Chapter 38: The Secret of Triple-Revolutions and an Ill-Fated Reunion
I. The Long Road of Cultivation: A Sigh for the Ants
The tragic intensity of the battle at the Imperial Palace remained seared into Wen Buhuo’s heart like a brand. Watching the once-mighty Emperor crumble into ash and the brilliant Liu Jing meet his demise, Wen Buhuo sat on the stone steps of the herb garden, staring blankly at the small green bottle in his hand.
"A mortal's life is like an ant's. But without heaven-shaking divine powers, aren't Foundation Establishment cultivators merely stronger ants in the eyes of higher beings?" Wen Buhuo chuckled self-deprecatingly, yet his gaze grew ever more resolute.
When they parted, the way Senior Sister Chen Qiaoqian looked at him had indeed changed. It was no longer the look one gives an ordinary junior brother, but a gaze woven with gratitude, curiosity, and a trace of an indefinable affection. However, in these turbulent times, Wen Buhuo knew clearly: Affection without the strength to back it up is nothing but a fleeting mirage.
II. The Gem within the Demonic Manual: The Triple-Revolutions Core Manual
Upon returning to the herb garden, Wen Buhuo immediately laid down warning formations and began studying the mysterious black manual he had obtained.
As he expected, it was indeed a demonic manual. Most of the secret techniques recorded within were sinister and cruel, often involving the sacrifice of living souls, which caused him to frown in distaste. However, as he reached the end of the manual, a technique called the "Triple-Revolutions Core Manual" caught his full attention.
Triple-Revolutions Core Manual: Requires the practitioner to disperse their entire spiritual power at the early Foundation Establishment stage and begin cultivation anew. By repeating this process three times, the purity of one's True Essence will become more than three times that of an ordinary cultivator, exponentially increasing the chances of successfully forming the Golden Core.
"This is practically tailor-made for me!" Wen Buhuo’s heart raced. He was well aware that with his Pseudo-Spiritual Root constitution, the chance of reaching the Golden Core stage was one in a hundred for others, but a dead end for him. With this technique, supplemented by the spirit herbs matured by the small green bottle, he finally possessed the capital to knock on the doors of the Golden Core realm.
III. A Year of Bitter Cultivation: A Qualitative Leap in Strength
The days that followed were tranquil yet monotonous as Wen Buhuo completely secluded himself within the herb garden:
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Nurturing Herbs: Every day at dawn, he punctually used the small green bottle to collect the green liquid, maturing rare medicinal herbs and refining them into batches of pure spirit pills.
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Studying Formations: His talent in the Dao of Formations began to emerge. The formation notes left by Xin Ruyin were thumbed until they turned yellow; he could now proficiently set up several types of lethal composite formations.
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Breakthrough in Sword Arts: He had mastered the first half of the "Azure Cloud Sword Manual" to a level of perfection, where every movement unleashed a rainbow-like sword Qi.
A year passed in the blink of an eye. On this day, the cavern doors thundered open, and Wen Buhuo stepped out slowly. His aura was steady yet held a sharp edge—he had officially broken through to the Mid-Foundation Establishment stage. After a year of cultivation, not only had his realm increased, but under the subtle influence of the Triple-Revolutions technique, his spiritual sense had become nearly twice as powerful as that of cultivators in the same tier.
IV. Encountering an Old Foe: The Forest Ambush
To investigate the current state of the world, Wen Buhuo went to the Sect's mission hall and took on a task to "Patrol the Spirit Stone Mines."
On the way to the mines, through conversations with fellow disciples, Wen Buhuo learned that the Six Sects of the Demonic Tao were already stirring, and border conflicts in the State of Yue were becoming more frequent. Peaceful days were indeed numbered.
Passing through the depths of a dense forest, Wen Buhuo’s extraordinary spiritual sense suddenly detected an unstable fluctuation of spiritual power. Hiding his presence, he crept closer, and the sight before him caused his eyes to turn cold instantly.
On the grass, Senior Sister Chen Qiaoqian lay with a flushed face and eyes tightly shut, clearly incapacitated by a potent aphrodisiac or sedative. Standing beside her was the very man who appeared dignified but was actually cold-blooded and ruthless—Senior Brother Lu.
Senior Brother Lu was staring lecherously at the unconscious Chen Qiaoqian, holding a red pill that emitted a faint, sweet aroma.
Hidden in the shadows of the trees, Wen Buhuo gripped the hilt of his sword and sneered inwardly: "Senior Brother Lu, first you stole my Foundation Establishment Pill, and today you attempt such a beastly act against our own senior sister. This ill-fated reunion... it seems today we shall finally settle our scores."
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