He walked steadily toward the Cloud Phoenix Inn, each step unhurried and calm. Before long, he arrived at its entrance—a grand structure inlaid with gold and silver.
Though such materials held little worth in the eyes of cultivators, the craftsmanship was undeniably striking. A large plaque hung in the center, bearing the inn's name in elegant script, while intricate carvings of mythical phoenixes adorned the surrounding panels.
Two guards stood at the entrance, both at the Qi Condensation Realm. As Su Chen approached, they straightened their backs and offered him a respectful salute.
"Tch… this place really is something," Su Chen muttered inwardly, a hint of surprise flickering in his eyes. "First time I'm getting this kind of treatment."
Without breaking stride, he nodded slightly in return and made his way toward the reception hall.
The receptionist was a young, beautiful woman—well-dressed and graceful. Noticing Su Chen's fine robes and striking features, she offered a charming smile and asked in a sweet, professional voice,
"How may I assist you, young master?"
Su Chen glanced around briefly, then replied flatly,
"Give me the best place in your inn."
She blinked once, then nodded politely. "Of course, young master. But as per our policy, you'll need to make an advance deposit—100 middle-grade spirit stones for a six-month stay. If you leave early, the remaining amount will be refunded."
Without a word, Su Chen reached into his robe and retrieved a single high-grade spirit stone. He placed it on the counter.
The receptionist's eyes widened slightly at the sight of it. For a moment, her poise slipped—but she quickly composed herself, carefully picking up the stone and securing it inside the inn's spirit-locker. When she turned back, her tone had become noticeably more respectful.
"If you'll follow me, young master, I'll personally show you to your residence."
She led him through a serene courtyard to a secluded section of the inn's grounds. There, nestled among tall pines, stood an ancient wooden villa surrounded by softly glowing formations. The air around it was calm and lightly saturated with spiritual energy.
Along the way, she had subtly tried to probe Su Chen's cultivation base—but to her surprise, she sensed nothing. Completely concealed.
"This is your residence, young master," she said, offering him a finely carved token made of jade. A graceful phoenix was etched into its surface, and delicate golden characters spelled out the word 'Cloud Phoenix Villa'.
"This token will grant you access. If you need anything, just send word through the attendant bell inside."
Su Chen took the token from her hand without a word. With a light tap of his foot, his figure rose into the air and glided toward the villa. The formations recognized the token's presence, and the barrier briefly shimmered before parting to let him in.
The interior was exquisitely arranged. Though it didn't contain any rare treasures or luxurious trimmings, everything—from the finely carved bed to the polished wooden balcony—was tasteful and refined. Even an alchemy room had been prepared, complete with ventilation arrays and reinforced shelves for storing ingredients.
After inspecting each corner of the residence, Su Chen stepped out onto the open courtyard and raised the phoenix-carved token toward the sky.
Buzz...
A ripple spread outward. Instantly, a shimmering dome of light emerged around the entire villa—activating the protective formation and sealing the space in a quiet, undisturbed calm.
"I won't leave this place until all my spirit stones are spent. For once... I'll cultivate in peace."
With that thought, Su Chen stepped into the cultivation chamber. The room was silent and cool, carved with faint runes on the walls to enhance focus and spiritual flow. He walked to the center and sat down in a lotus position on the smooth stone floor.
Reaching into his system storage, he retrieved a large bag of spirit stones. He set aside a hundred as backup, then calmly shattered the rest with a flick of his will.
Crack! Crack!
Dozens—hundreds—of middle-grade spirit stones broke apart in bursts of light, scattering shards across the chamber. Dense spiritual energy flooded out like smoke, dark blue in hue, swirling through the air like a misty tide. The entire room was so saturated that there was barely space left to move—only cultivation remained.
Su Chen closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and began circulating the Wood Sovereign Scripture.
Ancient characters, glowing faintly in a verdant green, emerged on his skin—flowing across his arms, chest, and forehead like living tattoos. The twelve meditation points in his body lit up one by one, spinning slowly like tiny vortexes, drawing in the spiritual energy from the room.
The dense fog of energy trembled, then surged toward him, as if pulled by an invisible force. His breathing slowed. His heartbeat faded. Only the soft hum of cultivation remained, echoing quietly within the chamber.
As the dense spiritual energy surged into his body all at once, Su Chen's expression twisted. A sharp, tearing pain spread through his meridians and muscles—like his body was on the verge of splitting apart under the pressure.
His breathing grew ragged, and veins bulged along his arms. Every part of him screamed in agony.
But he clenched his jaw and endured.
"If I can't handle even this… then this so-called Innate Sacred Dao Fetus physique is nothing more than a joke."
He forced himself to keep circulating the Wood Sovereign Scripture, driving the spiritual energy through his body in a controlled flow. Bit by bit, the resistance eased.
Suddenly, a soft glow enveloped him—seven distinct colors of qi shimmered faintly around his body, wrapping him in a cocoon of light. The pain began to fade, replaced by a calming warmth, like a healing balm washing over his wounded insides.
His breathing steadied.
His focus sharpened.
Time slipped away.
Minutes turned into hours. Hours into an entire day. And still, Su Chen didn't move—locked in cultivation, his body absorbing spiritual energy at a terrifying pace.
Then, deep within his dantian, he felt it—a faint crack, like the shattering of an invisible shell.
Boom—!
A wave of spiritual power rippled through him. His aura surged, and the flow of qi within his body became smoother, more refined.
He had broken through—stepping into the Middle Stage of the Foundation Building Realm.
But Su Chen didn't open his eyes. He simply exhaled slowly, and continues to cultivate.