A Month Passes

Beneath the vast, cloudless blue sky, a green eagle with six pairs of wings flew at high speed. Its body was enormous, each pair of wings stretching more than thirty feet, while atop its smooth back—large enough to hold nearly a hundred people—were over a dozen rooms formed from pale green Origin Energy.

If the Six-winged Green Eagle was a free laborer that earned Pure Yuan Pills for the Greenwood Sect, then these rooms, which could only be activated by pouring in a certain number of Pure Yuan Pills, were where the Greenwood Sect had truly invested its effort.

Anyone who had reached the Three Creation Realms could shape Origin Energy into form. Quite a few people within the Greenwood Sect had attained this level, but maintaining such a state of solidified Origin Energy for an extended period came with considerable expenditure. Though it could not compare to the Greenwood Sect's profits from a round trip, it was still no small sum.

"The Greenwood Sect does have some capability. In the Great Yan Dynasty, I've also heard of similar methods of aerial transportation, but ordinary people without sufficient strength simply cannot ride them."

Inside the cramped room, as Lin Chen spoke to Little Marten, Origin Energy rippled faintly around him, completely isolating the sounds within the room.

Walls had ears. He was not the only one traveling from Qingyan City to Great Qing City this time. Though those traveling with him were not particularly strong, he had no habit of letting others casually eavesdrop on his secrets.

"What an ignorant fellow. What's so remarkable about this..."

Little Marten lazily replied, his tone filled with mockery.

Lin Chen merely smiled faintly and did not pay attention to Little Marten's ridicule.

After several years together, Lin Chen had gained a deeper understanding of Little Marten. Aside from his occasionally punchable mouth, Little Marten was fairly decent overall.

"Even an ordinary Six-winged Green Eagle is so extraordinary. I wonder what a true phoenix looks like."

"If I have the chance someday, I must see one for myself."

It was Lin Chen's first time using such an unusual method of travel, and he could not help feeling rather moved.

Six-winged Green Eagles came in different sizes. As they beat their wings and soared through the sky, they could travel for long periods while remaining relatively stable. The one Lin Chen was riding had already reached the peak of the Core Formation Realm. Ordinary wind, rain, and lightning could hardly pose any real obstacle to it.

"Tch..."

"Kid, what's there to make such a fuss over? It's just a mongrel bird that doesn't even possess phoenix bloodline. Back when Master Diao was at his peak, I even ate members of the Nine Phoenix Tribe, one of the four great clans of the Demon Region, whenever I pleased."

"..."

After giving Lin Chen a disdainful glance, Little Marten launched into an enthusiastic account of his past exploits, boasting about himself.

Lin Chen only shook his head gently and did not argue with him. In the Demon Region, strength was supreme. Given Little Marten's status and strength, even if he ate a few Nine Phoenixes with impure bloodlines and low intelligence, the Nine Phoenix Tribe would not care even if they learned of it.

Besides, in Lin Chen's eyes, true phoenixes were not the Nine Phoenix Tribe of Tianxuan Continent, which merely possessed a trace of phoenix blood. The two were not speaking of the same thing.

Within the room, Lin Chen did not keep chatting with Little Marten. After exchanging only a few words, he began cultivating his Origin Energy and Spiritual Power.

Origin Energy cultivation required more than constantly absorbing Yuan Qi from heaven and earth, strengthening one's body, expanding one's Core Formation, and increasing one's reserves and realm of Origin Energy. Martial arts techniques also had to be cultivated.

Otherwise, no matter how high one's Origin Energy realm was, one would merely be an empty shell, with little ability to resist an opponent of equal strength.

On Tianxuan Continent, martial arts were divided into nine grades and three tiers. Above the ninth grade came Creation Martial Arts, Spirit Martial Arts, and Heavenly Martial Arts, in that order. Each of these three tiers was further divided into high, middle, and low grades. The highest-grade martial art Lin Chen currently possessed was only a Ninth-grade Martial Art obtained from Lin Mu: the Shattering Heaven Demon Stele Palm.

When he had left the Great Yan Dynasty, Lin Chen had considered obtaining from Lin Mu the cultivation method for the Great Heavenly Phoenix Seal, the Lin Clan's clan-protecting Creation Martial Art. However, he abandoned the idea after thinking it over.

This was because, within the Lin Clan, anyone whose Origin Energy had not reached the Half-step Creation Realm was not permitted to receive the inheritance method for cultivating it.

Even though Lin Mu was the Lin Clan's Grand Elder, there were matters in which he could not make exceptions. Going there would only bring more harm than good and make things difficult for Lin Mu.

Moreover, practicing martial arts with such destructive power within a room on the eagle's back was clearly unrealistic for Lin Chen.

Therefore, all Lin Chen could do was continue absorbing Yuan Qi from heaven and earth, raising his Origin Energy realm, and continuously strengthening and expanding himself. As for his shortcomings in martial arts, he could only slowly make up for them when he had time in the future.

Unlike martial arts, whose grades were clearly defined and classifications complex, secret manuals for opening the body's meridians, absorbing Yuan Qi from heaven and earth, and cultivating Origin Energy were divided into only three classes. First-class manuals were the strongest, second-class manuals came next, and third-class manuals were the weakest.

However, due to the Heaven-and-Earth Condensed Body, Lin Chen had been born with all his meridians open. Manuals of any grade were of no use to him. Without cultivating any secret manual at all, his speed of absorbing Yuan Qi from heaven and earth far surpassed those who had fully mastered first-class manuals.

"Huff..."

As Lin Chen slowly closed his eyes, faint yellow streams of energy, each as thin as a hair, appeared continuously around his body. They then poured endlessly into him, gradually strengthening the faint fluctuations of Origin Energy lingering around him.

After cultivating his Origin Energy for an entire day, Lin Chen would rest briefly before sending his spiritual body into the Stone Talisman to endure the crushing tempering of the Spirit Grinding Mill.

After Lin Chen's Spiritual Power reached the level of an advanced Spirit Talisman Master, he discovered that the Spirit Grinding Mill within the Stone Talisman no longer had the same effect as before. Even if he replenished some of the Stone Talisman's energy, it was difficult for his Spiritual Power to experience substantial growth.

It was not that the Spirit Grinding Mill had lost its effect. Rather, his Spiritual Power was no longer as weak as before. If he wished to improve further now, the amount of spiritual strength required could no longer be compared to the past.

Still, as long as the Spirit Grinding Mill remained effective, he was confident that he could reach the level of a Heavenly Symbol Master within a year.

When he came to this world, it had bestowed many things upon him. He had not noticed much of it in the past simply because he had been too weak. Once his Spiritual Power reached the level of a Spirit Talisman Master, the vast world naturally formed within his Mud Pill Palace became a source of confidence.

Time passed bit by bit. As the Six-winged Green Eagle continued speeding through the skies, a month passed in the blink of an eye, and Lin Chen's strength improved once more.

Though there had been no particularly dramatic change compared to a month ago, Lin Chen knew that after a month of uninterrupted cultivation, his Spiritual Power had taken another step toward the threshold of a Heavenly Symbol Master.

His Origin Energy cultivation had also reached the peak of major accomplishment in the Form Creation Realm, only one step away from Lesser Accomplishment of the Qi Creation Realm. In a few more days, he would be able to make a complete breakthrough.

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