My path to immortality began with my posting to guard Dawancun.

Chapter 80: Plans Changed (4k two-in-one)

no doubt,

As rumors spread,

The area near Wujiaji will become the focus of the vortex!

Even during this process, not everyone will believe the rumors. Many people will be skeptical, thinking that someone is just using them to take revenge on the Wu family, using them as a weapon, and will scoff at the matter.

But how should I put it?

It's not necessary for everyone to believe; it's enough if just a portion of the people do!

The benefits of Biyuan Water Grass are so great that they are enough to tempt the hearts of some cultivators with an adventurous spirit!
Just like in ancient times,

Rumors circulated that a gold mine was hidden in that mountain range.

Even if most people hear this, they will still stay at home and farm peacefully.

However, there will definitely be quite a few daring people hoping to get rich overnight who will go deep into the mountains to investigate!

these people,
Bold enough,
Leaving aside lawlessness,

That person would definitely not be the kind of obedient, rule-abiding, and law-abiding individual!

Such cultivators are constantly pouring into this desolate land.

Shen Changchuan could almost foresee the enormous challenges that Dawancun and the surrounding areas would face in the future!
"Trouble!"

After understanding the specific situation,

Shen Changchuan frowned involuntarily.

It is conceivable that,

As rumors spread,

Among the adventurous cultivators who come to the desolate borderlands and venture into the monster forests to search for adventure, there are definitely quite a few with strength at the late stage of Qi Refining!
And the strength of a cultivator in the late stage of Qi Refining.
Shen Changchuan recalled the scenes of his battle with Old Ghost Song.

Dealing with a seventh-level Song Laogui was already so difficult; he managed to defeat and kill him by sheer luck.

What if they were facing cultivators at the eighth or ninth level, whose cultivation levels were higher and whose strength was greater?
Wouldn't that mean being at the mercy of the other party?
As the news spread, it was clear that among those who dared to get involved in this mess, there were quite a few with such a level of strength!
Shen Changchuan's heart sank.

He could almost imagine that, not long afterward,
Scenes of people holding swords to their necks, interrogating them of all sorts of information, and then asking them, a "local," to go into the mountains to guide them.

Even worse,
He forced himself to use money as bait to lie in a minefield, ultimately dying in the mouth of a monster in the mountains.

This is not what he wanted to experience.

"There is a certain lag in the spread of news. Even if you set off immediately after hearing the news, it will still take time to get to the vicinity of Wujiaji."

"So the peak of visitor traffic will probably be in three or four months, and the hype will likely last for at least a year before the rumored secret location of the Biyuan aquatic plant is found."

Shen Changchuan's expression was solemn as he pondered to himself.

But the more I think about it,

The more he did so, the more headaches he felt.

The strength of a cultivator at the late stage of Qi Refining is simply too great!
Judging from the methods that Old Ghost Song had demonstrated back then, his perfect-level spells had no effect on the opponent at all.

After a series of combos, the opponent was almost completely unharmed.

The only thing that can work is...

That is, the Green Wood Sword Light with an extremely long "casting animation".

However, such a technique is clearly not suitable for use in battles against cultivators in the late stage of Qi Refining, as the extremely long 'casting animation' is undoubtedly a huge weakness.

Using it rashly in battle is practically suicidal.

Unless one can cultivate it to perfection and reach the point of instantaneous release.

Only then can it play a role in battles against cultivators in the late stage of Qi Refining.

But rather,
Judging from Shen Changchuan's current progress,
To master the Azure Wood Sword Light, it would take at least half a year of hard work!
By then, it would be too late, or at least several months after the danger had reached its peak!

Who knows what unexpected events might happen in the months before he perfects the Green Wood Sword Light?
Is it really just because of the Shen family's reputation in Tiannan?

Is it to intimidate those audacious and reckless individuals?

Shen Changchuan felt that,
This is not reliable.

After all, Dawancun is too far from the core of the Shen family in Tiannan.

It was so far away that it was already the very edge of the Shen family's sphere of influence.

"Being far from the core area of ​​the Shen family, although it is safer, it also offers more room for development."

"But at the same time, the family's deterrent power will be greatly reduced, and the protective charm of the Tiannan Shen family will not be as useful."

"After all, the mountains are high and the roads are long. In their eyes, killing you would mean fleeing to other cultivation worlds. The Shen family wouldn't go to such lengths for a mere Qi Refining Realm outer clansman, would they?"

If you just put yourself in someone else's shoes a little...
Shen Changchuan could almost predict the thoughts of those daring individuals who first came here to venture out.

Although the Shen family is a behemoth.

But with the emperor far away and chaos raging, you can talk to someone else first.

"This is bad, this is really bad!"

A worried look appeared on Shen Changchuan's face.

"Such a drastic change, unless I take the initiative to reveal my identity to the outside world, will make mere collateral branches of the Shen family, which have been 'demoted' to a remote place, seem like nothing to outsiders. But now, in just over half a year, my strength has increased so rapidly. Once the news gets back to the family and the First Madam finds out, wouldn't that be courting death?"

"Although Shen Han is currently a thorn in the side of the First Madam, attracting most of her attention, it might also serve as a warning to her. It's alright now that Dawan Village is too far away and news transmission is poor, but if my current achievements and reputation were to reach Tiannan City because of that cheap old man, the consequences would be unimaginable."

"Perhaps I could learn from that cheap brother of mine, Shen Han, and disappear from the Shen family for a while, find a safe place outside, hide until I reach the Nascent Soul stage, and then run back?"

"No, the price is too high!"

"The Shen family's facade is still very important!"

"The reason I was able to make such a great harvest in Wujiaji this time is largely because I come from the Shen family of Tiannan."

"Especially that crucial Azure Essence Purifying Pill. If I weren't that cheap old man's illegitimate son, I'm afraid Wu Yuanzhi, the head of the Wu family who secretly advanced to the Nascent Soul stage, would have crushed me long ago. Why would he just give me a warning and let me take the pill away, and even give me some things as 'hush money'?"

Thinking of this,

Shen Changchuan shook his head.

He was not blinded by the rapid progress he had made in recent times.

He knew very well that

The progress I've made these past few days isn't entirely due to my own hard work and self-cultivation.

Among them, the Shen clan members are the only exception.

Even the banner of that cheap old man played a very important role in it.

This skin should not be discarded lightly.

Moreover,
Being a rogue cultivator isn't so easy.

Unaffiliated cultivators have no fixed source of income. To obtain cultivation resources, they can only rely on fighting and struggling in the monster forests and venturing into dangerous places to seek opportunities.

But to be honest, unless you're a protagonist in a novel who's blessed with both good fortune and happiness, these are basically arduous tasks that require a lot of effort but yield little reward.

How can you be sure that the monsters you encounter when you enter the Monster Forest are just the kind of monsters below the seventh level of Qi Refining that you can handle, instead of unexpectedly encountering monsters like those at the eighth or ninth level of Qi Refining, or even those at the Nascent Soul stage, which are completely beyond your control?

Moreover, setting aside the dangers, the rewards of venturing into the mountains are not fixed; sometimes returning empty-handed after a month is quite common.

Not to mention that even if you have incredible luck and obtain a treasure, you will still face various tribulations on your way back, such as the leaders of various evil forces in the market.
This is actually not easy at all.

Without a stable income and a stable industry, most independent cultivators will die prematurely along the way. Even if some are lucky enough to die of old age, they will have exhausted their entire lives' efforts and still find it difficult to overcome the bottleneck of the late stage of Qi Refining.

Not to mention the Out-of-Body Realm beyond that.

"The plan to flee can be considered as a last resort when the situation becomes unfavorable." "But unless there is no other way out, I will still pick up the foundation of Dawan Village and continue to wear the skin of the Shen family."

"But this means the original plan will have to be changed!"

"I need to have enough ability to protect myself in a short period of time!"

Inside the secret room,

Shen Changchuan's eyes flickered.
A series of thoughts flashed through my mind.

To avoid running away,
Ideally, within the next two or three months, one should possess the strength to contend with or even kill someone at the seventh or eighth level of Qi Refining.

First, refine a high-grade Qi-inducing pill, then take a Qi-gathering and mind-concentrating pill to break through to the seventh level of Qi-inducing.
Do not,
If one rashly advances their cultivation level again before it has stabilized, their cultivation level will inevitably become unstable.

It might even jeopardize my future breakthrough to the Out-of-Body stage.

The cost is too high.
not worth it.

A series of thoughts flashed through Shen Changchuan's mind.

But he rejected most of them.

The only way,
It seems the only solution is to accelerate Aoki Kenshin's training progress.
Is there any way to do that?

How can I speed up my cultivation and master the Azure Wood Sword Light within two or three months?

Or rather, even if it's impossible to raise its progress to 100% perfection,

It cannot be cast instantly.
That means you need to cultivate it to at least fifty percent.
Make it usable in battle!

The Aoki Sword Light, which is only at 4% progress, has too long a wind-up, making it unsuitable for combat.

If we could speed up its progress bar...
Reduce its casting time.
Then, combined with the power of the bronze jar,

I might not be unable to defeat or even kill a cultivator in the late stage of Qi Refining!
After three days and three nights of deep thought,
Shen Changchuan combined the cultivation experience of the Nascent Soul Realm senior Shen Tingchu with his own insights into the rapid progress of his sword light technique over this period.

I have a new idea about this.

"This is the only way."

"If all else fails, then we'll consider how to escape!"

After another day was spent,

After confirming the possibility of that idea, a ruthless glint flashed in Shen Changchuan's eyes.

In certain situations where decisions need to be made,
He has never lacked the courage to make a decision.

Three days later,
Inside the secret chamber of the spiritual spring,

Shen Changchuan sat cross-legged on a jade futon, his middle and index fingers of both hands pinched together and resting on his knees, his eyes closed.

at the same time,

Above his head, the Soul-Capturing Bell hovered silently in mid-air.

Shen Changchuan at this moment.

There was no spiritual light flashing around him.

The magical power within his body was not circulating.

However, if someone with strong senses were present, they would be able to detect it.

At this moment, an invisible and intangible vortex of divine soul power seemed to have formed around Shen Changchuan.
It is constantly expanding and compressing.

Back and forth repeatedly.

The power of that soul seemed to have been slightly enhanced during this process.

However, this improvement seems to be only temporary.

Just like a rope being continuously tightened during its manufacturing process,

But as time goes by, it quickly reaches its limit and is about to collapse and return to its original state.

At this very moment,
when!
The Soul-Capturing Bell above Shen Changchuan's head rang once.
An invisible force, along with the sound, swept through the entire Spirit Spring Chamber.

Shen Changchuan's entire body,
It was as if it had been cleansed by a clear force.

The taut spiritual power that was about to loosen was stabilized and condensed into one as the sound of the Soul-Capturing Bell reverberated!
Shen Changchuan's tightly closed eyes seemed to relax at this moment.

After a short while,

He had recovered somewhat.
The previous steps were repeated.

Time passes little by little,
in a blink,
Five more days have passed.

this day,
As the Soul-Capturing Bell rang once more,
Shen Changchuan's soul was further enhanced once again.

He started to rest and recuperate again.
Take a break.

However, this time, until the recovery was complete,

Shen Changchuan did not continue to temper his soul.
Instead, he opened his eyes.

In an instant,

It was as if a flash of lightning had exploded within the secret chamber of the spirit spring, filling the entire chamber with a sense of light!
However, this feeling didn't last long.

It only lasted for a fleeting moment.
It felt like an illusion.

But now,
The sharp and resolute spirit contained in Shen Changchuan's pupils seemed to pierce through his body like needles, making people afraid to look him in the eye!

He didn't care either.

He raised his palm.
The Soul-Capturing Bell above his head then swayed and fell into his hand.

He closed his eyes again.

Take several deep breaths.

As my thoughts calmed down

The blinding sensation in the surroundings slowly subsided.

I opened my eyes again.

The aggressive feeling in his eyes was gone.

But deep within the dark pupils,
It still possesses a sharpness that is impossible to look directly at!

no doubt,

The arduous training lasted only seven or eight days.

He gained a great deal of benefit!
"The power of my soul has almost doubled, and its quality has also been refined!"

"However, it seems that by now, I have fully digested the spiritual foundation that the Azure Origin Water Grass and the Azure Origin Purifying Spirit Pill brought me back then."

"The Nine Elements Divine Essence Technique has already reached its limit in a short period of time in terms of its enhancement effect on me."

"If you want to improve further in the future, you can only rely on continuous practice over time."

"But this seems to be enough!"

Feeling the condition within his body, Shen Changchuan muttered to himself.

He clenched his fist tightly.
A glint of light flashed in his eyes.

An increase in spiritual awareness seems to improve the progress of spell cultivation.

This,

This was precisely the solution that Shen Changchuan found to break the deadlock!

(End of this chapter)