CHAPTER 61: CHAPTER 61: UNCERTAIN GROWTH RATE

Chen Guan arrived at an area where there were wandering souls and wild ghosts, discovering that many young people were chasing and hacking at these wandering souls and wild ghosts, even several cultivators were chasing a wild ghost.

Although he was psychologically prepared, knowing that killing secret spirits here required fighting for them, he didn’t expect the competition to be so fierce that even these low-level wandering souls and wild ghosts needed to be contested over, and these were just ordinary secret spirits without quality.

"It seems better to contact Ji Nanhong, she should have access to some paid areas, right? But I don’t know if she has connections near Reincarnation City, if it’s required to go to other cities, if too far, with my current level, it’s not safe on the way," Chen Guan shook his head and abandoned the idea of using wandering souls and wild ghosts for testing here.

Finding a secluded place, Chen Guan punched a towering giant tree, but with his level 2 power, he couldn’t even scrape the bark.

After circulating the Secret Technique of One, Chen Guan punched the trunk again, this time the bark instantly cracked open in many places.

"The Secret Technique of One seems to enhance body strength quite well," Chen Guan observed his fist, noticing that there wasn’t even a red mark on it, remaining as fair and healthy.

Flesh and blood confronting trees, even if he initiates, the fist itself would endure counterforce, and punching hard couldn’t possibly leave the fist without any reaction.

The current situation could only mean that the Secret Technique of One has a strong effect of enhancing the body, making the fist unharmed.

Chen Guan wanted to test whether the Secret Technique of One has an augmentation effect on secret skills, but with his current 2 points of primordial energy, he simply couldn’t deploy the level 3 Blood Hand Seal.

"The Secret Technique of One can’t be this weak," Chen Guan felt Emperor Ancestor’s created secret technique couldn’t just be simply an enhancement of the physique.

"Since it’s already like this, might as well try again. If it doesn’t work, I’ll sell pets to earn money, then get a reconstruction secret treasure and start cultivating from level 1," Chen Guan decisively continued practicing the Secret Technique of One in a hidden and secluded place.

With the ability of the Secret Technique of One, even without fighting secret spirits or resorting to heavenly and earthly treasures and rare fruits, purely relying on absorbing the free elemental energy in the secret realm can also elevate levels.

The Secret Technique of One was activated again, and primordial energy from between heaven and earth swirled into Chen Guan’s body, flooding his limbs and bones, circulating continuously with his movements.

Unlike general secret techniques, where primordial energy usually converges in one place, usually within one of the three main meridians; some powerful secret techniques can store primordial energy in all three meridians simultaneously.

The Undying Stealth Killing Skill can store primordial energy in the upper and lower meridians and is considered quite a good secret technique.

However, the Secret Technique of One was completely different; indeed, the primordial energy enters the three meridians, but it does not solely rely on these for storage, instead, it spreads throughout the body, refining all muscles, bones, and organs, utilizing the entire body as a vessel, integrating into every cell, thus strengthening all cells.

He originally thought he could swiftly rise to level 3, given such a powerful ability to absorb heaven and earth elemental energy, the amount absorbed should not be small, far surpassing Longevity Skill by countless times.

Previously, the Secret Technique of One operated once in circulation and immediately rose to level 2, but now Chen Guan had run it ten times yet still hadn’t advanced to level 3.

"Having absorbed so much primordial energy, the total amount should be more than the energy when I advanced to level 5 with the Undying Stealth Killing Skill, why haven’t I advanced to level 3 yet?" Chen Guan was puzzled but became more assured that the Secret Technique of One was definitely not a worthless secret technique and must have its extraordinary aspects.

Chen Guan continued to circulate the Secret Technique of One, and after several hours, having run over a hundred circulations, he suddenly felt his body tremble, as if some kind of shackles had been unleashed, his entire body suddenly felt incredibly light, his level upgraded to 3.

Chen Guan felt as light as a swallow, as if his entire body was filled with power, the muscle lines throughout his body became noticeably more pronounced, and his skin tighter and more radiant.

He couldn’t see his own eyes, but even his eyes had become clearer, like a deep, unfathomable clear pond.

He could distinctly feel that both his body’s strength and power had been significantly enhanced because this improvement was tangibly perceivable, not just a minor one.

Chen Guan introspected his own information, and surprised to discover his primordial energy had become 4 points.

Advancing by just one level, primordial energy jumped from 2 points to 4 points, increasing the energy cap by 2 points, by normal calculations, his growth rate became 2.0.

"How come this secret technique increases primordial energy in such an inconsistent manner with each level up?" Chen Guan was puzzled internally, not rushing to do anything else, first wanting to figure out the Secret Technique of One.

Being in the wild couldn’t last long, especially with the sky darkening; this place couldn’t compare to the Divine Land’s law and order, plenty of robbery and looting occurred in the wild.

After all, fighting for secret spirits with a large group was challenging, contesting with other human cultivators was evidently easier.

Within the secret realm, only human cities exhibited some order; Chen Guan headed straight towards Reincarnation City.

The buildings in Reincarnation City were primarily constructed locally with stone and timber, the city was very large, allegedly a city with a million permanent residents.

Chen Guan felt this figure possibly didn’t account for the numerous transient populations; just observing the bustling crowd within the city, Reincarnation City was evidently very prosperous.

Chen Guan paid a dollar and obtained the city’s permit, although entering the city wasn’t mandatory; many who didn’t wish to pay pitched tents outside, even forming a market outside the city, many people set up stalls selling their secret spirit materials and such.

Although not particularly wealthy, Chen Guan didn’t skimp on this dollar, putting safety first, he entered the city and spent ten dollars to rent a room at a hotel.

Once in the room, Chen Guan locked the door and began cultivating the Secret Technique of One.

Those running a hotel in Reincarnation City naturally had some power backing them, few would dare cause trouble within a hotel, thus safety wasn’t a major concern.

However, Chen Guan still released Warring States and Rouge, letting them guard before the bed for protection.

Advancing to level 3 was already challenging, but ascending to level 4 proved even harder; Chen Guan went sleepless overnight, cultivating through to the next morning, after a rigorous twelve to thirteen hours yet still couldn’t advance to level 4.

"The first 5 levels should be where advancement is quickest; generally, advancement happens swiftly, the Stealth Killing Skill rose to level 5 after killing a few secret spirits, its efficiency much stronger than this, I wonder if the Secret Technique of One has other faster means of leveling besides absorbing heaven and earth elemental energy?" Chen Guan pondered internally.

However, right now it was too challenging to compete for secret spirits, being low-level posed risks, it’s better to absorb heaven and earth elemental energy here.

Chen Guan extended his rent and continued cultivating in his hotel room, going out relentlessly for four days, except for the bare necessities of eating, drinking, and sleeping, dedicating nearly all his time to cultivating the Secret Technique of One.

Until the morning of the fifth day, Chen Guan’s body seemed reborn anew, his bones popping with sound, gray impurities-filled sweat soaked him through, his level finally broke through, reaching level 4.

Chen Guan disregarded the discomfort of his body, introspected his own information, stunned to find his primordial energy had reached 8 points.