Chapter 653 - 264: Champion (2)

Although the Cloud Water Upper Sect occupied four domains, its internal Noble Families had a tangled web of power, creating many constraints.

The forces on its periphery, the Celestial Star Seventy-Two Islands, were even more disparate. In the last century, they had produced several top experts of considerable prestige, making them a thorn in the Cloud Water Upper Sect’s side.

It was said that the Cloud Water Upper Sect had tried to incorporate these prosperous islands into its territory before, but had suffered crushing defeats time and again. The political waters there ran so deep as to be daunting.

’This Blood Bodhi really isn’t going to be easy to get.’

Chen Qing closed the tome, his brow furrowed in thought.

It required the full Essence Blood of a True Essence Realm expert as the primary ingredient, supplemented by dozens of yin-cold Treasure Medicines. The refinement process took forty-nine days in a place of ultimate yin and cold, and even then, the failure rate was extremely high.

Such a treasure would be an extremely precious resource for any major power.

’Then again, that makes sense. If it were easy to obtain, why would the Master of the Seven Sufferings ask for my help? With his status and the credit he’s earned as the Defender of Prison Peak, if he were to ask the Sect for it...’

At this thought, a question suddenly surfaced in Chen Qing’s mind. ’That’s right, why didn’t he just ask the Sect Leader directly? Logically speaking, he was personally invited by the Sect Leader to be the Defender of Prison Peak. If he requested a single Blood Bodhi, it’s unlikely the Sect Leader would refuse to even consider it.’

’Is there some hidden reason for this?’

’Did the Master of the Seven Sufferings have some other agreement with the Sect Leader that makes it awkward for him to ask?’

’Or does he need this Blood Bodhi for some other purpose he can’t disclose to others?’

Chen Qing shook his head. With too little information, it was impossible to speculate. He could only push the question to the back of his mind for now.

Next, his thoughts turned to the list of materials Li Baichuan required.

Most of the Treasure Medicines on the list could indeed be found in Wanxiang Hall, but without exception, their prices were astronomical.

By a rough estimate, gathering everything would likely cost tens of thousands of Contribution Points.

’Now that I’m a True Disciple, I get a fixed six hundred Contribution Points per month, plus another seven hundred for my guard duty on Prison Peak. That’s a total monthly income of thirteen hundred points. But my Cultivation of the Primordial Five Elements True Astral and the Dragon Elephant Wisdom Vajra Body, along with my daily Elixir consumption, uses up more than half of that...’

Chen Qing felt a wave of pressure. ’It’s still not enough. I have to find a way to improve my strength and earn more Contribution Points at the same time.’

He skimmed through some more information on the local customs and power distributions of the Cloud Water Upper Sect and the Celestial Star Seventy-Two Islands. Once he had a clear picture of the situation, he got up and returned to his small courtyard.

Over the next few dozen days, Chen Qing’s life fell into a strict routine.

He spent most of each day on his Cultivation of the Primordial Five Elements True Astral and the Dragon Elephant Wisdom Vajra Body. Although his Body Refining progress was slow, his accumulation of True Astral proceeded at a steady pace.

He also never neglected his Spear Technique practice. The True Martial Demon-Vibrating Spear was the lineage-defining ultimate art of the True Martial Lineage. If he could comprehend it to the Extreme Realm and grasp its Spear Intent,

his combat prowess would not only take a quantum leap, but he would also gain a higher perspective on the Spear Path, allowing him to perceive the common origin of numerous spear techniques and moves.

In the future, when he cultivated other Spear Techniques—such as the Biluo Jinghong Spear or the other ultimate arts from the Ten Extremes Spear Technique mentioned by Master Luo—he would be able to do so from a commanding vantage point, drawing parallels and multiplying his efficiency.

And so, his Spear Technique progressed by leaps and bounds.

[Seventh Layer of Primordial Five Elements True Astral (4387/30000)]

[Fourth Layer of Dragon Elephant Wisdom Vajra Body (1183/15000)]

[True Martial Demon-Vanquishing Spear Perfection (7566/20000)]

[Biluo Jinghong Spear Introduction (472/2000)]

In the afternoon, Zhu Yu came looking for Chen Qing.

Inside the room, the fragrance of tea curled in the air.

Qing Dai poured a cup of fragrant tea for each of them, then silently withdrew, gently closing the door behind her.

Zhu Yu lifted his cup and took a sip before his expression turned serious. "Senior Brother, I’ve been keeping an eye on the movements within the Sect. A few of the True Successor Candidates—Wu Anren, Wan Shangyi, and their group—have been very quiet lately. They’re almost all in seclusion. It looks like they’re bottling up their energy, each one anxious to use this time to break through to the True Essence Realm."

Chen Qing nodded slightly. This was to be expected.

A True Disciple’s seat was a huge temptation for these top candidates. Whoever stepped into the True Essence Realm first would be the most likely to take his place.

Zhu Yu paused, his tone growing heavier. "There’s also Senior Brother Lu Chenming... His injuries seem to have fully healed. Moreover, after his defeat at your hands, the Nine Heavens Lineage hasn’t abandoned him. Their resource allocation for him hasn’t just not decreased—it’s actually increased. He even received one of those Nourishing God and Nourishing Soul Pills. The Nine Heavens Lineage is now pouring everything into supporting him and helping him break through to the True Essence Realm. It seems they want him to... wipe away his prior shame."

"I understand."

Chen Qing’s expression remained calm as he heard this; he wasn’t particularly surprised.

Although Lu Chenming had been defeated by him, he had held the tenth True Disciple seat for nearly eight years. His foundation was undeniably deep, and his potential and strength had long been recognized by the Sect.

In the eyes of others, he had accumulated more than enough. If he could use the pressure from his defeat to be reborn from the ashes, it wasn’t impossible that he could break through to the True Essence Realm a step ahead of Chen Qing himself.

This was precisely the scheme that Lu Chenming—or rather, the Nine Heavens Lineage—was banking on.

Because of the prestige Lu Chenming had accumulated, the other True Successor Candidates who hadn’t yet reached the True Essence Realm wouldn’t rashly challenge Chen Qing, this newly promoted True Disciple, in the short term—not without absolute confidence.

And so, an unspoken race to break through had formed between him and Lu Chenming.

If Chen Qing could be the first to break through to the True Essence Realm, he would completely solidify his position as a True Disciple. Both his power and status would take a quantum leap.

But if Lu Chenming took that step first, he would leverage the absolute advantage that True Essence held over Astral Force. He would undoubtedly issue a challenge at the earliest opportunity to reclaim his seat and wipe away the shame of his defeat.

"Mm, there’s no need to waste too much energy watching them for the time being," Chen Qing said after a moment of thought.