<h4>Chapter 1896 (Raw 1997): Coming Out of Close-Door Cultivation</h4>


    When the demonic mist scattered, Xiao Chen looked within himself with his Spiritual Sense for the demonic cloud seed above his dantian. He discovered that the space was now empty aside from the whirlpools of the Purple Thunder Divine Incantation and the Ice Feather Divine Incantation.


    When he looked within his dantian, he found a Demonic Cloud Bird, which emanated the might of a Great Deste Eon ferocious beast, flying around in that vast and mysterious space. Just one look inspired fear.


    The overwhelming Demonic Might of the Great Deste Eon ferocious beast even triggered a burst of dread.


    However, it was still fine. Xiao Chen possessed the Great Deste Eon Dragon Race’s bloodline, so he did not feel scared and did not submit to that Demonic Might.


    Another person might have ended up bing a ve to the Cultivation Technique, corrupted by it.


    With a thought, the Demonic Cloud Bird flew out of the dantian and immediately grewrger, merging with Xiao Chen’s physical body.


    “Boom!”


    Xiao Chen’s body released an overwhelming Demonic Might. At this moment, he had the air of a Demonic Dao character that was ambitious and ruthless.


    With a re, others would feel the overwhelming Demonic Might, and a boundless fear would spread in their hearts.


    Xiao Chen gave a war cry, and his Demonic Qi Veritable Essence Energy poured out endlessly. “Boom!”


    Clumps of demonic clouds gathered above Xiao Chen’s head. Immediately, every minute action happening in the space beneath the demonic clouds was within his control.


    Xiao Chen felt that the demonic clouds formed a special force field.


    When fighting, he would naturally gain an advantage by forming demonic clouds that covered the sky.


    There should be other wondrous uses as well, just waiting for Xiao Chen to discover them.


    If he cultivated to the peak, he might reach the same level as the Scarlet Blood Pirate King. Even after death, the demonic clouds covering the sky could cover one hundred thousand great peaks, never to scatter.


    Suddenly, Xiao Chen thought of something. He wondered if he could use Light of Freedom in the demonic clouds.


    If he could, it would be a stroke of genius. Whenbined, he would be like a fish in water.


    Xiao Chen decided to put that aside for now. With the cultivation of the Demonic Cloud Heaven Swallowing Art’s firstyer, he had broken through a bottleneck. His stalled cultivation finally progressed a step.


    After pondering this for a while, he consumed some Primeval Heavenly Pills to replenish his Spiritual Energy Veritable Essence Energy.


    He might be able to cultivate to peak middle-stage Star Venerate within one month.


    Now that Xiao Chen had broken through his bottleneck, as long as he had sufficient Primeval Heavenly Pills, he could boldly charge forward without any worries.


    He had another important reason foring to the Heavenly Dragon Pce, aside from entering Ancestor Dragon City. He wanted to raise his strength quickly, to bring out his previous umtions to their limits.


    Xiao Chen immediately acted on his thoughts. He closed his eyes and continued cultivating. However, this time, he circted the Purple Thunder Divine Incantation’s eleventhyer.


    With the Purple Thunder Divine Incantation cultivated to the eleventhyer, the amount of Spiritual Energy that it could circte was no less than the Demonic Cloud Heaven Swallowing Art’s.


    This was because the Demonic Cloud Heaven Swallowing Art was only at the firstyer.


    Focusing on one’s cultivation was the driest thing to do. Time also passed very quickly. In the blink of an eye, one month had psed.


    In one month, Xiao Chen exhausted the fifteen thousand Primeval Heavenly Pills.


    His cultivation had advanced rapidly, surpassing his original target. He had reached peak Consummation middle-stage Starry Sky Stage.


    Xiao Chen was only half a step away from breaking through the middle stage.


    Actually, by the time he had used up ten thousand Primeval Heavenly Pills, he could have broken through to thete-stage Starry Sky Stage. However, he intentionally held back.


    There was no need to take such a big step yet. He intended to use another five thousand Primeval Heavenly Pills to stabilize his cultivation and temper his Veritable Essence Energy.


    It would be best if he could build up his umtions further.


    “Truly delightful!”


    At this moment, Xiao Chen felt refreshed, having reached an unprecedented personal peak in every aspect.


    Right now, hisbat prowess was many times greater than before his closed-door cultivation.


    However, this also had something to do with having just entered the Heavenly Dragon Pce. In the future, it would be difficult for his closed-door cultivation to attain such great results.


    As for his delight, it was truly sincere.


    Xiao Chen had used what would be more than a year’s worth of stipend for others within one month. If word of this spread, countless people’s jaws would drop.


    After the shock, there would definitely be envy and jealousy. Those were fifteen thousand Primeval Heavenly Pills.


    Right now, Xiao Chen not only reached peak middle-stage Star Venerate, but his primal chaos Veritable Essence also reached a bnce.


    Xiao Chen could bring out his Taiji force field again. His situation was much better than before.


    After leaving the cultivation room, Xiao Chen returned to the secret realm.


    When in the secret realm, Xiao Chen executed Firmament’s Rage again. This time, the execution was much easier and smoother.


    This time, the execution did not leave behind any side effects. The huge drain did not make him overdraw on his energy.


    In fact, Xiao Chen did not use all his primal chaos Veritable Essence Energy, only one-fifth of it.


    However, his Soul Energy was drained. Even so, he easily endured it. Although his cultivation had grown, his Soul Energy had not improved much.


    His Soul Energy would advance to the next level only after he broke through the Starry Sky Stage to the Holy Light Stage.


    After one month of quiet cultivation, Xiao Chen’s somewhat impatient heart had also calmed down.


    Now, his heart was calm and tranquil like a stillke—neither arrogant nor impatient, neither rushed nor hurried, unaffected by external things.


    Executing Firmament’s Rage with such a mental state was the most suitable.


    —


    “Boom!” At a decent-sizedke in the city-sized Cold Moon Cave, a bolt of lightning soared over and kicked up a huge ssh, causing waves to surge.


    When Xiao Chen revealed himself andnded on theke surface, the originally violent waves slowly calmed down, not making any sound at all.


    There was a saying that one’s appearance changed with one’s heart. Actually, the surrounding environment would also change with one’s heart.


    Right now, Xiao Chen’s heart was as calm as still water. He unintentionally influenced the waves and sshes caused by the lightning.


    He waved gently, and the Cycle Throne appeared. Then, he sat on it.


    Now, Xiao Chen started to cultivate the Dragon’s Gate’s Secret Technique again. He worked on Firmament’s Rage’s second step, merging his Great Dao into his palm.


    This was a process that required patience. Even though he possessed astonishingprehension ability and already understood all the difficult parts, if his heart was not still, he would still fail.


    Once he failed, the consequences would be extremely brutal. His palm would directly explode. Although he could regrow missing limbs with his current cultivation, it would waste time, and his previous progress would be void.


    There definitely was a reason for no one being able to reach Great Perfection in Firmament’s Rage—aside from the Heavenly Dragon Pavilion’s First Pce Master—in the past millennium.


    Naturally, Xiao Chen needed to work on his Saber Great Dao first.


    No matter when it was, Xiao Chen’s identity as a desman would always be his first priority.


    A gentle breeze blew, and theke water rippled gently, rocking the Cycle Throne.


    A Dao disk appeared behind Xiao Chen. Then, as easily as a knife cutting through tofu, he controlled his Great Dao Energy to run through the meridians in his five fingers.


    He needed to make his five fingers like knives that were filled with the Dao and spirituality.


    As Xiao Chen gravely ran his Great Dao Energy through the right hand’s finger meridians, his left hand could not stop moving. He needed to form hand seals continuously and circte his energy in the method for Firmament’s Rage.


    Multitasking was extremely draining on the mind.


    “Buzz!”


    Xiao Chen’s left hand suddenly stopped. Theke exploded, and thousands of water pirs soared up into the sky.


    Failure. While infusing his Great Dao Energy, he did not control the strength well and injured his meridians.


    Xiao Chen had to rest for a while and resumed after his meridians recovered.


    Failure. Failure. Failure...


    Xiao Chen failed several times. Either he did not control the strength well enough or he did not form the correct hand seal.


    Sometimes, he managed to achieve both but failed in synchronizing them at the final step.


    The repeated failures mentally fatigued him. It made him easily irritable and prone to rashness.


    However, this thing could not be forced. Once Xiao Chen forced it, the consequences would be extremely dire.


    This was a kind of torture. However, this torture also tempered his mental state.


    Xiao Chen could not help wanting to give up or erupt in frustration several times. However, he endured it and returned to practice.


    As he looked at theke water, he recovered his calm mental state and continued working hard.


    Xiao Chen lost count of how many times he failed during that half-month. He had attempted it at least ten thousand times.


    The calmke surface did not move when the wind blew on it or ripple when leaves fell on it. However, this calm surface actually had ferocious waves and deep undercurrents beneath it.


    The eyes of the obstinate, white-d desman on the throne forever looked clear, flickering with a determined gleam.


    “Boom!”


    On a certain day, light suddenly burst out of Xiao Chen’s body. Saber intent surged, and when he opened his palm, tens of thousands of saber Qi rushed out. The quiet and calmke got sliced into countless tiny pieces.


    Theke water seemed to have frozen. It had thousands upon thousands of cracks in it that did not mend as a result of the lingering saber intent.


    “I did it.”


    Xiao Chen had seeded in infusing his Saber Dao’s Great Dao Energy into his five fingers. When the light scattered, a Dao imprint appeared in his palm and slowly fused with it, entering deep into his marrows.


    Xiao Chen had lost count of his many failures. After finally seeding, he only let out a faint smile.


    He did not go wild with joy nor get overly excited.


    The confidence of an expert, together with the pride of the white-d desman, appeared on his face. No matter how many times he failed, he would not doubt his own capability.


    Ten dayster, Xiao Chen also sessfully formed the Thunder Great Dao’s Dao imprint in his bones and marrows.


    With the flip of his hand, it could be a saber or lightning.


    “It is time toe out of closed-door cultivation.”


    After reaching Great Perfection with Firmament’s Rage, Xiao Chen gently pushed his right hand toward the sky. A colossal hand appeared, flickering with lightning and saber light. This hand seemed like it could break the sky.