Chapter 245: Chapter 202: Finally Breaking Through: 2nd Stage of the Soul Refining Realm!
"Six States experts gather."
"Almost there."
On the southern bank of Beiyin River, Chen Jichuan opened his eyes.
He glanced at the concealed experts from various states, scattered around Beiyin River, and a smile crossed his face.
People often say wealth stirs hearts.
But for cultivators, compared to ’wealth,’ it is undoubtedly ’immortality’ and ’longevity’ that drive them into madness.
Chen Jichuan had deliberately hidden the ’Mystical Gate Skill,’ partly to prevent the Taixu Sword Sect from dominating the world, obstructing the growth and rise of geniuses and heroic talents. On the other hand, it was also to make his emergence at this moment shocking enough to become the center of chaos, leveraging this to break through.
Now, it seems that his goals have all been met.
"Be safe."
Chen Jichuan stood up, turned his head, and reminded Wang Yan beside him.
Then, as his foot stepped down, his entire body shot upward toward the skies. Simultaneously, the golden light below surged forward, retracting from the northern bank and concentrating on the southern bank, forging a Heaven and Earth Net and an iron bastion, protecting Wang Yan, Li Qingshan, and the members of Taixu Sword Sect.
"Junior Master!"
Wang Yan’s expression tightened as he looked upward.
He saw countless faint shadows appearing in the void, faintly discernible auras, all at the Void and God Realms.
The sight was chilling, naturally filling him with worry.
And Wang Yan was not alone.
"Junior Brother."
"Ancestor."
Li Qingshan, Wang Tuan, Sun Zhenshan, and others in the Taixu Sword Sect all furrowed their brows, hearts sinking.
Though they had been on-site for over a month, they were well aware of the storm stirred by the three ancestors outside Beiyin River, particularly Grandmaster Wang Shan.
Immortal life for a thousand years!
Enough to drive every martial artist across the world into frenzy.
This last month, they enjoyed some prominence under their ancestor’s prestige.
The Six Great Sects of the North Shore, however, were overwhelmed with unease.
But now—
Should Grandmaster Wang Shan be defeated, old scores and new grievances would be settled all at once, leaving the Taixu Sword Sect with no chance of survival, and their experts doomed to a grim fate.
Immortality seemed distant and illusory.
The present moment was critical.
Everyone lifted their heads, their gazes converging on Chen Jichuan.
Above the skies.
Chen Jichuan didn’t bother looking around; instead, he soared upward, pausing briefly before heading northeast, straight towards the Xingyi Sect experts.
If there’s to be a battle, he might as well strike decisively.
He was not one for idle words, nor frivolous bargaining; rather, he preferred action—silent and direct.
"Such boldness!"
"Too arrogant!"
"Is he abandoning his advantage on the ground just to fight us up in the skies?!"
...
Within Xingyi Sect’s camp, 64 Gang Strength experts, 16 Void experts, 8 God-experienced individuals, and 2 Void Nether masters reacted with varied expressions—some laughed, some froze, some were shocked, and others were furious.
In an instant.
"Kill!"
"Follow me, attack!"
Ten silhouettes launched themselves first—eight God Realm and two Void Nether experts from the Xingyi Sect.
The ten surged forward, fury in their expressions, encircling Chen Jichuan.
The remaining 80 members followed closely behind, filling in the gaps, entirely surrounding him from all directions.
"Well done!"
Chen Jichuan laughed heartily, his Qi-Blood surging as Wind Thunder Wings sprouted from his back.
With a flap of his wings.
He clenched his fist.
Chen Jichuan’s figure flickered, instantly colliding with the near hundred experts of Xingyi Sect.
Bang bang bang!
Boom boom boom!
The shockwaves from the battle scattered the clouds.
Chen Jichuan excelled at fighting multiple opponents.
Back in the Great Hui World, he had frequently single-handedly fought against both evil path cultivators and righteous path masters. Utilizing his ’Little Four Nine Wind and Thunder Escape Method,’ his speed was peerless; neither Gang Strength nor Void experts could restrict him effectively, much less touch him.
Even ten Void Nether and God Realm experts posed limited threat to Chen Jichuan.
"Weak!"
"Far too weak!"
After several exchanges, Chen Jichuan shook his head.
Amid battle, he had leisure to call out outside the combat zone, "If you don’t join in now, don’t blame me, Chen, for being merciless!"
As his voice fell.
Chen Jichuan swiftly targeted four particularly fierce and determined Gang Strength martial artists, his figure flickering as he threw out four consecutive punches—
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The four figures immediately plummeted like broken kites, blood spewing mid-air as they fell lifeless to the ground.
Ribs pierced through their hearts, killing them instantaneously.
"Such cruel methods!"
Witnessing the scene, the Xingyi Sect members’ hearts filled with rage and sorrow.
On the periphery.
Old Ancestor Lu Li, the first and foremost expert of Xingyi Sect in this generation, was equally incensed. He turned to the strongmasters from other sects beside him and exclaimed urgently, "Wang Shan is ruthless. Only by combining forces can we subdue him!"
While Chen Jichuan targeted Xingyi Sect and rampaged through their ranks, reducing their strength, the bigger concern for them lay in the secret of immortality on Chen Jichuan’s body. If left unchecked to pick them off one by one, the hope of acquiring the Immortal Method would diminish entirely.
"Lu Brother is right."
"Wang Shan is brutal; it’s time we all act together."
The strongmasters didn’t hesitate, swiftly making their decision. Leading their God Realm and Void Nether experts, they replaced Xingyi Sect’s Void and Gang Strength experts in the fray.
The Six Great Sects of the Central Earth Seven States.
Each sect had come with 17 or 18, and at least 7 or 8 Void Nether experts.
They all moved as one.
Instantly, Chen Jichuan found himself encircled by 73 Void Nether and God Realm strongmasters. The pressure on him increased dramatically.
"Good!"
"What a thrill!"
Chen Jichuan was unfazed; in fact, he welcomed the challenge.
His Qi-Blood surged through the skies like a blazing sun, and his Wind Thunder Wings vibrated behind him. Chen Jichuan exchanged blows and matched techniques with the 73 strongmasters.
Moves collided, fists and kicks clashed.
Continuous roaring echoed.
Every strike connected solidly, revealing Chen Jichuan’s endless stamina and drive.
Facing 73 opponents, Chen Jichuan’s focus sharpened, his will ignited, and he maintained the utmost battle-readiness.
Waves of golden light enveloped his body.
The ’Three-in-One Indestructible Golden Light Body Protection Technique’ was pushed to its limits, shielding his vital areas. He endured enemy blows, further stimulating the circulation and flow of his Qi-Blood.
While fighting, he constantly sensed his body and controlled his own Qi-Blood.
Bang bang bang!
The rumbling Qi-Blood resonated as a soul shadow faintly emerged.
"It’s happening!"
Chen Jichuan’s mind stirred, multitasking to maneuver Qi-Blood and Gang Power, attempting to capture the elusive soul shadow.
The soul shadow was extraordinarily slippery, constantly avoiding his grasp.
For the past month, Chen Jichuan had tried countless times, yielding no success.
But today.
In this heightened and strenuous battle, Chen Jichuan’s mastery over his Qi-Blood, strength, and physical form reached unparalleled precision and Insight. Similarly, the domain over which the soul shadow could roam diminished, its speed slowing down markedly.
Qi-Blood encircled.
Gang Power besieged.
Finally.
Under his suppressive will, chained Gang Force, and surging Qi-Blood.
Chen Jichuan closed in wave after wave of attacks until the soul shadow was entirely confined, unable to budge.
"Captured!"
Chen Jichuan felt a rush of ecstatic joy.
Yet capturing the soul shadow marked only the second step; the pivotal third step still remained—
"Refinement!"
With this thought, Chen Jichuan’s will ignited mightily, leading 15 drops of Essence Blood in his chest cavity to mobilize his entire body’s Qi-Blood, a grand torrent that infused the soul shadow forcefully.
Bang bang bang!
Roaring erupted from within his body as pain tore through him unceasingly. Chen Jichuan’s Qi-Blood churned, his flesh shook violently. Tiny blood droplets seeped from his pores, clustering into eerie little beads.
Meanwhile.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
His heart thumped rhythmically, its dense and peculiar beats unnerving those who heard them.
"Not good!"
"He’s breaking through!"
"This is bad!"
...
Lu Li and others, hearing the bizarre sounds from within Chen Jichuan, initially failed to understand. But moments later, realization struck, their faces filled with shock.
Even before his breakthrough, Chen Jichuan had proven difficult to contend with.
Should he ascend further, the outcome would be catastrophic.
Immediately.
The group exploded with urgency, releasing their most potent attacks without reservation; their onslaught grew frenzied.
Chen Jichuan remained indifferent, unmoved. Combat had become second nature to him, bolstered by ’Little Four Nine Wind and Thunder Escape Method’ and ’Three-in-One Indestructible Golden Light Body Protection Technique.’
Born into invincibility, he could proceed with his cultivation and breakthrough without concern.
His heartbeat resonated.
Persistent and unrelenting, generating new blood.
Stronger still.
More vigorous.
"Qi-Blood churning, Bone Marrow Cleansing and Blood Renewal!"
Chen Jichuan felt overwhelming joy deep within.
His entire Qi-Blood and vitality entwined with the soul shadow. Martial Will and personal awareness merged into it. As the ’Bone Marrow Cleansing and Blood Renewal’ progressed, the soul shadow gradually underwent refinement.
His senses immersed wholly, experiencing profound incremental yet monumental transformations.
Time became indeterminate.
Within his blood and flesh, the once elusive soul shadow seemed now tangible, responsive—no longer erratic or uncontrollable but palpable, mobilizable, under control.
"Linked by bloodlines."
"Unified as one."
Such thoughts surfaced in Chen Jichuan’s mind, bringing even greater joy.
When he examined the soul shadow closely.
Feeling its essence.
He discovered an increasingly distinct, deeply resonant presence conveying a boundless and heavy intent—
"Force!"
"Power!"
Chen Jichuan’s intuition flourished, understanding immediately: "This is the ’Power Soul,’ master of the body’s strength!"
Humans possess three souls and seven spirits.
The seven spirits reside within the flesh, governing the mortal body.
Among them, the Power Soul oversees one’s physical strength, encompassing muscles, bones, and flesh, and thus, refining the Power Soul allows one to reshape their outward appearance.
Transformation into a cat or dog would be trivial.
Said to manifest ’72 Transformations.’
Take spirit monsters or great demons, for instance: before reaching Second-order or refining their Power Soul, their transformations rely largely on illusion techniques or spell magic.
Only upon attaining Second-order in the Soul Refining Realm can they genuinely transform into human figures and cultivate human-style techniques.
Of course.
Such transformation pertains solely to external appearance and remains superficial. While it deceives ordinary people effectively, cultivators can instantly perceive its innate essence and discern the true nature of the transformation upon encounter.
It serves little practical purpose.
The primary benefit of refining the Power Soul lies in the enhancement of physical strength!
...
"Power Soul!"
"Physical strength!"
Chen Jichuan explored deeply, examining the Power Soul while sensing his physical strength continually surging, seemingly without limit.
For now.
The increase in strength was overpowering, making fine control challenging.
Bang!
Boom!
Bam!
Punches flew and kicks landed with power multiplied severalfold.
Lu Li, armed with his spear, had elevated his ’Shadow Following’ technique to the pinnacle, confident it could resist any strike. Yet faced with Chen Jichuan’s punch, his spear-based defense crumbled instantly—his body hunched over, as if ten thousand mountains crushed his abdomen, agony threatening rupture.
"Pain!"
"It hurts—terribly!"
Eyes rolling back, teetering on unconsciousness, Lu Li crashed heavily to the ground, unable to fight on.
Lu Li wasn’t the only one.
During this period, anyone exchanging blows with Chen Jichuan was either struck heavily and severely injured by a punch or sent soaring by a kick, suffering grievously.
I have a sword-wielding friend, extraordinary and refined, his sleeve holds a serpentine blade.
He ascends the skies in an instant, his hand formulas alarming gods and ghosts alike.
But with Chen Jichuan’s casual swings and kicks, even Lu Li and the elite strongmasters of the Central Earth Seven States were battered out of the air, their bodies violently obliterated.
"Haha!"
"What bliss!"
Second-order accomplishment, Soul Refining achieved.
Chen Jichuan felt freed from all constraints, liberated. His hearty laughter rumbled across the heavens and earth.
Standing alone atop the skies, he seemed akin to a deity or fiend emerging from beyond.
"Grandmaster!"
"Master!"
"Ancestor!"
...
The experts from various sects witnessing Lu Li and others struck down, bleeding mid-air with their lives uncertain, cried out in despair, rushing forth to rescue.
Meanwhile beyond the sects.
"This—"
"How is it possible?!"
"Xingyi Sect’s Lu Li! Huangtian City’s Gu Chun! Sun-shooting Divine Mountain’s Li Buwei! These are among today’s top-tier powerhouses; how could they—how could they be defeated so miserably?!"
"Could it be—"
"Could it be that Wang Shan has already broken through?!"
...
The Jianghu people gathered around Beiyin River, including martial artists from the Six Great Sects of Yuezhou’s northern bank, were stunned speechless by the turn of events.
Especially the Six Great Sects.
Moments ago, they’d anticipated Wang Shan’s defeat, the fall of Taixu Sword Sect, and a long-awaited reckoning of grievances.
But in a sudden shift of fortunes and reversal of momentum, they were left in shock and despair, their hopes dashed.
Conversely, Wang Yan, Li Qingshan, and the others felt a wave of relief.
"Grandmaster is invincible!"
"Grandmaster reigns supreme!"
On the southern bank, cheers erupted from the Taixu Sword Sect experts.
Their voices shook the north and south banks of Beiyin River.
Adding further worry to the northern bank’s Six Great Sects.
"Junior Master has broken through?"
Wang Yan’s heart swelled with joy, and as disbelief mingled with exhilaration—
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Suddenly, turbulent winds gathered in the sky, heralding impending catastrophe.
"This is—"
Wang Yan abruptly raised his head, his expression changing: "Heavenly Tribulation?!"
...