CHAPTER 379: CHAPTER 320: 1 JIAZI! [VOTE FOR MONTHLY TICKETS!]

Chen Jichuan continued cultivating, advancing his techniques, while using Insight to gather treasures.

His foundation grew increasingly solid.

His wealth kept growing.

"Vermilion Bird Glaze Scripture" advanced rapidly towards the True Sect Level.

Many treasures in the "Seven Treasures Pond" were being stolen by Chen Jichuan piece by piece.

He occasionally checked on Xiao Lan’s situation, and upon confirming that she was still undergoing worldly trials with no mortal danger, he sighed in relief.

He continued repeating this process of cultivating, advancing his techniques, using Insight, and gathering treasures.

His foundation grew steadily stronger.

His cultivation techniques improved consistently.

His wealth steadily increased.

Such carefree days made Chen Jichuan deeply immersed, entirely unaware of the passage of time.

If it were cultivation progress alone, perhaps he might have encountered bottlenecks.

However, Chen Jichuan was constantly repeating his cultivation and refining, not learning new knowledge but reviewing repeatedly. Ordinary people might be able to review once or twice without issue, but doing so excessively would undoubtedly lead to frustration.

Yet Chen Jichuan soaked himself in "Eight Dharma Water," his mind clear and free of distractions, avoiding any feelings of irritation.

He repeated the process over and over.

He cultivated again and again.

A year passed.

Two years.

Three years.

Time flew by.

Originally estimated to take sixty-three years to fully advance "Vermilion Bird Glaze Scripture," the process was expedited by his increasing proficiency in refining. By the forty-seventh year, he had completed 108 cycles of refinement—

[Cultivation Technique: Vermilion Bird Glaze Scripture]

[Level: True Sect Level]

[Description: Formed from the fusion of the "Leaving Fire Scripture," "Vermilion Bird Burning Sky Technique," and "Nine Revolutions Glazed Body." By visualizing a Vermilion Bird Divine Monarch and refining the body with fire techniques, the ’body and soul become like glazed crystal, impervious to all techniques.’ One can command all fires under heaven, reigning supreme as the fire sovereign!]

Within the "Four Symbols Skill," following the advancement of the "White Tiger Sword Prison Scripture," the second Great Method had now reached the True Sect Level.

Chen Jichuan was jubilant.

Then, noticing there was still time and water in the pond left, Chen Jichuan regained his enthusiasm and continued advancing his techniques.

"White Tiger."

"Vermilion Bird."

"Next, Azure Dragon."

Chen Jichuan possessed countless magic skills, some from other worlds, primarily from the Central Continent World, and others acquired in recent years from Wuhe Star, Magic Sound Mountain, and the Sumeru Immortal Sect.

Dedicating himself during his spare time, he had long devised various plans for fusing techniques, waiting only for the right moment to attempt them one by one.

Now, the opportunity had arrived.

Twelve fusions.

Twelve attempts.

Finally, in the fiftieth year of his stay in the Sumeru Immortal Sect’s Seven Treasures Pond, Chen Jichuan successfully fused a technique aligned perfectly with his intentions—

[Cultivation Technique: Azure Dragon Longevity Scripture]

[Level: Side Door Level]

[Description: Formed from the fusion of the "Immortal Treasure Book," "Azure Dragon Wood Scripture," and "Changchun Skill." By visualizing an Azure Dragon Divine Monarch and cultivating the Yimu Longevity Method, one can command all vegetation under heaven, drawing upon the world’s Yimu Essence to nourish the body and Divine Soul, break through the limits of lifespan, and attain immortality, unbreakable and indestructible!]

...

With the successful creation of the "Azure Dragon Longevity Scripture," Chen Jichuan was ecstatic and immediately began advancing its techniques.

He sought to elevate the third Great Method within the "Four Symbols Skill" to the True Sect Level.

A year.

Two years.

Three years.

In the blink of an eye, another ten years had passed.

Chen Jichuan had now spent a full sixty years in the Seven Treasures Pond.

He had completed 152 cycles of refinement.

"Vermilion Bird Glaze Scripture" had been successfully advanced to the True Sect Level.

After the fusion of "Azure Dragon Longevity Scripture," it had undergone eight cycles of advancement, leaving just two final cycles, or a total of eighty-two refinements, to ascend to the True Sect Level.

But at that moment.

Chen Jichuan noticed Xiao Lan’s spiritual light in the Great Thousand Red Dust fading, with signs of imminent collapse.

A full sixty years of trials.

In the end, Xiao Lan couldn’t overcome them; progressing further would lead her to lose her spirit bit by bit until her life was extinguished.

"I can’t stand by and watch her perish."

Without much hesitation, Chen Jichuan decided.

He had always prided himself on being virtuous, clear in his distinctions between gratitude and resentment. Xiao Lan’s decision to invite him to enter the formation undoubtedly carried her own hidden intentions.

But regardless.

It was because of Xiao Lan that Chen Jichuan had come to Sumeru Mountain and had obtained various benefits from the Seven Treasures Pond.

Adding to that the connection through the "Pure Yang Immortal Lotus" and their shared origin from Wuhe Star, Chen Jichuan couldn’t bear to let Xiao Lan die. Even though she still had an avatar elsewhere, he found it unbearable.

His conscience ultimately left him uneasy.

Cultivation pursues a peaceful heart.

With one resolve and one action, Chen Jichuan first restored his cultivation to the state it was upon entering Sumeru Mountain, then stood up and returned to the mountain’s base.

He formed his fingers into a sword, unleashing Sword Qi in an instant, shattering the Great Thousand Red Dust.

Bang!

Xiao Lan, trapped within, was freed and fell out.

Several rays of mystical light flew down from the Seven Treasures Pond atop the mountain, landing directly into Xiao Lan’s embrace.

"I—"

Xiao Lan, shocked and disoriented from her trials in the Great Thousand Red Dust, momentarily failed to respond.

It wasn’t until the mystical light entered her embrace and she obtained the treasures that she finally regained her senses. Turning her gaze, she saw Chen Jichuan also descending from above.

Equally confused.

"Fellow Daoist—"

Xiao Lan looked at Chen Jichuan, about to speak.

Rumbling!

Boom! Boom!

Suddenly, Sumeru Mountain quaked, shaking the earth and sky, as if the entire world were on the verge of collapse.

"What is this—"

This time, Chen Jichuan truly panicked.

Opening his eyes wide and casting Insight in all directions, his expression changed drastically: "Not good! This is Stellar Transference!"

Chen Jichuan clearly saw.

After helping Xiao Lan break through the Great Thousand Red Dust, the "Small Sumeru Right and Left Nine Palace Immortal Formation" automatically counted her as having passed the trial, bestowing treasures upon her.

But simultaneously.

The formation activated, intending to teleport Xiao Lan and Chen Jichuan to an unknown location.

It also began transforming, preparing to relocate itself to a different place likewise.

"To think it has such unpredictable changes. No wonder it has endured for so many years."

Reluctant to abandon his foothold in Magic Sound Mountain, his amassed resources on Wuhe Star, or the formation at hand, Chen Jichuan refused to let himself be teleported elsewhere.

Nor could he bear to lose everything contained within the "Small Sumeru Right and Left Nine Palace Immortal Formation," including the formation itself.

"Second Primordial Spirit!"

"Come forth!"

Taking advantage of the chaos and the tremors, Chen Jichuan unleashed his "Second Primordial Spirit," constructed from the "Pure Yang Immortal Lotus," to uncover the secrets of the formation and hide inside it.

His true body, meanwhile, summoned the "Ten Thousand Leaf Sword River," breaking through the formation’s teleportation force and pulling Xiao Lan out of Sumeru Mountain, escaping the formation’s grasp.

Just after emerging.

They dashed towards the starry sky.

Turning back to view it from a distance, they saw the void tremble; an enormous planet vanished before their very eyes, teleported to an unknown location.

Within the "Small Sumeru Right and Left Nine Palace Immortal Formation," Chen Jichuan’s Second Primordial Spirit remained hidden within a weak point of the formation, avoiding being teleported out. Utilizing the formidable ability of the "Insight Skill," it even ascended Sumeru Mountain to the summit.

Rumbling!

Boom! Boom!

Boom! Boom!

The Sumeru Realm quaked violently.

Atop Sumeru Mountain, the "Eight Dharma Water" in the Seven Treasures Pond depleted at an alarming rate. The spirit water, which had hardly diminished during his repeated cycles of refinement for over sixty years, now rapidly dropped till the pond was drained.

Lotus flowers began blooming, shedding uncountable Primordial Stones.

Primordial Stones fell into the pond, dissolving into Spiritual Energy, which too was consumed just as quickly.

"So that’s how it is."

Chen Jichuan finally understood why so many lotus flowers were empty.

They had been consumed by the formation.

Each teleportation drained resources.

If the pond had been at full capacity at the very beginning, perhaps the "Eight Dharma Water" could sustain the formation’s teleportation across the stars.

But as the years wore on, the formation degraded, the speed of water replenishment slowed, and the costs of teleportation escalated sharply.

Eventually, the pond’s resources became insufficient, leading to the consumption of stored Primordial Stones from the pond.

Countless years passed.

Who knows how many Primordial Stones had been consumed.

"Such extravagance!"

Reflecting on all the empty lotus flowers he had encountered over his sixty years, Chen Jichuan felt his heart ache intensely.

Looking at the now completely drained pond water, his expression turned long and solemn.

"Man proposes but Heaven disposes."

"I originally planned to leave my Second Primordial Spirit hidden within the formation, refining it into an avatar to further leverage the Eight Dharma Water from the Seven Treasures Pond to advance techniques, and perhaps even divine skills."

"But now—"

Chen Jichuan’s Primordial Spirit radiated Pure Yang Essence, gazing at the completely drained Seven Treasures Pond, which continued consuming Primordial Stones, feeling as though his own possessions were being squandered away at an alarming rate.

And yet, he was powerless to intervene.

The scene before him was sheer agony.

Chen Jichuan couldn’t bear to watch.

...

The "Small Sumeru Right and Left Nine Palace Immortal Formation," along with the entire planet, teleported far away, its destination unknown.

This was stellar transference, spanning at least dozens of galaxies, possibly even crossing multiple river systems.

If not for his quick thinking in leaving behind his Second Primordial Spirit, Chen Jichuan knew he might never hope to rediscover this formation and its relics.

Unlike Xiao Lan beside him.

"Teleported away?"

"What a pity!"

Xiao Lan stared at the retreating relic, her eyes filled with a trace of sorrow.

"Indeed!"

"Simply experiencing the Great Thousand Red Dust trials was highly beneficial for me. If I could fully claim it—"

Chen Jichuan sighed with mock regret.

But the anguish within his words was authentic.

Xiao Lan felt distressed, but she hadn’t seen the Seven Treasures Pond, hadn’t experienced the "Eight Dharma Water," nor witnessed the countless Primordial Stones wasted within the lotus flowers.

Ultimately, her perspective was limited, and her sorrow was manageable.

Having observed more, Chen Jichuan’s grief ran deeper.

His brow furrowed tightly, his expression resembling that of a bitter melon.

"..."

"..."

Under Chen Jichuan’s palpable misery, Xiao Lan found herself feeling relieved.

Finally having some time to think, she recalled how Chen Jichuan had rushed her out of Sumeru Mountain earlier.

"Fellow Daoist could easily break through the formation?"

Xiao Lan stared intently at Chen Jichuan.

"Breaking the formation was beyond me."

"But this formation was damaged; with my knowledge of formations, escaping wasn’t difficult."

Chen Jichuan explained to Xiao Lan.

While Xiao Lan might possess expertise in alchemy, she was entirely clueless about formations. It was easy for Chen Jichuan to mislead her.

"Is that so."

Xiao Lan listened but still harbored some doubt.

Not understanding formations herself and unsure whether Chen Jichuan’s explanation was genuine, she chose not to dwell on it further and instead collected herself to assess her gains from this venture.

The trials in the Great Thousand Red Dust were intangible benefits that would manifest gradually in her cultivation journey ahead.

Difficult to quantify.

But the treasures awarded by the Seven Treasures Pond for ’successfully navigating’ the Great Thousand Red Dust were concrete.

Xiao Lan quietly sorted through them for a while, a few glimmers of delight appearing in her eyes.

Chen Jichuan glanced at Xiao Lan, seeing the joy on her brows, and curiously asked, "What treasures did Sumeru Mountain ultimately bestow upon the fairy?"

He needed to inquire first to gauge the scope, then share with Xiao Lan his own gains from this trip.

...