Chapter 253 - 250: Meeting Again
’Cultivating this Divine Technique is truly difficult.’
’If I had to rely solely on my own hard work and comprehension, I probably wouldn’t even be able to grasp the basics after several years!’
’Thankfully, I have the progress bar panel.’
’As long as I keep cultivating related Magic, the corresponding experience will also grow, significantly reducing the difficulty of cultivation!’
’The remaining two years should be enough...’
Shen Changchuan looked at the progress bar panel before him. On the new line for Divine Techniques, after the entry for the Sanqing Forest Sword Array, was a progress bar at 10%. He clenched his fist and swung it through the air.
Something that his master, Master Wandering Dragon, had called nearly impossible was now within Shen Changchuan’s reach.
Recalling the difficulties he encountered when he first started cultivating the Sanqing Forest Sword Array, Shen Changchuan couldn’t help but feel grateful once again for his cheat ability, the progress bar panel.
At the very beginning, he could understand every word in the Divine Technique’s Cultivation Technique, and he grasped its core concepts, yet he just couldn’t learn it. He couldn’t find a way in.
It was as if his brain said it understood, but his hands replied, "No, you don’t."
After more than half a month of intense contemplation, he still couldn’t successfully cultivate and cast it, let alone make its name appear on the progress bar panel.
He had also asked his master, Master Wandering Dragon, for guidance, but the answer was simply that something like a Divine Technique could only be comprehended through one’s own efforts.
Fortunately, when one door closes, another opens. He had the progress bar cheat, and his master, Master Wandering Dragon, had granted him access to browse the collection in the Scripture Pavilion. This allowed him to take a shortcut by using the functions of the progress bar panel that he had previously figured out.
In recent days, he had already cultivated over a hundred related spells of the Wood Element and Sword System, pushing all of them to the Perfection level.
Thanks to the accumulated Traits and related Magic experience from perfecting these hundred-plus spells, his progress in cultivating the Divine Technique Sanqing Forest Sword Array had easily reached 10%.
’This progress bar cheat... it must be the type that builds up power slowly for a big payoff...’
’When I first started cultivating Wood Element and Sword System spells, it took at least two to three days to bring a single one to Perfection.’
’But now, with the accumulation of related Cultivation Experience, that time has been cut by at least half!’
’For some Sword System or Wood Element spells, I don’t even have to cultivate them properly. I just glance at them, practice once, and the progress bar jumps to over 30%!’
’If I keep accumulating experience like this, will I one day become one of those monstrously talented geniuses with heaven-defying Comprehension, who can master anything at a glance?’
Shen Changchuan couldn’t help but indulge in the fantasy.
The collection of Magic within the Sect was as vast as a sea. During this time, the Wood Element and Sword System spells he had cultivated were but a tiny fraction of that enormous collection.
He didn’t have to worry about running out of spells to learn.
Focusing his mind, Shen Changchuan temporarily suppressed his various thoughts.
He left the residence where he had spent most of the past year and first went to the Sect’s External Affairs Hall to report his departure.
Afterward, he left the Mountain Gate.
Once outside, Shen Changchuan released Xiaofeng and flew off on it in the direction of Dawan Village.
Not long ago, Shen Tingchu had sent a letter asking if he still remembered their agreement from a year ago. Now that a year had passed, it was time to meet in Dawan Village.
...
"Two years ago, while I was hunting a Demonic Cultivator, I accidentally saved the Soul Emergence Realm ancestor of a certain family..."
"At the time, their family had suffered grievous losses and was greatly weakened because of that Demon Cultivator. To show their gratitude, they planned to give me one of their family’s destined opportunity slots."
"That slot was for a chance to enter a small Heaven and Earth Spirit Realm, jointly controlled by their family and several nearby Soul-Departing Influences."
"Within that small Heaven and Earth Spirit Realm lies an opportunity... it has a certain supportive effect for Cultivators at the Qi Introduction Peak Realm who are trying to break through to the Soul Emergence Realm."
Shen Changchuan arrived at Dawan Village and met with Shen Tingchu once again.
After some pleasantries, Shen Tingchu didn’t waste any words and directly stated the purpose of his visit.
About a year or so ago, Shen Tingchu had seen that Shen Changchuan’s Cultivation was advancing with extreme speed, yet his foundation remained stable, showing no signs of being flimsy. His potential seemed rather astonishing, and on a whim, he had made a pact with Shen Changchuan: if he could raise his Cultivation to the Ninth Layer Realm Peak within a year, Shen Tingchu would give him an opportunity related to ascending to Soul Emergence.
Shen Tingchu was here now, to fulfill that very promise.
But as Shen Tingchu’s gaze fell upon Shen Changchuan, he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
He had made that promise back then because the opportunity wasn’t of much use to him; at most, it was something to be traded for other benefits. But the Heaven and Earth Secret Realm corresponding to that slot only opened once every ten years. Missing it meant waiting a long time, and unfortunately, he had no one suitable around him at the moment. After some consideration, he had simply decided to give it to Shen Changchuan as an early investment.
In Shen Tingchu’s eyes at the time, given the Cultivation Talent and disposition Shen Changchuan displayed, he should have been able to advance to the Soul Emergence Realm in the future. An ally in the Soul Emergence Realm would have been a great help to him.
But back then, Shen Tingchu could never have imagined that such a series of major changes would occur. It led to Shen Changchuan appearing before the family’s ancestor and being sent by that ancestor to the newly established Dragon Cloud Sect as a double agent.
’What a shame... If the Dragon Cloud Sect had never been established, with the talent this kid has shown, his inclusion in the family’s ’seed program’ would have been a sure thing. Based on his past disposition and performance, advancing to the Soul Emergence Realm would have been no problem at all.’
’And I would have gained an ally in the Soul Emergence Realm with limitless potential within the family.’
’But now, his future is bleak... If the Shen Family and the Dragon Cloud Sect ever come into conflict over their interests, his life or death will be uncertain!’
Shen Tingchu lamented inwardly.
To be honest, Shen Tingchu felt a pang of regret.
If he had known a year ago that things would turn out this way, he probably would never have made that promise and given the opportunity to Shen Changchuan.
But since the decision was already made, there was nothing to be done.
Breaking a promise earns a lot of animosity.
It wasn’t worth it.
Besides, although he had lost a potential ally with limitless potential in the Soul Emergence Realm within the family, gaining a powerful supporter on the outside could be considered breaking even, more or less.