The Situation

In his own Pill Chamber, Chen Fei swallowed a Light Spirit Pill and sat cross-legged, circulating the Shocking Suspension Force. Only after a full hour did Chen Fei open his eyes and exhale a mouthful of stale air.

Chen Fei had yet to completely deduce the pill formula for the Light Spirit Pill. He was stuck on the final step and could only slowly grind away at it with time. By Chen Fei's estimate, another month or so should be enough to derive the formula.

Although the Light Spirit Pill formula had yet to be completed, it did not affect Chen Fei's use of Light Spirit Pills for cultivation.

Because of the Revival Pills he sold in the Dark market, Chen Fei had no great wealth now, but his small earnings kept flowing in. A Light Spirit Pill costing fifteen taels of silver put no pressure on Chen Fei at all.

With the Shocking Suspension Force at Great Perfection and Light Spirit Pills, according to the feedback from the panel, Chen Fei estimated that it would take nearly a year to advance his cultivation to the Bone Forging Realm.

Compared to the year-plus it had taken before, the time had already been shortened considerably.

If Chen Fei wanted to further compress the time needed to reach the Bone Forging Realm, he either had to obtain a high-tier Internal Energy cultivation method or take Floating Pills.

The high-tier Internal Energy cultivation methods were kept by the great families of Pingyin County for themselves. Usually, only direct descendants could inherit them. Even if Chen Fei married into one of those families, the chances of obtaining an Internal Energy cultivation method would be extremely low.

Therefore, Chen Fei most likely had no chance of acquiring a stronger Internal Energy cultivation method in Pingyin County. He could only try his luck in the Dark market and seek out methods that could still be simplified.

As for Floating Pills, they were actually medicinal pills meant for Marrow Refinement Realm martial artists. The Light Spirit Pills Chen Fei currently used were normally something only Bone Forging Realm martial artists would be willing to buy for cultivation.

Thus, Chen Fei was already taking pills above his realm. Fortunately, Light Spirit Pills placed little burden on a martial artist's body. One pill a day was completely within Chen Fei's limits.

Chen Fei estimated that he could take Floating Pills now as well. But unfortunately, there were practically none in Pingyin County. Even if some existed, they were monopolized by disciples of the various great families.

Chen Fei had never seen Floating Pills in any pharmacy or Medical Hall. Even in the Dark market, when one or two occasionally appeared, they were bought out almost immediately before Chen Fei could make a move.

Chen Fei rose and entered the courtyard, his longsword beginning to dance in his hand. Threads of Sword Qi wound around the blade. As sword light flickered, it was as though a flame rose in the courtyard.

Screech!

A moment later, Chen Fei withdrew his move. A straight gash appeared across the ground, left behind by the Sword Qi just now.

Cultivation Method: Fire Pattern Sword (Great Perfection)

Two days had passed since the encounter with the strange entity outside the city, and Chen Fei had successfully cultivated the Fire Pattern Sword to Great Perfection.

What delighted Chen Fei somewhat was that the Great Perfection Fire Pattern Sword had faintly spurred the power of Immortal Points the Way to grow. By all reason, Immortal Points the Way had long since reached Great Perfection, and its power should have been fixed.

Only later did Chen Fei understand. It was likely because his overall strength had improved, opening up some of Immortal Points the Way's limitations. After all, his cultivation was only at the Muscle Tempering Realm, and his attainments in the sword were fairly ordinary.

No matter how powerful Immortal Points the Way was, it could only display itself according to the conditions one currently possessed.

This also showed just how exaggerated the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect was. A single move from one of its sword techniques surpassed the many sword arts Chen Fei had painstakingly fused together. Yet it also stirred Chen Fei's yearning for the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect. It truly was a colossal behemoth.

Two days ago, the Zhang Family had made a tremendous move. Learning that Sun Shu had become something nearly like a strange entity, with all his hatred directed at the Zhang Family, had left them unable to sleep or eat in peace.

That very day, the Zhang Family gathered their forces. Even people from the yamen followed along, and all of them descended upon the dense forest outside the city.

No one knew whether the two sides ultimately met. Everything was kept tightly under wraps.

Chen Fei did not participate any further in this matter. To outsiders, he was merely an alchemist at the Skin Tempering Realm. If not for Zhang Yuezhen that day, such a battle would never have involved Chen Fei at all.

As night fell, Chen Fei disguised himself and appeared in the Dark market.

"The situation in the south has been rather grim lately. You should be more careful these days."

Inside the small room, the scent of medicinal herbs filled the air. Chi Defeng looked at Chen Fei and spoke with a smile.

"Will the rebels reach Pingyin County?" Chen Fei asked in surprise.

Ever since the imperial army's crushing defeat, all sorts of rumors had spread through the county. Some said the army would rally again and fight the rebels to the death. Others said the rebels had already surrounded the imperial army and were gradually wiping them out.

"No one knows yet. But the imperial army is currently retreating in the direction of Pingyin County. No one knows where they will eventually station themselves."

"Are the rebels pursuing them?" Chen Fei asked.

"Not yet." Chi Defeng shook his head. "Those rebels have seized so many cities and territories that they are still working urgently to stabilize them. For now, they have no intention of continuing the pursuit."

Chen Fei quietly let out a breath of relief. When two armies clashed, that was the most dangerous place to be. With Chen Fei's current small frame, whether he could preserve his life in such a situation was a question in itself.

"Is there any way to get to the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect?" Chen Fei thought for a moment, then suddenly asked.

If one were to ask where was relatively safe now, aside from the imperial court's rear territory, it was probably within the domains of such top-tier sects.

From Skin Tempering to Organ Refinement, the realms were commonly known as the Five Body Refining Realms. Beyond body refinement lay even more profound Cultivation Realms. That was the true beginning of breaking free from the mortal fleshly body.

The Immortal Cloud Sword Sect had such top-tier experts. It was precisely because of the existence of such experts that the area around the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect appeared comparatively peaceful.

Rumor had it that Battle Fire was now raging throughout the imperial court's territory. No one knew where things had gone wrong. The only thing Chen Fei could think of now was going to a top-tier sect like this.

As long as he raised his cultivation, he would have the ability to deal with anything that happened afterward.

"No. The outside world is in chaos, with strange entities running rampant. Crossing such a great distance would be difficult and dangerous."

Chi Defeng shook his head. "It has not reached that point yet."

Chen Fei nodded with a slight frown and began sorting through today's medicinal herbs. A moment later, Chen Fei took out a medicinal herb and handed it to Chi Defeng. Without changing his expression, Chi Defeng took another herb from behind his back and handed it back to Chen Fei.

Chen Fei's eye twitched slightly. This game of identifying real from fake still was not over. The key was that Chi Defeng now showed no trace of shame at all. He simply wore an expression that said, oh, you found it, impressive.

"By the way, if one encounters a strange entity, is there any good way to save one's life?"

With the medicinal herbs slung over his back, Chen Fei suddenly asked just before leaving.

Unless absolutely necessary, Chen Fei would not leave Pingyin County alone. But if that day truly came, he feared nothing else on the road except encountering an unstoppable strange entity. That would be truly troublesome.

"Oh? Have you encountered a strange entity recently?"

Chi Defeng looked Chen Fei up and down a few times. He was not missing any arms or legs.

"I went out of the city a few times and ran into some."

"How did you deal with them?" Chi Defeng asked curiously.

"I wore one down with Qi and blood Internal Energy. The other one couldn't be worn down, so I ran." Chen Fei recalled the time with Sun Shu. It had been far too dangerous. Fortunately, he had run fast enough.