Chapter 693

Below Heaven Earth Peak, the Shi River surged and churned.

Just like time, it passed quietly without stopping day or night.

Unknowingly, half a year passed quietly.

At Cave Dwelling No. A-78, Fu Qinglan looked worriedly at that tall phoenix tree; even though it was covered in white snow, it did not hide its lush green color.

But what truly attracted her gaze was the man in white sitting on the treetop.

"Grandfather, is he really okay?"

Fu Chaosheng stood to the side, equally worried.

In the past, although he was quite old, he was well-maintained, with a rosy complexion and no visible wrinkles.

But in just half a year, the whole person seemed to have aged several decades, presenting a sense of mortal decay.

"This is a state of sudden enlightenment, which is rare for cultivators and often something one would try to extend as much as possible if encountered. But it just had to happen at this time!"

This time is truly too sensitive!

The Alchemist Saint's ascension is imminent, and the Mirage Dragon Cave Heaven is about to open; if Luo Chen cannot wake up from his sudden enlightenment in time, it will ruin a major event.

Fu Qinglan was somewhat envious. "Sudden enlightenment... is his talent really, as you said, Grandfather, not inferior to the sacred ground's heaven-favored ones?"

Fu Chaosheng gave a bitter smile and nodded.

He did not doubt Luo Chen's talent at all.

When he was in the middle stage of Core Formation, he could understand the method of forming a Nascent Soul without a teacher.

Later, he condensed a Nascent Soul as a loose cultivator.

Especially at the Mo Lan Court in the North Sea, he saw with his own eyes Luo Chen's spirit merging with heaven and earth, entering a brief state of sudden enlightenment.

That time was extremely brief.

But this time, it lasted for a full half year!

"The drifting and uncertainty of his early years made it difficult for him to settle down and cultivate. Now that he has finally obtained a place for quiet cultivation, he has suddenly accumulated and broken through."

"But this sudden enlightenment also has good and bad; I'm just afraid he might have taken a wrong turn!"

Fu Chaosheng's worry was not without reason.

Because in the eyes of the grandfather and granddaughter, Luo Chen's state at this moment was not rising upward at all, but falling endlessly!

The resonance with heaven and earth was there, yet not there.

His magic power was no longer filled with the vigorous vitality of heat, but had become dead and low.

Even his seemingly incomparably young face began to grow wrinkles, changing toward the state of an old man.

The pitch-black long hair that was originally draped behind him was now gray and white.

"Was I too impatient?"

Fu Chaosheng asked himself, feeling a bit of self-reproach.

"If I hadn't thought about making him even more powerful and sent him that old version of the Taihe Pill. If I hadn't given him all the fire-system cultivation techniques I collected in one breath, if that bottle of Flame Flow Marrow had been given after the matter was done..."

Fu Chaosheng did not know where exactly the mistake was.

But he knew that Luo Chen's changes at this moment must have something to do with him.

This made him have to doubt himself.

"Was my courage too great, or was I eager for quick success?"

"Or maybe I really am old and can't distinguish..."

Just as Fu Chaosheng's heart was wavering and he was constantly questioning himself, a low cry suddenly came from his ear.

"Grandfather, he seems to be waking up!"

Yes, he was waking up!

Suddenly, a large amount of spiritual energy surged toward Luo Chen wildly.

On the phoenix tree, that dead and silent body, like a vortex, frantically devoured this spiritual energy, and for a time, it actually formed a small spiritual energy storm.

In the storm, Luo Chen slowly opened his eyes.

When his gaze swept over the two, his deep black eyes inexplicably had a bit of vicissitudes.

"Hoo..."

A breath of turbid air was exhaled, and the spiritual energy storm stopped abruptly.

Luo Chen rose to his full height and drifted to the ground.

As his gray-white long hair fluttered, the lush green tree behind him inexplicably decayed, turning into a pile of flying ash.

Seeing this scene, Fu Chaosheng spoke impatiently: "Luo Chen, are you okay?"

"What could be wrong with me? It's just..." Luo Chen said with a smile, but when he spoke, his brows could not help but wrinkle.

From the disbelieving expressions of the two people opposite him, he also realized the hoarseness of his own voice just now.

"Cough, cough!"

Coughing lightly twice, Luo Chen spoke again.

"It was just a short nap."

This time, his voice was as low, gentle, and steady as ever, lacking nothing in firmness and strength.

Logically, such a voice would give people great confidence, but the Fu family grandfather and granddaughter were even more worried.

Changing one's tone is simply too easy for a cultivator.

Luo Chen's change was instead like trying to cover up a mistake.

Especially, his magic power fluctuation was almost non-existent, and standing there, he was like a Qi Refining stage cultivator.

No!

Still an old Qi Refining stage cultivator who was already quite old!

"How could it be like this?" Fu Chaosheng muttered.

Luo Chen did not have much heart to explain right now. "I need to rest and, by the way, summarize this deep-level cultivation, so I won't entertain the two of you. If you want to find me to discuss matters, three to five days later is best."

This was sending the guests away.

Fu Chaosheng did not pester him and turned to leave.

It was Fu Qinglan who, as she left, frequently looked back at the man standing between the mountain abyss, letting the clear breeze blow his gray-white long hair.

"Grandfather, I don't know why, but the current 'Wild Loose Person' Luo Chen gives me a feeling that is even more dangerous than before."

Fu Chaosheng, who was still immersed in self-reproach, worry, and confusion, was startled upon hearing this.

"Really?"

Fu Qinglan nodded slightly; the amplitude was very light, but extremely cautious!

After blowing in the mountain breeze for a while, Luo Chen's dazed spirit from the half-year sudden enlightenment also became a bit clearer.

Returning to the cave dwelling, he bathed, changed clothes, burned incense, and sat down.

His gray-white long hair was only tied behind his back with a wooden hairpin, and he did not form any seals; his mind sank into the Purple Mansion for the first time.

The first scene that came into view was the wrinkled Nascent Soul sitting cross-legged beside a weak flame.

The Nascent Soul of the past had snow-white skin and delicate flesh.

How could it be like the current Nascent Soul, which was so full of wrinkles, looking exactly like a real newborn baby!

If someone who didn't know the inside story saw it, they would think Luo Chen had gone into qi deviation and his cultivation had greatly regressed.

But when Luo Chen saw this scene, he smiled from the bottom of his heart.

"Although I don't know if this cultivation method is suitable for others, it is the most fitting for me."

"I finally realized it!"

Click on the attribute panel.

In the cultivation technique column, the original 【Great Perfection Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Scripture】 had its entry changed at this moment.

Replacing it was the 【Withered Glory Dao Scripture Entry 50/100】 that Luo Chen had renamed.

Naming it a Dao Scripture is somewhat exaggerated, but it also carries Luo Chen's expectations, seeking the Great Dao through this true scripture!

Especially, Luo Chen indeed found the direction of the Great Dao in that half-year sudden enlightenment.

This set of self-created cultivation techniques takes the "Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Scripture" as the vigorous foundation, integrates the essence of the "Flame Brilliance True Scripture" and the "Eastern Jia Departing Fire Scripture" in the operation routes of meridians and acupoints, and borrows from the characteristics of the "Purple Yang Divine Art" in accurately absorbing fire-attribute spiritual energy between heaven and earth.

Not only that, Luo Chen also integrated the "Dust Origin Art" he created years ago, making up for the cultivation of his state of mind.

Even, Luo Chen absorbed some experience from the "Soul Splitting Art" regarding the cultivation of the soul.

Overall, the "Withered Glory Dao Scripture" is slightly mixed and quite rough, but it inherits the comprehensiveness of the "Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Scripture", from inside to outside, from Qi to spirit, taking care of every aspect.

In terms of cultivation speed, the entry level is equivalent to before, and because it takes care of too much, it is more troublesome and tiring to operate, seemingly even a bit slower.

But Luo Chen is confident that as the proficiency increases, these shortcomings will be perfected one by one, and the cultivation speed will also exceed the original by a lot!

There is one more point!

When Luo Chen created the cultivation technique, because he borrowed from the principle of change of the Withered Glory True Fire, he realized a spell.

Its name is "Withered Glory Divine Prohibition"!

Calling it a spell is not very accurate; this technique is more biased toward the obscure prohibitions in prohibitions, and vaguely has the prototype of a formation.

If one really has to describe it, this technique is a bit like the innate spell of a powerful demon beast, or the legendary divine ability.

The focus of this technique is not on attack, nor on defense.

Its function is to assist Luo Chen in cultivation!

With the help of the Withered Glory True Fire, it seals the magic power in the Nascent Soul, making it unable to leak out during ordinary times.

Not only that, within the seal, the Withered Glory True Fire will also constantly refine the impurities of the magic power in the Nascent Soul's body.

It can be said that the changes in Luo Chen's body now are all caused by this technique.

During ordinary times, the "Withered Glory Divine Prohibition" will seal most of his magic power, making him in a semi-cultivation state even if he does not operate the cultivation technique.

If he encounters a battle, he can unlock this technique, and Luo Chen will not only return to his peak state but even temporarily obtain stronger magic power.

In Luo Chen's estimation, the longer the "Withered Glory Divine Prohibition" is sealed, the stronger the explosion will be after it is unlocked.

From the surface, this technique has prominent advantages and also very large disadvantages.

After all, no Nascent Soul True Person is willing to stay in a semi-weak state all the time; if they encounter an enemy in a hurry and don't have time to unlock the seal, the consequences would be unimaginable.

But for Luo Chen, this shortcoming is approximately equal to nothing.

Because apart from his vast magic power, he has a higher level of body refining realm!

There is no counterattack that comes faster than physical instinct.

Half a year of sudden enlightenment, the benefits seem to be more than just this!

"How could my realm improve so fast?"

Luo Chen looked at the progress bar in the realm column, which was infinitely approaching the second level of Nascent Soul and had reached ninety, and was secretly surprised in his heart.

He remembered that when he was in sudden enlightenment, he clearly didn't cultivate with much heart.

Most of the time, he was pondering how to create a cultivation technique more suitable for himself.

"Could it be caused by that state?"

Luo Chen remembered that when he understood the method of forming a Nascent Soul during the Core Formation stage, he also attracted the infusion of spiritual energy from heaven and earth.

It was also sudden enlightenment, perhaps...

"No, this time it didn't attract much infusion of spiritual energy from heaven and earth, although I have always felt the constant gentle integration of spiritual energy from the outside world."

Luo Chen couldn't quite figure out why, without operating the cultivation technique, the spiritual energy from the outside world would actively integrate into his body.

After thinking carefully for a long time, there was ultimately no answer.

Luo Chen had to give up.

Or rather, he was already used to it.

The path of cultivation is like this; many things, under the current realm, cultivators know that it is so but do not know why it is so.

Often, when they reach a higher realm and look back, they will suddenly realize, so it was like this and like that at that time.

And by this time, the cultivator will have feelings and stand from a higher angle to write books and establish theories, creating cultivation techniques for later generations to cultivate.

Later generations cultivate step by step according to the cultivation technique, and even if they don't understand, they will step by step reach the height of their predecessors.

To put it broadly, this is the so-called inheritance!

After Luo Chen accepted the current situation, he quickly set his next cultivation plan.

That is, not to cultivate!

The realm improved too fast, and even if it seemed that the foundation was very solid, he always felt a bit uneasy in his heart.

Regarding the cultivation technique, Luo Chen also felt that it could be adjusted again.

Therefore, he was not in a hurry to improve, but focused on stabilizing the realm first.

Not in a hurry to cultivate, Luo Chen's days suddenly became leisurely.

After meeting the Fu family grandfather and granddaughter and explaining that his strength was not affected, they didn't believe it at the time, so Luo Chen showed a little bit of his skill.

A signature spell, the Green Yang Great Handprint, still had peerless power, barely letting them put their hearts at ease.

Luo Chen was not in a hurry to prove himself; anyway, he had a bottom line in his heart.

With the extra time, apart from adjusting the cultivation technique, Luo Chen put it into alchemy.

Whether it was the Hongyuan Pill or the Great Soul Pill, the proficiency was stuck at the perfect level before.

The reason why it was stuck had nothing to do with Luo Chen's alchemy skills, purely because the quantity of medicinal herbs was not enough.

After Fu Chaosheng sent a large amount of resources last time, Luo Chen could open the furnace again to improve his proficiency.

He calculated the time very well.

By the time the proficiency was improved to the master level, the realm would be almost stabilized by then.

When he restarted cultivation at that time, he would have high-grade Hongyuan Pills and high-grade Great Soul Pills as assistance, and the realm could soar rapidly again.

Everything was in good order, leisurely and beautiful!

Perhaps because they were worried about Luo Chen's state, when Luo Chen was closed-door for alchemy, Fu Qinglan came to Cave Dwelling No. A-78 more and more frequently.

The time she stayed also became longer and longer.

The interaction between the two also changed from being unfamiliar at the beginning to gradually becoming familiar.

Luo Chen did not resist this mode of interaction; he knew that the five-hundred-year grand competition of the Heavenly Origin Dao Sect was by no means as simple as imagined.

In the Mirage Dragon Cave Heaven trip, according to historical records, although there had been no cases of cultivators falling, if one wanted to obtain rich returns, trust between the contestants and the protectors was indispensable.

Luo Chen was also using this opportunity to cultivate a tacit relationship with the other party.

As for how to cultivate it?

That is playing chess!

In the cave dwelling, between the square chessboard, the man was in a difficult situation, and the woman was calm and composed.

"I'll push!"

"I'll press! No, you have to stand up here; if you don't stand, how can you kill your way out?"

"You are pushing too hard; it's an ambush on all sides."

"Then you should cross! Didn't I teach you the method of crossing the board? That 'Spring Mountain Hall Chess Manual' also details seven ways to solve this situation."

"I naturally remember it clearly, but it's obvious that you buried a backhand here, right?"

"You actually saw it."

The woman smiled slightly, and a piece fell, instantly forming a dragon-slaughtering momentum.

Luo Chen was helpless, scattered the chess pieces in his hand, and generously declared his defeat.

He discovered that this woman might not have the temperament of a Nascent Soul True Person in her conduct, but that was merely because she lacked experience.

But in the path of Go, she was quite confident, with a killing aura that could control the life and death of others.

If this aura could be transformed into her style of conduct, she wouldn't just be talking on paper.

Fu Qinglan, while counting the chess pieces, asked seemingly unintentionally: "Regarding those twelve opponents, does Daoist Brother have any research?"

Luo Chen smiled slightly and said with confidence: "I have already looked at the intelligence and analyzed it roughly."

"Lin Bufan's protector, Lin Jingtang, comes from a servant of the Lin family, did not join the Heavenly Origin Dao Sect, and has been walking outside the continent for many years. He formed a Nascent Soul at four hundred and seventy-eight years old, his aptitude is average, his fighting ability is outstanding, and he has a true artifact, the Startled Alarm Bell..."

"Yu Xu's protector is the master of the Heavenly Mountain Sect, a fallen major sect in the Southern Border, named by the sect; his name is Heavenly Mountain True Person. He formed a Nascent Soul not long ago, and logically speaking, he is not to be feared. But being able to cultivate to the Nascent Soul stage in a place like the Southern Border, he must have his own unique features; I will be careful about the path of Gu insects."

"Great House disciple Gu Yuan..."

Mentioning this name, Luo Chen paused, as if he remembered some familiar place in his memory.

Fu Qinglan looked forward to what followed.

Luo Chen said with a light laugh.

"His protector comes from the Mou family of the Thirty-Six Noble Families, Mou Jianxiong. This person cannot be underestimated; although he comes from a noble family, he has received guidance from the Great House Gu family since he was young. However, this person is good at water techniques, and I have the confidence to suppress him with the way of water and fire restraining each other."

"The intelligence on the protector of the Shi family's contestant is somewhat unclear..."

Luo Chen spoke in an orderly manner, his words full of confidence.

Fu Qinglan listened while her heart relaxed.

The other party was not as unconcerned as he looked on the surface; in fact, he had already recorded all the opponents as much as possible.

At the end.

Luo Chen said: "Of course, these are just paper intelligence; specific situations still need specific analysis. If I could see these people with my own eyes, or have video records of them taking action, then I would be even more certain."

Fu Qinglan nodded in agreement.

"This is true; after all, intelligence could also be something they deliberately spread to mislead others."

Suddenly, her tone changed.

"Right now, there is an opportunity for you to see these people."

"Oh?" Luo Chen raised his brows, becoming interested.

Since coming to Central Province, he actually hadn't really dealt with the Nascent Soul True Persons here.

Even the outer-continent cultivators on Heaven Earth Peak, except for that late-stage Nascent Soul elder, he hadn't really contacted anyone else.

If there was an opportunity to get to know one or two right now, he wouldn't mind.

"Tomorrow, the Peach Garden will open, and the famous Daoist Yin will challenge the Chess Saint Ke Lianshan; at that time, the four directions will surely move, and heroes will gather. Daoist Brother might as well go with me to take the opportunity to peek at the bottom line of those opponents."

Peach Garden, the cultivation place of the Chess Saint Ke Lianshan.

Compared to those opponents, Luo Chen was more interested in this legendary Chess Saint.

An existence that can be called a saint must be someone who has reached the pinnacle in a certain path, just like the Alchemist Saint Chu Yan.

Especially, that Chess Saint is also a late-stage Nascent Soul Great Expert!

To tell the truth, after coming to Central Province, Luo Chen was still quite unaccustomed to it.

In the past, in the Eastern Wasteland and North Sea, Nascent Soul True Persons were rarely seen, but in Central Province, they seemed to be everywhere.

Going out once, looking up and down, there might be a Nascent Soul True Person.

This made his pride in finally achieving this realm vanish completely.

Of course, he also knew that this was not a normal situation.

Central Province is the place where the essence of the Mountain and Sea World gathers.

After the ancient times, it was also the only peaceful place that had not suffered from the threat of demon beasts.

With thousands of years of accumulation, having such a foundation is also normal.

"I've been stifled here for too long, so let's go for a trip!"

Luo Chen stood up and stretched, saying so.

"Good, I will make arrangements today and get an invitation for Daoist Brother!"

Fu Qinglan left Luo Chen's cave dwelling happily.

Looking at her cheerful appearance, Luo Chen couldn't help but shake his head, not knowing whether the other party was happy that he cared about her affairs, or happy to witness a grand event in the chess world.