Chapter 88: Chapter 86: Obtaining a Prismatic Augment
However, Xiao Chen didnât have time to dwell on why his Divine Sense was so exceptionally powerful.
The ability to release his Divine Sense externally meant that his Foundation Establishment had been a success, and it also signaled that the entire process was nearing its end.
He quickly refocused his attention and took out the True Inner Core he had obtained earlier from his Storage Bag.
The first step was to bite his finger and drip a drop of blood from the tip onto it.
As the Inner Core absorbed the blood, a very faint connection immediately formed.
Next, he enveloped the Inner Core with his Divine Sense and began to strengthen this connection.
Then, he continuously infused Magical Power into the Inner Core and began the refinement process.
Soon, a fine powder began to drift off the Inner Core, making it look as though it had been pulverized.
Yet, it still retained the appearance of an Inner Core.
This continued until the Inner Core became completely illusory.
With a single Divine Thought from Xiao Chen, WHOOSH, the Inner Core shot into his mid-abdomen, settling into a space above his Dantian and below his chest.
Then, guided by his Magical Power, it gently drifted downward and settled firmly against the edge of his Dantian.
"Success!"
A look of joy spread across Xiao Chenâs face. He quickly infused Magical Power into it and discovered that, just as heâd hoped, it could store Magical Power like a second Dantian.
This meant that from now on, his total Magical Power capacity would be double that of most other cultivators at the same realm.
Moreover, he could continue to refine it in the future. Once the Inner Core was refined into a Fake Pill, he would be able to attain power far beyond the Foundation Establishment Realm ahead of time.
After the Inner Core settled into place, his overflowing Divine Sense gradually calmed and retracted completely into his Sea of Consciousness.
As the remaining Wood Spiritual Power finished strengthening his entire body, his Celestial Dao Foundation Establishment came to a perfect conclusion.
Xiao Chen continued to operate his Cultivation Technique, taking advantage of the lingering effects to absorb the remaining pale-green mist in the air, ensuring none of it went to waste.
Then, with a sweep of his Divine Sense, he collected all the unused Spirit Stones and returned them to his Storage Bag.
âHaving Divine Sense really makes things so much more convenient.â
âHiss... to think I actually used up six hundred and forty Spirit Stones!â
âSince I donât have a Spirit Vein, I had to rely entirely on Spirit Stones to replenish my Spiritual Qi. The cost of this Foundation Establishment was truly far beyond my expectations.â
âThankfully, I prepared a surplus from the very beginning to handle any potential Spiritual Qi shortages.â
âBut I shouldnât have needed to use so many Spirit Stones. Itâs all the fault of that Luoyun Wanderer who appeared out of nowhere.â
Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes. âHe certainly didnât expect me to have the Vertical Earth Golden Light technique, let alone a tenfold boost from my Augment.â
âAnd he would have never imagined I could complete my Foundation Establishment so quickly.â
âOnce I master Tier Two Magic, Iâll show him the true meaning of "keep your eyes open and donât provoke someone you canât afford to cross."â
âI hope heâs just as arrogant then as he was a few days ago.â
FLASH! Three cards suddenly lit up before his eyes.
Completely different from before, each of these three cards shimmered with a diamond-like, prismatic light.
[At Any Cost: Immediately advance to the Nascent Soul Stage. You can no longer receive future Augments.]
[Prized Treasures III: Immediately gain one random Top-Grade Magical Artifact. At the start of each year for the next ninety-nine years, you will gain another random Top-Grade Magical Artifact.]
[Divine Protection Veil: You are immune to all negative effects. This includes but is not limited to: Immobilization, Stun, Charm, Fear, Enchantment, Curse, Poison, Plague, Intoxication, etc.]
âTheyâre all Prismatic Augments!â
Augments were divided into three tiers: Silver, Gold, and the highest, Prismatic.
âCould it be that because I broke through a Major Realm, all the options I received are top-tier Prismatic Augments?â
âOr was I just really lucky this time?â
A theory immediately formed in Xiao Chenâs mind, but since this was his first time breaking through a Major Realm, he couldnât be certain. For now, he could only push the thought to the back of his mind.
âLetâs see... the first one is "At Any Cost"?â
âHonestly, if this were a game, I wouldâve picked this one without a second thought.â
âItâs all about level suppressionâputting immense pressure on everyone else.â
âThe joy of being king of the grind is just that simple and unpretentious.â
âThe problem is, this isnât a game.â
âNascent Soul Stage cultivators are the stuff of legends in Li State.â
âBut if I want to achieve Ascension to Immortality in the future, Iâll inevitably have to face enemies at the Nascent Soul Stage, or even higher.â
âWithout the help of future Augments, Iâd feel really uneasy.â
âThe second one, Prized Treasures III, is incredibly powerful on its own.â
âFrom what I know, a single Top-Grade Magical Artifact can sell for several thousand, even tens of thousands of Spirit Stones, with the average price holding steady above ten thousand.â
âOn a normal day, even some struggling Foundation Establishment Cultivators only use Upper-Grade Magical Artifacts.â
âIn many smaller clans, a Top-Grade Magical Artifact is even treated as a foundational Treasure meant to secure the clanâs destiny.â
âThe hundred Top-Grade Magical Artifacts from this Augment would have a combined value well over a million Spirit Stonesâan absolutely astronomical price.â
âPlus, this Augment provides an immediate return; itâs not just an empty promise for the future.â
âIf I chose this, I could either use a suitable Top-Grade Magical Artifact to directly boost my own power...â
â...or I could auction them off for Spirit Stones to fill my coffers. Either way, itâs incredibly useful.â
âBasically, choosing this would grant me an immediate power boost and would be like indirectly owning a massive fortune in Spirit Stones.â
âIâd be able to live very comfortably for the entire Foundation Establishment Stage.â
âHowever, when it comes to long-term potential, the last one has to be the bestâDivine Protection Veil.â
âThe first two Augments share a common flaw: theyâre incredibly strong in the short term...â
â...but their value diminishes significantly over the long run.â
âDivine Protection Veil is different. While it seems to have limited strength right now and provides no direct Combat Power...â
â...in the future, as my Cultivation increases, the value of this Augment will grow alongside it, becoming increasingly crucial.â
âThe Intoxication part isnât a big deal, but immunity to Immobilization and Curses... Hiss... that seems insanely powerful.â
Xiao Chen mulled it over. The more he thought, the more crucial it seemed.
âIn terms of Combat Power, I have Featherweight to fall back on. I just need to find some Tier Two Yellow-level Techniques later.â
âAs for finances, I have Buy One Get One, so I shouldnât be short on money in the future.â
Although he was still a half-baked Alchemist who could only concoct one type of elixir, this was mainly because he had been an Alchemist for less than a year.
âWith Buy One Get One, itâs only a matter of time before I make a fortune.â
Moreover, Xiao Chen had noticed a potential pattern: of the twelve Augments he had seen so far, none had been repeats.
âThis implies that an Augment, once it appears, might never show up again.â
âAs long as I donât pick the first option, Iâll get new Augments to bolster my strength or finances once I reach the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment.â
âBut if I pass on Divine Protection Veil now, I might never get another chance to obtain it.â
Xiao Chenâs thoughts cleared. "I choose youâDivine Protection Veil!"