Twenty more years passed.
Chu Xuan exhaled a deep breath, slowly rising to his feet. His muscles were now as though forged from steel—unyielding and as hard as iron. The blood flowing through his veins was bright and viscous. A single drop that fell to the ground could even create a small hole.
His tendons were firm and resilient, as taut as bowstrings, every fiber stretched to its limit. The air he exhaled was as if two white dragons were emerging from his nostrils. The heat radiating from his body could, in a short time, heat up the entire Water Curtain Cave. His body was like steel, his blood like mercury. His breath was like a dragon's, his tendons like bowstrings.
Chu Xuan gently caressed his solid muscles, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
"Reaching the 40th level of physical refinement was truly no easy feat. However, after twenty years of hard cultivation, I've finally crossed this threshold."
He paused, a thoughtful expression creeping across his face. But… it seemed like it was mostly just eating, eating, and eating. Maybe it wasn't really that hard after all?
He then once again focused inward on his Nascent Soul. Over the past period, he hadn't just been focused on refining his physical body. After the Ghost Shadow Worm broke free for the second time, he had the corpse puppet bring over enough zombies for the worm to devour their shadows.
Thus, the worm entered its third cocooning phase and fell into its third slumber.
His Nascent Soul was also undergoing its third transformation.
Once this transformation was completed, it would mark the completion of the entire Soul Transformation Secret Method, bringing him to the threshold of the Deity Transformation stage.
"I'm lacking Deity Transformation spirit objects now, so it's absolutely not the time to attempt a breakthrough. The 40th level of physical refinement still falls within the scope of a Nascent Soul cultivator. I'll need to reach the 41st level to match the power of a Deity Transformation cultivator. Compared to the Qi realm, the Body realm is easier to improve. All I need is better blood and flesh."
Chu Xuan quickly formulated his next course of action. He would seek out better flesh and blood to enhance his physical refinement. Then, with his powerful body refinement, he could hunt for Deity Transformation spirit objects, which would, in turn, supplement his Qi cultivation.
With this plan in mind, Chu Xuan set off for the East Sea. Both the Nine Yin Ship and the Golden Dragon Ship had been left on the shores of the East Sea. Since he needed better resources, transportation was essential. Naturally, he couldn't use the Golden Dragon Ship.
Thus, Chu Xuan decided to make some modifications to the Nine Yin Ship. Building a large ship was complex and tedious. In essence, however, it was just a box inscribed with countless formations.
If one wasn't concerned with aesthetics, one could simply build a large wooden box inscribed with arrays and set it to sail. But that would come at the cost of speed and safety.
After a brief period, Chu Xuan had completed his modifications. The Nine Yin Ship's appearance had undergone a drastic change. What was once an ominous, ghostly ship now appeared entirely ordinary. It looked like a proper vessel—no longer something out of the ordinary.
"It's been too long since I've ventured out. Time to take a look at the world."
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Chu Xuan took out the Nine Yin Ship and sailed toward the north.
An ordinary-looking ship docked at the harbor of Moon Island. Moon Island was one of the largest islands in the Southern Third Ring. Every day, at least fifty, if not a hundred, ships docked here. Thus, this particular ship did not attract any attention at all.
A burly, bald man strode off the ship with large, confident steps, heading toward the center of the island.
The island was under the jurisdiction of Moon True Master, who led the Moon Society. Moon Island, along with a dozen smaller islands nearby, was firmly under the control of the Moon Society. Not even the more notorious islands like Heifeng Island, Baigu Island, Yellow Spring Island, or Nine Yin Island dared to clash with Moon Island.
Fortunately, the Moon Society had no intention of expanding its dominion. They had simply opened up Moon Island for commerce. Moon True Master was known for his fair and just rule, never oppressing outsiders.
Furthermore, dueling and fighting were strictly prohibited on the island. This atmosphere of harmony and stability over time had made Moon Market the central hub for cultivation transactions in the Southern Third Ring.
The bald man gazed at the towering peaks ahead, which radiated a warm glow. Atop the highest peak stood a giant crescent moon statue, shining brightly in the evening light.
Within the mountain was Moon Market.
The bald man made his way toward the entrance of the market. There were two passageways leading inside. At the front of both passageways stood a graceful female cultivator, smiling as she welcomed customers and handled the registration.
The right passage was crowded with Golden Core cultivators, their line moving sluggishly. The left passage, however, occasionally saw a Nascent Soul cultivator pass through.
As the bald man approached, he overheard a conversation among some nearby cultivators.
"Hey, why is Moon Market built inside the mountain? I've never seen such a peculiar market."
"Of course, it's to protect against the Strange Winds. The occurrence of these winds in the Southern Third Ring is much more frequent than in the Western Third Ring. You probably didn't know that since it's your first time here."
"Ah, I see... So, we won't run into these strange winds, right?"
"Strange winds occur once every fifty years. The last one came ten years ago. Don't worry, our luck is not that bad."
The bald man slowed his pace deliberately, taking in the various conversations around him, which provided him with plenty of useful information.
There were talk of disputes between islands, signs of treasures being born, news of newly discovered islands rich in Spiritual Qi, and clues about rare items available in the market. Once he had gathered enough, he briskly walked toward the left passage.
The graceful female cultivator greeted him with a polite smile.
"Sir, this passage is for Nascent Soul cultivators only. You cannot enter through here."
She had noticed the bald man standing in the Golden Core cultivators' line for quite some time, and had assumed he was one of them.
The bald man chuckled lightly, casually releasing a trace of Nascent Soul energy. The nearby Golden Core cultivators were immediately taken aback. The cultivator who had been standing among them and listening to their idle chatter for so long was actually a Nascent Soul master?!
The female cultivator, startled and trembling, quickly bowed and said, "Senior, I failed to recognize you as a Nascent Soul cultivator. Please, punish me!"
The burly man calmly replied, "It's fine. Proceed with the registration."
With shaking hands, the female cultivator took out the registration book and asked, "Senior, may I have your name and origin?"
The bald man thought for a moment before answering, "A loose cultivator, He Liang."
"Yes, senior. Please proceed." The female cultivator dared not ask further questions. She retrieved a jade pendant shaped like a crescent moon and respectfully offered it with both hands.
"This jade pendant is the entry pass to the market. Without it, you won't be able to re-enter once you leave. Additionally, this pendant grants you one month's free stay at the market's inn."
The burly man nodded slightly, taking the jade pendant and walking into the mountain's interior.
Of course, he was Chu Xuan. His purpose for visiting Moon Market this time was to purchase rare and valuable blood essence. In an instant, warm, soft light flooded his vision. The scenery ahead opened up, and he found himself in the midst of a bustling and vibrant market. Golden Core cultivators were everywhere, haggling over prices with merchants.
Chu Xuan couldn't help but smile faintly. Such was the cruel and real world of cultivation. It was common for a cultivator to break up a single spirit stone into smaller pieces just to make purchases. Especially in the Starshatter Sea, where even a brick thrown on the ground might strike several Nascent Soul cultivators. The Golden Core realm was so common here that it could be likened to cabbages in a field.