Back when he was still in the Falling Moon Sect, he had accepted an exploration mission, and this cultivation art had evolved from the Evergreen Technique in those monsters' cave.
After the Evergreen Technique evolved into the Heaven and Earth Art, Chen Ming felt that his cultivation speed had increased fivefold. Otherwise, with his aptitude, how could he have advanced from early Foundation Establishment to middle Foundation Establishment in just two years or so?
Chen Ming stopped circulating the art, opened his eyes, and stood up. Looking at the fire in front of the cave entrance, he cast the Object Manipulation Art and moved it aside.
Then he walked into the cave. Nothing was visible in the pitch-black darkness. Chen Ming reached toward the entrance and made a grasping motion, drawing a burning log inside. It was about a meter long and as thick as a thigh. When it nearly reached him, he pressed his palm downward, driving the still-burning log straight into the ground.
Chen Ming surveyed the cave abode by the firelight. It was empty, but when he looked at its walls, his mind suddenly trembled-the walls were covered in all sorts of drawings and writing he could not understand.
Now he finally understood why circulating the Heaven and Earth Art had caused such a strong reaction. Although the writing and drawings differed from those he had first seen, they gave him a familiar feeling at first glance.
Seeing this, Chen Ming hurriedly sat cross-legged and began circulating the Heaven and Earth Art.
The moment he did, however, a five-colored radiance of green, red, blue, yellow, and white entered his body through his temples.
Chen Ming once again felt that energy entering through his temples, accompanied by a steady stream of written information. The information entered his mind, while the energy traveled throughout his body.
This energy was not intense; it was exceptionally gentle. After entering his body, it flowed continuously through his meridians, widening them. Once they had expanded to a certain extent, it began slowly flowing into his dantian, causing the liquid-like magical power that had originally filled only half of it to rise gradually. It stopped only when his dantian was full.
"So this is late Foundation Establishment!"
Chen Ming let out a deep breath and stood up, feeling greasy all over. He cast a Cleansing Technique on himself, and the grime instantly peeled away from his body, falling with a rustling patter. After sensing his cultivation, he could not help uttering those words.
This was far beyond merely reaching late Foundation Establishment. He had reached its absolute peak and could attempt to compress the liquid energy filling his dantian into a golden core at any moment.
Drawing qi into the body and then into the dantian, acquiring the first strand of spiritual qi, marked one's official entry into the Qi Refining Realm. Compressing a dantian full of qi into liquid-like energy marked one's official entry into the Foundation Establishment Realm. Compressing that liquid into a core marked entry into the Golden Core stage. However, due to the laws of the world, anyone entering the Golden Core stage had to undergo a heavenly tribulation. The moment the core formed was the moment the tribulation arrived.
Chen Ming carefully examined the written information. With this new writing incorporated, the original Heaven and Earth Art had become the Heaven and Earth Five Elements Art. He tried circulating it and found it was actually five times faster than before. Immediately, the magical power in his dantian seemed to grow a little thicker.
Cultivation knew no passage of time. Looking back toward the entrance, he saw that the weeds he had cleared away had once again overgrown it, with only thin strands of sunlight slipping through the gaps.
Chen Ming cast an Explosive Flame Technique, instantly blasting apart the weeds at the entrance, then walked outside.
Once outside, he looked at the gentle sunlight and knew it was still morning. With a flick of his hand, the Azure Glow Sword appeared at his feet. He stepped onto it and continued east.
After flying east for who knew how long, he spotted a market ahead. Chen Ming hurriedly took out his mask, put it on, and headed toward the market.
Just after entering the market, as he reached the entrance of a teahouse, he heard people talking and hurried inside.
"Have you heard? A group of Daoist priests came a few days ago, saying that Buddhism originated from the Dao!"
"I heard about that too. They even told the Azure Sun Temple to turn its temple into a Daoist monastery!"
"What happened afterward?"
"What else could happen? They started fighting!"
"And then? Who won?"
"Both sides suffered heavy losses. In the end, those Daoist priests withdrew, and even the Azure Sun Temple's gates were smashed to pieces. Apparently, they're rebuilding now!"
Four people sat around a square table, chatting about what had happened a few days earlier.
Chen Ming found an empty table nearby, sat down, and listened.
The story almost made Chen Ming laugh. To think something so bizarre could happen. At the same time, he noted that he still had not left the Righteous Dao Alliance's territory.
Chen Ming set down his teacup and turned to look outside. People there were discussing the same topic.
Chen Ming thought, This probably has something to do with the Demon Sect. It could also be an attempt by demonic cultivators to test the waters.
Chen Ming called over a waiter, settled his bill, and headed outside. Everything in the market appeared normal-bustling, peaceful, and even somewhat mundane.
Chen Ming strolled leisurely along the street, looking at everything around him. He felt a sense of ordinary human life that he had not experienced in a long time.
As he passed a stall, he suddenly spotted two extremely rare poisonous plants: Scorpion-Tailed Snakefly Grass and White-Clad Angel Vine. He had never expected anyone to sell poisonous plants in a cultivation market.
After going over to inquire, Chen Ming bought the two poisonous plants for ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones. He took out a box, placed them carefully inside, and only then put it back into his Storage Bag.
Chen Ming's appearance drew glances from passersby now and then. Walking down the street wearing a mask, it was hard not to attract attention.
"Master Mo, what a coincidence!"
A fat, middle-aged man dressed in brocade, with a thick gold chain hanging around his neck, was walking toward him as he spoke with a smile.
"Isn't this Manager Wan? Why are you here instead of Blackstone Market?"
Chen Ming recognized the approaching man at a glance. He was Wan An from the auction house in Blackstone Market. He called Chen Ming Master Mo because Chen Ming had used Mo Juren's name again when selling pills while wearing his mask.
"It's all thanks to you, Master Mo. I've now been promoted to president of the Azure Sun Branch!"
Wan An cheerfully came up to Chen Ming, bowed, and answered with a smile.
"I see!"
Chen Ming nodded as he spoke.
"It's not often that you visit, Master Mo. Would you have time to stop by the auction house?"
Wan An ventured the invitation.
"Certainly. Lead the way!"
Chen Ming replied calmly.
"Who is that? He actually got Fatty Wan to come running over and welcome him with a smile!"
Seeing this, the people on the street could not help discussing it curiously.
The auction house was much like the one in Blackstone Market. They entered a private room on the second floor and sat down. Before long, an attendant came in and served spiritual tea.
"President Wan, take a look! There are ten Foundation Establishment Pills here."
Chen Ming took a small sip of spiritual tea. Before Wan An could speak, he took a bottle of Foundation Establishment Pills from his Storage Bag. The bottle contained ten pills.
"The same arrangement as before. I won't let you lose out, Master Mo. What do you think?"
Seeing how straightforward this was, Wan An hurriedly asked.
"All right! I'll come back for the Spirit Stones in three days. How about that?"
Knowing he could not stay too long, Chen Ming spoke promptly.
"That could be a little difficult. Advertising alone takes at least three days. If you're in a hurry, Master Mo, how about an outright purchase?"
Noticing that Chen Ming seemed pressed for time, Wan An hurriedly floated the suggestion.
"That works too! How much?"
Chen Ming considered it briefly, then asked.
"How about thirty thousand each?"
Wan An thought for a moment before speaking.
"Agreed!"
Chen Ming did not particularly care. He hardly had any use for them anyway. Upgrading the system to Yellow Grade level four now required eight million energy, so lately he had simply stopped topping it up.
After receiving the Spirit Stones, Chen Ming left the auction house and headed out of the market.
Once outside the market, he sent out the Azure Glow Sword and flew away on it.
As he flew over a mountain peak, he seemed to glimpse a familiar figure. Chen Ming hurriedly made a sharp turn in midair on his sword and headed toward the figure he had just seen.