From the Qi Introduction Third Layer to the Qi Introduction Fourth Layer might have seemed like a difference of only a single realm,
but it was actually the dividing line between the Early and Middle Stages of the Qi Introduction Realm!
After reaching the Qi Introduction Fourth Layer,
Shen Changchuan had finally shed his status as one of the weakest and most insignificant beings at the very bottom of the Path of Immortal Cultivation!
Although in the eyes of High Tier Cultivators, he was still just an ant,
he was now a slightly bigger ant.
Naturally, this was something to be happy about.
However, Shen Changchuan didn't let the excitement go to his head.
After a short day of rest,
he resumed his diligent Cultivation.
Time flew by.
Since Shen Changchuan's advancement to the Qi Introduction Fourth Layer,
another month had passed in the blink of an eye.
During this month, the few other nearby villages that had sought refuge under Dawan Village's protection all heard the news that the Dawan Village Guardian had been replaced.
One after another, they came to visit, bearing gifts to congratulate Shen Changchuan on his new post.
There were six of these villages in total, making it seven including Zhao Family Village.
They were all small villages within about a hundred-li radius of Dawan Village.
They were home to Minor Immortal Cultivation Clans passed down through generations, with only one or two mu—or in some cases, just a fraction of a mu—of Spirit Fields to sustain their fragile existence.
The strength of these Minor Immortal Cultivation Clans was meager.
The highest Cultivation within their clans was around the Qi Introduction Third or Fourth Layer.
They had only mastered one or two types of Magic.
All things considered,
Zhao Hanguo of Zhao Family Village was actually the strongest among them and possessed the largest area of Spirit Fields.
But compared to Zhao Hanguo's near-grovelling humility,
the others, while also extremely respectful and careful not to offend Shen Changchuan, were nowhere near as subservient.
He later learned through subtle conversation
that the surrounding villages were unaware of his true background and origins.
They simply assumed he was a member of a branch family of the Shen Clan
who had perhaps spent some Spirit Stones to pull strings with an influential figure inside the clan, allowing him to be sent down to this lucrative post in Dawan Village.
This wasn't surprising.
After all, to members of these minor clans, they were like ants facing a towering mountain when stood before the Shen Clan.
How could they so easily obtain internal information about such a massive power?
Unaware of Shen Changchuan's specific identity,
they simply treated him with the same respect they had shown the previous guardian, Shen Shiyin, lacking the subservient attitude of Zhao Hanguo.
This couldn't help but make Shen Changchuan wonder.
'Where did Zhao Hanguo get information about my identity?'
After all, Dawan Village was so far from Tian Nan City, the Shen Clan's main base, that communication was inconvenient.
But the thought was fleeting,
and Shen Changchuan had no intention of digging any deeper.
'Maybe he heard it from Shen Shiyin's family before they left?'
'This has nothing to do with improving my strength. There's no need to get to the bottom of it.'
Afterward, Shen Changchuan didn't clarify his identity to the other minor clans either.
He wasn't the type to show off his status.
There was no need.
His two and a half years at the Shen Family Mansion had taught him to value his own strength far more than his identity as the son of the Shen Clan Patriarch.
And so,
in the month or so since his promotion to the Qi Introduction Fourth Layer,
aside from receiving the visiting minor clans and their gifts, and occasionally inspecting the growth of the Spiritual Rice Seedlings in the Spirit Fields,
he spent practically all his time on his own Cultivation.
Speaking of which, the successive visits from the minor clan patriarchs turned out to be a good thing.
Because the gifts they brought were all Spiritual Objects.
Some brought Spirit Fruits or medicinal herbs; the poorer ones even brought a few catties of Spirit Grain as their gift.
Shen Changchuan wasn't picky and accepted them all.
And these items,
played a significant role in his subsequent Cultivation.
Because he had Spiritual Objects to aid his Cultivation,
in just over a month,
he not only stabilized his Cultivation Realm at the Qi Introduction Fourth Layer Early Stage but also took a great leap forward.
Shen Changchuan could feel that if he continued to cultivate diligently for another two months, he would break through to the Qi Introduction Fourth Layer Middle Stage!
This rate of progress felt somewhat incredible, even to Shen Changchuan himself.
But on second thought,
it wasn't that difficult to understand.
While his aptitude for Immortal Cultivation wasn't high, it wasn't terrible either.
Now, he had ample Spiritual Object resources, his own unyielding diligence, and the mental transformation that came from escaping the suffocating environment of the Shen Family Mansion.
With all that, such progress was actually to be expected.
After more than a month of hard work,
his improvement wasn't limited to just his Cultivation Realm.
Thanks to the support of sufficient Spiritual Objects, Shen Changchuan was able to grind new Magic every single day.
The result was that in just over a month,
he had successfully ground every Magic on his panel to 100% progress!
...
Name: Shen Changchuan
Realm:
Qi Introduction Fourth Layer Early Stage
Cultivation Technique:
Xiangshan Qi Absorption Technique
Magical Artifact:
Golden Needle x2 (Quasi-Low Tier Magical Artifact)
Magic:
Golden Needle Stabbing: 100% (Perfection Traits: Slight increase in hidden weapon accuracy, negligible Gold Element Magic Cultivation Experience)
Light Body Technique: 100% (Perfection Traits: Slight increase in body speed, negligible Body Technique Cultivation Experience)
Spiritual Eye Technique: 100% (Perfection Traits: Slight increase in Eye Power, negligible Pupil Technique Cultivation Experience)
Wind Blade Technique: 100% (Perfection Traits: Slight increase in sharpness, negligible Wind Magic Cultivation Experience)
Fireball Technique: 100% (Perfection Traits: Slight increase in spell temperature, negligible Fire Element Magic Cultivation Experience)
Vine Technique: 100% (Perfection Traits: Slight increase in spell toughness, negligible Wood Element Magic Cultivation Experience)
...
"All my Magic has reached Perfection!"
Gazing at the neat row of 100%s in the Magic section of the panel in his vision,
Shen Changchuan couldn't help but let out a long breath,
a sense of profound relief washing over him.
'The non-stop grind to max out my Magic proficiency for the past month... it was all worth it!'
All six types of Magic had reached Perfection.
And as he expected, the benefits that came after reaching Perfection were not disappointing.
A new "Trait" had appeared as a suffix for each Magic.
With those Traits,
Shen Changchuan could clearly feel that a Perfection Level Magic was a cut above its unmastered version in terms of power!
Moreover, after perfecting four types of Magic in a row
during this short but intense period of training,
Shen Changchuan discovered another hidden trait of a Perfection Technique.
Instantaneous casting!
Before a Magic was perfected, casting it required forming a hand Seal, coordinating the flow of Magical Power within his body, and finally unleashing the spell.
This process took at least two to three seconds.
After Perfection,
that time could be shortened to under a second.
But that wasn't the limit!
If he reduced the spell's power output and overall might, the casting time could be cut to less than a tenth of a second!
This could absolutely be considered instantaneous casting.
After several experiments, Shen Changchuan could launch a Fireball or a Wind Blade with a mere flick of his hand!
Although an instantaneously cast spell only had two-thirds the power of its full version,
after some research, Shen Changchuan quickly found a way to compensate for this weakness.
Rapid fire!
He could exploit the spell's instantaneous nature to cast the same Magic multiple times in quick succession.
For example, after some practice,
the current Shen Changchuan was already able to rapid-fire three offensive spells, such as Fireball Technique or Wind Blade Technique, within a single second!
Instead of decreasing, the overall power had actually increased.
The significance of such a method
in combat was self-evident.
His strength had soared!
'Even if three or five of my past self from two months ago ganged up on me, I'm afraid they still wouldn't be a match for who I am now!'
'If I were to face that Demon Beast from the river again, I'm at least eighty percent confident I could slay it!'
Feeling the surge of power that came from perfecting his Magic,
Shen Changchuan's heart filled with confidence.