Chapter 64: Chapter 64: Twelve Years of Sudden Progress
For ten years now, Ji Chen and Qu Luoning’s appearance hasn’t changed at all.
However, their mindset has matured significantly because of this.
By now, they have fully adapted to these dull and aimless days.
Ten years—it’s hard to imagine how one could endure the torment of time spent in this pale world. How does an ordinary person manage to survive it?
Without a strong desire to survive and powerful willpower, an ordinary person would likely have gone insane from the torment long ago.
During these ten years, they never gave up on the idea of finding the eye of the formation.
Because it was their only goal all along.
And it was the only reason keeping them going!
But after ten years of searching, fruitless, by now, they have planned to give up and let nature take its course.
It is worth mentioning that although the Spiritual Qi in this Spatial Domain is depleted, it’s not entirely absent.
Thus, over the ten years, their cultivation has made slight progress.
Currently, Ji Chen has broken through from the Vein Condensation Realm Seventh Layer to the Eighth Realm.
Ultimately, it’s because the Spiritual Qi is too sparse, and it took ten years for Ji Chen’s cultivation to advance just one small realm.
This is all due to the cultivation of the Supreme Scripture!
Meanwhile, Qu Luoning remains at the Spirit Transformation Realm First Layer, but her Spiritual Power has improved slightly, reaching the mid-stage of the Spirit Transformation Realm First Layer, moving toward the later stage, perhaps in another ten years or so, she should be able to break through to the Spirit Transformation Realm Second Layer.
"When will these days come to an end..."
On this day, Ji Chen, with a determination strong as his, couldn’t help but speak up.
Qu Luoning beside him chuckled upon hearing, "I didn’t expect you to complain; this is the first time in ten years."
Compared to the current Ji Chen, Qu Luoning appeared much more leisurely and content.
She had completely adapted to such days, and had long since calmed her mind.
"We are supposed to spend hundreds of years here; only ten years have passed now. It’s truly too long. If the Spiritual Qi here were sufficiently abundant to allow normal cultivation, it’d be different, but..."
Ji Chen was ranting; he suddenly froze as if he realized something.
"What’s the matter?" Qu Luoning looked at him in confusion.
"Buzz..."
Just then, Ji Chen flipped his palm, and a white light flashed, revealing a palm-sized round stone in his hand.
Instantly, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi became extremely lush.
"What is this..."
Qu Luoning also noticed the change, looked at the round stone in Ji Chen’s hand with surprise.
"The Holy Dragon Source Stone!"
Ji Chen spoke, "I found it in a valley before, and in ten years I hadn’t even thought about it."
The Source Stone contains extremely pure Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, concentrated to the extreme.
Such an item, if placed in a sect’s premises, would enhance every disciple’s cultivation by several tiers within a few short years.
"Perhaps being trapped here isn’t entirely a bad thing for us!"
Gazing at the Holy Dragon Source Stone in his hand, Ji Chen’s eyes sparkled.
Because now, it meant that the two of them could cultivate normally.
Most importantly, the hundreds of years here equate to mere days outside.
That means, when the Ancient Ruins close and they are transported out, only a few days would have passed outside, while they have actually cultivated here for hundreds of years!
It’s hard to fathom what kind of enhancement their cultivation will undergo in those hundreds of years.
Such enhancement, to outsiders, would have taken only a few short days!
"You actually obtained such an item!"
Qu Luoning’s face also showed excitement; this was the first time she smiled joyfully from her heart in ten years.
Immediately, the two sat cross-legged on the spot, attempting to cultivate.
The Holy Dragon Source Stone is indeed a rare item in the world.
Even in this sparsely Spiritual Qi Spatial Domain, it could continually provide abundant Spiritual Qi to Ji Chen and Qu Luoning.
In later times, Ji Chen and Qu Luoning almost ceased advancing and focused on cultivating alongside the Holy Dragon Source Stone.
In the blink of an eye, another year passed.
This marked the eleventh year of Ji Chen and Qu Luoning’s confinement here, and the first year of cultivation using the Holy Dragon Source Stone.
By now, the duo’s cultivation had significantly advanced.
Qu Luoning broke through to the Spirit Transformation Realm Third Layer.
And Ji Chen, because of his cultivation of the Supreme Scripture, his pace is naturally faster than ordinary people.
By now, he not only broke through from Vein Condensation Realm Third Layer to Spirit Transformation Realm, but reached Spirit Transformation Realm Second Layer, only a small realm below Qu Luoning.
Even so, in terms of combat power, Ji Chen was definitely far above Qu Luoning!
Primarily because he possessed nine Spirit Veins.
With the advantage of nine Spirit Veins, with Ji Chen’s current Spirit Transformation Realm Second Layer cultivation, even those in ordinary Spirit Transformation Realm Fifth or Sixth Layer may not be his equal!
Besides daily cultivation, Ji Chen and Qu Luoning occasionally spar now to enhance their combat experience.
Initially, Qu Luoning held back because Ji Chen’s cultivation was lower than hers, but later on, she discovered his strength, if truly put into battle, was indeed not inferior to hers!
This surprised her greatly.
Consider that she had three Spirit Veins.
Yet Ji Chen, with lower cultivation, could still suppress her in sparring, clearly implying Ji Chen held more Spirit Veins than she did.
"Honestly, how many Spirit Veins do you have in your Spiritual Sea?"
In the twelfth year here, Qu Luoning broke through to Spirit Transformation Realm Fourth Layer, while Ji Chen reached Spirit Transformation Realm Fifth Layer, his cultivation officially surpassing hers.
On this day, after sparring, Qu Luoning finally couldn’t help but ask the question lingering in her heart.
Ji Chen heard, eyed her back, but smiled, "Secret."
"We’ve spent twelve years together here; do you still not trust me?" Qu Luoning was quite speechless.
"Don’t trust."
Ji Chen nodded directly, "Because sooner or later we’ll have a day we’ll leave here; if you leak this out then, what would happen?"
"Never mind whether I would tell; even if I did, is this really significant? Is the number of Spirit Veins worth hiding like this?"
"Look at Qingcheng’s sister, renowned in the Profound Domain for four Spirit Veins; if you indeed have four Spirit Veins too, it wouldn’t be shocking news."
Qu Luoning truly couldn’t understand, because in her viewpoint, if Ji Chen indeed possessed four Spirit Veins, surely he could rival Liu Qingcheng.
Such news spreading wouldn’t have any downside for him; instead, he’d be sought out by various forces, bringing more benefits!