation cushion and closed his eyes to look inward.

The five-colored light of the Purple Mansion in his Dantian swirled, with the image of City Wall Earth floating in the center; that miniature ancient city wall had already solidified like iron.

There were three images of Heavenly Fire rotating slowly on the other side of the Purple Mansion, like three miniature suns.

One was obtained from the Bihai Lake Secret Realm, one from the cave of Founding Emperor Xie Yuan, and one from the Buddha statue fragments in the Zhang Family Charity Hall.

Three images were not enough.

Far from enough.

To fish for Heavenly Fire, one needed at least six images to be certain.

To fish for City Wall Earth, one needed at least five more images.

He was still missing three Heavenly Fire images and five City Wall Earth images.

The road ahead was long and difficult.

But Chen Xuan was not in a hurry.

He had plenty of time.

If three years wouldn't work, then five; if five wouldn't work, then ten.

If ten wouldn't work, then twenty.

In a hundred lifetimes of Reincarnation, the one thing he did not lack was time.

Chen Xuan opened his eyes and took a Jade Slip from his Storage Pouch.

That was the Divine Ability gifted by the Central Province Liu Clan: Meteor.

A Fourth-Stage Divine Ability, something that did not exist anywhere in the Southern Region.

He had not tried to comprehend it, not because he didn't want to, but because he didn't dare.

A Divine Ability required the magic power of the Golden Core Realm to activate; he was currently at the Foundation Establishment Fifth Layer, and forcing comprehension would only damage his Divine Sense.

But even if he couldn't comprehend it, he could look at it first.

Understand it first, familiarize himself with it, and wait until he reached the Golden Core Realm to cultivate it.

Chen Xuan pressed the Jade Slip against his forehead and extended his Divine Sense into it.

A starry sky unfolded in his mind.

The stars were brilliant, the Milky Way was like a ribbon, and countless starlight flowed through the void.

A figure stood under the starry sky and raised a finger.

A star fell from the sky, trailing a long tail of fire, and smashed into the earth.

The earth shattered, mountains collapsed, and the oceans boiled.

Divine Ability: Meteor.

Chen Xuan withdrew his Divine Sense, sweat beading on his forehead.

Merely watching it consumed nearly thirty percent of his Divine Sense.

A Fourth-Stage Divine Ability was indeed not something a Foundation Establishment Cultivator could touch.

He put the Jade Slip back into his Storage Pouch and stopped thinking about it.

He took a Medicinal Pill from his Storage Pouch and swallowed it.

Second-Stage Foundation-Nurturing Pill, with gentle medicinal power to nourish the Meridians.

He took another one and swallowed it.

Second-Stage Qi Gathering Pill, with thick medicinal power to replenish magic power.

He took another one and swallowed it.

Second-Stage Spirit-Condensing Pill, with cool medicinal power to stabilize the Divine Sense.

The three pills entered his belly, their medicinal power dissolving in his body and turning into three streams of warmth that flowed toward his Dantian, Meridians, and Sea of Consciousness.

Chen Xuan circulated the Haohai Sword Art, guiding the medicinal power to flow through his body.

Magic power surged through his Meridians, the five-colored light of the Purple Mansion in his Dantian flared brightly, the image of City Wall Earth trembled slightly, and the three images of Heavenly Fire lit up simultaneously.

He lit a burner of Third-Stage Spiritual Incense, Dragon Saliva Incense.

White smoke curled, the fragrance crisp and clear; inhaling it into his lungs made his Divine Sense clear.

He also activated the Second-Stage Spirit Gathering Array.

The Spirit Stones on the Formation Plate lit up, and Spiritual Qi was drawn out, condensing into thick white mist in the meditation room, submerging him completely.

Medicinal Pill, Spiritual Incense, Spirit Gathering Array.

Triple assistance, activated simultaneously.

Chen Xuan's cultivation level was slowly climbing.

Foundation Establishment Fifth Layer Early Stage, Foundation Establishment Fifth Layer Early Stage Peak.

The speed was not fast, but it was very steady.

Like a stream flowing over stones, unhurried, but never stopping.

Several months later, Chen Xuan opened his eyes.

His cultivation was stabilized at the Foundation Establishment Fifth Layer Early Stage Peak.

It was still two minor stages away from the Sixth Layer.

At the current speed, it would take at least five years.

Five years.

Chen Xuan closed his eyes.

It was faster than he had expected.

He had originally thought it would take ten years; now it seemed five years would be enough.

Medicinal Pill assistance, Spiritual Incense assistance, Spirit Gathering Array assistance; with the triple assistance combined, his cultivation speed was twice as fast as he had expected.

But the cost was also high.

One Second-Stage Foundation-Nurturing Pill, market price one thousand Spirit Stones.

One Second-Stage Qi Gathering Pill, market price two thousand Spirit Stones.

One Second-Stage Spirit-Condensing Pill, market price two thousand Spirit Stones.

Three pills, five thousand Spirit Stones.

One burner of Third-Stage Dragon Saliva Incense, market price five thousand Spirit Stones, usable for one month.

One set of Second-Stage Spirit Gathering Array, Formation Plate plus Spirit Stones, a one-time investment of twenty thousand Spirit Stones.

Adding these up, the cost of cultivation for one month exceeded ten thousand Spirit Stones.

One year was one hundred and twenty thousand Spirit Stones.

Five years was six hundred thousand Spirit Stones.

Six hundred thousand Spirit Stones.

In his second lifetime, he had never seen so many Spirit Stones in his entire life.

And now, this was his five-year cultivation cost.

It was not because he was rich; it was because his status made him rich.

Dividends from the Qingyuan Chamber of Commerce, subsidies from Wanyao Immortal City, salary from the Dharma Propagation Hall, and holiday gifts sent by various forces.

Adding these up, his annual income was at least two hundred thousand Spirit Stones.

Enough for his cultivation, with plenty left over.

Spirit Stones flowed to those who did not lack them.

Chen Xuan gave a wry smile and stopped thinking about these things.

He closed his eyes and continued to cultivate.

Days passed one by one.

Wanyao Immortal City was expanding.

In the third year, the Inner City expanded by double, adding twenty Immortal Caves.

In the fourth year, the Outer City expanded by three times, adding three new commercial streets.

In the fifth year, the population of the Immortal City exceeded three hundred thousand, with over three hundred Foundation Establishment Cultivators among them.

There were more and more students in the Dharma Propagation Hall; the Elementary class changed from one term per year to one term every half year, the Intermediate class changed from one term per year to two terms per year, and the Advanced class changed from one term per year to three terms per year.

Chen Xuan's courses also became heavier.

The Advanced class was three months per term; he had to lecture ten times a month, three hours each time.

After lecturing, he had to prepare lessons; after preparing lessons, he had to cultivate; after cultivating, he had to practice Formation, Alchemy, and Artifact Refining.

His daily schedule was packed full, and he even ate on the podium.

Liu Lili felt sorry for him and made different kinds of soup every day.

Spirit chicken soup today, spirit bone soup tomorrow, spirit fish soup the day after.

Chen Xuan drank it for a year, and his cultivation level rose from the Foundation Establishment Fifth Layer Middle Stage to the Late Stage.

It was only one step away from the Sixth Layer.

He had been stuck at this step for a whole year.

It was not that his foundation was insufficient; it was that he lacked an Opportunity.

An Opportunity to break through his current Bottleneck.

In the spring of the sixth year, the Opportunity arrived.

The Qingyuan Chamber of Commerce discovered an ancient Immortal Cave deep within the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range.

The perimeter of the Immortal Cave was guarded by a Golden Core Formation; the Foundation Establishment Cultivators of the Chamber of Commerce could not enter and had to report it.

After Master Liu Yun received the news, he summoned Chen Xuan.

"You go," Master Liu Yun said.

"Why me?"

Master Liu Yun looked at him, his gaze deep.

"Because there may be an Opportunity in the Immortal Cave. And you are the person in the Conquest Hall lineage who needs an Opportunity the most."

Chen Xuan was silent for a moment, then nodded.

"Disciple will go."

He returned to his residence and packed his bags.

Liu Lili stood in the courtyard, watching him.

"Junior Brother, how long will you be gone?"

"I don't know. A short trip would be ten days or half a month; a long one would be a year or so."

Liu Lili walked over and helped him tidy his robes.

"Be careful."

"Yes."

She stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek.

"Come back early."

Chen Xuan looked at her and nodded.

Then he turned, walked out of the courtyard, and headed toward the air harbor.

The flying boat was already waiting there.

Chen Xuan boarded the flying boat, stood by the railing, and looked back at Wanyao Immortal City.

Liu Lili stood at the courtyard gate, watching him from afar.

Chen Xuan waved at her.

Then the flying boat rose, turned, and flew toward the depths of the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range.