Chapter 142 - 141: Advancement

Chapter 142: Chapter 141: Advancement

Cultivating for the Void Transformation stage was a perilous and brutal process.

It required one to use their hard-earned Inner Qi as tinder, "igniting" it outside the Divine Hall Acupoint. This created a raging fire of qi, which was then used to scorch and temper the very source of Divine Sense hidden deep within the acupoint.

The technique was like forging iron; only through repeated tempering could the impurities be removed, allowing the ethereal Divine Sense to constantly condense and strengthen.

Chen Li began, following the steps outlined in the Technique.

In an instant, an intangible fire ignited at his Divine Hall Acupoint.

An indescribable, searing heat washed over him. It didn’t affect his physical body but assaulted the very depths of his Divine Soul, bringing waves of tearing pain and a profound sense of emptiness.

He clung to the sliver of clarity in his Spirit Platform, gritting his teeth against the inhuman torment as he guided the fire of qi to continuously scorch his Divine Hall Acupoint.

Within the flames, his Divine Sense Illusion was continuously purified and compressed, its once-loose form gradually solidifying.

At the same time, however, the Inner Qi stored in his Dantian and various acupoints was being consumed at a torrential pace, like water bursting from a dam.

He remained in this state for an entire day and night.

Only when Chen Li felt his Inner Qi was nearly depleted and he could no longer sustain the process did he slowly stop his Cultivation.

He opened his eyes. Though they were filled with deep exhaustion, they also held an undeniable glimmer of joy.

He could clearly feel that after a full day and night of being tempered by the qi-fire, his Divine Soul was significantly more substantial than before!

The degree of this improvement far surpassed what he had achieved in the nearly six months of passively nourishing it with Inner Qi since breaking through to the Divine Hall stage.

With a mere thought, he executed the Ape Strike Skill.

Previously, when he used his full power, a single move would make his Divine Sense Illusion feel as if it were about to collapse. He could barely manage to execute two moves in a row.

This time, however, with his Divine Sense condensed, he executed three killing moves in one smooth sequence before he felt the drain on his Divine Sense and a clear sense of fatigue set in.

The results were remarkable!

Chen Li was pleased.

But this joy came at a tremendous cost.

The first thing he felt upon opening his eyes was extreme weakness.

His Inner Qi was completely spent, and his Divine Sense was exhausted. He felt as if he were recovering from a serious illness.

Worse, his meridians throbbed with a dull ache as dozens of streams of scorching Fire Poison spread through them. His body felt as if he had suffered internal injuries in a fierce battle.

’In my current weak and injured state, if I were to fight the Snow Fairy again, my chances of victory would be slim. Defeat would be highly likely.’

Chen Li assessed privately.

Not daring to delay, he immediately took one of the Sweet Wind Jade Dew Heaven-Repairing Creation Pills he had just refined and swallowed it.

Once ingested, the Elixir Pill quickly dissolved into a cool, potent medicinal energy. Wherever it flowed, the searing sensation of the Fire Poison faded away like melting snow.

In its place came a nourishing force, rich with vital essence, that gently repaired the minute damage to his meridians.

He took three Sweet Wind Jade Dew Heaven-Repairing Creation Pills in succession. Only after their medicinal effects were fully absorbed did the Fire Poison in his meridians finally dissipate.

Chen Li then brewed a portion of the Eight Treasures Spirit Nourishing Soup.

This soup’s medicinal properties were focused on rapidly restoring depleted Inner Qi.

After regulating his breathing for about an hour, Chen Li slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a long, turbid breath.

His Inner Qi was seventy to eighty percent restored, and his mental fatigue had also been greatly alleviated. He had finally broken free from that state of extreme weakness.

Now that his Cultivation session was over, a calmer Chen Li silently made some calculations.

’To reach my goal, I’ll need at least two hundred more Cultivation sessions of today’s intensity.’

’The Sweet Wind Jade Dew Heaven-Repairing Creation Pills alone will require over sixty sets of medicinal ingredients, costing one hundred twenty thousand taels of silver.’

’And that doesn’t even count the Eight Treasures Spirit Nourishing Soup needed to restore my Inner Qi.’

’All told, without at least one hundred fifty thousand taels of silver, it would be impossible to support my Cultivation up to the Void Transformation stage.’

One hundred fifty thousand taels...

Chen Li’s brows knitted together.

The family’s assets and landholdings had grown, but they were still operating at an annual loss.

Even including the windfall of gold and silver, they only had a little over twenty thousand taels of silver and that one hundred taels of gold remaining.

To raise over a hundred thousand taels, they would have to sell off a massive portion of the family’s assets. Otherwise, it was just a pipe dream.

The family’s finances could in no way support such a terrifying rate of expenditure.

Even with the constant acquisition of more land over the past two years, the income couldn’t keep up with the pace of his Cultivation.

’This isn’t Cultivation, it’s just burning through money!’

After a moment of daze, Chen Li remembered what Gossip had said about the five thousand taels of gold in operational funds.

’With that, I could completely cover my Cultivation expenses.’

’It could even significantly speed up Shouheng’s, Shouye’s, and Shouyue’s Cultivation.’

’I have to get my hands on that gold as soon as possible.’

Chen Li thought to himself.

He had also found out the hiding place for that gold and silver.

It was right in Jiangkou County.

But the Celestial Sword Sect was currently conducting a massive search in Jiangkou County. The situation was tense, and it would be far too dangerous to go for the gold now.

’I need to wait... At the very least, I have to wait for things to blow over.’

Chen Li suppressed his urgency, knowing full well this matter couldn’t be rushed.

...

「Late at night.」

「Wang Shiming’s Residence.」

Five shadowy figures, like phantoms melting into the night, silently vaulted over the low wall. They landed in the courtyard and gathered in the shadows of the only part of the main hall that was still relatively intact.

One of them, a burly man, had barely steadied himself before he scanned the dilapidated surroundings and complained, "Old He, what the hell are you playing at? To kill one guy at the First Level of the Spirit Realm, you drag all of us out to this godforsaken place to meet up? We could just storm his house and dice him up!"

A lanky man standing next to him chimed in, "Brother Jiang is right. Given what we know about the Chen Family, what’s there to be so cautious about? It’s just some kid who recently broke through to the Spirit Realm. There are four of us at the Meridian Passage stage, plus Brother Sun. We can just attack him head-on. Why are we skulking around here and wasting time?"

Questioned by two of his companions, Old He didn’t get angry at their ridicule. Instead, he lowered his voice and explained, "It’s not that I’m a coward. It’s just... this Chen Family fellow feels very strange to me. He’s unusually cautious, as if he always has a trick up his sleeve. You can’t go wrong with being careful. Better safe than sorry."

Everyone’s gaze subconsciously shifted to the one man who had yet to speak.

He wore a gray robe and had a gaunt face, looking like an ordinary old farmer. But when his eyes occasionally opened, a keen glint would flash within them, revealing a profound Cultivation that set him apart.

This was the man they called Brother Sun.

With his arms crossed, he had been coldly observing their argument. When they fell silent, he finally spoke, his tone impassive. "Old He’s concerns are not without reason. Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit."

Seeing that Brother Sun had spoken, Brother Jiang, though still unconvinced, didn’t dare to argue back.

"We still need someone to lure that Chen Li out," Old He reminded them.

Brother Jiang snorted. "I’ll go! I want to see what kind of lion’s den this is that has you so spooked, Old He."

Without waiting for a response, he leaped into motion. Like a silent night owl, he vanished into the darkness, heading straight for the Chen Mansion.

Old He opened his mouth, as if to give a word of caution, but the man was already gone.

...

Chen Li was resting with his wife in their room.

Suddenly, his closed eyelids twitched.

A Spiritual Sense, thick with obvious hostility and Evil Qi, had just barged into the range of his Divine Sense like a rampaging bull.

’Who’s there?’

Chen Li snorted inwardly. He rose from the bed and slipped out of the bedroom without a sound.