Soaring Soul Force

Chu Chen really hadn't planned to run, but he hadn't planned to sit around and wait for death, either.

Facing Tang Hao without some way to keep him in check was far too dangerous.

So as soon as Chu Chen got home, he opened the simulator panel and selected [Fire Thunder Seed] from the rewards list. With a thought, he brought it into existence.

The next second, a cool metal case popped out of thin air and dropped into his hand.

Chu Chen was overjoyed—not because he now had a trump card that might save his life, but because of how many there were!

It wasn't just one. It was a whole case!

He opened the metal case, and the air inside the wooden house instantly grew hotter. Chu Chen paid it no mind. He couldn't keep the smile off his face.

Sure enough, the case held three Fire Thunder Seeds!

Whoa... Looks like there's a loophole I can exploit!

Chu Chen rubbed his chin and glanced at [High-Rank Storage Ring—Flame Ji Ring] on the selection list.

If the Fire Thunder Seeds come as a whole case, could everything inside the Storage Ring be included too? I'd be set for life!

Chu Chen knew it was unlikely, but he spent one of his reward selections on the Flame Ji Ring anyway.

Even if his guess was wrong, a spatial item would still be useful.

After all, when he faced Tang Hao later, he couldn't exactly stand there holding a Fire Thunder Seed that kept giving off heat.

Tang Hao wasn't blind. He'd spot something wrong at once, and Chu Chen would end up creating danger where there hadn't been any...

With a thought, Chu Chen claimed [High-Rank Storage Ring—Flame Ji Ring] from the rewards.

The moment he received it, he imprinted his Soul Force onto the pink High-Rank Storage Ring, then sent his Soul Force inside to inspect it.

Unfortunately, the Flame Ji Ring was completely empty. Evidently, the reward included only the ring itself.

Chu Chen wasn't too disappointed. He had expected as much.

As for the Fire Thunder Seeds, he guessed that since the three had existed as a set in the simulation, they had been treated as a single item on the list. That was how he had gotten lucky.

But it also gave Chu Chen an idea!

If items of the same type really could count as a group, then perhaps future simulations could net him large bottles of spirit liquid, basins of pills, or even crates of magic cores.

His imagination ran wild, and his eyes shone with anticipation at the thought of exploiting the loophole.

As for his final selection...

Chu Chen's gaze lingered on [Third-Rank High-Grade Pill—Foundation Building Spirit Liquid (Improved Version)].

He hesitated for a few seconds, then looked away.

He had reached Three-Stage Dou Qi in a year and was only a step from Four-Stage Dou Qi. With talent like that, his cultivation wouldn't be too slow even without Foundation Building Spirit Liquid.

Without pills, becoming a Dou Zhe would be delayed by a few months at most. Chu Chen could live with that.

But at his normal cultivation speed, becoming a Dou Zhe within a year was probably out of reach, so he had no need for the cultivation method either.

I should pick something that boosts my strength right now!

Chu Chen made up his mind.

He spent his final reward selection on [Soul Origin of a Fourth-Rank High-Grade Alchemist].

[Distributing rewards... All rewards distributed!]

[Current simulation attempts: 0 (on cooldown)]

[Cooldown: 364 days, 23 hours, 26 minutes, 17 seconds]

With all three rewards chosen, the simulator returned to its countdown display.

At the same time, Chu Chen felt a cool sensation at the center of his brow.

He closed his eyes, sat cross-legged with his hands on his knees, and focused on guiding the Soul Origin flowing into him.

Fortunately, the process wasn't difficult. This Soul Origin had been his own to begin with.

The Chu Chen in the simulator was still Chu Chen!

They shared the same soul and the same origin. There was no conflict as they merged, and it placed little strain on him.

As the vast Soul Force merged with his own, Chu Chen even felt pleasantly warm, as though he were basking in the sun.

A few minutes later, Chu Chen slowly opened his eyes. A sharp gleam seemed to flash through them, and even his bearing had subtly changed.

His gaze was deeper and keener. His awareness of his surroundings had risen several levels. He could clearly distinguish the scent of plants in the air, the dampness of the soil, and the villagers' quiet conversations outside.

So this is the soul realm of a Fourth-Rank High-Grade Alchemist...

Chu Chen silently took stock of his Soul Force.

No, it's even more than that!

I already had the soul strength of a Second-Rank Alchemist. Now I'm probably close to—or even at—the level of a Fifth-Rank Alchemist!

Chu Chen considered this, then tried extending his Soul Force outward.

In an instant, everything within dozens of meters came into minute focus under his soul's perception.

Even the Origin Energy drifting between heaven and earth!

Sure enough, this surge in Soul Force helps with cultivating Dou Qi too. Sharper perception means I can guide the Origin Energy of heaven and earth more precisely, which will make my cultivation more efficient!

Chu Chen realized that even without pills, his progress through the Dou Qi stages might not be too slow.

His powerful Soul Force still couldn't be used to attack an enemy, but Chu Chen believed it could help him withstand a stronger opponent's pressure and spot weaknesses in a fight.

When he faced Tang Hao later, for example, he still wouldn't be able to beat him, but he could better judge when to set off a Fire Thunder Seed.

And in future simulations, his Soul Force could serve as a ticket to higher-grade rewards.

All in all, he definitely hadn't lost out by picking it!

Chu Chen smiled in satisfaction and headed for the door.

Before leaving, he took one Fire Thunder Seed from the metal case, then put both it and the case holding the other two into the Flame Ji Ring. That way, he could throw one at any moment.

He also took the door off its hinges and stored it in the ring.

He couldn't help it. Chu Chen was still too weak. He didn't know whether a Fire Thunder Seed could kill Tang Hao, but he was certain he wouldn't come out unscathed.

If it came to a fight, he could at least hold up the door against the explosion. It might not help, but it made him feel a little better.

Once everything was ready, Chu Chen took a basket of wild fruit from home and walked toward the west end of the village.

Before he reached Little Scumbag's family forge, he spotted two familiar figures, one old and one young.

The old one was Old Jack, of course. The young one was Tang San, crouched by the base of a wall with his head down.

"Well, if it isn't Little Scumbag!"

Chu Chen couldn't help grinning at the sight.

"What's this? Can't go home, so you're hiding here crying your little pearls out?"