Chapter 17: Unlocking the Sea of Consciousness

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“How is this possible? Chen Fei was clearly poisoned by the Devouring Spirit Gu. Even with the help of Silver Moon Academy, it should be impossible for him to recover his cultivation so quickly,” Song Yiyun exclaimed in shock.

“It’s possible!” Wei Junhao narrowed his eyes and muttered, “That day in the alley, we only saw traces of blood on the ground, but we never actually saw him get hit.”

“You mean… he left the bloodstains on purpose, making us believe he was poisoned just to avoid our second attempt at assassination?” Song Yiyun seemed to grasp the situation.

“Not just to evade us, but also to escape the pursuit of other powerful factions.”

“What a cunning mind. This guy is even more troublesome than Lu Yijun,” Wei Junhao said grimly.

The news spread quickly, but no one doubted that Chen Fei had truly resisted the Devouring Spirit Gu. Instead, like Wei Junhao, they all assumed he had staged the whole thing to mislead everyone.

Many forces immediately considered launching another attack to stop Chen Fei from entering the secret realm.

But at that moment, Sun Qianyi, the vice dean representing Silver Moon Academy, sent a message to all factions.

“No one is to touch Chen Fei again. If anyone dares, don’t blame me for using my strength against the weak and repaying an eye for an eye.”

A true Spirit Master’s words carried immense weight, forcing the major factions to abandon their plans to assassinate Chen Fei.

That night, Chen Fei returned to the Su residence.

“Where did you go?”

As soon as he stepped inside, Su Ran’s curious gaze locked onto him.

“Just went out for some fresh air,” Chen Fei replied, not expecting Su Ran to return so early.

“Really?” Su Ran said coolly. “You went out for fresh air, yet you didn’t use the front door? Instead, you climbed over the wall? Anyone who doesn’t know better might think my family was being robbed.”

Chen Fei froze for a moment. He had expected to get caught eventually, but before he could explain, Su Ran took out a bottle of elixir and said, “No need to explain. I keep my promises. This is a Vitality Nourishing Pill. Whether it can restore your shattered dantian depends on your luck.”

Chen Fei’s expression changed. The difficulty of repairing a shattered dantian was unimaginable.

“This elixir…” He hadn’t expected Su Ran to actually find such a precious spiritual pill for him.

An elixir that could restore a dantian! Chen Fei couldn’t even begin to estimate its value.

“You’re just lucky. Take it.” Su Ran turned and headed toward a hidden chamber.

“Miss Su, thank you.”

Chen Fei watched her retreating figure and couldn’t help but ask, “Would you like to hear another story?”

“Take the pill first, try to restore your dantian, and I’ll come find you later,” Su Ran said with a faint smile.

“Alright!”

Chen Fei felt a wave of joy and immediately nodded.

In reality, his dantian had long been replaced by the Void Heaven Cauldron, so whether it recovered or not was irrelevant. However, he examined the Vitality Nourishing Pill, taking in its rich fragrance—it was far more precious than any elixir he had encountered before.

“How many spirit stones would it take to buy such a rare elixir?”

Though Su Ran hadn’t mentioned how she obtained it, Chen Fei was certain the cost was immense.

Without hesitation, he sat cross-legged and began circulating his cultivation technique, refining the Vitality Nourishing Pill.

As soon as the pill entered his mouth, it melted instantly, transforming into a warm current that surged through his body. The Void Heaven Cauldron emitted a faint glow, actively absorbing the medicinal essence.

In an instant, Chen Fei felt an extraordinary change. As the cauldron refined the pill, two distinct energy flows emerged—one surged from his dantian into his meridians, strengthening his body. The other flowed upward toward his skull, as if attempting to break through a hidden seal.

A sharp, splitting pain erupted in his head, as though his very brain was about to be shattered.

“Argh!”

Unable to endure the searing pain in his body and mind, Chen Fei let out a cry of agony.

Just as he thought he was about to reach his limit, a cooling sensation spread from his forehead, accompanied by a faint, enchanting fragrance.

A gentle, refreshing power washed over him, alleviating the excruciating pain.

Only then did Chen Fei realize that Su Ran had returned at some point. Her fair, slender fingers were pressed lightly against his forehead.

With his Spirit Eye Snake’s perception, Chen Fei saw a phoenix imprint flickering on Su Ran’s forehead. Bathed in golden light, she radiated a sacred beauty.

For a moment, Chen Fei’s heart pounded uncontrollably, utterly captivated by Su Ran’s unique aura and stunning features.

“An angel…”

He blurted out.

“What?” Su Ran looked at him in confusion.

“It’s nothing…” Chen Fei quickly corrected himself.

“Now is not the time for nonsense. Do you want to die?” Su Ran scolded. “Follow my instructions.”

“Yes!” Chen Fei responded immediately.

“Focus your mind, gaze upon the starry sea, and immerse yourself within it…”

Su Ran’s soft voice seemed to whisper directly into his ear.

Trusting her completely, Chen Fei followed her guidance. As he embraced the warm energy surging into his consciousness, something shattered within his mind.

In that moment, he was utterly stunned.

Before his eyes lay a vast, chaotic starry sea.

“This… This is the Sea of Consciousness?”

“Indeed. Every person possesses a Sea of Consciousness—it can also be called a Starry Sea.”

“Only by unlocking it can you comprehend the mysteries of the world and even the cosmos.”

“From this moment forward, you have taken your first step on the path of an Arcane Spirit Master.”

“The number of stars you perceive in your consciousness determines how much star energy you can harness—this energy transforms into your spiritual power, the foundation of all Arcane Spirit techniques…”

Su Ran guided him patiently.

Time passed.

When Chen Fei finally emerged from the trance-like state, he felt completely refreshed, his mind clearer than ever.

Even his Spirit Eye Snake’s perception had greatly improved—he could now see even the finest details of Su Ran’s delicate face.

“I… have I really become an Arcane Spirit Master?”

Chen Fei had heard that such masters were one in a million, holding an unrivaled status among cultivators.

That mysterious Arcane Spirit Master he had encountered before had controlled Su Mingcai’s consciousness with just a single artifact, demonstrating an unfathomable level of power.

It was precisely this encounter that had made Chen Fei deeply wary of such individuals.

And now, he had become one himself!

“What a surprise. I originally wanted you to use the Vitality Nourishing Pill to restore your dantian, but instead, by accident, you unlocked your Sea of Consciousness,” Su Ran mused.

“Yes, you now have the foundation to become an Arcane Spirit Master. However, to truly qualify, your spiritual power must reach the tenth stage.”

“The tenth stage?”

Chen Fei was puzzled.

“That refers to the number of star points you can perceive in your Sea of Consciousness. When you can sense ten, you will have reached the tenth stage of spiritual power.”

“How many star points did you see just now?”

Su Ran asked.

Chen Fei took a deep breath before answering.