Chants like those from a Buddhist paradise, pure notes as if from the Ninth Heaven—suddenly they shattered the shackles within his mind, broke through the fetters of his comprehension, shooting a spark of insight into his consciousness.
"Refine the Spirit Sea, cultivate the mind and spirit. A Nascent Soul possesses spirit—that is a true Nascent Soul. A Nascent Soul without spirit is merely a false soul… The power of the mind and spirit, the power of the mind and spirit… Only when form and spirit unite can the Nascent Soul form naturally…"
These words, like mystical runes, surged into his mind, endlessly dismantling the barriers to his understanding, constantly kindling sparks of epiphany.
"Consort Dan, please see young friend Jiang Chen out for this old man. I must enter seclusion."
Ye Chonglou’s eyes suddenly shot out a sharp light as he instructed Consort Dan, then turned to Jiang Chen. "Young friend Jiang Chen, if this old man succeeds in breaking through to the Yuan Realm this time, you shall have the chief credit."
Jiang Chen chuckled lightly. He knew that with his guidance, the old man had likely gained some crucial insight.
In truth, even with Jiang Chen's discerning eye, he could see that the old man's cultivation had long since reached the level where a breakthrough to the Yuan Realm was possible.
The reason he had remained stagnant was simply that he had not grasped the essence of the Yuan Realm, had not realized the need to temper the power of the mind, and had instead focused solely on refining spiritual energy.
If the power of the mind and spirit did not meet the requirement, even if he could condense a Nascent Soul, it would be a false one that would collapse afterward, at best counting as a half-step into the Yuan Realm—not a true entry into that stage.
Only by uniting form and spirit could one truly forge a Nascent Soul!
These words had been carefully distilled by Jiang Chen in his mind, each sentence hitting the vital point. For the old man, they were undoubtedly words of golden jade, a clap of thunder to awaken him.
"I'll take my leave now. I wish you a swift breakthrough and a rise to greater heights, Grand Tutor," Jiang Chen laughed heartily and turned to leave.
Consort Dan had been in attendance the entire time, never interrupting.
Ever since that moonlit night when she had spoken with Jiang Chen beneath the osmanthus tree, she had stood there for half the night, not only failing to untangle her feelings but sinking ever deeper, to the point where she felt unable to free herself.
Therefore, today, she had acted out of pique, deliberately not speaking a word, deliberately avoiding conversation with Jiang Chen, even deliberately averting her gaze from him.
Yet she never expected that this vexing young man could utter a single speech that left the Grand Tutor so shaken, addressing him so personally as "young friend Jiang Chen"—which already hinted at a peer-like rapport with the old master.
This only made Consort Dan's emotions grow more tangled.
She had initially wanted to hold onto her pride and ignore Jiang Chen, but seeing his light steps already crossing the threshold, her feet ultimately betrayed her as she hurried after him.
"Jiang Chen, wait a moment." Consort Dan pursued him from behind, trailed by a refreshing fragrance, her graceful figure swaying elegantly, her exquisite face bearing a faint trace of melancholy.
"Sister Dan, the Grand Tutor is entering seclusion. Please stay and attend to him well," Jiang Chen said.
Consort Dan gently bit her crimson lip, her beautiful eyes fixed upon him, their depths shifting. She simply gazed at him like that, her eyes gradually becoming a little distant.
"Jiang Chen, you little demon king—just how many secrets do you still have?" Her voice was part murmur, part dreamlike whisper.
Jiang Chen smiled ruefully. "Sister Dan, I…"
Consort Dan suddenly waved a hand, sighing. "There's no need to explain. Once you do, it'll surely be more perfunctory evasion. Jiang Chen, I would rather you say nothing than treat me like an outsider, always brushing me off with trivialities."
"Uh… I never imagined that was the impression I, Jiang Chen, gave you, Sister Dan," he laughed self-deprecatingly. "Now, the Grand Tutor's seclusion cannot be delayed a moment longer. Please stay, Sister Dan."
As he spoke, he beckoned, tapped his feet, and landed upon a Golden-Winged Sword Bird. In a flash of golden light, he vanished beyond the gates of the Grand Tutor's Villa.
Consort Dan stood there, feeling a sudden sense of loss as she stared in the direction Jiang Chen had disappeared, silent for a long, long time.
…
Upon returning to the Jiang Manor, Jiang Chen cleared his mind of all stray thoughts. The day of the Grand Selection was not far off.
He decided to utilize a portion of the spiritual medicines he had obtained this time.
The immediate priority was to elevate the entire army of Golden-Winged Sword Birds, raising them all to Spirit Grade.
If every Golden-Winged Sword Bird became a Spirit Grade spiritual creature, the Jiang Manor would become impregnable from within. Even facing an invasion by outside enemies, they would have enough to hold their own.
A thousand Spirit Realm Golden-Winged Sword Birds, once they formed the Eight Desolations Spirit-Gathering Formation, would likely be unstoppable even by a titled Spirit King—and might even pose a danger to one.
However, the task of having over a thousand Golden-Winged Sword Birds all break through was no small undertaking.
Fortunately, Jiang Chen had driven a hard bargain this time precisely for this purpose.
The spiritual medicines extorted from the Tie family could fully satisfy this requirement, with some to spare.
As for the four Saint Grade spiritual medicines, he had specifically requested ones with water and fire attributes, naturally for the sake of his Ice Fire Demon Lotus.
Of course, Jiang Chen had no intention of using those four Saint Grade medicines just yet.
He was currently only at the Small Spirit Realm. Using Saint Grade medicines now would be a pure waste. It would not be too late to employ them once he entered the Earth Spirit Realm.
Saint Grade spiritual medicines were treasures that only those at the Heavenly Spirit Realm—the level of a titled Spirit King—were qualified to use.