Chapter 150: Realization at the Twelfth Grade
Chapter 150: Realization at the Twelfth Grade
The journey from the Jiuyou Sect to Yanfu Mountain required traversing across over a hundred small and large sects, spanning millions of miles. Even at full speed, the Flying Boat took a whole day and night.
Throughout that day, Lu Hangzhi hardly ever left the cabin. Like a sponge with endless absorption power, he greedily soaked up everything Situ Chuyun shared about the Medium Realm and knowledge related to Sword Cultivators. He frequently used the Activation Art right on the spot to practice.
Fortunately, Situ Chuyun, at the perfected Mystic Light Stage, controlled and concealed the Flying Boat’s aura; otherwise, countless troubles would have certainly arisen along the way.
Situ Chuyun grew increasingly interested in Lu Hangzhi.
If it were an ordinary Cultivator from the Lower Realm, absorbing such a massive volume of information all at once would have caused severe mental indigestion long ago. They would have retreated to a quiet room to meditate.
But him?
Day and night, he feasted on the knowledge, digested it instantly, then ate some more, never stopping.
Naturally, Situ Chuyun didn’t know this was a benefit of mastering ‘Seven Motions with One Thought’.
Since cultivating this ability, his mind grew sharper, his reactions quicker, his decisions more decisive, and his ability to digest knowledge accelerated many times over.
Though Situ Chuyun didn’t know the reason, she recognized it as a good thing:
She saw Lu Hangzhi’s improvement clearly.
In just half a day, she could distinctly feel his proficiency in Art Techniques rising tangibly… and continuing to climb.
Manipulating the form and transformation of Sword Qi consumed enormous amounts of a Cultivator’s Magic Power. Yet, Lu Hangzhi didn’t care, burning through most of his internal Magic Power in one go. A mouthful of Spirit Honey later, he was nearly fully restored, immediately continuing without pause.
This tireless, fiercely dedicated attitude finally made Situ Chuyun cast aside her reservations and fully embrace the role of his mentor.
She answered every question he asked!
Most of the day passed…
Suddenly, an immense Power of Heaven and Earth erupted from the Flying Boat soaring high among the clouds. As quickly as it appeared, it vanished like a gentle breeze, leaving only a six-mile-wide, perfectly circular hole punched through the clouds.
“Congratulations!”
On the deck, Situ Chuyun smiled lightly at Lu Hangzhi. “You successfully broke through to the Twelfth Grade of the Epiphany Stage. Your current cultivation base equals that of a genuine Late Concentration Stage Cultivator. Moreover, the strength of your Spiritual Sense seems to have reached the Concentrated Spirit Peak Stage. On the Barbarian Continent now, even ordinary Mystic Light Stage Cultivators wouldn’t easily capture you.”
“Thank you.”
Lu Hangzhi replied simply and stood up. “If not for Lady Situ’s boundless generosity, imparting everything without holding back, Hangzhi wouldn’t have broken through to the Epiphany Stage Twelfth Grade this swiftly… I owe you a debt.”
“The invasion of the Demonic Fiends approaches. Helping you is helping myself. I understand that well,” Situ Chuyun said lightly.
“Besides, it also relies on your own talent and insight. Otherwise, no ordinary person could have gained so much understanding just from the basic knowledge I shared.”
“You flatter me too much!”
Lu Hangzhi gave a humble smile. “But I am puzzled. Why haven’t I felt the crucial moment for condensing a Divine Spark even after reaching this stage?”
“The crucial moment?”
Situ Chuyun was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.
“Haha… That’s hilarious! Is that how Cultivators in the Lower Realm talk about it? Condensing a Divine Spark at the Ninth Grade—that’s not a crucial moment! Even at the Epiphany Stage Twelfth Grade, attempting to condense a Divine Spark now wouldn’t be success. It would actually be failure.”
Thud.
This was another earth-shattering revelation. Hearing it, Lu Hangzhi sobered instantly, pushing aside the joy of his recent breakthrough. He straightened his posture.
“Please, Lady Situ, enlighten me!”
“No need for such formality with me. In our military camp, we aren’t that fussy.”
Situ Chuyun tried to suppress a smile but kept letting out chuckles. It took her a while to fully compose herself before explaining seriously. “Actually, in our realm, there’s no so-called Concentration Stage… and naturally, no Epiphany Stage either either?”
Huh?
No Epiphany Stage or Concentration Stage?
Lu Hangzhi froze.
“Then how is the cultivation hierarchy divided there?”
“Mortal Shedding Realm!”
Situ Chuyun stated. “It’s equivalent to your Epiphany Stage and Concentration Stage combined. But we don’t separate them. We use stages: Initial, Intermediate, Advanced, and Peak.”
“…”
Lu Hangzhi stared, dumbfounded and somewhat unbelieving.
“That works?”
“In fact, in our place, we advise against condensing a Divine Spark!”
Situ Chuyun dropped another bombshell.
“Because once you condense a Divine Spark, your Spiritual Power Pool, also your Sea of Consciousness… becomes fixed! It’s like a foundation. Do you know what fixing your foundation means?”
“You’re saying once a Divine Spark is condensed, the process of building your foundation ends,” Lu Hangzhi guessed.
“Exactly!”
Situ Chuyun nodded as she explained. “The Divine Spark is like starting to stack bricks and mortar on that foundation, building a house on top of it. However, no matter how beautiful you build it, or how high you reach, your ultimate power will always be capped by the size of that foundation. An insurmountable shackle. You can never break free.”
As Situ Chuyun laid out the origins and flaws of the Divine Spark in plain, easy-to-understand terms, Lu Hangzhi felt the worldview, understanding, and cultivation principles he had built since arriving in this world shattering one by one, crumbling, only to start reassembling.
Finally…
Lu Hangzhi shuddered involuntarily, a realization bursting from his lips:
“So… that’s why so many Mind Focusing Cultivators on the Barbarian Continent can never advance to the Mystic Light Stage! And even if some do manage it, they can progress no further! Because the moment they condensed their Divine Spark, destiny was sealed! They are forever barred from higher achievements!”
Situ Chuyun nodded very seriously.
“Which is exactly why I approached you. You are the only Cultivator I’ve seen on this Barbarian Continent not shackled by this limitation. You possess the potential to achieve the Mystic Light Stage… and break through to realms beyond.”
“……”
Lu Hangzhi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Condensing a Divine Spark was actually a lie?
A complete and utter misconception!
“I always thought… using my Spiritual Vortex Storm to help others ascend to the Spirit Condensation Stage and condense Divine Sparks… I was helping them. But now… was I actually harming others and myself?”
“Not really… Their situation was different from yours,” Situ Chuyun said. “Even without your intervention, they would have eventually chosen to condense a Divine Spark upon reaching the Peak Ninth Grade.” She paused, showing faint curiosity.
“It is rather curious… Your Xuanxin Sect possesses a secret manual like ‘The Path to Divinity’… yet never produced a single Mystic Light Stage Cultivator.”
“……”
Hearing this, Lu Hangzhi felt very awkward.
This was…
A stark mockery of all the past senior members of Xuanxin Sect!
Good thing her cultivation level was high, otherwise, the five Sword Spirits probably would have jumped out to duel her.
“Right,”
He hurriedly changed the subject.
“Since condensing a Divine Spark isn’t necessary… should I ascend directly from the Epiphany Stage Twelfth Grade to the Mystic Light Stage?”
“In our realm, most cross the Tribulation at the Peak of the Mortal Shedding Realm – corresponding to the Thirteenth Grade of your Epiphany Stage…”
“Cross the Tribulation? There’s Heavenly Tribulation too?!”
Lu Hangzhi jumped.
“No need to worry. By the time that day truly comes, your strength would be sufficient to withstand it easily. Besides…”
“Besides what?”
Situ Chuyun wore a serious expression:
“Tribulation Crossing is the final step for building your foundation! The heavenly thunder striking your body not only tempers and strengthens your flesh, but also breaks open your Spiritual Power Pool, greatly expanding your Sea of Consciousness. Additionally, it helps you see your own innate Law Power clearly, aiding you in mastering the Laws. In short, it has many benefits.”
Really?
Lu Hangzhi pictured the spectacular scenes of heavenly thunder strikes he had seen on television and felt a slight chill in his heart.
“But why have I never heard anyone mention that advancing to the Mystic Light Stage requires undergoing Tribulation Crossing?”
“I am not sure about that.”
He had finally asked a question that even Situ Chuyun did not understand.
The latter looked puzzled:
“However, judging from the strength of you Mystic Light Stage Cultivators, those who haven’t experienced the Heavenly Tribulation not only have terribly weak bodies but also aren’t very powerful. Like Long Jiao, I wouldn’t be afraid even if a whole group of him came at me. Of course… that’s provided he doesn’t use the methods of the Time Sect.”
Lu Hangzhi smiled slightly.
He hadn’t expected that Situ Chuyun still had things she feared.
He thought to himself, the Time Sect really is impressive.
Unable to help it, Lu Hangzhi’s thoughts wandered:
Time Law!
It seemed to be a strange Law Power that stood above ordinary attribute Laws and even the Space Law.
What a pity.
He had borne one year of time power from the Time Sect Elder Long Yun. Although he had touched that tiny thread of time power, it had ultimately dissipated in his Spiritual Power Pool, leaving nothing behind.
If he could truly grasp a thread of Time Law power, what would it be like?
Sword Qi that mastered space power could create Spatial Fissures, with terrifying force. What would happen if a thread of Time Law power was mixed in?
Such things were merely thoughts.
“By the way, two days have passed already. Logically, the Demonic Fiends from your realm should already know about the situation here. Why hasn’t there been any action?”
Lu Hangzhi had been paying attention to the Messaging Talisman during this time. Neither Honglian nor Elder Lu had sent any warning messages, proving that the Two Realms Mountain was still peaceful.
“The time flow rate between the Medium Realm and the Lower Realm is one to ten.”
Lu Hangzhi was stunned.
Alright.
Another pleasant surprise!
Ten days passed in the Lower Realm, while only one day passed in the Medium Realm.
Calculating it this way, two days had passed here since the destruction of the Monster Lair at Two Realms Mountain, while only two hours had passed over there.
It would probably still take some time to gather forces and formally invade the Barbarian Continent.
There should still be a few days left!
Once this thought occurred to him, Lu Hangzhi felt much more at ease.
Just then…
Yanfu Mountain came into view.
Suddenly, a thunderous voice rolled out, resounding through the firmament:
“What esteemed person visits Yanfu Mountain! We failed to welcome you from afar!”
Lu Hangzhi was startled and looked at Situ Chuyun.
The latter was also somewhat surprised, not expecting Yanfu Mountain to detect the presence of the Flying Boat in advance.
Then, instead of being alarmed, the two of them were pleased!
As expected of the number one evil sect on the Barbarian Continent…
They truly were extraordinary!
“Huh?”
“Demonic Monk! Ghost Weeping! Why is it you…”
With a sound of surprise, the other party had clearly spotted the Demonic Monk and Ghost Weeping Taoist standing at the front of the Flying Boat’s deck.