<h4>Chapter 616: Desire for Power</h4>


    Xiao Chen maintained a serene mind as he calmly circted the sixthyer of the Purple Thunder Divine Incantation. He slowly absorbed the surging Spiritual Energy in the Spirit Vein’s origin that was like a gushing river.


    The gushing river flooded into the crystal Qi whirlpool, filling it up quickly. Strong energy swept through Xiao Chen’s entire body. In a breath of time, his cultivation soared rapidly.


    Cultivating normally for half a month could notpare to this one breath of time. That instant energy caused Xiao Chen’s muscles to bulge and his blood to seethe.


    When the energy bloated him, Xiao Chen’s bones and flesh experienced great pressure. The benefits of the Firmament Body Tempering Art’s sixthyer showed themselves here. Even though his muscles and blood vessels swelled, the distension was within a controble range. His skin did not rupture as a result of all this.


    Cultivators obviously desired power. When they grew more powerful, they would naturally be excited and feel intense satisfaction.


    As long as one was human, they could not avoid this. Excitement and satisfaction were not bad things. They could encourage cultivators to put in more effort and work harder. However, there was a limit to everything. Once there was too much of something, it would be a bad thing.


    At this moment, this excitement and satisfaction zed in Xiao Chen’s heart at least a thousandfold stronger than usual. He felt replete with power as if it could increase infinitely.


    Faster! Go faster! Grow even faster!


    Xiao Chen’s heart shouted. He flushed with excitement. By the time he had drained the Spirit Vein’s origin by two-thirds, the purple crystal Qi whirlpool in his body had doubled in size. The bottleneck that he had been anticipating for so long finally arrived.


    However, that boundless energy still continued to pour in. That excitement in his heart spread out. Xiao Chen felt that he could grow even stronger, that it was a pity that so much Spiritual Energy would go to waste like that.


    Don’t be too greedy; do not lose yourself in power.


    Just when Xiao Chen had that thought, the words that Ao Jiao said to him earlier echoed in his mind. He woke up from his stupor and quickly stopped circting the Purple Thunder Divine Incantation.


    The Spiritual Energy diffused throughout the Spirit Sealing Formation. A dense mist filled the insides of the formation, but with the light barrier around this ce, none of it leaked out.


    Ao Jiao gazed through the light barrier and saw the remaining Spirit Vein’s origin. She heaved a sigh of relief and smiled. “I knew that this Stupid Master would not lose himself in power. After all, he was able to pass the test of desire in the Ancient Deste Tower.”


    The situation earlier was extremely perilous. If Xiao Chen had not stopped, his body would have instantly exploded from excessive Spiritual Energy; death would have been the only result.


    The crystal Qi whirlpool in Xiao Chen’s dantian had already grown to its limit. Its rotation speed gradually slowed, eventuallying to a stop and not moving.


    “Xiu!”


    The instant the crystal Qi whirlpool stopped, the Mental Energy in his sea of consciousness suddenly welled forth.It flowed from the Tianmen Acupoint on the head through a major meridian to the dantian. Strong Mental Energy flowed through the major meridian like a waterfall.


    The Mental Energy started to refine the Essence into Quintessence. This refinement was something that most people found difficult to do, but it was easy for Xiao Chen.


    Xiao Chen’s sea of consciousness opened long ago. His Mental Energy was much stronger than Essence. His process of refining Quintessence was much smoother than that of other cultivators. As his Mental Energy seeped in, the solid crystal Qi whirlpool started to condense.


    “Ti da! Ti da!”


    Dripping sounds rang out in Xiao Chen’s body. A purple liquid purer and stronger than the solid Essence appeared in his dantian, drip by drip. After that, it flowed into all his meridians.


    When Xiao Chen felt that pure power, he rejoiced. He muttered in his heart, This is Quintessence?


    Xiao Chen initially thought that with his vast Essence, the process of refining Quintessence would take at least two months. However, his Mental Energy was at least a hundredfold stronger than others’. So this period of refinement was significantly shortened.


    After one hour, Xiao Chenpletely refined all his Essence into Quintessence. The purple Quintessence surged through his meridians, circting for a great cycle before returning to his dantian, turning into ny-nine drops of purple liquid.


    “Bang!”


    The instant Xiao Chen stopped circting his energy and opened his eyes, the immense power in his body surged into the surroundings without any restraint. The entire ce started shaking.


    The blue-robed old man above had searched for a long time but failed to find the origin of the Spiritual Energy from earlier. When he was about to leave, the mound behind him suddenly shook.


    The blue-robed soared into the air and carefully sized up the unremarkable mound.


    Xiao Chen’s eyes radiated strong confidence as he circted a drop of purple Quintessence, casually sending out a saber Qi formed by Quintessence. In that instant, the saber Qi ripped open a long, pitch-ck spatial tear.


    Xiao Chen felt that that drop of Quintessence was far from drained. He kept moving his hands, sending out a total of a hundred and thirty strands of saber Qi. The space in front of him tattered like a piece of ripped cloth.


    Quintessence truly deserved its fame. Previously, Xiao Chen had to use the Thunder Shadow Chop before he could tear space. Now, a casual strike of his could tear space already.


    I finally seeded in advancing to Martial Monarch!


    Xiao Chen could not contain the excitement in his heart. With a ‘sou,’ hended beside Ao Jiao and said with a smile, “Ao Jiao, I have advanced to Martial Monarch.”


    Ao Jiao felt happy for Xiao Chen. However, she still said calmly, “Let’s return first and quickly stabilize your cultivation. Right now, you are unable to control your Quintessence perfectly.”


    The two returned the way they came. When the mound opened once again, an intense palm wind weed them.


    “After waiting for so long, it turns out that it is you who is causing all themotion. Quickly hand over all the treasures you obtained.”


    The blue-robed old man had a sinister expression. His hand was covered in Quintessence as he sent out a ferocious palm wind at Xiao Chen.


    The sudden appearance of the blue-robed old man first startled Xiao Chen. After all, he had not prepared his mind for such an urrence. Faced with a sneak attack, one would always freeze in astonishment for a short time.


    After Xiao Chen recovered, he started tough. He had just advanced to Martial Monarch and had yet to test his power. This blue-robed old man came at the right moment.


    With a thought, three drops of purple liquid instantly poured into Xiao Chen’s meridians, turning into surging Quintessence. Then, Xiao Chen sent out a punch.


    “Bang!”


    The punch and palm strike connected, creating an intense shock wave. In that instant, the mound that had opened up shattered into dust from the Quintessence that exploded out from the two.


    “Hu Chi! Hu Chi!”


    The energy that poured out of Xiao Chen’s punch surged without limit and was endlessly pure. The blue-robed old man had to take ten steps back in the air before he could stabilize himself.


    Seeing the light flickering on Xiao Chen’s fist, the blue-robed old man goggled in shock as he said, “This is Quintessence! But how did you advance to Martial Monarch in half a day?!”


    The blue-robed old man’s shock was understandable. Ordinary cultivators reached the bottleneck of half-step Martial Monarch first before opening the sea of consciousness. They would cultivate their Mental Energy while they refined their Essence. Only when they had refined all their Essence would they officially be a Martial Monarch.


    During this process, even the cultivators with the strongest talents in Mental Energy would take three months at the very least. As for those with weaker talents in Mental Energy, taking two or three years was quite normal.


    Very few people could be like Xiao Chen, cultivating Mental Energy from the moment they started cultivating. Furthermore, he opened his sea of consciousness while still a Martial King.


    Xiao Chen’s Mental Energy was much stronger than Essence. Even when he reached the bottleneck of half-step Martial Monarch, his Mental Energy was still stronger than his Essence. Hence, his rate of refining Quintessence was astonishingly fast.


    Xiao Chen said calmly, “Those who are about to die do not need to know too much. The attack you gave me earlier, I will return it now.”


    The blue-robed old manughed and said, “So what if you just advanced to Martial Monarch? I became a Martial Monarch ten years ago. Your control over Quintessence cannotpare to mine. Given that this ce was the Imperial Capital of the Tianwu Dynasty, you must have found some miraculous medicines. Otherwise, you would not be able to advance to Martial Monarch so quickly.


    “You have just taken those medicines. It is impossible for your body to digest all of it. After I kill you, I will draw out all your blood, peel your skin off, and refine it all. After that, my cultivation will definitely reach peak Inferior Grade Martial Monarch.


    “Chi! Chi!”


    Right after the blue-robed old man spoke, a faint blue Quintessence immediately covered his body. When the Extreme Yin me burned the Quintessence, it turned into a pale-white light. His aura soared rapidly as he prepared to take Xiao Chen down in one strike.


    “Mountain Pushing Palm!”


    After burning Quintessence, the blue-robed old man sent out a palm strike. The air currents flowed in reverse. In an instant, the power of this palm strike seemed to have pushed the entire space.


    Strong pressure blew towards Xiao Chen. Mild pain appeared in his bones, skin, and flesh. The attack would smash regr cultivators into meat paste even before it arrived.


    Xiao Chen circted his Vital Qi, and his robust physical body became as tough as Frost Iron. He became like a mountain, standing there, letting that pressure and wind push at him; however, he did not move at all.


    When the blue-robed old man arrived within a hundred meters, Xiao Chen circted all ny-nine drops of purple liquid and finally made his move. He instantly drew the Lunar Shadow Saber, giving off a dazzling radiance.


    “Thunder Shadow Chop!”


    Xiao Chen’s aura flourished as he took seven steps forward. With every step, he sent out an attack. Quintessence surged on the saber, opening tears in space.


    When Xiao Chen finished his seven steps, his momentum reached its peak. The seven afterimages merged and he attacked. The immortal state of thunder made the electricity on the saber inextinguishable. Furthermore, he also infused his sixty-percentprehended saber intent into this move.


    The might of this attack reach an unimaginable intensity. Electric light exploded, tearing through the blue-robed old man’s palm wind. Xiao Chen thrust his saber forward, and his opponent’s protective Quintessence held up for merely a moment before shattering.


    “Pu Chi!”


    The Quintessence in the saber light pushed the blue-robed old man back a kilometer. A bloody saber wound appeared on his chest, deep enough for bone to be visible.


    The purple Quintessence was like berserk lightning, rushing everywhere within the old man’s body. It shattered all the Quintessence that poured out from his dantian, not allowing him to block it.


    The moment he opened his mouth, the blue-robed old man vomited a mouthful of blood. He paled as he looked at Xiao Chen in horror. He muttered, “It is impossible. You just advanced to Martial Monarch. Howe after I burned my Quintessence, I still can’t block your Quintessence?”


    Heaven Ranked Cultivation Technique! He must be cultivating a Heaven Ranked Cultivation Technique! Otherwise, he would not have such powerful Quintessence the moment he advanced.


    Thinking of this possibility, the blue-robed old man stopped hesitating. He quickly turned around and flew away. His opponent cultivated a Heaven Ranked Cultivation Technique and was an absolute genius. Probably Inferior Grade Martial Monarchs would not be a match for Xiao Chen even when he had just advanced to Martial Monarch.


    Common sense did not apply to the first rank of the True Dragon Ranking. So, the blue-robed old man fled quickly.


    As Xiao Chen watched the blue-robed old man run away, he sheathed his saber, in no hurry to chase after him. His Quintessence surged, and a dragon roar resounded. Strong winds howled, sending out boundless shock waves.