[Status Panel]

Name: Luo Chen

Lifespan: 146/500

Spirit Roots: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth

Realm: Golden Core Stage Five (30/100); Archaic Beast Tier Three (75/100)

[Techniques]

Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Scripture: Proficient (201/300)

Myriad Path Convergence: Perfected Mastery

Myriad Beast Sutra: Perfection (375/500)

[Spells]

Fourth-Tier

Third-Tier

Perfected Mastery Spells (click to view details)

[Martial Arts]

Voidburst Step: Grandmaster (575/1000)

Perfected Mastery Martial Arts (click to view details)

The simplified status panel appeared before his eyes once more after many years. Even though he had long maintained calm and steady, he could not help but feel a stir at this moment. After settling in Surging Lake, it took him only two years to advance from halfway through the fourth stage of Golden Core to the threshold of the fifth! Every single factor of cultivation had been accounted for in full, so in the three years that followed, his progress did not slow. He advanced at a steady pace and was now thirty percent into the fifth stage. At this rate, he was only six or seven years away from the sixth!

Such speed would have been astonishing anywhere in the Mountains and Seas Realm. Yet Luo Chen knew this was simply natural—that crow hadn't spouted nonsense when she told him that his speed would be akin to having a heavenly spirit root.

It was rumored that cultivators with heavenly spirit roots could establish their foundation in ten years, form a Golden Core in a hundred, and reach Nascent Soul in two hundred. As they advanced, their speed only increased, and bottlenecks were rare. Yet behind these claims lie many factors: suitable cultivation techniques, spirit lands, guidance from mentors, and abundant resources.

In the past, Luo Chen's heavenly-spirit-root-level potential had been nothing more than potential; his actual speed had been no higher than that of an ordinary dual-spirit-root cultivator. The main limitation had been the spirit land. Now that Han Zhan had worked his magic on Surging Lake, gathering the spirit veins and elevating its grade, that specific limitation was no more. Thus, Luo Chen's cultivation speed skyrocketed. Of course, the large number of pills and his advanced proficiency in his core technique had also played crucial roles, especially the latter.

The Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Scripture really is extraordinary. It improved my spirit root aptitude, and the mana it produces is incredibly pure. It's saved me so much effort on refinement and purification.... Hmm.... This really must be a cultivation method used by the phoenix race after taking human form. Otherwise, it's hard to explain these insane effects. And this is only the Golden Core chapter; if I could get my hands on the Nascent Soul and Divine Transformation chapters, and maybe even the complete text, I wonder what kind of incredible mysteries I'd find...

He shook off his thought and shifted his attention to his Physique Refinement progress: Archaic Beast Third Tier (75/100). After getting his self-created Myriad Path Convergence to Perfected Mastery and producing enough Black Sovereign Paste, he had finally been able to raise his physique cultivation further. Over the years, his qi cultivation had somewhat slowed, but his progress in physique had never stalled. He had pushed forward steadily and now stood at seventy-five points. Unfortunately, while the fourth tier seemed within reach, that final step was by no means easy to take. He could already sense that his go-to third-tier Black Sovereign Paste no longer worked on him. Even with large quantities, his progress was down to a snail's pace.

However, this was not a major issue. He still had quite a few bottles of fourth-tier paste in his storage ring. It had been refined from the shells of more than a dozen Crab Kings he had hunted back then. It was not particularly pleasant to use, but if he did use it, reaching the fourth tier was only a matter of time.

He looked downward at the sparse list of spells and fell into thought. Dragon-Slaying Art at Perfected Mastery...

He raised his hand and formed his fingers into a sword, as if to strike. In the end, he held back.

Once he reached Perfected Mastery in a certain spell, there were two potential outcomes. In some cases, they had already reached the limit of what a cultivator can achieve. In others, their potential was not yet exhausted, and they could evolve further. Fireball was a perfect example of the latter—once it reached Perfected Mastery, it couldn't get any better, but Luo Chen became able to fuse multiple Fireballs into a new signature spell that was Solar Flare.

Over the years, he had learned countless spells of various tiers, yet very few had gained such special effects. The latest example was Mirror Flower Water Moon. He had not expected that the Dragon-Slaying Art he had specifically obtained to remove foreign mana for Chu Kui would bring an unexpected surprise upon reaching Perfected Mastery.

The final struggle to reach this level had begun with the journey to Giant Whale Harbor—more specifically, when he removed the dark energy from the Soul-Nurturing Wood for Han Zhan. That energy had been anything but simple to deal with. Clearly, it had been left behind by a powerful figure. At the time, Luo Chen was still at the Grandmaster level and struggled against it. The process was much like trying to push a mountain by hand. But upon succeeding, Luo Chen gained two benefits without Han Zhan ever knowing.

The first was a breakthrough in terms of illusion spells. Every time he worked on the wood, strange visions stirred within his sight: a terrifying scene of ghostly shadows and towering structures. He took the illusion born from forcing that dark energy into his sea of consciousness and integrated it into Mirror Flower Water Moon. It was this very move that allowed him to ensnare even a powerful Soul Refiner like Yan Zhixian during the assessment task. Of course, at the time, his use of it was quite clumsy. Now, after years of practice, he had grown quite good at it. He now had full confidence that once unleashed, even late-stage Adepts would struggle to resist it.

The second gain was the transformation that came after he brought the Dragon-Slaying Art to Perfected Mastery. It could not only sever qi, but even cut the divine soul! As it turned out, that dark energy hadn't been mere darkness-attribute mana. It also contained the residue of a Sage's divine soul. By repeatedly cutting away that energy, the Dragon-Slaying Art had somehow gained the effect of severing divine souls!

In a way, it was rather underwhelming. A few experiments had shown that the range of this effect was extremely limited; in fact, it did not work past the boundaries of his own body. It could only function within his own sea of consciousness. There could be two reasons for this: either that the illusions caused by that dark energy had only manifested within his sea of consciousness, or that his cultivation was simply insufficient to use it properly. Even so, it was still an unexpected bonus. It could well prove useful at a critical moment, and as his cultivation advanced, it was not impossible for this effect to improve.

He took a deep breath and looked at the progress of the Nascent Core Art, and he smiled faintly at it. In the end, he had successfully mastered this fourth-tier secret art of the Falling Cloud Sect without relying on the system. That Hidden Dust Sand had now transformed into the so-called Nascent Core and settled within his sea of qi. It now operated alongside his normal core, and it could also draw in and expel the spirit energy on its own. It also stored a large reserve of pure mana for emergencies. In other words, his total mana had more than doubled! Even before this, his mana had already surpassed that of his peers in both quality and quantity. Now, his advantage had increased again, reaching the level of an ordinary late-stage Adept.

The benefits were obvious. Whether he controlled enchanted treasures or cast large-scale spells, he could now do so with ease. He would no longer be left drained after a fierce battle, unable to continue for lack of mana. And clearly, his gains did not end there. He opened his palm, and a strand of deep azure flame rose into the air. It was the Withering-Flourishing True Fire! Its quality had surpassed what it once was. This change did not come from cultivation but from devouring!

During the battle at the Winding Defensive Line, he obtained a large amount of high-quality Azure Yang Devil Flame from the green flame pearl unleashed by the white-robed cultivator. Even after returning to Dragon Abyss Immortal City, the Angler did not mention this specific loot. After settling in Surging Lake, he had spent his free time studying this devil flame, which was said to be artificially created using the blood essence of living beings. At last, he concluded that it was inferior to his Withering-Flourishing True Fire and was of little use to him.

One time while crafting artifacts, he acted on an impulse and used the Withering-Flourishing True Fire to refine the Azure Yang Devil Flame, and it actually worked. His reasoning had been simple. If the devil flame was created from the blood essence of living beings and his true fire could burn to extract life force, then perhaps it could also devour another flame. He had not expected the result to exceed his expectations. The green flame pearl was completely devoured by his fire, and strengthened it even further. Not only had his fire arts improved, but his alchemy and artifact creation had also seen significant enhancement. With that, the status panel unfolded once more.

[Skills]

Second-Tier Artisan

[Artifact Creation]

Iron Smelting Techniques: Perfected Mastery

Flame Quenching Techniques: Perfected Mastery

Hundred Forging Arts: Perfected Mastery

Flowing Fire Hammer Art: Grandmaster (678/1000)

Iron Refinement Techniques: Perfection (400/500)

Metal Carving Techniques: Perfection (366/500)

Blizzard Art: Beginner (79/100)

[Enchanted Artifacts]

Low-Grade: Azure Flame Sword

Mid-Grade: Peerless Ring, Compound Jade Blade 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Top-Grade: Nine Dragons Truefire Shield, Meteor Fire Rings, Flame Dragon Whip

[Enchanted Treasures]

Beginner

Seeing this section, Luo Chen felt a bit dazed. It reminded him of the first time he had seen the alchemy section. The two crafts were only partially related, but they were structured in much the same way, and the technical requirements also worked in the same way. Just as alchemists needed to master basic alchemy techniques and healers needed medical techniques, artisans also had skills of their own.

The techniques Luo Chen had learned and mastered came from many different sources. Some originated from the Duan family, while others were common foundational techniques of Skysail City. There were also basic crafting techniques he had acquired from Green Pill Valley, along with low-tier puppet-making techniques from the Falling Cloud Sect. The more advanced techniques came from the Northern Sea, specifically the Tempered Edge Workshop and Hundred Craft Mountain on Coldlight Island. He had obtained the storage pouch of the man named Wu from the Tempered Edge Workshop, as well as those of the burly man and the old woman from Hundred Craft Mountain. Among their belongings, he found few cultivation and spell manuals, but a large collection of texts related to artifact creation.

Cultivators of all levels knew their core cultivation techniques by heart, and high-level cultivators especially so. Unless it was a technique they hadn't learned yet or one they'd written down themselves for someone else, they rarely carried such manuals with them. In contrast, books related to various crafts were often kept close. Regular study brought new insights, and high-tier cultivators had the time to pursue multiple crafts. This worked out perfectly for Luo Chen, who had no need for other cultivation techniques but was in dire need of artisanship insights. In just a few years, his artifact creation progress advanced by leaps and bounds. Among rogue Qi Refinement cultivators and Initiates, he had now gained the title of Master Artisan Azure Yang, and the progress that had led to this was largely the result of those inheritances. Even Han Zhan had contributed little in comparison. By integrating the foundational artifact creation techniques of both forces with various blueprints and years of persistent formation study, Luo Chen was able to maintain both high output and high quality in his artifact creation.

Even so, Luo Chen understood his limits. With his current skill, attempting to refine the remains of a Demon Emperor was nothing but wishful thinking. Failure was not a problem in and of itself, but if he somehow caused permanent damage to the Profound Rock Armor and it became unusable, he would have wasted a unique treasure for nothing.

"I still need time..." Luo Chen let out a sigh and closed the status panel. He didn't bother checking the alchemy, healing, and formation sections. He had made little progress in the first two over the years; aside from his foundations becoming more solid, there was nothing more. As for formations, he checked it frequently and was very well aware of his progress. He had even begun studying the high-tier formations required to refine the Profound Rock Armor.

Before closing the panel, he glanced at the achievement points. He now possessed an unprecedentedly large number: two hundred and seven points! This brought a satisfied smile to his face. It was not just the sheer number of points, but also the knowledge that, with his experience, knowledge, and cultivation, ordinary techniques no longer required achievement points for him to grasp. He would only need points for techniques far beyond his realm, high-tier alchemical formulas, or emergencies.

And just in case of an emergency, it's best to save them. The more, the better, he thought.

With a light chuckle, he turned and walked into the main hall where he cultivated. It was nothing like the simple and quiet cave residences most would imagine. The hall was lavish beyond comparison. Above him shone the constellations—at a closer glance, pearls that gave off the energy signature of all five elements. Beneath his feet, the floor was tiled with pristine black jade, with faint mist rising from it. Massive columns of ancient wood supported the structure, running from floor to ceiling. Golden patterns spread across the floor, beams, and ceiling, linking everything into formations. In addition, there were also folding screens, cushions, miniature trees, paintings, a miniature rock garden with a fountain, and more. The hall carried both the grandeur of mortal royalty and the elegance of an immortal's dwelling. Anyone who entered would find their mind stirring. Yet this was not mere indulgence. Every detail served a purpose. Into this hall alone, Luo Chen had invested over a million spirit stones.

Moreover, the formation patterns extended not only throughout the Starry Palace but also across the entire eight-hundred-li Surging Lake. If someone were to scan the area with divine consciousness, they would find formation flags planted in more than three thousand six hundred points throughout the lake. This was the grand formation Han Zhan had set up for him, one that raised the grade of a spirit land by uniting the spirit veins within. It combined the methods of the Falling Cloud Sect with the secret arts of the Nether Origin Sect. Thanks to this, the Starry Palace on Surging Island had become a top-grade third-tier spirit land, allowing Luo Chen to cultivate at full speed!

As soon as he entered, Luo Chen removed his crown, took out the jade hairpin, and shed his white robe. His long black hair fell loose behind him. He lit a stick of calming incense and sat cross-legged on a golden cushion. He applied a thick black paste to his body, then placed a top-grade True Flame Pill in his mouth and began cultivating. Spirit energy surged from across the Surging Lake and gathered toward the Starry Palace. Eventually, it formed a white qi dragon that Luo Chen absorbed.

If not for the formation concealing it, such a scene would surely cause an uproar. A phenomenon like this did not even appear when ordinary Initiates formed their core! Yet Luo Chen remained calm, as if the sheer amount of energy was nothing special and the pain caused by the Black Sovereign Paste did not affect him the slightest.

Alchemy and artifact creations were only external pursuits; cultivation was the true way. In over a hundred years, he had only been able to use such a top-grade spirit land twice. He had no intention of wasting even a single day.

***

Deep within the Hidden Dragon Mountains, atop a towering peak that pierced the clouds, a luxurious cloud carriage descended through the mist. The master of Devil's Cloud Cave stepped out. Before his subordinates even had time to welcome him, his brow furrowed. "Still here?"

The next moment, a man wearing Woven Gold cloud-pattern boots and a purple Daoist robe stepped out from the mist. His eyes shone with a sharp and captivating brilliance. Upon seeing the cave master, he cupped his hands in greeting. "Fellow Daoist Devil's Cloud, did you manage to meet the master of Surging Lake?"