"Miss Mengxia, since your grandfather entrusted you to Brother Chu's care, you can stay here with me from now on. It will also be good to have some company. After all, the place Brother Chu is staying now is for the disciples of the Young Sect. It might not be very suitable for a young lady like you to go there alone," Bai Yuwei said to Qu Mengxia after a moment.
"Sister, won't people gossip?" Lin Chu asked Bai Yuwei when he heard this.
Bai Yuwei smiled and shook her head. "I will explain this matter to the Sect Master myself. I'll just say that a friend I've met is staying with me for a while. Besides, if I'm not mistaken, Miss Mengxia's strength should not be weaker than mine."
"Sister Yuwei indeed has a sharp eye. In that case, I will trouble you, sister." During this conversation, Qu Mengxia had actually developed a good impression of Bai Yuwei. Moreover, considering that she would be staying here for a while, she naturally adjusted her demeanor. Coupled with the fact that Bai Yuwei was indeed a few years older than Qu Mengxia, Qu Mengxia addressed her as 'sister'.
"Since Sister Mengxia calls me sister, there's no need to talk about troubling me," Bai Yuwei responded with a smile.
"In that case, Sister Mengxia will stay with Sister Yuwei from now on. Sister, now that this matter is settled, I should go into seclusion to condense my Spirit Soul." Seeing that Bai Yuwei and Qu Mengxia had a harmonious relationship, Lin Chu felt relieved. He then smiled and said to Bai Yuwei and Qu Mengxia.
"Brother Chu, I can see that your aura is currently at the advanced stage of the Initial Spirit Realm, the Great Perfection. As long as you condense your Spirit Soul, you will be able to enter the Spirit Soul Realm. I believe you will be able to participate in the grand competition smoothly. You can go into seclusion with peace of mind. Sister will help you take care of Sister Mengxia. At least within the Young Sect, I can ensure her safety," Bai Yuwei nodded.
"Cultivate well. When you come out of seclusion, remember to prepare good food for Tiantian," Qu Mengxia also nodded at this moment. Then, Tiantian, who was in her arms, poked its head out and let out a couple of low barks.
"What a cute little dog!" Seeing Tiantian emerge, Bai Yuwei's eyes lit up. She bent down and gently stroked Tiantian's head. Tiantian seemed to sense the importance of the woman in front of it and obediently licked Bai Yuwei's palm with its tongue. This made Bai Yuwei's gaze even more ardent.
Seeing this, Lin Chu couldn't help but shake his head with a wry smile. With Tiantian's appearance, both Bai Yuwei and Qu Mengxia no longer paid attention to him. However, he wasn't about to compete for affection with Tiantian. Lin Chu smiled, and with a thought, he used the Ethereal Steps and instantly dashed towards the ordinary disciple's dwelling.
When Lin Chu appeared in the ordinary disciple area, he was naturally recognized by many disciples. Seeing Lin Chu's arrival, many ordinary disciples were surprised. Lin Chu, after disappearing for more than half a year, had reappeared, naturally piquing the curiosity of these disciples. However, fortunately, they knew that Lin Chu was not someone to approach easily, so they bowed from afar, showing their respect, but did not come forward to chat. Nevertheless, the news of Lin Chu's return quickly spread. The reason Lin Chu was only discovered now was that the path he took to return to the Young Sect with Qu Mengxia was not through the main entrance. Mount Shaoyin naturally had teleportation arrays for the Young Sect. However, as an ordinary disciple, Lin Chu did not have the qualifications to use them. But Lin Chu had Bai Yuwei's backing, so knowing about it was not difficult. Therefore, at the foot of Mount Shaoyin, Lin Chu, along with Bai Yuwei and the dog, used the teleportation array to directly enter Saintess Peak. Lin Chu did this specifically to avoid attracting too much attention to Qu Mengxia's presence. After all, from their time in the Vast Mountain Range, Lin Chu had sensed that Qu Mengxia's background might not be simple. It was best for fewer people to know about her emergence.
When Lin Chu returned to his room, Chen Lingang was not there. Seeing that his bed had been cleaned meticulously, Lin Chu smiled slightly. He then sat cross-legged and began to wait. Lin Chu believed that as soon as the news of his return spread, Su Jinlong, Chen Lingang, and Chen Desheng would rush over immediately. It had been more than half a year since he had seen everyone, and Lin Chu missed them.
A moment later, Lin Chu, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed, sensed something. A slight smile appeared on his face as he looked towards the door.
"Senior Brother Lin Chu!" With an excited shout, the closed door was pushed open, and Chen Lingang rushed in. Not only Chen Lingang, but Su Jinlong and Chen Desheng also entered behind him.
"It's really Senior Brother Lin Chu. You're back after more than half a year," Su Jinlong couldn't help but exclaim excitedly upon seeing Lin Chu sitting on the bed.
"I forgot about time, so I came back late. I apologize for making everyone worry," Lin Chu said with a smile, nodding to the three of them.
After a period of casual chat, when Su Jinlong and the other two learned that Lin Chu was about to break through to the Spirit Soul Realm, they were filled with envy.
"Everyone's encounters are different. I believe the elders have also seen your efforts. How about this, after I break through to the Spirit Soul Realm, I'll take you to the Vast Mountain Range for some practical combat. Hopefully, it will also help you break through," Lin Chu said after a moment of thought to the three of them. Currently, Su Jinlong's strength was still in the intermediate stage of the Initial Spirit Realm, though he had improved considerably compared to half a year ago. As for Chen Lingang and Chen Desheng, they were still in the early stage of the Initial Spirit Realm. Although the three had not broken through, Lin Chu could feel that their strength was much greater than it was half a year ago. Clearly, they had not stopped cultivating during this past half-year.
"That would be wonderful! With Senior Brother Lin Chu here, we'll dare to try fighting even fourth-tier beasts!" Su Jinlong's face flashed with joy. Although his strength had improved significantly during the past half-year, he had been unable to break through to the advanced stage of the Initial Spirit Realm. Su Jinlong knew that the bottleneck within him required a strong battle to overcome. He was naturally excited with Lin Chu's presence.
After chatting for a while longer, Chen Lingang, as if by magic, produced a jar of wine. The four of them laughed heartily and began to drink.
The next day, as soon as Lin Chu opened his eyes, he looked at Su Jinlong and the other two who were still drunk in the room, and a smile involuntarily curved his lips. Having gained three close friends, Lin Chu felt deeply content. After a quick check, Lin Chu headed towards the back mountain of the Young Sect.
Beside a waterfall in the back mountain, Lin Chu sat cross-legged. After adjusting himself to the optimal state, Lin Chu made a move, and the spiritual energy within him began to circulate rapidly. In fact, Lin Chu could have condensed his Spirit Soul and entered the Spirit Soul Realm when he was in the Cloud Depths. However, at that time, Lin Chu was worried about Yang Song, and he had a feeling that something was still missing, which was why he suppressed the impulse and did not take the final step. Now, after meditating for a moment, Lin Chu came to a conclusion. At that time, his mind was not stable due to his worry for Yang Song's safety. If he had condensed his Spirit Soul then, there would have been flaws. Even a slight flaw could lead to unpredictable consequences in future cultivation. And through his conversation with Bai Yuwei, Lin Chu also understood the importance of condensing a Spirit Soul.
As Lin Chu's cultivation technique circulated, the spiritual energy within him, except for the spiritual energy in the Qi Mansion, poured into his Dantian. The spiritual energy compressed rapidly, and a round spiritual sphere gradually appeared. As Lin Chu was fully concentrating on condensing his Spirit Soul, the seal in his mind began to loosen. A wisp of slightly turbid gas then shot out and rushed directly towards Lin Chu's Dantian.
Boom!
With the addition of this wisp of gas, Lin Chu had no time to react before he saw the sphere in his Dantian spinning rapidly and transforming into a ladle-shaped object, absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy. As time passed, a celestial belt-like object slowly appeared in Lin Chu's Dantian.
Back mountain of the Young Sect.
At this moment, Lin Chu looked bewildered. He looked at the Spirit Soul in his Dantian and couldn't help but chuckle wryly. According to Bai Yuwei, Spirit Souls were divided into five grades: Azure, Crimson, Golden, Violet, and Five-Colored. However, the one in Lin Chu's Dantian was a dusky gray, completely deviating from the five grades Bai Yuwei had described.
"Is it the influence of that wisp of gas?" Lin Chu murmured to himself, a hint of confusion in his eyes. Lin Chu could feel that he had indeed entered the Spirit Soul Realm. However, his Spirit Soul looked like this.
"Never mind, I'll go ask sister," Lin Chu shook his head with a wry smile. After pondering without any results, he moved and flew directly towards Saintess Peak.
"A dusky gray color? Relax your mind, let me take a look first." After listening to Lin Chu's explanation, Bai Yuwei also frowned slightly. This situation was clearly something she had encountered for the first time. After a moment of thought, she decided to see it before discussing further.
Lin Chu nodded and then spread his hands, completely letting go of his defenses.
"It is indeed a dusky gray color. But why would it be like this..." Bai Yuwei withdrew her divine sense, a look of deep confusion in her beautiful eyes.
"Sister doesn't know either..." Lin Chu shook his head helplessly, clearly feeling a sense of loss about his Spirit Soul.
Bai Yuwei thought for a moment and then asked, "Brother Chu, you just said that when you were creating your Spirit Soul, a wisp of gas was released from the seal in your mind?"
Lin Chu nodded and said, "It was because of the integration of this gas that my Spirit Soul became like this."
"Why are you here? Looking at your expression, did something happen?" While Bai Yuwei and Lin Chu were worrying about the Spirit Soul matter, Qu Mengxia came out of the room holding Tiantian. Seeing Lin Chu's dejected face, Qu Mengxia asked curiously.
"Brother Chu's Spirit Soul has had an accident," Bai Yuwei said helplessly.
"Oh? Let me see." Qu Mengxia walked up to Lin Chu and said. Then, with a move of her divine sense, she directly entered Lin Chu's body without waiting for his permission. Lin Chu, seeing this, once again let go of his defenses and allowed Qu Mengxia to examine him.
"Hmm, dusky gray? Interesting." As she examined him, a hint of surprise flickered in Qu Mengxia's beautiful eyes. She quickly withdrew her divine sense and fell into deep thought.
"Sister Mengxia, listening to your tone, do you perhaps know the reason?" Lin Chu said, as if grasping at a life-saving straw, and immediately looked at Qu Mengxia.
Qu Mengxia looked at Lin Chu, a hint of struggle between her brows. Under Bai Yuwei and Lin Chu's gaze, she slowly said, "My grandfather mentioned that cultivators' Spirit Souls are divided into five grades. On the Anwu Continent, a Golden Spirit Soul is already extremely outstanding. Even my grandfather's Spirit Soul is only at the semi-violet level. Beyond these five grades, there is actually another type of Spirit Soul."
"There's another grade? I don't recall seeing anything about this in the classics of our Young Sect," Bai Yuwei said, a flicker of confusion in her eyes.
"Sister Mengxia, what is this other Spirit Soul?" Lin Chu, however, was more concerned about whether this other Spirit Soul was related to his own, so he quickly asked when Qu Mengxia paused. Qu Mengxia knew that this matter was related to Lin Chu's future cultivation, so she did not delay. After a moment of thought, a hint of confusion appeared in her eyes. "According to my grandfather, there is actually a Chaos Spirit Soul in this world."
"It is said that before the Ten Directions Continent was split, the Heavenly Clan and the Ten Directions Continent engaged in a battle. At that time, most of the beings in the Heavenly Clan possessed Chaos Spirit Souls."
"Chaos Spirit Soul? Sister Mengxia, are you implying that the Spirit Soul within me is that Chaos Spirit Soul? And that I am a member of the Heavenly Clan?" After hearing Qu Mengxia's words, Lin Chu froze in place. Even Bai Yuwei looked at Lin Chu with shock; this news had clearly stunned her.
"It should be a Chaos Spirit Soul. After all, the dusky gray color within you perfectly matches my grandfather's description. But whether you are a member of the Heavenly Clan is not certain. According to my grandfather, the Heavenly Clan are direct subordinates of the supremely mysterious Heavenly Venerate of the Chaos Continent."
"Since the Chaos Continent became dominant more than a hundred thousand years ago, the Heavenly Clan has rarely descended to the Ten Directions Continent. And those who possess Chaos Spirit Souls are almost always individuals of extremely high status. I imagine they would not have allowed their bloodline to flow to our Anwu Continent." Qu Mengxia shook her head and then stated her opinion.
"Sister Mengxia, what happened more than a hundred thousand years ago?" Bai Yuwei asked curiously after hearing Qu Mengxia's words.
Qu Mengxia shook her head. "I'm not very clear about what happened more than a hundred thousand years ago. My grandfather only mentioned it casually when he was explaining Spirit Souls to me. If I'm not mistaken, the Chaos Continent and our Ten Directions Continent must have had a battle, after which the dominion of the Chaos Continent was established."
"Then how should my Spirit Soul be classified? Will it have any adverse effects on me?" Lin Chu, who was no longer concerned about what happened a hundred thousand years ago, asked with a pained expression as soon as Qu Mengxia finished speaking.
"Be content. This Chaos Spirit Soul is unique to the Chaos Continent. With this Chaos Spirit Soul on the Anwu Continent, your cultivation speed will likely be several times faster than others. It seems my grandfather was right, you do have quite a few secrets about you. Now I'm very interested in your origins," Qu Mengxia said, giving Lin Chu a playful glare and leaning closer, a sharp glint in her eyes.
"Is that true?" Lin Chu dodged Qu Mengxia's gaze and asked, scratching his head.
A hint of impatience flashed across Qu Mengxia's face. "You yourself said that this Spirit Soul was caused by a wisp of gas released from the seal in your mind when you were condensing your Spirit Soul. If there were a problem, would you still be standing here?"
"That's true. Brother Chu, it seems that Sister Mengxia is right. Your Spirit Soul is indeed that Chaos Spirit Soul," Bai Yuwei said, her understanding dawning, and nodded towards Lin Chu.
"Alright. Since both sisters are sure that it's nothing serious, then so be it. Hmm, now that it's cleared up, I won't disturb you two sisters. Brother Chu will first go and experience the wonders of this Chaos Spirit Soul." Lin Chu now chose to believe Qu Mengxia in his heart. After all, this was all said by his Master Yang Song, and Lin Chu knew the strength of Master Yang Song very well. Therefore, after confirming, he was naturally a little excited to try it out immediately.
"Stop!" Just as Lin Chu turned to leave, Qu Mengxia's voice suddenly came.
"Sister Mengxia, is there anything else?" Lin Chu stopped and asked, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
"Tiantian says he's hungry."