Chapter 160: It’s Good to Be Confident

Chapter 160: Chapter 160: It’s Good to Be Confident

The Fire Dragon Soul Ring slowly opened, and the massive phantom of a Flood Dragon, large enough to fill the entire Bamboo Garden, gradually appeared.

The Flood Dragon roared at Liu Chen from its gaping maw, and the sight alone made him instinctively take a few steps back.

"Each Grade of a Demon Beast corresponds to a Cultivator’s Realm. Before the Fourth Grade, they act purely on instinct. This Flood Dragon could have advanced to the Fourth Grade and transformed into a member of the Demon Race. A true pity."

Mo Xuan shook his head. As he spoke, chains shot out and bound the massive Flood Dragon, and all the pressure weighing on Liu Chen vanished in an instant.

"Begin... If you can form a contract with a Spirit Ghost like this, your chances of returning to the Mo Family will be much greater."

Mo Xuan remarked casually. If Liu Chen signed a Soul Contract with a Spirit Ghost at the Peak of Qi Refining, then cultivating to the Peak of Qi Refining himself would be no problem at all. After that, only the Foundation Establishment Realm would remain. Once Liu Chen reached the Bright Aperture Realm, Mo Xuan could bring him directly back to the Mo Family.

Liu Chen nodded and began the process of Refining the Spirit Ghost. He cast one Soul Control Technique after another into the Flood Dragon’s phantom. In a daze, Liu Chen thought he heard the Flood Dragon’s mournful cry, but the phantom before him remained motionless, appearing perfectly calm.

Time slowly ticked by. A full two hours later, Liu Chen clearly saw the Flood Dragon’s True Spirit slowly dissipate, and its restrained body began to shrink.

Mo Xuan released the chains restraining the Flood Dragon, and a Spirit Ghost in the shape of a Flood Dragon appeared before him.

"A Top Grade Spirit Ghost. You truly are full of surprises."

The Flood Dragon Spirit Ghost before him was only a tenth of its original size, but the fluctuations it emitted were already at the Peak of Qi Refining.

However, the Spirit Ghost possessed no Spiritual Wisdom. Forget someone like Liu Chen; even a Mortal, as long as they could conjure a Soul Contract, could form a pact with the Spirit Ghost to assist in their cultivation.

"Go on, form the Soul Contract. This is your prize from Fire Dragon Valley, after all."

Once Mo Xuan confirmed there was no issue with the Spirit Ghost, he handed it directly to Liu Chen. Liu Chen used his Spiritual Power to conjure a Soul Contract, which enveloped the Flood Dragon Spirit Ghost. Then, his blood, mixed with Spiritual Power, dripped into it.

The Soul Contract, stained red with his blood, instantly suffused the entire Flood Dragon Spirit Ghost.

Once the Soul Contract was complete, the Flood Dragon Spirit Ghost surged directly into Liu Chen’s body. In that instant, Liu Chen felt the surrounding Spiritual Qi flow unceasingly into him, where it was converted into Spiritual Power and stored inside the Spirit Ghost.

From now on, when he practiced his Cultivation Technique, he would only need to convert this attribute-less Spiritual Power into the type of Spiritual Power specific to the Purple Bamboo Scripture. In addition, the recovery speed of his Spiritual Power would be greatly increased.

"For a non-humanoid Spirit Ghost, it’s best to wait until you’ve advanced to the Bright Aperture Realm before merging with it as one, after it has taken human form. I’ll give you the corresponding Magic for that in a while. Here is the continuation of the Purple Bamboo Scripture. It will allow you to cultivate all the way to the Bright Aperture Realm—that was the limit Ancestor Master Purple Bamboo reached. Perhaps you can go even further."

Mo Xuan handed several Secret Manuals to Liu Chen. These contained the continuation of the Purple Bamboo Scripture, which he had written out overnight. The specific cultivation methods for the three Realms—Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, and Bright Aperture—were all inside.

"Thank you, Master."

Liu Chen accepted the Secret Manuals. Though he’d had a feeling earlier, he now felt a sense of unease. If his master’s wife had given him Magic to ensure his safety, it was out of character for his master to just hand over the complete Cultivation Technique like this.

’The Mo Family trial... it probably isn’t going to be that simple.’

"Aren’t you curious what the Mo Family trial actually is?"

Mo Xuan looked at Liu Chen’s expression and couldn’t resist asking. The toll of the trial was immense. Many Mo Family disciples who were considered prodigies even in the Body Tempering Realm had left for the trial and never returned.

A small number chose not to return, but most vanished without a trace.

"I ask that Master enlighten me."

Liu Chen narrowed his eyes. ’The trial can’t be to kill some Third Grade Demon Beast right now, can it? If that’s the case, I don’t think I’d be able to complete it. After my Cultivation reaches the Peak of Meridian Passage, maybe then I’d have a chance.’

"Without relying on any Mo Family resources, you must raise your Cultivation to the Bright Aperture Realm—the same Realm your master’s wife and I are currently in."

Mo Xuan spoke calmly. Cultivating beyond the Bright Aperture Realm was incredibly difficult. He had been at this Realm a century ago, and a century later, he was still there. He had confessed his feelings to his partner only when he thought he could finally go home, but as a result, he’d been stuck in Purple Cloud Valley ever since.

"Body Tempering, Meridian Passage, Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Bright Aperture... If those are the Cultivation Realms, then I don’t think it will be a major problem."

Liu Chen nodded. ’I thought it would be something much more difficult. As long as I have the Cultivation Technique and a relatively safe place to practice, the rest is just a matter of time.’

"It’s good that you’re confident, but the entire Profound Nether Province is about to descend into chaos. The Great Xia Dynasty is merely an insignificant part of its borderlands. Perhaps the storm brewing in the province’s center hasn’t reached here yet, but by next year at the latest, the stability of the Great Xia Dynasty will be a thing of the past.

From the Mo Family’s perspective, this makes it a perfect place for the trial. Your Talent is indeed great, but that also means you will face greater troubles. I hope you make it back to the Mo Family alive."

Mo Xuan shook his head. "The former hegemon of the Profound Nether Province was the Profound Nether Sect. In the past, that Sect had no desire to completely control the province. But after the new Sect Leader took charge, he directly expelled the Loose Cultivators living in the central region. The resulting exodus of Loose Cultivators caused unimaginable destruction, while the Profound Nether Sect played the part of the hero, swooping in to harvest the resources of other factions."

"Before long, the Loose Cultivators who left the Great Xia Dynasty will be forced to return, and the situation here will become utterly chaotic."

"And since this is the very edge of the Profound Nether Province, the Loose Cultivators will have nowhere else to run. They’ll have no choice but to fight to the death against the forces led by the Profound Nether Sect right here."

"When that happens, the Great Xia Dynasty and its surrounding territories will become sacrificial lambs."

"Rest assured, Master. I will definitely return to the Mo Family alive."

Liu Chen nodded. He had long known that the Great Xia Dynasty was located in the Profound Nether Province, and that above the province was the Celestial Abyss Realm. As for what lay beyond that, he had no idea.

He was still fairly confident about returning to the Mo Family. When the time came, if nothing unexpected occurred, he would certainly return. If something did go wrong... well, there was nothing to be done about it.

"By the way, you should still have three Soul Slaves at the Peak of Meridian Passage. After you Refine them into Spirit Ghosts, give two to Suyao and Linglong. Their Talent isn’t quite as good as yours, so the sooner they form a contract with a Spirit Ghost, the better."

Mo Xuan didn’t continue discussing the trial. ’Whether Liu Chen was confident was his own business. But as for the Spirit Ghosts, since he now has the ability to Refine a Top Grade one, it’s better for those two to form their contracts sooner and improve their Talent, rather than letting them cultivate slowly in the Mo Family.’

"Rest assured, Master. That was my plan all along."

Liu Chen nodded. ’It’s not like keeping the Spirit Ghosts would do me any good. I might as well give them to my two junior sisters. They’re only two Spirit Ghosts at the Peak of Meridian Passage, and since a person can only form a contract with one, they’d just end up sitting in my Soul Ring even if I Refined them. Better to put them to good use.’