Chapter 203 - 176: Not a Mortal

Chapter 203: Chapter 176: Not a Mortal

Upon learning there were no hidden catches with the exotic Spiritual Power inside the jade box, Li Changsheng finally relaxed.

He invited them to sit and earnestly asked for their experiences in breaking through to the Vein Condensation Realm.

Lan Cai Shen and the two others held nothing back, taking turns to describe what they felt when they broke through to the Vein Condensation Realm.

As they spoke, Li Changsheng began to form a clearer picture in his mind.

The most difficult part of breaking through to the Vein Condensation Realm was obtaining a strand of exotic Spiritual Power that was compatible with oneself.

The next step was to be wary of the dangers that arose while refining it.

His particular strand of exotic Spiritual Power contained a dense Evil Qi, which meant he would need to stabilize his mind and consciousness to avoid being corrupted by it.

In this regard, the three of them couldn’t offer much help.

The exotic Spiritual Powers they had refined had nothing to do with one’s soul or spiritual consciousness.

Lan Cai Shen had refined a supreme-grade Ice Flame.

Tan Hu had refined the soul of a wind-attribute tiger beast, which was highly compatible with his Spirit Veins and personal characteristics. Thanks to his heritage, his advancement to the Vein Condensation Realm had been smooth sailing.

Ma Rong had refined a mid-to-high grade Water Marsh Qi, which he had obtained by a stroke of luck.

Sensing Li Changsheng’s hesitation, Lan Cai Shen offered some reassurance.

"There’s no need to worry, Junior Brother. With your soul strength, refining a mere strand of exotic Spiritual Power poses no danger at all."

Tan Hu and Ma Rong nodded in earnest agreement.

All three of them knew that he practiced the Insect Control Technique and that he controlled a vast number of insects.

Anyone whose soul wasn’t exceptionally tough and powerful would have long since been driven mad by the mental strain of his swarm.

It was precisely because Lan Cai Shen knew this that he had used the Blood Sacrifice Technique to nurture the exotic Spiritual Power. He knew that a strand created this way would be perfectly suited for Li Changsheng.

Li Changsheng cupped his fists and smiled. "Many thanks, Senior Brothers."

’Am I afraid? A little, but not much.’

After years of cultivation and meeting more and more Cultivators, he had a lot to compare himself against.

’To put it bluntly, among those at the same realm, I’m confident my soul is at least twice as strong as anyone else’s.’

’If even I can’t refine this strand of exotic Spiritual Power, then no one else could possibly manage it.’

Seeing the confidence in his expression, the three of them smiled.

They had invested so much in him. If Li Changsheng didn’t even dare to overcome this small hurdle, they would have to consider cutting their losses.

Spirit Plant Masters were rare, but their potential had a ceiling.

For Ma Rong, that was more than enough. It was even sufficient to bring about a massive transformation for his entire family.

But for Lan Cai Shen and Tan Hu, the benefits were limited.

Tan Hu needed a special, third-tier Spirit Plant to help him advance to the Dao Foundation Realm, something a Spirit Plant Master obviously couldn’t provide.

Lan Cai Shen had a great need for one at his current stage, but as he grew stronger in the future, the importance of a Spirit Plant Master to him would undoubtedly diminish.

What they hoped for was for Li Changsheng’s path to be both steady and lofty.

After chatting for a little longer, the three gave him some final words of caution before taking their leave.

Li Changsheng watched them depart. Once their Escape Lights vanished from sight, he turned and went back inside his wooden house.

He picked up the jade box from the table, examined it for a moment, then placed it in his storage bag.

After standing in silence for a moment, he rose and headed up the stairs.

Back on the third floor, Li Changsheng didn’t rush to refine the exotic Spiritual Power.

Instead, he took out the Yin Blood Jade and the Talisman Bottle containing the Earth Fire Evil. He immediately began circulating his Spiritual Power to refine them, tempering his own power in the process.

Confidence was one thing, but he couldn’t afford to be reckless with his breakthrough.

His Spiritual Power still had room for improvement. He planned to wait until he had pushed it to its absolute limit before attempting the breakthrough to the Vein Condensation Realm.

The days passed. As Li Changsheng continuously refined the Yin Blood Jade and the Earth Fire Evil, his Spirit Veins grew tougher, and his Spiritual Power became increasingly pure and abundant.

「Half a month later.」

Having pushed his Spiritual Power to its absolute limit, Li Changsheng began his final preparations for the breakthrough.

As a precaution, he called Xiaohai back and stationed him in the backyard of the wooden house.

Xiaobai was on the second floor.

Little Wooden Head was in the courtyard.

With these three demons standing guard, even a cultivator at the Late-Meridian Condensation stage wouldn’t necessarily be able to gain an advantage here.

He also herded Xiaohua and her family into the beast pen, where Xu Li would come to feed them once a day.

With all his preparations complete, Li Changsheng returned to the third floor of his house.

He sat cross-legged on the soft couch, closed his eyes to mentally review the refining Secret Technique, then flipped his hand and took out the jade box.

He opened the jade box, and a chilling, sinister aura washed over him.

Li Changsheng reached out and picked up the Yin Jade Bottle. It was cool to the touch, like holding a block of ice.

He turned it over in his hand for a few moments.

Li Changsheng circulated his Spiritual Power, peeling off the Spirit-Sealing Talisman before uncapping the bottle.

Instantly, a black-red aura surged forth.

Within the span of a breath, it coalesced before him into a Profound Red Banner. Vicious, ghostly faces swirled faintly across its surface.

A surging, bone-chilling cold emanated from the banner.

For a moment, Li Changsheng felt as if he had been transported back to the dead of winter in his childhood, the cold piercing him to the bone.

Feeling the room grow ever colder, Li Changsheng dared not delay.

He formed a seal with his hands and slowly reached for the Profound Red Banner.

The instant he made contact, the Profound Red Banner transformed into a black-red stream of light and shot into his body.

A bone-piercing cold erupted.

Li Changsheng’s body stiffened for an instant, then sharp, stabbing pains surged from every part of him.

Just then, the Three-leaf Mark between his brows flashed with a spiritual light.

Wisps of life essence flowed out from it, enveloping his entire body in moments and enclosing the exotic Spiritual Power within its embrace.

"Whew..."

Li Changsheng let out a slight sigh of relief. He immediately closed his eyes and focused, using the refining Secret Technique that was part of the Blood River Refining Yang True Skill to circulate his Spiritual Power, beginning to guide and refine the exotic Spiritual Power.

As his Spiritual Power absorbed the first wisp of the exotic strand, a bloodthirsty, frenzied intent surfaced in Li Changsheng’s mind.

Fortunately, he had long since anticipated this. With a surge of his own will, he forcibly suppressed the foreign intent.

He then focused completely on circulating his Spiritual Power to refine the exotic strand.