Invincible Starts From Dao Fruit
Chapter 169 - 136 Time Flies: 228 Years!

Chapter 169: Chapter 136 Time Flies: 228 Years!

Traveling from north to south, when will it end? Time slips away like an arrow in flight.

Year by year, time passes.

Forty years after Chen Jichuan entered his ’slumber,’ the paper figures he had refined for over three hundred years first broke through, achieving the first-order cultivation level. A single figure’s combat strength equaled that of a Core Formation First Layer cultivator.

When forty-nine of them charged together, even Qi Refining Second and Third Layer cultivators would quail in fear.

Chen Jichuan’s comprehension of the ’Paper Cutting into Soldiers Skill’ grew deeper, further enhancing his techniques within the Jade Spring World.

Sixty-two years into his ’slumber,’ one of the Five Directions Ten Directions Five Ghosts he refined, specifically the ’Five Ghosts of Soul Enchantment,’ broke through to the Night Travel level. It could withstand the Qi-Blood impact of a Core Formation Martial Artist temporarily and posed a significant threat to both Qi Refining and Core Formation cultivators.

His attainment and understanding of the ’Five Ghosts Yin Soldiers Skill’ reached an even higher level.

Seventy years into his ’slumber.’

The Wind Thunder Immortal Almond Tree within the Liyun Immortal Mansion blossomed and bore fruit, producing two Immortal Almonds.

Chen Jichuan awakened from the Ancestor Master Cave on Jade Spring Mountain and began pill refinement, successfully creating eighteen Wind Thunder Pills.

He sealed ten pills and distributed the other eight to the sect’s eight most diligent disciples, whose temperament was optimal and talent extraordinary, having reached either Innate Extreme or Transforming Strength Extreme.

Each was also granted two Core Formation Pills.

Half a month later.

In Echo Valley, the third Qi Refining Immortal Master advanced. Named Guang Yixian, he was an eighth-generation disciple of Jade Spring Mountain and a direct descendant of Second-generation Ancestor Master Lu Qing.

Ten days later.

Sima Pu broke through, becoming the fourth first-order cultivator in Echo Valley and the first Core Formation Immortal Master from the Body Refining Lineage.

News of his breakthrough caused an uproar.

The Body Refining Lineage celebrated jubilantly, with over a hundred disciples praising the bright future ahead and brimming with renewed enthusiasm.

With Guang Yixian and Sima Pu’s successive advancements, Echo Valley’s successors were secure.

Banquets and celebrations lasted several days.

When the festivities ended.

Amid the fleeting prosperity.

Second-generation Ancestor Master Lu Qing, sensing his time was near, chose to emulate Founding Ancestor Master Chen Jichuan by voluntarily entering the Ancestor Master Cave for self-imposed ’slumber,’ safeguarding the sect’s mountain gate.

When he entered his slumber, Lu Qing’s cultivation was at Qi Refining Fifth Layer.

Shortly thereafter.

Founding Ancestor Master Chen Jichuan took time to bid farewell to an old acquaintance before returning to the Ancestor Master Cave to continue his ’slumber.’

And so.

Echo Valley turned a fresh page in its history, as Guang Yixian and Sima Pu earned the title of Third-generation Ancestor Masters among disciples and sect members.

...

One hundred ten years into Chen Jichuan’s ’slumber.’

He achieved full completion at Qi Refining Third Layer, with his Pure Yang True Fire eternally burning, tempering both his mana and Sword Qi day and night. Within his body, Sword Qi grew to three hundred ninety-nine strands, just one strand short of breaking through to Qi Refining Fourth Layer.

The human body contains two hundred six bones, within which indescribable shackles reside—binding the physical body, making it heavy and difficult to transcend.

Refine, break free from these shackles.

And the body can be liberated, becoming light and agile, naturally generating pure energy, enabling Sword Flight and Wind Manipulation.

A Third Layer cultivator can hover up to twenty miles above ground.

While a Fourth Layer cultivator can break past limits, reaching twenty-four miles in height. By leveraging air currents, such a cultivator can travel three thousand miles within a single day and night.

In the past, Cen Guanghong traversed between the North Pole by flying from high altitudes.

This method provided two advantages—

First, increased speed.

Second, mana conservation.

However, two concerns must be noted—

The first is the presence of flying demon beasts which may hover in the skies to hunt.

With no cover in the air, encountering such ferocious creatures makes evasion or escape nearly impossible.

The second concern arises from ground-level evaporation, dust, microorganisms, and toxic substances introduced by human activities into the atmosphere, resulting in various unstable reactions. As air masses cool or heat up, water vapor may give rise to rainfall, snow, hail, frost, dew, clouds, fog, and other weather phenomena, potentially threatening Qi Refining Immortal Masters.

Theoretically, Qi Refining Fourth Layer cultivators could achieve daily flights of three thousand miles, even taking into account the physical body’s endurance. If enhanced with Magical Treasures or techniques for body protection, this speed could become even greater.

In practice, however, cultivators often face danger zones or extreme weather conditions, compelling most to fly at lower altitudes or travel by land or sea.

Continuous high-speed flight without pause is avoided to maintain mana above a safe threshold.

Nonetheless.

Qi Refining Fourth Layer marks a qualitative leap compared to Third Layer. Faster flight alone makes it difficult for early-stage cultivators to escape mid-stage ones.

The difference in mana and realm need not be elaborated.

Fully completing Qi Refining Third Layer, Chen Jichuan’s next step was to refine his first bone and break free from its shackle, entering the middle stage of Qi Refining.

Though it sounds simple.

The so-called ’shackle,’ invisible and intangible, cannot be found even if one were to extract and grind the bone into powder.

All must rely on insight and slowly perceive its existence through mana and True Fire.

Specific instructions exist in cultivation manuals such as the ’Sword Map,’ but the actual practice is exceedingly difficult.

...

Eighteen years after achieving completion in Third Layer.

Chen Jichuan utilized the Core Formation Pill, focused his mind, and finally perceived the first shackle hidden within one of his ribs. Successfully refining it, he ascended to Qi Refining Fourth Layer.

That year.

Chen Jichuan was 459 years old, with a bone age of 242 years.

In contrast, Second-generation Ancestor Master Lu Qing broke through to Qi Refining Fourth Layer at the age of 189, achieving it fifty-three years earlier than Chen Jichuan.

...

Time flows like an arrow.

A century passed.

On a certain day.

At the eastern extremity of Mysterious Nether Sea, 4,200 feet above ground, a streak of golden light fled ahead while a plume of black cloud pursued closely behind.

It was evident that the black cloud was faster.

Within the black cloud stood an elderly Daoist with white hair, wielding a horsetail whisk and carrying a yellow-skinned gourd at his waist, appearing leisurely and composed.

Inside the golden light ahead, another elder dressed in exquisite robes maneuvered a flying sword enveloped in golden light with all his might, unable to gain any additional speed.

The lavishly dressed elder was pale-faced, his expression a mixture of terror and rage: "Qizhenzi, enough of your bullying! I have close ties with Xiang Tian of the Five Elements Sect and Brother Ma of the Molong Sect! If you kill me, with both sects hunting you down, there will be no place for you to hide—above the heavens or beneath the earth!"

The Five Elements Sect was the number one Immortal Sect in Mysterious Nether Sea.

The Molong Sect ranked among the top five.

Both sects held power far greater than the weakest of the Seven Immortal Sects in Mysterious Nether Sea, Echo Valley. Furthermore, Xiang Tian and Ma Tianfang were core Ancestor Masters with genuine authority in their respective sects.

These connections were indeed intimidating on the surface.

"Xiang Tian of the Five Elements Sect?"

"Ma Tianfang of the Molong Sect?"

Chen Jichuan couldn’t help but smile.

He remembered those two.

Before he entered ’slumber,’ they had visited Jade Spring Mountain seeking pills. Recognizing their extraordinary potential, Chen Jichuan even offered some guidance.

Two centuries later, the pair had become renowned figures in Mysterious Nether Sea.

It was unfortunate.

For reasons unknown, they had chosen poorly, befriending the likes of Wei Yizhen, an utter scoundrel.

Chen Jichuan shook his head and said, "Your heart harbors ill intentions, and you sought to harm me first. If Xiang Tian and Ma Tianfang knew, I doubt they’d want to associate with you!"

It was a mere coincidence that he exposed the ’Primordial Yang Pearl,’ yet Wei Yizhen immediately schemed to harm him. Chen Jichuan, having anticipated such treachery, escaped peril through foresight.

Now he sought the protection of others like Xiang Tian and Ma Tianfang, but it was far too late.

"When I met Xiang Tian and Ma Tianfang, they were still stuck at the Innate stage!"

Chen Jichuan scoffed inwardly.

Moreover.

He had killed Qi Refining Immortal Masters from both the Five Elements Sect and the Molong Sect in the past—how could Wei Yizhen’s threats frighten him?

"Qizhenzi!"

"You deliberately exposed the ’Primordial Yang Pearl’ to entice me to act!"

"You had already placed a curse on me before I even struck!"

Wei Yizhen’s face turned red, blood spilling from his lips, anger giving way to agitated despair.

Given his cultivation level, few across Mysterious Nether Sea could best him directly.

Yet here he was, entangled with Qizhenzi from Righteous Qi Island.

This individual, neither entirely virtuous nor wholly corrupt, was notorious for his ruthless methods and mastery of bizarre spells capable of killing without a trace. Over the years, numerous Qi Refining Immortal Masters had vanished mysteriously, their deaths indubitably linked to this old Daoist.

He previously thought little of the rumors, but after encountering Qizhenzi firsthand, Wei Yizhen realized just how troublesome he was.

Unbeknownst to him, he had fallen under a curse that lay dormant until activated, paralyzing his Daoist arts and mana.

"Despicable!"

Wei Yizhen felt as though flames burned within him, disrupting his mana and rattling his psyche.

The golden light from his escaping sword wavered, drastically reducing his speed. This was unmistakably the curse’s effect, lingering until now only to erupt at the crucial moment.

"Heh!"

Chen Jichuan let out a light chuckle, dismissive of Wei Yizhen’s plight.

Noticing the latter’s unstable sword light and flushed expression, he knew the desired moment had arrived.

He promptly ordered the ’Roaming Cloud Five Ghosts’ to steady the black cloud, while he began stepping through the Gang Step with confidence, chanting aloud: "Eyes raised to the azure heavens, delivering this message before my Master. First slay the Green-Robed Monk, then the Red-Appareled Priest. Thirdly, the Yellow-Clothed Daoist. Lastly, all crafts and skills masters alike. If an adversary of evil arts raises their left hand, sever the tendons there; if their right hand, sever the tendons there! Let them chant curses only to vomit blood in anguish! For whom this curse casts down—torn asunder with three steps, broken upon five steps, left eye weeps, right eye bleeds; triple soul evaporates, seven lives rob departure, dashed deep into the abyssal wells, by decree of the Southern Dipper Six Stars and Beidou Seven Stars, I command this in service to Pharaoh Immortal Master upon my word!"

Simultaneously, he retrieved the yellow-skinned gourd at his waist.

While tracing the ’井’ symbol with his horsetail whisk.

"Pfft!"

As he intoned ’vomit blood,’ Wei Yizhen felt a stabbing pain deep within his chest and coughed up a mouthful of black blood.

"Hmm~"

When he proclaimed ’three steps torn asunder, five steps broken,’ the sword light faltered further, quivering up and down. Steady sword flight abandoned Wei Yizhen, causing the cultivator to tumble and grunt in pain.

Then ’left eye weeps’ and ’right eye bleeds’ followed.

The ’Cooking Rice and Meat Spell’ collapsed outright, igniting his inner ’stove flames’ into fierce combustion, rendering Wei Yizhen parched and rattled by the agitation of his three corpse gods.

"Ah—"

His mana spiraled into chaos.

The flying sword unruly in its motion, sending Wei Yizhen spiraling toward the earth with a drawn-out scream.

Chen Jichuan waited until the moment when Wei Yizhen plummeted, then he opened the yellow gourd’s lid and barked, "Collect!"

Yellow light surged forth.

Engulfed Wei Yizhen as he descended, drawing him into the gourd in one sweep. Chen Jichuan seized the moment, sealing the gourd’s mouth tightly.

Bang, bang, bang!

The gourd quaked violently, seemingly on the verge of exploding.

"As expected from a Qi Refining Fifth Layer cultivator!"

Chen Jichuan observed the commotion, quickly plucking several evil-suppressing charms from his waistband and sticking them to the gourd’s opening, successfully subduing its agitation.

"Mission accomplished!"

Chen Jichuan shook the gourd lightly and tied it back to his waist.

Once ensnared by the ’Evil Absorption Technique’ and trapped in this gourd he had refined for years, Wei Yizhen would inevitably dissolve into pus within seven days. Unless he could escape the gourd within this timeframe, escape was impossible.

Upon death, all his Magical Treasures and Spirit Pills would belong to Chen Jichuan, in addition to his reserves of Essence Qi, which though unfit for direct cultivation, were excellent for forging pills and cultivating medicine.

That said, Chen Jichuan cared little for those essences.

"The body of a Qi Refining Immortal Master is rare, while that of a Qi Refining Fifth Layer cultivator is an unparalleled treasure."

"Once refined into a corpse puppet, it will dominate the Fourth and Fifth Layers effortlessly, and even against the Third Layer, its strength would be overwhelming!"

Chen Jichuan gently touched the gourd at his waist.

He had meticulously executed his spells and curses, and pursued Wei Yizhen deliberately, aiming solely at acquiring his physical body.

After a brief pause.

The ’Roaming Village and Robust Five Ghosts’ retrieved the flying sword Wei Yizhen had abandoned earlier and reverently presented it.

Chen Jichuan, brimming with anticipation, commanded the ’Roaming Cloud Five Ghosts’ to stir eerie winds and summon dark clouds, disappearing into the horizon with chilling speed.

...