Talent Cultivation Plan

Deep night.

Ling City Underworld Bureau.

Ling City God sat high upon his dais, his white brows hanging low on either side as he gazed down at the Liang Wandering God in the hall.

"My Lord City God, that is how the matter stands—"

The Liang Wandering God had returned to the Underworld Bureau quite some time ago, and during this period, he had explained why Chen Guan had departed without saying goodbye.

However, regarding the final words spoken, the Liang Wandering God did not mention a single syllable.

Instead, he kept his promise and provided plenty of cover for Chen Guan.

This was because, although the Liang Wandering God was an Orthodox God, his natural aptitude was not high, nor was his Daoist cultivation.

Among immortals and gods, there are also distinctions of rank and status.

He currently wished to forge this bond of kindness to pave the way for his future.

Moreover, the act of an Orthodox God and a cultivator forming a bond of kindness was not a rare occurrence.

For instance.

The reason the City God was currently helping the "minor cultivator, Chen Changhong," was actually because he wanted to form a bond with Daoist Guanglin of the Guanglin Sect.

The Liang Wandering God knew these things, as they were not exactly secrets.

After all, the Guanglin Sect delved deeply into the methods of the soul, and the Underworld Bureau was essentially composed of "Yin Gods" who primarily cultivated Yin-attributed soul arts similar to Ghost Cultivation.

In their dealings with one another, both sides were more or less mutually beneficial.

Furthermore, several decades ago, it was Daoist Guanglin who had ordered someone to bring some "Handwritten Insights" to the Underworld Bureau here as a gift.

Later on, the cultivators from the sect who came to deliver gifts discovered Chen Changhong, that promising young sprout.

Gradually, the two sides not only engaged in Reciprocity and mutual benefit, but their "karmic connection" also deepened.

Added to the fact that Chen Changhong was born within the territory of Ling City, he was a key focus of the Guanglin Sect's cultivation efforts.

If the Ling City God did not help, it would be somewhat unjustifiable.

However, for today, let it be.

"Since that is the case, there is no need to search further."

At this moment.

Hearing the words of the Liang Wandering God, the City God gently closed his eyes.

Because they had already been searching for many days, and furthermore, one of the principals involved, Chen Guan, no longer wished for them to search.

Reason and sentiment were both satisfied, so let it be.

Yet, when the City God finished speaking, he suddenly offered a word of advice to the Liang Wandering God:

"I know you are keeping something from this office, but since you do not belong to the Ling City Underworld Bureau, it is not my place to inquire further.

Now, I can only offer you this one piece of advice.

Those who are reincarnated may possess heavenly destiny changes upon them and rely on great blessings.

One may sow the seeds of kindness, but one may not necessarily reap the fruits of goodness.

All changes in karma do not lie in Heaven, nor in Earth, nor in the matter itself, but in the heart of the one who sows the cause."

"Yes..."

Hearing the City God's admonition, the Liang Wandering God bowed sincerely.

But in his heart, and based on his experience and perspective, the Liang Wandering God felt that this Daoist friend Chen did not seem like the type to return kindness with enmity.

Daoist friend Chen is only twenty years old and already possesses several years of cultivation; he must be a person of exceptional talent...

Because the Liang Wandering God did not know Chen Guan's true background, he mistakenly assumed that Chen Guan's innate bone structure and talent were excellent.

Perhaps after practicing for another ten or twenty years, or even several decades, he could possess a hundred years of cultivation.

He, the Liang Wandering God, had practiced for over three hundred years only to barely reach one hundred and twenty years of cultivation.

He felt that Chen Guan could surpass him and perhaps help him in the future.

Currently.

He still did not know that Chen Guan was looking for an opportunity to "seek death."

And if Chen Guan truly wanted to die, as long as Chen Guan did not seek him out, he would never be able to find Chen Guan.

"Finally out of the woods..."

Two days later.

Ever since parting ways with the Liang Wandering God that night, Chen Guan had cut across the edge of the mountain forest and had arrived at the border of the Qing City territory.

Following the direction.

Chen Guan first looked at the deerskin map, which was spread out to the size of five tables, then looked up to find the sun, feeling that heading west for about a hundred miles would bring him to the Black Market.

This map had been purchased by his family's caravan at a high price.

It basically covered the territories of the five major cities near Little Liuzi Town, spanning about three thousand miles in both length and width.

The drawings were quite detailed, marking various mountains, rivers, and lakes.

Of course, compared to the "strategic maps" in military camps—those high-precision maps where they would mark every small hill, or even, exaggerating slightly, every single tree—this was nothing.

Not to mention that if someone were to sell such a thing, or even if someone drew one and it was discovered by the yamen, they would likely be "guilty of a crime."

It was also to avoid trouble.

Even though Chen Guan could have obtained an "obsolete" high-precision map before leaving home through Official Liu's connections at the Martial Bureau, he decided against it. He wasn't leading troops into battle to set ambushes or use water and fire tactics.

Especially since a regular map would suffice.

There was no need to invite such damn trouble.

If someone were to see it or investigate, it would all be a mess of trouble.

Chen Guan only wanted to see if he could improve his physique and realm within his "lifetime," and while he was at it, see if he could max out Bear's Strength.

Currently, the proficiency was at [853/1000].

Theoretically, with his high physique, high realm, the support of spiritual energy, and a build that was becoming increasingly like a "bear," his speed in grinding proficiency was much faster than before.

It wasn't like the past few years, where it took ten days or more to gain a single point.

At the current speed, Chen Guan estimated that at most, in another two years, he would basically be able to max it out.

Of course, other talents like blade techniques would have to be set aside appropriately, provided they didn't interfere with each other.

It could be considered prioritizing Bear's Strength to first "evolve" a growth talent that was close to leveling up.

Because talents related to blade techniques were considered ones that deepened his "comprehension," and now that they were past 600, the leveling speed was similar to that of the bear.

Currently, it was at [Basic Blade Technique: 621/1000].

To max it out would take at least four or five years.

However, there was a little trick to this comprehension talent.

Just like some time ago, while Chen Guan was practicing his blade at home, he suddenly entered a very strange, natural state.

It was that kind of natural blade-swinging, natural utilization of spiritual energy, with force reaching the blade itself.

He practiced for a whole day without realizing it.

It was like an epiphany.

It wasn't until his spiritual energy was empty and his strength exhausted that he naturally "woke up" from the trance after finishing his practice.

That day, his proficiency increased by "12 points."

Chen Guan had experienced this feeling of epiphany five or six times.

Every time, he would just be practicing when he suddenly entered it.

But if he tried to intentionally seek that feeling, he couldn't find it.

Unlike Bear's Strength, this "magical physique" was about taking it one step at a time; there was no way to take shortcuts with epiphanies, but damn, it was very reliable.

Of course, blade techniques were also reliable; as long as you practiced, you would gain something.

It was just that this epiphany was a bit like taking a shortcut.

Likewise, through this shortcut, Chen Guan had also thought about one thing.

That was, if he were to reincarnate as a bear again, perhaps under the inherent status of being a bear, he could also have an epiphany regarding Bear's Strength.

If he couldn't have an epiphany, it could only mean that he was a "traitorous outlier" among bears.

In terms of identity, he didn't meet the prerequisite for a "bear epiphany." This was perhaps the annotation in the Scroll, which roughly stated, "When in human form, the cultivation speed of bear-type talents is drastically reduced."

This annotation likely meant that besides the fact that cultivating alien talents was indeed slow, there was also the implication that it was "difficult to achieve an epiphany."

After more than twenty years of cultivation, Chen Guan had finally figured out some of the ways of the talents within the Scroll.

He now understood the meaning of many annotations.

When he reincarnated into other creatures later, or gained strange talents, he could adjust his "grinding" methods accordingly based on his current deductions.

While contemplating, Chen Guan continued walking.

But as he walked and practiced, when nothing else was happening, Chen Guan looked at the rocks in the mountains, his thoughts wandering, and he suddenly remembered Bandit Brother.

He wondered how he was doing now.

"He seems capable of escaping any hell..."

Chen Guan found it amusing to think about.

"Can this hell be escaped?"

Avici Purgatory.

Located at the lowest level of the Underworld Bureau.

Tens of thousands of souls here were suffering the agony of soul scorching and soul boiling.

Because those subjected to this punishment were all souls, this pain truly originated from the depths of the soul.

Compared to this torment, even the common torture of Lingchi was like child's play.

And in a large oil pot in the southeast corner.

"Ahhh..."

Accompanied by screams, Bandit Brother was frantically struggling in this pitch-black oil pot.

But the more he struggled, the deeper the black oil seeped into his soul, intensifying the torment.

However, he was bound by two chains, which maintained the stability of his soul, preventing him from dissipating and forcing him to endure this oil-frying torture.

Yet, his eyes slowly became wild and resolute.