Spirit Sea Realm Arts

Ming Ren, now a master of the ninth layer of the Body Tempering Realm, turned his focus to the creation of new arts, techniques befitting his new level of power. He began with the familiar Clear Sky Fist, seeking to elevate this Body Tempering Realm technique to the Spirit Sea Realm.

Preserving the core essence of the attack – its rhythmless, undisturbed nature devoid of killing intent – he refined its execution. He channeled his enhanced spiritual energy, enveloping his fist not only internally but also externally with a robust layer of Qi. This simple yet profound step, made possible by his refined cultivation law with its advanced energy conversion capabilities, catapulted the technique to new heights.

[Clear Sky Fist (Spirit Sea Realm), Heaven Tier]

Next, he sought to create a variation that fully utilized external spiritual energy. He arched his body, assuming the same stance, and struck out with the Clear Sky Fist once more. This time, instead of reinforcing the point of impact, he projected Qi outward like a projectile, piercing a hole through a distant tree. The power was undeniable, but the range and energy consumption were high.

[Clear Sky Fist - Arrow (Spirit Sea Realm), Heaven Tier]

'Powerful, but with range limitations,' Ming Ren mused, practicing the art until his body adapted to its demands. 'It will suffice for now.'

He then turned his attention to Collapsing Sky, another technique from his Body Tempering Realm repertoire. Like the Clear Sky Fist, he preserved its essence – a slow, heavy palm strike delivering immense power. However, unlike the fist, the palm strike focused on transferring the impact internally, making external Qi reinforcement less effective. Still, the increased spiritual energy at his disposal transformed it into a deadly attack capable of inflicting severe internal damage.

[Collapsing Sky (Spirit Sea Realm), Heaven Tier]

Experimenting further, Ming Ren projected his spiritual energy outward in the form of a palm, creating a wide area of effect that shattered several trees before him. 'Widening the area diminishes the power considerably,' he observed. 'This attack is better suited for engaging multiple close-range targets, and I can further increase the area by using more spiritual energy, but the overall strength will be significantly reduced.'

[Collapsing Sky - Gust (Spirit Sea Realm), Heaven Tier]

Ming Ren used Flash Step, jumping repeatedly on the trees. Each step looked like he vanished. After a while, whenever he landed on a tree, soft spiritual energy covered his feet, impulsioning movement while decreasing the impact of the landing and lowering the noise. He mastered the technique to the point where he could control the amount of energy to move even faster.

[Flash Step (Spirit Sea Realm), Heaven Tier]

When he landed on the ground, he sprinted to the woods with extreme speed, covering his soles with spiritual energy. He jumped on a nearby tree stump and stepped on it, destroying it instantly.

[Sky Steps (Spirit Sea Realm), Heaven Tier]

Ming Ren kicked high, with a lot of weight behind it, practicing over and over. He already found the perfect point to reinforce in those arts. The kick carried great power.

[Flash Kick (Spirit Sea Realm), Heaven Tier]

Ming Ren added a twist to the kick, creating a vertical wave of spiritual energy that traveled some distance, albeit with less force. 

[Flash Kick - Wave (Spirit Sea Realm), Heaven Tier]

With a flick of his wrist, he summoned his first-tier sword, his eyes closing as he infused it with spiritual energy. Upon opening his eyes, a fierce sword intent erupted, its aura reminiscent of a wild beast.

'My sword intent is restless,' he sighed. 'I seek a calm path on the Dao, but my soul's ferocity overwhelms my aura. It seems I must embrace this wildness, even though it is not my preferred path.'

He calmed his mind and focused on becoming one with his sword, letting go of anger and vengeance. Ming Ren's body became a vessel of flowing grace, his movements weaving a mesmerizing tapestry of swordsmanship. Each step was a calculated dance, his form shifting with ethereal swiftness as he traversed the space around him. Spiritual energy, like threads of shimmering silk, embroidered his movements, enhancing the deadly elegance of his swordplay. His blade, an extension of his will, slashed through the air in quick, circular motions, each strike carrying the weight of his new strength and mastery. He was a whirlwind of lethal beauty, his sword dance a harmonious blend of power and precision that defined his martial prowess.

[Dance Of The Clear Sword (Spirit Sea Realm), Heaven Tier]

The ground beneath his feet bore witness to the increased potency of his strikes, each slash leaving a deeper, more pronounced mark than before. As he revolved the One Breath Luminescence Law, channeling his energy to its absolute limit, the sword dance reached a new crescendo. This time, each movement of his blade birthed razor-sharp energy blades that radiated outwards in a mesmerizing display of power. These ethereal blades, impossibly thin yet capable of cleaving through anything in their path, carved through the surrounding vegetation in a wide arc. Yet, despite the destructive force unleashed, the scenery remained seemingly untouched.

[Dance Of The Clear Sword - Qi Blades (Spirit Sea Realm), Heaven Tier Art]

Exhausted but exhilarated, Ming Ren paused to replenish his Qi, marveling at the increased absorption rate granted by his new Spirit Sea Law. As he sheathed his sword, a gentle gust of wind rustled through the clearing, causing the surrounding trees to topple over, revealing the clean, precise cuts inflicted by his earlier display of swordsmanship.

'Should I focus on elemental techniques or wait until I discover my true elements?' he pondered. 'It's best to leave my soul alone for now; who knows when that inner beast will resurface. For now… I'll enhance the Bright Eyes technique!'

His eyes shimmered with a barely perceptible glow as he channeled his spiritual energy, drawing upon the power of Jana's bloodline to refine his vision. The enhanced technique, now elevated to the Spirit Sea Realm, granted him even greater clarity and perception. He could see the intricate web of spiritual energy within his own body and the surrounding environment with astonishing detail, as if peering into a hidden dimension.

Spirit veins, those conduits of elemental power, materialized before his eyes, their intricate pathways extending across the land, connecting various locations attuned to specific elements. Illusions held no sway over him now, their deceptive facades easily pierced by his heightened perception.

[Bright Eyes (Spirit Sea Realm), Heaven Tier Art]

'Jana's bloodline is truly well-suited for eye techniques,' he thought. 'It's a pity I cannot fully harness its power at this realm. Next… mind techniques!'

Ming Ren had always struggled against Yun Shufen's mastery of mind techniques, a skill inherited from her Cloud Clan lineage. While he couldn't directly enhance their power with mental energy, he knew that external spiritual energy could augment their effectiveness.

With focused intent, he converted his spiritual energy into mental energy, unleashing a powerful mental attack that shattered a nearby tree. He practiced tirelessly, refining the technique despite the strain it placed on his mind. 

With each repetition, Ming Ren honed his mastery over the mind technique, recognizing its potential as a formidable weapon, especially in situations where physical constraints or entrapment might hinder his movements. The technique, while taxing on his mental faculties, possessed a raw power that could turn the tide of battle in his favor. 'It's heavy on my mind, but powerful,' he mused, 'It could prove invaluable if I am ever bound again.'

[Ming Ren Style Mind Arts - Mind Strike (Spirit Sea Realm), Heaven Tier]

He then experimented with a more subtle approach, extending an imperceptible wave of mental energy into the surrounding air, similar to Shufen's abilities. This ethereal force could influence multiple cultivators at once or be concentrated on a single target, drawing them into a realm of illusions controlled by Ming Ren himself. This technique, reminiscent of the Cloud Clan's enigmatic Purple Cloud Dreamland, granted him the power of mental manipulation and subterfuge.

'Mind techniques are not only for attacking,' he realized. 'I can use this to help people like Shuqing again, guiding them through a dreamland to address their inner turmoil.'

[Clouded Sky (Spirit Sea Realm), Heaven Tier Art]

As he replenished his energy with spirit fruits, he felt the Divine Light Dragon Body stirring within him, slowly progressing towards its next evolution. The sensation was akin to an inextricable bond, an inseparable part of his very being that defied explanation

'This should be enough for now,' he decided. 'I need to find the spirit bug's parent.'

He prepared to bid farewell to Xu Tian and embark on his search. However, his heightened spiritual senses detected a disturbance on the horizon – an army of cultivators, a hundred strong, advancing towards Big Ox Village. A sense of foreboding washed over him, and he knew that something dire was about to unfold.