Chapter 72: Intense Cultivation and Choices

“Alright, let’s not dwell on such disheartening matters. We haven’t even joined the immortal sect yet; pondering Foundation Establishment is too premature.” Sensing his shimei’s low spirits, Xia Kun quickly stepped in to ease the tension.

Doude’s other junior brothers also chimed in hastily.

“That’s right, the Divine Lake Immortal Sect is vast; who knows what opportunities await us there?”

After some light-hearted banter, the atmosphere finally relaxed considerably.

Chen Luo checked the time; the sun was setting in the west. It was nearly the optimal moment for practicing the True Immortal Classic’s breathing technique. After exchanging brief farewells with the group, he left the room.

He couldn’t afford to waste any more time here. Instead of indulging in idle thoughts, it was better to focus on self-improvement.

“Is this…Brother Chen always so aloof?” Watching Chen Luo depart, Zhang Dingchao, standing beside Xia Kun, couldn’t help but ask, revealing his true feelings.

He genuinely disliked Chen Luo. In his view, this Chen fellow was just putting on airs. With only three spiritual roots, not the genius-level dual roots, he seemed far too full of himself.

“Perhaps he’s just adjusting,” Doude responded awkwardly.

Xie Shuang glanced at the door, then looked back at Doude and the others, ultimately deciding to stay behind.

Exiting the room, Chen Luo found a secluded corner and sat down cross-legged.

All around was quiet.

Apart from Chen Luo, hardly anyone remained outside.

With a gentle breeze blowing, he closed his eyes and began his daily practice of cultivation through breathing techniques. Breathing steadily, he slowly refined wisps of twilight’s essence into his body. Since starting his cultivation journey, Chen Luo had never missed a single day.

He wasn’t aware of how others approached their cultivation, but for him, it was all about accumulation. This understanding was consistent between the mummified brain and the collective wisdom of countless jianghu travelers.

Whether learning martial arts or refining Qi, one must endure solitude. It is not just about admiring the glory of those standing at the pinnacle; it is crucial to recognize the decades of unwavering dedication behind their success. No strong cultivator achieves greatness overnight. Just as towering skyscrapers rise from humble foundations, if unable to withstand the monotony of basic cultivation, what basis is there to pursue higher realms?

Immortal cultivation, the path of cultivation—no exception exists.

As the breaths entered his body, they circulated gradually along the channels outlined in the True Immortal Classic. Chen Luo could feel the changes within himself, as these strands of spiritual energy slowly transformed his physique. His three-attribute spiritual roots acted like a filter, continuously purifying and refining the incoming spiritual energy, discarding the useless components while retaining the beneficial ones.

The flying boat continued its journey.

After several days, it left the territory of the Luxury Nation and entered the airspace above another country, where two recruitment points for the Divine Lake Immortal Sect were located.

Similar to before, the Foundation Establishment cultivator overseeing them paid no heed to the newly admitted disciples, heading straight to the top deck of the flying boat.

Five days later.

In his room, Chen Luo opened his eyes.

“The third immortal script.”

He held out his palm, and three flashes of immortal script briefly appeared.

With the intuition granted by the mummified brain, Chen Luo’s cultivation progress was remarkably swift. Before leaving the Great Mausoleum of Yue, he had fully absorbed the ‘greeting gift’ spirit stone from Xin Huo-shangren. Using this single spirit stone, he successfully increased his mastery of immortal scripts from one to three and advanced from the first level to the second level of Qi Refinement.

“Cultivating outside the Yue Kingdom is indeed easier than within. Without the interference of the Great Mausoleum, breaking through becomes significantly simpler.”

Initially, Chen Luo did not expect to achieve such a breakthrough during this session of cultivation. In his understanding, advancing in cultivation realms was exceedingly difficult. The elders like Longevity Daoist and Daoist Heartflame, after a lifetime of arduous practice, likely consumed countless spirit stones yet only reached the second or third levels. Yet, with just one spirit stone, Chen Luo managed to break through.

This realization highlighted the stark contrast for him.

After leaving the Great Mausoleum of the Yue Kingdom, the world truly felt different. This change extended beyond just the concentration of spiritual energy; there were numerous subtle shifts that Chen Luo, at his current realm, could not yet perceive.

However, having reached this stage in cultivation, the True Immortal Classic was becoming outdated for him.

Chen Luo picked up the booklet from the Divine Lake Immortal Sect, searching for suitable techniques to continue his breakthroughs.

The booklet had been provided by Elder Brother Fang after their aptitude test, specifically for disciples with intermediate-grade spiritual roots. The one Chen Luo held was brought back for him by Xie Shuang.

‘Lightning Strike Art, Water Gathering Technique, Yin Wood Core Method.’

Chen Luo primarily focused on techniques related to water, wood, and lightning attributes, as these matched his identified spiritual roots. According to the booklet’s guidance, cultivating these three attribute techniques would provide additional benefits, allowing his progress through Qi Refinement to be faster than others.

For someone like Xie Shuang, with her four elemental spiritual roots, she had more options available. However, similarly, her cultivation path would also be significantly more challenging compared to Chen Luo’s.

Recalling Xie Shuang, Chen Luo paused momentarily.

Since their last meeting, Doude and the others hadn’t approached him much. Their perspectives differed from Chen Luo’s; they didn’t believe that missing out on a few days would significantly impact their cultivation progress.

Perhaps sensing Chen Luo’s disposition, their interactions gradually decreased.

Similar to young people venturing into a city, they supported each other during their journey, but once arrived, differences in time and beliefs led them to slowly drift apart. Apart from Xie Shuang, who occasionally visited him, the others hardly came around anymore.

Two days ago, Xie Shuang had sought him out to share updates about their recent activities. Doude and Xia Kun had made many new friends, expanding their group to over thirty individuals. They even connected with the two geniuses from Shenfeng County who boarded the ship together, recognizing them as leaders. Now, it seemed they formed something called the ‘Luxury Nation Cultivators Association,’ pledging mutual support upon entering the Divine Lake Immortal Sect for shared progress.

Chen Luo didn’t comment much on this.

Everyone has their own path; differing ideals shouldn’t be grounds for dismissal. Moreover, Doude and the others were his fellow townsfolk and hadn’t offended him in any way.

“With the second level of Qi Refinement and three immortal scripts, I can now use the techniques my teacher imparted.”

Chen Luo recalled the abilities passed down by Longevity Daoist.

Although Longevity Daoist was only at the third level of Qi Refinement, it did not mean he was weak. To reach this stage despite being sealed within the Great Mausoleum, Chen Luo surmised that Longevity Daoist likely possessed high-quality spiritual roots, possibly even single-element roots, marking him as an exceptional genius.

“Gold Element Sword Art.”

Chen Luo retrieved a treasured sword from his bag and gently traced his index finger along its blade.

Spiritual energy flickered, instantly infusing the sword with gold elemental energy, significantly enhancing its sharpness. In the mortal martial world, such a weapon would undoubtedly be considered divine. However, this heightened sharpness was not permanent; once the spiritual energy depleted, the effect would dissipate.

Chen Luo wasn’t truly practicing swordsmanship but rather honing his understanding of the three newly learned immortal scripts.

Dispelling the energy, Chen Luo sat back down cross-legged.

Estimating his recent expenditure, he gained a rough grasp of his current strength.

“Ning Ling mentioned that reaching Foundation Establishment is influenced by age, with fifty being a critical threshold. Based on my progress now, I should attain the third level of Qi Refinement within half a year, then subsequently aim for the fourth level, becoming a mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivator,” Chen Luo silently calculated, realizing more clearly the difficulty of achieving Foundation Establishment.