(The following four chapters were accidentally posted in the wrong order. Please read them according to the number order above. I apologize for my mistake.)
The moment the spaceship passed through the golden stargate, a surge of spiritual energy, almost solidified, rushed into the cabin like a flood bursting its banks.
Compared to the spiritual energy in the Spirit Ruins Realm, the spiritual energy here is not only more than ten times richer, but also carries a profound sense of containing fragments of laws—taking a breath feels as if even one's soul has been cleansed.
"Hmm..."
Xiao Chen felt the spiritual energy in his dantian like boiling magma, and the bottleneck that had been suppressed in the Spirit Ruins Realm shattered! The barrier of the early stage of the Tribulation Transcending Realm cracked like paper, and the spiritual energy surged wildly, striking the next level along the meridians. In just a few breaths, he steadily reached the late stage of the Tribulation Transcending Realm!
Even more astonishingly, this momentum has not stopped. Nourished by the fragments of laws, the spiritual energy has become increasingly condensed, showing faint signs of rushing towards the peak of the Tribulation Transcending Realm.
"Tsk, another nouveau riche from a small world."
"He couldn't suppress his cultivation level as soon as he entered the Xuanqiong realm. It's obvious that his foundation is weak and that he's just built up his strength with spiritual energy."
"Stay away from them. Getting too close to this kind of person lowers your own status."
A low murmur arose from the surroundings, filled with undisguised disdain.
The cultivators on the deck quickly moved to the side, looking at Xiao Chen as if he were a troublesome object.
In the Xuanqiong Realm, only cultivators from small worlds who have never been exposed to high-level spiritual energy will experience this kind of "out-of-control breakthrough." In their view, this is a sign of an unstable foundation, making it difficult for them to achieve great things.
Xiao Chen didn't care about this at all; he simply closed his eyes and guided his spiritual energy to stabilize his realm.
He could understand these people's disdain—cultivators in the Xuanqiong Realm were immersed in high-level spiritual energy from childhood, and their realm advancement was solid step by step, so they naturally looked down on this kind of "instant ascension."
But he doesn't care about other people's opinions. His strength is his own, and only he knows whether his foundation is solid or not.
"call……"
A moment later, Xiao Chen opened his eyes. His aura as a late-stage Tribulation Transcending cultivator calmed down, and a hint of enlightenment flashed in his eyes.
The fragments of laws contained in the spiritual energy of the Xuanqiong Realm gave him a new understanding of "spear intent," making this breakthrough worthwhile.
"Senior Brother, you've broken through?"
Stone leaned closer, his face full of excitement. Although he hadn't broken through to a higher realm, he felt every pore on his body breathing.
Xuanqiong's spiritual energy surged into his body, causing his physical form to swell slightly, as if he had inexhaustible strength. "The spiritual energy here is really powerful! Much stronger than in the Spirit Ruins Realm, it will definitely be more exciting to fight here!"
Xiao Chen smiled and nodded, patting him on the shoulder: "Let's go down and take a look first."
The Starship docked at "Mysterious Vault Port"—a port suspended in the sea of stars, which was more than a hundred times more prosperous than Falling Star Port.
Various colored flying boats shuttled through the air, while cultivators moved about on the ground in droves. There were noble scions riding unicorns and barbarian warriors carrying giant blades.
There were even some alien cultivators with wings and horns on their foreheads, whose auras were at least at the Tribulation Transcending Realm, and the Dao Seeking Realm was even more common. The pressure of the Ascension Realm would occasionally come from afar, making people tremble.
Xiao Chen spent ten high-grade spirit stones to buy a copy of the "Complete Map of the Xuanqiong Realm" from a general store at the port. As soon as he got his hands on the jade slip, a stream of information flooded into his mind, clearly displaying the division of power and geographical distribution of Xuanqiong before his eyes.
The Xuanqiong Realm is vast, encompassing countless smaller realms, and is ruled by the Lin family.
However, the Lin family did not personally handle everything. Instead, they granted most of the territory to their subordinate forces. As long as the "territory tax" was paid on time, they hardly interfered in internal affairs.
This lenient rule has turned the Xuanqiong Realm into a "melting pot" of power—major sects, small families, merchant guilds, mercenary groups, and alliances of rogue cultivators... a diverse array of entities, yet also a mixed bag.
What concerned Xiao Chen even more was that the jade slip mentioned that the Xuanqiong Realm was the "testing ground" for all the geniuses of the heavens.
Every day, geniuses from different small worlds flood in, each hailed as a "once-in-a-century" or "once-in-a-millennium" talent in their native world. Yet, in Xuanqiong, less than one in ten thousand can truly distinguish themselves. The competition here is so brutal that it can crush any pride.
"How can we establish ourselves?" Xiao Chen pondered, looking at the densely packed power markers on the map.
The first thought was to "join a faction." The major sects in the Xuanqiong Realm possess the most complete cultivation resources and the most advanced cultivation techniques. Joining one would undoubtedly save one from many detours.
But Xiao Chen rejected the idea as soon as it came to mind.
He thought of his master, Lin Zhou. That being, who could annihilate a domain lord with a flick of his finger and set up a grand formation with a wave of his hand, had never hindered their progress.
If he were to join another faction for resources and be bound by rules and regulations, wouldn't that be a betrayal of his freedom? Moreover, with Master's strength, what power in the Xuanqiong Realm would have the right to make him submit to anyone else?
"I will not join any faction," Xiao Chen said in a low voice, his eyes resolute.
The second option is to become a "freelance practitioner".
Unaffiliated cultivators are free and unrestrained, they don't need to care about anyone's opinion, they can cultivate wherever they go, and they rely entirely on their own abilities to encounter opportunities.
However, the jade slip also clearly states that being a rogue cultivator is the most dangerous profession in the Xuanqiong Realm. Without the protection of any powerful force, it is common to have one's treasures stolen or to be ambushed; if one dies, no one will even collect the body.
Many geniuses from small worlds, who came to Xuanqiong wanting to become "free cultivators," turned out to become "stepping stones" for others.
"So what if it's dangerous?" Xiao Chen gripped the rusty iron gun tightly, feeling the familiar coolness of the shaft. "It's better than being controlled by someone else."
He looked up at the sea of stars outside the harbor, where countless stars twinkled. Each star represented a region, an opportunity, or perhaps a dangerous place.
"Senior Brother, where are we going?" Stone, carrying the Xuan Iron Armor, looked at the passing cultivators, eager to try. "How about we find a place to have a fight first? Let's see how powerful the cultivators of Xuanqiong are!"
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