Chapter 659 - 623: Go Wherever One Wants, Like a Fish in Water

The Black Dragon’s formidable combat power mostly relied on its powerful Soul Body, and with the Taiyuan Soul Sword in its possession, it was like a sharp sword that made it all the more powerful.

However, it had no way of enhancing the Taiyuan Soul Sword further. Even powerful Sword Cultivators who specialized in the Sword Dao could not necessarily comprehend a Sword Domain, let alone the Black Dragon, which was primarily a physical being.

Thus, when it saw Yang Chan break through, it hovered on his shoulder, observing him from every angle. This made Yang Chan very uncomfortable, so he tossed it directly into the Profound Yin Hanging Bead for some solitary confinement.

’Who’s the master here, anyway? Staring at me like I’m some kind of freak... It’s making me uncomfortable.’

The space before Yang Chan twisted. In the span of a single breath, the scene before his eyes changed drastically. Simultaneously, an incredibly dense wave of Spiritual Qi washed over him.

If the Spiritual Qi concentration on the Holy Mountain had been a trickling stream, then the concentration here in the Profound Void Grotto Heaven was a surging river, crashing and rolling as it poured into Yang Chan’s body.

Yang Chan could feel the Innate Tai Chi Longevity Body within him begin to frantically absorb the Spiritual Qi. Ever since leaving the Purple Void Secret Realm, his body had been in an ordinary environment, with virtually no exposure to such dense Spiritual Qi. As a result, his Innate Tai Chi Longevity Body was, in a sense, "starved."

On the Holy Mountain, the Spiritual Qi concentration hadn’t been high. Although his Innate Tai Chi Longevity Body had absorbed some, it hadn’t had much of an "appetite." The "food" was too impure and its quality too poor. It felt like it wasn’t worth the effort, so the physique had only taken a few casual "bites."

But now, upon entering the Profound Void Grotto Heaven, things were different. A gourmet feast was laid out before it, and the Innate Tai Chi Longevity Body was ready to transform into a ravenous beast and frantically devour the Spiritual Qi.

When Yang Chan noticed this, his brow furrowed slightly. He then exerted forceful control, preventing his Innate Tai Chi Longevity Body from absorbing the Spiritual Qi frantically. Instead, he controlled the absorption rate, making it just a tiny bit faster than that of Gu An and the others.

When in a place with dense Spiritual Qi, ordinary people would naturally absorb the free-floating energy. Although they couldn’t refine it directly into power, it could still subtly enhance their physical bodies and advance their cultivation progress. The effect would be very noticeable when comparing two people of similar talent, and even more so for Martial Arts Experts.

However, the effect only became pronounced after a long period in such an environment. A short stay wouldn’t yield any obvious changes.

The people from the Holy Land were aware of this phenomenon.

At this moment, this was occurring not only with Yang Chan but also with Gu An and the others from the Cyan Yuan Sect. They were all absorbing the Spiritual Qi, almost as if being assimilated by their new surroundings.

Meanwhile, Feng Anliang and Sikong Qing were observing the newcomers from the Cyan Yuan Sect. To a certain extent, the degree to which a body absorbed Spiritual Qi could reveal a person’s ultimate potential.

It wasn’t an absolute rule, but most people adhered to this principle.

This became especially apparent when one encountered a bottleneck, as it directly impacted the difficulty of achieving a breakthrough.

Their gazes skipped over Gu An. Since Gu An had entered the Purple Void Secret Realm with the Merak Saintess’s group, they were already familiar with his situation. Their attention was focused mainly on Yang Chan and the others, trying to spot anyone who was particularly compatible with Spiritual Qi and could absorb large amounts of it.

Such a person would likely possess a special physique. This was a rare occurrence, but the possibility could not be entirely dismissed.

However, the state displayed by Yang Chan and the others clearly didn’t fit the criteria.

Even though Yang Chan absorbed slightly more, the difference wasn’t pronounced. After exchanging a glance, the two men retracted their gazes and paid them no further mind.

Generally speaking, it was normal for someone not to have a special physique.

It was difficult for someone with a special physique to be born even in a place with a high concentration of Spiritual Qi, let alone in a land relatively barren of it.

Yang Chan wasn’t surprised by their reactions. Back in the Purple Void Secret Realm, his body had once frantically absorbed Spiritual Qi. Later, when he had successfully forged the Innate Tai Chi Longevity Body, he had confirmed the details with the Black Dragon and come to understand the implications of having a special physique.

Seeing Feng Anliang and Sikong Qing’s behavior now, he immediately understood their objective.

’I have no desire to expose my physique. Otherwise, I’ll definitely be dragged into an even bigger political whirlpool.’

This was because anyone with a special physique in the Merak Sacred Land was considered a contender for the position of Saint Master. Whether in cultivation speed or combat power, those with special physiques far surpassed ordinary people, and this held true even at the Blood Exchange Martial Saint realm.

One could say that a Martial Saint with a special physique represented true peak combat power; they might even be invincible among their peers.

This level of combat power naturally far surpassed that of an ordinary Blood Exchange Martial Saint and was considered a standard feature of any truly powerful Holy Land.

’Under these circumstances, if I reveal my special physique, the Merak Saintess I’ve allied with might turn against me. The same would be true for the Merak Saint Son, Baili Xi, whom I’ve never even met.’

’At that point, they wouldn’t care about my status as an Advanced Pharmacist. I would have become a major threat to them. They might even join forces to kill me and eliminate that threat for good.’

’There are many ways to kill someone. Even within the rules, if they want me dead, they’ll find a way.’

Yang Chan had joined the Merak Sacred Land to accelerate his development and rapidly increase his strength. His goal was to reach an invincible realm as soon as possible—or at least get to a point where no one could threaten him. He had no intention of getting caught up in the struggle for the Saint Master’s position, as that would be a huge waste of his time.

Besides, he had little interest in things like power and authority. This had been true back in the Cyan Yuan Sect, and it remained true now that he had joined the Merak Sacred Land.

Previously, Yang Chan had been the Chief Pharmacist of the Cyan Yuan Sect, but he had very few actual responsibilities. He delegated most of his duties to others, freeing up more time for his cultivation. He knew that power and influence were fleeting; only personal strength was what truly mattered.

’Great strength could solve any problem. If a problem couldn’t be solved, it just meant one wasn’t strong enough yet.’

Yang Chan controlled the absorption rate of his Innate Tai Chi Longevity Body. Not long after Gu An and the others finished their absorption, his own body returned to normal.

’There will be plenty of time to absorb Spiritual Qi and replenish what the Innate Tai Chi Longevity Body needs. I don’t have to do it all right now.’

Even though the dense Spiritual Qi made him feel like a fish in water, he forcefully suppressed the sensation.

’When you’re not strong enough, you have to exercise restraint.’

After all, he still needed time to grow stronger.

He shifted his gaze to the scene before him. A vast, magnificent city appeared in his view. Its prosperity was comparable to White Jade City, the capital of the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty. In some ways, it was even more magnificent.

Antique-styled pavilions and gazebos with intricately carved railings stood tall. Amidst all the splendor, there was also a transcendent aura.

If the splendor of White Jade City stemmed from the gathering of the Great Zhou’s nobles and dignitaries, then the splendor of this city was that of a cultivation Holy Land. The people here all possessed incredibly vigorous Qi and Blood. Even the common folk had Qi and Blood far more potent than ordinary people in the outside world, making them seem like accomplished cultivators.

But these people were truly just commoners. It was only from being constantly steeped in the dense Spiritual Qi that their Qi and Blood had become so rich.

Martial Arts Experts were also a common sight.

People who had reached the External Refining Copper Skin realm, their skin tinged with the color of Bronze, Brass, or Ancient Bronze, were everywhere.

In the Cyan Yuan Sect, individuals at this level were considered Elite Disciples, and there were not many of them. Yet in this city, they were commonplace. This was merely the tip of the iceberg for a cultivation Holy Land.

He could even spot Inner Masters walking through the city. It was only due to his own powerful perception that he could sense them so clearly, helped by the fact that he and his group were now inside the city as well.

The Void Gate opened directly into this city. According to the information Yang Chan and the others had received from Lü Zhenghai, this city was not the true Merak Sacred Land, but merely its periphery. Most of the inhabitants were descendants of the Sacred Land’s members, while others were simply too old and had retired here to live out their days.

The true Merak Sacred Land was built atop the densest Spirit Vein, a place where the concentration of Spiritual Qi was even greater. That was the real holy land of cultivation!