Chapter 165: Chapter 164: How Many More Surprises Do You Have

"A soul seal?"

Hearing the old man’s voice by his ear, along with the unfamiliar term, Wu Chen let go of Xue Hongling’s slender wrist and pulled back his bleeding finger.

He knew this Blood Palace Seal was not something he could solve on his own.

Matters of the soul were a blind spot in his knowledge.

To be precise, having come from a refugee background, he’d had little opportunity on his journey to learn any Martial Arts knowledge beyond what was necessary for advancing his realm.

Thus, he was ignorant of many things.

Just as he was about to ask this senior how to remove the seal on Xue Hongling’s wrist, the old man’s voice interjected, full of surprise:

"And another thing! No wonder you brat looked down on that Earthen Milk Spirit Pool!"

"So you’re already a warrior of the Blood Coagulation Realm!"

He couldn’t see through the internal changes in Wu Chen’s physique, so he had no idea what realm Wu Chen was in. But from the vitality emanating from the drop of blood that had just emerged from Wu Chen’s fingertip, he could glean some clues.

Thus, he concluded that Wu Chen was, without a doubt, in the Blood Coagulation Realm.

For a moment, Xue Hongling’s expression was also dazed.

She clutched her stinging wrist. Hearing the old man declare that Wu Chen was a warrior of the Blood Coagulation Realm, her heart pounded like a boulder rolling down a mountain, thundering without end.

She stared intently at Wu Chen’s face, her gaze trembling.

Blood Coagulation Realm!

Wu Chen was actually in the Blood Coagulation Realm!

Xue Hongling finally understood. Back when she had met him in the secret realm, she had told him that outside, seventy Blood Evil Elders were lying in wait, including two who were on the verge of the Blood Coagulation Realm.

But after hearing this, not only was Wu Chen not afraid, but his expression had been one of disdain, and he had even seemed eager for a fight.

He had also immediately asked about the location of the Blood Palace.

And when she had mentioned the Blood Palace Seal and how it required someone at the Blood Coagulation Realm to remove it, Wu Chen had remained completely unruffled, as if he could deal with it at a moment’s notice.

So, Wu Chen had been an expert of the Blood Coagulation Realm all along!

For a being like that, wandering through the secret realm would naturally be as leisurely as playing house.

’But why, if Wu Chen had such strength, didn’t he remove my Blood Palace Seal immediately?’

Xue Hongling felt the bone-deep pain in her wrist and looked back at the dried-up Earthen Milk.

She realized it must be because Wu Chen had seen long ago that before she stepped into the pool, her body was in no condition to endure the agony of the removal.

That was why he had waited until now to try and remove the seal.

’Blood Coagulation Realm! Blood Coagulation Realm!’

Xue Hongling looked at Wu Chen, who was only seventeen or eighteen, and her mind was filled with nothing but shock.

’If she had any other thought, it was that the Blood Palace Seal should have been placed on Wu Chen!’

After all, the Blood Palace Seal was in itself a form of recognition for one’s talent and aptitude.

But such recognition was truly not worth mentioning in front of Wu Chen. Xue Hongling couldn’t help but lower her head in shame.

But Wu Chen, the person in question, was unwilling to admit his realm. After all, who knew what new heights he would reach in a few months?

He chuckled and said evasively, "Senior, the Blood Coagulation Realm... it’s nothing special, really."

"You little bastard! Of course the Blood Coagulation Realm is nothing special! You think being in the Blood Coagulation Realm is so amazing?"

To Wu Chen’s surprise, the old man, whose soul form had solidified considerably after a day’s rest, only mentioned it in passing and seemed completely unimpressed by the realm.

As if provoked by something, he fiercely yanked on Wu Chen’s ear and shouted into it, his voice full of disappointment:

"When mortals coagulate their source, this source is also divided into different grades."

"Judging from the color of the blood on your finger just now, it’s just the most ordinary color, with no spiritual quality to speak of."

"Did you think that Earthen Milk Spirit Pool was only beneficial for the Organ Refining Realm?"

"It’s also of great benefit to the Blood Coagulation Realm!"

"It can enhance your life source! It could have washed and nourished your mortal blood, perhaps even allowing it to evolve and transform into a source with more spiritual quality."

"The chances were slim, of course. After all these years, there was only a little bit of Earthen Milk left..."

"But if your source had gained even a sliver of spiritual quality... let me put it this way: you could go fight someone, tell them the contest is to see who can cut their own flesh the longest, and whoever dies first just has bad luck."

"Someone with a high-grade source wouldn’t fear that at all!"

Faced with the senior’s stern lecture, Wu Chen could only shrink back, enduring the piercing pain in his eardrum and letting him vent.

But hearing the old man’s regretful words, Wu Chen also completely understood that this wisp of a remnant soul held no malice toward him. He was truly looking for someone to carry on the legacy of the Celestial Star Sect.

However, as for what the senior said about the Earthen Milk’s effects being greatly beneficial even to the Blood Coagulation Realm, Wu Chen didn’t feel much regret.

From the looks of it, Deep Red had a similar effect. As long as he provided enough Martial Arts, it could bring about a fundamental change in his physique.

’But that would likely require an enormous amount.’

Still, compared to searching for these heavenly materials and earthly treasures, these randomly occurring Spiritual Objects, finding Martial Arts was arguably the simplest path.

After the senior had finished venting by yanking on his ear, his soul form also became visibly fainter.

Wu Chen looked at the dejected senior on his shoulder and finally asked humbly:

"So, Senior, is there any way to remove this seal?"

"I’ve examined this mark. It’s not difficult. It’s just for tracking and tracing, not connected to the host’s life. It’s nothing much."

The old man didn’t keep them in suspense, which was a relief to them both.

"However..."

His tone shifted, and Xue Hongling’s heart sank to the bottom of a valley:

"In the past, I could have made this thing disappear with a single glance. But now, in my current state, you can see I’m just a wisp of a remnant soul. Naturally, I’m powerless."

"Of course, this is all because of you, you little bastard!"

Seeing the desperate expression on the little girl’s face, the old man once again yanked Wu Chen’s ear and cursed:

"If you had entered the Earthen Milk Spirit Pool at the beginning and given your source even a trace of activity, you could have easily removed this weak seal! We wouldn’t be in this mess!"

"But what now? You’ve lost both the girl and the treasure!"

"Idiot! You’re hopeless!"

The old man resentfully let go of Wu Chen’s ear. He threw up his hands and looked at this seventeen-year-old Blood Coagulation Realm expert, his voice turning deep and somber as he spoke earnestly:

"’Rely not on youth to belittle the aged; this old man, too, was once your peer!’"

"Who told you to look down on these Spiritual Objects!..."

Listening to the senior on his shoulder, Wu Chen naturally understood the meaning behind his words. The "aged" he spoke of wasn’t literally about people; for prodigies, the passage of time was nothing to fear.

Just like the Overlord Body clan, with their bloodline and heritage.

So what he was referring to here were heavenly materials and earthly treasures.

It was simply advice for the young: don’t rely on your talent and foundation to look down on these treasures, and don’t be too disdainful to use them.

’Use your talent, but also snatch up treasures.’

’It’s all about plunder! All about domination! All about using everything to its fullest potential!’

’This old senior must have been a prominent figure in his day. He probably became famous at a young age and thought his talent and foundation made him the best in the world, leading to this kind of lament now...’

Wu Chen stopped listening to the senior’s subsequent ramblings. Since things had come to this, he started thinking of a way to nourish the old senior’s soul form so he could solve the issue of the seal on Xue Hongling’s wrist.

’While I don’t have anything like that, the four sects of Refining Valley might.’

’I still have over sixty-four hundred Contribution Points. After making some inquiries, exchanging them for something should be no problem.’

Wu Chen made his plan, but he didn’t get his hopes up.

After all, it was a sect founded by someone at the Blood Coagulation Realm; it was unlikely they would possess treasures capable of nourishing the soul.

’Nourishing the soul?’

But then Wu Chen seemed to think of something, and he raised an eyebrow:

’I wonder if that thing will work!’

His hand swept over his storage pouch, and an amber-colored pearl the size of a bull’s eye appeared in his palm.

The Soul Nourishing Pearl.

This was the pearl he had obtained back in Mountain Mist City for escorting a shipment of medicinal herbs for the Pine-Wave Martial Arts School.

At the time, the old school master had said that carrying the Soul Nourishing Pearl would invigorate one’s meridians and Qi and Blood, and make one immune to all poisons.

Although Wu Chen hadn’t thought it was very useful, he had accepted it and set it aside until now.

’Useful or not, I’ll ask the senior first and see.’

With that in mind, Wu Chen placed the Soul Nourishing Pearl in front of the senior on his shoulder and said softly:

"Senior, take a look at this. Do you think it will have any effect on nourishing your soul?"

"You brat, you’re a mere mortal who couldn’t even recognize the Earthen Milk Spirit Pool. What kind of soul-nourishing treasure could you possibly have!"

The old man sneered, but he still looked up. His soul shuddered, and he almost flew back into the bronze statue.

He stared at the pearl and cried out in astonishment:

"A Soul-Storage Pearl!"

Although the name was slightly different from what Wu Chen knew, judging by the old man’s expression, Wu Chen knew this thing must be beneficial to souls.

"First, a photographic memory."

"Then, reaching the Blood Coagulation Realm at seventeen or eighteen!"

"And now you pull out a Soul-Storage Pearl!"

The old man stared at the amber pearl and muttered to himself:

"You brat, just how many more surprises do you have that I don’t know about!"

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