Chapter 403: Chapter 144: A Change in Status Shakes the Entire Gang; A Great Leap to the Third Heaven of the Spirit Awakening Realm

[Skill: Five Cauldrons Seal (Entry-Level) Progress: (25/100) (Trait: None)]

[Skill: Netherworld Soul Refining Technique (Uninitiated) Progress: (0/100) (Trait: None)]

[Skill: Shenxiao Imperial Golden Shield (Uninitiated) Progress: (1/30) (Trait: None)]

...

As Chu Fan gazed at the list of powerful Martial Arts on the panel, his joy was tinged with a bit of a headache.

The feeling was like a starving man facing a table laden with delicacies, so dazzlingly abundant that he didn’t know where to begin.

The Demon Dragon Celestial Spirit Scripture was undoubtedly the strongest, its potential limitless. However, it was extremely difficult to cultivate, and progress was slow. He was still stuck on the step of repeatedly constructing and stabilizing the Spirit Array Map.

The Nine Heavens Wind Mastery Scripture allowed him to control the "wind," making it suitable for attacking, defending, pursuing enemies, or escaping. It was equally profound and extraordinary.

The Five Cauldrons Seal wasn’t an independent Martial Art; it was a powerful Sealing Technique used in conjunction with the Five Elements Cauldron.

But the Five Cauldrons Seal consumed an immense amount of Primordial Qi. Before breaking through to the Divine Power Realm, even if he managed to learn it, a single use could instantly drain all his Primordial Qi.

The Netherworld Soul Refining Technique was a powerful Soul Refining Technique on its own. More importantly, it could be used with the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, making it as easy as reaching into a bag to kill enemies of a higher Realm.

However, the backlash from the Ten Thousand Souls Banner was even more terrifying than that of the Five Elements Cauldron. The slightest mistake could result in his own soul being devoured by the ten thousand souls, turning him into a new Fierce Soul within the banner.

The Shenxiao Imperial Golden Shield was something he had obtained after killing that master from the Moon Worship Sect at the Third Heaven of Divine Power Realm in Maple Valley. It was relatively easy to cultivate and offered extremely strong defense.

Back then, even when their whole group attacked together, they couldn’t get past that Golden Light Protective Shield. In the end, it was only broken by the Spirit Soldier, the Demon-locking Chain.

Biting off more than he could chew would be a mistake; he needed to make some choices.

Chu Fan took a deep breath, suppressing the stray thoughts in his mind.

He decided to focus on cultivating the Demon Dragon Celestial Spirit Scripture and the Nine Heavens Wind Mastery Scripture, distributing the rest of his time evenly among the other Martial Arts.

Improving his strength wasn’t something that could be done overnight, but survival skills needed to be mastered as quickly as possible.

His current speed already surpassed that of an ordinary Acupoint Realm cultivator. If he could train this Body Technique to the Small Success Realm or even higher, he would have a much better chance of escaping even if he encountered an overwhelmingly powerful enemy he couldn’t defeat.

’I’ll focus on improving the Nine Heavens Wind Mastery Scripture first...’

However, when he followed the Technique of the Nine Heavens Wind Mastery Scripture to try and sense and draw upon the Wind Spirits between heaven and earth, he soon opened his eyes in frustration.

In his perception, the Wind Spirits within the void of Qing Province City were extremely sparse, not even a tenth of what could be found in the wild!

It was nothing compared to the Gangfeng Forbidden Land, which had helped him reach the Entry-Level.

’Of course...’

A thought struck Chu Fan, and he recalled the records about Wind Spirits in the Cultivation Technique’s description.

Wind Spirits weren’t like the ubiquitous ordinary Spiritual Mechanism. They tended to gather in windy passes, the eyes of storms, near Wind Attribute Ore Veins, or within Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures that contained the True Meaning of Wind.

Qing Province City was enveloped by a large protective Array that could regulate the climate and stabilize the earth’s veins, but it also inadvertently restricted the activity and convergence of this type of special attribute Spiritual Mechanism.

’If I want to cultivate the Nine Heavens Wind Mastery Scripture efficiently, it looks like I’ll have to leave the city to find a suitable place. It would be best to find another location near Qing Province similar to the Gangfeng Forbidden Land.’

Chu Fan thought to himself.

He had previously cultivated for several days in the Gangfeng Forbidden Land, where the quality of the Wind Spirits he had devoured and put through Refinement was extremely high. That was why his progress with the Nine Heavens Wind Mastery Scripture had been so rapid, allowing him to reach the Entry-Level with significant results.

’A Wind Attribute Ore Vein, or Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures containing the essence of wind...’

Chu Fan nodded slightly.

It seemed he would have to find a chance to check out the Workshop Marketplace in the city.

He was quite wealthy now, so buying some resources to aid his cultivation was well within his means.

...

After nearly a full day and night of non-stop Washing Marrow and Rushing Meridians, the physical and mental exhaustion made it temporarily impossible for him to practice the Demon Dragon Celestial Spirit Scripture, which demanded immense Mental Power.

He needed to find another way to relax and recover.

With this in mind, Chu Fan stood up, pushed open the door, and walked out to his private Martial Arts Arena.

Sunlight streamed down on the wide, flat Martial Arts Arena, which was fully equipped with facilities like a Profound Iron Giant Stone, Plum Blossom Wooden Stakes, and an Arrow Tower.

In the distance, Zhao Tianxing was practicing the Moon Eclipse Arrow, a technique that Chu Fan had modified and perfected for him. The arrows tore through the air, carrying a strange, corrosive power that seemed to erode everything in their path.

Seeing Chu Fan emerge, Zhao Tianxing immediately put away his bow and walked over, asking with concern, "Are you done cultivating? How do you feel? What would you like to eat? I’ll have someone prepare it."

Chu Fan rubbed his growling stomach and laughed. "I just broke through, and I’m so hungry my stomach is touching my back. Anything hot that can fill me up will be fine."

Although he had plenty of rations in his Sumeru Ring, right now he was craving a hot meal.

"Alright, wait here for a moment." Zhao Tianxing nodded and strode quickly out of the courtyard.

Chu Fan stretched his arms and legs.

A sense of lightness and fullness, completely different from before his seclusion, flowed through his entire body.

His Dantian Qi Sea was several times wider and more condensed than before, and the Primordial Qi within it was abundant, surging endlessly.

The opening of thirty-six meridians, combined with the exponential expansion of his Qi Sea, brought not just an accumulation of quantity, but also a more subtle sense of control over his own power.

Chu Fan casually strolled to one side of the Martial Arts Arena, where several Profound Iron Giant Stones stood, specifically designed for testing strength and the power of Martial Arts.

The surfaces of these massive stones were mottled and covered in weapon slashes, fist imprints, and palm marks, clearly indicating they were used often.

They were called "Profound Iron Giant Stones" precisely because they were as hard as Profound Iron.

Chu Fan came to a stop before a Profound Iron Giant Stone that was about the height of a person. Without immediately using any Martial Arts, he simply took a deep breath as Primordial Qi flowed from within his body to his right fist.

Then, in a single, fluid motion of his waist and stance, he threw a brutally simple straight punch!