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In the real world.

The day after his fourth life ended.

Name: Meng Nan

Lifespan: 18/80

Faction: Chashan Cave

Cultivation: Inner Qi circulation

Inner Qi: 7

Bone Structure: 1

Cultivation Method: Thunder Illumination Scripture, Eighth Layer

Techniques: Gale Thunder Sword Technique (Minor Accomplishment), Hundred Transformations Thousand Illusions Cloud Mist Movement Technique (Minor Accomplishment), Five Thunder Technique (Proficient), Blood Arrow Secret Technique (Proficient), Giant Spirit Mysterious Technique (Beginner);

Skills: Alchemy (Intermediate: Qi Circulation Powder, Yellow Spirit Pill, Golden Marrow Pill); Artifact Refining (Beginner: Little Flying Scissors)

Unlock Progress: Available for Viewing

With his fourth life over, Meng Nan straightforwardly advanced to Inner Qi circulation that very day.

"Inner Qi circulation."

"I finally advanced before the New Year."

Meng Nan's goal in both his first and second lives had been to advance to Inner Qi before the New Year, thereby gaining the freedom to decide whether to have children—and choosing not to.

But across four lives, aside from the third, he had spent every day with three children and had grown attached to them.

Now he was caught in a dilemma.

Unable to choose.

"I'll wait until the eldest is born, then discuss it with Xiaoshuang."

Meng Nan glanced at the still-sleeping Zhao Xiaoshuang, then continued examining the panel.

Other than his cultivation, the Giant Spirit Mysterious Technique had finally reached the Beginner stage in this life. Before his death, Meng Nan had even experienced its power firsthand. Its might had truly been astonishing—his hard work had not been in vain.

It was precisely because he had this secret technique that Meng Nan had dared to advance so decisively.

Once he cultivated to the peak of Inner Qi, he could begin using this technique. At that point, he would even be able to contend with True Essence cultivators, while slaughtering True Qi cultivators would be like butchering dogs.

Everything would become simple.

Not to mention that Meng Nan also had the Blood Arrow Secret Technique.

Though, at the very end, a swordsman had appeared and punctured his Giant Spirit with a single thrust, that was an exceedingly rare expert. At the very least, no such figure had ever been heard of within the bounds of Tianlin Cave, so he could ignore it for now.

"Giant Spirit Mysterious Technique plus Blood Arrow Secret Technique!"

"That'll be enough for now."

Meng Nan did not belittle himself.

His cultivation.

His techniques.

Both had undergone qualitative breakthroughs.

As for his skills, his alchemy had reached the intermediate level. Over these ten years, he had successively mastered the refinement of Yellow Spirit Pills and Golden Marrow Pills, advancing another step.

In addition, he had begun dabbling in artifact refining.

Meng Nan had not entered this field merely to refine artifacts. More than that, he wanted to refine a Soul Banner, or other puppet artifacts.

"No matter how great my achievements are in later lives, once I die over there and return here, all of that becomes useless. I still have to cultivate again."

Take this time, for example. Meng Nan had been the Grand Steward of Tianlin Cave, his status exceptionally high. Yet after returning, his cultivation had regressed, and he still had to tuck his tail between his legs, living in constant fear and guilt.

That was a problem.

If he could refine a Soul Banner, or master the methods of refining and controlling puppets—the same kind of methods used by the person who had killed Meng Nan and Zhao Xiaoshuang in his third life—then even if his cultivation regressed after returning in the future, he would at least have artifacts in hand and puppets at his side. They would still be usable, allowing him to retain part of his combat strength.

With that in mind.

Meng Nan had initially dabbled in artifact refining during this life.

Artifact refining was no easier than alchemy. Meng Nan had Zhu Keda's guidance and endless refining materials to squander, but after ten years, he had only remained at the beginner level. He was still far from his goals—refining a Soul Banner and puppets whose combat strength was no weaker than his own!

Very far.

But success comes to those who prepare; those who do not prepare are doomed to fail.

There was nothing wrong with making preparations early.

After glancing over the panel, he opened the unlock progress—

[Unlock Progress—]

[Basic Progress: 0/100] [Required]

[Spirit Sand: 0/1] [Choose One of Two]

[Sacrifice: 0/1] [Choose One of Two]

"The number of sacrifices has gone back to one."

"So killing one True Qi Stage cultivator will complete it?"

Meng Nan relaxed inwardly.

That was good.

If it had truly kept stacking, then opening it now would require him to sacrifice eight True Qi Stage cultivators. That was far too many. And the further it went, the more it would require—how was he supposed to kill them all?

As long as it could refresh, that was fine.

There was also "Basic Progress."

Before advancing to the Inner Qi realm, Meng Nan had deliberately put four points of Inner Breath into it. But when he advanced to Inner Qi, the progress had reset as well. It seemed there was no way to exploit a loophole.

Then there was Spirit Sand.

If he did not choose the "Sacrifice" option, he needed one jin of Spirit Sand to complete one unit of progress.

"This is simple enough."

One jin of Spirit Sand might seem like a considerable amount. Even for someone at the peak of the True Essence Stage, accumulating that much was no easy feat. With bad luck, one might toil for decades without earning it.

But for Meng Nan, it was much simpler.

Not to mention anything else.

Among the eight city sites of Tianlin Cave alone, there were thirty jin of Spirit Sand waiting for Meng Nan to collect.

One jin would be easy to obtain.

But if the Inner Qi realm already required one jin of Spirit Sand, then how much would the True Qi Stage, True Essence Stage, and even the Qi Refining Stage require later on?

Thinking in the long term, it was still terrifying.

Spirit Sand.

Sacrifices.

Neither would be easy.

"It would be best to alternate between them."

Those were the gains from the Fourth Life's panel.

Beyond the panel, there had been quite a few gains as well.

In this life, he had climbed to the position of Grand Steward of Tianlin Cave. With a higher status, he came into contact with higher circles and learned more secrets.

In the past, even after ten or several decades had passed, ordinary True Qi and True Essence cultivators still did not know what they did not know. Instead, such matters became buried beneath the dust of history.

But in this life, Meng Nan's elevated position gave him more channels and access to a higher level. He had also obtained quite a few secrets and pieces of information he had never heard in the Third Life.

This was no small benefit to him.

Just as in the Fourth Life, relying on the Third Life's information, Meng Nan had claimed the Spirit Land ahead of time and mined the Spirit Mine, while he and Zhao Xiaoshuang both mastered the secret art, Giant Spirit God.

He had also gotten ahead of everyone else in claiming precious materials such as Blood Flame Stone, Ten Thousand Year Tortoise Shell, and Five Elements Essence, refining them into one excellent magical artifact after another, ensuring that both he and those around him possessed one—or even several—powerful magical artifacts each.

There were also finished magical artifacts like the Asura Net, whose power surpassed that of artifacts such as the Blood Flame Saber and Fire Tipped Spear.

All these benefits had come from the Third Life.

Although the Fourth Life did not come as late in time as the Third Life, Meng Nan's position still allowed him to obtain the whereabouts of many new treasures and precious materials.

He committed each of them to memory, ready to retrieve them at any time.

With foresight at his back, the future lay in his hands.

In reality, Meng Nan could finally begin advancing rapidly in earnest.

Only—

Logically speaking—

Given Meng Nan's current cultivation, the best choice would be to go directly to Angming Mountain and cultivate with the help of the Spirit Land and Spirit Sand.

But—

"Xiaoshuang is pregnant. It would not be right to leave her behind now, nor would it be right to take her with me."

Considering Zhao Xiaoshuang, Meng Nan could not move about recklessly at this time. "This is fine too. I'll stay home and spend more time with her during this period."

After experiencing four later lives, the first two had been all right. But beginning with the Third and Fourth Lives, although Meng Nan and Zhao Xiaoshuang's achievements had grown ever greater, the time they spent together had become less and less, as had their shared memories.

They were engrossed in cultivation.

Chasing one another onward.

So immersed in it that even these humble little moments from the days of his beginnings were being squeezed away.

Meng Nan resolved to hold fast to his original heart. He wished to cultivate immortality, but not to cultivate immortality merely for its own sake, not to be swept along by the tide.

Sometimes, slowing down a little might not be a bad thing.

With these thoughts in mind.

On the bed.

"Husband."

Zhao Xiaoshuang woke up. She was already over four months pregnant, her belly gradually growing larger, making it inconvenient for her to lie on her side. Yet every time she woke, the first thing she did was turn to look toward where Meng Nan was cultivating.

One glance was enough to set her heart at ease and put her in a good mood for the entire day.

Please vote with recommendation tickets! Two chapters posted back-to-back this morning.