The Champion's Rewards

Chapter 23: The Champion's Rewards. Mu Chen held the prizes handed to him by the administrator of the Spirit Road, his heart brimming with excitement and anticipation. The ancient tome radiating mysterious light, the Spirit Pearl containing powerful spiritual energy, and the exquisitely crafted Spirit Soldier each exuded an alluring aura, as though whispering to him of endless possibilities. He picked up the ancient tome first. Its cover was made of an unusual material, warm and smooth to the touch, and the ancient, mysterious writing upon it emitted faint fluctuations of spiritual energy. As his fingers brushed lightly over the cover, he felt a barely perceptible force flow through his fingertips into his body, invigorating his mind. Mu Chen knew this had to be a manual for an exceptionally profound spiritual technique, its value beyond measure. After returning to his resting place, Mu Chen eagerly began studying the tome. He carefully opened the first page. The paper inside was as thin as a cicada's wings yet remarkably tough, covered with intricate illustrations and densely packed explanations. Some illustrations depicted cultivators performing spiritual techniques, others showed routes for circulating spiritual energy, and still others appeared to demonstrate combinations of mysterious formations and spiritual techniques. Mu Chen deciphered the text word by word and discovered that the technique was called "Star Transformation." It could fuse spiritual energy with Star Power to unleash immensely powerful attacks. A cultivator needed to practice in a particular environment rich in Star Power, draw that power into the body, and then fuse it with their own spiritual energy along the special circulation routes recorded in the tome. The fused spiritual energy would shine as brilliantly as the stars and possess the properties of Star Power, including tremendous penetrating and destructive force. The tome also described the different stages of "Star Transformation" in detail. The first was "First Glimmer of Starlight," which allowed a cultivator to incorporate a small amount of Star Power into their attacks, imbuing them with the radiance of the stars, increasing their strength, and making them more effective at bewildering enemies. The second was "Surging Star River." At this stage, a cultivator could summon the phantom image of a small river of stars. The Star Power within it would erupt alongside the attack, striking an entire area with several times the power of the first stage. The third was "Wrath of the Starry Firmament," an attack that came close to destroying heaven and earth. A cultivator could condense the phantom image of an entire starry firmament containing vast Star Power. Once unleashed, it would deal a devastating blow to the enemy. Deeply captivated by this wondrous spiritual technique, Mu Chen decided to find a suitable place to practice "Star Transformation" as soon as possible. After making inquiries, he learned of ancient ruins at the edge of the Spirit Road, where Star Power was especially abundant at night—an ideal place to cultivate this technique. While waiting for nightfall, Mu Chen turned his attention to the Spirit Pearl. It was crystal clear, with what looked like a slowly revolving nebula inside, and contained powerful spiritual energy. He could sense that the energy within this Spirit Pearl was pure and vast. Absorbing it would greatly help advance his cultivation. Mu Chen carefully grasped the Spirit Pearl and began trying to absorb its spiritual energy. He guided his own spiritual energy slowly toward it, and the instant the two touched, the energy inside the Spirit Pearl surged toward him like a raging tide. Mu Chen hurriedly steadied his mind and guided this external energy through his body along the circulation routes he knew well. The Spirit Pearl's energy raced through his meridians, widening and strengthening them wherever it passed. Some of his finer meridians, previously damaged in battle, swiftly healed under its nourishment. His spiritual cultivation also rose steadily, and the sense of a bottleneck that had been holding him back gradually began to fade. After absorbing a portion of the Spirit Pearl's energy, Mu Chen felt that his body had nearly reached saturation. He stopped absorbing it and put the Spirit Pearl safely away. He knew he could not rush the use of such a treasure. Only by absorbing its energy slowly could he reap its full benefits. Next, Mu Chen picked up the exquisitely crafted Spirit Soldier. Its blade was long and slender, engraved with beautiful patterns that seemed alive, flickering faintly as spiritual energy flowed into them. The hilt was made of a special material that felt extremely comfortable in his hand and could harmonize perfectly with the wielder's spiritual energy, improving its transmission. When Mu Chen infused it with spiritual energy, the Spirit Soldier immediately shone with a dazzling light. He swung it and found that the sword's weight was just right, making it exceptionally easy to wield. Moreover, the Spirit Soldier itself seemed to possess a special spiritual attribute that could increase the power of his attacks. He tried slashing at a huge boulder. A blade of spiritual energy flew from the sword's edge and effortlessly split the boulder in two, leaving a cut as smooth as a mirror. Night finally fell, and Mu Chen took the ancient tome to the ruins at the edge of the Spirit Road. An ancient, mysterious aura pervaded the ruins. Most of the surrounding buildings had fallen into disrepair, yet traces of their former glory remained. The Star Power here was indeed as abundant as the rumors claimed. The countless stars in the night sky seemed almost within reach, their shimmering light spilling over the ruins like silver threads. Mu Chen found a relatively quiet spot where the Star Power was most concentrated and sat down cross-legged. Following the tome's instructions, he began trying to draw upon that power. He closed his eyes, focused his mind, and released his spiritual energy to establish a connection with the Star Power around him. At first, the Star Power was extremely faint, flickering around his spiritual energy like scattered fireflies. But through his persistent efforts, it gradually increased and began flowing slowly into his body along his spiritual energy. Mu Chen carefully guided it through his meridians along the routes recorded in the tome. This process demanded tremendous concentration and control over spiritual energy. The slightest carelessness could cause the Star Power to run wild within his body, severely damaging his meridians. After a difficult series of attempts, Mu Chen finally succeeded in guiding a small stream of Star Power through one minor circulation cycle within his body. He could feel it gradually fusing with his spiritual energy, leaving a trace of brilliant light in his meridians. Although he had only taken the first step in cultivating "Star Transformation," Mu Chen's heart was filled with joy. In the days that followed, Mu Chen came to the ruins every night to practice "Star Transformation." With continued cultivation, he drew in more and more Star Power and became increasingly adept at fusing it with his spiritual energy. He gradually mastered the skills of "First Glimmer of Starlight." In battle, he could incorporate Star Power into his attacks, making them more dazzling and greatly increasing their strength. Once, while fighting a powerful magical beast, Mu Chen unleashed an attack imbued with the effects of "First Glimmer of Starlight." Specks of starlight mingled with his spiritual energy attack, piercing the beast's tough hide as easily as sharp blades and making it roar in agony. The magical beast tried to retaliate, but Mu Chen's attacks were faster and stronger. Under his relentless assault, it was finally defeated. As his cultivation of "Star Transformation" deepened, Mu Chen came to appreciate the value of the champion's rewards even more. These precious spiritual technique manuals and treasures had not only significantly increased his strength but also opened a new door in his cultivation, revealing far broader room for growth. He knew that in the Spirit Road, a world filled with opportunities and challenges, he had to keep striving, make full use of these resources, and improve his strength if he wanted to travel farther along the road ahead. At the same time, he had not forgotten his goals: to find clues to his mother's disappearance and unravel the mystery of the strange power within him. These rewards would help him on his journey. With this strength and conviction, he would continue exploring and advancing through the Spirit Road. In his spare time between cultivation sessions, Mu Chen also shared what he had gained with his companions. He taught them some of the cultivation insights and skills he had gleaned from the tome, helping them grow stronger. With his help, each of his companions made progress to varying degrees. Together, they ventured through the Spirit Road and faced all manner of challenges, and the bonds between them grew ever deeper. The Spirit Pearl and Spirit Soldier in Mu Chen's possession also played important roles in their subsequent adventures. When his spiritual energy ran dry, the Spirit Pearl could replenish it in time, restoring his ability to fight at critical moments; the Spirit Soldier became a dependable ally in battle, its special spiritual attribute and keen edge giving him wings like a tiger when he faced powerful enemies. His journey through the Spirit Road continued. Bearing the glory and rewards of the champion, Mu Chen strode bravely toward the unknown ahead, writing a legend of his own.