Lu An activated the Qi Gathering Formation, feeling the sudden increase in the spiritual energy in the secret chamber with a satisfied expression.
He also ignited a first-grade Qi Gathering Talisman and affixed it to his chest, while simultaneously consuming a Qi Condensation Pill.
After completing these preparations, he divided his consciousness and began probing into the jade coffin.
His physical body continued to maintain the operation of the Yimu Spirit Soul Technique.
The moment his consciousness touched the jade coffin, Lu An felt two scenes suddenly appear in his mind.
One was the current secret chamber where his body was located, and the other was a grayish, desolate space.
He focused his mind on the gray space and couldn't help but shiver.
The place was extremely desolate, with ruins and debris everywhere. However, he did not find the remnants of souls that Li Ziyou had mentioned.
Suppressing his thoughts, he walked further into the distance.
Soon, he heard a rustling sound.
Looking up, he saw a grayish humanoid soul devouring something. It seemed to be the remnant soul in this secret realm.
"Fourth layer of Qi Refining, just right for me to test my skills."
He controlled his spirit to rush up and threw a punch at the gray soul.
Although his spirit was only half, it was more than enough to overwhelm a fourth-layer Qi Refining soul.
With this punch, a huge hole was blasted through the soul's chest.
The soul seemed to have no sense of pain, and its form was unaffected. It immediately turned to pounce on Lu An.
Normally, in this place, one could not use Taoist methods, and talismans and magical artifacts were all ineffective, leaving only physical combat based on spirit strength.
But Lu An was different. He had the Yimu Spirit Soul Technique, which recorded many spirit cultivation secrets, making him highly skilled in the path of spirit souls.
His hand suddenly grew enormous, grabbing the incoming soul, and then he clapped his hands together forcefully.
"Boom!"
The soul shattered, releasing a pure energy that quickly began to dissipate into the heavens and earth.
Lu An's face lit up with joy. Without hesitation, he used his soul cultivation secret technique, opening his mouth wide to swallow the energy into his abdomen.
As the energy entered his body, Lu An felt a jolt in his spirit, and his form seemed to expand slightly. Inside his core, the small sapling also brightened, appearing to crave the energy.
Lu An nodded. It seemed his guess was correct; absorbing these souls indeed enhanced the Yimu Spirit Soul Technique.
Just as he was about to search for the next target, a sharp pain suddenly shot through his sea of consciousness, followed by a jumble of thoughts echoing in his mind:
"Kill, kill, kill…"
Lu An shook his head vigorously to dispel these thoughts.
He exhaled deeply, feeling unsettled.
"Could it be the residual thoughts of the souls?"
This was not good news. If he absorbed too much, would he end up like those remnant souls, becoming a soulless creature?
He began to have second thoughts. Initially, he planned to use this jade coffin secret realm to advance the Yimu Spirit Soul Technique to the ninth level. However, given the current situation, he was no longer certain he could proceed.
However, just as he completely absorbed the energy, the Soul Devouring Sword beside his physical body suddenly flew out on its own and pointed a sword tip at his forehead.
Lu An felt the energy he had just absorbed suddenly being drawn out and flowing into the Soul Devouring Sword.
Lu An frowned:
"Is it rebelling? Daring to seize my spoils…"
His voice trailed off as he was surprised to find that, with the Soul Devouring Sword's absorption, the chaotic thoughts in his sea of consciousness were continuously being drawn away.
"Hmm?"
Lu An did not act rashly. He waited until the Soul Devouring Sword had finished absorbing before checking his own condition.
He saw that the energy he had previously absorbed was reduced to only a trace, but it was now the purest part.
His expanded form had returned to its original size but was now more solid.
Most importantly, the troublesome chaotic thoughts had completely disappeared.
Lu An was overjoyed and clenched his fist tightly.
"The Soul Devouring Sword has such a function. Truly, heaven is assisting me!"
He quickly examined the Soul Devouring Sword, which seemed to tremble slightly, as if it was excited and eager. Its overall aura had also significantly improved.
"It seems that the remnant souls and chaotic thoughts are greatly beneficial to the Soul Devouring Sword."
Without further hesitation, Lu An set off to find his next target.
...
Time in the mountains passed without notice, with the chill lingering on.
For a cultivator, three years was merely the blink of an eye.
But for Lu An, it was the longest seclusion he had ever undertaken in his life.
The secret chamber within the Lingfu Residence had remained closed since he entered.
During these three years, the people inside the Lingfu Residence continued their usual lives, although their business became even busier.
With the establishment of the San Cai Dao Sect, disciples received a 20% discount at Lingfu Residence, attracting a continuous stream of customers.
Externally, many significant events had occurred, the most shocking of which was the entire Li family joining the San Cai Dao Sect.
The Li family, originally the top family in Gulong County, joining the San Cai Dao Sect greatly increased its power.
Under these circumstances, many wandering cultivators flocked to the sect, making the recruitment locations exceptionally crowded.
Due to this, the San Cai Dao Sect was forced to raise its entry standards, and the frenzy gradually subsided.
The crisis faced by the Li family was perfectly resolved after joining the San Cai Dao Sect.
Those who had previously provoked the Li family, seeing that they now had Core Formation cultivators backing them, came to apologize.
Even the Lin and Wang families sent their clan leaders personally to clarify the misunderstandings.
As a result, the Li family's status naturally rose, solidifying their position as the top family in Gulong County.
However, it is worth noting that the Li family patriarch ultimately did not survive his injuries and passed away six months ago.
On the day of his funeral, all major forces in Gulong County participated, including the county's defense chief, who attended personally.
Some who wanted to cause trouble were so frightened that they did not dare to entertain any further thoughts.
In fact, many forces in Gulong County were puzzled. Normally, the establishment of the San Cai Dao Sect would pose the greatest threat to the county's defense chief. However, the chief seemed unaffected, which was confusing.
Of course, they only dared to speculate privately and did not mention it to outsiders.
Other matters closely related to Lu An included Elder Zhang of the Talisman Palace being promoted and successfully taking up the position in Yongning County.
He recommended Lu An for the position of Elder of the Talisman Palace in Gulong County. The Talisman Palace hesitated, fearing that Lu An, being young, might not handle such a heavy responsibility.
Unexpectedly, the gray-robed elder who had been guided by Lu An successfully advanced to a third-grade Talisman Master after years of study.
This astonished the Talisman Palace members. Even more shocking was that the elder also recommended Lu An.
As a result, the Talisman Palace had no choice but to approve the appointment.
However, because Lu An was in seclusion, the appointment was temporarily put on hold.
Another matter was Elder Mu, who, after receiving various talismans from Lu An and preparing for a long time, resolutely attempted to break through to Core Formation.
Unfortunately, things did not go as planned, and he failed to advance, dying on the spot.
The county defense chief naturally did not blame Lu An, as it was Elder Mu's own choice.
Moreover, Core Formation cultivators were notoriously difficult to achieve. County defense chief still remembered the perilous journey he faced when he first reached Core Formation.
Lu An sighed, feeling a greater sense of caution regarding the Golden Core path.
Lingfu Residence.
Gu Yuer approached Bai Sheng with great interest and said:
"Bai Sheng, there are not many guests today. With Wenliang and Sister Lu Xian taking care of things, it should be enough. Why don't you come with me to the temple fair?"
Bai Sheng was elated and was about to agree when he suddenly remembered something and shook his head.
"No, today I need to deliver the fasting pills to Master. The spirit stones for the first-grade Qi Gathering Formation are nearly depleted and need to be replenished."
Gu Yuer's face immediately showed disappointment.
"That Lu An, being in seclusion for three years, who knows when he will come out."
"Are you really not going with me? If you miss this opportunity, there won't be another."
Bai Sheng's affection for Gu Yuer was well known throughout Lingfu Residence, and Gu Yuer was no exception.
But she did not expect Bai Sheng to refuse so resolutely.
"I'm sorry, Yuer. I have to fulfill Master's instructions."
"I'll accompany you next month, on the fifteenth. I heard there will be a lantern festival in the south city!"
Gu Yuer hesitated, about to say something, when a voice came from the back hall:
"Bai Sheng, go accompany Yuer. You've worked hard these three years."