Chapter 64: Integration
Chapter 64: Integration
Among the five major forces, the Situ family and Baifo Sect were the weakest. That night, experts invaded their territories, triggering intense battles.
Though this was merely a probing move with minor consequences, both forces learned the peril of attracting greed by possessing rare treasures.
The next morning, several ghost market vendors lay dead in the streets, fueling widespread speculation.
“Were these killings linked to someone tracing the ghost market treasures?”
“Very likely. Rumor speaks of a soul-searching technique that extracts a cultivator’s memories to track clues.”
“Judging by their wounds, they suffered greatly before death. This must be the method used.”
Upon hearing the news, Caiyun immediately grasped the truth, her beautiful face tightening with contemplation.
Before visiting the ghost market, Cheng Lingyu had disguised himself. Though his effort wasn’t elaborate, commoners rarely noticed ordinary cultivators like him.
Caiyun guessed investigators wouldn’t trace him yet—but future risks remained.
In the secret chamber, Cheng Lingyu immersed himself in cultivation.
After clashes with Shenhuo Sect, Xuanhuo Sect, and the auction incident, he grew more determined to strengthen himself.
Revenge and survival alike demanded swift growth.
Yunyang City held far more dangers than Shiyang Town, with experts lurking everywhere.
His feud with Xuanhuo Sect especially left him vulnerable to assassination.
Unbeknownst to him, Xuanhuo Sect currently ignored his existence, wholly preoccupied with studying the high-grade spirit artifact—Purple Cloud Banner.
This defensive magical artifact’s advanced grade made it unusable by most.
Renowned for refining techniques, Xuanhuo Sect aimed to unlock its power. Once activated, the banner’s defenses would fortify their stronghold.
With chaos rising in Yunyang City, Xuanhuo Sect’s caution proved wise.
Meanwhile, Shenhuo Sect researched the Ruyi Treasure Vial, a priceless aid for alchemy.
Mysterious outsiders monitored them but refrained from theft—the vial’s full potential required specialized knowledge Shenhuo Sect possessed.
Four days post-auction, Yunyang City’s top genius Ouyang Lie vanished without trace, eluding even hidden watchers.
“He’s from Divine Martial Sect—a premier Tianyang Empire faction with millennia-old legacy. Perhaps he fled back secretly.”
“Ouyang Lie likely sensed danger. Though top here, he’s middling among Divine Martial Sect’s geniuses. Revealing his Orchid Bamboo Token would doom him.”
“He seeks refuge to study the token. Yunyang’s turmoil forced his hand.”
“His disappearance hinders our plans. Legends say the Orchid Token symbolized the Orchid Saintess’s authority.”
“The token’s value pales beside the beautiful jade coffin. Among the ghost market’s missing treasures, the mud bowl and bow hold true worth.”
“What of the other three?”
“The divine pill, battle armor, and dragon whip form a set—a near-divine weapon.”
“A quasi-divine weapon! Luck favored whoever escaped with that.”
In a tavern, two mysterious figures were conversing. They appeared exceptionally knowledgeable about the Lanling Holy Palace’s affairs, able to name all fifteen of its treasures. Though Ouyang Lie’s disappearance had gone unnoticed by most, these two possessed remarkable means to detect it immediately.
…
At dusk, Cheng Lingyu awoke from slumber feeling revitalized. The spiritual energy within the secret chamber had drastically thinned.
Focusing his gaze, Cheng Lingyu perceived a small grass plant materializing in his vision – two leaves swaying gently, emitting an unearthly glow.
The gathering formation Caiyun had concealed in the chamber now lay fully exposed to Cheng Lingyu’s sight. Interwoven spiritual patterns formed an intricate web, continuously drawing ambient energy and maintaining concentration levels tenfold higher than normal.
Having slept five full days in this environment, Cheng Lingyu’s true essence had swelled to saturation point at the peak of the True Martial Fourth Realm’s River Stage.
Finding Caiyun after exiting the chamber, Cheng Lingyu declared, “Senior Sister, I’ve reached the River Stage’s limit. My true essence can’t hold more. I need to advance to the Gathering Lake Stage.”
Caiyun laughed approvingly. “Your constitution’s spiritual absorption and integration far surpass ordinary cultivators.”
“Integration?” Cheng Lingyu tilted his head.
Taking his hand, Caiyun began strolling through the courtyard. “Humans reign supreme in cultivation talent, yet our physical forms pale against spirit beasts. Ancient ferocious beasts wield incomparable power, but their paths don’t suit mankind. Though they start stronger, we surpass them in later growth. Less than one-tenth of worldly energies can be safely absorbed by humans.”
“Only one-tenth?”
“Fool, that’s plenty!” Caiyun flicked his forehead. “Take poison – deadly to most, yet under rare circumstances, it can unlock latent potential and prolong life while granting explosive power.”
Cheng Lingyu’s eyes widened. “What about integration then?”
“Through millennia, we’ve identified spiritual energy as safest for human conversion. Cultivators transform it into true energy and essence. At higher realms, one might bypass conversion entirely – though few achieve this.”
“Normal conversion rates range between thirty to fifty percent.”
“That low?” Cheng Lingyu exclaimed.
“Fifty percent marks excellence,” Caiyun countered. “The body consumes energy during conversion. Yet your rate exceeds norms significantly.”
Cheng Lingyu theorized this stemmed from his unique storage method. While others used meridian points vulnerable to environmental flux, his mysterious inner space remained stable, coupled with superior physical refinement.
“Higher integration means greater advantage?”
“Undoubtedly. So-called geniuses often possess special physiques with enhanced integration, letting them grasp the Great Path’s truths more readily.”
Cheng Lingyu nodded in revelation. “What of the Gathering Lake Stage?”
“Most critical phase in the True Martial Realm. The ‘five lakes’ correspond to human organs, yet few achieve all five. Most manage two, three if talented. Four marks exceptionalism. Five? Maybe one in ten thousand.”
Cheng Lingyu recalled Thousand Layers of Snow’s standards requiring five lakes with specific sizes.
“What determines lake potency beyond quantity?”
“Capacity defines combat power. Average lakes hold fifty to ninety percent of meridian capacity. True geniuses double that. Five maximum-sized lakes could store tenfold a River Stage cultivator’s essence.”
Cheng Lingyu grimaced. “My expanded meridians mean slower progress. This bottomless vessel might take years to fill.”
“Study engraved formations first,” Caiyun advised. “Mastery will accelerate cultivation.”
“I’ve already deciphered your secret chamber’s gathering formation.”
Stunned, Caiyun tested him thoroughly. To her amazement, he’d truly comprehended every detail.