Chapter 700: Third-Tier Starfield Pill

Wang Yuan’s deep voice rumbled out like thunder rolling beneath a clear sky.

Faced with this provocation, the woman’s brows arched sharply.

"

Hm

?"

A deep hum followed as a boundless spirit pressure swept out from her petite frame and pressed down upon the giant before her.

Boom!

In that instant, Wang Yuan's expression shifted. He felt as though a mountain was crashing down upon him. Immense pressure was forcing him down, yet his unyielding battle spirit would never let him kneel before an opponent. He clenched his teeth and circulated his blood qi relentlessly, resisting the pressure head-on.

Crack... crack... crack...

His bones cracked again and again, like bamboo joints bursting apart. His back, which had nearly bent, straightened bit by bit beneath his will. The posture he forced himself into even gave the impression that he was about to strike back.

A trace of surprise flickered across the woman’s face. An Adept's spirit pressure was the suppression of mana over spirit power. It was absolute dominance. She had not expected Wang Yuan to withstand her pressure. Then she recalled how he had taken her palm strike head-on...

Her expression turned contemplative. Though he was just at the Foundation Establishment Realm, his main pursuit was the Dao of Physique Refinement and blood-qi, which was not the same as spirit energy. Even if her mana stood one tier higher, it could not achieve absolute suppression.

But do you think you can provoke me just because of that?

Just as she was about to act, a clear voice rang out from the northern platform. "Fellow Daoist, there is no need to concern yourself with a junior."

As soon as the words fell, a spirit pressure equal to hers surged forth. The two pressures collided, stirring a violent wind through the air. The petite woman raised her head toward the source of this spirit pressure. It was a handsome young man in a bright crimson Daoist robe.

He met her gaze and cupped his fist politely. "Greetings, fellow Daoist. I am Luo Chen from the Luo Tian Sect."

Luo Chen... Dan Chenzi!

The woman frowned. Then she cast an annoyed glance at Wang Yuan.

"Dreamspring Cave surrenders this match."

With that, she flicked her sleeve and departed. The three pale-faced Initiates of Dreamspring Cave followed her small figure in miserable silence.

Only then, the previously silent arena suddenly erupted into thunderous uproar, as if awakening from a dream. Cries of astonishment rang out everywhere, though they were nothing more than the usual shocked exclamations that needed no repeating.

On the Debate Platform, the Golden Core elder of the Sword Sect stared at Wang Yuan's three-zhang-tall body with unconcealed shock.

With that physique, could he withstand an Adept’s sword strike?

Shaking away his surprised thoughts, he announced the result. "Wang Yuan of Luo Tian Sect has won and advanced to eighth place!"

He then lifted his gaze toward Wang Yuan. "Do you wish to continue the challenge?"

Wang Yuan ran his tongue across his bloodstained lips. In truth, he was eager to continue. Yet after hearing Luo Chen's voice transmission, he could only swallow his pride. "Let it end here."

He tapped a few points on his body, and his massive form gradually shrank. Once he had donned a coarse robe, he stepped down from the Debate Platform and made his way toward the northern viewing platform, where the Luo Tian Alliance members were waiting.

Wherever he passed, gazes filled with admiration, reverence, and fear followed him. Even Adepts looked at him with praise and curiosity. By his ears came whispers like "he's so strong”, “why didn't he keep fighting?” “he's huge and his arms are so thick..."

He ignored all of it and headed straight toward Luo Chen. As soon as he arrived, he saw Luo Chen place a chair before him. "Sit."

Wang Yuan froze briefly. His gaze swept across the other four Adepts, but none showed displeasure. Instead, their faces carried only approval. Wang Yuan pressed his lips and sat beside Luo Chen in a casual and natural manner

"Why did you stop me from continuing?" he asked.

"Ordinary Initiates are no longer your opponents. Only the True Inheritors of the upper sects, Dao Scions, and the likes, can pose any challenge. Continuing any further would mean nothing," Luo Chen said.

"But..."

"You should not have provoked that Dreamspring Cave cultivator. You are not her match."

A trace of unwillingness lingered on Wang Yuan's face. Yet as he thought it over, he could only concede to Luo Chen's judgment. She had pressed him down with the weight of a mountain through spirit pressure alone. If she unleashed techniques without restraint, defeat was the only outcome. Even with dual cultivation in qi and physique, and with Perfected Mastery of the Blood River Realm, he still could not stand against an Adept. He only needed one more step, yet that step might just as well have been the span between heaven and earth.

With that thought, he understood even more clearly how impressive Luo Chen’s feats were. As an Initiate, his friend had slain two Adepts in succession. Certainly, he had relied on some advantages, but even so, the courage and resolve behind that feat were beyond anything an ordinary cultivator could hope to match.

He sighed regretfully. "You are right. I was too arrogant."

Luo Chen smiled, but his gaze remained on the Debate Platform and the new round of combat unfolding there. He continued, "In truth, you are already very strong. If you face someone who only just entered the Golden Core Realm, you might well stand a chance. But Jadewater Dragon is a genius of Dreamspring Cave. She has a water-element heavenly spirit root and formed her core in just a century. She has a real prospect of reaching the Nascent Soul Realm in the future. The reason Dreamspring Cave left the Windflower Domain and joined the Frontier War is not only that their spirit springs dried up, but also that they wanted to find a better environment for her future Nascent Soul breakthrough. Compared to her, you still have a long way to go."

Wang Yuan froze for a moment. That little lady was actually that formidable? He had assumed she was just an ordinary Adept. Or perhaps anyone capable of reaching the Golden Core Realm could no longer be considered ordinary at all.

"Speaking of which, it seems you have gained a rather deep comprehension of my Myriad Path Convergence," Luo Chen remarked in admiration. During the earlier battle, he had seen everything clearly with his divine consciousness. When Wang Yuan used the Giant Spirit Transformation, it actually had some traits that reminded him distinctly of Myriad Path Convergence.

Wang Yuan nodded. "Although I do not favor beast transformations, your Myriad Path Convergence indeed contains many valuable insights. Your qi absorption technique and Armor Transformation and Lu Rong’s smoke armor helped me make my Giant Spirit Transformation more flexible and powerful."

Luo Chen understood instantly. Wang Yuan's talent in Physique Refinement was indeed extraordinary. To create a technique like Qi Resonance was shocking enough by itself; that he now advanced further was only natural. The only step remaining before him was Core Condensation and producing fortified qi.

With that thought, he turned his head toward Diwu Qi. "Fellow Daoist, what about the promised reward?"

Diwu Qi laughed heartily and generously offered a blue pouch to Wang Yuan. "Inside are ten strands of Divine Wind Fiend. Consider this wind pouch an extra gift from me."

Wang Yuan received the pouch and probed it with his spirit consciousness before revealing a satisfied expression. Luo Chen also felt relieved after seeing his confirmation.

"There is no need to rush into the third realm of Physique Refinement. At your current level, fighting cultivators of the same stage won’t do much, while Adepts are far beyond your reach. But if you wait a little, things will change. Once the Frontier War begins, those third-tier demonic beasts that wield simple techniques will be the best whetstones for your advancement. Your opportunity is not here, but in the mountains."

Wang Yuan nodded. He also understood that the cultivators on the arena lacked the courage for true life-and-death combat and could not provide the pressure he needed for a breakthrough. Today, making a name for himself and securing the eighth shop was more than enough.

Afterwards, Luo Chen and the others watched the remaining sects fight over the other shops. To Diwu Qi and the rest, the techniques used by the Initiates were entertaining enough. To Luo Chen, they had already become boring.

Just as Wang Yuan said, these cultivators from the long-established cultivation domains possessed powerful techniques and treasures, yet their actual battle experience was sorely lacking. Their sense of timing, evaluation of risk, and courage to stake their lives were all far inferior.

This was only natural; sect disciples as a whole rarely experienced blood and fire. Their cultivation might progress quickly, but they were nowhere near as brutal or unrestrained as people like Luo Chen and Wang Yuan, who had carved their way through life with a bloody blade. Even assuming they had the same methods available, Luo Chen and the others were simply sharper. After all, every step they had taken was through seas of blood and mountains of corpses.

The one thing that truly amused Luo Chen somewhat was the strange emotion brought by his change in status. Not long ago, he had been just another insignificant spectator among a hundred thousand and had even personally stepped onto stages to compete in alchemy. Yet before he realized it, he had become like those lofty Adepts, sitting high above and watching the storm below with leisure.

***

By evening, Luo Chen had lost interest in watching any further. He called Wang Yuan over and exchanged brief farewells with Diwu Qi and the others. Then, he led the Luo Tian Sect disciples away.

The moment they left the Debate Platform, the oppressive atmosphere faded at once. Even the air seemed fresher. As they walked along the broad street, Luo Chen asked Wang Yuan and Chu Kui about the Frontier War.

He had arrived somewhat late, and much of the earlier information had already become outdated. Naturally, he needed some firsthand intelligence. Yet the information he finally obtained was sparse. Most updates concerned the construction of Moonbreak, and that a few rogue cultivators had ventured into the Howling Moon Mountain Range, but their gains were minimal.

The only information that truly caught Luo Chen's attention concerned the Howling Moon Mountain Range wolf clan.

"That fourth-tier wolf emperor is called Defiant Howl. He has been in human form for over a hundred years, and his strength is said to be formidable. Sage Han Zhan apparently exchanged blows with him once. He said that he felt great pressure, and that’s why he chose to halt further action and begin constructing Moonbreak."

Hearing this, Luo Chen's brow furrowed slightly.

He had entirely expected this wolf emperor to be strong. Low-tier demonic beasts lacked spirit intelligence and acted purely on instinct. Hence, they posed little threat. Once they reached the third tier and refined their transverse bone, their wisdom became equal to humans. Upon reaching the fourth tier and taking human form, their physical might combined with their inherited bloodline gifts often allowed them to surpass human cultivators of the same realm.

Yet Han Zhan felt significant pressure? That was unusual. He remembered clearly that this same man had dared face the Whitebone Dark Serpent, which had been in human form for three hundred years and was unquestionably stronger than Defiant Howl. It made no sense for Han Zhan to fear the wolf but not the serpent.

As I suspected, it seems Han Zhan intends to use the combined forces to build a mega-city and claim the profits. After all, if he says he felt pressured by Defiant Howl, who can contradict him?

Beside him, Chu Kui continued speaking at length about the general situation of the Howling Moon Mountain Range wolf clans. Under Defiant Howl were thirty-six third-tier wolf demons, thousands of second-tier ones, and countless first-tier ones. They were all loyal to him, and their strength was immense.

Yet before the twenty-seven sects, it was not much. The Falling Cloud Sect alone dispatched several hundred Initiates and over a dozen Adepts. The other eight upper sects each sent between one to three Adepts. The true bulk of this army came from the eighteen major sects—some only had three Adepts, but others, like Dreamspring Cave, had as many as ten.

Altogether, there were over a hundred Adepts! With nearly ten thousand Initiates and over a million Qi Refinement cultivators added to that number, they could sweep through the Howling Moon Mountain Range without difficulty.

So practically... if I want to seize a third-tier spirit land, my main enemies are not beasts but human cultivators. Too many people, and too few resources.

While still lost in thought, he returned to the temporary Luo Tian Sect encampment. Within the immortal city stood rows of hastily constructed stone houses.

"Xu Haizhen, you will handle the transfer of shop number eight tomorrow," Luo Chen said as they reached the encampment.

Xu Haizhen nodded in acknowledgement.

Then Luo Chen looked at Wang Yuan. "Do not go out looking for opponents for now. If you really lack someone to fight, I will spar with you myself."

Wang Yuan nodded. He had just obtained the Divine Wind Fiend and intended to study it, so he would not be leaving the encampment.

Finally, Luo Chen turned his gaze to Chu Kui. Forty years had passed since his failed Core Formation. The cultivation he had lost had been painstakingly restored, and he had once again reached Perfected Mastery of Foundation Establishment. Yet even after Luo Chen had Wang Yuan teach him the Fine Dust Primordial Art, Chu Kui did not rush to attempt Golden Core again.

The previous failure had left him with trauma. As long as the residual mana of that Golden Core lingered in his sea of qi, he dared not attempt Core Formation again. Now, Chu Kui's face carried the marks of hardship, and the youthful vigor he once bore had faded, replaced by increasing silence.

Luo Chen patted his shoulder. "Don’t worry. Fu Jiusheng told me there will be a gathering of Adepts here in three days. I will see if I can find a method to purge the foreign mana for you."

Chu Kui nodded heavily. A faint glimmer of hope appeared in his otherwise lifeless eyes.

Maybe you truly can find a method!

***

Inside the ruggedly built cultivation chamber, Luo Chen sensed the fluctuations of spirit energy and curled his lips. It was a second-tier top-grade cave residence. The Falling Cloud Sect was already generous for establishing so many second-tier cave dwellings within the immortal city, but the effect meant little to him.

"Cultivation still depends on myself," he muttered.

He touched his storage ring, and a jade bottle appeared in his hand. He tilted it slightly, and a crystalline pill that was gleaming like glass and shining like starlight fell into his palm.

It was a third-tier cultivation pill, the Starfield Pill. It was the very alchemical formula Fu Jiusheng had gifted him during the Core Formation Ceremony. He had possessed it for more than half a year and had studied it extensively before heading to Green Pill Valley; it had taken him several months to grasp the fundamentals. And after more than a hundred failed attempts, he had finally achieved Beginner level without relying on the system. Because of this, he had not chosen to refine the Flame Alliance's True Flame Pill he had recently acquired, but instead the Starfield Pill.

The True Flame Pill only enhanced fire-element spirit energy, while the Starfield Pill provided energy of all five elements. Since Luo Chen’s core cultivation technique was a dual wood-fire one, even though the True Flame Pill was substantially stronger, the Starfield Pill suited him better. Fu Jiusheng had truly helped him greatly.

During his journey here, he had rarely left the Crimson Flame Dragon Boat. He had either studied the basics of artifact crafting or devoted himself to refining the Starfield Pill. By now, he had reached the Skilled level, with a twenty percent success rate. With ten sets of ingredients, he could succeed twice, each batch producing ten pills.

With a faint smile, Luo Chen swallowed the low-grade Starfield Pill. In an instant, a vast yet gentle medicinal power spread throughout his body. He used his core cultivation technique and refined the spirit energy contained within the pill. His cultivation increased slowly but steadily; his momentum was unstoppable.