Chapter 1074

Chapter 1074: Steady It

During Wang Chen’s closed-door cultivation for sword forging, a total of three guests came to visit.

These individuals came with the intent to request custom-made treasures, but since Wang Chen had given prior instructions, they only left invitation cards for him to discuss matters once he exited the hidden chamber.

Now that Wang Chen had emerged, he found himself in a rather helpless situation.

This business opportunity had presented itself, but he truly could not take it up unless he pushed the Life Creation Cauldron to its limits.

However, doing so would be akin to killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.

Fortunately, the visitors only made inquiries and did not place any actual orders, so Wang Chen planned to send each of them a reply expressing his apologies.

The reason was simple: he would inform them that his current orders were fully booked, and anyone wishing to commission a custom-made treasure would have to wait until next year.

The excuse was easy to come up with, but it was a pity that he would miss out on the spirit stones he could have earned.

Apart from these visitors, Huangfu Yongchun also sent a message via a flying sword.

It was received by Su Ziling, who provided a response on Wang Chen’s behalf.

Upon learning about this, Wang Chen decided to send a talisman message to inquire about the situation.

To his surprise, Huangfu Yongchun replied promptly.

It turned out that this Golden Core true master wanted to invite Wang Chen to join him as a "bounty hunter."

That is, to capture the guilty cultivators and bandits who had bounties on their heads!

From the second half of last year to the present, bandits in Fulong Mountain had been increasingly active, resulting in multiple teams of cultivators suffering heavy casualties.

As for the loose cultivators who roamed alone, many had vanished without a trace into the depths of the mountains.

Not only that, but even passing merchant caravans had fallen victim to their attacks.

It was said that a Yuan Ying expert from Luodu City was infuriated by these events!

Additionally, there were reports that some guilty cultivators had fled from the northern regions to the Fulong Mountain area, posing a significant threat to the region.

All these guilty cultivators were wanted by the Nine States Immortal Alliance, with hefty bounties placed on their heads.

Guilty cultivators are different from bandits; bandits are essentially robbers among cultivators who have turned to a life of crime for various reasons, engaging in acts of theft and plunder. Most of them are loose cultivators, typically at the second or third grade of strength.

While there may be bandits at the Yuan Ying level, they are exceedingly rare.

In contrast, guilty cultivators are truly heinous criminals, some of whom have even turned to evil, posing a significant danger to the world of cultivation.

The ranks of guilty cultivators are much higher than those of bandits, with Golden Core true masters being common, many Yuan Ying present, and even some at the level of True Spirit Masters!

Of course, True Spirit Masters are legendary figures and are not easily encountered.

Nonetheless, a Yuan Ying guilty cultivator on the loose, unbound by rules, is undoubtedly a terrifying prospect.

Huangfu Yongchun had received information that these guilty cultivators moving south were likely in collusion with local bandits in Fulong Mountain, and the situation was further complicated by the involvement of demons.

This development caused some notable figures in Luodu Immortal City to lose sleep, prompting them to decide on launching a large-scale campaign to eliminate the bandits and guilty cultivators in the Fulong Mountain region.

The targets were the guilty cultivators and bandits.

The upper echelons of the immortal city, in addition to the bounties issued by the Nine States Immortal Alliance, increased the rewards further: anyone who killed a guilty cultivator featured in the wanted posters could receive double the reward.

This was quite an enticing offer indeed.

Huangfu Yongchun suggested that the Seven Ultimate Meeting organization would take action, hoping to secure a share of the spoils from this endeavor.

The seven members formed the Seven Ultimate Sword Formation, which made dealing with Golden Core cultivators a breeze, and they even stood a chance against Yuan Ying guilty cultivators.

They could easily earn a hefty bounty!

After reading the letter and grasping Huangfu Yongchun’s intentions, Wang Chen pondered for a moment before drafting a reply.

Wang Chen decided not to participate.

First, he was utterly drained from refining the Seven Ultimate Sword and needed a substantial period of rest.

Moreover, Wang Chen had already planned to lay low and bide his time for a while.

Additionally, the newly acquired Seven Ultimate Sword required further refinement, and he needed to practice the Seven Ultimate Sword Formation while continuing his pursuit of the ninth level of Golden Core. His schedule was packed to the brim, and he had even put his custom-made treasures business on hold. He simply had no spare time to engage in strategic battles with guilty cultivators and bandits!

Thus, he politely declined Huangfu Yongchun’s invitation.

Huangfu Yongchun responded swiftly, expressing regret and understanding without further ado.

And with that, the matter was settled.

Half a month later, Wang Chen quietly departed from Luodu Immortal City and ventured alone to a desolate area on the southern foothills of Fulong Mountain.

This place was far removed from the immortal city, surrounded by wild mountains and rugged terrain, devoid of magical beasts and valuable resources. As a result, it was rarely visited by anyone except the occasional passing cultivator.

It was an ideal location for practicing powerful techniques.

Wang Chen had discovered this area using the Fulong Mountain Map in his possession. After scouting the surroundings, he eventually chose a secluded small valley as his new training ground.

After half a month of rest and recuperation, Wang Chen’s energy, spirit, and mind had fully recovered to their peak condition.

The Seven Ultimate Flying Sword had also undergone its initial refinement, and it was now time to put the sword formation into practice!

Standing atop a massive boulder, Wang Chen took a deep breath and gazed up at the sky.

In an instant, he slapped the sword box strapped to his back, and a large sword shot out, soaring into the heavens.

This sword box had been custom-made by Wang Chen in Luodu Immortal City, costing him a full ten thousand Intermediate Spirits, and was classified as a treasure-level auxiliary tool.

It was specifically designed to house the Seven Ultimate Great Sword.

As the sword ascended into the sky, it suddenly split into seven slender flying swords.

Each flying sword shimmered with an enigmatic, mystical light.

In the days that followed, Wang Chen tirelessly practiced the Seven Ultimate Sword Formation in this unnamed small valley, steadily accumulating experience points.

At first, his progress was excruciatingly slow; a full day of hard work might yield only a single experience point, leading Wang Chen to question his very existence at times.

The primary challenge lay in simultaneously controlling the seven Treasure Flying Swords using the split consciousness technique. Even with the corresponding sword control methods, the differing affinities of the seven flying swords made such difficulties inevitable.

Wang Chen even briefly considered simply boosting his abilities directly.

But he quickly dismissed the idea.

While relying on unique abilities might be tempting, it was not a sustainable path. Wang Chen’s goal in rigorously practicing the Seven Ultimate Sword Formation was to one day stand a chance against Nascent Soul true immortals.

If he depended entirely on the enhancements from unique abilities without gaining personal insight and experience, even if he could execute the sword formation, it would likely lead to critical flaws.

Yuan Ying cultivators were all extraordinary; if they caught even the slightest weakness, Wang Chen would surely meet a grim fate!

When it came to lives, there was no room for carelessness!

Therefore, even if using unique abilities, it had to be done with restraint and selectivity. Improving oneself by one point and then adding another with Virtue was the wisest approach.

Days slipped by unnoticed as Wang Chen immersed himself in practicing the sword formation in the unnamed valley.

Until one day…

【Seven Ultimate Sword Technique · Experience +1】

His swordsmanship finally transcended the entry-level threshold and entered the realm of mastery.