’Maybe I should take a page from that brother of mine, Shen Han’s, book and disappear from the Shen Family for a while. I could find a safe place to lie low until I reach the Soul Emergence Realm, then come back?’

’No, the price is too high!’

’This identity as a member of the Shen Clan is still very important!’

’A big reason I was able to gain so much at the Wu Family Collection this time was because I come from the Tian Nan Shen Clan.’

’Especially that crucial Cyan Essence Purifying Spirit Pill. If I weren’t the illegitimate son of that so-called father of mine, I’m afraid Patriarch Wu, Wu Yuanzhi—who secretly advanced to Soul Emergence—would have crushed me long ago. Why else would he just give me a warning, let me take the Elixir, and even give me a few things as hush money?’

At this thought, Shen Changchuan shook his head.

He hadn’t been blinded by his recent, rapid progress.

He knew very well that his progress these past few days wasn’t entirely due to his own hard work in Cultivation.

The cover of his Shen Clan identity, and even the banner of his so-called father, played an extremely important role.

He couldn’t discard this identity lightly.

Besides, being a Loose Cultivator was not so easy.

Loose Cultivators had no fixed source of income. To obtain Cultivation Resources, they could only enter the Demon Beast Forest to fight and struggle, or venture into other dangerous places to seek opportunities.

But honestly, unless you were a protagonist from a novel blessed with incredible luck, these were grueling tasks that yielded little reward for great effort.

How could you be sure that the Demon Beast you encountered in the Demon Beast Forest would be one below the Qi Introduction Seventh Layer that you could just barely handle? What if you had an unexpected encounter with something you couldn’t deal with at all, like a Demon Beast at the Qi Introduction Eighth or Ninth Layer, or even a Great Demon at the Soul Emergence Realm?

And putting the danger aside, the rewards from venturing into the mountains weren’t guaranteed. It was common to spend a month in there and come back empty-handed.

Not to mention, even if you had heaven-defying luck and found a treasure, you would still have to face all sorts of Tribulation Cultivators on your way back, as well as the dark forces controlling the Workshops and other hurdles...

It wasn’t easy in the slightest.

Without a stable income or assets, most Loose Cultivators would die violent deaths. Even the lucky few who lived to a ripe old age would struggle to break through the Qi Introduction Late Stage bottleneck after a lifetime of effort.

Let alone the Soul Emergence Realm beyond that.

’The plan to escape can be my last resort, an option for when things get dire.’

’But unless I have no other choice, I have to hold onto my foundation in Dawan Village and wear the mantle of the Shen Clan.’

’But this means my original plan must change!’

’I must gain the ability to protect myself in a short amount of time!’

Inside the secret chamber, Shen Changchuan’s eyes flickered, numerous thoughts flashing through his mind.

If he didn’t want to run, then his best bet was to gain the power to fight, or even kill, a cultivator at the Qi Introduction Seventh Layer, or perhaps even the Eighth Layer, within the next two or three months.

’Should I first perform Refinement on the Top Grade Qi Introduction Pill, consume the Concentration Qi Pill, and break through to the Qi Introduction Seventh Layer?’

’No.’

’Rashly raising my Realm again before my rapidly increased Cultivation Realm has even stabilized would surely lead to instability.’

’It might even jeopardize my future breakthrough to Soul Emergence.’

’The price is too great, not worth it.’

One by one, ideas flashed through Shen Changchuan’s mind.

But he rejected most of them.

The only way, it seemed, was to speed up the Cultivation progress of his Cyan Wood Sword Light.

’Is there a way to speed up my Cultivation and master the Cyan Wood Sword Light within two or three months?’

’Or, even if I can’t raise its progress to the one hundred percent Perfection Level and can’t make it Instantaneous, I need to at least cultivate it to fifty percent, to the point where I can use it in battle!’

At a mere 4% progress, the Cyan Wood Sword Light’s casting time was too long, making it unsuitable for combat.

If he could just nudge that progress bar forward, shorten its casting time, and then combine it with the power of the Bronze Jar, he might even be able to defeat, or even kill, a Cultivator in the Qi Introduction Late Stage!

After three days and three nights of deep contemplation, Shen Changchuan combined the Cultivation Experience of the Soul Emergence Realm predecessor, Shen Tingchu, with his own insights from his recent rapid progress in the Sword Light Technique, and came up with a new idea.

’This is the only way.’

’If it really doesn’t work, then I’ll figure out how to run away!’

After spending another day confirming the feasibility of his idea, a ruthless glint flashed in Shen Changchuan’s eyes.

When it was time to make a decisive move, he never lacked the courage to commit.

...

「Three days later.」

Inside the Spiritual Spring Secret Chamber, Shen Changchuan sat cross-legged on a Jade Meditation Mat, his eyes tightly shut. The middle and index fingers of both hands were pressed together as they rested on his knees.

At the same time, the Soul-Attracting Bell hovered silently in the air above his head.

At this moment, Shen Changchuan showed no glimmer of spiritual light around his body. Nor was the Magical Power within him circulating.

But if someone with powerful perception were present, they would be able to feel that an intangible, formless vortex of Divine Soul Power had formed around Shen Changchuan.

It was constantly expanding and compressing, again and again.

In this process, the Power of the Divine Soul seemed to be enhanced, bit by bit.

However, this enhancement seemed to be only temporary.

It was like a hemp rope being twisted tighter and tighter during its making, but as time passed, it quickly reached its limit and was about to snap and revert to its original state.

And at this very moment,

DONG!

The Soul-Attracting Bell above Shen Changchuan’s head rang out.

An invisible force swept through the entire Spiritual Spring Secret Chamber, carried by the spreading sound.

Shen Changchuan’s entire body felt as if it were being washed by a clear, pure power.

The taut Divine Soul Power, which had been on the verge of unraveling, was instantly stabilized and consolidated by the chime of the Soul-Attracting Bell!

The expression on Shen Changchuan’s face, his eyes still shut, seemed to relax as if he had let out a sigh of relief.

After a long moment, once he had recovered a little, he began repeating the same exercise.

Time trickled by.

In the blink of an eye, another five days passed.

On this day, as the Soul-Attracting Bell rang out once more, Shen Changchuan’s Divine Soul was enhanced yet again.

He began to rest and nurture his spirit, entering a state of recovery.

This time, however, even after he was fully recovered, Shen Changchuan did not continue to temper his Divine Soul.

Instead, he opened his eyes.

In that instant, it was as if a flash of lightning erupted within the Spiritual Spring Secret Chamber, making the entire room feel as if it were filled with light!

But the feeling didn’t last long. It vanished in a flash, like an illusion.

But now, the sharp, resilient spirit contained within Shen Changchuan’s pupils seemed ready to burst forth, sharp as a needle’s prick, daring anyone to meet his gaze!

He paid it no mind.

He simply raised his hand, and the Soul-Attracting Bell above his head wobbled down into his palm.

He closed his eyes again, taking several deep breaths.

As his thoughts quieted, the piercing sensation around him slowly subsided.

When he opened his eyes again, the aggressive feeling in his gaze was gone.

But deep within his dark pupils, there remained a sharpness that one could not look at directly!

Without a doubt, in just seven or eight short days of arduous training, he had reaped immense benefits!

’My Divine Soul Power has nearly doubled, and its quality has been refined!’

’But it seems I’ve now completely digested the foundation my Divine Soul gained from the Cyan Essence Water Grass and the Cyan Essence Purifying Spirit Pill.’

’The boost I’ve gotten from the Nine Elements Divine Extraction Technique has reached its limit, for the short term.’

’Any further improvements from now on will have to rely on steady, uninterrupted Cultivation day after day.’

’But this should be enough!’

Sensing the state of his body, Shen Changchuan muttered to himself.

His fist suddenly clenched, and a brilliant gleam flashed in his eyes.

An increase in Divine Sense seemed to benefit the progress of Magic Cultivation.

And this, was precisely the solution Shen Changchuan had found to break his predicament!