Novels2Search

Chapter 8: Accumulating Points

Chapter 8: Accumulating Points

In the morning, the Herb Valley shimmered under the sunlight. While everything appeared calm, Qing Chen’s heart was anything but. The previous night had been transformative—breaking through to the Golden Core Realm had filled him with unparalleled strength. Yet, it also left him vulnerable.

Inside his hut, the Harmony Veil remained active, its aura of perfect balance cloaking him. Qing Chen sat cross-legged, stabilizing his cultivation and masking his presence. He had spent hours perfecting the concealment, relying on the Harmony Veil’s ability to render him imperceptible to divine senses.

Still, he knew that Bai Zian’s curiosity couldn’t be underestimated. A Nascent Soul cultivator’s divine sense could sweep the Valley in an instant. Even though Bai Zian hadn’t directly probed his hut last night, the spiritual energy disturbance would not have gone unnoticed.

As the Veil faded with the dawn, Qing Chen rose to his feet. “Time to face the music,” he muttered, schooling his features into a mix of nervousness and excitement.

Stepping outside, Qing Chen didn’t have to wait long. Bai Zian was already approaching, his expression calm but his gaze penetrating.

“Brother Qing,” Bai Zian began, his tone conversational but laced with intent. “Did you notice the spiritual energy last night? It felt... strange.”

Qing Chen’s heart raced, but he forced a sheepish smile onto his face. “Ah, yes. That was me,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “I finally managed to break through to the First Layer of the Energy Refinement Realm.”

Bai Zian’s eyes narrowed slightly. His divine sense swept over Qing Chen, probing for any sign of inconsistency. Yet, what he felt matched Qing Chen’s claim—an aura that suggested a newly advanced Energy Refinement cultivator.

What Bai Zian didn’t know was that Qing Chen had spent hours after his breakthrough compressing and dampening his Golden Core’s aura using the Harmony Veil. The barrier had acted like a sponge, absorbing the excess energy and preventing it from leaking into the surroundings. Even now, Qing Chen maintained a delicate control over his spiritual fluctuations, suppressing them to appear far weaker than he truly was.

Qing Chen used the unique traits of his cultivation technique, Essence of Energy, as a scapegoat for the spiritual energy anomaly.

“It was my first breakthrough in years,” Qing Chen continued, keeping his tone light. “I might have been a little... overeager. I didn’t mean to disturb the Valley.”

Bai Zian frowned slightly. “Breaking through to Energy Refinement shouldn’t have caused such a large fluctuation,” he said, his tone skeptical.

“I know,” Qing Chen replied quickly. “But my cultivation technique isn’t exactly standard. It tends to draw in more spiritual energy than most, even for small advancements.”

That part, at least, wasn’t a lie. The Essence of Energy technique he practiced was known for its unusual properties—properties Qing Chen had relied on before to justify anomalies in his cultivation.

Bai Zian regarded him for a long moment before nodding slowly. “Be cautious, Brother Qing. Drawing in too much energy can attract unwanted attention.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Qing Chen said, bowing slightly.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Bai Zian did not inquire further. Everyone had secrets that they might not even tell their parents.

As Bai Zian turned to leave, Qing Chen exhaled softly, relief washing over him. The Harmony Veil had done its job, cloaking the true extent of his breakthrough. Yet, he knew this wouldn’t be the last time he’d have to deceive someone.

Returning to the herb fields, Qing Chen immersed himself in work, the rhythmic cutting of herbs calming his nerves. He couldn’t let his guard down—not in a Valley filled with sharp eyes and sharper minds. The Golden Core within his dantian pulsed faintly, a reminder of his strength and the secrets he had to keep hidden.

‘The next breakthrough would have to wait until Feng Liang and Bai Zian leave the Herb Valley.’

While Qing Chen was busy tending to the herb fields, Bai Zian and Feng Liang suddenly appeared, their expressions tense. Feng Liang, his voice carrying the weight of authority, warned Qing Chen about an unknown fluctuation in spiritual energy detected near the servant huts—just like Bai Zian had done before.

Before Qing Chen could respond, the ground trembled, and the faint sound of chittering emerged from the nearby woods. Without warning, an ethereal fog began to creep into the edges of the Herb Valley. The fog carried an oppressive aura, one that suppressed the spiritual senses of all cultivators present, rendering their divine senses nearly useless.

“Brother Qing!” Feng Liang’s voice trembled as he looked around. “What is this? It’s like it’s targeting us!”

Qing Chen feigned alarm, clutching his tools tightly as he scanned the area. Bai Zian, however, quickly stepped forward, his aura flaring to push back the fog. “Stay behind me,” he commanded, his gaze sharp.

Suddenly, shadowy figures began to materialize within the fog. The shapes resembled beasts but were translucent, their forms flickering like illusions. The nearest shadow lunged toward the group. Bai Zian blocked it with a wave of his hand, his spiritual energy forming a protective barrier.

The shadow dissipated on contact, but Bai Zian’s frown deepened. “These aren’t real beasts—they’re manifestations of spiritual energy. But they’re strong enough to cause harm.”

Feng Liang panicked and released an attack, which momentarily cleared part of the fog but caused more shadows to appear. Qing Chen, careful not to overextend himself, used his broom as a defensive tool, mimicking clumsy strikes while staying close to the others.

Bai Zian focused, his divine sense piercing through the fog to locate its source. “It’s concentrated near the outer edge of the Valley. This isn’t natural—it’s the remnant of a failed array or some external interference.”

The Valley Master’s voice echoed suddenly across the Valley, commanding all disciples to retreat to their quarters. Bai Zian hesitated, unwilling to leave the mystery unsolved, but Feng Liang convinced him to follow orders.

Qing Chen, meanwhile, used the confusion to quietly activate the Harmony Veil within a limited radius. Its calming effects made the fog’s oppressive aura dissipate slightly in his immediate surroundings, but he ensured that his actions remained unnoticed.

But now he was broke again. He had gathered some Harmony Points while he was collecting herbs.

The Valley Master appeared moments later, his presence alone dispersing the fog entirely. As the skies cleared, the disciples were left with lingering questions. What caused the disturbance? And why did it seem to specifically target the Herb Valley?

Qing Chen noticed that Mu Qingfeng was able to stop the fog that had caused a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator to struggle within minutes, as though he already knew what to do.

At some point, Little Fur had climbed onto his shoulder.

image [https://c10.patreonusercontent.com/4/patreon-media/p/post/118460341/e500e28650a042c28123530379cae5df/e30%3D/1.jpg?token-time=1736208000&token-hash=ptnccup4OM7Xv2_dTfKX-WAKCrt9FHw3USaIinV9InM%3D]

Qing Chen brushed his finger on the small nose of the little creature.

Sneeze~

Qing Chen had forgotten he hadn’t washed his hands, causing the smell of herbs and dust to enter Little Fur’s nose, making it sneeze. He quickly withdrew his hand; after months together, he had started to understand the little creature’s reactions.

He wasn’t a tamer, so he wasn’t linked to the creature through a soul bond like most cultivators with their beasts. Many powerful cultivators sought help from their superiors to tame beasts stronger than themselves. Through a soul contract, they could bind the creature for life.

Qing Chen had considered it before but dismissed the thought. As someone who could grow strong through good deeds, why would he need to resort to such antics?