Numerous Breakthroughs

5 days later.

OOOM!

"1st Layer of the Martial Grandmaster Realm," Jin declared, sensing a greater amount of power circulating within him. He also felt that he could siphon some of the spiritual energy stored in his body, transferring it into a powerful outward force.

Outward Spiritual Energy Projection.

Previously, he could only somewhat achieve this by using Martial Arts that surpassed their limits. But now, he could do so without any technique and with far more ease.

"My cultivation speed has slowed considerably," Jin stated while absorbing atmospheric spiritual energy. "But even so, it shouldn't take any more than a few weeks to reach the peak of the Martial Grandmaster Realm."

If anyone else heard this ludicrous claim, they'd surely spit out blood.

However, for Jin, he found his current cultivation speed a tad bit slow.

"I've already comprehended everything I could from this Martial Arts Pagoda. I should next think about leaving the Sect and exploring all that Huaxia has to offer."

In the World of Huaxia, there was only a singular landmass dubbed Sky Cloud Continent. On that continent, there were hundreds of kingdoms and a dozen empires, as well as thousands of large and small sects.

Leading the Sky Cloud Continent were the Crimson Moon Empire, the Azure Wind Empire, and the Thousand Rivers Sect.

Each of these behemoth factions had within their ranks numerous Martial Grandmasters and Martial Saints. Furthermore, they had illustrious lineages spanning more than half a millennium, meaning that they had magical treasures and timeless resources abound.

"Out of the three, I should make my way to the Thousand Rivers Sect. After all, they have the longest history, going as far back as 800 years."

Jin was after techniques and knowledge; therefore, the older the faction, the more enticing it was to him.

…

Half a month later.

Reaching the 7th Layer Martial Grandmaster Realm a little earlier than expected, Jin could be seen smiling on the 5th floor of the Martial Arts Pagoda.

"With all that I've learned about this world's cultivation system, the Martial Saint Realm isn't very far off. I just have to keep taking things one step at a time."

One thing he discerned and improved upon was actually related to the Martial Saint Realm.

Essentially, the Martial Saint Realm still focused on Outward Spiritual Energy Projection like the Martial Grandmaster Realm, but in actuality, it touched upon the refinement of one's Essence. And through various insights, as well as with the help of Against-Heaven's Understanding, Jin disseminated this development to the rest of the Huaxia cultivation realms as well.

Whether it be in the Martial Apprentice, Martial Master, Martial Grandmaster, or Martial Saint Realm, all Realms now put an emphasis on Essence Refinement.

Of course, this was only if one tread the Martial Dao Evolutionary Path, same as Jin.

"With Essence Refinement, even without the presence of high-density atmospheric spiritual energy or talent, cultivation to the peak is possible," said Jin. "After all, Essence Refinement is continuously refining your Essence, which is namely your core being. As such, outside factors hardly affect the cultivation of the Martial Dao Evolutionary Path, also making the threshold for embarking on the Path far lower."

Jin did this to ensure that he could recultivate as quickly as possible after returning to the Main World, but he also did this for the sake of the Goddess of Wisdom.

In the Cosmic Human Alliance, the Three Supreme Intelligence Systems—the Three Goddesses—were the most powerful form of government. They could decide anything for anyone, whether it be a common Level 1 Citizen or the ruler of a Star Domain.

They were also impartial.

But that didn't mean they didn't value some Cosmic Human Citizens more than others.

This was where the 'Merit System' came in.

Depending on your contributions to society, whether through the act of slaying foreign alien races or inventing new technology, you'd acquire Merit Points. The Three Goddesses were the ultimate deciders of how many Merit Points you'd receive for your contributions, and with said points, you could upgrade your Citizen Level.

The higher your Citizen Level, the more respect you'd get, the more opportunities you had open to you, and most importantly—the more benefits you'd be allocated.

Even after awakening with the Door to the Myriad Realms and acquiring Against-Heaven's Understanding, Jin still wished to upgrade his Citizen Level. And the fastest method to achieve that at his current ant-like status was to…

Upload an Evolutionary Path!

"The value of an Evolutionary Path is determined by a multitude of complex factors, the most important of which include Potential, Accessibility, and Popularity," Jin muttered to himself. "If I want to obtain the most Merit Points I can from uploading the Martial Dao Evolutionary Path for people all over the Universe to purchase and practice, then I have to make sure it fulfills those three prerequisites."

This was why Essence Refinement was so important and necessitated further research.

It was the key to the widespread cultivation of the Martial Dao Evolutionary Path.