Chapter 209: Elder, Unsheath Your Sword! (I)

Spirit Eyes Perfected Mastery (1000/1000)

The status update occurred in an instant, yet Luo Chen felt as if his eyes had undergone a transformation spanning thousands—no, tens of thousands—of years.

A dazzling multicolored hue flickered within his pupils. Even with his eyes shut, a scorching sensation lingered, making him unbearably uncomfortable. It was like a mortal staring directly into the blazing sun, his vision scorched by unbearable radiance. At the same time, it felt like razor-sharp icicles were stabbing into his pupils, inch by inch.

Two thin trails of blood slowly trickled down from the corners of his eyes.

Suddenly!

His eyelids lifted, revealing a pair of eyes as brilliant as the stars, gazing upon the vast world before him!

"Is this... spirit energy?"

Instinctively, Luo Chen reached out, attempting to grasp the faint, formless substance floating in the air. Yet, as his fingers closed, he caught nothing but emptiness.

"It's too faint... it hasn't condensed enough to take form."

Luo Chen pondered this revelation. He was certain that the transparent, ethereal mist he had glimpsed was indeed spirit energy.

The original function of Spirit Eyes was to allow cultivators to perceive objects imbued with spirit power. Because of this, beginners could usually see the fluctuations of spirit power in cultivators of a lower realm, allowing them to gauge another’s cultivation realm.

When he had first advanced to Grandmaster level, Luo Chen had vaguely detected an active surge of spirit energy deep underground, which led him to the spirit vein cavern.

Now, his vision had evolved further, not only could he see the spirit fluctuations of cultivators and the cavern’s spirit veins, which were already prominent, but he could even faintly perceive the presence of spirit energy dispersed throughout nature.

And that's not all!

Luo Chen lowered his gaze. Beneath the thick layers of fallen leaves, he saw tiny insects crawling, creatures completely invisible to the naked eye.

He raised his head and looked toward the distant horizon. With a single glance, he realized—objects ten li away were startlingly clear.

And this was in the dead of night!

If it were broad daylight with high visibility, his range would likely extend even farther.

"Ten li? No, perhaps fifty... or even a hundred li away!"

Upon realizing this, Luo Chen couldn’t help but feel elated.

From now on, his title as Little Thousand-Li Eyes would be more fitting than ever.

"There's more!"

In an instant, Luo Chen’s gaze shifted even farther eastward.

There, he caught sight of an exceptionally distinct surge of spirit power, accompanied by a towering fiend qi that pierced the sky like a violent storm.

"Frostfang Gorge."

Indeed, what he was seeing was the Frostfang Wolves' territory, which he had explored before.

Previously, he had only identified it as a pool saturated with fiend qi. But now, he could see that an immense wave of spirit power accompanied it.

"Not quite a second-tier spirit vein, but far surpassing a standard first-tier one.

"Judging by the vitality radiating from its spirit energy fluctuations, it even seems to be on the verge of advancing to the next level. In other words, that gorge’s spirit vein is highly likely to evolve into a full-fledged second-tier spirit land in the near future."

This "near future" could mean a year or two, or perhaps ten, even a hundred years.

Luo Chen didn’t care about that. What truly caught his attention was that his eyes could now perceive the vitality within spirit energy.

All things in the world have a beginning and an end. Even the world itself might one day face destruction, given billions of years. The same principle applied to spirit veins and natural formations.

With these spirit-enhanced eyes, Luo Chen could now see the ebb and flow of life and death.

Overjoyed, his gaze flickered from place to place, constantly scanning his surroundings, eager to test the limits of his newfound sight.

A towering tree on the verge of death.

A blade of grass thriving with vitality.

A medicinal herb on the brink of advancing in grade.

Suddenly, his gaze landed on his own robe.

His top-grade robe was inscribed with three formations—Cleanse, Dust Repelling, and Azure Glow Barrier. The latter was a defensive formation that, when activated, would instantly form a spirit energy shield under the wearer’s control.

Its defensive strength wasn’t particularly remarkable, but it excelled in endurance, providing a resilient, continuous barrier. As long as the wearer had enough reaction time, its protection far surpassed that of most other robes.

Luo Chen could ensure this reaction time through his Four Symbols Cauldron and his agile footwork.

With a mere glance, Luo Chen could now see the intricate hidden formation lines woven into the fabric.

"So this is how it's inscribed.

"The material is quite exceptional as well. No wonder it can endure the power of formations.

"So the Azure Glow Formation's resilience is structured this way."

The price of enchanted robes had always been high. While not as costly as specialized defensive artifacts, they were still comparable in value to standard offensive ones.

What made them expensive was the inscribed defensive formations.

Now, he realized that the material itself contributed significantly to the cost.

So I can see through hidden formations now?

Just as this thought surfaced, a sharp pain flared in his eyes.

Luo Chen hurriedly shut them.

Taking a deep breath, he followed the circulation pattern of Spirit Eyes, carefully deactivating the technique.

When he opened them again, the world had returned to normal.

As he made his way back, Luo Chen reflected on his findings.

The advancement to Perfected Mastery in Spirit Eyes was a tremendous leap. He was now more sensitive to spirit fluctuations and could even see strands of spirit energy drifting through the air.

Not only, his sight range had expanded dramatically—ten li in the dark, and likely up to a hundred li in daylight. He didn’t just see distant silhouettes; everything appeared as clear as if it were right before him.

Additionally, he could now perceive the life force and decay of all things and finally, the ability to pierce through formation inscriptions—his new insight into the hidden.

Ordinarily, once a formation was engraved onto an artifact, it remained dormant and nearly indistinguishable unless actively imbued with spirit power. Even when activated, the formation's details became obscured under spirit light, making it nearly impossible for ordinary people to discern the intricacies.

This design served as a safeguard, preventing others from stealing or replicating the formation patterns used by artifact forgers. Yet, with his Spirit Eyes, Luo Chen could see through them with absolute clarity, as if the barriers of secrecy no longer applied to him.

"Four distinct functions—this is an earth-shattering transformation!

"I never imagined this. With this, my improvement is simply monumental."

With emotions surging, the ever keen-minded Luo Chen could already envision countless ways to leverage his newfound sight.

First and foremost, in cultivation, he could gain an even deeper understanding of his own body.

Then came his various skills.

In alchemy, he could exert greater control over the fusion of medicinal properties within the alchemy furnace, ensuring precise ingredient breakdowns and optimized refinement. If applied to formation studies, his progress would undoubtedly be twice as effective with half the effort. Even in other disciplines such as talisman crafting or healing, the benefits would be substantial.

A pair of exceptional eyes could truly influence many aspects of life.

Even sword cultivators, known for their combat prowess, often sought ways to enhance their vision. This was why the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect had developed Runming Pearl Essence and Clarity Essence, potent eye-enhancing liquid, to strengthen the sight of their disciples.

"I should rest for now and begin familiarizing myself with these eyes tomorrow."

Luo Chen calmed himself, suppressing his excitement.

He returned to the spirit vein cavern and resumed cultivation.