Advancement

Wang Chen truly could not understand the thinking of the Yunyang Sect higher-ups.

Around the Yunyang Spirit Land, the Outer Sect had reclaimed several hundred thousand mu of Spirit Fields.

Aside from supplying the sect's hundred thousand-plus disciples each year, the output of these Spirit Fields also provided the most basic cultivation resources for the cultivators, martial artists, and servants attached to the Yunyang Sect, as well as the families of True Persons and Purple Mansion cultivators.

Without grain, the people could not rest easy.

This principle held just as true in the Cultivation World.

Cultivators could fill their bellies with Tribute Rice from the mortal world, but without the spiritual nourishment provided by Spirit Rice, the speed and efficiency of cultivation would inevitably decline drastically.

How could people's hearts remain steady?

Now that vast swathes of Spirit Fields had suffered an Insect Plague, the Yunyang Sect had yet to make a move.

It was utterly inconceivable.

Yet no matter how little Wang Chen understood, he was merely a low-level cultivator at the Bottom Layer.

There was simply nothing he could do.

In truth, having learned the lesson of nearly being murdered for his wealth, even if Wang Chen could do something now, he had no desire to stand out again and become the target of others' covetous eyes!

The carriage wheels gleamed as they raced along the broad, smooth Chidao at seventy kilometers per hour.

With so many cultivators around, the Cultivation World's infrastructure capabilities were exceptionally formidable.

They cut roads through mountains and built bridges over water. Without reinforced concrete or modern machinery, Great Artisans who commanded all manner of spells could lay ten li of Chidao in a single night.

A standard Chidao could accommodate six Dragon Scale Horse carriages traveling abreast, and its smoothness and sturdiness were in no way inferior to the expressways of Earth.

Wang Chen had seen more than once the scenes of Cultivator Second Generations from Yunyang City "racing" their carriages down the Chidao!

The Dragon Scale Horse carriage sped along swiftly.

Although it stopped several more times along the way, in less than half an hour, a majestic city appeared before Wang Chen's eyes.

Yunyang City, one of the Outer Sect's three cities and the location of the Outer Sect Main Hall!

Then they hit a traffic jam.

Yunyang City, backed against the Tianyun Mountain Range, had three city gates, each the convergence point of several Chidao.

The carriage Wang Chen had taken traveled along a Chidao leading to the west gate.

Still two li from the city gate, the road was already packed so tightly that not even water could pass through, with great numbers of carriages crammed together.

The drivers were all cursing their mothers.

The passengers, meanwhile, had long since grown accustomed to it and got out to continue on foot.

Naturally, Wang Chen followed the crowd.

At the city gate, Wang Chen showed his Identity Token to the guards and entered the city without issue.

As an Outer Sect disciple of the Yunyang Sect, he did not need to pay any fee to enter or leave Yunyang City.

But for Rogue Cultivators, the city entrance fee was one Lower Spirit Stone!

Though the threshold was high, countless Rogue Cultivators still flocked toward it.

That was because Yunyang City was the most prosperous "immortal city" within a thousand li, with a population of several hundred thousand.

It had the largest Marketplace, courtesan houses, Gambling Houses, taverns, teahouses...

So long as one had enough Spirit Stones in one's Storage Bag, cultivation techniques, Pills, Magic Tools, Talismans, Spirit Food, and courtesans were all available.

Most importantly, Yunyang City was very safe.

Many Rogue Cultivators spent all year in the Outer Region, carrying their heads in their hands and risking death, all for one night in the city lost in drunken dreams and death-forgetting!

Passing through the teeming crowds, Wang Chen headed straight for the north of the city.

In the mountain-side district north of the city, hundreds of Cultivation Cave Mansions had been opened up. Operated by the Outer Sect Main Hall, they were available for rent to sect disciples and Rogue Cultivators.

Though the prices were steep, business was exceptionally brisk.

Wang Chen's luck was good today. When he arrived, there were still several vacant cave mansions.

The cave mansions here were also divided into different grades.

The best few could be used by Purple Mansion cultivators, while most were suited to high-level and middle Qi Condensation stage cultivators.

The daily rent for a cave mansion sufficient for a middle Qi Condensation stage cultivator's cultivation was fifteen Lower Spirit Stones.

The few Spirit Stones left behind by the original owner were only enough to rent one for half a day.

Wang Chen gritted his teeth and slapped down thirty Lower Spirit Stones to rent one for two days.

Wang Chen had never been the sort to haggle over every last detail. When money needed to be spent, he could dig deep without hesitation.

For example, when he bought a house in his Previous Life, he did not have much in savings, yet he had unhesitatingly emptied his bank account and taken out another loan to scrape together the down payment.

Before the house was even delivered, its price had nearly doubled!

And he was renting the cave mansion to break through to the middle Qi Condensation stage, so he did not begrudge spending a third of his savings.

When Wang Chen arrived at the Cave Mansion he had rented, he immediately became "drunk."

The spiritual energy inside the Cave Mansion was simply too abundant.

Every hair on Wang Chen's body relaxed. He felt as though he had sunk into a hot spring, warm from head to toe, as if he had downed a cup of Thousand Year Immortal Brew—pleasantly tipsy, floating as though about to ascend to immortality.

This was what happened when someone who had lived long-term in an area poor in spiritual energy suddenly entered an environment rich in it.

Spirit Intoxication.

It took Wang Chen the time it took to burn an incense stick to adjust.

He silently marveled that the Spirit Stones had been well spent.

After sealing the Cave Mansion's entrance, he sat on a meditation cushion and began circulating his technique.

Time was Spirit Stones.

The sooner he broke through the bottleneck, the longer he would have to consolidate his realm.

That was equivalent to earning extra Spirit Stones.

Even so, Wang Chen did not immediately use Add Points on the Five Elements Technique to complete his advancement.

The original owner had been stuck at the bottleneck of the third layer of Qi Condensation for a long time. Several attempts at breakthrough had failed, leaving his foundations deeply accumulated.

Now, Wang Chen had added points to his Spiritual Root and comprehension, and had even rented a sect Cave Mansion.

If he still had to rely on the Cultivation Panel to level up under such circumstances, even he would think himself a pathetic weakling!

The key was that going from level three to level four now consumed 1 point of Heavenly Merit.

Then when he went from level four to level five, the Heavenly Merit points required would be 10!

Moreover, Wang Chen suspected that the 6 Heavenly Merit points he had inexplicably obtained were very likely the result of killing that traveling merchant.

If Heavenly Merit truly had to be earned by killing people, it was far harder to come by than Human Virtue.

Forget 10 points—even 1 point was immensely precious!

Wang Chen wanted to save that 1 point of Heavenly Merit for the fourth-to-fifth breakthrough, or even for advancing from the middle Qi Condensation stage to the high stage.

Closing his eyes, he expelled every distracting thought from his mind.

He entered a state of cultivation where self and surroundings were both forgotten.

Pure Mana flowed soundlessly through his meridians, carried by the technique as it soaked into his five viscera and six bowels, his limbs and skeletal frame.

When the Mana in his Dantian had been raised to its limit, Wang Chen began breaking through without a moment's hesitation.

A blocked meridian was pierced through with unstoppable force, like splitting bamboo.

There was not the slightest stagnation; it went more smoothly than he could have imagined!

Wang Chen's entire body shuddered as he abruptly opened his eyes.

Sharp light flickered in his eyes, and specks of Spiritual Light illuminated the Cave Mansion.

Success!

Name: Wang Chen

Lifespan: 17/90

Cultivation: Fourth layer of Qi Condensation

Physique: 4

Spiritual Root: 3

Comprehension: 3

Divine Soul: 3+8

Technique: Five Elements Technique (fourth layer): 0/400

...

Without spending even 1 point of Heavenly Merit, Wang Chen had broken through in one stroke to the middle Qi Condensation stage.

His Lifespan increased by 5 years, and his Divine Soul also increased by 1 point.

Moreover, Wang Chen could feel that his Dantian had expanded considerably, allowing it to hold more Mana.

His meridians had also become far more resilient!

He believed that if he unleashed the Great Accomplishment level Gengjin Finger again, using up to a hundred percent of his Mana would no longer injure him so severely.

It could be said that Wang Chen's overall Combat Power had risen by a considerable margin.

The only problem was that he had mastered too few Combat Skills.

But that problem would soon be resolved!—

The second update is here. Please vote!