Chapter 70: Significant Power Increase

The two were startled by the voice. It was familiar, yet they hadn't heard it in a long time.

"Master, you've come out of seclusion!"

"Lu An, you've finally emerged!"

Seeing Lu An's figure, their hearts skipped a beat. His hair and beard had grown long, and his aura was deep and vast, beyond their comprehension. The most striking thing was his blood-red eyes, and every gesture radiated an unsettling killing intent.

They were astonished. Wasn't Lu An supposed to be in seclusion? Why did he seem as if he'd been battling on a battlefield for three years? This kind of oppressive aura could only come from someone who had survived mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

"Master, you've advanced to the ninth level of Qi Refining!"

Lu An nodded, withdrawing the outward killing intent back into his body. Seeing the familiar faces before him again, he felt a deep sense of warmth.

Gu Yuer was shocked. Her cultivation had once been higher than Lu An's, but now, she had fallen behind him. Bai Sheng, however, was unconcerned with these matters and only felt immense admiration for his master, who he now regarded as an extraordinary genius.

Lu An stepped forward and patted Bai Sheng's shoulder, offering praise.

"Not bad. You've reached the later stage of Qi Refining in just three years, showing that you haven't neglected your cultivation."

Bai Sheng scratched his head, embarrassed but respectful.

"It's all thanks to your Small Qi Gathering Talismans, Master. I was lucky to break through."

After asking a few more questions, Lu An waved his hand, gesturing for the two to go enjoy the temple fair. He then began reflecting on the fruits of his seclusion.

During this period, he had pushed his cultivation to the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining, making him ready to attempt Foundation Establishment at any time. This rapid progress was closely tied to his preparations. With the help of the Qi Gathering Formation, Qi Condensing Pills, and Small Qi Gathering Talismans, his cultivation had surged like a rocket.

However, the amount of spiritual energy required at each level in the later stages of Qi Refining was several times greater than before. Even with all these aids, he wouldn't have reached this point under normal circumstances. The real reason for his breakthrough had to do with the Jade Coffin Secret Realm.

Over the years, Lu An had continuously absorbed the remnant souls in that realm, clearing out nearly the entire outer region. According to Li Ziyou's information, there were remnant souls at the Foundation Establishment level in the central area, so he hadn't ventured there yet. He had, however, mostly figured out the layout of the outer area, where he discovered the inscription "Soul Refining Sect" at an ancient gate.

It seemed that something terrible had happened here. The entire sect appeared to have been massacred, with all the disciples turning into remnant souls. This was extremely abnormal. Normally, when a cultivator dies, their soul either dissipates without a physical vessel or seeks to reincarnate through possession. Otherwise, they face extinction. Yet, the remnant souls in this place had existed for countless years without fading, and their minds were filled only with thoughts of killing, as if they had been sacrificed in some horrific ritual.

Even though Lu An's Devouring Soul Sword helped him cleanse the chaotic thoughts, he still had to endure them entering his sea of consciousness. These years had been mentally exhausting. However, the rewards were great: both his Yimu Soul Cultivation Method and Everlasting Spring Technique had reached the ninth level. The Everlasting Spring Technique could go no further as it had reached its limit, while the Yimu Soul Cultivation Method was restricted by his current cultivation level but could continue once he broke through to Foundation Establishment.

With these two techniques, Lu An's true energy had become incredibly dense, exceeding that of others at the same level by at least thirty percent. Most importantly, his spiritual power had already reached the level of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Both in concentration and overall quantity, it was no weaker than those who had already established their foundations.

He extended his spiritual sense, effortlessly covering a range of dozens of miles. This level of spiritual prowess was something few Qi Refining cultivators could match. Moreover, the various techniques for manipulating spiritual power within the Yimu Soul Cultivation Method made his control over it far more refined. Even Foundation Establishment cultivators might not be able to rival him in terms of mastery over spiritual energy.

Lu An formed a hand seal, causing his spiritual sense to transform into a mist that enveloped the cultivation chambers of Ying Chang and his wife. They were both meditating, completely unaware of the intrusion. After a moment, Lu An retracted his spiritual sense and nodded in satisfaction.

Then, silently chanting an incantation, his aura disappeared entirely, making him indistinguishable from an ordinary person. Even a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator would find it difficult to detect anything unusual.

"No wonder soul cultivation techniques are said to have limitless potential," Lu An thought, pleased. Yet before he could enjoy his triumph, a sudden pang of pain shot through his sea of consciousness, though it quickly faded.

He raised an eyebrow. Ever since advancing the Yimu Soul Cultivation Method to the ninth level, he had frequently experienced these headaches. Usually, they passed quickly, so he hadn't paid them much mind, thinking they were just a side effect of his growing spiritual power. But the pain had become more frequent as his spiritual sense grew stronger, forcing him to confront the issue.

"Perhaps County Lord and Senior Gu, with their vast knowledge, could help. I should seek them out."

Although he had been in seclusion, he hadn't been completely out of touch with the two. After establishing the sect, Gu Chuanfei had sent him a map, and the County Lord had provided him with many talisman materials, alleviating his pressing need for supplies. Thanks to their assistance, his talisman-making had improved significantly during these three years.

Without further delay, Lu An washed up and set out for the San Cai Dao Sect.

Leaving Guyang County, he noticed the road was filled with travelers, all heading in the same direction as him. With his spiritual sense, he easily overheard their conversations.

"In a few days, the San Cai Dao Sect will hold its annual disciple recruitment. We'd better hurry and get there early to prepare."

"Arriving early won't help you if you're not confident about the test."

The person who had spoken earlier went silent, his expression betraying his uncertainty about the difficulty of the test.

Lu An smiled faintly. It seemed the San Cai Dao Sect had become quite popular, drawing many hopefuls. This was no surprise—Guyang County, a small place, had never had a proper sect before. The Divine Talisman Sect was just a branch, after all. Now, with the San Cai Dao Sect rising to prominence and having a Core Formation master at its helm, it naturally attracted many aspiring cultivators.

Three days later, Lu An arrived at the foot of the San Cai Dao Sect's mountain, where a large crowd of rogue cultivators had gathered, all eager to participate in the entrance examination.

In front of the mountain gate, an old man sat at a table, with a long queue lined up.

"Bone age twenty-two, exceeds the limit, not acceptable."

"Five-element mixed spiritual roots, too poor in aptitude, disqualified."

"Bone age sixteen, three spiritual roots of gold, fire, and earth. Hmm, not bad. Proceed to the next round of the examination."

...

Lu An's eyes lit up as he recognized the old man; it was one of the elders of the Li family.

Without hesitation, he walked toward him.

But halfway there, a burly man from the queue suddenly grabbed him.

"Hey, kid! Want to join the sect? Get in line at the back! Don't know the rules? Watch out, or I'll beat you!"

Lu An raised an eyebrow, his blood-red eyes lightly glanced at the man, and a sudden surge of killing intent exploded from his gaze.

The burly man suddenly felt as if he were in a sea of corpses and blood, surrounded by dismembered bodies and man-eating monsters. He took several steps back, screaming in terror.

"No, don't kill me! No—"

The commotion drew the attention of the crowd, but Lu An merely shook his head.

He shrugged off the burly man and continued walking toward the elder alone.

"Elder Li, it's been a while."