Chapter 385 - 382: Advancement to Level 4

Chapter 385: Chapter 382: Advancement to Level 4

The days passed, one by one.

Inside the temporary cave residence,

As Shen Changchuan circulated the Qi Absorption and Essence Returning Technique, the Magical Power within his body grew increasingly pure.

Whenever the Magical Power within him was compressed to a certain threshold,

Shen Changchuan would stop,

and begin consuming and refining the Heavenly and Earthly Treasures he had purchased, ones suitable for the Soul Emergence Realm, to replenish the energy lost from compressing his Magical Power.

He repeated this process over and over.

With each cycle of refinement,

Shen Changchuan’s Magical Power grew increasingly vast and potent.

It even began to transform, approaching the quality of Magical Power possessed by those at the Soul Emergence Fourth Layer.

Of course,

what was the cost?

It was the Heavenly and Earthly Treasures he had purchased—worth over three thousand Middle Grade Spirit Stones, the equivalent of three hundred thousand Lower Grade Spirit Stones—which were disappearing at a startlingly visible rate!

For any ordinary Cultivator in the Soul Emergence Realm, this would be considered an absolutely wasteful, even insane, endeavor!

But for Shen Changchuan,

it was all worth it!

In the blink of an eye,

another month had passed.

During this month,

Shen Changchuan’s Magical Power was steadily compressed and purified, and his strength increased even further.

Meanwhile,

his Master, Master Wandering Dragon, had sent a reply.

As Shen Changchuan had expected, Master Wandering Dragon had never heard of the Gold-Devouring Spirit Butterfly, much less seen one.

Although Cultivators possessed excellent memories thanks to their powerful Divine Souls,

the world was filled with countless Heavenly and Earthly Treasures, and it was impossible for anyone to recognize them all.

Fortunately, however,

as the most prominent figure in the Tian Nan Domain’s Immortal Cultivation Realm, Master Wandering Dragon had extensive connections.

Not to mention his connections within the Yuqing Immortal Sect,

even just within the Tian Nan Domain, there were many who would grant him a favor.

So, he had made some inquiries on his disciple’s behalf,

and eventually learned from an Elder of the Blazing Sun Sword Sect that he had heard the name before.

According to the Elder, about two years ago while laying an ambush for a Priest from the Spirit Race—one of the Four Major Clans—he had overheard the Priest mention that name in passing.

This implied that something of the sort likely existed among the Spirit Race.

If one were to search in their territory, they would likely find a trail.

At the end of the Communication Talisman’s message,

Master Wandering Dragon stated frankly that the fighting on the front lines was currently intense, and he was unable to get away for the time being.

However, he promised to go out and search on his behalf once everything had settled down.

The news from the talisman left Shen Changchuan with mixed feelings of joy and worry.

He was joyful because he finally had news of the Gold-Devouring Spirit Butterfly.

He was worried because the information was incomplete, just a few fragmented words. Moreover, to obtain it, he would most likely have to confront the Spirit Race, one of the Four Major Clans.

The Nanyue Kingdom was dominated by the "One Teaching, Two Gates, and Four Major Clans,"

and each of these factions was a top-tier power presided over by an expert at the Divine Travel Realm!

Shen Changchuan was nowhere near powerful enough to face such an expert.

’Whatever. I’ll focus on gathering intelligence first.’

’There’s always a way. I’ll figure out where the butterfly is first, then I’ll make a plan.’

Resigned,

Shen Changchuan could only set the matter aside for the time being.

Besides, Master Wandering Dragon had already promised to help once the situation stabilized.

’Worst case, I’ll just wait for Master to lend a hand.’

’There’s no need to take any unnecessary risks.’

Of course,

while making this decision,

Shen Changchuan didn’t forget to send another Communication Talisman to his master, thanking him for his help. He also included an update on his own Cultivation progress and added some words of concern for his master’s well-being.

Shen Changchuan wasn’t particularly skilled at socializing,

but he knew that staying on good terms with his master was always the right move.

And why not?

Finding the Gold-Devouring Spirit Butterfly was an immense challenge for him, but for a powerhouse like his master, it was probably a trivial matter.

「A few days later.」

Wu Tianhao also returned.

However, he had returned with serious injuries.

Since practicing the Qi Absorption and Essence Returning Technique only involved compressing and purifying his internal Magical Power and wasn’t a strict, do-not-disturb seclusion,

Shen Changchuan paused his training for a day to visit him.

During their casual conversation, he learned

that Wu Tianhao had been on a mission in a place called Golden Wind Valley, where he had unfortunately been ambushed.

Coupled with the valley’s harsh environment, he had nearly met his end there.

However, Wu Tianhao’s description of Golden Wind Valley piqued Shen Changchuan’s interest.

Upon further inquiry,

he learned that the area was situated atop a massive mineral vein stretching for hundreds, even thousands of miles.

The ground, the mountains, everything as far as the eye could see was composed of ore.

Aside from a few special plants like ironwood, the land was almost completely barren.

At the same time,

in that place,

Geng Metal Qi rose from the ground and merged with the constant gales, forming a ’golden wind’ as sharp as knives, which was utterly terrifying.

This description made Shen Changchuan’s heart stir.

An environment like that,

was the perfect natural habitat for the Gold-Devouring Spirit Butterfly!

"Sorry, Senior Brother, I’ve never heard of any Gold-Devouring Spirit Butterfly."

In response to Shen Changchuan’s question,

Wu Tianhao thought for a moment before giving a negative answer.

He had come into contact with quite a few local Cultivators during his mission,

but he had never heard any of them mention the existence of a strange creature like the Gold-Devouring Spirit Butterfly.

At this,

Shen Changchuan couldn’t help but sigh.

’It seems,’

’I’ll have to search among the Spirit Race of the Four Major Clans after all...’

After visiting Wu Tianhao,

Shen Changchuan returned to his temporary cave residence and immediately resumed his secluded Cultivation.

Soon,

another month passed.

The Heavenly and Earthly Treasures that Shen Changchuan had purchased from the market were finally all used up.

Even the two thousand Middle Grade Spirit Stones he had left in his possession had been completely spent!

Two months of hard work,

had successfully turned Shen Changchuan into a pauper!

But all of this,

was worth it!

Inside the temporary cave residence,

a powerful aura erupted with a thunderous roar, sweeping through the space and kicking up visible shockwaves in the air!

An immense pressure permeated every corner of the void!

Then, at a certain moment,

the aura, having reached its peak, suddenly seemed to shatter a barrier that stood in its way.

In an instant,

like a bursting dam,

the nearly tangible aura swept across the entire space in a flash!

Soul Emergence Fourth Layer!

He had broken through!

Atop the White Jade Meditation Mat, Shen Changchuan opened his eyes.

A sharp, white light flashed in his eyes, so tangible it seemed to slice through space, leaving a visible gash on the ground nearby!

An expression of immense joy appeared on Shen Changchuan’s face.

’I never imagined that after compressing and purifying my Magical Power so drastically, I’d be able to break through the bottleneck of the Third Layer Peak with such ease...’

’It seems my guess was correct!’

’My Cultivation Realm advanced too quickly, causing my Magical Power to lack sufficient ’density,’ which is why I struggled so much with that bottleneck!’

’But my foundation itself was solid. Once I addressed that issue, the compressed and purified Magical Power naturally allowed me to break through the bottleneck and enter the next Realm!’

Feeling the transformation within his body,

and the Magical Power that was now a cut above what it was before, Shen Changchuan’s eyes overflowed with excitement.