Chapter 682

Chapter 682: Jade Slip

Periodically, the Evil Eye would erupt, releasing vast amounts of concentrated negative energy that persisted for several days.

This event is known as the malicious tide.

Unlike the predictable cycles of female cultivators who have not yet slain the red dragon, the malicious tide arrives without a fixed schedule or discernible pattern.

Fortunately, there are precursors to its onset.

Upon sensing the imminent malicious tide, Wang Chen promptly retreated to the Safe House.

He then activated the defensive formations to their maximum capacity.

Soon after, the fierce sinister wind overwhelmed the Safe House.

From its inception, the Safe House was designed with the malicious tide in mind, featuring a strategic location and specialized defensive measures.

Thus, it provided a secure refuge.

During this period, Wang Chen was confined to the house, unable to venture outside.

This confinement afforded him the opportunity to engage in non-cultivation activities.

Such as reading.

He set up a red clay stove, lit a few pieces of smokeless charcoal, and placed a purple clay kettle to brew spiritual spring water. Seated at a small table, Wang Chen enjoyed his tea while perusing notes from a predecessor.

This "predecessor" was Master Ye.

The scroll of notes he held was retrieved from Master Ye’s Xumi Ring.

It chronicled the cultivation and training journey of this Golden Core true master.

Master Ye, born Ye Shunping, was a loose cultivator whose life was marked by considerable adversity. After enduring numerous trials, he successfully condensed his Golden Core and entered Yongle Immortal City for further cultivation.

However, constrained by his talent, his Golden Core was only of the eighth grade, leaving him without the prospect of forming a baby core. Additionally, lacking any significant background or connections, this esteemed master was relegated to the Yongle dungeon, where he accumulated merits to exchange for necessary cultivation resources.

This Golden Core was evidently not a true master and had a penchant for diary-keeping. As Wang Chen read through the notes, he sensed a pervasive resentment.

The heavens are unjust, humanity is unfair, and the world is inscrutable; in essence, the notes were saturated with negative energy!

Perhaps this resentment drove Ye Shunping to covet Wang Chen’s opportunities and to act against him personally.

His ambitions and perspective were limited.

Much of the content in the notes was mundane, the prose fragmented; clearly, this Golden Core true master used it as a repository for his grievances.

Yet, upon reading, Wang Chen extracted valuable insights for his own use.

For instance, the detailed process of Ye Shunping’s Golden Core condensation.

He began accumulating resources for condensing his elixir upon reaching the higher level of the Purple Palace, a process that spanned thirty years before he successfully achieved Golden Core status.

The trials he endured were not merely marked by blood and tears; they underscored the immense difficulty of his journey.

Regardless of one’s innate talent, condensing a Golden Core necessitates substantial resources.

These resources primarily consist of various heavenly materials and treasures, which directly influence the quality of the Golden Core.

As a loose cultivator, Ye Shunping was not exceptionally gifted, and reaching the peak Purple Palace had already taxed his capabilities. The resources he amassed for condensing the elixir were barely sufficient.

Consequently, he ultimately formed an eighth-grade core.

It seems that there was a great deal of resentment in his heart, as when Master Ye, Ye Shunping, described this part of his journey in the notes, his handwriting appeared slightly different from usual.

He seemed emotionally unstable.

This led Ye Shunping, after successfully condensing his elixir, to retaliate by amassing wealth and resources, investing some into his life treasure while attempting to compensate for his greatest regret.

In the end, he was filled with bitterness, and all of it benefited Wang Chen!

These contents also served as a reminder for Wang Chen.

His cultivation progress was remarkably fast, far surpassing that of ordinary cultivators and rivaling those talented individuals from prominent backgrounds.

If he didn’t start accumulating resources for condensing elixirs now, by the time he reached the peak Purple Palace, it might take several years to gather what he needed.

Some heavenly materials and treasures required for condensing elixirs cannot simply be bought; some require spending a fortune to reserve, others depend on luck, and some even involve competition with others.

As a loose cultivator without the support of a family or sect, even though Wang Chen currently had enough spirit stones, gathering these heavenly materials and treasures, especially high-quality resources, remained a formidable challenge.

Some heavenly materials and treasures are available but priceless!

Although Wang Chen had his advantages, to achieve a top-grade Golden Core, such a massive investment could not be overlooked!

Ye Shunping listed the heavenly materials and treasures he used for condensing his elixir in the notes, and when Wang Chen made a rough estimate, the number was staggering. Depending on his own needs, it was likely several times over or even ten times more.

If condensing elixirs was this challenging, what about forming a baby core and transforming into a spirit?

Wang Chen shook his head, not wanting to dwell too far into the future.

He set aside the already read notes and took out a technique Jade Slip, also belonging to Ye Shunping.

In fact, this technique Jade Slip wasn’t actually Ye Shunping’s; he obtained it while exploring a predecessor’s cavern during his time in the Purple Palace.

It was a Golden Core Cave, where the master failed in forming a baby core and left behind many treasures, including this Jade Slip.

At the time, Ye Shunping was part of a team exploring the cave, and after acquiring the treasures, his teammates turned on each other. After a fierce internal conflict, he managed to preserve his greatest opportunity in his cultivation journey.

Ye Shunping’s successful elixir condensation, despite not having particularly high talent, was greatly related to this opportunity.

Even his life treasure embryo originated from this Golden Core Cave.

The Jade Slip contained nine powerful spells in total.

All at the Golden Core-level!

Interestingly, when Ye Shunping obtained this treasure at the Purple Palace level, he was unable to practice any of the spells even after condensing his elixir.

This was because the Jade Slip was special; it required certain standards for the bearer’s cultivation level and root bone, otherwise, the seals could not be opened.

Master Ye’s cultivation level was sufficient, but his root bone did not meet the requirements, so he could only watch in frustration!

In other words, now Wang Chen also could not practice it.

However, this Jade Slip had a special function, which was to test root bone!

Wang Chen forced a drop of blood from his fingertip and let it fall on the Jade Slip.

The Jade Slip quickly absorbed his blood, and soon began to emit a light glow.

A true seal character appeared on its surface.

The character "Upper."

Wang Chen’s root bone level was already at the upper rank!

As far as he knew, there was a level above "Upper," known as "Upper Upper," but upper-level root bones already signified a Yuan Ying true seed.

For this exacting Jade Slip, upper-level root bones were entirely sufficient.

Unfortunately, Wang Chen’s cultivation level was still significantly lacking.

Thus, he could only, like Ye Shunping, keep the technique Jade Slip stored away.

Tap tap!

Just as Wang Chen was putting the Jade Slip back into his Xumi Ring, he suddenly heard a knocking sound at the door.

Hmm?

Wang Chen quickly turned to look toward the door.

At that moment, the sinister wind was howling outside; who could be knocking at the Safe House?

He suspected he had misheard.

Tap tap tap!

However, the same sound rang out again, clear and distinct, leaving no room for mishearing.

Wang Chen was startled, immediately gripping the Heavenly Net for Exorcising Evil.

"Who is it?" he asked in a deep voice.