This trip to the Wu Family Collection had been fraught with danger for Shen Changchuan, but the rewards were equally immense.

However, these abundant rewards required Shen Changchuan to spend some time properly organizing and planning what to do with them.

After all, whether it was consuming elixirs to raise his cultivation or practicing various magic to quickly boost his strength, there were many factors involved, and everything had to be done in the proper order. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

However, after the harrowing journey that had left him mentally exhausted for days, Shen Changchuan had no intention of immediately expending more energy to map out a plan.

He decided to rest for a couple of days first.

「Two days passed in a flash.」

Everything in Dawan Village was normal; nothing unexpected had occurred.

The leisurely days allowed Shen Changchuan to recuperate properly. After two days of rest, he had finally recovered his energy.

The weather was growing colder.

A harsh winter was fast approaching.

In the mornings, a thick layer of white frost could already be seen on the withered grass in the fields and mountain forests.

The spotless, turquoise sky above was like an immense block of ice, as cold air currents swept across the land.

The villagers had already begun preparing for the harsh winter.

Wisps of cooking smoke rose sparsely into the frigid air.

But none of this,

could cool the fire in Shen Changchuan’s heart.

For he knew very well,

that once he fully assimilated all his gains from the Wu Family Collection, the Qi Introduction Late Stage would be within his reach.

This was a significant milestone.

Once he successfully advanced to the Qi Introduction Seventh Layer, he could be considered a true expert!

A cultivator of that realm, even within the Tian Nan Shen Clan, would be considered a mid-tier power.

And hold a certain degree of status.

Without needing to venture out or wander the world, he could simply hunker down in the mountain village, slowly cultivating and assimilating his gains, and the Seventh Layer would be within reach.

How could such a prospect not make one’s heart burn with excitement?

To that end,

after careful and thorough deliberation,

Shen Changchuan finally laid out the steps for his future cultivation.

First,

he had only recently consumed the Cyan Essence Purifying Spirit Pill and broken through to the Qi Introduction Sixth Layer. He hadn’t yet had time to properly consolidate his new realm or fully master the sudden surge in power that came with it.

If he were to rashly take the Top Grade Qi Introduction Pill now to artificially inflate his Cultivation Realm,

it could lead to an unstable foundation.

It could even lead to a series of unknown and undesirable consequences.

For example, an unstable foundation could cause him to get stuck at a future bottleneck, unable to advance.

That would be a disaster.

In the fantasy and Immortal Cultivation novels of his past life, there was a saying: "The tallest towers are built from the ground up."

One’s foundation is crucial for future achievements.

Though it was just something from a novel, Shen Changchuan felt there was great wisdom in it.

He had no intention of going against it.

Therefore, for the foreseeable future,

Shen Changchuan decided not to focus on raising his cultivation. The Top Grade Qi Introduction Pills would have to stay in his Storage Bag for a while longer.

Fortunately, he had the cultivation insights gifted to him by his clan senior, Shen Tingchu of the Soul Emergence Realm.

Shen Changchuan felt that by studying his senior’s experiences and comparing them to his own condition, he could accelerate the process of assimilating the power from his recent breakthrough.

This would save him a considerable amount of time.

’That being said, to completely solidify my Cultivation Realm at the Qi Introduction Sixth Layer, it will probably take at least two or three months!’

Two or three months.

Of course, Shen Changchuan had no intention of letting that time go to waste.

He turned his focus to practicing magic.

He prepared to act on an idea he’d had for a long time.

’I originally bought the Vine Cage Technique, Vine Strangulation Technique, and other Binding Magic to deal with the Gale Falcon, but now it seems I won’t need them for that.’

’The Bronze Jar could even suppress a Qi Introduction Seventh Layer expert like Old Ghost Song, so dealing with a mere Qi Introduction Sixth Layer Peak Gale Falcon shouldn’t be a problem.’

’What’s more, I’ve now reached the Sixth Layer Realm myself, and my strength has surged once again. The threat it poses to me is now limited.’

Shen Changchuan naturally had not forgotten about that Gale Falcon, which loomed over his head like a shadow.

But after his trip to the Wu Family Collection, and especially after his life-or-death battle with the Qi Introduction Seventh Layer master, Old Ghost Song, his strength had soared.

He was now confident he could handle it.

’Still, it’s for the best. Though the Vine Cage Technique and Vine Strangulation Technique are classified as Trapping Techniques, they are also Wood Attribute magic. If I can cultivate them both to Perfection, it should help my cultivation of the Cyan Wood Sword Light.’

Shen Changchuan thought to himself.

At that moment, the scene from several days prior flashed through his mind: the instant he had bisected Old Ghost Song, a foe who had left him utterly helpless.

His heart couldn’t help but stir.

’The power of the Cyan Wood Sword Light truly didn’t disappoint me. If I could cultivate it to Perfection, I can’t imagine how powerful I would become!’

’Unfortunately, this magic is also incredibly difficult to cultivate. After nearly half a year, my progress is only at 4 percent. To get it to one hundred percent, if I don’t find a shortcut, who knows if I’ll ever be able to cultivate it to Perfection.’

’The Sword Light Technique, Gathering Sword Technique, Spiritual Light Sword Shadow... and also the Cyan Wood Needle and Falling Wood Technique, all Wood Attribute magic. I hope I’m right, that by cultivating similar Low Tier magic to Perfection, I can accumulate the necessary experience and thereby lower its cultivation threshold...’

A grand ambition was growing in Shen Changchuan’s heart.

If his theory proved correct,

it meant that,

in the future, no matter how difficult the magic or Secret Technique, he could master it through sheer, relentless effort!

And the role this would play,

in his step-by-step journey to the peak of the Immortal Dao was self-evident!

With his plan set,

Shen Changchuan wasted no time.

He went directly to his mountainside courtyard and began practicing the simplest technique: the Sword Light Technique.

Time ticked by.

On his progress panel, the bar for the Sword Light Technique crept upward, bit by bit.

During this period,

the parents of the two children, Wang Tieniu and Duan Xiaolei, were brought before Shen Changchuan by Han Qinhu. They knelt respectfully, stating they had given it much thought and wished to enter his service as servants, hoping he would take them in.

Seeing this,

and considering his own lack of cultivator subordinates, Shen Changchuan accepted them.

As a welcoming gift, he bestowed upon them a basic Qi Cultivation Technique and the Fireball Technique, instructing them to go home and cultivate diligently to quickly gain some fighting strength.

Of course,

Shen Changchuan also didn’t forget his grandfather, Han Qinhu, handing him two Essence Pills.

He told him to take them back and cultivate diligently with his eldest uncle, Han Dayong. He also tasked them with looking after the village’s affairs, as he was about to enter a long period of secluded cultivation to practice his magic.

This elicited a round of excited thanks from Han Qinhu.

Shen Changchuan paid it no mind.

He simply dove back into practicing his magic.