Chapter 616

Chapter 616: Hibernation

"Achoo!"

Wang Chen sneezed forcefully.

【Heavenly Merit -10】

As expected, a message instantly flashed in his vision.

While soaking in the hot spring, Wang Chen thoughtfully rubbed his chin.

His Heavenly Dragon Vajra True Method had reached the seventh level, granting him an Immortal Body, making him impervious to the cold, immune to diseases, and fearless of all poisons.

Catching a cold was impossible for him.

Yet, over the past six months, Wang Chen had sneezed five times in total.

Each sneeze deducted 10 points of Heavenly Merit.

This strange occurrence of sneezing and losing Heavenly Merit had happened when he was in the Mountain-Sea Realm.

Later, he deduced that someone might have used the Heavenly Merit technique to divine his situation.

But it was blocked or isolated by his Cultivation Panel.

Previously, he had only lost 1 point of Heavenly Merit, while these five times had cost him 10 points each.

Wang Chen speculated that those who divined him before were Purple Palace cultivators.

Now, it seemed a Golden Core true master was making the calculations!

Paying ten times the cost was reasonable.

That brought up a new question: why, after arriving in the Haotian Realm, was he being frequently divined by a Golden Core true master?

Wang Chen recalled the white-clad cultivator he had slain.

The cultivator’s attire, demeanor, and speech clearly indicated a member of a large aristocratic family.

Wang Chen now suspected this person was an elite member of some immortal clan!

Otherwise, such occurrences wouldn’t happen.

It’s important to note that using the Heavenly Merit technique to divine another cultivator consumes cultivation level and even lifespan.

The higher the target’s rank, the greater the cost!

Wang Chen had been divined five times.

What a significant amount of resentment that implied!

He shook his head and submerged himself in the steaming hot spring.

With the protection of the Cultivation Panel, Wang Chen truly did not fear the Heavenly divinations of high-level Qi Training cultivators.

Losing 10 points of Heavenly Merit was insignificant; he had gained 500 Heavenly Merit by slaying Qian Wancheng.

That was enough to withstand fifty times of Golden Core divinations.

As for Nascent Soul true immortals, he estimated the cost to be as high as 100 points of Heavenly Merit.

Who was afraid of whom!

He wiped the warm droplets from his face and let out a long sigh.

The hot spring was an unexpected discovery for Wang Chen while he was expanding his underground living space.

It is common to uncover water veins or springs when digging tunnels or hidden chambers.

However, stumbling upon a hot spring was quite rare.

Wang Chen had dug numerous tunnels before without ever encountering one.

It was indeed a blessing from the heavens.

He did not take this fortune for granted and spent considerable time crafting a luxurious bathroom with a hot spring.

Now, after completing his daily cultivation, Wang Chen would come here to soak in the hot spring.

In addition to relaxation, this abundant spring water surprisingly provided hibernation energy.

Though the quantity was minimal, one should not complain about the size of a free date.

Having some was better than having none.

As Wang Chen submerged into the spring, the Supreme Mysterious Spirit Dragon True Form Image pressed against his chest emitted a lightly glowing light, flickering as if it were breathing.

Wang Chen closed his eyes, sealing off his mouth and nose senses, entering a state of fetal breathing.

When he awoke from his slumber, it was a new day.

In the lightless underground, without a timekeeping tool, it was difficult to grasp the flow of time.

But for cultivators, this was not a problem at all.

Splash!

Wang Chen leaped out of the hot spring, enveloped in mist as he landed at the entrance of the pebble-filled bathroom.

He stretched his arms, his steel-like body slightly shaking, and the droplets on his skin instantly evaporated.

He pulled out a loose, comfortable robe from his Xumi Ring and changed into it.

Then, Wang Chen swiftly made his way into the tunnel leading to the surface.

Moments later, he emerged in his living space on the ground.

Outside, snow was falling thickly, covering the world in a blanket of white, and the small courtyard was layered with deep snow.

When Wang Chen opened the door, a burst of icy chill rushed in.

But he felt invigorated!

He set up a small table under the eaves, lit a red clay stove filled with smoke-free golden silk sandalwood, ignited it with his fingertips, and brewed a pot of fragrant spiritual tea.

Sitting in a cozy chair, Wang Chen sipped tea while enjoying the snowy scenery.

Stealing a moment of leisure in life!

As the new year began, winter reached its coldest point.

Like most cultivators in Feixu Valley, Wang Chen entered a state of hibernation, waiting for spring to return.

His days passed leisurely, practicing techniques, soaking in the hot spring, sleeping in fetal breathing, enjoying tea, and admiring the snow…

And indulging in a hot pot to satisfy his appetite.

Though it was a bit dull and somewhat ordinary, there were no worries, and he felt completely free.

A celestial being’s life was perhaps nothing more than this.

Sometimes, Wang Chen would reminisce about his time in the Mountain-Sea Realm, thinking of his beloved.

And even more distant memories.

Yet, neither longing nor recollections could sway his steadfast heart of the path.

Now, Wang Chen was certain that the Haotian Realm was his ultimate destination.

Here, he would condense his Golden Core, forge his Yuan Ying, and manifest his divine intent…

No matter the trials and tribulations that lay ahead, Wang Chen would stride forward on the path he had chosen, step by step!

In the days that followed, Wang Chen devoted more time to cultivating the Preheaven Five Element Technique.

The experience points for this primary cultivation technique steadily increased, one by one.

As the harsh winter gave way to the gentle arrival of spring, Wang Chen naturally broke through to the seventh level of the Preheaven Five Element Technique.

He officially ascended to the higher level of the Purple Palace!

The transition from mid-level to higher level in the Purple Palace, though a minor breakthrough, held profound significance.

It is essential to understand that the higher level of the Purple Palace serves as the foundation for the Golden Core; only cultivators who reach this level can begin preparations to condense their Golden Core.

With Wang Chen’s current root bone talent, condensing the Golden Core would be a certainty, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

This meant he could now commence his preparations.

Moreover, the magical power at the higher level of the Purple Palace far surpassed that of the mid-level in both purity and refinement; the spells cast would be more potent, and his combat endurance would be significantly enhanced.

Most importantly, upon reaching the higher level of the Purple Palace, Wang Chen could also practice the Longing Sword Technique that Changchun had imparted to him in the past!

At their parting, Changchun had bestowed upon him both the Four Seasons Sword and the Longing Sword.

Wang Chen first perfected the Thunderbolt Sword Technique, then mastered the Four Seasons Sword, and ultimately grasped the profound essence of sword light divergence.

The Longing Sword Technique advanced even further; once mastered, it would enable him to execute the advanced sword skill of refining swords into silk and unleash a formidable sword intent that would penetrate deep into the bones!

Thus, with the arrival of spring, Wang Chen ceased planting green Japonica rice.

He no longer lacked for spiritual rice to sustain himself.

Most importantly, by abstaining from farming, he ensured that no one could exploit or oppress him.

Wang Chen planned to remain here until he reached the peak of the Purple Palace, after which he would seek a secluded place to enter closed-door cultivation and strive for the Golden Core realm.

Feixu Valley was but a fleeting stop on his long journey of cultivation.

Wang Chen could not linger here for too long.

Of course, during this time, he still needed to gather the necessary resources for condensing the Golden Core.

However, no matter how meticulously laid the plan, an unexpected event could easily disrupt it!