Chapter 274: Chapter 222 Daluo Heavenly Sleeve: The 3rd Layer! [2nd Update!]
"Transcendence can be worth a hundred years."
"But the cost is enormous."
Chen Jichuan felt the depletion of his Qi-Blood and Mana, the initial joy slowly calmed.
This time, going all out to use transcendence had drained his Qi-Blood and Mana completely. Without relying on pills, merely using cultivation techniques to recover would take at least half a year.
Consuming pills could shorten the recovery time to mere days.
But the pills that could rapidly restore Qi-Blood and Mana for second-order cultivators were incredibly rare and valuable, needless to say.
Moreover, recovery of Qi-Blood and Mana was straightforward, but with depletion of Essence Qi shaking his foundation, only the most treasured spiritual pills combined with ample time could mend it.
"If resources are sufficient, stabilizing one’s foundation and consolidating the core could be achieved within a year, smoothing out all hidden dangers."
"Which means, ensuring ’no harm,’ transcendence could be performed once a year."
Chen Jichuan examined his body internally, estimating the finer details.
Wealth is external to one’s will.
He didn’t mind spending money on such things.
But—
"Even if I want to squander resources, I need ’wealth’ available to squander."
Calculating the amount of pills required to recover Mana, Qi-Blood, and mend Essence Qi foundations, Chen Jichuan’s heart chilled halfway: "The wealth I’ve accumulated in Heaven Mending Sect over the past hundred years would only allow for two or three uses."
Chen Jichuan had joined the Heaven Mending Sect for a hundred and thirty years.
In this period.
He had spent sixty-five years ’online.’ During sixty-five relentless years of slaying monsters and demons, alchemy, and artifact refining to build his fortune, half was used for cultivation, and the other half exchanged in the Heaven Mending Sect for merit points. These merit points were then used to acquire two super-level techniques, which was rewarding.
Thus:
His cultivation pace was not slow, and he’d acquired super-level techniques.
But his remaining wealth was sparse. While it had initially been more than sufficient, now it fell far short.
"Earn money!"
"With abundant wealth, ’transcendence’ can be properly utilized."
The newly obtained talent was indeed remarkable, against all odds, yet with his low cultivation level, it was inherently strenuous to use, necessitating ’burning money’ to sustain itself.
Even so.
’Creation·Transcendence’ held immense significance for Chen Jichuan.
"If my wealth were tens of millions, performing transcendence once a year, in a hundred years, I could cultivate a super-level technique to ten thousand years of proficiency."
"Cultivating for ten thousand years?"
"Perhaps reaching the third realm or fourth realm would not be impossible."
Chen Jichuan’s heart blazed with hope.
Up until now.
Due to the difficulty in comprehending techniques, especially super-level techniques, practice had felt like crawling forward step by step. Thus, after acquiring the ’Daluo Heavenly Sleeve’ and ’Heaven Mending Seal,’ he’d begun losing interest in other super-level techniques within the Heaven Mending Sect.
Unachievable!
Progress slower than a snail!
What use is it to have more super-level techniques if I can’t master any?
Now things were different.
"With ’transcendence,’ the more super-level techniques, the better—they’ll always be superior to deducing them with cultivation alone."
As these thoughts surfaced, Chen Jichuan’s previously restrained ambitions sprang to life.
...
In the following period, Chen Jichuan became exceedingly busy.
In this life, only two years remained before his ’two-hundredth birthday.’ According to the rules of the Heaven Mending Sect, true disciples who either reached two hundred years of age or advanced to second-order were removed from true disciple status.
Although Chen Jichuan’s bone age was still young, the peculiar nature of his ’online’ and ’offline’ status couldn’t be explained to outsiders.
Thus:
In these final two years, Chen Jichuan stayed ’online’ and threw himself into frenzied activity.
He put aside slaying monsters and demons.
Set aside cultivation and training as well.
First, he exchanged all his remaining wealth for pills required for recovering after ’transcendence.’
With his wealth depleted.
He turned to the Heaven Mending Sect and spent over three thousand merit points accumulated over thirty years since exchanging for ’Heaven Mending Seal,’ all on pills for restoring foundations, Qi-Blood, and Mana.
Yet Chen Jichuan still found this insufficient.
Throwing aside all pride, he went around asking for loans.
Given his reputation as ’Immortal Leaderboard leader’ and promising future, people were eager to lend him money to gain favor and connections.
Through this round of borrowing, the results were considerable.
If this borrowed wealth could be converted into merit points, it might be worth tens of thousands of merit points, with enough pills for Chen Jichuan to perform ’transcendence’ ten times.
Unfortunately.
The borrowed wealth couldn’t be converted into merit points; otherwise, Chen Jichuan could have directly exchanged them for a third super-level technique.
But this didn’t matter.
With this financial windfall, Chen Jichuan could fully leverage the Heaven Mending Sect’s regulations to earn merit points.
Time sped by.
In the blink of an eye, a year passed.
...
On this day.
Slaughter Ring Sea, nameless island.
Chen Jichuan performed ’transcendence’ for the fifteenth time.
Finally—
[Daluo Heavenly Sleeve: Third Realm]
"It’s done!"
Emerging from the profound state, Chen Jichuan’s face was pallid. Seeing ’Daluo Heavenly Sleeve’ reach the third realm, his bloodless face lit up with a smile.
"I now possess three super-level techniques."
"’Little Four Nine Wind Thunder Escape Method’ specializes in speed, ineffective for direct confrontation."
"The ’Heaven Mending Seal,’ despite my comprehension, requires time and repeated battles, life-or-death struggles, and healing others to gather death energy and absorb vitality. Even with the rise in my realm, its power won’t significantly improve in one or two years."
"Only the ’Daluo Heavenly Sleeve.’"
"This technique is for capturing—it can seize people and objects. At advanced levels, even mountains, rivers, and celestial bodies can be enveloped."
"Slaughter Ring Sea cultivators are known for their reliance on magical treasures and brutality."
"By elevating the ’Daluo Heavenly Sleeve,’ my combat power would immediately surge, enabling me to traverse Slaughter Ring Sea with ease."
Feeling the intricacies of the enhanced ’Daluo Heavenly Sleeve,’ Chen Jichuan was delighted.
But joy also requires stamina.
At this moment, Chen Jichuan had none, and after a brief moment of happiness, he grabbed a handful of pills nearby and consumed them.
...
Ten days later.
Chen Jichuan opened his eyes, his complexion restored, and the bloodshot traces in his eyes vanished.
Examining his condition.
His Qi-Blood and Mana were entirely restored.
However, his deranged spree of fifteen ’transcendences’ within one year left his Essence Qi severely injured, his foundation loose and unstable, on the verge of collapse. Without recovery, even minor progress in cultivation was a pipe dream.
"The optimal plan was performing transcendence once a year in the presence of abundant pills."
"Fifteen years for fifteen transcendences, without harming foundations or impeding cultivation."
"But with only two years left before losing true disciple status, time was urgent, forcing me to complete it within one year. This has damaged my foundations, and recovery will likely take seventy to eighty years, possibly a century. Prior to this, cultivation will be twice the effort for half the results."
Chen Jichuan shook his head.
The affairs of the world often demand trade-offs.
As in this case.
Fifteen transcendences.
Equivalent to fifteen hundred years of cultivation and comprehension of ’Daluo Heavenly Sleeve.’
Elevating the technique from its barely touched first realm to the third realm.
Although years of recovery were needed afterward, with proper execution, the harvest was extraordinary.
"The third realm of ’Daluo Heavenly Sleeve’."
"One year."
"I hope it’s sufficient."
Chen Jichuan stood up, his cultivation regressing to Qi Refining Tenth Layer and Core Formation Tenth Layer, stepping away from the island.
...
Time flies swiftly.
Days and months pass by.
Flowers bloom, and then wither—another year went by.
This day.
Mount Tailao, at the foot of Jade Peak.
Cheng Beixuan revisited the familiar place, his eyes immediately catching sight of the ’Immortal List’ on Yuhu Mountain Wall.
He had left the Heaven Mending Sect eighty-eight years ago.
After so long.
Names on the ’Immortal List’ had changed and been replaced repeatedly. Former peers listed on the ’Immortal List’ were now scarce.
Only the top name on the leaderboard remained unaltered.
"The Immortal List?"
"First place: Dai Zong."
"Third Senior Uncle, is the leader on this list our Junior Master ’Jade-faced Judge’?"
A young man behind Cheng Beixuan raised his head to look at the mountain wall’s ranking, unable to resist asking aloud.
This young man, named Zhu Ran, was Xue Xiao’s prized disciple.
Eighty-some years ago.
Cheng Beixuan and Xue Xiao had successively returned to the Outer Sea, returning to the Nine Refinement Immortal Mansion.
Apart from devoting themselves to cultivation, they also accepted numerous disciples.
Years passed.
Today, disciples under Xue Xiao had begun to stand out, attaining late-stage Qi Refining at a young age, qualifying them for true disciple status within the Heaven Mending Sect.
But Xue Xiao himself had been unable to break through, still trapped in the Qi Refining Realm.
With limited time remaining, it seemed destined he would fail to reach the second order this lifetime.
This stood in contrast to Cheng Beixuan.
Once known as Nine Refinement Immortal Mansion’s top genius and ranked fifth on the Heaven Mending Sect’s Immortal List as the ’Seven-Handed Yaksha,’ Cheng Beixuan had continued cultivating relentlessly after his return. When fortune smiled upon him, he ascended immediately.
Seven years ago, he’d already become a second-order True Person.
Because of this.
This time, with Nine Refinement Immortal Mansion sending disciples for true inheritance, Cheng Beixuan represented Master Baiyun, escorting Zhu Ran to the Heaven Mending Sect.
Departing once as a mere true disciple, with uncertain prospects.
Returning now as a second-order True Person, with lifespans spanning a thousand years.
Over these eighty-odd years.
In reflection, Cheng Beixuan couldn’t help but feel nostalgic.
"Third Senior Uncle, is the leader on this list our Junior Master ’Jade-faced Judge’?"
Hearing his apprentice’s question, Cheng Beixuan returned to his senses, and for once smiled, nodding: "That’s right. Your Junior Master is immensely brilliant. A hundred and thirty-five years ago, he was already ranked first on the Immortal List; until this day, he remains firmly at the top. Such an achievement may never be surpassed in the future."
Thinking of this Junior Martial Brother, Cheng Beixuan grew sentimental.
During the true inheritance stage, while still in the Qi Refining Realm, he’d already acquired two super-level techniques. With the Junior Brother’s talent, should he later reach the second order, his power undoubtedly would surpass his own. Even their master might not compare.
But, at least for now—
It was Cheng Beixuan who had taken that step first to second order.
"Holding first place for one hundred and thirty-five years!"
"No wonder Master often mentions this Junior Martial Brother."
Zhu Ran couldn’t help but marvel.
The Heaven Mending Sect, drawing together talents from lower sects like Nine Refinement Immortal Mansion, alongside disciples from its main sect, had over four hundred true disciples. To hold the top position for such a long time, unshakable, Chen Jichuan’s strength was evident beyond question.
For Nine Refinement Immortal Mansion, these years with their leader at the helm of the Immortal List couldn’t have been prouder moments.
Master Xue Xiao frequently used this Junior Martial Uncle as a motivational example.
But with the vast geographical distance separating them, such sentiments felt remote.
Until today, standing before this mountain wall, Zhu Ran finally grasped the magnitude of his Junior Master’s prowess.
"To think."
"Our Junior Brother has little more than a month left before reaching two hundred years of age. If he doesn’t wish to remain in the Heaven Mending Sect, returning together would be timely."
Cheng Beixuan pondered privately.
But he wasn’t entirely sure; Chen Jichuan’s extraordinary talent meant even outside the true disciple level, the sect’s powerhouses would compete to recruit him.
Having become accustomed to life in the Central Continent and Inner Sea, he might not want to go back.
As thoughts turned.
He shook them off.
Leading Zhu Ran toward the main gate. Passing through, he discovered the sect now bustled with activity far more than it had eighty years ago.
A sea of people.
Grouped in threes or fives.
Talking animatedly, coming and going in lively clusters.
"It seems the Heaven Mending Sect has prospered quite well over the past eighty years."
Cheng Beixuan initially paid little attention, but as snatches of conversation reached his ears, interspersed with phrases like ’Immortal Leaderboard Leader,’ ’Dai Zong,’ ’Jade-faced Judge,’ ’Second Order,’ ’Daluo Heavenly Sleeve,’ he began to focus carefully.
A few breaths later.
Zhu Ran turned his head toward Cheng Beixuan. Both their faces shifted simultaneously, eyes rounding in disbelief!
...