C10 His Strength Increased Sharply

After a humming sound, a thick spiritual energy converged around the furnace, gradually igniting into flames. These were not soul fire flames. The Worldscorching Lightning that Chen Dutian had mastered in his previous life had vanished completely. Now, the flames encircling the furnace were solely the product of burning spiritual energy.

The furnace's exterior swiftly reddened under the intense heat. Chen Dutian opened a nearby box and first tossed the Dark Wood Vine into the furnace. This vine, being the root of a millennium-old Dark Wood, required at least half an hour to be fully incinerated into a liquid state without the aid of soul fire.

Next, the Scarlet Cloud Fruit and the Iceflower followed into the furnace, quickly filling the room with a strong medicinal fragrance. In the time it took to sip a cup of tea, the Scarlet Cloud Fruit had transformed into a blood-red liquid, swirling continuously within the furnace.

The high heat purged all impurities from the liquid, which steadily reduced in volume. Once the Iceflower melted, only a few drops of the red liquid remained. The Iceflower's inherently cold nature clashed with the red liquid from the Scarlet Cloud Fruit, causing the furnace to tremble slightly.

Once Chen Dutian sensed that the Iceflower had fully dissolved and its impurities had been expelled, he added the Dragon Core Grass to the mix. Under the searing temperatures, the Dragon Core Grass melted swiftly, and the three distinct colored liquids spun rapidly in the furnace, yet stubbornly refused to blend.

More than half an hour had ticked by, the Dark Wood Vine had melted, and Chen Dutian could feel his spiritual energy depleting rapidly. "Without the soul fire, crafting a fifth level pill seems impossible," he sighed deeply. He was aware that some impurities lingered within the liquids; at best, he could only produce a third level Soul Nourishing Pill.

Pill refinement was an immense drain on spiritual energy, and with Chen Dutian's current capability at the Third Heaven of the Spirit Convergence Realm, relying on his spiritual energy to create even one Soul Nourishing Pill was pushing his limits.

The four liquids continued their separate dance within the furnace, showing no signs of merging. As half an hour slipped away, Chen Dutian knew he could not afford to delay any longer.

"Buzz!"

A tremendous surge of spiritual energy burst forth from Chen Dutian's body, swiftly encasing the glowing furnace. Four distinctively colored liquids, as if manipulated by invisible hands, began to rotate and merge together. The flames encircling the furnace leaped up, reaching over half a meter high.

Moments later, Chen Dutian abruptly dispersed the spiritual energy, and the flames were instantly snuffed out. The furnace emitted a final hum before falling silent.

Weary, Chen Dutian rose from his bed and made his way to the furnace. With a casual flick of his right hand, a purple Soul Nourishing Pill gently floated up to his face.

"A fourth level Soul Nourishing Pill, what a stroke of luck!" he thought, gazing at the four distinct lines on the pill with a surge of elation. He eagerly clenched the pill in his hand.

Considering he had managed to refine a fourth level Soul Nourishing Pill without the aid of soul fire, it was a testament to his extraordinary fortune.

"Will taking this Soul Nourishing Pill boost my strength to the Fifth Heaven of the Spirit Convergence Realm?" Chen Dutian mused as he returned to his bed and settled down. He popped the Soul Nourishing Pill into his mouth.

The pill dissolved instantly, releasing a warm energy that traveled through Chen Dutian's meridians, permeating his entire body.

With bated breath and eyes closed, Chen Dutian began to practice Cosmic Energy Siphoning, attuning to the internal changes. The ambient spiritual qi in the room started to converge towards him in a frenzied rush.

The pill's nurturing warmth worked to transform Chen Dutian's physique, eventually merging with the spiritual qi within his meridians. Had anyone been present in Chen Dutian's room, they would have witnessed him enveloped in a cocoon of spiritual qi, with a miniature vortex forming above his head, his absorption rate astonishingly rapid.

Despite the intense pain radiating throughout his body, Chen Dutian's heart was filled with excitement. His meridians were widening, and the flow of spiritual qi was significantly faster than before.

Most crucially, within the chaotic expanse of his Power Node, his Martial Spirit was growing more robust, and the spiritual qi coursing through his meridians had deepened in color.

In the training of a warrior, the color of their spirit qi changes with each advancement in realm. The Spirit Convergence realm manifests as a luminescent white, while entry into the Astral Wandering realm turns the spirit qi green. The richer the color, the more formidable the warrior.

As quickly as a night can pass, the next morning arrived. Before the first light of dawn, Chen Dutian's eyes snapped open, gleaming with a fierce light, and a dominant aura radiated from him. The two Spirit Convergence Ninth Heaven guards stationed outside his quarters exchanged a look of astonishment.

Once deemed a failure by the Imperial Capital's elite, the Lord Protector's Heir had now unlocked his Power Node, and his strength had surged impressively. The excitement was palpable among the guards within the estate.

"Spirit Convergence Fifth Heaven, haha!" Chen Dutian exclaimed joyfully as he rose from his bed and strode out of his room.

He eyed a massive boulder in the corner of the courtyard. With a swift motion, he vanished from sight.

"Mountain Quaking Palm!" Chen Dutian positioned himself in front of the boulder and, with a forceful cry, brought his hand down hard upon it.

This palm technique, a foundational martial skill Chen Dutian had acquired during his time with the Graymanes in his past life, seemed unremarkable. Yet, as his hand connected with the boulder, a flash of white light followed by a violent tremor resulted in the rock cracking and crumbling into rubble.

"With the force of this palm at 500 kilograms, if I were to employ the premier martial skills from my past life, I could hold my own against even a peak Spirit Convergence warrior!" Chen Dutian observed his hand, his lips curving into a pleased smile.

"Come out!" he called nonchalantly, taking a seat at the courtyard's stone table.

At his command, a shadowy figure materialized before Chen Dutian, kneeling respectfully. "Congratulations, Young Master, on your significant increase in strength!"

The figure, face obscured by a black scarf and clad in a tight-fitting outfit with a distinctive blood-red thread across the chest, moved with the agility of someone at least at the Astral Wandering Second Heaven.

The Bloodshadow Guard, consisting of thirty individuals, served as the personal guards to Lord Protector Chen Dou, each one an Astral Wandering Realm expert.

Before the Lord Protector departed from the Imperial Capital, he made a point of leaving behind ten Bloodshadow Guards to ensure the safety of his family. Chen Dutian had never detected their presence before, yet when he recently shattered that massive rock, he sensed a faint ripple of spirit energy within the confines of this modest courtyard.

"Going forward, there's no need to safeguard my safety within these walls. Without my direct command, no outsiders are permitted to approach this courtyard. Is that clear?"