Chapter 234 - 215: Advancing by Leaps and Bounds

Chapter 234: Chapter 215: Advancing by Leaps and Bounds

Lin Fengchun gazed at the alarming cracks on the body of the sword, then at the serene young man before him. He couldn’t help but smile and shake his head.

"To think you could damage a Spirit Soldier of this quality so badly... Just how in the world did you cultivate such strength?"

He sighed in admiration, not expecting an answer from Chen Yue, then gently set the Azure Sky Sword down and said in a serious tone:

"The Storage Ring is a standard-issue item within the Sect. It’s in perfect condition and the internal space is stable. I’ll give you one thousand one hundred Contribution Points.

This sword, on the other hand, is heavily damaged. Fortunately, the blade’s Origin hasn’t been destroyed, so it’s still worth repairing. However, the repairs will be quite troublesome. How about nine hundred Contribution Points?"

Chen Yue nodded without haggling. The price was within his expected range.

A smile spread across Lin Fengchun’s face. "You fought very well yesterday!"

Without waiting for Chen Yue to reply, Lin Fengchun turned and walked toward the back hall.

The On-Duty Disciple quickly processed the deposit of Contribution Points for Chen Yue. With two thousand points credited to his account, plus his previous balance, Chen Yue’s total now exceeded twelve thousand Contribution Points.

For a disciple in the Refining Organ Realm, this was already a terrifyingly large fortune.

Chen Yue tucked the Waist Token back onto his belt. Just as he was about to turn and leave the Affairs Hall, he suddenly paused.

He remembered something. He turned his head and looked at the On-Duty Disciple behind the counter. "Could you check for me? Do I now have the qualification to cultivate in the Gathering Essence Spirit Platform and the Wenda Corridor?"

’If the Sect has truly recognized me as the top of the Cyan Cloud Ranking, then the privileges that come with it—the right to cultivate in the Gathering Essence Spirit Platform and the Wenda Corridor once every six months—should have been granted to me as well.’

The On-Duty Disciple snapped back to his senses, hurriedly took Chen Yue’s Waist Token, and placed it on the piece of Jade on the counter.

The Jade trembled slightly, and rows of information materialized.

The On-Duty Disciple examined it for a moment before looking up at Chen Yue. "Senior Brother Chen, you do indeed possess a three-day cultivation pass for the Gathering Essence Spirit Platform, as well as a three-day pass for the Wenda Corridor."

Upon hearing this, a smile touched Chen Yue’s eyes.

’Just as I thought,’ he mused. ’The Sect not only gave me the Contribution Point reward for being first on the Cyan Cloud Ranking, but also bestowed the cultivation privileges befitting the top rank.’

"So, when can I go to those two places?" Chen Yue asked.

The On-Duty Disciple looked down, consulting the Jade for another moment before raising his head.

"The Gathering Essence Spirit Platform and the Wenda Corridor are both currently in use. The Gathering Essence Spirit Platform is expected to be available in four days, while the Wenda Corridor will take eight days to free up."

The image of Lu Jingxing involuntarily surfaced in Chen Yue’s mind. ’I wonder if he’s the senior brother cultivating in there?’

He didn’t dwell on the thought, simply nodding. "Book the Gathering Essence Spirit Platform for me in four days, and the Wenda Corridor in eight days."

The On-Duty Disciple nodded. "Of course! I’ll register that for you right now."

A few moments later, everything was settled. Chen Yue put away his Waist Token and walked out of the Affairs Hall.

Back in his own courtyard, Chen Yue closed the gate and sat down cross-legged in the Quiet Chamber.

He took out the scroll containing the Qi Yuan Pill formula, which he had redeemed from the Hidden Skills Pavilion, and slowly unrolled it.

The scroll was densely covered in tiny, neat script, accompanied by delicate diagrams that detailed the properties of each medicinal ingredient, its preparation method, when to add it to the mixture, and the key points for controlling the fire.

Chen Yue focused his concentration and began to carefully read the Qi Yuan Pill formula.

He read very slowly, pausing after each section to think carefully and simulate the refining process in his mind. Whenever he encountered a part he didn’t understand, Chen Yue would read it again and again until he did.

An hour later, Chen Yue slowly closed the scroll and placed it on his lap, his gaze thoughtful.

’The fundamental requirement for refining the Qi Yuan Pill is the ability to sense the fluctuations of Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi—not necessarily control it, as I had originally thought.’

’With the aid of the Celestial Demon Burning Technique, I can indeed faintly sense the presence of Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi. In theory, that means I should meet the basic requirement.’

But he wasn’t entirely sure if the panel would acknowledge it.

Chen Yue set the pill formula aside, took out and consumed a Nourishing Spirit Pill Yang Pill, and began his daily cultivation.

Time flowed by slowly. Night fell, and all was still and silent.

At midnight, the familiar ripple appeared, right on schedule.

[Daily Settlement]

[Diligently studied the Qi Yuan Pill formula, Experience +1]

...

[Qi Yuan Pill (Entry Level 1/21205)]

Staring at the clear line of text on the panel, Chen Yue’s eyes lit up.

’It works!’

The panel had acknowledged his study of the Qi Yuan Pill formula. This meant he could accumulate a considerable degree of proficiency with it even before breaking through to the Innate Realm.

Then, when he finally broke through to the Innate Realm and gained full control over the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi, he could begin refining the pills immediately, saving himself the time of fumbling through the process.

「Three days passed in the blink of an eye.」

During these three days, Chen Yue’s life returned to its usual routine.

He spent his mornings refining Nourishing Spirit Pills, his afternoons cultivating the Ten Thousand Forms Tiger Roar Golden Bell and the Furious Wave Saber Intent, and his evenings studying the Qi Yuan Pill formula. He would rest after the midnight settlement. His days were full and peaceful.

On this day, Chen Yue was in his courtyard practicing the fist forms of the Ten Thousand Forms Tiger Roar Golden Bell.

His movements were slow and steady, and every punch, palm, and kick possessed a certain rhythm of perfect harmony.

As the cultivation technique circulated, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi slowly gathered toward him. Though the amount was not large, the flow was noticeably smoother than it had been a few days ago.

Suddenly, he heard a faint whistling sound from the distant sky.

Chen Yue stopped his movements and raised his head, looking in the direction of the sound.

A figure clad in moon-white was drifting in from the distant horizon. Her sleeves fluttered gently in the wind, her posture poised and elegant.

It was his master, Meng Yu Jin.

Chen Yue strode forward and opened the courtyard gate. Meng Yu Jin landed just outside, her robes settling gently around her. When she saw Chen Yue open the gate, a warm smile graced her lips.

Chen Yue quickly stepped aside to let her pass, welcoming Meng Yu Jin into the courtyard. "Master, if you needed something, you could have just sent someone to inform me. Why come all this way yourself?"

Meng Yu Jin waved her hand, her tone light. "It’s nothing important. I was just passing by and thought I’d stop in to let you know something."

She sat on a stone bench in the courtyard, and Chen Yue quickly poured a cup of tea and handed it to her.

Meng Yu Jin accepted the cup, took a light sip, and then set it down, her expression growing a little more serious.

"Things have been unsettled outside the Sect lately; incidents involving Ghostly Creatures are on the rise. Tomorrow, I’m going on a mission with your Elder Mo and Elder Liu, and we might be gone for several days.

While I’m away, you must not leave the Sect grounds for any reason. Understand?"

Chen Yue’s brow twitched slightly. ’An incident with Ghostly Creatures has escalated to the point that it requires three Innate Realm masters to handle?’

A flicker of curiosity arose in him, and he asked, "Master, is it a Chong Ghost?"

His thoughts turned to the Mountain Monarch that had been entrenched outside Youlin County for many years.

Hearing this, Meng Yu Jin gave Chen Yue a curious look and shook her head.

"Not a Chong Ghost. A Ghost Realm has appeared. Inside, a Ghostly Object is impersonating the Yin Department, recruiting followers, and accumulating power from their worship.

Such a place is extremely harmful to ordinary people, but for us Martial Artists, if we manage to destroy it, we can find quite a few valuable items. Innate Spiritual Objects often spawn within Ghost Realms."

Meng Yu Jin paused, then asked, "Why do you suddenly ask about Chong Ghosts?"

Chen Yue didn’t hide anything, answering truthfully, "A Mountain Monarch is entrenched outside Youlin County, where I was previously stationed.

Not long ago, a Chong Ghost under its command infiltrated the Prefecture City, and I was fortunate enough to slay it. So when you mentioned Ghostly Creatures, Master, my mind went to that Mountain Monarch."

A look of surprise flashed in Meng Yu Jin’s eyes upon hearing this.

"For that Mountain Monarch to be able to send a Chong Ghost into the Prefecture City suggests it’s quite strong. That Chong Ghost must have been in a mutated state, neither human nor ghost, otherwise it couldn’t have bypassed the city gate’s sensors."

She pondered for a moment before adding, "I will report this to the Sect and have the Foreign Affairs Hall keep an eye on that Mountain Monarch’s movements. For now, just focus on your cultivation. Don’t let this distract you."

Chen Yue nodded. "Yes, I understand."

Meng Yu Jin gave him a few more words of caution before rising to leave. Chen Yue walked her to the courtyard gate and watched as she soared into the air, vanishing over the horizon in an instant.

The next morning, Chen Yue arrived at the Gathering Essence Spirit Platform as scheduled.

The great hall was built into the mountainside, its flying eaves and bracketed roof appearing solemn and majestic in the early morning light.

In the shadows beneath the hall’s eaves, a figure sat cross-legged. It was Qin Hongzhang.

As Chen Yue approached, Qin Hongzhang slowly opened his eyes, a smile spreading across his face.

He had, of course, heard about what Chen Yue had done at the Liuyun Sword Sect. His eyes were filled with approval as he looked at the young man before him.

He didn’t say much, simply waving a hand. The heavy doors to the Gathering Essence Spirit Platform slowly swung open.

Chen Yue gave Qin Hongzhang a respectful bow, then turned and walked into the Gathering Essence Spirit Platform with practiced familiarity.

The interior of the Gathering Essence Spirit Platform was exactly as he remembered it from over a month ago; nothing had changed.

Chen Yue walked to the center of the great hall and sat down cross-legged. He took a deep breath and slowly closed his eyes.

He activated the Pan Yuan Infinite Skill and the Celestial Demon Burning Technique.

The moment both cultivation techniques began to circulate simultaneously, the world transformed within Chen Yue’s perception.

The dense Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi inside the Gathering Essence Spirit Platform felt like innumerable, faintly glowing stars, floating densely all around him, clinging to his skin.

Chen Yue carefully circulated his Saber Intent, guiding the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi around him and pulling it into his body, thread by thread. He then used the Pan Yuan Infinite Skill to refine it, merging it into his Inner Strength.

As the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi was slowly refined, Chen Yue could clearly feel his Inner Strength growing more condensed and purer.

Lost in cultivation, he felt no sense of time passing. At some point, Chen Yue rose to practice the fist forms of the Ten Thousand Forms Tiger Roar Golden Bell a few times before sitting cross-legged again to continue refining the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi.

After an unknown number of hours, the familiar ripple appeared before Chen Yue’s eyes.

[Daily Settlement]

[Cultivated diligently, Cultivation +2280]

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