Luo Chen sat cross-legged with the Returning Yang Pill in his mouth. His sleeves fluttered without wind, and his aura flowed steadily. The vast spirit energy around surged toward him and poured into his body. Under normal circumstances, he would not have dared to absorb it so recklessly, but as Fu Chaosheng had said, this spirit energy had been drawn out by him and carried his aura, which made it easier to refine. The only question was whether his body could withstand it.

With his physique, that was not really a problem. With his broad meridians, vast sea of qi, and tough flesh, he could take it in all at once. As the pill dissolved, its medicinal power spread through his body. His scattered soul and restless blood essence gradually settled and returned under his control.

As he focused on recovery, Luo Chen grew astonished by the pill's effects. It surpassed anything he had seen. The spirit medicines he had used before either strengthened the foundation of the divine soul like the Spirit Passage Pill, increased mana like the True Flame Pill, or tempered the body like the Black Sovereign Paste. Each served a single purpose. The Returning Yang Pill did all three. It nourished the soul, calmed the blood essence, and restored depleted mana.

"No wonder this is a famous piece from the Saint Alchemist's early years. With enough Returning Yang Pills, I could save decades of cultivation before reaching Nascent Soul, and it'd help me improve in all aspects."

Despite his admiration, Luo Chen did not feel disappointed. Although he only had one Returning Yang Pill, he was merely at the fourth stage of the Golden Core Realm. One was enough for now.

Time passed by slowly. Three days later, the spirit energy surging throughout the valley finally vanished entirely.

Luo Chen stood up and exhaled a stream of turbid air. As he observed his condition, an indescribable sense of comfort filled him. He felt light, as if he could ascend at any moment. His solid cultivation reassured him that he had left that dangerous state behind. He opened the status panel and settled on the cultivation progress.

Realm: Golden Core Stage Four (30/100)

A faint smile appeared on his face. He had advanced to the fourth stage of the Golden Core Realm in the Profound Rock Sea Region, then moved to a coral trench with poor spirit energy. For a year, he barely cultivated, and relied on the True Flame Pill to sustain his progress. After returning, he spent three years on Moon-Inviting Island and cultivated on a low-grade third-tier spirit land. During those times, he did not slacken the pace and trained day and night. Then came the half year of travel to Jadecold City.

The day he got here, his progress was stuck at seventeen points. The speed matched his earlier judgment—with a low-grade third-tier spirit land, it would take twenty years to advance a minor realm. With a supreme-grade third-tier spirit land, he could attain the pace of a heavenly spirit root cultivator and form a Nascent Soul in two hundred years.

This was precisely why Luo Chen's cultivation speed still fell short of a heavenly spirit root cultivator even after switching to the Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Scripture. It was not his aptitude or his cultivation technique, but the spirit land. When a major sect produced a heavenly spirit root cultivator, every resource was invested in them. Everything from pills, formations, artifacts, and talismans to even the cultivation chamber would be provided at the highest tier. For example, Dreamspring Cave had produced Jadewater Dragon, who possessed a water-element heavenly spirit root and formed a Golden Core in a hundred years. To secure a better spirit land for her, they even abandoned their long-held territory and joined a Frontier War!

Only under such conditions could that level of cultivation speed be achieved. As for Luo Chen, he had truly reached that speed back at Green Parasol Mountain. He had advanced in one minor realm because he had cultivated for three years in a supreme-grade third-tier residence! In such an environment, even though he had just switched cultivation techniques and had to divide his attention to refine the Primordial Unity Cauldron and the Moonbreak Wings, he still progressed rapidly.

After leaving Green Parasol Mountain and coming to the Northern Sea, his external resources were never maximized again. That was why his cultivation slowed despite his strong foundation and techniques. It was also why he chose to leave the Flying Swallow Archipelago.

Yet now, in the same level of spirit land he'd had back there, he had spent only one month absorbing the spirit energy and converting it into mana, yet he had raised his progress by thirteen points. A month of effort equaled nearly three years of hard cultivation!

"Is this what enlightenment feels like?"

Luo Chen felt deeply moved. Thinking back, his Golden Core had circulated on its own. It was like a magnet, constantly drawing in and refining the surrounding spirit energy. The low-grade third-tier spirit land had been pushed to its limit, almost unable to withstand the drain. And he was only at the fourth stage! This made one thing clear: If he wanted to form a Nascent Soul in the future, he would definitely need a fourth-tier spirit vein. A lesser one simply could not sustain something like that.

"I'll deal with the future when it comes. For now, I'll just focus on the path in front of me, one step at a time!"

Luo Chen let out a light chuckle and stepped out of the wooden house. Heavenjade had been waiting outside. The moment she saw him, her eyes lit up. That calm and pristine presence was unlike anything she had seen before.

Faintly, she seemed to understand something and immediately bowed in congratulations. "Congratulations, Master. Your cultivation has improved. You're one step closer to the Nascent Soul Realm!"

Luo Chen smiled and shook his head. That realm was not so easily reached. The steps to get there were the main gain from his bout of enlightenment. The number of factors involved in cultivation was immense, and he'd barely taken a small step forward; the end goal was just as far.

Still, progress came from accumulation. A step forward was a step forward.

Now entirely refreshed, Luo Chen raised a hand and summoned a white cloud, stepping onto it.

When she saw the cloud, Heavenjade's gaze sharpened. Luo Chen was a fire-element cultivator, and his clouds were usually red. But now...

"Master, is this cloud made from water-element mana?"

Luo Chen nodded and said casually, "Just a small trick to shift my mana a bit. Nothing special."

Although he spoke lightly, a trace of pride showed in his eyes. This was also a minor gain from his enlightenment. After grasping the nature of power, conversion had become far more effortless. At its core, his crimson Golden Core was a five-colored core, aligned with all five elements. In the past, he had been forced to plan in advance, because it took some time to convert the mana. Now, he could switch at will. Of course, it was not a large amount and it wouldn't do for enchanted treasures or higher-tier spells, but it filled gaps he once had. It was an unexpected boon.

"Come up!"

Heavenjade stepped onto the cloud with a hint of admiration and asked, "Master, where are we going now?"

Luo Chen's expression remained calm as he adjusted his crown and collar. "When others offer kindness, you may not be able to repay it in equal measure, but you should at least observe proper courtesy. We're going to the Heaven Origin Tower to visit Senior Fu."

With that, he urged his cloud forward. The white cloud rose and drifted toward the main street of Jadecold City.

***

Although Luo Chen said he could not repay the favor in equal measure, he did not dare to be neglectful. He prepared several specialties from the Flying Swallow Archipelago and set aside two portions of his prized Imperial Nectar. He even gritted his teeth and took out one of his treasured Millennial Lightning Essences. The value of these gifts was in no way inferior to the Returning Yang Pill; in fact, it was even more valuable.

Fu Chaosheng had not entered seclusion as he was preparing for the Jadecold City auction. Thus, he was able to receive the report at once. When he saw the gifts, he was both surprised and relieved. This kid really knows how to handle things. Seems he doesn't want to owe me that favor either.

As he toyed with the piece of Millennial Lightning Essence radiating dense lightning power, his eyes glinted mischievously. He had assumed that even a single Returning Yang Pill would be impossible to repay. When the time came, Luo Hai would have no choice but to comply with a little request. Now, it seemed he was the kind of person who absolutely refused to owe favors.

The shopkeeper of the Heaven Origin Tower was a late-stage Adept named Shan Shubao. He was known outside by the Dao title Noble Leopard. This title referred to his capable management of the Heaven Origin Trade Alliance in the southeastern region. It also pointed to his formidable strength. At this moment, he looked at the Millennial Lightning Essence in Fu Chaosheng's hand with undisguised envy.

"Elder, do you want to meet Luo Hai?"

Fu Chaosheng smiled. "Of course. Why not? I've got time today. No harm in meeting him."

As he spoke, he had already put away the piece of Millennial Lightning Essence. He saw the desire in Shan Shubao's eyes, but this was a rare treasure. Even a Sage could not have too much of it.

Shan Shubao bowed. "I will inform him to come up."

As he reached the door, Fu Chaosheng called him back and spoke a few quiet words. Shan Shubao paused, then nodded in understanding and left.