Years Unknown Within the Abode

Within the Secret Abode's training grounds.

Chen Sheng took another talisman radiant with spiritual light from his Storage Bag.

—Mid-grade Spirit Testing Talisman!

Its effects were similar to those of a spirit-testing Dharma Artifact.

It was a single-use item.

It could also test one's Spirit Root aptitude.

A drop of crimson fresh blood fell.

The talisman trembled slightly.

Spiritual light slowly circulated around it, displaying five colors.

Before long.

The talisman had turned into a clump of black ash.

A strange sight appeared in midair.

Green, red, yellow, white, black!

Five-colored light rose like illuminated lamp pillars.

One after another.

Each formed a straight pillar of light.

Once the pillars stabilized, their markings became clearly visible.

"Metal six, wood fourteen, water eight, fire fifteen, earth four!"

Chen Sheng's eyes immediately lit up.

"Dual low-grade Fire and Wood Spiritual Roots."

"In my previous life, my Fire Spiritual Root was only thirteen marks. This life is a little better."

Before this.

Cultivating an attribute-less technique had merely been a helpless choice.

Now that his Spirit Root aptitude had been confirmed.

The next step was choosing a cultivation technique.

"Since I have a Fire Spiritual Root, I'll continue cultivating the Lihuo Art!"

Chen Sheng quickly made his decision.

This technique had accompanied him throughout his life.

Chen Sheng understood every inch of its meridian circulation and the key to every bottleneck.

It was undoubtedly the safest and quickest choice.

Familiarity meant efficiency!

Re-cultivating this technique.

Meant that Chen Sheng could turn all his precious experience from his previous life into cultivation speed in this life.

"Dragon's Vigor Tiger's Might has made my meridians broader and tougher."

"It can also improve my cultivation efficiency."

Chen Sheng listed the advantages he possessed in this life one by one.

Experience bonus + slight Spirit Root improvement + physical talent support + Spirit Gathering Array + pill reserves...

Multiple advantages stacked together!

A sharp gleam shone in Chen Sheng's eyes.

He seemed to have already seen a great path leading to the heavens.

With that thought.

He immediately went beside the Formation Disk.

To the place where spiritual energy was most abundant.

And cleared out a level area.

He sat down cross-legged.

He did not rush to cultivate.

Instead, he silently adjusted his breathing and calmed his mind.

Bringing himself into optimal condition.

"Begin!"

Chen Sheng took out a Yellow Bud Pill and swallowed it.

The pill dissolved as soon as it entered his stomach.

A gentle current of warmth spread out, nourishing his body.

Chen Sheng formed a hand seal.

And silently recited the essential principles of the first layer of the Lihuo Art.

His body automatically assumed the most standard.

Five Hearts Facing Heaven Pose, the posture best suited to drawing in fire-element spiritual energy.

Thread after thread of spiritual energy, guided by the experience of his previous life.

Began to travel along his meridians.

Steadily circulating.

And refining into mana!

This experience.

Spared Chen Sheng from exploration and trial and error.

His powerful physical talent supported cultivation far beyond the limits of his previous life, allowing him to remain in meditation for longer.

The pure spiritual energy supplied by the Spirit Gathering Array and the Yellow Bud Pill's medicinal power flowed like gentle streams.

Further improving his cultivation efficiency.

Time flowed like sand.

In the blink of an eye, two years passed.

Within the Deep and Quiet Cave Mansion.

The Bronze Everlasting Lamp burned silently.

Dust in the air gathered, scattered, and danced beneath its light.

In a corner.

Two more empty bottles of Grain Abstinence Pills had accumulated.

The aura around Chen Sheng had changed noticeably.

As mana gathered within his Dantian.

A faint yet genuine Spiritual Pressure gradually settled upon him.

That day.

Chen Sheng's body suddenly trembled!

The faint spiritual glow covering his body abruptly intensified.

Buzz—!

An invisible yet distinct ripple.

Suddenly spread outward from Chen Sheng!

Though weak.

It was resilient, lively, and incomparably clear.

At that moment.

Within Chen Sheng's eyes.

Every tiny detail in the quiet room.

Was clearly revealed to the newly born "perception"!

It did not rely on the five senses, but perceived directly.

This was spiritual sense!

Chen Sheng suddenly opened his eyes.

Deep within them.

The glimmer unique to cultivators flashed and vanished.

Against his youthful face.

It lent him an added air of transcendence.

"Two years! Qi Condensation First Level! Spiritual sense has formed!"

Chen Sheng's low voice echoed through the quiet room, carrying irrepressible joy and emotion.

"This step took me five years in my previous life."

"In this life, only two."

"My cultivation speed is no worse than Chen'er's was back then."

Chen Sheng vaguely remembered.

The astonishing speed at which his daughter had advanced one level every two years.

He had never expected.

That he could accomplish the same now.

"With these multiple advantages, my cultivation speed now rivals that of a Mid-grade Spiritual Root."

Chen Sheng carefully sensed the spiritual sense that had just been born, yet was already enough to inspect his own body and examine several yards beyond it.

It gave him a powerful sense of security and control.

In his previous life, he had taken it for granted.

After several hazy years in the mortal world in this life, he finally understood the importance of spiritual sense on the Immortal Path.

"To awaken spiritual sense is the beginning of the Immortal Path!"

His excitement lasted only a moment.

Not long after.

Chen Sheng's gaze returned to its cool, pragmatic state.

He pondered.

"Now that spiritual sense has formed, I can bind a Puppet."

Though this Secret Abode was hidden and safe.

A Puppet at the Qi Condensation Late-stage would ensure he was prepared for any eventuality.

It could greatly improve his ability to protect himself.

With that thought.

Chen Sheng patted the Storage Bag at his waist.

His spiritual sense stirred slightly.

Three tall Bronze Puppets emerged.

In his previous life, Chen Sheng had eventually erased the ownership imprints on all these Puppets.

Now.

Chen Sheng's gaze swept across the three Puppets.

Before finally settling on the one on the left.

He calmly judged.

"My newly born spiritual sense is still too weak."

"It cannot withstand any intense expenditure."

"For now, binding one is enough."

"Without sufficient mana, even if I bind them, I cannot control them simultaneously."

Very soon.

Chen Sheng extended his index finger.

Guided by his newly born, weak spiritual sense, a round drop of fresh blood seeped from his fingertip.

He then silently recited a difficult contract incantation.

At the same time, he focused his entire mind.

And carefully drove the strand of spiritual sense he had just condensed.

Into the hidden core deep within the Puppet's chest and abdomen, using the imprinting method he had mastered in his previous life.

Buzz...

The instant the imprint was completed.

Chen Sheng felt an icy connection form at once.

With a slight movement of his mind.

Buzz!

That Puppet suddenly shuddered.

Within its eye sockets.

Two clusters of cold blue light abruptly lit up.

Chen Sheng gave it its first clear command.

"Within the cave abode, protect me completely."

The Puppet Warrior silently stepped forward.

He held a shield and a sword.

In a standard defensive stance.

Like a frozen statue, he stood in the shadows of the stone chamber beside Chen Sheng.

Deep Green Eyes swept the surroundings, cold and loyal.

Looking at this Silent Guardian.

Chen Sheng finally relaxed completely.

He surveyed the surroundings.

The Spirit Gathering Array in the stone chamber emitted a steady spiritual glow.

The Loyal Puppet stood guard in the shadows.

The newly born mana and spiritual sense within him were weak, yet tenacious.

"Walking this path again, I have enough resources."

"I only need to enter seclusion and cultivate, restoring my strength quickly."

Chen Sheng murmured softly.

Then he closed his eyes and focused.

Once more immersing himself in circulating the Hand Seal.

This time.

With the assistance of his spiritual sense.

The efficiency of circulating his Heavenly Cycle rose again.

Who knew how many years passed in the mountains?

Twenty springs and autumns passed in the mortal world!

Within the deep, silent cave abode.

There was only the faint sound of spiritual energy flowing and the flame of a bronze lamp.

In the shadowed corner.

There were dozens of bottles of Grain Abstinence Pills.

On the cattail mat in the center.

A tall figure sat as still as a stone statue.

In the darkness.

Three Puppets stood guard in silence.

No one knew how long had passed!

Chen Sheng slowly opened his eyes.

His spiritual light was restrained, without the slightest leak.

He raised his hand slightly.

A wisp of crimson flame rose from his fingertip, flickering restlessly.

With a flick of his finger.

In an instant.

It divided into Ten Thousand Strands of fireflies, incomparably docile!

Chen Sheng murmured inwardly:

"The Myriad Strands Realm, the insurmountable chasm of my Previous Life."

"After my talent in the Way of Alchemy improved, I had not deliberately practiced it, yet it came naturally."

He carefully sensed the dense mana coursing endlessly through his meridians.

As well as several Hidden Meridians specially opened for cultivating the River-Burning Seal, which emanated a scorching aura.

His once newly born spiritual sense.

Had undergone two crucial transformations.

It could now cover an area of ten zhang around him.

Over the years.

Chen Sheng had not squandered his time.

At this moment.

His cultivation surged powerfully.

He had astonishingly reached the Qi Condensation Seventh Level!

Chen Sheng pondered inwardly:

"In my Previous Life, I reached the Qi Condensation Seventh Level at forty-two."

"In This Life, I am twenty-eight, two years later than Chen'er."

"And that was with the Spirit Gathering Formation delaying me."

Twenty years.

He had cultivated in seclusion within the abode.

Chen Sheng had no distractions, devoting himself wholly to cultivation.

His cultivation speed nearly matched Tang Xichen's in those days.

In the Qi Condensation Early-stage, he advanced one layer every two years.

At the Qi Condensation Mid-stage.

He could also maintain a pace of advancing one layer in just over four years.

Unfortunately.

After Chen Sheng reached the Qi Refining Sixth Layer.

The effects of the Mid-grade Spirit Gathering Formation noticeably weakened.

Faced with this situation.

He had originally intended to leave directly and find a Market Town to cultivate in.

However.

Chen Sheng considered his bad luck in this life.

Traveling outside with insufficient strength was too dangerous!

So he endured it.

And spent his spare cultivation time.

On opening the Crimson Flood Dragon Hidden Meridian.

This delayed him by two years.

Only recently had he reached the Sixth Layer Peak.

Then he consumed a Breakthrough Pill.

And successfully broke through to the Qi Condensation Late-stage!

"The resources in the Secret Abode have been nearly exhausted."

"Now that I am in the Qi Condensation Late-stage and have recultivated the Crimson Flood Dragon Burning River Seal, my ability to protect myself is not weak."

"It is time to leave seclusion!"

Thinking this, Chen Sheng immediately rose.

He slowly walked to the Formation Disk and lightly swept his sleeve.

The Formation Disk vanished.

"Collect!"

With a casual Hand Seal.

One Formation Flag after another instantly turned into streams of light.

Rapidly shrinking.

They became exquisite little flags about an inch long again and were stored deep within the Storage Bag.

He then put away all the remaining items, including the Puppets.

Leaving only the empty stone chamber.

Finally.

Chen Sheng looked around this stone chamber.

In a few subtle places, he could vaguely see traces he had left behind.

He felt somewhat reluctant:

"One day, I will surely arrange a Secret Abode with inexhaustible resources."

"So that I may cultivate there in peace!"

Chen Sheng sighed.

Without further hesitation, he took out the Azure Cloud Shuttle.

Riding the Dharma Artifact, he turned into a streak of Green Light, left Water Curtain Cave, and fled toward the horizon.