Han Li was momentarily stunned by the child’s words, his eyes flickering with a hint of confusion, unsure of the other’s intent.
“This cultivation method, though originating from the Buddhist sect, is practiced by nearly everyone in the Spirit Realm. In fact, it’s even more widespread than the basic Five Elements techniques of the Qi Refining stage,” the child remarked casually.
“Practiced by everyone? Fellow Daoist, are you implying…?” Han Li suddenly grasped the underlying meaning, his face revealing astonishment.
“This Buddhist technique can be cultivated even by mortals in the Spirit Realm who lack spiritual roots. If mortals reach the third layer of this method and wield special weapons, they can contend with low-level cultivators and demonic beasts. And if they reach the fifth layer—heh—even mid-level cultivators and demonic beasts wouldn’t dare provoke them lightly,” the child sneered.
“Fellow Daoist Tianlan, surely you jest? Mortals capable of rivaling us cultivators?” Han Li was dumbfounded, only managing to voice his disbelief after a long pause.
“Heh, matters of the Spirit Realm are beyond your current understanding, given you haven’t ascended yet. But I’ll share this much: in the Spirit Realm, mortal humans are an immensely powerful force. Long ago, some of their brightest minds derived methods to refine their bodies using external spiritual energy—without relying on spiritual roots—from the foundational techniques of cultivators and our demonic kin. This eventually formed a unique cultivation system. It’s not unheard of for exceptional mortals to slay high-level cultivators or formidable demonic beasts. The technique I mentioned, called the ‘Vajra Art,’ is one of the most widely practiced body-refining methods among mortals.”
“Even so, mortals can’t truly compare to cultivators, can they? After all, most spells, magical tools, and treasures are beyond their reach,” Han Li pressed, frowning slightly.
“Of course. Mortals are still mortals. No matter how strong they become, without spiritual roots, they can never tread the true path of cultivation. Their lifespans remain pitifully short—barely a century. Even if they stumble upon life-extending treasures or medicines, they might stretch it to two centuries at most. That’s their limit. However, in the Spirit Realm, spiritual roots aren’t entirely impossible to acquire postnatally. If a mortal is fortunate enough to obtain such an opportunity, their potential becomes boundless. One of your human race’s Three Sovereigns, the Heavenly Origin Sage Emperor, was originally a renowned mortal who later gained spiritual roots by chance and became a cultivator. Yet, his divine abilities are no weaker than the other two sovereigns,” the child said gravely.
Han Li stroked his chin, momentarily at a loss for words.
“Don’t dwell on it too much. The reason mortals in the Spirit Realm can achieve such feats is due to the realm’s far denser spiritual energy compared to the lower realms. Your human world here suffered the demonic calamity long ago, leaving its spiritual energy far inferior to other lower realms. Even if mortals here obtained these Spirit Realm techniques, they couldn’t channel spiritual energy into their bodies, let alone cultivate.” The child’s tone carried a note of explanation.
“Other lower realms? From your words, Fellow Daoist, does that mean this human world isn’t the only one?” Han Li was startled.
“Only one? Impossible. There are at least eight hundred, if not a thousand, lower realms subordinate to our Spirit Realm. Cultivators and demons from these realms who achieve success naturally ascend to our Spirit Realm. In recent years, few from this human world have ascended, but other realms untouched by the ancient demons have seen many ascensions. I chose this realm to descend my split soul for two reasons: first, its sparse spiritual energy made the descent arduous but ideal for evading my tribulation; second, as a human-dominated realm, it’s the last place anyone would expect me to hide, ensuring my contingency remains undiscovered.” The child’s expression turned peculiar.
Han Li fell silent once more.
He had always believed the human world was unique, which was why the Spirit Realm had gone to such lengths to send cultivators to resist the ancient demon invasion. But now, Tianlan’s words suggested otherwise.
“Enough. Knowing too much about the Spirit Realm won’t benefit you now. Let’s return to the Vajra Art. Though it can be cultivated without spiritual roots, its difficulty is notorious in the Spirit Realm. Few reach the fifth layer—even the third is rare. Most mortals only attain the first layer for basic physical enhancement. The second layer requires enduring the agony of marrow cleansing, which few can withstand. But given the sheer number of mortals, those who succeed become as formidable as demonic beasts, hence its widespread use. Your ‘Ming Sovereign Art’—though I’ve never heard of it—likely shares origins with this method. After all, there are only so many Buddhist body-refining techniques. If it’s cultivatable in the human world, this must be the one,” the child concluded confidently.
“That may be so. My Ming Sovereign Art is indeed challenging to cultivate,” Han Li mused after a moment’s thought.
“Give me a jade slip. I’ll copy the Vajra Art for you to study. If it’s the same as your technique, so be it. If not, choose one to cultivate.” The child waved his hand magnanimously.
“Then I’ll trouble Fellow Daoist Tianlan.”
Han Li wasn’t one to refuse such an offer. Smiling faintly, he flipped his hand, producing a yellow jade slip, which he tossed to the child.
The child caught it, closed his eyes, and began imprinting the mantra.
Han Li’s smile gradually faded, his brows furrowed in thought as his mind drifted to a bronze fragment and another technique—the True梵圣 Slab and the Tuo天魔 Art he had obtained from Barbarian Beard.
(Note: The terms “True梵圣 Slab” and “Tuo天魔 Art” appear to be proper nouns or specialized terms from a cultivation novel, possibly referring to mystical artifacts or techniques. Since they are transliterated with Chinese characters embedded, I’ve retained them as-is for consistency with the original text. If there are official translations for these terms, they should be used instead.)
(Note: The terms “True梵圣 Slab” and “Tuo天魔 Art” appear to be proper nouns or specialized terms in the original text. If they are part of a specific fictional or cultural context, they may be retained as transliterations with contextual explanations. Alternatively, if they have established translations in the source material, those should be used instead.)
The True Demon Slab was undoubtedly a demonic technique from the Ancient Demon Realm, encompassing the ultimate divine abilities, while the Ming Sovereign Art constituted its foundational body-refining portion. Only the intermediate transformative abilities were absent. Upon obtaining the Tuo Heavenly Demon Art from Barbarian Beard, Han Li immediately recognized it as the missing component. How it had evolved into a renowned supreme demonic technique remained another enigma.
Thus, through sheer serendipity, Han Li had pieced together the complete set. Now, with the need to cultivate the Ming Sovereign Art for the ‘Gale Nine Transformations,’ it almost felt as though fate itself was compelling him to master the True Brahma Slab technique.
Lost in thought, Han Li was interrupted when the child reopened his eyes and flicked the jade slip back to him.
“The mnemonic is inside. Review it at your leisure,” the child said calmly.
Han Li nodded, immersing his spiritual sense into the slip without hesitation.
After a brief scan, he withdrew his sense with a sigh.
“Well? Is it the same as your Ming Sovereign Art?” the child asked neutrally.
“Yes. Aside from additional methods for channeling spiritual energy, the rest is nearly identical,” Han Li replied after a pause.
“Good. If you wish to cultivate Gale Nine Transformations, first master the third layer of the Ming Sovereign Art. Meanwhile, I’ll adapt the technique to suit your current needs. After all, the Wind Thunder Wings are artifacts, not true fleshly wings, so their usage differs. And don’t forget—you promised me time to study the Golden Tower Jade Book,” the child reminded, waving the beast-skin tome.
“Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Tianlan, Han keeps his word. But what of these Emperor’s Nectar? Don’t you wish to consume more?” Han Li gestured to the gourd and other artifacts before him.
“The Emperor’s Nectar is indeed precious—it awakens demonic beasts’ intelligence and is vital for our demonic transformations. For human cultivators, it expands meridians and benefits the body. But excessive intake is harmful, and it spoils within a month. It’s useless to me now. Since you’re cultivating the Ming Sovereign Art, it’s perfect for you,” the child said, eyeing the gourd before shaking his head.
“Then I’ll take it without ceremony.” Han Li waved his sleeve, causing the bowl and vial to vanish, leaving only the gourd.
He then formed a hand seal, his eyes gleaming as a silver light flashed on the chamber wall. Another “Han Li” emerged, seizing the gourd before vanishing back into the wall.
The child arched a brow but said nothing, merely clasping his fists before sinking into the cauldron.
Han Li glanced at the jade slip, pressed his palms together, and it disappeared. Closing his eyes, he began meditating, his expression serene.
Almost simultaneously, a streak of silver light shot from the main peak of Han Li’s cave abode, darting toward Fallen Cloud Sect before disappearing into a restricted area. Shortly after, it returned to the Twin Peaks.
From then on, Han Li remained secluded, only occasionally sending out the silver light, which would vanish for days or months before returning. No one knew what its owner was busy with.
Thus, two years slipped by unnoticed.
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