"Senior Brother heard everything just now?"
"My apologies, I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I had only just awakened and instinctively spread my divine sense. If Junior Sister is unwilling, I will never force you."
If it had been before, Luo Chen might truly have harbored no such thoughts.
Yet now that things had come to this, how could his heart not be stirred?
Canglong cast him a sidelong glance, then regained a natural, open poise. "If Senior Brother has need of me, your junior sister is wholly willing!"
Luo Chen laughed heartily. With a beckoning gesture, the woman was drawn into his broad embrace, settling upon his lap.
The fiery, masculine aura washed over her face, turning Canglong's previously composed complexion crimson in an instant.
She had not expected things to move so swiftly, so directly.
Even having prepared herself mentally, she still felt dazed and light-headed.
Instinctively changing the subject, Canglong asked, "Senior Brother, what realm are you at now?"
Without hesitation, Luo Chen answered, "Ninth layer of the Nascent Soul."
"Ah!" Canglong cried out in astonishment. Although Luo Chen's vast reserves of magic power usually made it difficult to gauge his exact cultivation, the ninth layer of the Nascent Soul was simply astonishing!
Just how many years had he been cultivating?
"What is it?" Luo Chen asked, looking down at her.
Canglong hesitated. "The disparity between our realms is too vast. I fear the pure yin power I have accumulated will not be enough to help you climb higher!"
To her surprise, Luo Chen spoke with earnest sincerity. "That is the accumulation of several centuries; how could I bring myself to plunder it? What I need your help with is your Seven-Aperture Exquisite Body!"
Canglong froze.
The Seven-Aperture Exquisite Body possessed numerous wondrous traits.
It endowed a cultivator with innate brilliance, wit, and nimble intellect.
It also allowed for the opening of an extra heart aperture outside the sea of qi, capable of storing immense reserves of magic power. The very reason Canglong had been able to charge directly into the Nascent Soul realm after breaking her seal years ago lay in the vast magic power accumulated within that heart aperture.
And finally, there was the primordial yin coveted by so many!
This essence was of paramount importance in the early stages of a female cultivator's path, even more precious than a male cultivator's primordial yang.
Endowed with both the Seven-Aperture Exquisite Body and an exquisite ice spiritual root, Canglong had guarded her chastity for centuries. The pure yin power she had amassed was an incomparable tonic to any male cultivator!
Harnessing that force to balance yin and yang in harmonious synergy made breaking through a minor realm effortlessly achievable.
Yet that power was not what Luo Chen desired at all.
To him, the heaven-and-earth primordial energy currently coursing through his body was as vast as a sea; he had no need whatsoever to covet Canglong's reserves.
What he wanted, just as he said, was this Seven-Aperture Exquisite Body—and the extra heart aperture she had opened!
That heart aperture could not only hold Canglong's own magic power, but during dual cultivation, it could also receive the magic power of a male partner. As their yin and yang harmonized, it acted like a filter and sieve, purifying and refining the male cultivator's magic power.
In truth, this was precisely why Canglong had remained unwed in her earlier years despite possessing such an exceptional constitution.
That heart aperture offered far too great an advantage to male cultivators.
What if the man acted with reckless abandon?
What if Canglong failed to maintain control?
She would fall into becoming what was known as a "furnace."
Harvested and plucked for the benefit of others, reduced to a mere tool.
Especially now that she had reached the Nascent Soul realm, that heart aperture had grown even larger, making it all the more coveted!
Luo Chen's frank admission plunged Canglong into an agonizing dilemma.
Offering up her pure yin power was something she could do with gritted teeth.
Yet yielding her very body to be used in another's cultivation... if that person harbored sinister intentions...
"I stand by what I said. If Junior Sister is unwilling, I will not force you. At most, it will only cost me a little more time," Luo Chen said with utter sincerity.
Canglong remained silent for a long while before her white teeth bit softly into her red lip and she gave a gentle nod.
After all, this "other person" was not just anyone—it was Luo Chen!
She was willing to trust him.
Seeing this, Luo Chen beamed with delight, immediately leaning down to kiss her.
Resolving the hidden perils within his magic power was a matter that could brook no delay!
***
Luo Chen's awakening was nothing short of a tempest within the Luotian Sect.
*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*
Figures shot through the air one after another, all descending upon the shores of Lake Ming.
Before anyone could exchange words, they were startled by an upheaval in the lake.
*Crash!*
Fierce waves suddenly erupted, surging outward in relentless, towering swells.
This was Ming Water, possessing the dread property of polluting a cultivator's magic power.
In calm times, the cultivators of the Luotian Sect could still cross using Nether Ferrying Boats or Black Turtles, but under such turbulent conditions, no one dared draw near.
The assembled crowd exchanged bewildered glances, unable to comprehend what was happening.
"Didn't the Supreme Elder awaken? How could this be?" Li Yingzhang asked, his expression shifting between surprise and doubt.
"These signs appear to be an instability in magic power, causing a massive outward leakage. Forcing our way in now would be no different from opposing Senior Brother Luo Chen's immense magic power. We cannot do it," Lingfengzi said, deep wariness in his eyes.
Wang Yuan observed closely for a long while, a contemplative look appearing on his face.
When someone beside him asked, he stroked his chin and said, "I cannot say what Luo Chen's current condition is, but judging from the leaked aura, he is still alive."
Was that not stating the obvious?
With such a commotion, who couldn't tell he was alive?
Yet the fact that Luo Chen was alive was good news in itself, and the expressions of the crowd relaxed slightly.
"Then what should we do next?" someone asked.
Without hesitation, Li Yingzhang declared, "Since the Supreme Elder is unharmed, do not disturb him!"
The crowd wavered slightly, but Li Yingzhang showed great resolve. Even though he was only at the Core Formation stage, his status as sect master of the Luotian Sect gave him the authority to make such a call.
With that settled, none among the crowd raised further objections, yet Fairy Jueqing wore a look of utter anxiety.
"My senior sister is still inside!"
***
Inside the Hunyuan Cauldron.
Vapors lingered, suffused with an enchanting atmosphere.
Skin as smooth and tender as milk, earlobes as translucent and crystalline as fresh snow, misty, bewildered eyes, and peaks evocative of Mount Tian itself.
All of it wove together into a tableau capable of leading mortal minds into ruin.
Yet within it, Luo Chen's mind remained remarkably clear and untroubled, wholly unmoved.
From his meridians and apertures to his purple mansion and Nascent Soul, vast quantities of turbulent magic power were painstakingly guided into Canglong's heart aperture. With his formidable soul foundation, Luo Chen then rapidly refined and tempered it.
The filtering mechanism inherent to the heart aperture provided tremendous aid.
Throughout the process, Luo Chen took only the magic power he required.
The immense surplus of heaven-and-earth primordial energy was deliberately vented outward by Luo Chen, which had caused the violent agitation in Lake Ming.
*The Seven-Aperture Exquisite Body is truly an exceptional furnace!*
Luo Chen sighed inwardly, yet he harbored no wicked thoughts. Instead, he continually took action to shield her heart aperture.
Not only that, but he released a cluster of pure yang magic power to merge with the pure yin power Canglong had preserved for centuries.
He would not take this force back; it would serve as Canglong's fortune for aiding him.
Moreover, as Luo Chen gradually reclaimed mastery over his body and combed his magic power into neat order, he began to feel regret over the portion of heaven-and-earth primordial energy he had abandoned.
*Though I cannot absorb it, could it not be another great opportunity for Canglong?*
With that thought, Luo Chen formed a new plan.
He began casting restrictions, corralling that portion of primordial energy and sealing it within Canglong's heart aperture.
This energy was far too massive; were it to run amok, even Luo Chen would suffer.
Therefore, Luo Chen took great care to convert a portion of magic power imbued with the Water Origin, spreading it around the perimeter of the heart aperture so that it could preserve Canglong's life in a moment of crisis.
In the future, if Canglong used the techniques Luo Chen imparted to refine it step by step, her cultivation would advance by leaps and bounds!
After all, with the power already inside her, what need was there to seek it from without?
Time slipped by.
After several days had passed, Canglong, seated cross-legged in Luo Chen's embrace, finally stirred.
"Mmh..."
With a soft murmur, her eyes opened, meeting Luo Chen's faintly smiling gaze.
Canglong looked away from that burning stare and whispered, "Is it over?"
"My condition has stabilized, so it can be considered over. However..."
"However what?" Canglong asked in confusion.
Yet as the man's heavy body pressed down upon her, she understood everything at once.
This time, it had nothing to do with cultivation; it was purely romance.
***
The Hunyuan Cauldron, expanded to a full ten zhang across, rested at the bottom of Lake Ming.
Luo Chen walked quietly along the cauldron's rim as though strolling along a city wall.
The surrounding Ming Water surged forward with rushing sounds, yet upon nearing him, it turned extraordinarily gentle, transforming into ribbons of water that swirled around his frame.
This was the change brought about by refining the Ming Water springhead.
For now, Luo Chen did not dwell on the matter, turning his full attention toward his status panel.
[Lifespan: 350/1,300]
[Spiritual Roots: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth]
[Constitution: Fire Spirit Body (Five Spirits Dao Body hidden)]
[Realm: Nascent Soul Ninth Layer 1/100, Desolate Ancient Stage Four 75/100]
[Laws: Wither-Bloom True Meaning · Wood 12/100, Fire Origin 1/100, Water Origin 1/100]
[Cultivation Methods: Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Scripture Perfection 301/500, Myriad Firmaments Myriad Transformations Sword Scripture Practiced 180/200, Soul Splitting Art Grandmaster 900/1,000, Myriad Beast Scripture Great Circle, Convergence of Myriad Paths Great Circle]
[Spells: Blazing Phoenix Prairie Fire Great Circle, Flame Dragon Descent Great Circle, Wither-Bloom Dao Finger (Divine Ability)]
[Body Arts: Three Heads and Six Arms (Divine Ability), Wind, Moon, Thunder, and Cloud Treading the Immortal Path Grandmaster 750/1,000, Demonic Lord Seven Scattered Hands Great Circle]
[Soul Arts: Prison Suppressing Grandmaster 666/1,000, Moon Essence Pure Mind Incantation Grandmaster 501/1,000, Mirror Flower Water Moon Great Circle, Soul Intimidation Art Great Circle, Spirit-Befuddling Technique Great Circle, Devils and Gods Disperse Great Circle, Kai Mao Art Great Circle]
[Achievement Points: 160]
These panel readings represented only a part of the whole; crafts such as alchemy, artifact refining, and talisman making had all been hidden by Luo Chen.
For him today, no matter how proficient he became in the hundred arts of cultivation, they could not alter the broader situation.
Only his own strength could resolve everything.
At first glance, Luo Chen noticed the sharp reduction in his lifespan.
It had diminished by a full two hundred years!
What was more, it was a reduction to his maximum lifespan.
Luo Chen pondered, roughly understanding why it had dropped by so much.
His lifespan far exceeded that of ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators because he cultivated body refinement alongside his magic. Yet he had succeeded through body refinement, and suffered through it as well; when his physical body suffered catastrophic damage, even if it later recovered completely, the ceiling of his lifespan would still be diminished.
It was the same principle as a mortal losing years of life after suffering severe trauma.
And in his battles along the way, the injuries Luo Chen had sustained were far beyond ordinary trauma.
The clash with the three Demon Emperors, the battle against the freed Nether Earth Dragon, and that near fight to the death with Qingshuang.
Every single one had inflicted grievous harm upon Luo Chen's flesh.
In the latter two especially, simply drawing upon origin power to restore his nearly mangled body had consumed a massive portion of his innate lifespan.
"The decline of the path of body refinement since ancient times truly is not without reason," Luo Chen murmured in reflection, then ceased lamenting. His lifespan was abundant enough to withstand such expenditure.
What drew his attention most right now was the constitution entry.
[Constitution: Fire Spirit Body (Five Spirits Dao Body hidden)]
It remained the Fire Spirit Body, yet the hidden characters for the Five Spirits Dao Body flickered continuously, glowing with an intensity far greater than before.
Seeing this, Luo Chen's spirits lifted!
Indeed!
His hypothesis from years ago was correct.
As he comprehended more and more laws—especially the true meanings of laws of differing attributes—the once-hidden Five Spirits Dao Body would eventually make a complete recovery.
While Luo Chen relished the blistering speed of cultivating single-attribute arts, he also missed the immense magic power the five spiritual roots had once granted him.
He did not know whether his magic power would multiply accordingly if he advanced to Soul Formation with the Fire Spirit Body; if he still possessed the five spiritual roots, he would have no need to worry about such things.
Next, Luo Chen turned his attention to the realm entry.
After dual cultivating with Canglong, his magic power had finally stabilized.
Although the work was not yet completely finished, he now needed only to spend time steadily tempering it.
"Ninth layer of the Nascent Soul?"
Luo Chen murmured, feeling a sense of disbelief.
The heaven-and-earth bestowal and the primordial energy infusion of that day had far surpassed any previous comprehension of a law's true meaning, directly propelling him up two minor realms, leaving him only a single step away from ultimate completion.
"Just what was that power born from the clash between the Water and Fire Origins, and why did it vanish in the blink of an eye?"
Luo Chen knew what had pushed him into that life-and-death crisis, yet he remained ignorant of its true nature.
Knowing the phenomenon without knowing its underlying principle was truly an unsettling sensation.
Still!
Misfortune leans on fortune, and fortune conceals misfortune.
While a sudden surge in cultivation realm spared Luo Chen decades or even centuries of bitter toil, fully mastering such power was also a stern test for him.
His gaze settled upon the three laws.
Staring at those entries, Luo Chen fell silent.
After a long while, he murmured softly, "The Wither-Bloom of Wood has a divine ability, and even body arts possess Three Heads and Six Arms, which can be cultivated step by step. Yet the two Origins I comprehended on my own carry no accompanying divine abilities.
"Had I been a direct lineage disciple of a sacred ground, would I ever have been reduced to such awkward straits?"
He well knew that back then, as soon as Fu Qinglan and the others comprehended the true meaning of a law, the Tianyuan Dao Sect had bestowed the corresponding great divine abilities upon them.
Yet he was left to rely on nebulous luck to comprehend them on his own—a truly bitter pill to swallow!
Sighing, Luo Chen closed his status panel.
He now possessed a clear grasp of his current condition.
Yet it was not enough!
Luo Chen silently chanted the *Moon Essence Pure Mind Incantation*.
Before long, his Nascent Soul and divine soul merged together, forming the Primordial Spirit.
Luo Chen did not send it forth, quietly observing the internal state of his body and calculating how long the Primordial Spirit could endure.
Years ago, his limit had been the time it took to drink a cup of tea.
Yet as Luo Chen waited, the time far exceeded that mark.
A cup of tea was about ten minutes, a quarter of an hour was fifteen, and an incense stick was roughly half an hour.
As Luo Chen waited quietly, it was only after roughly half a shichen—an entire hour—that his Primordial Spirit began to convey a sensation of impending dispersion.
"Is one hour the baseline?"
Luo Chen murmured to himself.
Could this amount of time sustain him in battle against a Soul Formation mighty figure?
And in the midst of combat, would the Primordial Spirit's duration shrink even further?
If he retrieved his complete life soul, could his Primordial Spirit grow even stronger, perhaps enduring indefinitely in the world?
Numerous questions surfaced in his mind. Luo Chen dispelled the Primordial Spirit fusion, cast a glance outside, and then walked into the inner chamber of the cauldron.
Upon a bed, Canglong slept peacefully.
Her skin, originally as fair as fresh snow, was now flushed red like a cooked lobster.
Her body was naturally free of any impurities, Luo Chen having cleansed her before he stepped away.
Gazing at the woman's serene, sleeping form, Luo Chen murmured to himself:
"All matters are concluded. Next, I must make the long journey to the Central Plains. But before that, I must give you proper status."
The interior of the cauldron was utterly silent. Whether Canglong had heard those words or not was unknown; she simply turned over naturally, revealing the graceful, captivating curve of her waist and hips.
Chapter 1016