22: Advance to the Spiritual Realm

“This matter is of great importance. I, a mere Zhishi, fear I cannot determine the specific Merit Points for Lu Bro,” Hu Tai lightly shook the bamboo slip in his hand, which represented the Mangniu Mountain mission in Donghe County, and said, “Lu Bro, please go back and wait. I believe there will be good news soon, and I will send you a message then.”

As he spoke, Hu Tai took out his communication jade slip and left his spiritual sense message for Lu Chen.

Lu Chen had anticipated this. There were too many Monster Corpses gathered in Mangniu Mountain, and there was even a Demon Tiger suspected to have become a Mountain Lord, and a Giant Python about to transform into a Flood Dragon. Hu Tai, this Penetrating Aperture Zhishi, truly did not have the authority to make the final decision.

“Thank you, Steward Hu,” Lu Chen cupped his fists, “Then, I will await Steward Hu's good news.”

With that, he headed towards where Zhishi Zhou Song was located.

Hu Tai, on the other hand, hurriedly took out a communication jade slip and, at the fastest speed, sent the news Lu Chen brought back to the higher-ups of the Internal Affairs Hall. He had a premonition that this matter would definitely not be simple and might even lead to a major event.

…………

Inner Sect, Feilai Peak.

The Fifth Elder, short and stout with graying hair, looked at the message from Hu Tai in the communication jade slip in his hand. The more he read, the tighter his brows furrowed. After a long while, he finally raised his eyebrows in anger, “A strange tree resembling a green snake, with green fruits like a green snake spitting out a pearl! Damn it, who brought the ‘dragon transformation fruit’ to Mangniu Mountain?!”

The dragon transformation fruit is a holy medicine for Monster Corpses. It is rumored that taking it can lead to transformation into a Flood Dragon.

Of course, this is merely a legend; it cannot truly transform one into a Flood Dragon. However, if swallowed by that Giant Python which already shows signs of transforming into a Flood Dragon, it will absolutely allow that Giant Python to transform into a Flood Dragon.

Furthermore, there is a Demon Tiger suspected to have cultivated into a Mountain Lord. If it can swallow this dragon transformation fruit, achieving Mountain Lord status will be certain, no longer just a suspicion!

He took out his communication jade slip, about to send a message, but then put it away again, “With two such powerful Monster Corpses, how could that Outer Sect Disciple penetrate deep into Mangniu Mountain and ascertain everything?”

Crucially, he returned safely to the Sect!

If it were an ordinary Disciple, let alone the top batch of Spirit Transformation Realm Outer Sect Disciples, even Inner Sect Penetrating Aperture Realm Disciples who went there would likely be eaten by those Monster Corpses until not even bones remained!

“This kid has something!”

The Fifth Elder couldn't help but take out the communication jade slip and look again, “Lu Chen? That young fellow who broke through to Qi Condensation Peak in less than two months after entering the Sect and even comprehended Sword Intent!”

“He can be my personal Disciple…”

“Hmm? This kid is not simple. Mingjing Peak and Doujian Peak will probably fight tooth and nail for him! Forget it, there's no need for this old man to join in the fun!”

He hurriedly transformed into a streak of light and flew directly towards Mingjing Peak.

Lu Chen naturally knew nothing of all this. At this moment, he had already arrived before Zhou Song.

“Zhou Bro, are there any pills to assist Qi Condensation in breaking through to Spirit Transformation?”

“Hmm?” Zhou Song looked up in surprise at Lu Chen, “Your aura is stable, without any hollowness, and your Foundation is solid. It is indeed time to prepare for a Breakthrough!”

His words carried emotion. He had broken through to the Nerve-Gathering Later Stage in less than two months previously, and now, in less than three months, Lu Chen was already preparing to break through to the Spirit Transformation Realm.

This speed was indeed fast, and frustratingly fast!

“Qi Spirit Pill, forty Merit Points. With your Foundation, breaking through is more than enough,” Zhou Song casually took out a jade bottle and shook it, “Do you have enough Merit Points to buy it?”

He remembered that after Lu Chen bought the Ascension Pill and ten mid-grade spiritual stones last time, he only had twenty-three Merit Points left on his identity jade token.

He didn't know that Lu Chen later went to the Wan Fa Pavilion and exchanged for a Fire Elemental Spell, leaving him with only thirteen Merit Points in the end.

Lu Chen handed over his identity jade token, “It’s just enough.”

Forty Merit Points, which was acceptable. He had gained thirty Merit Points from the Wuguan County mission, and had thirteen Merit Points remaining from before. After buying this Qi Spirit Pill, he would still have three Merit Points left.

Zhou Song smiled, “You earn Merit Points quite quickly.”

After getting the pill, Lu Chen quickened his steps back to his small courtyard.

He didn't rush to swallow the Qi Spirit Pill but instead projected his consciousness into the Nurturing Soldier Immortal Coffin: “My Copper Armor brothers, eat to your heart's content.”

With Lu Chen's instruction, the fifteen Copper Armor Dao Soldiers, who had been restrained for a long time, no longer hesitated and began to absorb the mountain of Monster Corpses.

As the Dao Soldiers grew stronger, it would also feed back to Lu Chen, strengthening his Physical Body and slightly increasing his True Qi. Therefore, Lu Chen only allowed the Dao Soldiers to absorb those Monster Corpses as nutrients when he was in seclusion.

Under the full absorption and assimilation by the fifteen Copper Armor Dao Soldiers, the pile of Monster Corpses, which had formed a small mountain, gradually diminished.

One Qi Condensation Realm Monster Corpse after another turned into nothingness, completely absorbed by the Dao Soldiers. Then, the Spirit Transformation Realm Monster Corpses also began to decrease.

Meanwhile, Lu Chen was already sitting cross-legged, feeling the power feeding back from the Nurturing Soldier Immortal Coffin, continuously strengthening his Physical Body.

It wasn't a sudden, explosive increase, but rather a steady enhancement, like a flowing stream, following the pace of the Copper Armor Dao Soldiers, slow but continuous.

After an unknown amount of time, Lu Chen slowly opened his eyes and let out a long breath, “I miscalculated!”

He had originally estimated that over a hundred Monster Corpses would be enough for the fifteen Copper Armor Dao Soldiers to advance to Silver Armor Dao Soldiers, but the result was not so!

The Copper Armor Dao Soldiers were still Copper Armor Dao Soldiers, just significantly stronger than before. They should be very close to advancing to Silver Armor Dao Soldiers, but still lacked a little.

“No matter, I'll go kill some more Monster Corpses after I break through to the Spirit Transformation Realm.”

Within the Dongming Sect's territory, there are plenty of Monster Corpse resource points, even up to the Penetrating Aperture Realm. However, there are no Monster Corpses of the higher Mysterious Method Realm.

He took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled, adjusted his mindset, and closed his eyes again to meditate, “Next, break through Qi Condensation, enter Spirit Transformation!”

He opened the jade bottle, poured out a round, emerald-green pill, and swallowed it in one gulp.

Instantly, a vast medicinal power spread out within Lu Chen's body, rapidly rushing into his Qi Sea and Dantian, and then into all the Meridians throughout his body. For a moment, Lu Chen felt as if the True Qi in his body had turned into a raging inferno, scorching hot.

In contrast, the True Qi in his body began to continuously collapse and condense, gradually transforming into another layer as the Mixed Origin Undying Scripture circulated.

What is the Spirit Transformation Realm?

The so-called Spirit Transformation Realm is a transformation of the power level.

The Qi Condensation Realm condenses true essence and qi, which is True Qi, focusing on turning the ethereal into the substantial.

The Spirit Transformation Realm, on the other hand, transforms True Qi into spiritual power, which has an essential difference from True Qi.

A single strand of spiritual power can easily defeat ten strands of True Qi, or even a hundred strands of True Qi. This is not an exaggeration, but a fact; the difference between the two is too vast.

The reason Lu Chen could easily kill Spirit Transformation Realm Monster Corpses and Monster Corpses with Qi Condensation Realm strength was by relying on his Dao Soldiers, not his own power.

Dao Soldiers do not have True Qi or spiritual power. Their physical bodies are formidable, and their strength is astonishing. They can be entirely regarded as Body Refinement cultivators. The difference is that Dao Soldiers also control Earth Element and Fire Element, and can manipulate the power of heaven and earth, making them even stronger.

Even when facing Monster Corpses of a higher realm, they can rely on their powerful physiques to fight head-on.

“Boom!”

As if an invisible barrier was broken, the True Qi within Lu Chen's body completely disappeared, replaced by exceptionally powerful spiritual power.

“Spirit Transformation Realm, within my Nurturing Soldier Immortal Coffin, I can now nurture ten more Dao Soldiers!”