Chapter 354

Fire clouds stretched for thousands of miles, covering the sky.

The scorching high temperature was far away, but the fine hairs on his body almost felt like they were about to burn.

Inside the messy training ground.

Chu Kui looked at Luo Chen with immense admiration.

"This method of yours of controlling techniques with artifacts is truly profound; did you learn it from Danyangzi during the Dao Seed contention?"

Luo Chen nodded.

"I was touched by it, and after returning, I secretly searched for classics to figure it out."

Chu Kui admired him again, "Very good, the power is not weaker than Danyangzi's; it seems your attainments in spells are indeed well-deserved!"

Luo Chen frowned.

"Is that all? Isn't it said that your sparring service also includes pointing out shortcomings and finding directions for strengthening?"

"I don't believe that I've just started learning this technique and it's already perfect."

Chu Kui laughed.

Afterward, his expression became slightly serious.

Looking at Luo Chen, Chu Kui said seriously: "Your methods are very strong; I can see that you have at least left a lot of room, and under full explosion, ordinary Great Cultivators might not be your match."

Luo Chen didn't hide it and nodded directly.

It was just a sparring training session, how could he use all his trump cards and exert all his strength.

Before that training, he had used at most thirty percent of his strength.

"However!"

Chu Kui changed the subject and looked at Luo Chen with a slight frown, "I have discovered a shortcoming of yours!"

"Hmm?"

"Or rather, it's not a shortcoming, but you haven't put your strengths to use."

"Explain in detail!" Luo Chen listened attentively, without the slightest intention of being angry.

Chu Kui pointed to the large area of fire spiritual energy left on the training ground.

"You pursue the powerful explosive power of fire-type spells too much, and although you have indeed achieved the status of a leader in the same tier, your own strengths actually don't lie in fire spells."

"According to my observation, your spiritual power is actually primarily wood-based."

"For spells of the same grade, if you use wood spells against enemies, the explosive power should exceed that of other types by several times!"

"Your path has already gone astray since the Qi Refining stage."

After hearing these words.

Luo Chen, who had been a bit dismissive before, felt his heart sink.

Indeed!

Just as Chu Kui said, all the way along, the cultivation techniques he primarily practiced were wood-based.

"Everlasting Technique"

"Wood-Medicine King Sutra"

"Evergreen Sutra"

Step-by-step perfection and advancement had created his thick and incredibly pure wood-type spiritual power.

But in his usual combat, the various means he used were actually focused on the fire element.

Fireball Art, Blazing Sun Art, Mountain Collapse.

Even the magic treasure he primarily refined was the Profound Xuan Xuan Huo Jian!

In the eyes of outsiders, his path was very deformed.

Luo Chen would occasionally doubt himself, but he felt that using fire spells didn't seem to have any problems, and the power was also very strong.

So he had always ignored this matter.

Now that Chu Kui had clearly pointed out this loophole, he seemed unable to find any good solution for a while.

"Brother Chu, do you have any suggestions?" Luo Chen asked sincerely.

Chu Kui didn't hide anything and said bluntly: "Either you make up for your wood-type means, or you switch to cultivating fire-type or wood-fire dual-type cultivation techniques."

After listening, Luo Chen fell into deep thought.

The former wasn't actually difficult.

He also knew quite a few wood-type spells.

Entanglement Art, Healing Art, Spring Breeze Transformation Rain Technique, and the Flower Fairy he had just learned recently.

But these spells didn't have much combat power.

More of them were auxiliary.

Hmm, the auxiliary effect under the blessing of pure wood spiritual power could be called outstanding!

But if he wanted to make up for wood-type attack means...

Wood-type is not famous for its attacks!

As for the latter, that was even more impossible.

Having finally deduced the "Evergreen Sutra" to the Grandmaster level, how could he easily switch his life-bound cultivation technique?

If so, would he still cultivate this Great Dao?

For a time, the current situation seemed unsolvable.

Chu Kui patted Luo Chen on the shoulder, "Of course, you don't have to think too much. At least with your current ability, being a leader in the same tier is definitely not a problem. Sometimes, making up for shortcomings is not as good as strengthening strengths."

"As long as your fire spells are strong to the point of being unrivaled, a little dissatisfaction is not a big deal."

"Moreover, most Foundation Establishment cultivators use external objects to fight, and spells and such aren't actually that important."

Luo Chen said "Mm."

He thanked him for his guidance.

If the path has gone astray, it has gone astray; forcibly correcting it would only waste a lot of energy and time.

Along this journey, there weren't many things he could choose from.

He could only do his best within his own capabilities.

Moreover, if he could practice the means of controlling techniques with artifacts to a point of extreme proficiency.

At that time, coordinating with the magic treasure Profound Xuan Xuan Huo Jian, he would perform fire spells.

Although he wouldn't dare say he was unrivaled in the same tier, he would have the power to protect himself when facing any Foundation Establishment true cultivator!

After all, his fire spells just lacked the corresponding amplification in spiritual power.

But the power was not inferior to fire-type cultivators at all, and even exceeded them!

After agreeing with Chu Kui on the time for the next training, Luo Chen returned home.

Now that Gu Caiyi's injury was healed, and he had initially mastered the incomplete magic treasure Ghost God Heart-Questioning Mirror.

For a time, apart from alchemy and cultivation, he had a large amount of free time.

Luo Chen's arrangement was to use all the extra time to strengthen his combat methods.

Under multiple simulations.

He had seen that the scope and degree of the Jade Tripod internal war would expand.

He had to strive to become stronger for a future that might be even more chaotic.

Time passed continuously.

Several months later.

Inside a Tier 2 low-grade cave abode.

Luo Chen took out many Foundation Establishment spirit medicines in front of Gu Caiyi.

Top-grade Rebirth Water, high-quality Glazed Paste, Tier 2 high-grade Pulse-Protecting Pill, Calming Incense, and a portion of Emperor Flowing Syrup containing Profound Yin Qi!

Looking at the dazzling array of Foundation Establishment resources, Gu Caiyi couldn't help but say:

"Even for disciples of great sects, there wouldn't be such good resource assistance during Foundation Establishment, right!"

Luo Chen paused and couldn't help but laugh.

Indeed!

When he was establishing his foundation back then, he didn't have such good resource treatment.

Ordinary Rebirth Water, ordinary Calming Incense.

Even the Tier 2 spirit land was forcibly constructed by relying on the Ice-Fire Spirit Spring of Xiaohuan Mountain combined with arrays and spirit stones.

That time of Foundation Establishment, he purely relied on five portions of Foundation Establishment spirit medicine to forcibly push through.

Gu Caiyi was different.

Apart from these resources, she had also thoroughly read all the Foundation Establishment insights written by all the Foundation Establishment true cultivators of the Luo Tian Society.

Not only that, he had personally guided her through the meridians and demonstrated the process steps of Foundation Establishment many times.

He even used the Ghost God Heart-Questioning Mirror to let her simulate Foundation Establishment once herself.

All sorts of things like this!

Let alone true disciples of great sects, he estimated that even core Qi Refining disciples of Nascent Soul great sects absolutely didn't have such conditions.

"If I still can't reach Foundation Establishment with this, I'm afraid I'll have to find a piece of tofu and bump myself to death!" Gu Caiyi said playfully.

Luo Chen rubbed her hair, "Don't put so much pressure on yourself; whether it succeeds or not, I will support you."

"Hmph, I don't want you to support me."

Gu Caiyi raised her slender neck.

Although she said that, she still held Luo Chen's hand and said softly: "Thank you."

"No need; as the ancient saying goes, when one person attains the Dao, their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven. Although I haven't yet attained the Core Formation Great Dao, taking care of you is more than enough."

"Alright, don't think about this and that; adjust your state, gather your stray thoughts, and go prepare for Foundation Establishment!"

Luo Chen let go of her hand and prepared to leave.

But unexpectedly, a soft touch came from behind.

Gu Caiyi hugged his broad and thick back and murmured: "Wait for me to come out of seclusion!"

"Mm!"

He gave a heavy "Mm," and the other party stopped hugging him tightly.

Luo Chen left the cave abode, looked at the woman inside, and waved his hand.

The Dragon-Severing Stone fell with a rumble, and Luo Chen sighed.

It wasn't that he was worried about Gu Caiyi's failure in Foundation Establishment.

It was just that every time he saw this scene, it always gave him a strange feeling.

Like a farewell, like a departure, and like being separated by heaven and man.

Now it's just Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment.

If he were to reach Core Formation or Nascent Soul in the future, a single deep seclusion would take decades; after coming out, how many friends and relatives would there be to see?

This was also the reason why he was unwilling to easily fall in love with others when he was young.

Those who can't keep up with the pace, even if he doesn't actively abandon them, they will slowly fall behind.

Perhaps after one seclusion, what he sees upon coming out will be a mound of yellow earth!

"I hope everything goes smoothly!"

On the peak of Tianlan Peak.

Chu Kui and Luo Chen sat together, drinking wine.

Occasionally, they would talk about cultivation insights.

For the first few sparring sessions, Luo Chen gave him sufficient treatment.

But later, he found that the things he could teach Luo Chen were becoming fewer and fewer.

He felt ashamed to accept the high fee for sparring.

Therefore, he would occasionally share some insights from the late Foundation Establishment stage with Luo Chen, which could be considered compensation.

"Do you still remember what I told you before about the primordial spirit foundation being crucial at the time of Core Formation?"

"I wasn't bluffing you; it's indeed the truth."

"In rumors, there are three methods of Core Formation, and the Upper Method of Core Formation relies on the power of the primordial spirit!"

"For example, take you alchemists. When forming an elixir, you often need to use spiritual power to manipulate the pure medicinal power after quenching from a distance, kneading it into a pill."

"Core Formation is probably the same!"

"It's just that spiritual power is replaced by primordial spirit power, and medicinal power is replaced by spiritual power."

Listening to these words, Luo Chen couldn't help but be stunned.

There's such a metaphor?

Chu Kui shrugged, "I also heard it from hearsay; whether you believe it or not is up to you."

"However, this kind of rumor is indeed somewhat credible. After all, it is rumored that the magic power of a Core Formation cultivator is all condensed into a single golden core. If a Foundation Establishment cultivator kneads the infinite spiritual liquid in their Qi sea into a single large core."

"You tell me, does this count as forming a core?"

Luo Chen fell into deep thought.

Before long, he released the spiritual energy after liquefaction in his body in front of Chu Kui.

One drop, two drops, three drops...

He tried to fuse them all together.

Initially, there was no difficulty, but when the quantity reached nine drops, it was difficult to continue.

Vaguely, there were signs of losing control.

"Stop trying!"

Chu Kui shook his head, "I've tried, it doesn't work!"

"This is a rumor about the Upper Method of Core Formation; how could it be so simple?"

"On the contrary, the Lower Method of Core Formation first condenses a smaller ordinary golden core, and then uses the same source of power to attract other spiritual power in the Qi sea, slowly fusing it, and finally achieving the Core Formation Great Dao!"

Golden core rolling, Qi sea floating and sinking?

Speaking of this, he threw out a concept.

"This kind of Lower Method of Core Formation will create a unique realm, known as the False Core Realm."

Luo Chen raised an eyebrow, "False Core Realm?"

"Right!"

Chu Kui pointed in the direction of Tianlan Peak, but his mouth went over Tianlan Peak and spoke of that cultivator on Taoshan.

"Xuan Yu of Taoshan previously failed in Core Formation using the Lower Method and is currently stuck in the False Core Realm."

"Of course, the False Core Realm is still counted as Foundation Establishment Great Perfection, it's just that it might be slightly stronger."

"But the consequences are also very serious; if he wants to try Core Formation again later, it will be even more difficult!"

Luo Chen took back the spiritual liquid that had failed to condense into his body.

Muttering the nouns Foundation Establishment Great Perfection, False Core Realm, and Core Formation in his mouth.

In his mind, what he was thinking about was the three Core Formation methods mentioned in the Core Formation insights of the Nanshan Superior.

It's one thing that different Core Formation methods have gaps before and after Core Formation.

He didn't expect that the Lower Method of Core Formation would also create an existence like the False Core Realm.

"Alright, let's talk until here today; don't look for me to spar in the future, there's nothing left to teach you."

Chu Kui stood up.

Luo Chen looked up at him and smiled: "How could that be? Brother Chu has extraordinary means, in my opinion, even above that Danyangzi, there is plenty to teach me."

Chu Kui curled his lips.

He could be complacent about other praises, but he knew better than anyone how his strength was.

In his view, Danyangzi of the Green Elixir Valley was indeed not very strong.

But that was on the premise of not using that Purple Extreme Heavenly Fire stuff.

Stretching, Chu Kui yawned and said: "It's not that I don't want to teach, it's that I plan to go on a long journey recently and don't have time to be your sparring partner."

Long journey?

"Where to?" Luo Chen asked subconsciously.

But afterward, he said: "Excuse me, I guess Brother Chu has taken some big job again!"

Chu Kui sighed, "This time, it's really not taking any job."

"Actually, there's nothing that can't be said to others."

"I plan to go to the Jilei Mountain battlefield to mix around and see if I can fish out anything useful for Core Formation."

Luo Chen was surprised: "Jilei Mountain battlefield? Brother Chu also wants to wade into this muddy water? As a loose cultivator, there shouldn't be anyone who can forcibly require you!"

The mountain wind carrying water vapor blew past.

Lifting Chu Kui's thick black hair that was draped behind him.

The tall and strong man, at this moment, rarely revealed a look of self-mockery on his face.

"Although loose cultivators are carefree, under the carefree scenery, it is only the hardship that one knows oneself."

"In the early years, I could still take jobs to make a living from time to time."

"But after the ninth level of Foundation Establishment, only Core Formation resources can move my heart, and I should also take the initiative to do some things for my own cultivation."

This time participating in the war.

He doesn't work for anyone, he fights only for himself!

How could Luo Chen not know the hardship of loose cultivators; he also survived from the loose cultivator period.

He thought for a moment and asked: "Which side are you planning to join?"

"Whoever gives more things and better things, I will help them kill!" A fierce look appeared on Chu Kui's face.

"If you have spare energy, if you meet the cultivators of my Luo Tian Society, pull them."

"How much spirit stone?"

Luo Chen was stunned, then cursed loudly.

"Get lost!"

Chu Kui laughed and left.

After he left, Luo Chen actually felt empty in his heart.

Although he and Chu Kui had an interest relationship, after getting along for these years, they could be considered both teachers and friends.

Now, another friend is going to take the initiative to get involved in the quagmire of war.

"Just like the simulation in my Heart-Questioning Mirror, as long as this war doesn't end, sooner or later it will involve everyone in the Jade Tripod Domain."

"I don't know how much longer my peaceful days can last?"

(End of chapter)