Chapter 446: 385 Zhangg Half-Step to 4th Order! [Seeking monthly pass!]
The amount of Ten Directions Essence Crystals is vast.
Chen Jichuan, when undergoing the tribulation, requires various pills to replenish mana, restore his mind, quickly heal injuries, and so on.
Moreover, these pills must be extremely effective, capable of restoring him to peak condition in the shortest possible time.
Pills like Bitter Green Pill, Righteous Qi Pill, and Heart Revitalizing Pill, which are top-grade among third-order pills, are suitable for middle- to low-level Independent Immortals and somewhat effective for high-level Independent Immortals.
However, for Nine Tribulations Independent Immortals or those at the Peak of Divine Transformation, they fall short.
"During the Ninefold Heavenly Tribulation, it’s best to have fourth-order Spirit Pills and Spiritual Liquids such as the ’Hundred Saints Liquid’ available for consumption."
For ordinary third-order peak cultivators, it’s tough to gather these pills.
Although Chen Jichuan is wealthy, he has little liquid assets on hand. Unless he sells off his fourth-order magical treasures, it’s impossible to gather enough funds in a short time.
Originally, he planned to sell off fourth-order magical treasures he didn’t need to stock up on more pills.
But now with the Ten Directions Essence Crystals, his finances have loosened up significantly.
"Ten Directions Essence Crystals."
"Equivalent to one hundred million Spirit Crystals."
Inside his cave dwelling, Chen Jichuan flips through the Eight Extremes Holy Hall’s catalog of goods, expanding his horizons while deliberating on how to spend these Ten Directions Essence Crystals.
For a third-order cultivator, Ten Directions Essence Crystals is a substantial sum.
A cultivator in the Fourth Realm of Divinity Transformation might only have this amount amassed as their entire fortune.
But for Chen Jichuan, who’s about to undergo tribulation and ascend to the fourth tier, it’s only barely sufficient.
"Among fourth-order pills, even the most basic recovery pills, which can instantly restore the mind, mana, and blood to peak condition for a Nine Tribulations Independent Immortal, cost around forty million Spirit Crystals apiece."
Chen Jichuan glanced at the pill catalog and noticed the ’Hundred Saints Liquid.’
Each drop priced at forty-two million Spirit Crystals.
Back when Xiao Lan invited the Ten Star Lords to assist her, she offered three hundred drops of ’Hundred Saints Liquid’ as payment, amounting to a total of approximately twelve to thirteen Ten Directions Essence Crystals.
One wonders whether Xiao Lan, after ascending, regrets her extravagance upon realizing the true value of the ’Hundred Saints Liquid.’
"The ’Hundred Saints Liquid’ can aid cultivation, enhancing one’s Daoist attainment, while also instantly restoring the mind, mana, and blood consumed. With one drop, a Nine Tribulations Independent Immortal can instantly return to peak state."
"But I have a deep foundation—my mana and blood far surpass those of a Nine Tribulations Independent Immortal."
"To maintain peak condition throughout the Ninefold Heavenly Tribulation, the ’Hundred Saints Liquid’ is barely sufficient."
Chen Jichuan swept his gaze across the catalog, ultimately selecting seven fourth-order recovery pills with slightly higher levels, including ’Five Qi Pill,’ ’Appearance Pill,’ and ’Primordial Turtle Pill.’
Facing eighty-one heavenly thunder strikes from the Ninefold Heavenly Tribulation, Chen Jichuan bought one hundred fourth-order recovery pills.
The Ten Directions Essence Crystals were halved in an instant.
"Having extra won’t hurt."
"It’s better to have leftovers after the tribulation; those pills can be used later in combat or Enlightenment."
Chen Jichuan extravagantly spent the Essence Crystals without restraint.
After choosing the pills, he began selecting magical treasures.
The prices of fourth-tier magical treasures far exceeded those of the pills, to an astonishing degree.
Even the lowest-grade fourth-tier magical treasures cost around one Ten Directions Essence Crystal.
For example, Chen Jichuan’s magical treasures like the ’Heartless Treasure Mirror,’ ’Sea Covering Pearl,’ ’Great Strength Divine Mallet,’ and ’Buddha Light Treasure Coin’ fall within this price range.
Among his twelve fourth-tier magical treasures, Chen Jichuan picked out the ones he didn’t currently use and likely wouldn’t use in the future—such as ’Sword Zither,’ ’Taiyin Divine Needle,’ ’Great Strength Divine Mallet,’ and ’Buddha Light Treasure Coin’—to sell to the Eight Extremes Holy Hall.
He received five Ten Directions Essence Crystals in total. Combined with the remaining five Ten Directions Essence Crystals, he amassed ten Ten Directions Essence Crystals to purchase two magical treasures.
One was the ’Green Cloud Screen.’
One was the ’Green Rainbow Sword.’
The ’Green Cloud Screen’ of higher grade, once activated, creates a protective cloud that repels all evils, resisting wind, thunder, water, and fire. It cost nine Ten Directions Essence Crystals.
The ’Green Rainbow Sword’ cost only one Ten Directions Essence Crystal, being merely an ordinary fourth-tier Flying Sword.
Since it was to face the Ninefold Heavenly Tribulation, defensive magical treasures were of utmost priority.
...
Pills and magical treasures were procured successively.
During this time.
Chen Jichuan also spent time studying various information related to undergoing the tribulation and frequently consulted Immortal Wan Ming.
Meanwhile, he negotiated the approximate timing for his breakthrough and tribulation and coordinated arrangements within the Eight Extremes Holy Hall with the involvement of Immortals.
Chen Jichuan has plenty of time left in this lifetime.
At the age of 330, he subdued the Seven Mysterious Mountain and began traversing the Star Constellation Sea.
After three years.
He finally chose to join the Eight Extremes Holy Hall.
Another three years passed.
Chen Jichuan finally fully prepared himself, setting all arrangements in order, with the Immortals offering protection in the Eight Extremes Holy Hall ready at any moment.
At this time.
Chen Jichuan unleashed his efforts and started his breakthrough.
...
From the beginning of their cultivation, Immortal Daoists emulate heaven and earth.
Qi Refinement.
Enlightenment.
This is the process of building a foundation.
Mana, acupoints, Qi meridians, and Nine Acupoints are refined one by one.
Until one can sense the heavens and achieve Unity of Heaven and Man in the Divinity Transformation Heavenly Human Realm, the cultivator’s ’Inner Heaven and Earth’ is considered initially constructed.
It is from this point that the cultivator becomes more aligned with the heavens, exhibiting an indescribable majesty in their movements.
But at this stage, their ’Inner Heaven and Earth’ remains rudimentary, and the cultivator continues to deepen their understanding of the heavens.
Throughout the Divinity Transformation stage.
The ’Inner Heaven and Earth’ gradually becomes perfected, while the cultivator’s Daoist attainment deepens their comprehension of the heavens.
Once such understanding reaches a profound boundary—
The ’Inner Heaven and Earth’ undergoes transformation, gaining a trace of heaven’s mighty power, embodying heavenly laws, and exhibiting unimaginable phenomena.
At this point.
Mana, Primordial Spirit, and the physical body simultaneously transform.
This is a crucial step from mortal to immortal.
To mortals.
Even to Third-order God Transformation cultivators, Fourth-order Ascension is already deemed as achieving ’Immortal’ status, garnering universal respect as ’Upper Immortal.’
But along the path of cultivation, Ascension does not yield eternal life and is still not considered true ’Immortality.’
Nonetheless.
Ascension constitutes a critical threshold and a significant milestone along the journey to immortality.
Chen Jichuan is currently striving for this realm.
Mana flows within his body.
His mind merges with heaven and earth.
His physical body, mana, and Primordial Spirit undergo minute adjustments as he cultivates.
An invisible guidance emerges.
Chen Jichuan’s understanding of the heavens is already sufficient, having reached the threshold of the fourth tier.
His aura grows stronger.
His entire self integrates with the heavens.
Bzz bzz bzz—
A faint buzzing reverberates in his eardrums, a result of achieving a certain level of resonance with the heavens.
Whoo whoo whoo!
Spiritual energy from all directions converges with intensity, far exceeding normal times. The Spiritual Energy roars, forming a massive vortex above his head, outside the cave dwelling, and atop the mountain.
Like a funnel, it rushes into his body through the Heavenly Spirit Acupoint.
Sss sss sss!
Mana circulates, refining spiritual energy into an endless river of mana, supporting his cultivation and facilitating this breakthrough.
Maintaining peak state.
Sustaining resonance with heaven and earth.
In an instant, it felt like the mysterious gateway of life and death was unlocked, as if he had constructed a bridge between himself and the heavens.
This is the ’Bridge Between Heaven and Earth!’
...
"The Heaven and Earth Bridge has manifested, the fourth tier is near!"
Chen Jichuan steadies his mind and continuously maintains the utmost resonance.
Gradually.
His aura grows intensely powerful, and the intangible ’Bridge Between Heaven and Earth’ becomes increasingly stable. Faintly, Chen Jichuan senses a more grandiose and vast presence.
He feels a thrill in his heart—
"This is the Chongming Heaven!"
"And the immense Great Heaven beyond the Chongming Realm!"
Chen Jichuan perceives a esoteric connection with the Chongming Realm and vaguely senses the vastness of the Great Heaven beyond it.
This perception feels extraordinarily wondrous.
As this connection deepens, the interaction with heaven and earth causes Chen Jichuan’s aura to surge, his life’s essence transforming at an astonishing pace.
With the passage of time.
Chen Jichuan feels the explosive growth of his power, as well as heaven and earth’s transformation of him—
"This sensation—"
The transformation feels akin to a once-indifferent passerby suddenly becoming one’s loving parent, overly indulgent and eager to provide all kinds of support.
Yet with this indulgence comes a sense of constraint, a suffocating feeling at times.
"The heavens now favor me more."
"But the constraints are stronger too."
Chen Jichuan senses both the closeness and the restrictions imposed by heaven and earth.
This paradoxical sentiment fills him with confusion.
But he discerns—
The closeness is genuine, and the constraints are inevitable.
"Too peculiar!"
Unable to unravel or comprehend it, Chen Jichuan sets it aside for now.
Continuing his cultivation.
On one hand, he explores the connections between his inner and outer heavens, further deepening his understanding of heavenly truths.
On the other hand, he immerses himself in sensing his physical body, mana, and spirit as they undergo comprehensive transformation.
When the transformation concludes, an unexpected piece of information appears in his mind—
"Three years from now."
"The Ninefold Heavenly Tribulation!"
...
"Congratulations, Junior Brother!"
After consolidating his abilities slightly, Chen Jichuan steps out of the cave dwelling.
He’s greeted by Immortal Wan Ming, who has arrived and congratulates him with clasped hands and a smile.
"Thank you, Immortal!"
Chen Jichuan’s face is also beaming with joy.
Though he knew at the end of his second lifetime in the Starry Sky World that attaining the fourth tier in this lifetime would be natural, successfully breaking through and genuinely becoming a half-step fourth tier still fills him with undeniable delight.
"No need for courtesy, Junior Brother."
"Now that you are half-step fourth tier, once you go through the Ninefold Heavenly Tribulation, you’ll truly ascend to the Realm Immortal stage. As fellow disciples, we may call each other brother from now on."
Although Immortal Wan Ming’s demeanor shows no discernible change, his choice of address reveals that Chen Jichuan now holds a higher status in his esteem.
It’s no surprise.
The path from third tier to fourth tier has obstructed countless geniuses through history.
Consider the Starry Sky World.
In the galaxy’s vast population of cultivators, millions in the God Transformation stage have come and gone over ten millennia, with twenty generations of third-order God Transformation cultivators rising and falling.
Over ten millennia, the number of God Transformation cultivators who have lived and died amounts to tens of millions.
Yet in the end, only Xiao Lan succeeded in reaching the fourth tier.
The probability is minuscule.
Within this, each boundary in the Divinity Transformation Heavenly Human Realm posed obstacles for many. Even after achieving the Peak of Divinity Transformation, the understanding of heaven and earth required remains a formidable challenge, with constructing the Bridge Between Heaven and Earth as yet another threshold.
However, as long as this step is conquered, the subsequent Ninefold Heavenly Tribulation, though hazardous, functions more as a tool to help cultivators complete their ultimate transformation into true fourth-tier beings.
With solid foundations and meticulous preparation.
The Ninefold Heavenly Tribulation feels more like a blessing than a perilous trial.
Those who become half-step fourth tier typically pass the tribulation safely. Yet, a small portion fail to transcend, making preparation and vigilance against it indispensable.
At this moment, with Chen Jichuan successfully breaking through and having thoroughly prepared—
In Immortal Wan Ming’s eyes, the likelihood of him successfully overcoming the tribulation and becoming a true Realm Immortal is immensely high.
This prospect fills Wan Ming with joy for the sect’s fortune of gaining another fourth-tier Immortal and rapidly transforms his attitude toward Chen Jichuan.
...