CHAPTER 702: ENLIGHTENMENT

Ever since Wang Hong's Soul Transformation, every appearance

Ever since Wang Hong's Soul Transformation, every appearance in the Space was his Nascent Soul.

At this moment, he sat cross-legged under the Jade Tree, holding a tree leaf in his hand, deep in contemplation with closed eyes. Occasionally, he would use a bit of Spiritual Power to stimulate the Rune on the tree.

The Rune on this tree embodied a defensive principle of the Grand Dao.

To comprehend this defensive principle, one had to use this Rune as a breakthrough point, a fact that had been confirmed in his previous enlightenment attempts.

Regarding the comprehension of Grand Dao Runes, he possessed a Grand Dao Rune that could be contemplated at any time. Furthermore, the Space allowed him ample time for contemplation.

Thus, in the comprehension of Grand Dao Runes, he had more advantages compared to other Soul Transformation Cultivators.

In the time he spent in the Space, more than a thousand years had passed.

Now, as he slowly opened his eyes, various Rune changes flickered in his gaze. After over a thousand years of quiet contemplation, his understanding of the Grand Dao Rune had deepened.

In fact, some Soul Transformation Cultivators, even if they spent their entire lives, might not necessarily reach his current level.

Currently, his comprehension of this Rune had reached a bottleneck. It required more practical application and insights, not something that could be achieved by seclusion in the Space anymore.

His Nascent Soul exited the Space and returned to his physical body.

For the Nascent Soul to leave the body for three to four years, this would have been unimaginable before his Soul Transformation. The body would likely have perished long ago.

Now, upon returning to his body, he only felt a bit weak, his body somewhat emaciated, and a severe hunger emanating from his abdomen.

This was the body's reaction to long-term deprivation of nourishment. Just a bit of spiritual food and a few days of rest would be enough for recovery.

As he stepped out of the cultivation chamber, he saw Wood Fairy and Yun Qingya waiting outside.

During Wang Hong's seclusion, they had been practicing cultivation on their own.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty, on coming out of seclusion!" Yun Qingya hurriedly greeted and thanked him, having originally possessed a dual Spiritual Roots aptitude. By the time she became Wang Hong's attendant, she had already reached the initial stage of Nascent Soul cultivation. During this period, her cultivation level had progressed rapidly.

Observing her aura, Wang Hong estimated that she was not far from breaking through to the mid-stage of Nascent Soul.

"I have a Pill here that should help you break through your current Realm," Wang Hong said, casually tossing out a Pill, which Yun Qingya caught with pleasant surprise.

This scene filled Wood Fairy with envy. She didn't need any precious Pills; as long as she could fulfill her duty as a handmaiden and serve the Majesty, she would be content.

"Do you have any important news from this period?" Wang Hong inquired.

"Your Majesty, this is the information specially compiled for you," Wood Fairy hastily presented a pile of Jade Scrolls before Wang Hong.

After Wang Hong had gone through all these Jade Scrolls, he learned that despite only being in seclusion for a few years, numerous events had unfolded in the Cultivation World.

Among the most significant was the expansion of the savage tribe from the Desolate Spirit Sea, prompting the Human-Demon Alliance to dispatch numerous high-level Cultivators to battle them repeatedly.

As a first-class power, Great Chu Immortal Nation naturally couldn't be ignored when manpower was needed.

Thus, Great Chu Immortal Nation was also required to send a military force to the front lines to participate in the battle against the savage tribe.

Using Wang Hong's continued seclusion as an excuse, Xu Lun and others had been delaying without deploying the troops.

In fact, it was almost the truth. Without Wang Hong's consent, they had no authority to dispatch troops externally, except to guard their own duties.

If anyone could arbitrarily mobilize troops without Wang Hong's consent, then Great Chu Immortal Nation would be thrown into chaos.

According to the intelligence from the battles with the savage tribe, it was found that Crimson Flame Island was too close to the frontline with the savage tribe.

As long as the Human-Demon Alliance retreated a bit further, Crimson Flame Island would become the frontline against the savage tribe.

It seemed that Celestial Maiden Palace had planned this by using Crimson Flame Island as a bargaining chip.

For the sake of protecting its own territory, Great Chu Immortal Nation had to participate in the battle against the savage tribe.

After some contemplation, Wang Hong realized there was no other way but to dispatch a military force to the front lines. If the frontline battle turned unfavorable, they could retreat to Crimson Flame Island to prioritize the protection of their territory.

Another piece of news was that the population of Great Chu Immortal Nation had increased by over a hundred thousand in these few years.

However, these hundred thousand people were still unavailable for deployment. Most of them were in their teens, and some were still infants, needing decades of cultivation to become useful.

Nevertheless, this was a good sign. It was just the beginning, and every year, new recruits from Fengwu Continent would join, replenishing Great Chu Immortal Nation with fresh blood.

Moreover, after the last Soul Transformation ceremony, the reputation of Qizhou Island had spread. The most memorable aspect for the Cultivators who attended the ceremony was the vast spirit fields on Qizhou Island.

As a result, various Spiritual Objects produced on Qizhou Island had gained a good reputation in Fengwu Continent.

Every day, caravans from various places arrived at Harbor City with specialty goods, trading various Spiritual Objects with Great Chu Immortal Nation, which were then sold to various regions.

Especially the mutated Spirit Grain unique to Qizhou Island, its effects were significant, and now its price had soared.

After reviewing all the intelligence, Yun Qingya and Wood Fairy brought a large table of delicacies.

There was a large pot of steamed Spirit Rice, which was currently priced exorbitantly and beyond the reach of ordinary Cultivators, being a mutated Spirit Rice unique to Qizhou Island.

This Spirit Rice was delicious and fragrant, satisfying Wang Hong's hungry stomach.

Even the previous weakness he felt had alleviated significantly.

"Your Majesty, don't just eat vegetables! Taste the Nine-Whip Soup made by this servant for you. It's a great tonic that will surely rejuvenate you," Wood Fairy hastily served Wang Hong a bowl of soup.

"Your Majesty, this is the Ink Jade Lotus Root made by this servant for you." Yun Qingya also picked up a slice of pristine Lotus Root and offered it to Wang Hong.

...

A meal lasted for a full hour, and then Wang Hong, invigorated, left the palace to arrange the departing army.

With three territories now under his control, manpower in Great Chu Immortal Nation was insufficient.

Wanting to send out a military force now seemed a bit tight.

"Hu Jian, I'll leave the task of this expedition to you. Based on the intelligence I've gathered, the savage tribe's method of fighting is similar to that of body-refining cultivators or warriors.

In this case, it's most appropriate for you to go and engage in battle.

I also have five Black Blades here. These blades are extremely sharp but cannot be wielded with Spiritual Power to harm the enemy. They are only suitable for close combat and are very suitable for the use of the Demon Subduing Army."

Wang Hong took out five identical Black Blades. After his Iron Tree produced one Black Blade, he continued to cultivate it, eventually producing many more. Now, it seemed most appropriate to give them to the Demon Subduing Army for use.

No one opposed Wang Hong's final decision.[Read at www.patreon.com/shanefreak, and heartfelt thankyou for your support!]