Chapter 722 - 287: Quenching (Part 2)

A faint glow radiated from his five viscera, and his six bowels became clear and translucent.

The inside of his entire Flesh Body felt as if it had undergone a thorough cleansing and reinforcement, radiating an unprecedented vitality and vigor.

The fortitude of his organs formed the very foundation of his Flesh Body, directly influencing the vigor of his qi and blood and the length of his lifespan.

The entire refining process was slow and continuous, a mix of both pain and reward.

After an unknown amount of time, the surging tide of True Essence within Chen Qing’s body finally began to calm.

He slowly opened his eyes.

With a slight stir of his Divine Sense, everything within a radius of dozens of yards came under his perception, clearer and more detailed than ever before.

The first True Essence Refining was successfully completed!

[Heaven Rewards Diligence: Success Assured]

[Primordial Five Elements True Astral: Perfection]

[Taixu Scripture: Layer 1 (1/10000)]

Feeling the True Essence within his body and his organs—which felt as though they had been washed clean, now tougher and more translucent—Chen Qing slowly exhaled.

The True Essence Realm!

Chen Qing had finally broken through to the True Essence Realm!

Not only that, but by relying on the vast foundation of his "Primordial Five Elements True Astral," he had also completed the first refining—a step that took many others a great deal of time to achieve. He had even condensed his Divine Sense ahead of schedule!

’My strength has increased immensely during this seclusion.’

Chen Qing thought to himself as he looked at his own palm.

The True Essence Realm was a world apart from the Astral Force Stage.

At this point, his Dantian Sea of Qi had solidified from illusory to real, allowing his True Essence to form a self-sustaining cycle. His power had taken a qualitative leap forward. With a mere gesture, he could now draw upon the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi, multiplying his might. More critically, after undergoing one True Essence Refining, his lifespan had also increased dramatically.

Within the Sect, only those in the True Essence Realm were truly considered pillars of the community, qualified to serve as Elders, manage important affairs, and even participate in core decision-making.

This was why Vein Master Li Yu-jun had been so strict about the True Essence Realm threshold, preventing Chen Qing from entering the Dubhe Pavilion. It was the minimum requirement for the Sect’s core members.

’And now, I can finally cultivate a true Divine Secret Technique!’

A sense of anticipation welled up in Chen Qing.

He recalled the scene in the seas near Dongji City, when Elder Deng Ziheng had unleashed the Mountain and River Seal. The technique drew upon the Power of Heaven and Earth, its might immense. That was the power of Divine Techniques, something far beyond what ordinary Martial Arts could compare to.

In the Astral Force Stage, one could at most cultivate Martial Arts to the Extreme Realm and condense their intent, but they could not truly leverage the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi to unleash the power of Divine Techniques.

His Heart and Spirit sank into his mind, where the "Taixu Scripture," which he had obtained from his fortuitous encounter in the Grotto Heaven, shone brilliantly.

In addition to the fundamental refining Technique, it also recorded a Divine Secret Technique—the Void Annihilating Divine Light!

As he carefully studied this Divine Technique, Chen Qing couldn’t help but be shaken.

This light did not simply crush opponents with overwhelming True Essence. Instead, it involved highly concentrating one’s own Divine Sense and will, infusing them with a sliver of Void True Intent to form a ray of intangible, formless light!

It was incredibly powerful and impossible to guard against, posing a fatal threat even to opponents of the same or higher realms.

However, cultivating and executing this technique placed extremely high demands on the purity and quantity of one’s True Essence. It also required a powerful and resilient Divine Sense and will to support it, and the consumption was terrifying.

With Chen Qing’s current foundation—having just entered the True Essence Realm and completed only one refining—he could probably only manage to use it once, even with his full strength. Afterward, both his True Essence and Divine Sense would be completely depleted.

’This technique comes from the "Taixu Scripture." It is a lost secret of the Sect and must not be revealed easily.’

Chen Qing pondered for a moment, thinking, ’This will be my ultimate trump card. I must not use it unless it is a matter of life and death. For everyday combat, I will need to find and cultivate one or more other Divine Techniques to use as a cover and as my standard methods.’

’I’ll leave my seclusion first.’

He slowly rose to his feet and walked out of the Quiet Chamber.

Outside, the daylight was pleasant. As it fell upon Chen Qing, it seemed to be absorbed by an invisible aura, making him appear even more profound and reserved.

The seclusion, which had lasted several days, had not left him looking weary. On the contrary, his Essence, Qi, and Spirit were brimming.

Hearing the sound, Qing Dai quickly walked over to greet him.

Her beautiful eyes landed on Chen Qing, and a flash of joy was quickly replaced by deep surprise.

"Senior Brother, you’re out of seclusion!"

She curtsied, but her gaze couldn’t help but linger on Chen Qing. "Senior Brother... you look a little different."

Hearing this, Chen Qing smiled faintly. "What is it? Is there something on my face?"

Qing Dai’s pretty face flushed slightly as she quickly shook her head. "Not your appearance... it’s a feeling. Senior Brother, your aura... it seems deeper now. Just standing there, you’re like... like a mountain. It makes one feel at ease."

Her vocabulary was too limited to accurately describe the intangible change that came with a breakthrough to a higher Realm.

Chen Qing understood. This was a natural effect of breaking through to a major Realm.

He stopped teasing her and changed the subject. "Did anything happen in the Sect while I was in seclusion?"

At the mention of serious matters, Qing Dai’s expression turned solemn. She quickly took a letter from her sleeve, her tone tinged with worry. "Senior Brother, this is a challenge letter sent by someone on behalf of Senior Brother Lu Chenming. Shortly after you entered seclusion, he successfully broke through to the True Essence Realm and has already secured a Human Position in the Dubhe Pavilion. According to Sect rules, he is challenging you to redetermine the True Inheritance seat. The deadline is ten days, but it can be postponed for three months on account of your seclusion."

"Oh? A challenge from Lu Chenming?"

Chen Qing’s eyes narrowed slightly as he accepted the letter, though he did not open it immediately. "So he really did break through to the True Essence Realm."

If he hadn’t broken through, Lu Chenming would never have humiliated himself by issuing a challenge at this time.

"Yes."

Qing Dai nodded and proceeded to tell him everything: how Lu Chenming had caused a phenomenon when he broke through, how he had been summoned and rewarded by Vein Master Li Yu-jun, and how he had successfully entered the Dubhe Pavilion.

"I understand." Chen Qing nodded slightly, his expression as calm as still water.

’Lu Chenming breaks through to the True Essence Realm, gets listed in the Dubhe Pavilion, and immediately challenges me. This series of swift actions must have the backing of the Nine Heavens Lineage. Their goal is to quickly reclaim the seat and solidify their advantage among the younger generation and within the Dubhe Pavilion.’