In Ding Yi's eyes, the anomaly over Penghu Lake lasted for only a fleeting moment.
Yet he lingered on the lakeshore for a full two hours.
Only when a divine sense transmission drifted out from within did he finally shift his feet.
"Setting out in half a month?"
He looked back with every step, his gaze still filled with suspicion and dread as he stared at the vast lake shrouded in mist, as though some terrifying entity lurked within its depths.
***
Meanwhile, inside Star Constellation Hall.
After a long absence, Luo Chen brought up his attribute panel once more.
[Lifespan: 165/800]
[Spiritual Roots: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth]
[Realm: Golden Core Level 6 (57/100), Desolate Ancient Tier 4 (1/100)]
[Cultivation Methods: Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Scripture (Perfect 457/500), Convergence of Myriad Paths (Grand Perfection), Myriad Beast Scripture (Grandmaster 500/1000)]
[Spells: Tier 4: Dragon Slaying Art (Grand Perfection), Origin Core Art (Grand Perfection), Myriad Manifestations Fire Prison (Perfect 317/500); Tier 3: Sevenfold Blazing Heaven Rings (Grand Perfection), Life-Severing Finger (Entry 15/100)]
[Body Arts: Airburst Steps (Grand Perfection), Demonic Lord Seven Scattered Hands: Cloud-Seeking Divine Claw (Grand Perfection), Overlord Armor Shedding (Proficient 201/300), Thunder Kick (Perfect 350/500), Mountain Suppressing Form (Grandmaster 510/1000), Mountain Uprooting Form (Perfect 460/500), Mountain Breaking Form (Grandmaster 501/1000), Mountain Ramming Form (Perfect 390/500)]
[Achievement Points: 334]
Looking at the panel, Luo Chen broke into a satisfied smile.
All of this was the harvest of nearly thirty years since arriving at the Myriad Immortals Association!
And this was merely his personal cultivation. If he expanded the sub-panels for alchemist, artifact refiner, and formation master, his gains would be even more staggering!
With just a single glance, Luo Chen's grin broadened until the corners of his mouth nearly reached his ears.
Eight hundred!
A lifespan of eight hundred years!
Rumor had it that even a Nascent Soul cultivator had a lifespan of only a thousand years.
Yet here he was, in the mere Golden Core realm, blessed with a terrifying eight-hundred-year lifespan.
Among all the cultivators under the heavens, who else could compare!
Such a startling leap in longevity was naturally thanks to his newly broken-through body-refinement realm.
Even without the innate racial constitution of an authentic desolate beast, Desolate Ancient Tier 4 had granted him a full three hundred years of additional lifespan.
Though he had anticipated it, seeing the tangible result still made Luo Chen beam with delight.
"Such an enormous investment was worth it after all!"
On the path of body refinement, Luo Chen had expended an astronomical amount of resources—scarcely less than what he had poured into qi refinement.
Just for the Black Emperor Paste alone, it had consumed at least a thousand Tier 2 demon crabs and over a dozen Tier 3 crab kings.
And if one factored in the tens of thousands of low-tier demon beasts he had incinerated and devoured with his source true fire over the years, the converted cost of spirit stones for those two items alone would easily surpass a hundred million.
Such a terrifying influx of resources had forged the monster he was today.
A three-hundred-year boost to his lifespan was only natural!
The only regret Luo Chen had was his progress in qi refinement.
In recent years, to break through to Desolate Ancient Tier 4, he had been forced to slow down his qi cultivation. Consequently, a breakthrough that might have been within reach remained stalled halfway through Golden Core Level 6.
Of course, he could not blame it entirely on body refinement.
Over the years, he had extensively forged artifacts, ventured out in search of treasures, and repeatedly unleashed the mana-devouring Myriad Manifestations Fire Prison. All of these matters had severely cut into his time for qi refinement.
It could only be said that while Luo Chen might possess the focus to multitask, he could not split himself into two people to attend to everything at once.
Still, it was only a slight pity.
In Luo Chen's eyes, cultivation had countless paths, but they all converged upon the same goal: longevity.
And longevity was measured in years of life.
Now that body refinement had taken the lead and brought him an undeniable increase in lifespan, what was there to truly regret?
Not to mention the boost to his combat prowess!
Among his Tier 4 spells, both the Dragon Slaying Art and Origin Core Art were at Grand Perfection, while Myriad Manifestations Fire Prison had reached the Perfect level on the battlefields against demon beasts in the Sunken Sea, allowing him to cast it at will.
As for body arts, Luo Chen had compiled the various fragmented, incomplete killing techniques he had acquired over the years into a single set, naming it the Demonic Lord Seven Scattered Hands.
It was called the Seven Scattered Hands simply because it contained only seven techniques.
Cloud-Seeking Divine Claw struck with elusive unpredictability.
Overlord Armor Shedding comprised intricate sequences that, once strung together, formed a seamless assault capable of peeling away an enemy's defenses in a single breath.
Thunder Kick was a leg technique as swift as crackling thunder. Combined with the Grand Perfection of Airburst Steps, its might grew even more astonishing. Han Zhan had once claimed that this strike would never hit a Nascent Soul expert, but now that he had attained Desolate Ancient Tier 4, Luo Chen wondered if any Nascent Soul cultivator would dare take it head-on.
Mountain Suppressing, Mountain Uprooting, Mountain Breaking, and Mountain Ramming—these four techniques originated from the Six Ultimate Mountain Forms. Yet when Luo Chen executed them now, they bore only a superficial resemblance to their source, packing far more destructive force than described in the manuals. This was because Luo Chen had tailored them to his own condition, integrating low-tier techniques he had long mastered and modifying them accordingly.
Of course, if simply gathering them together entitled him to claim he had created a cultivation method or martial skill, that would be rather shameless.
Fortunately, during these past few years, Luo Chen had drilled these lethal unarmed arts relentlessly for the sake of his body refinement, elevating his mastery of all seven techniques to an extraordinary level.
At a glance, aside from the most complex Overlord Armor Shedding, which sat at the Proficient level, the rest were either Perfect or Grandmaster!
One had to remember that the panel's appraisals were exceptionally strict.
A Grandmaster rating on the panel would likely be deemed great attainment in the outside world.
Even entry-level tiers like Familiar and Proficient were often regarded by outsiders as decent proficiency or crossing the threshold.
Let alone Grand Perfection—that represented reaching the absolute pinnacle and breaking new ground.
"Relying on these Demonic Lord Seven Scattered Hands, I can probably unleash the full potential of my formidable physique," Luo Chen murmured, ambition flickering in his eyes.
In the past, whenever he assumed the Heavenly Peng True Form, his offensive repertoire had been too straightforward and sorely limited.
Back then, he could still swing his natal treasure, the Hunyuan Cauldron, to smash enemies. But now, the cauldron had to assist his Golden Core in casting Myriad Manifestations Fire Prison, meaning it could not be deployed lightly.
He had also considered using the Baizao Mountain left behind by the Master of Baizao Mountain as an offensive weapon.
However, that mountain was originally the master's natal treasure. With its owner dead, its power had waned, and Luo Chen had not found the time to thoroughly refine it over the years, leaving him unable to draw out its full potential.
By contrast, these disparate killing techniques he had collated and unified were far more reliable and handy.
If opportunities arose in the future to acquire more formidable techniques, perhaps the Demonic Lord Seven Scattered Hands would grow into eight, twelve, or twenty-three forms.
In short, the future was full of promise!
Finally, Luo Chen's gaze settled upon the Achievement Points column.
[334]
It was a number that almost left him numb.
He had not spent achievement points in a very long time.
Yet over the years, he had never ceased concocting pills, forging artifacts, studying formations, and mastering various deadly techniques. Before he knew it, the points had accumulated past three hundred.
He remembered clearly that the tally was only around one hundred and fifty the last time he checked.
In the blink of an eye, it had quietly grown to over three hundred.
Beyond the pleasant surprise, what he felt most was a profound sense of security.
If he encountered high-tier pill formulas, cultivation methods, or spells in the future that proved impossible to comprehend on his own, these achievement points would serve as a master key to force an entry-level breakthrough.
They could even be used to deduce and complete fragmented cultivation manuals.
Take the Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Scripture, for example!
For this peerless scripture said to lead straight to the Mahayana stage, Luo Chen possessed only the Golden Core chapter.
Yet even just the Golden Core chapter was vast, profound, and miraculous.
It converted spiritual root attributes, purified mana, vastly enhanced control over fire, and conferred many other benefits.
For the present, the Golden Core chapter was entirely sufficient. In fact, given its miraculous nature, Luo Chen believed it might even serve him well into the Nascent Soul stage.
Still, having not yet reached that realm, he could not know how cultivation differed at the Nascent Soul level.
Thus, the incomplete Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Scripture remained a lingering worry for his future path.
He had originally hoped that by cultivating this method to Grand Perfection, the panel might automatically deduce and complete it, just as the Yimu Medicine King Scripture had automatically evolved into the Ageless Evergreen Scripture upon reaching completion.
However, progress on this scripture was excruciatingly slow. Even after several decades, it had only reached the Perfect tier, still short of Grandmaster.
Moreover, that was merely a fallback plan.
The Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Scripture was of such extraordinary caliber that if the panel failed to automatically derive the subsequent chapters, he would have to consider spending a massive sum of achievement points to forcibly complete it.
As for switching cultivation methods after reaching Nascent Soul?
Luo Chen had considered that option, but ultimately shelved it.
Frequently switching one's primary cultivation method inflicted tremendous damage on one's spiritual roots; it was far better to remain devoted to a single path from beginning to end.
Spiritual roots were nebulous and impossible to grasp, yet undeniably embedded within a cultivator's body.
Strictly speaking, they were not a concrete physical object, but rather a cultivator's affinity with certain attributes of heaven-and-earth spiritual qi.
Why did those with fewer spiritual roots cultivate faster?
The reason was that having fewer roots meant a higher affinity for the corresponding attribute of spiritual qi.
Having more roots diluted and hindered that affinity, resulting in a sharp drop in absorption efficiency.
When a cultivator cultivated a specific element's method year after year, their body and spiritual roots grew increasingly attuned to that particular attribute of qi.
Once they switched methods, that harmonious resonance would shatter, rebounding and harming their foundation.
If one transitioned to a method of the same element, the damage would be reduced, but an impact remained nonetheless. After all, through decades or centuries of cultivation, one's body had grown thoroughly accustomed to that specific path of meridian circulation.
Possessing all five spiritual roots, Luo Chen seemingly had the option to switch among any of the five elements.
Yet the higher his realm rose, the less he dared to switch thoughtlessly.
After all, none of his five spiritual roots possessed a particularly high affinity for heaven-and-earth spiritual qi to begin with.
Unless he could achieve the Primordial Fetal Dao Body conceived by that madman of the past!
With such a mythical physique, let alone switching cultivation methods, one could absorb heaven-and-earth origin qi to cultivate even while adrift in the chaotic currents of the void—a prospect that was truly tantalizing.
Shaking his head, Luo Chen felt the wild euphoria from earlier gradually cool into composure.
"Now that everything is prepared, it is time to depart."
"Those two have probably grown impatient long ago!"
Luo Chen chuckled softly. The restless surging power humming through his limbs filled him with an all-conquering confidence.
Ding Yi? Cave Master Moyun?
*Heh!*
***
Half a month later, along the misty shores of Penghu Lake.
Two figures stood by the water's edge, waiting quietly.
Suddenly, a gentle breeze swept across the lake.
A red-robed Daoist carrying a sword box on his back approached across the water, treading upon the spine of a flood dragon.
Upon reaching the shore, the Daoist leaped down, produced a spirit beast pouch, and waved to the massive beast.
"Get in!"
Black King grumbled reluctantly, shrunk his frame, and flew inside.
Fastening the pouch to his waist, Luo Chen cupped his hands to the two men.
"Fellow Daoist Ding, Cave Master, apologies for keeping you waiting."
Indeed, they had waited far too long!
The celestial phenomenon in the Sunken Sea had emerged over a year ago. Those who intended to go had already set out long before. The three of them had schemed for years, yet had been delayed all this time solely because of Luo Chen.
Ding Yi had previously been brimming with resentment, even willing to drop all pretense of politeness to force his way into Penghu Lake.
Yet now, facing Luo Chen in person, Ding Yi merely let out a cold snort and held his tongue.
The look in his eyes as he scrutinized Luo Chen was laced with deep wariness.
The terrifying aura that had surfaced for that fleeting instant earlier could not be faked.
Looking closely now, however, there seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary, and Luo Chen did not appear to have broken through to the late Golden Core stage either.
So what had that terrifying presence been back then?
A particular lethal technique? Or had it been produced by the great formation of Penghu Lake? Surely it hadn't been an illusion conjured intentionally to intimidate him!
"Eh? Demonic Lord, your face..."
Cave Master Moyun was also examining Luo Chen. A cursory glance had revealed nothing, yet he felt as though he had missed something.
Looking closer, he realized that the crimson tint on the Daoist's face had completely vanished.
In its place was a skin as fair as jade, smooth and tender like an infant's.
Ding Yi snapped out of his thoughts as well. He had relied so heavily on his senses and divine perception that he had overlooked what his eyes were seeing.
Demonic Lord Qingyang's face!
His skin was like congealed lard, his features fair as sculpted jade, and his pitch-black eyes were deep and profound like abyssal pools capable of mirroring the foulest filth hidden within human hearts.
Offset by his vibrant red Daoist robe, his fair complexion was all the more striking and brilliant.
Standing before the misty lakeside in the morning fog, the Daoist exuded an ethereal grace, looking every bit like an immortal exiled to the mortal dust.
Luo Chen smiled freely and waved a hand dismissively.
"It is merely a minor change in complexion. Cultivators like us need not obsess over appearance. Let us be off—Luo has grown quite impatient himself!"
With that, he stepped past the two and strode northward.
Ding Yi and Cave Master Moyun exchanged a glance. Watching Luo Chen's receding figure—which even seemed to have grown slightly taller—they realized some inscrutable change had definitely taken place within him.
With their departure upon them, however, there was no time for speculation, and they hastened to match his stride.
Two hours after their departure.
The sky paled with the dawn, and the rising sun crested the horizon.
Warm morning light cascaded across the limpid surface, illuminating the breathtaking beauty of the eight-hundred-li Penghu Lake. When early-rising cultivators rowed past, sending ripples across the water, the tranquil serenity of this immortal sanctuary deepened.
None realized that the billowing mist which had veiled the eight hundred li of Penghu Lake had vanished without a trace this day.
Nor did anyone notice that Qingyangzi, the master of Penghu Lake, had quietly taken his leave.
Chapter 654