The materials prepared by the two teachers were incredibly thorough.

Not only did all the content strictly follow the progression of the textbook, but it was also detailed, with annotations for many of the difficult points.

Even skimming through it, he didn’t finish his rough read-through until the latter half of the night.

"So that’s how it is!"

Chen Che let out a long breath.

Before, he’d only had a vague understanding of the Divine Sense system.

But after reading the analysis, it felt as if the clouds had parted to reveal a clear moon.

"The Immortal Sect era divided the condensation of Divine Sense into three stages: Chaos, Seed Condensation, and Dawn."

"And right now, I’m in the first stage!"

Chen Che mused silently.

The first stage: Chaos.

As the name suggests, this is the period before Divine Sense has awakened, a time of chaos. Mortals and Low Tier Cultivators are all in this stage, able to rely only on their five senses to passively perceive the outside world.

Only when the five senses are honed to a certain level does this chaotic state begin to change, eventually condensing into a Divine Sense Seed.

This is the second stage: Seed Condensation.

The final Dawn stage is the moment Divine Sense is born.

And that was the complete process of condensing Divine Sense.

’Next, I need to enter the second stage.’

With the materials to cross-reference, he easily determined his current stage.

As for Cultivation Techniques, the two teachers provided a total of seven options. Each came with its own supplementary materials, allowing him to choose the best one for him.

’How thoughtful of them!’

Chen Che couldn’t help but sigh in admiration.

This was the ’Companions’ part of the Four Greats of Cultivation: Dharma, Companions, Wealth, and Land.

This didn’t necessarily mean a spouse; it could also refer to friends or teachers.

After all, an individual’s wisdom is limited. If you spend too long working in isolation, you’ll end up like a frog in a well, ignorant of the wider world.

"Huh? The ’Shocking God Song’?"

Both Li Xiaoshuang’s and Yan Jun’s folders happened to contain a link titled ’Shocking God Song’. They both suggested he give it a try if conditions allowed.

Clicking on it, he saw it was actually an online store.

Not only was the negative review rate a solid 100%, but the store’s top product was just a pair of noise-canceling headphones.

’What the hell is this?’

Curious, he scrolled down, only to be met with a screen full of text:

[Shocking God Song]

[This song was custom-made for Xianmen High School students by the renowned Level 4 Musicians and Nascent Soul Cultivator couple, Le Huasheng and Xu Xiuwen. After poring over thousands of musical scores, they spent a total of one hundred and seven years composing it. Extended listening helps students awaken their Divine Sense ahead of schedule and reduces conflict at home over their studies...]

[This song has been certified by the Immortal Sect.]

In short, it was a laundry list of titles, honors, and certifications.

The entire song was 4.16 hours long.

After reading the introduction, Chen Che immediately understood that this was a Magical Artifact. But the headphones weren’t valuable; the song was.

’That negative review rate is way too high!’

’There’s even a 30-second trial version. I wonder what it sounds like.’

He reached out and tapped.

[Please wear headphones to listen to the trial, otherwise it cannot be played!]

[Mortals are prohibited from listening. Please confirm you are a Cultivator!]

[Those under the age of sixteen must be accompanied by a guardian!]

[If you experience any adverse symptoms, stop immediately. Otherwise, you are responsible for the consequences!]

’Isn’t this a bit of an exaggeration?’

Chen Che grumbled inwardly as a series of glaring warnings popped up.

He rummaged through his things to find his headphones, put them on, and pressed the screen with his finger.

Play!

Thirty seconds later.

Chen Che, his face deathly pale, ran into the bathroom.

"BLEGH!"

...

’This Shocking God Song is terrifying. No wonder the negative review rate is so high...’

After splashing his face with water, Chen Che still felt dizzy and light-headed.

The music was clearly melodious, yet it sounded like a demonic cacophony pouring into his ears. It was as if tens of thousands of power drills were switched on inside his head, the vibrations nearly shattering his five senses.

He rested for half an hour before he finally recovered.

He casually opened the review section and found the one with the most likes:

"Fuck you, give me my money back!"

This review was posted 104 years ago. The buyer had returned to post a curse every year since.

"Am I the only one who thinks the Shocking God Song is great? If you can listen to the whole thing, you’ll become an immortal on the spot. Why bother with all that painstaking Cultivation?"

"Bought it for my kid. He ran away from home after listening for thirty seconds. I had my husband listen to it once, and now he wants a divorce."

"Didn’t listen to the trial before buying. Regret it. The seller won’t allow returns or refunds. Do not recommend."

He continued scrolling down.

Most of the reviews were similar, calling the song pure torture.

After hesitating for a moment, Chen Che still chose to buy it.

Because to condense Divine Sense, tempering the five senses was essential.

When he bought it, he felt a bit of regret.

The trial version was only thirty seconds long, and each account could only listen once, completely eliminating any possibility of him gaming the system.

Moreover, the price was a steep 420,000, nearly the cost of a Low-Grade Spirit Stone.

It wasn’t even a permanent purchase. It only granted a six-month license, couldn’t be downloaded or transferred, and had to be repurchased upon expiration...

However, he wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but after he recovered, he felt as if his five senses had improved just a tiny bit.

In addition, Li Xiaoshuang and Yan Jun had also recommended a few types of Incense Sticks.

A quick look revealed they were all substitutes for Concentration Incense. Not only were they expensive, their effects weren’t even a third as potent as the genuine article.

...

「The headphones arrived the next day.」

He listened for several days in a row. Although he couldn’t last long each time, Chen Che could clearly feel his five senses becoming sharper.

If he had to make a comparison, it was like the resolution of his vision had gone from 720p to 4K, and it was still improving.

His other senses were also growing increasingly sharp.

According to the progress described in the book, he would be able to step into the Seed Condensation Stage in seven days at most.

During this time, he made a trip to the Market.

"Proprietor, here is the Spirit Grass you requested!"

Zhao Deyou respectfully handed over the Spirit Grass, which he had inspected no less than ten times.

"Not bad."

Chen Che looked it over once and was very satisfied.

After the last lesson, Zhao Deyou didn’t dare to be the slightest bit careless.

"Make way, make way!"

Just then, a loud shout came from outside the shop.

A donkey cart creaked forward, and the crowd parted to let it pass.

The cart was loaded with several corpses, and blood flowed down the cart’s planks, dripping all along the street.

"What’s going on?"

Chen Che spotted Hu Yao in the crowd and walked over to ask.

"Not sure. This is how we found them this morning."

Hu Yao was loudly reprimanding the Loose Cultivators who were gathering around. Seeing Chen Che, he turned his head and explained in a low voice.

"I thought the Demon Beast disaster was supposed to be over soon. Why does it look like it’s gotten worse?"

Chen Che’s brow furrowed slightly.

When he arrived today, he noticed that the number of people in the Market had increased again.

There were even many Jinyun Valley disciples registering the newly arrived Loose Cultivators.

"It is strange. I heard beast tides have erupted in multiple locations across Chi State! It looks like this Demon Beast disaster is something else!"

Hu Yao replied in a low voice and reminded Chen Che to be careful these days.

Because a large number of Cultivators were flooding in, there were bound to be some vicious and desperate characters among them.

"Will this affect Jinyun Valley?"

Chen Che couldn’t help but worry.

After all, he had just put down roots in the Market, and his Cave Mansion was nearby. If a disaster occurred, it would have a huge impact on him.

"Don’t worry, it’ll be fine!"

Hu Yao patted Chen Che’s shoulder.

...

「Back at the Cave Mansion.」

Chen Che took out all the Medicinal Herbs.

The ancient method of making incense was divided into six steps: chopping, rolling, pounding, grinding, milling, and mixing.

Each step was incredibly complex.

But for a Cultivator, it was relatively simple, not to mention he could use scientific tools to help.

He waved his hand.

His True Essence instantly transformed into a whirlwind. All the powdered Spirit Grass was swept up, spinning in mid-air like the drum of a washing machine, flinging out the larger particles.

After all the impurities were removed, the medicinal powder fell directly into the already prepared Yingchun Water.

He rolled up his sleeves.

He picked up a rolling pin and evenly rolled out the medicinal powder, which had become a paste.

Then he poured it into an incense extruder, and immediately, sticks of incense were produced by the machine.

After being air-dried, the Concentration Incense was complete.

’Time to test the effect!’

Impatient, Chen Che used his True Essence to quick-dry the incense. He then took out three Incense Sticks, placed them in the Pill Furnace, and lit them.

A faint scent of osmanthus immediately wafted out.

He put on his headphones, sat cross-legged, and took a gentle sniff.

Immediately, the blue smoke from the Concentration Incense swirled in mid-air before drifting into his nostrils.

Half an hour later.

Chen Che’s eyes flew open in delighted surprise. He had actually broken through directly into the Seed Condensation Stage.

The Concentration Incense was truly powerful!

...

「The next day.」

When he arrived at the Market again, he saw Hu Yao rushing toward him, his expression grim.

"Fellow Daoist!"

Chen Che frowned. "What happened?"

After asking, he finally found out.

The Demon Beast turmoil in Chi State had not subsided for a long time.

Some Demon Beasts had even come from across the border.

Jinyun Valley could no longer sit idly by, so they sent out disciples to intercept them.

Unfortunately, Hu Yao had broken through to the Qi Refining Fifth Layer a few days ago, so he was included in the deployment.

"Fellow Daoist, I might not make it back alive this time!"

Hu Yao said with a sigh.