Staying Alive Cautiously in the Celestial Realm and Becoming the Strongest

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When Hu Meiniang uttered the curse, Wang Chen was already seven hundred miles away.

The reason he stood her up was because he believed that this Hehuan Sect female cultivator simply could not keep her promise to exchange three Aperture Opening Pills for the Sword Pill.

Hu Meiniang had agreed too readily.

Aperture Opening Pills have always commanded a price beyond measure, and back when the Cloud Sun Sect was still around, an inner sect disciple like Wang Chen would need to complete many sect missions and accrue enough merit points for an exchange to obtain one.

Occasionally, Aperture Opening Pills appeared for sale in the Four Seas Commerce Association and the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, but they were always pre-ordered by someone else.

Even having spirit stones doesn't mean a common cultivator can buy them!

The market price for this pill fluctuates greatly, ranging from over ten thousand to twenty thousand, and it has even sold for a sky-high price of nearly thirty thousand.

Since Wang Chen had started preparing for his Breakthrough Mansion to advance to the Purple Mansion realm, he had quite a thorough understanding of Aperture Opening Pills.

Such a precious pill, and Hu Meiniang promised three of them without any hesitation.

Wang Chen would be cursed if he believed her!

Wang Chen suspected that Hu Meiniang was one of the nine Saintesses secretly cultivated by the Hehuan Sect, akin to the identity of the Cloud Sun Sect's ten true disciples, and then sent to Dongwu Stockade for experience.

With what kind of cards such a person held, Wang Chen would be full to entangle himself with her.

It's definitely best to avoid her.

After all, it was Wan Xiu who had made the appointment with her, not Wang Chen's business!

This affair concluded, no further encounters in the martial world!

Wang Chen did not immediately embark on his journey to the West Sea Spirit Domain but went to Wind-Thunder Valley first.

He planned to refine his Wind Thunder Sword again, to enhance the might of this flying sword.

Approaching Wind-Thunder Valley for the third time, Wang Chen was extremely cautious.

He had no idea whether the valley was still under the control of Five Peaks Mountain or had become the nest of the Thunder Eagle.

He thought it more likely the former; Five Peaks Mountain definitely wouldn't give up this special valley.

For safety's sake, Wang Chen specifically chose to sneak quietly to the perimeter of Wind-Thunder Valley at dawn, then used a tunnel he had previously dug to reach the chamber beneath the valley.

The experience was quite thrilling.

Half a month later, the underground chamber was no different from when Wang Chen had left.

In the following days, Wang Chen started digging for Thunderstones again.

His identity couldn't be exposed, nor could he enter the valley to cultivate, so using the Thunder Power contained within the Thunderstones to refine the Wind Thunder Sword naturally became the only choice.

After digging up a Thunderstone, Wang Chen used the Wind Thunder Sword to crack open the stone shell, letting the Spirit Sword absorb the Thunder Power that leaked out.

Through such refinement, the Spirit Sword's sentience was constantly tempered, and the origin of the flying sword was concurrently strengthened.

Although the process was monotonous, Wang Chen didn't find it boring and immersed himself entirely in the refinement of the flying sword.

At the same time, he also made time to assimilate the Sword Pill he had received from Golden Snake Gentleman.

Assimilating the Sword Pill was actually not easy, as the Sword Pill itself was condensed from Sword Qi and Sword Intent, encapsulating the refiner's Dharma Seal, which only recognized cultivators could control.

And certainly, cultivators capable of condensing a Sword Pill were not mediocre!

With Wang Chen's cultivation level, to erase the Dharma Seal on the Sword Pill in one fell swoop was simply unattainable.

But he had enough patience and used the Thunder Power from the Thunderstones to grind away little by little until it was completely erased.

So while refining the flying sword on one hand, and grinding the Sword Pill on the other, Wang Chen spent nearly a month underneath Wind-Thunder Valley.

Not until the Sword Pill was swallowed into his stomach for nurturing, and the Wind Thunder Sword could hardly be enhanced any further, did Wang Chen set out on his way.

[Cultivation Technique: Main: Five Elements Skill (Great Perfection)]

When he left, his main cultivation of the Five Elements Skill had also advanced to the Great Perfection level.

This meant that Wang Chen had stepped into the Qi Cultivation Perfection tier, his Dantian's mana reached its upper limit, and unless he attempted Breakthrough Mansion, there was no possibility to enhance his cultivation level further!

Qi Cultivation Perfection also meant that he could attempt to Breakthrough Mansion!

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Unlike spell skills, the symbol "+" was still present and illuminated behind the Great Perfection level Five Elements Skill.

This meant that as long as Wang Chen invested one point of Human Virtue, he could achieve the last breakthrough at the Qi Cultivation tier.

But he did not do so.

At present, Wang Chen's Root Bone had reached 7 points, stronger than most cultivators.

However, compared to true geniuses, his talent was still far from comparable.

If he were to force a breakthrough and open his mansion just upon reaching Qi Cultivation Perfection, even though the Immortal Cultivation panel would guarantee success, such a promotion would certainly come with severe consequences.

There are no shortage of such cases in the Immortal Cultivation world, such as cultivators who used pills, heavenly materials and earth treasures, or the help of high-tier cultivators to forcefully break barriers.

They succeeded, but their Taoist Foundation incurred permanent damage.

From then on, their cultivation level would stagnate, and they would become the weakest among Purple Mansion cultivators.

Such a promotion was not what Wang Chen desired.

With his Root Bone, two Aperture Opening Pills were indispensable, and his foundation also needed to be more solid. Once all conditions were met, it would be completely problem-free to make a breakthrough.

When it came to the path of cultivation, Wang Chen preferred stability over speed!

He had arrived quietly and chose to leave in the darkness of early morning, equally undetected by anyone.

As for who now owned Wind-Thunder Valley, Wang Chen could not care less.

Having "charged up" here, his next step was to go to the cultivation Holy Land of the Mountain and Sea Realm.

The West Sea Spirit Domain!

...

Dongwu Stockade.

Shaking off the rain from his straw cape, Chen Qi pushed open the courtyard gate and dragged his heavy steps back to his home.

Lady Chen came out on hearing the noise, helping her husband take off the heavy cape.

She noticed the extremely troubled look on Chen Qi's face and felt a sudden twinge of worry, asking, "What happened?"

Chen Qi's facial muscles twitched, and he lowered his voice to respond, "The magistrate's family met with disaster last night."

Lady Chen was shocked, "What happened?"

Chen Qi shook his head, his brow deeply furrowed, "It is said they were harmed by an Evil Wraith, not one of fifteen family members was spared!"

Lady Chen was stunned, "What about the workshop..."

Chen Qi had been working at the workshop; although the pay was low, it was the foundation their family of four relied on for survival.

"It's all gone!"

Chen Qi covered his face in agony, "I don't know what to do."

This middle-aged cultivator had completely exposed his most vulnerable side.

"Let's leave!"

Lady Chen hugged her husband, "We'll sell the house and leave this place to live somewhere else."

The situation in Dongwu Stockade had been growing increasingly strange.

Xin Han remained in seclusion, Guard Hall flaunted their power, and Evil Wraiths emerged without end...

She was terrified every day.

Chen Qi hesitated, "Where to?"

"Anywhere is better than waiting for death here!"

Lady Chen was far more decisive than her husband, "We have the 'Cloud Sun Thousands of Miles Geomantic Chart' given by our friend Wan Xiu; finding a place to settle is not difficult."

After much hesitation, Chen Qi finally made up his mind, "Alright, we'll leave this place!"

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Here comes the second update.

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