Limits

Everyone present knew the names of the martial dao eight realms, but when it came to the finer distinctions between them, what they had encountered and understood varied greatly with their family backgrounds.

"In the first four realms, each realm has ten levels. Depending on the cultivation methods practiced, the gap between the greatest geniuses and ordinary martial artists in each realm can be as vast as heaven and earth."

Su Yehua explained the distinctions between the four realms in an unhurried voice:

"...After the circulation realm comes Soul Inheritance. What you practice in the soul succession realm is the Soul Condensation Method!"

"Soul Condensation Methods of different grades allow different numbers of soul condensations. A top-tier Soul Condensation Method permits at least fifty."

"But compared to the Soul Condensation Method, what matters most in the soul succession realm is the level of the Soul Thought you inherit."

"That determines the upper limit of how many times your soul avatar can be condensed!"

Su Yehua swept her gaze over everyone below the platform. "If you inherit the Soul Thought of an expert in the four establishments realm, you can condense your soul eighty times!"

"If you inherit a demon soul, the number ranges from thirty to sixty, depending on the demon soul's race."

"If all you inherit is a mountain spirit or ghost monster, the upper limit is only twenty. A mid-grade soul condensation cultivation method will suffice."

At this point, Su Yehua paused, her gaze passing over two boys among the disciples who wore sumptuous brocade robes with python patterns on their cuffs:

"If you inherit the Soul Thought of an expert beyond the four establishments realm, then as far as I know, you can reach a maximum of one hundred and eighty soul condensations. That should be close to the limit of the soul succession realm!"

At these words, many disciples from aristocratic clans looked stunned.

The gap between the pinnacle of the soul succession realm and an ordinary practitioner of that realm was nearly tenfold!

The two boys Su Yehua had glanced at, however, wore different expressions. One looked slightly uneasy, while the other looked smug. Hearing the commotion around him, the latter cast a casual glance at the others, contempt and disdain showing in his eyes.

One hundred and eighty is nowhere near the limit... Li Hao glanced at the beautiful instructor and silently shook his head.

The highest limit was three hundred and sixty soul condensations.

...Probably.

Li Hao added that word in his mind. After all, just because he could not go any further did not mean others could not reach greater heights...

He had inherited his soul from heaven and earth and practiced four top-tier Soul Condensation Methods, as well as five high-grade ones, before reaching this limit.

Even if he continued practicing other Soul Condensation Methods, he could not break past the limit of three hundred and sixty or advance another inch. This... was his limit.

Upon reaching three hundred and sixty soul condensations, Li Hao had also comprehended another kind of soul avatar power.

He called it... the Heaven and Earth Dharma Form.

At that moment, Su Yehua continued speaking from the platform. "If you undergo Soul Inheritance at our Tan Palace Academy, those who qualify may enter the Black White Hall to cultivate and inherit the Soul Thought of a four establishments realm expert. Outside the imperial family, this is a first-class choice for Soul Inheritance!"

"Of course, some disciples here come from illustrious families and have ancestors in the four establishments realm, so you have no shortage of such opportunities. But the rest of you may consider it."

Many of those present immediately brightened. Unlike Li Hao and the others from noble households, or those two boys with python patterns on their cuffs, they did not come from distinguished, exalted families.

Heroic souls of the four establishments realm were among the finest in the Martial Temple and exceedingly rare. Unless someone possessed exceptional aptitude or caught their eye, there was no chance of winning their favor.

As expected of a foremost academy in the Nineteen Provinces, Tan Palace Academy made even resources and opportunities of this caliber openly available.

"After the soul succession realm comes the spirit wandering realm."

Su Yehua said softly, "Martial artists in the spirit wandering realm are already at the level of military commandants or renowned wandering heroes. They are very formidable. Even at our Tan Palace Academy, they can serve as instructors in the Class B Institute."

Many nodded slightly.

The spirit wandering realm... was already the level of some of their clan heads.

In many cities, such a person could dominate an entire area.

"In the spirit wandering realm, the divine soul can leave the body and roam several li, perceiving every movement within several li of you."

"When faced with demons' demon arts and illusion arts, you can also use your divine soul to break them."

"And what you practice in the spirit wandering realm is the Spirit Refining Method!"

Su Yehua said, "Spirit Refining Methods vary in grade. With an ordinary Spirit Refining Method, even at its pinnacle, your soul can travel only a little over three li from your body."

"A high-grade Spirit Refining Method can more than double that, reaching beyond seven li."

"A supreme Spirit Refining Method is even more astonishing, allowing a maximum of eighteen li!"

She looked around, taking in the disciples' shocked and conflicted expressions, and said calmly, "Eighteen li is not the limit of the spirit wandering realm, but supreme Spirit Refining Methods are already exceedingly rare. Aside from the foremost great houses, very few powers possess them."

"And our Tan Palace Academy has one."

At this, the eyes of many aristocratic clan disciples lit up.

"As long as you cultivate diligently and study hard at the academy, and remain in the Class A Institute, you will all naturally have a chance to encounter it in the future," Su Yehua said with a smile.

"Really?"

"They're willing to teach even something like that?"

"I heard the Spirit Refining Method our clan head practices is only mid-grade."

Some were already clenching their fists in excitement.

If they cultivated diligently at Tan Palace Academy, they might someday return home and surpass their clan heads!

Just imagining that scene was exciting...

"Heh..."

The boy with python patterns on his cuffs, seated in the front row, gave a quiet scoff, his disdain plain in his eyes.

Even a supreme Spirit Refining Method only reaches eighteen li.

Compared to the imperial family's Great Yu First Spirit Refining Method, it falls far short. Cultivated to its utmost, that First Spirit Refining Method allows Spirit Roaming for twenty-five li!

That was equivalent to the distance across half a city!

Against ordinary spirit wandering realm practitioners, it would be an effortless crushing victory.

The farther a divine soul could roam, the stronger it was, and the stronger the demonic arts it could break. It might even allow someone to escape from a great demon's clutches by a stroke of luck.

Su Yehua noticed the disdain in the imperial boy's eyes, but showed no reaction. Naturally, she knew of the Imperial Clan's Great Yu First Spirit Refining Method, but she had not mentioned it. After all, this concerned the imperial household.

Any remarks concerning the imperial household required careful words and cautious speech.

"Teacher, what is the limit of the spirit wandering realm? Is it twenty li?"

At that moment, someone asked curiously.

Su Yehua glanced at the boy who had asked and noticed that many others looked curious as well.

She shook her head slightly. "Twenty li is not the limit either. The highest limit should be twenty-five li, or perhaps thirty..."

"Thirty li!"

Everyone was stunned. That was ten times the reach of an ordinary Spirit Refining Method.

The gap between the limit of each realm and its ordinary level seemed to be nearly tenfold!

It was hard to imagine how terrifying someone's power would be if they reached the limit in every realm.

After hearing Su Yehua's words, contempt immediately appeared in the imperial boy's eyes.

What nonsense about thirty li? Even our imperial family's First Spirit Refining Method only reaches twenty-five. This Tan Palace Academy instructor is making wild guesses and misleading her students. Isn't she afraid of becoming a laughingstock among those who know better?

An impulse stirred in him. He wanted to show off, expose her claim, and mock her. But then he remembered his mother's earnest instructions before he left: he must keep a low profile at Tan Palace Academy...

Forget it. As long as I know the truth, that's enough. I'll let you fool these idiots.

With that thought, he restrained the impulse and settled back comfortably in his chair, though a faint, scornful smile curled his lips.

Thirty li, is it... Li Hao silently shook his head again.

What this beautiful instructor described differed considerably from his own experience.

Just practicing the three supreme Spirit Refining Methods in the Listening Rain Pavilion had extended his Spirit Roaming to thirty-five li.

Later, Old Feng had helped him infiltrate the Imperial Secret Treasury and steal a Rubbing Copy of the Great Yu First Spirit Refining Method for him to practice, extending his Spirit Roaming range to fifty li!

It could cover an entire city, his divine soul reaching any location in an instant.

But even this was not the limit. Li Hao felt he could go further still. If he could find more supreme Spirit Refining Methods and use them to corroborate one another, he could condense his divine soul further and make it even stronger.

"If you can reach the spirit wandering realm before the age of twenty, you will be considered a genius wherever you go."

Su Yehua smiled as she spoke to them.

"But I've heard some people can reach the spirit wandering realm at sixteen," a boy from an aristocratic clan said.

"My father told me the Yanbei Sword Saint reached perfection in the spirit wandering realm at fifteen!"

The other disciples discussed it as well. Before, they had merely found it astonishing. Now that they understood more, they increasingly realized just how terrifying a feat it was.

At first glimpse, it was like gazing at the moon from the bottom of a well. Only after crossing this threshold did they realize they were mayflies looking up at the sky!

"That is something only the most monstrous geniuses with a ninth grade battle body can accomplish."

Su Yehua said, "But you needn't lose heart. Naturally, the earlier you reach the spirit wandering realm, the better. However, in the latter four realms, the effects of relying solely on the talent revealed by Bone Measurement will grow weaker and weaker."

"In the fifteen li realm, you can still barely rely on talent to widen the gap. But once you reach the heaven and human grandmaster realm, what matters are acquired factors such as temperament, comprehension, and fortunate encounters. Thus, anyone who can touch the celestial threshold has a chance to step through heaven's gate and enter the domain of grandmasters!"

"Teacher, what are the latter four realms like?" someone asked curiously.

(End of chapter)