Cultivation

The Path Beyond Martial Arts

The Boundless Divine Transformations of Energy scripture held meanings that transcended ordinary cultivation. As I stood at the crossroads between the martial path and something far greater, divine dao, the other shore of the Great Dao beckoned like a distant star. 

My thoughts drifted to that peculiar encounter in the immortal mansion. Luo Zheng had arrived like a storm, cutting down his opponents with ruthless efficiency before securing his temporary residence. The memory of his departure still puzzled me even after knowing his motive.

"Af'u," I had asked while maintaining my invisibility until Luo Zheng vanished beyond the gates, "he possesses the universe map at the fourth level. Such a treasure could accelerate his cultivation beyond imagination. He could stay in here and ask you about things like cultivation common sense which you just explained shortly. Yet he chooses to face the chaos outside instead?"

The ancient keeper's response had been tinged with melancholy. "His mind bears too many burdens. True cultivation requires focus, something he cannot afford with so many trials awaiting him."

Poor soul, I had thought then. Though something nagged at me ~ was this reality merely one simulation of his true self from perfect world, or perhaps a past recreated by powers due to my wish?

When I inquired about the cultivation tower, Af'u's expression grew serious. "Token or not, you must first navigate the maze my master constructed. It guards the tower's entrance."

The maze proved... interesting. Each flaw I encountered seemed to correct itself before I could fully grasp the pattern. LoHP's influence, no doubt, smoothing my path toward the tower's base at the end. It really needs higher soul cultivation to perceive the maze directions in actuality.

The Kun Token's Promise

The cultivation tower's second level hummed with temporal energy ~ a hundred times acceleration compared to the outside world. As I crossed the threshold, the Kun token grew warm against my palm. The chamber beyond would be a secondary being's ultimate wish: cultivate faster than others in the same outside time periods.

Star energy from the universe map merged with the surrounding heaven and earth qi, creating a density that made my previous training grounds seem barren by comparison.

My cultivation technique awakened like a ravenous beast. The creation energy mill, part of the cultivation technique within my dantian spun faster, grinding the absorbed energies into purest essence. My body, long adapted to energy transformation, welcomed the flood.

Within hours, my cultivation restored to peak innate realm. The foundation was solid now, refined by countless trials. One week later, celestial realm peak. The transition felt natural ~ like water finding its level. Another month, and I stood at the threshold of Godland realm.

The ease of ascension would have shocked most cultivators, but I understood the mechanism. A celestial realm practitioner could manipulate the nature of genuine and gang energy, shaping it into elemental forms ~ wind, water, fire, earth. Their lifespan stretched beyond two centuries, sustained by the accumulation of refined energies.

But I was different. I already had the foundation. My soul carried preliminary understanding of minor laws, capable of creating those same effects through soul force and runic manipulation. The law energy from TDG was simply a lower tier version of genuine energy in this realm. All I needed was to accumulate the base energies, and my seamless transformation ability handled the rest.

The genuine energy also is of slightly different characteristic. It seems to have affinity for purple passive Qi. 

Godland realm opened new horizons. The World's Laws up to the second layer became accessible, granting powers that seemed godlike to ordinary mortals. This was demigod territory in TDG ~ where the second layer of laws could enhance both genuine and gang energy, multiplying a cultivator's martial prowess exponentially.

Yet I possessed something more. The tiny world's law energy reached the fifth layer, allowing me to transform genuine energy into the same essence as TDG law energy. The distinction dissolved within my body. They were one and the same now. Simply my foundation was better, so training was faster.

Returning to Familiar Bonds

Time to return to Shen Xiu. The thought of her cooking made my stomach rumble ~ cultivation might sustain the body, but it couldn't replace the simple pleasure of a well-prepared meal. Well she wasn't like that. I made her learn. One of the best decision I made.

I found her at peak legend rank, wrestling with law energy comprehension based on knowledge I'd shared months ago. Her frustration was palpable.

"You're back," she said without looking up from her meditation. "And still stuck in that form, I see." And outright mocked me. Yeah, I have been pretty lenient after she found out last time.

My female body had become... so comfortable lately. Disturbingly so. The attraction I once felt for her had dimmed, replaced by something more complex. I offered my usual teasing banter, but my heart wasn't in it.

Yu Yan and little phoenix were thriving when I found them, their forms glowing with absorbed heavenly energy. They'd reached heavenly destiny ~ impressive progress. Our sparring session ended predictably, with me effortlessly overwhelming Yu Yan's techniques fire law.

But guilt gnawed at me. I couldn't keep these people confined indefinitely while I pursued my own advancement irrespective of outside time. 

Gathering them together, I presented a solution. "I've modified your cultivation techniques. You can now cultivate life essence parallel to soul force and heavenly fate, adapted for this world's rules. But you still won't be able to take a step outside. But this will improve your overall combat power and lifespan."

"What about letting us out?" Yu Yan's voice carried equal parts hope and suspicion.

"Within the sphere of my influence , you must remain," I explained. "This reality's rules would destroy you without proper adaptation. "

Yu Yan's disbelief was written across her face. Rather than argue further, I simply released the restrictions on her movement. The moment her hand crossed the boundary, the energy within her began to riot and deform. I pulled her back before permanent damage occurred.

"I see," she whispered, staring at her still-trembling fingers that seems to be devoured.

I simply chose to place them within a temporal array. Yes, array formed with second layer of time using genuine energy stones from outside and a second array compressing further using spirit stones from the deity lakes within my ring world, I constructed a layered temporal array operating on two world principles.

The mathematics were complex, but the result was elegant ~ time flowed 19 times slower within the array's bounds. They could cultivate in relative peace while I pursued my goals. There isn't much to do in the ring world anyway.

The Purple Passive Awakens

My physique ability manifested without warning. The Extreme yin purple passive ~ a name that barely captured its essence. Genuine energy condensed into a cloud where my consciousness could exist everywhere at once. Spirit sense couldn't lock onto me. I could hide my body within the purple passive realm at will.

More intriguingly, I could project any number of swords from pure thought. Their power scaled with my genuine energy investment, and they returned automatically when I released control. Even without full activation, the ability enhanced my sword techniques and promised improvements to weapon refining ~ though I hadn't tested that aspect yet.

Though the purple passive realm of the universe is just an incomplete attempt by Luo Xiao, it was able to create many extreme yin physiques. Talented for cultivation.

"Af'u," I called, finding the ancient keeper in his usual spot. "Could you rearrange those warrior tests with the Xun token? I need proper training opponents with my increased cultivation"

He nodded approvingly. "The puppet awaits your challenge."

Mastery Through Combat

Two days of intensive training with the warrior puppet transformed my fighting style. Despite matching my apparent Godland realm strength, the puppet possessed an immortal soul ~ a significant advantage. Meanwhile, my strength reached peak limbo realm while my ever evolving saint race essence granted near-instantaneous law comprehension.

The improved life essence amplified this trait remarkably. Unlike my previous reliance on overwhelming force, my current body refined techniques through practice. Theory became mastery. Brute strength evolved into controlled power. I learned to parry, to exploit openings, to avoid new vulnerable positions.

Combat became art.

The spirit test proved equally transformative. My enhanced strength created a mountain of spiritual pressure on my soul. While my soul possessed raw power and heavenly fate transformations, this world offered qualitative enhancement I'd never experienced.

I endured three days within that crushing pressure, this time it was not to pass the test but to endure, channeling soul techniques as my spirit underwent washing by the laws themselves. Battle soul state emerged first, few more days then azure soul, finally reaching silver soul state, a week later. The transformation felt absurd given the timeframe, but I'd already condensed fate fire within my soul ~ it simply needed proper catalyst.

The soul force cultivation responded in kind, condensing a new fate soul within. It required heavenly energy, forcing me to briefly return to my ring world mid-test for the necessary resources. When I returned, a new spirit sense had awakened alongside my existing sensing intent, feeding detailed information about my surroundings directly to my consciousness.

The Barrier of True Extinction

Af'u studied my progress with ancient eyes. "You've achieved remarkable advancement. Would you attempt to destroy the barrier of True extinction trial? It normally requires Zhuge token." It was with Immortal Tian Miao.

I sensed the barrier's composition ~ higher layers of causality woven into an impenetrable wall. "The power discrepancy between my soul and cultivation creates... complications. Perhaps later."

He nodded understanding. "The offer remains open."

Knowledge and Law Comprehension

I thanked Af'u before returning to the tower. The experiences left by Gu Bei and others focused on higher comprehension, often skipping foundational details. Fortunately, LoHP had deconstructed these flaws, creating comprehensive base understanding of law layers within a dedicated space.

The library was vast ~ alchemy, artifact refining, forging, medical techniques, to even farming methods. Martial arts from hand-to-hand combat to escape techniques, fighting forms, spear, saber, sword, archery, even gun fighting techniques. The guns used law energy projectiles rather than mundane bullets, naturally.

One week of intensive study elevated my law comprehension from fifth to sixth layer in causality and space, with others hovering around fourth and fifth layers.Actual use-case only reached third layer at most.

Using such advanced laws or techniques consumed enormous essence energy, making continued combat with those inefficient. 

My body's energy transformation ability meant I could create whatever I needed. Returning to the ring world, I practiced alchemy using materials and knowledge from the temporal demon spirit book, creating enhancement pills suited for heavenly fate realm cultivators.

These I converted to refined genuine energy before returning to the cultivation tower. Well the space movement like this only works within the tower of mansion not outside.

Virtual Disaster Realm

The rush of energy from consuming the enhancement pills was intoxicating. My body adapted and refined the power, merging it seamlessly with my existing cultivation. The ambient energy in the cultivation tower ~ at least a million times more potent than the outside realm ~ accelerated my progress dramatically.

Virtual disaster realm arrived like a thunderclap. At this level, a cultivator could kill ordinary people and lesser practitioners simply by releasing their aura. This was true cultivation ~ the point where the heavenly Dao itself began to take notice.

Tribulations would come when I attempt to ascend further. The heavenly Dao would bring down minor tribulations to block advancement, for the cultivation path inherently opposed heaven's will.

But that concern could wait. Because I sensed something.

The Dragon's Awakening

Something stirred in my soul space. The dragon souls embedded within the array ~ one was awakening. Within my consciousness, the heavenly vine stood surrounded by four fate souls, but now the azure dragon moved with purpose. Finding out what those are.

I manifested my avatar to meet the ancient creature. It was examining the soul space with obvious interest.

"So I am awake..." its voice carried eons of slumber.

"Yes, but before you develop grand ideas, understand this ~ you are not who you think you are. You're a construct formed from my ability, bearing duplicate memories. Your original self lives within the true inheritor selected by saint Gu Bei."

Laughter echoed through the soul space. "You formed us? You're merely limbo realm girl, while our soul cultivation reaches world lord level at minimum."

I smiled and simply willed creation energy to emerge. The dragon's form began to crumble immediately.

"Since you're now aware," I continued calmly, "I'd like you to merge back with me. I had forgotten your existence until now."

The powerful dragon attempted one final struggle, but its soul disintegrated instantly along with every other sealed dragon entities. What remained were the memories and dragon soul essence ~ everything else returned to creation energy and merged back with me. Truth to be told, I actually forgot about these ones.

Integration and Understanding

Absorbing lifetimes of accumulated knowledge took several days. I gained new lower realm techniques, information about Godlines, historical records, simpler rune making methods, and more. But LoHP already reconstructed several methods from runic knowledge in library. The dragon soul essence transformed my own soul, condensing the silver soul state toward its peak.

The body refining knowledge proved mostly redundant ~ I had already unlocked all daotai within myself due to body exploring its potential on its own. However, the star absorption techniques from the dragon's memories were incomplete compared to the library's version.

Borrowing stellar power would only work within the inner universe. The ultimate map of cosmos revealed itself as a visualization of rules governing a god's inner cosmos. The energy borrowing would be equivalent to direct stellar channeling.

Journey to the Cursed Lands

Time to leave the immortal manor. The Linglong tower in Sea God Island was the selected destination ~ located in the cursed lands on the globe's opposite side. Several months had passed in cultivation, but only weeks in the outside world. Luo Zheng had many months before reaching this location again.

I borrowed modest clothing from Shen Xiu, though I felt severe shame in the exchange and even putting it on. My sense of propriety had... evolved yet not upto her level. After purchasing proper attire outside with genuine energy crystals, I tied my hair into a neat bun and dressed conservatively. A second glance would be required to confirm my gender now.

Female cultivators enjoyed considerable freedom here, but that freedom also mean an unwanted gaze or lingering stare at them could mean death to anyone else. People maintained careful manners around strangers ~ you never knew when you might be courting disaster.

The distance stretched tens of thousands of miles across chaotic seas. Even great teleportation technique at my current power level would be risky. Instead, I employed the realm travel ability, but restricted to within-world movement. The consumption dropped significantly, and creation energy was gradually replenishing its reserves.

The Inverted Pagoda of Sin

Emerging from the portal before the cursed lands, I faced the inverted pagoda of sin. My eye technique immediately revealed millions of tiny ghost faces attempting to bite onto me ~ a welcoming committee of sorts.

I touched the curse with my fingertip, curious whether they would recognize my body and soul's inherent power or respond to genuine energy cultivation. They only acknowledged the genuine energy cultivation of virtual disaster level ~ what locals called lord level ~ and remained passive.

Registration at the tower proceeded smoothly. The cursed lands held secrets, but I don't wish to involve any deeper, I just wanted to try out the obelisk here.