Invincible Starts From Dao Fruit

Two light-years away from Magic Sound Mountain.

On a nameless star.

Xiao Lan waved her hand to move mountains. With a flick of her sleeve, formation flags flew to surrounding peaks, initiating a grand formation. Only then did she carve out a cave abode and take up residence.

"Xu Ning!"

"This man…"

Once inside her cave abode, Xiao Lan didn't rush to deal with the Moyun Demon Emperor or to refine the crystal core.

Seated cross-legged on the ground, her thoughts turned to Chen Jichuan.

"Pure Yang Immortal Lotus."

"This counts as repaying the life-saving grace from before, along with covering the favor extended this time."

"From now on, no debts remain."

'Pure Yang Immortal Lotus' is a treasure unparalleled in rarity, a prize even in the vast expanse of the stars.

The reason she agreed to hand it over this time—

First, she herself had used 'Pure Yang Immortal Lotus' to create a 'Human Clan Avatar,' so this particular lotus root held no value for her anymore.

Second—

The 'Pure Yang Immortal Lotus' is immensely valuable. Even if sold, few could truly offer a fitting price.

And it's unsafe.

A treasure of such magnitude risks drawing envy and calamity, even if placed for sale within the Four Directions Sect.

Unless she achieves Divine Transformation.

But that stage is far too distant.

"No use for it."

"Too dangerous to sell."

These are Xiao Lan's main reasons for trading the Immortal Lotus with Chen Jichuan.

These two reasons form the foundation, and are prerequisites.

Other considerations—

Such as repaying the life-saving debt.

Or exchanging for the crystal core.

These all hinge upon those initial prerequisites—

If she needed it herself, or dared to sell it, Xiao Lan wouldn't hand over the 'Pure Yang Immortal Lotus,' not even to repay kindness or secure an exchange.

Furthermore, there is another layer—

"Xu Ning is enigmatic."

"In just three hundred years, he achieved Divine Transformation."

"At the Third Layer of Heavenly Human Realm, he could crush the likes of Mogan Mountain."

"Though his cultivation is not yet high, his methods are extraordinary. His future is boundless, possibly even within reach of the Immortal Dao."

"Building good relations with him early couldn't be a mistake."

"Moreover, we both hail from Wuhe Star, and in the vast expanse of the stars, mutual support is inevitable. Instead of letting the 'Pure Yang Immortal Lotus' collect dust or inviting disaster by keeping it, it's better to gift it to him, forming a benevolent bond, and boosting his strength and survival skills."

"In the future, he might become a powerful ally for me amidst the stars."

Xiao Lan pondered deeply, then turned her gaze toward the north, anticipation flickering in her eyes.

...

Nameless star.

Northern continent.

Chen Jichuan similarly carved out a cave abode.

The joy of acquiring the 'Pure Yang Immortal Lotus' still lingered in his heart, yet he couldn't help but puzzle over why Xiao Lan had so readily parted with such a rare treasure.

After much reflection—

He finally considered one possibility—

"She wants to curry favor with me?!"

"Wants to hold onto me as her safety net?!"

At this realization, everything suddenly clicked.

Yes.

Chen Jichuan understood his own predicament. He knew that after reaching the Divinity Transformation Realm this lifetime, it was only a matter of time before he fell into obscurity.

Thus, he thought of trying to latch onto Xiao Lan's coattails.

But flipping perspectives back to Xiao Lan's point of view—

"I achieved Divinity Transformation at three hundred years old."

"Mastered the Four Extremes of Alchemy, Artifact, Talisman, Formation."

"Can fight opponents at the Eighth Layer of Heavenly Human Realm while still at the Third Layer."

"In Xiao Lan's eyes, I must appear to be a Chosen Son of Fate!"

Putting himself in her shoes—

Chen Jichuan desired intimate relations with a 'Child of Great Fate' like Xiao Lan, but Xiao Lan surely wanted closer ties with someone she saw as a 'Child of Destiny' like him.

"After all,"

"She has no idea I'm just an ordinary person!"

Chen Jichuan's mind cleared entirely, dispelling his confusion. He looked southward and couldn't help but laugh aloud.

Xiao Lan is the true safety net.

But he is nothing but a fraud.

This time, both of them were making mutual investments—Xiao Lan would likely lose out big time.

"No, that's not quite right."

"It's not all bad news for her."

"After all, my mastery of cultivation techniques and magic skills is unparalleled. Even if I share just a sliver, it would be sufficient for her advancement."

Chen Jichuan laughed uncontrollably.

Only after a while did he compose himself and finally get down to business.

"Pure Yang Immortal Lotus."

"This treasure should ideally rest within the consciousness sea, nourished by the power of the Divine Soul, flourishing beside it."

"In ten years, it will mature."

Chen Jichuan retrieved the 'Pure Yang Immortal Lotus,' held it in his palm, and enveloped it with his Divine Sense, refining it with mana.

Ten days later.

He successfully integrated the Immortal Lotus into his consciousness sea.

From here on, it would take ten years of nourishing, after which he could anticipate the realization of his Second Primordial Spirit.

"Once the 'Second Primordial Spirit' matures, for convenience's sake, I could refine it into an 'Immortal Lotus Embodiment,' imbued with Pure Yang's energy and promising great potential."

"But comparing that to Xiao Lan's 'Moyun Vine' avatar, it falls far short."

"The best course would be to follow Xiao Lan's example—find a starry wilderness exotic beast with infinite potential and refine the 'Second Primordial Spirit' into an exotic beast avatar."

"Though the Pure Yang Immortal Lotus has limitations, with its ultimate cap at the Third-order and inability to break through to the Fourth-order, it remains a valuable asset during the Divinity Transformation Stage—not only providing a second life but also doubling comprehension speed."

Chen Jichuan reflected.

Starry wilderness exotic beasts are not easily encountered; more common ones, like the Dual-element Immortal Spider, fail to meet his high standards.

This endeavor requires fate and cannot be forced.

"Let's wait and see."

"The 'Second Primordial Spirit' needs ten years to mature. Once ready, there will still be time to search for exotic beasts. No need to rush to create an 'Immortal Lotus Embodiment.'"

"Ideally, it should be a fire attribute exotic beast to accelerate my mastery of the Vermilion Bird Glaze Scripture."

The 'Pure Yang Immortal Lotus' is exceedingly rare, the opportunity to acquire one akin to winning the great cosmic lottery. Chen Jichuan could not afford to squander it.

...

In the days to follow—

Chen Jichuan immersed himself in cultivation on this nameless star.

Xiao Lan remained secluded, likely occupied with handling the Moyun Demon Emperor and refining the Supreme Bone.

Chen Jichuan paid little heed, focusing solely on his own endeavors.

Refining the 'Pure Yang Immortal Lotus' posed little difficulty. For now, Chen Jichuan prioritized enhancing his cultivation.

When he left Wuhe Star—

His Vermilion Bird Glaze Scripture had already reached the 27th layer.

Years of cultivation amidst the stars, supplemented by his stint at Magic Sound Mountain, allowed this technique to progress steadily to the 31st layer, entering the Divinity Transformation Stage.

His Divine Soul could morph into a Vermilion Bird Divine Monarch, and his mana could transform into a Vermilion Bird, incinerating the heavens.

"Roar!"

"Cry!"

Within his consciousness sea, Chen Jichuan's Divine Soul shifted form—at times becoming a White Tiger, at times a Vermilion Bird.

The White Tiger Divine Monarch unleashed sword qi, commanding slaughter.

The Vermilion Bird Divine Monarch enveloped itself in flames, governing all fire.

A clear contrast emerged—

The White Tiger was far more ferocious.

While the Vermilion Bird, comparatively, seemed weaker.

"Cultivation methods of the side door level can never rival those at the True Sect Level."

Chen Jichuan understood the limitations of the Vermilion Bird Glaze Scripture but recognized that improvements were not feasible for now.

Long ago, during his time in the Central Continent World, he had spent a thousand years—slaughtering countless Evil Gods—to upgrade the White Tiger Sword Prison Scripture to the True Sect Level.

Now, seeking to elevate the Vermilion Bird Glaze Scripture would prove exceedingly difficult.

All he could do was wait for opportunities.

The vast expanse of the stars surely harbored treasures capable of rapidly advancing cultivation.

Though pushing derivations consumed his cultivation, his insights into the Dao remained intact. With sufficient resources, he could replenish his depleted cultivation base.

But acquiring such resources required Spirit Crystals and Primordial Stones, which could disrupt his progress in cultivation.

"No matter what, I must give my all this lifetime—to ascertain my limits."

"And so, in the next lifetime, I will know what goals to pursue and surpass."

Chen Jichuan, at this juncture, was less preoccupied with chasing specific cultivation techniques or magic skills.

Particularly in this lifetime—

While Divine Transformation cultivators universally still practiced refined level cultivation methods, he already possessed a True Sect Level cultivation method, alongside countless side door level and refined level cultivation methods.

While Divine Transformation cultivators universally still studied high-level techniques, he had amassed over 20 Super-level Techniques and countless high-level techniques.

For the time being—

True Sect Level cultivation methods.

Super-level Techniques.

These were all sufficient.

"This lifetime, the focus will be solely on improving cultivation and advancing abilities. Derivation methods can be postponed for now."

Cultivation.

Abilities.

Among these, cultivation required steady, progressive effort, while learning abilities often presented shortcuts.

"Enlightenment!"

"One instance of enlightenment is worth a century."

This was the third Divine Skill from the Dao Fruit, which had provided immense assistance to Chen Jichuan during his time in the Central Continent World.

His dominance over the Central Continent—

Partly hinged on the Derivation Method, through which he mastered numerous Super-level Techniques.

And partly on Enlightenment.

Through Enlightenment, Chen Jichuan had honed deeper levels of abilities, enabling him to dominate not only his contemporaries but the entirety of the Central Continent World and even the Evil God World on the opposing side.

Reigning supreme over an era!

However, Enlightenment came with limitations.

"This skill depletes the spirit and damages the foundation. Mana, Qi-Blood, and Divine Soul are all recoverable, but restoring the fundamental essence demands expensive pills."

Back when Chen Jichuan first encountered Enlightenment in the Central Continent World, this challenge had immediately arisen.

At the time—

He had just advanced to Second-order and owned limited resources.

Using Enlightenment two or three times would almost clear out his entire inventory. Later, as he took charge of Nine Yang Island, explored the Earth Cave wilderness, and received kickbacks through the hidden channels, he managed to barely sustain its usage.

Subsequently—

At No.2 Cave, Chen Jichuan never severed relations with No.5 Cave or Luo Pu, partly due to mutual exchanges tied to such matters.

When he finally emerged from No.2 Cave, his fortunes took a decisive turn for the better.

Cultivation.

Status.

Both elevated across the board.

His accessible resources multiplied exponentially, which helped stabilize his situation.

Later on, he became the foremost ancestor of the Central Continent World, essentially governing the Heaven Mending Sect and the entire Central Continent World with resources at his disposal.

It was during that phase—

Chen Jichuan had continuously used Enlightenment to enhance over 20 Super-level Techniques, pushing them all to the Fourth Realm.

Second-order cultivators.

Abilities at the Fourth Realm.

This characterizes the pinnacle of talent.

For Chen Jichuan to rival more than 20 exceptional prodigies single-handedly demonstrates the formidable power of Enlightenment.

But this lifetime—

After reaching Divine Transformation, Chen Jichuan faced a financial predicament akin to before.

"With my current resources, barely enough for cultivation,"

"'Enlightenment' is out of the question."

Chen Jichuan found himself at an impasse.

During Second-order cultivation, due to its inherent limitations, he had urged his 20-plus Super-level Techniques to the Fourth Realm only to hit a ceiling for further insights.

Even though applying Enlightenment could simulate a hundred years of comprehension, progression was limited when cultivation capped abilities.

After advancing to Divine Transformation, he could finally breach the prior limits, yet was short of funds.

"In the final two centuries on Wuhe Star, a hundred years were spent grinding, plagued by the scarcity of restorative pills for essence—forcing me to strictly ration Enlightenment."

"Even after entering the starry wilderness and reaching Magic Sound Mountain, I maintained restraint."

Strapped for resources, Chen Jichuan stood without solutions for the time being.

This explains why, despite deriving 'Dual-walking,' he hadn't begun cultivating it yet.

In earlier circumstances, he'd already have spent over a dozen Enlightenments to push its mastery to the Fourth Realm.

Who cares whether it proves useful down the line?

But now, Chen Jichuan held back.

"Scarce resources must be used strategically."

"To expand beyond, I must also conserve where needed."

Even Chen Jichuan, a figure known for his extravagant ways, was cornered into frugally managing his inventory thanks to practical constraints.

No choice.

A mere penny could thwart a hero.

...

PS: It's the end of the month—requesting monthly votes!