Accelerated Cultivation, Arrival at Red Coral Island

Although this trip resulted in an unexpected delay in our return, it was much later than originally planned.

But it also resolved several trivial matters that Xiao Chen had on hand all at once.

This includes selling Clear Dew Foundation Establishment Pill to increase Spirit Stone reserves, replenishing new alchemy materials, participating in the Nascent Soul Ceremony, and exploring Heaven and Earth Phenomenon.

They even received another piece of good news from Chu Tianze: the Barrier Breaking Flag, which had become useless, was put back into use.

In this way...

For the next period of time, Xiao Chen could stay on Secluded Doom Island with peace of mind and resume his secluded life from the beginning of the year, where he would refine pills in the morning and cultivate in the afternoon.

He's already thought it through.

First, let's look at the New Cultivation World.

Considering that the Holy City has already dispatched a group of Special Envoy to investigate.

Furthermore, even the Rebellious Immortal Alliance is consciously avoiding the Great Purge after the Immortal Selection Festival, and judging from the trading timeline, they are probably preparing to resume their activities next spring.

Xiao Chen felt that he could also learn from the Rebellious Immortal Alliance and temporarily lay low.

After all, the phrase "Great Purge" doesn't sound like a good thing.

As an outsider, he still has time to obtain a reliable False Identity through the Cai Family, so he should prioritize stability.

As the saying goes, a wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall.

As long as he stays on this side of the Compassion Sea and doesn't cross over, no matter how powerful the Holy City's search methods are, they won't be able to do anything to him.

Of course, Xiao Chen didn't intend to completely retreat; he just planned to go there less often.

Firstly, he does have a certain degree of self-protection ability, and can appropriately gather more intelligence when it is safe to do so.

Secondly, he was still preoccupied with his Complete Fusion Spirit Tool.

There's no way around it; after spending so much spiritual material and Spirit Stone, and waiting for so long, anyone would be worried about it a lot.

Actually, a year has already passed.

Theoretically, the Shattered Gold True Monarch should have finished forging it by now and can collect the goods with the forging fee.

However, Xiao Chen estimated that if he waited a full year, he might not be able to obtain the Complete Fusion Spirit Tool on schedule.

If it's just an extra trip, that's fine. The problem is that if you happen to run into a Great Purge along the way, it can easily cause unexpected complications.

Who knows what thrilling and unpredictable events might unfold then?

Since we've already waited for over a year, we might as well postpone it for a few more months.

We aim to resolve this issue satisfactorily in just one trip, minimizing the chances of unexpected events along the way.

As for the Cai Family and Zhang Cunfu, we can just take a look at them on the way when we get there.

Having finalized the arrangements for the New Cultivation World, the next step is naturally the Compassion Sea.

There were originally many trivial matters here, but since Xiao Chen came back, there are actually only two major issues left.

The first thing is to wait patiently for good news from Chu Tianze.

The second thing is the Grand Auction that will be held in October.

Because the Earth Dragon Relic restrict entry to Nascent Soul Cultivator, Xiao Chen could only silently wish Chu Tianze a speedy and successful return.

As for the Grand Auction, this is a good opportunity.

According to the agreement of the Peace Conference, this Grand Auction will feature special products that Great Powers have never sold to the public before, including Fourth-Order Spiritual Item.

In other words, these are things that you couldn't buy even with Spirit Stone before.

Now at least there's a chance to participate in the bidding.

That's just a coincidence. When it comes to bidding, Xiao Chen has never lost a bid for anything he sets his sights on.

Furthermore, this is not only an opportunity to spend money, but also an opportunity to make money.

It should be noted that Xiao Chen had accumulated a lot of items that he not only didn't need himself, but were also difficult to sell.

For example, the fourth-tier Flying Sword and Thick Rock Shield seized from True Lord Hua Jian.

It would be difficult to sell in the New Cultivation World, but it can be brought here to participate in the auction openly and legitimately.

For example, the Five Elements Consecutive Lock Spirit Illumination Array.

Initially, because Xiao Chen didn't know much about the New Cultivation World, he didn't deal with it immediately, but hesitated about whether to keep it for use there.

However, as his understanding of that place deepened, especially after learning about things like the Formation Breaking Cone, he realized that...

He felt that he probably wouldn't need it anymore, so he should sell it as soon as possible and use the Spirit Stone to improve himself.

But this thing belongs to the Mountain Protecting Grand Array, and should theoretically be worth at least Ten Million Spirit Stones.

If he sells it too cheaply, it's equivalent to Xiao Chen losing money.

However, if the price is too high, it's not easy to find a suitable buyer.

Instead of Xiao Chen wasting his time going around promoting his product and comparing prices from various sources, he should just bid directly at this auction and let those who need it bid for it themselves.

Not only does it save time and effort, but you might also earn extra money through bidding.

In other words, he could stay on Secluded Doom Island and ignore everything outside the island until October.

Keep in mind that it's only mid-July, Grand Auction still a full three months, nearly a hundred days away.

For Xiao Chen, who is not yet accustomed to going into seclusion for several years at a time, this is quite a lot.

He activated his Divine Sense and examined the row of Storage Ring on both hands, which were almost completely full.

"I've already accumulated quite a few Spirit Stone, so why don't I start using the <Spirit Devouring Yuan Great Method> to accelerate my cultivation from now on?"

Xiao Chen had unknowingly accumulated another large sum of Spirit Stone.

There are 241,776 mid-grade spirit stones and over 37,420,000 low-grade spirit stones.

Mid-Grade Spirit Stone have certain strategic value, so they are naturally not used lightly.

Even Low-grade Spirit Stone were enough to cover the costs of his cultivation to the Nascent Soul Middle Stage.

Of course, this large sum of Spirit Stone also included the five million deposit from the Rebellious Immortal Alliance, as well as the 1.4 million reward that Chu Tianze had temporarily kept with Xiao Chen and had not yet redeemed.

After deducting these, there are only 29 million Low-grade Spirit Stone left.

But it doesn't matter, because two whole years have passed since Xiao Chen broke through to the Nascent Soul.

Thanks to the diligent and tireless operation of the Yin Five Elements Seal.

In addition, Xiao Chen has cultivated whenever he has a spare moment, and he has now accumulated 853 strands of true essence.

There are only 2,480 strands of true essence left to reach the peak of the Nascent Soul Early Stage.

Even if all of it were condensed using the <Spirit Devouring Yuan Great Method>, it would be more than enough, and the cost would be entirely affordable.

And don't be fooled by the fact that over 20 million Spirit Stone seems like a lot.

Without even mentioning other channels, just the fact that Xiao Chen can currently refine the Clear Dew Foundation Establishment Pill is only equivalent to two thousand four hundred spirit pills.

If he focuses on alchemy, he can earn it back in less than a year.

Of course, theoretically speaking, if Xiao Chen were willing to slowly accumulate spirit stones using the Yin Five Elements Seal, he could actually save that amount of Spirit Stone.

However, since he possesses the Two Realms benefits brought by the [Dimension Sorcerer Emblem], earning Spirit Stone will only become easier and easier in the future.

Secondly, for him, breaking through to the Nascent Soul Middle Stage sooner would allow him to obtain the New Hextech sooner.

If you're lucky, acquiring the New Hextech Crafting early might yield even more than 20 million Spirit Stone.

"That's all."

Xiao Chen had always been very willing to invest in his cultivation, and considering this, he decided to start using the <Spirit Devouring Yuan Great Method> to accelerate his cultivation from today.

When it comes to cultivation and Hextech, there's absolutely no need to be frugal; you have to spend the money when necessary.

At first, Xiao Chen still maintained the habit of refining pills in the morning and cultivating in the afternoon.

However, he soon discovered that the <Spirit Devouring Yuan Great Method> also had its limits.

Despite the fact that, with the help of this Demonic Secret Methods, he only needed half an hour to refine a strand of true essence, which was hundreds of times faster than the other True Lord.

However, a day only has twelve two-hour periods.

In other words, even if Xiao Chen could operate like Yin Five Elements, without sleep or rest.

He can only refine a maximum of twenty-four strands of true essence in a day.

If we further subtract the at least three hours needed to refine the Clear Dew Foundation Establishment Pill, and the approximately one hour spent chatting with Su Li in the evening...

At most, he can only increase his true essence by sixteen strands in a day.

If calculated at this rate, it would take 155 days, or five and a half months, to accumulate 2,480 strands of true essence.

It will basically take until the end of the year to save enough.

If anything happens along the way, such as attending Grand Auction or taking a moment to check on the progress of the Complete Fusion Spirit Tool.

That means we won't be able to break through until next year.

"No, how could it take so long?"

Xiao Chen initially found it hard to believe, but upon closer reflection, it was actually quite normal.

As everyone knows, any cultivator who can break through to the Nascent Soul stage can be considered extraordinary.

If cultivation weren't so difficult and accumulating true essence so strenuous, why would they be stuck at the Nascent Soul Early Stage and Nascent Soul Middle Stage of the Nascent Soul realm for so long?

It's not fair to say that those exceptional talents who stood out from thousands of others gave up on themselves after breaking through to the Nascent Soul.

For example, Gang Yuan True Monarch is only at the Nascent Soul Middle Stage realm, and it's not because he's stuck on Minor Bottleneck that he can't break through; it's simply because he hasn't accumulated enough true essence (6,666 strands).

Although he did spend a lot of time and energy on array formations, it was enough to prove that cultivation was not a simple matter.

However, there is also good news.

That is, during this relatively long process, the Yin Five Elements Seal can continue to play its role, thereby helping Xiao Chen save some Spirit Stone and cultivation time.

He would rather not have received this good news.

Of course, Xiao Chen never hesitates when it comes to serious matters.

Now that he has decided to concentrate his efforts on quickly breaking through to the Nascent Soul Middle Stage, he will go all out.

Therefore, he quickly changed his daily cultivation plan and temporarily suspended the refining of the Clear Dew Foundation Establishment Pill.

Firstly, he already has enough Spirit Stone to cover the costs of cultivation, so he doesn't need to sell pills to sustain his cultivation like those who Pill Dao.

Secondly, selling a large quantity of Clear Dew Foundation Establishment Pill to the public in a short period of time might affect sales.

It's better to whet their appetite for now, making it easier for them to snap up everything again when it's sold out next time.

Xiao Chen even reduced their nightly chats to once a month.

Aside from the night he and Su Li talked by the campfire on the first day of the lunar new year, and the night they watched the Witch Tribe Heritage together under the moon on the fifteenth day of the lunar new year.

He devoted the rest of his time to cultivation.

To other cultivators, such a cultivation plan was simply a joke.

Let alone whether one can truly be that self-disciplined, or whether one can really stick to it every day.

The very fact that one must concentrate and eliminate distracting thoughts during spiritual practice is enough to stump anyone.

Even when in seclusion, most cultivators simply cannot cultivate for twelve hours a day.

Having six hours is not considered a waste of time, eight hours is considered diligent, and ten hours is enough to be proud of.

However, Xiao Chen possessed a [Heart of Clarity], so he felt no pressure in this regard.

He can easily enter a meditative state for twelve consecutive hours without suppressing his emotions and causing psychological problems.

At first, Su Li was even a little worried.

However, later on, all she felt was admiration and a sense of inferiority.

No wonder Xiao Chen could become such a powerful person; it turns out he possesses such amazing perseverance and willpower.

Su Li was even somewhat encouraged.

She also secretly resolved to take Xiao Chen as her role model and strive to get closer to him.

Although she didn't know that this was actually the effect of Hextech, learning to cultivate diligently wasn't a bad thing.

As the saying goes, spiritual practice transcends the years.

Although Xiao Chen wasn't quite that extreme yet, once he immersed himself in cultivation, he almost forgot the passage of time.

And so, without realizing it, he had experienced the fourth Moon Eclipse.

As dawn dispels the night, it also hides the moonlight.

Xiao Chen was just about to say his usual goodbye and continue his cultivation.

Suddenly, Su Li asked, "Today is October 16th, are you still going to attend the Grand Auction?"

She had heard Xiao Chen mention this matter during their campfire chat on the day she returned in July.

So I memorized it.

Seeing that Xiao Chen was so engrossed in his cultivation that he seemed to have forgotten the time, he took the initiative to remind him.

"Yes, I'm planning to leave the day after tomorrow."

Xiao Chen nodded. "Actually, I was going to tell you last night, but I was so focused on watching the Moon Eclipse that I almost forgot."

I heard him say he was going out again.

Unexpectedly, a bright smile appeared on Su Li's face, "It's good that you remember."

"After cultivating for so long, it's time to take a short break and stretch."

"As the saying goes, there's a balance between work and rest. Always pushing yourself too hard isn't good either."

Xiao Chen immediately understood and nodded gently in agreement. "Yes, I understand what you mean. I will make sure to get adequate rest, so don't worry about me so much."

Su Li blushed immediately. "Who was worried about you? That's not what I meant at all."

"I just thought you'd forget the auction's time, don't overthink it."

In truth, Xiao Chen simply wanted to break through to the next level as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, despite rushing, they were still a few days behind, and were still more than a hundred strands of true essence short of reaching the perfect Nascent Soul Early Stage.

But it doesn't matter anyway, since even if I accumulate enough true essence, there's still a Minor Bottleneck blocking my way.

Either way, we'll have to wait until the auction ends before attempting a breakthrough.

Three days later.

Xiao Chen set off early for Red Coral Island, where the Grand Auction to be held.

This place was originally just a Desolate Island in the Shallow Sky Sea, with few inhabitants.

It didn't even have a name on the original sea charts of the major sects.

It was named Red Coral Island because of the many red corals that grow near the island.

Coincidentally, its location is exactly the closest to all the existing major sects of the Compassion Sea.

If you connect the major sects as points on a nautical chart, you can find the center point.

Red Coral Island is the island closest to the center.

Therefore, at the Peace Conference, it was chosen as the permanent location for trade between the major sects from now on.

Each of the major sects dispatched their disciples to build manors and shops on the island according to predetermined locations.

Moreover, they jointly built a massive Auction Hall in the very center of the island.

Thus, in just six months, Red Coral Island transformed from a Desolate Island into the trading center of the entire Compassion Sea.

Not to mention, it attracted a large number of cultivation Lineage and independent cultivators.

Some cultivators even chose to build houses on the edge of the island and settle there.

Despite the lack of Spirit Vein on Red Coral Island, the number of people settling there is steadily increasing.

Some people were even afraid that the major sects would order a ban on relocation, so even if they didn't have time or didn't want to move over, they still carefully built many houses and gardens on the island.

Therefore, when Xiao Chen arrived here, he almost thought he had gone to the wrong place.

Outside the small island, which was about 300 miles long and 200 miles wide, lay a magnificent scene of palaces and pavilions stretching as far as the eye could see.

The temporary market in the middle was bustling with people coming and going in an endless stream.

The number of street vendors and the variety of shops opening their doors to customers were in no way inferior to established markets like Wave Listening Market or Ink Stone Market.

In other words, the island itself is too small and lacks Spiritual Qi.

From a distance, it doesn't appear grand enough or exquisite enough.

If we only consider popularity, it can even rival Azure Sea Market.

It is worth mentioning that a row of large gardens has been built in the northern part of Red Coral Island. Each garden covers hundreds of acres and features artificial hills, flowing water, small bridges, bamboo pavilions, and other ethereal and elegant scenery.

The one in the middle has two large characters hanging above its gate: Xiao Manor!

That's right, one of the large gardens belongs to Xiao Chen.

This was certainly not built by him, but rather by the various sects when they were jointly constructing the Auction Hall.

And what's really interesting is that...

To his left were large Daoist Sect temples, while to his right were large Buddhist Sect monasteries, each bearing the signboard of its respective power.

Only in the very center was a Xiao Manor erected, clearly different from the ones on either side.

Even unsuspecting cultivators would likely be curious and inquire about the situation, wondering what the Xiao Manor's background was.

"No, I already said I don't need it... Oh dear."

In fact, Xiao Chen had emphasized to them that he didn't need laborers to build his garden.

Even if it's fixed, he won't have time to come and stay.

However, both Yunfeng True Monarch and Zen Master Jing Hua, who were in charge of supervising the construction, had promised him that there would be no extravagance or waste.

When the time came, it turned out that it had been fixed after all.

Of course, Xiao Chen's name wasn't directly engraved on this garden.

However, given that there is no other Nascent Soul Cultivator in the Compassion Sea with the surname Xiao, and who is unanimously recognized by all the major sects, it must be true.

Fine, it's just another place to stay.

I'll probably come here again to participate in auctions in the future, so having a regular place is actually quite nice.

In case guests happen to come over, there will be a place to entertain them.

Xiao Chen quickly accepted the situation and then went straight to find the other True Lord to learn about the specifics of the auction.

Because he left quite late, he arrived the day before the Grand Auction began.

At this time, the True Lord and Zen Master of the other major sects had naturally arrived long ago.

"Oh, Daoist Xiao, you've finally arrived! We've been waiting for you!"

As soon as he arrived next door, Gang Yuan True Monarch came out to greet him warmly.

As luck would have it, the other True Lord Daoist Sect the Daoist sect were also visiting the Heavenly Dipper Sect today.

So Xiao Chen met everyone who had come to attend the Grand Auction.

It's fair to say that almost everyone who was supposed to come has already arrived.

Only Treading Frost True Monarch and Qian Shu True Monarch were unable to attend due to other commitments.

The former's injuries hadn't fully healed yet.

When he attended the Nascent Soul Ceremony Azure Sea Immortal Sect, his complexion looked rather ordinary.

He didn't come this time; he probably stayed at the sect to heal his injuries.

In any case, compared to other events, the Red Coral Island Grand Auction should be held repeatedly in the future unless something unexpected happens, so missing it once is not a big pity.

But why didn't Qian Shu True Monarch arrive?

Xiao Chen asked curiously, "Could it be that Fellow Daoist Qian Shu is preparing to break through?"

He had heard before that the other party had been stuck at the mid- Nascent Soul Middle Stage for quite some time, but had been hampered by Minor Bottleneck and unable to break through.

As one's cultivation level increases, even Minor Bottleneck become increasingly difficult to overcome.

It is common for cultivators to be stuck for decades, centuries, or even their entire lives without ever overcoming this hurdle.

If Qian Shu True Monarch can overcome this hurdle, it will be a major event not only for Thousand Machines Valley, but also for the entire Compassion Sea.

"Sigh, it's not because of that."

Upon hearing Hundred Apertures True Monarch sighed with a hint of helplessness, "Senior Brother Qian Shu has not gone into seclusion."

"It was just a sudden inspiration a month ago that led me to a design for a new type of puppet, which is said to be able to more accurately mimic the spells cast by Law Technique."

"Therefore, they were busy inside the gate forging parts to verify this new hypothesis."

To be honest, if he had a choice, the Hundred Apertures True Monarch would have liked to answer everyone directly: My senior brother is currently in Closed-door cultivation and cannot be present.

However, before he arrived, he not only failed to persuade Qian Shu True Monarch to temporarily put down the new puppets and attend the first Red Coral Island Grand Auction held after the Peace Conference, but also...

Instead, Qian Shu True Monarch repeatedly warned him, "Junior Brother, if any fellow cultivators ask why I didn't come..."

You absolutely must tell the truth!

"Especially tell them that I'm designing a new type of puppet that can more accurately mimic a monk's Law Technique."

"Fellow Daoists who are interested are welcome to come and visit."

"Junior brother, you must remember this clearly, and don't say anything wrong."