CHAPTER 287: PROGRESS 1

Ninety years passed in the blink of an eye.

Over the past ninety years, Zhen Yuan and the others lived a contradictory life of idleness and busyness.

When idle, they sat at the peach pavilion to eat and drink wine.

As for the busy times, they mined, refined their body, practised martial arts, and studied.

As a result, Shen Xu had completely stabilised his cultivation, perfected his alchemy, weaponry, and cooking masteries at the peak of level seven, practised his hammer art, and learned two soul martial arts and a body martial art.

Of the two soul arts, the first opened his third eye, giving him the ability to see through illusions and generate illusions.

As for the second, it was a soul sword attack technique.

However, this technique was refined and powerful, completely incomparable to the crude soul sword he previously used.

After learning the soul martial arts, the double practised the four-star body art.

This technique utilised body cultivation and was a comprehensive art containing a fist technique, palm technique, kick technique, and defence technique.

At the moment, Shen Xu had initially mastered the four techniques but his level was nowhere near perfection.

Excluding these, Shen Xu also practised his hammer art, improving his skills by leaps and bounds.

Similar to Shen Xu, Zhen Yuan also practised the two soul martial arts and the four-star body art.

After learning these, he upgraded his talisman, formation, and inscription skills from the peak of level seven to early level eight.

Unfortunately, everything was in theory because he lacked level eight materials.

On this day, Zhen Yuan and Shen Xu were drinking wine while watching Yang Shi and the others mine.

"The spirit vein is almost exhausted." Shen Xu said, looking at the hollowed-out mountain.

"Mmh." Zhen Yuan nodded with a thoughtful expression.

"What’s on your mind?"

"Your cultivation is stable after these years of body refining. You can retreat at any time."

"I plan to as soon as we leave the secret realm." Shen Xu said and quickly continued.

"I have drops of clarity, fire souls, spirit stones, and other treasures. They are enough to advance my cultivation from mid to the peak of the void refining realm."

After saying that, Shen Xu turned to Zhen Yuan.

"What about you? What’s your plan?" He asked.

"Same as you. I have accumulated enough laws to advance my cultivation from early to peak seven. Also..."

"Also?"

"I have a feeling I will be able to light my second gold pillar after this retreat."

Shen Xu was surprised when he heard this.

However, he was happy for Zhen Yuan.

After lighting the first golden pillar, Zhen Yuan comprehended the heavenly law of space.

Following that precedent, Shen Xu expected Zhen Yuan would comprehend another heavenly law after lighting the second golden pillar.

Thinking of this, he excitedly squeezed Zhen Yuan’s hand.

"Ayuan, which heavenly law do you think you will enlighten?" He asked.

However, Zhen Yuan frowned when he heard the question.

He had long understood that comprehending ordinary laws would light the silver pillars and improve his cultivation.

Unfortunately, he was in the dark about the golden pillars and heavenly laws.

Still, he hazarded a guess.

"I have mostly accumulated gravity and fire laws since my last retreat. I reckon the second heavenly law has to do with gravity, but I am not sure."

Hearing this, Shen Xu tilted his head with a thoughtful expression.

A few moments later, he nodded and spoke.

"I think you are right."

As the two were talking, Yang Shi dug out a fist-sized spirit stone.

Unlike ordinary spirit stones, this one was crystal-clear; so much so that for a moment, Shen Xu thought he was looking at a diamond.

"So beautiful." He exclaimed, reaching for the spirit stone.

"Peak grade spirit stones are naturally crystal-clear and beautiful because they have no impurities." Feng Xue said.

Even in the Tianxuan continent, peak-grade spirit stones were extremely rare. Not even the Tianxuan sect and other major forces had a big stash of them.

"How many are there?" Shen Xu asked.

"Give or take one hundred." Feng Xue estimated.

"One hundred are enough." Shen Xu happily nodded.

With one hundred peak-grade spirit stones, they could all advance to the fusion realm without fear of lacking qi.

"Xiaoxu, mid-grade and high-grade spirit stones are enough for the fusion realm. Let’s save the peak grade spirit stones for the Mahayana and tribulation realms."

"I will listen to you." Shen Xu agreed.

After all, he had Xiaolei.

With Xiaolei, he wouldn’t lack qi to advance to the fusion realm.

Thinking of breaking through, he suddenly remembered Dongfang Jing.

"I wonder if Dongfang Jing has advanced." He wondered with a worried expression.

"Don’t worry." Zhen Yuan said, rubbing his partner’s hair.

"Dongfang Jing was already on the verge of breaking through when he went into seclusion. Unless something unexpected happened, he likely advanced two or three decades ago."

"Let’s hope so." The double said but didn’t dwell on it.

Another year passed and the mine was finally exhausted.

After the last spirit stone was dug out, the barrier around the mountain disappeared and other mountains became visible.

"There is still a barrier on Dongfang Jing’s Mountain." Shen Xu observed.

"There are only two people on their mountain. It’s likely they haven’t exhausted the mine." Zhen Yuan explained.

"There is still some time before the secret realm closes. Ayuan, shall we enter another mountain?"

"What do you want?"

"I think we should." The double said and quickly continued.

"There is no such thing as too many spirit stones."

With that, the group moved to another mountain and began digging.

At the same time, they absorbed the dense qi that leaked from the spirits stones vein.

Unfortunately, time was not on their side.

On this day, while they were still digging, a colourful light appeared in the sky.

Seeing the light, Shen Xu sighed and looked at the unmined spirit stones with a sorrowful expression.

A moment later, the colourful light descended and before they knew it, everyone was transferred out of the Yunshan secret realm.