It took Chen Lin a full month to refine the Thunder Apricot Spirit into his body.
This was only the first step. Next, he would have to use the circulation method of the Golden Fire Generating Thunder Technique to devour and merge with the spiritual entity bit by bit, making its power his own.
This was painstaking work, like grinding away with a water-powered mill. There was no rushing it.
He only needed to finish merging with it before breaking through to the foundation establishment middle stage. Then he could use the Heavenly Tribulation to temper it into a pseudo spiritual root.
Time trickled by.
The upheaval he had anticipated never came. Instead, Chen Lin found himself with more and more free time.
The Alliance's resources had dwindled to a dire level. Even the talisman ink for making Demon-Suppression Talismans was almost gone. He reported for duty every other day, and even then spent half the day slacking off.
He even began to worry that, if things continued like this, he might be sent back to the Demon-Hunting Squad.
But what he feared never happened. Instead, he received some good news.
The Alliance had finally decided to retreat, breaking out toward the Distant Sea of the Wuding Sea and heading for the Main Continent.
The orders were issued personally by Enforcing Elders Hai Mingyue and Li Xuanming. The cultivators of Danding City would be divided into several groups to avoid being caught in a single net.
However, the details of the breakout were confidential. Which group would take which direction had already been decided. Cultivators at the foundation establishment early stage, like Chen Lin, only needed to follow their assignments.
Once the news broke, unrest swept through the city. Every cultivator pulled out all the stops to exploit their connections,