Chapter Nine: First Hearing of Spiritual Treasures

Outside the Hall of Myriad Illusions.

A figure waited quietly outside. It was Guan Longping, his brow tightly furrowed.

"At this hour, Chen Fan should have logically arrived at the Hall of Myriad Illusions. Could it be..."

He waited for another full hour, but still saw no sign of Chen Fan.

Then, a flash crossed his eyes. He turned and left, flicking out a spiritual talisman that dissolved into a stream of light, shooting straight toward the direction of the Bright Moon Tower!

He was certainly not wasting time coming to find Chen Fan every day out of any genuine desire to mend their relationship!

It was because someone was paying him a high price to do so daily!

Bright Moon Tower.

On the ground floor lobby, inside the public training grounds.

A one-armed man suddenly paused. Not far away, a beam of spiritual light cut across the grand hall, flying straight into his palm.

This was a communication talisman.

Within the martial academy, communication talismans were rarely intercepted by anyone.

Clutching the communication talisman, the man left the training grounds. After opening the talisman, his eyes narrowed.

"Chen Fan didn't go to the Hall of Myriad Illusions..."

He had remained in the Bright Moon Tower the entire time and had not seen Chen Fan come here to practice.

Since Chen Fan was neither at the Hall of Myriad Illusions nor at the Bright Moon Tower, there was a high probability he had left the martial academy!

After all, surely he wouldn't spend half the day sleeping in his dormitory?

"Did he go to complete a mission? Or did he head to some secret realm?!"

The one-armed man immediately headed to the Mission Hall to check the mission records, but quickly furrowed his brow.

"Most disciples of the Radiant Sun Pavilion are usually away from the academy, and very few ever take on missions ranked seventh grade or above. I check the mission list every day, and I can be certain that no one has accepted a mission of seventh grade or higher in the past two days!"

Given Chen Fan's strength and ranking, the scope of missions he could take was quite easily defined!

"If he hasn't accepted a mission, then it is highly likely Chen Fan has applied to enter some secret realm or ruin. In that case, confirming his location will be difficult..."

He casually accepted a minor mission and similarly left the martial academy.

Then, after adopting a disguise and arriving in the prefectural city, he lingered in a pawnshop for the duration of a cup of tea before leaving directly...

***

Chen Fan's cultivation had reached the sixth stage of martial arts.

With the enhancement of his overall strength and the total volume of his true essence, the effects of every array formation on the Luminous Feather Garment he wore were further elevated!

Triggered by the lightness array, Chen Fan's already swift speed became astonishing to the extreme!

Reaching the Yuansang Ruins along the way, he was entirely free of flushed cheeks and out of breath, remaining completely at ease.

The stamina of the sixth stage was truly remarkable; he could run for another day and night without his condition dropping.

Coupled with his Heaven Heart Formless Art, which was gradually approaching perfection, and his covert departure, naturally no one could possibly track his whereabouts.

"Senior Star Spirit, this subordinate has returned."

Re-entering the Yuansang Secret Realm, Star Spirit’s expression turned even more eccentric upon seeing Chen Fan so soon.

It wasn't that he had never seen anyone reach the sixth stage of martial arts at Chen Fan's age.

However, this was the first time he had encountered someone like Chen Fan, who leaped from the fourth stage to the sixth stage in the span of two years and had just arrived to participate in the Yuansang trials.

Even among the geniuses of the Stellar Sect, none had progressed so drastically in two years.

Chen Fan immediately proceeded to participate in the sixth-stage trial, effortlessly defeating his trial opponent and receiving the customary three rewards.

He once again gained the opportunity to absorb the spirits of nature. Following this absorption, his Intent of Thunder directly reached perfection!

From the moment he integrated his movement technique and comprehended the Intent of Thunder until now, barely a single year had passed!

If anyone were to know that his intent had improved at such a terrifying pace, their jaws would likely drop in shock.

Of course, had it not been for the two instances of absorbing nature spirits, coupled with a session of drawing heavenly lightning into his body, it would have been difficult for him to achieve perfection in his intent even with two more years!

"My intent has reached perfection, but I wonder what lies beyond intent and how one breaks through to the next level?"

Chen Fan shook his head.

In terms of realm, his rate of advancement was simply too fast; his cultivation level still lagged far behind...

***

His second reward remained a jade slip. The technique he obtained was called the "Draw-Sword Style"!

It was a technique focused on the speed of drawing the sword and executing a strike.

The blade must be stained with blood the moment it left its scabbard. Though simple, this move was also exceptionally exquisite and could be paired with other techniques.

"Every time I defeat a trial opponent, the techniques and martial arts I obtain are entirely related to the sword. Moreover, this Draw-Sword Style can also be unleashed using the method of the 'Three-Foot Sword'..."

Martial skills like the "Three-Foot Sword," which stepped directly onto the path of slaughter, had few equals within the martial academy, and the subsequent techniques Chen Fan acquired were equally practical.

This secret realm seemed to be dedicated to cultivating swordsmen; all the rewards Chen Fan obtained were related to swordsmanship!

And they were all universally applicable.

Although not intent-weapons, they were moves he could utilize no matter how much his strength increased!

Chen Fan's gaze shifted to the third reward.

This time, he received ten mystic bird feathers as a reward.

"I wonder if pills comparable to the Heavenly Origin Pill exist within the Yuansang Secret Realm..."

Under normal circumstances, he was reluctant to exchange for medicinal pills because, compared to the martial arts manuals of the Yuansang Secret Realm, pills were consumed and vanished, preventing their value from being fully maximized.

Yet the mere thought that without suitable pills, he might have to endure two or three grueling years before breaking through to the Grandmaster realm firmed his inner resolve.

The faster he grew stronger, the more opportunities he would be able to seize.

Once he broke through to the Grandmaster realm and truly entered the Radiant Sun Pavilion, would he still have to worry about lacking powerful martial arts to practice?

Returning to the grand hall.

When exchanging for treasures, he directly filtered for medicinal pills, yet simply reading the names on the list before him gave him a headache.

Compared to martial arts, the pills available for him to exchange were far fewer, yet still numerous.

Moreover, the names of these pills were entirely unfamiliar to him.

He turned his head to seek Star Spirit's advice once more.

Upon hearing Chen Fan's request, Star Spirit shook his head and said:

"Pills similar to the Heavenly Origin Pill certainly do not exist here. This secret realm has existed for well over ten thousand years; even if such low-grade pills had survived, their medicinal efficacy would have long since dissipated..."

"However, while there are no pills to help pry open the power of heaven and earth, there are pills that assist in mastering intent—the Spirit Intent Pills. Do you wish to exchange for them?"

"None..." Chen Fan's disappointment was palpable, but upon hearing Star Spirit's latter half sentence, his eyes instantly widened. "They help comprehend intent? Such medicinal pills actually exist in this world? Isn't it said that comprehending intent relies entirely on oneself?"

Star Spirit shook his head: "That is simply because your vision is too narrow and the world you have touched is too small."

"It is extremely difficult for ordinary people to achieve integration, and it requires a vast amount of time. Yet there are always special wondrous treasures in this world that can aid in the comprehension of intent!"

"Spiritual essences possessing elemental attributes, such as fire spirits or thunder crystals—by observing their morphological changes or absorbing them into the body through secret techniques, one can aid in the comprehension of the corresponding intent... Such items are collectively known as the Spirits of Heaven and Earth!"

Chen Fan's eyes widened further.

Fire Spirits?!

The spirits of heaven and earth—such treasures truly existed in this world?!

Countless thoughts flashed through his mind.

Ever since he began practicing martial arts, whenever he witnessed scenes related to martial intent or special items imbued with genuine meaning, he had been able to gain insights. If he could obtain spiritual objects of this nature, then wouldn't...