Chapter 1942: Chapter 716: Relics of the Two True Ones, The Sword Array Returns
The main ingredient for the Great Soul Pill is a rare resource, but not uncommon.
In fact, Luo Chen had obtained it before.
It is called Soul Essence!
All living beings possess Three Souls and Seven Spirits.
Formless and intangible, without appearance or presence.
Only when one’s realm is profound enough does the soul solidify into substance, becoming visible.
What is called a Ghost General or Ghost King appears corporeal, but in truth, most are filled with Yin Energy.
Sagacious cultivators throughout history have used secret techniques to extract essence from countless illusionary souls, forming what is known as Soul Essence.
It is said that this Soul Essence is a rare resource hard to come by!
By using secret techniques for consumption, it can significantly enhance a cultivator’s Divine Soul Endowment.
Moreover, should someone refine Soul Essence into an offensive means, its power will far surpass common Divine Soul Attack Techniques.
The Soul Essence Luo Chen obtained that time came from a task during the Ten Thousand Immortals Gathering, where Duan Li was struck by the residual attack of the Yuan Mo Sect Soul Refining Lineage. After Luo Chen resolved this injury for Duan Li, the Soul Essence became Luo Chen’s possession.
Later, it was also thanks to these Soul Essences that Luo Chen fully understood the God Slicing Soul Breaking effect of the Slaying Dragon Technique.
It was precisely that time that laid the foundation for the battle in the Sea of Consciousness ten years ago, where he personally slew Han Zhan.
Now, with things coming full circle, to cultivate Han Zhan’s "Soul Cleaving Technique," he must gather a large amount of Soul Essence to refine the Great Soul Pill, which could be seen as a twist of fate.
Thinking of Duan Li, Luo Chen’s expression dimmed. He wondered how Duan Li was faring at the Ten Thousand Immortals Gathering and whether he had been implicated because of him.
He shook his head and gazed at the Pill Formula, deep in thought.
As mentioned before, the thirty-six Pill Formulas left by the Refining Heaven Demon Monarch are not about potent medicinal effects, but universality.
Therefore, Luo Chen was familiar with most of the herbs listed.
For the few he didn’t recognize, he felt a vague familiarity, perhaps due to their names changing over time.
Truly putting effort into collecting them wouldn’t be difficult.
Except for this Soul Essence...
"Among the Five Continents of the Mountain Sea Realm, the North Sea Cultivation World and the Southern Border Cultivation World produce the most Soul Essence. In the North Sea, it’s due to the Yuan Mo Sect’s activities, encouraging cultivators to hunt the countless Demon Beasts there, using their blood, flesh, and souls to cultivate the Demonic Techniques of the sect."
"Soul Essence is the most needed resource for the Soul Refining Lineage."
"Even if someone in the North Sea Cultivation World previously produced a large quantity of Soul Essence, the trading channels were controlled by the Yuan Mo Sect. Now that the sect is destroyed, who knows where those Soul Essences have gone?"
After pondering, Luo Chen carefully put away the Pill Formula.
Once he returns to the Human Cultivation World, he’ll need to spend some effort to inquire about it.
He then looked again at the Attribute Panel.
Unlike the previously mixed directory of the panel, this time it was further subdivided.
Separating Soul Techniques from Techniques, listing them in a separate section.
With Soul Absorption Technique, Soul Bewilderment Technique, and even Mirror Flower, Water Moon prominently listed.
Overall, the number of soul techniques was sparse, far less than the abundant Techniques and Body Techniques, indicating Luo Chen’s lack in the direction of the soul.
After cultivators undergo Nascent Soul Formation, the physical body actually becomes less important. To some extreme individuals, the body is merely a raft for crossing the sea, protecting the weak Nascent Soul from the erosion and fusion of the external world.
What matters is the Art and the Soul!
The symbol of Art is the Nascent Soul, the representation of the Soul is the Divine Soul.
If the physical body is destroyed, a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator might still survive.
If the Nascent Soul is destroyed, a remnant soul is not far from death.
If the Divine Soul is destroyed, then it’s utterly the end.
At this moment, the importance of the Divine Soul is elevated to the foremost position!
Luo Chen’s lack of accomplishment in the direction of the soul has become his shortcoming, which is also why he insists on cultivating the incomplete "Soul Cleaving Technique."
"One bite at a time, one step at a time. To fill in the gaps in the soul path is not a matter of a day. Besides, the shortfall in the direction of the soul is something most Nascent Soul Stage cultivators share, and they have no solution. Before that, I need to have enough power for self-protection!"
Luo Chen mumbled to himself, also calculating his current means.
Not those ordinary means of the past, but powerful ones that can contend with or even threaten beings of the same level.
Foremost is his surpassing prowess in Body Refinement.
The Mid-Fourth Order Desolate Beast Physique is enough to match the Nascent Soul Third Layer and even some weaker Middle Stage Nascent Soul cultivators.
These Body Techniques, combined with high-speed movement and Origin Force enhancement, are highly threatening.
Thus, he has one trump card.
Then, there are the means in the Qi Refining Immortal Dao.
Looking at the various Techniques, Luo Chen felt somewhat helpless.
In the past, he was most proud in the path of Techniques, but now they seemed slightly insufficient.
The Slaying Dragon Technique is actually an auxiliary technique, its soul path methods confined to the Sea of Consciousness.
The Art of Origin Core, rather than a technique, is a secret technique for cultivating the Second Nascent Soul, and without the Second Prime Elixir, it can’t be used against enemies.
So, he can only optimize the old methods.
Now that his realm has advanced, some of the previously Low Order Spells have become simple in principle, making it easy to enhance their power.
Like the Qingyang’s Great Handprint, Luo Chen already had some ideas.
But even if those ideas were realized, they could only be used as conventional combat methods.
"Conventional is not bad either, adding one more option."
"It’s this Senluo Fire Prison that, after I possessed a genuine Nascent Soul Domain, seemed somewhat redundant, but perhaps it has its merits?"
Luo Chen recalled when he formed the Nascent Soul, when the Nascent Soul escaped the body, merging with the heavens for a moment in the void.