C6 Luo Babe Qisha Star

"Young Master, I still have three gold coins left. What do you say to buying all these trinkets with them?" Lu Chen pondered briefly before decisively pulling out a cloth bag from his chest, from which three gold coins clinked out.

"Hahaha, truth be told, I've been at this stall for a day now, and the best offer I got was a silver coin. Young Master, you certainly have an eye for value! Well, it's not bad to trade for some drinking money!" The old man didn't seem to care much about the amount as he accepted the gold coins and bit down on them.

Seeing this, Lu Chen chuckled and reassured, "Rest easy, Uncle. The gold coins from the Lu family of Vast Dragon City are of substantial weight!"

The old man responded with a smile and a nod, then bent down to swiftly pack Lu Chen's items.

He was quick and adept, bundling everything into a cloth bag and passing it to Lu Chen in no time.

As Lu Chen reached out, his hand brushed against the old man's, and he seemed to notice something. He swiftly snatched the bag and stepped back, casting a wary glance at the old man. He then respectfully bowed and, with Yue Yao still bewildered by his side, made a hasty exit.

"How peculiar, how peculiar. The meridians are open, yet the lifeline is in complete reversal," mused the old man, smiling as he watched Lu Chen depart. "And when I scanned him with my Spiritual Sense just now, his reaction was so pronounced. Could it be he's onto something?"

Shaking his head, the old man slowly rose to his feet, gazing up at the misty stars. "The Nine Heaven Lifting Divine Dragons will ascend from the Qisha Star Map. The dragon aura that Vast Dragon City has suppressed for a millennium may no longer be containable."

He glanced at the three gold coins in his hand and burst into hearty laughter, heading towards the nearest tavern.

"Fortune smiles on me today. Enough to trade for a few jars of fine wine!"

...

"Young Master, Young Master, why such a rush?"

As Lu Chen strode forward with a grave look on his face, he was suddenly jolted by the sound of Yue Yao panting from behind. He turned to see the young girl, her delicate forehead beaded with sweat despite the winter chill – a clear sign she had been pushing herself hard to keep up with him. Lu Chen, a Grade Four Spirit Disciple, had been lost in his thoughts and walking briskly, leaving Yue Yao, a mere ordinary person, struggling to match his pace.

"I'm sorry, Yue Yao," he apologized, "I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I didn't realize I was walking so fast."

Lu Chen's urgency stemmed from sensing the old man's spiritual probe.

"Young Master, please don't apologize," Yue Yao implored, waving her hands and shaking her head before bowing it slightly, her voice dropping to a whisper, "I really enjoy following you. It makes me so happy when you stand up for me. I just worry that one day I won't be able to keep up with you."

Her voice trailed off to nearly inaudible, but this only made Lu Chen more fond of her.

"How could that be?" Lu Chen reassured her with a smile, gently patting her head. "I will always have you by my side, I promise."

"Truly?" Yue Yao looked up, her eyes brightening as she nodded emphatically.

Lu Chen watched her with a tender sigh, then lifted his gaze to the darkening sky. The convergence of the Seven Killing Star Pattern foretold great events across the heavens and earth. With his current power, he felt as vulnerable as a duckweed adrift in a tempest.

Even with his experience, reaching the Luo Emperor Palace would take decades at the pace he was going – far too slow, especially with pressing matters at hand.

With resolve, Lu Chen turned his eyes northward and murmured, "It seems a journey to the Roaring Forest is in order."

...

As winter's grip tightened, the Lu family estate lay in a state of quiet desolation. Apart from the Spirit Gathering Grass, the surrounding vegetation had begun to wither, casting a melancholy pall over the landscape.

In the quiet of Lu Chen's courtyard, he was perched cross-legged atop a massive stone, his body shimmering with a soft spiritual glow.

Whoosh.

Moments later, Lu Chen expelled a wisp of dark energy and slowly opened his eyes, clearing the obstruction from his second meridian.

"The second meridian is proving to be much tougher than anticipated. For now, I must focus on strengthening myself before attempting to unblock it again."

Yao Wushuang had once consumed a fortune in heavenly treasures to open his meridians, leaving Lu Chen, a Grade Nine Spirit Emperor, wincing at the cost before he managed to open eight meridians.

"Moreover, advancing my realm after opening the meridians is more challenging than for most. I require fifty percent more Spirit Force than my peers to level up. The Dragon Sucking Technique is impressive, but it's starting to feel like a drop in the bucket."

Lu Chen rose from the boulder, opened his mouth, and unleashed the Dragon Sucking Technique. Instantly, Spirit Force surged towards him, whipping his sleeves in the gusting wind. A spirit vein on his right arm glowed white, pulsing as Spirit Force flowed into it.

"At this pace, breaking through to the Spirit Transforming Stage in six months seems unlikely."

"It looks like a trip to the Roaring Forest is in order!"

Lu Chen glanced down and retrieved Luo Bibei from his chest. With this artifact in hand, pill refining would be like adding wings to a tiger. He planned to harvest spirit herbs from the Roaring Forest and refine his own pills, securing his future cultivation resources.

It's worth noting that Vast Dragon City has but a single Alchemist, the Rank One Chi Wu. In his past life, Lu Chen was a Rank Seven Alchemist. Even his lower-grade pills would far surpass the quality of those refined by Chi Wu.

The Roaring Forest teemed with spirit herbs and Demonic Beasts. The beasts consumed humans to gain power, while humans used their hides for defense, their crystals to enhance cultivation, and their meat to fortify their bodies. Indeed, every part of a Demonic Beast was a treasure, just as the old adage says.

Two species locked in a predator-prey relationship had clashed on the Continent of Vast Lifting for eons without a clear victor emerging.

Once Lu Chen resolved to depart, he quickly packed his belongings and stepped outside, only to run into Yue Yao delivering his lunch.

Since Lu Chen had bought the young girl new clothes, her smile had grown broader, and she wore the simple garments with such grace that they seemed dazzling on her.

After a modest lunch, Lu Chen bid farewell to Yue Yao and set off toward the northern reaches of Vast Dragon City.

Spiritual Warriors, once their spirit meridians were activated, had minimal need for mundane sustenance like plain tea and food. The spiritual energy from the heavens and earth sufficed to fill them with vigor, so Lu Chen didn't require much to eat. In fact, overindulging in regular food could pollute his body.

Despite its imposing name, Vast Dragon City was quite small. Lu Chen's swift pace allowed him to leave the city behind in just a couple of hours.

To the north lay the Roaring Forest, an endless expanse marking the northern frontier of the Vast Lifting Continent. Beyond it, according to legend, was the boundless Chaotic Sea, with the continent itself a mere island adrift upon its vast waters.

"Venturing too deep would be suicidal with my current strength, but skirting the edges might yield some opportunities," Lu Chen mused.

Though merely a Grade Four Spirit Disciple, Lu Chen's meridians were uniquely opened, and he was the reincarnation of a Grade Nine Spirit Emperor. Pushed to his limits, he could potentially match a Grade Six Spirit Disciple in combat. And if escape was his aim, he might elude even a master of the Spirit Transforming Stage.

The Roaring Forest greeted him with silence, as no beast was foolish enough to linger at its very edge.

But as Lu Chen trekked for the duration of an incense stick burning, distant roars began to echo from the forest's heart.

Out of nowhere, a shadow darted from a tree above, streaking towards Lu Chen.

"Silk Gold Inch Fist!"

Unable to discern the assailant, Lu Chen took no chances, his right fist erupting with force.

With a resounding crash, Lu Chen was hurled through the air by an immense force. Clutching his tingling right fist, he focused his gaze and saw what lay before him.

A massive python, cloaked in black scales and stretching seven or eight meters in length, was coiled menacingly before Lu Chen, its hefty tail swishing through the air.

"Iron-scaled Python?"