Inside the Scripture Repository Pavilion, Li Jiusheng received the Innate Phenomenon, Golden Lotus Seed in the Sea of Suffering.
Boom!
The next second, with Li Jiusheng at its center, a vast Sea of Suffering surged out in all directions, flooding the Scripture Repository Pavilion. It was incomparably dazzling, both real and illusory.
Within the Sea of Suffering was a scene of fleeting splendor. Li Jiusheng focused his gaze and seemed to see the countless lives of the Floating World, all struggling painfully within it, searching with difficulty, unable to break free.
As he watched, a golden lotus with twelve petals bloomed above the Sea of Suffering. It lifted Li Jiusheng and carried him across its surface.
Suppress!
With a thought from Li Jiusheng, the Sea of Suffering and golden lotus trembled together. Their brilliance was exceptional, their aura thunderous, threatening to collapse the Scripture Repository Pavilion and reduce it to dust.
Not good!
Li Jiusheng was startled and immediately dispersed Golden Lotus Seed in the Sea of Suffering. He had not expected this phenomenon to be so terrifying, its power far beyond his imagination. The Scripture Repository Pavilion had nearly been destroyed.
Fortunately, he had withdrawn it in time. Otherwise, even his residence would have been destroyed.
He rose and immediately left the Scripture Repository Pavilion. Standing beneath the moonlight, Li Jiusheng activated Golden Lotus Seed in the Sea of Suffering again and began studying it carefully.
This is an Innate Phenomenon, born from the joys and sorrows of all living beings over long ages. It was later comprehended by disciples of the Buddhist Sect and only then became known to the world. Yet throughout those long years, very few people have comprehended it.
Innate Phenomena are immensely powerful, and as their comprehenders grow stronger, they gradually grow stronger as well. This is a phenomenon that can accompany me to the very end.
After understanding it in detail, Li Jiusheng was delighted. He had not expected that this heaven-defying comprehension could not only comprehend cultivation methods, but also phenomena with such terrifying power.
Thinking back, the first thing I comprehended was the Innate Sword Body. This proves that this heaven-defying comprehension holds limitless possibilities. I must uncover more of them in the future. Li Jiusheng understood clearly. The reason he had been able to return to the path of cultivation at the age of one hundred was his comprehension. It was the foundation of his survival and absolutely needed to be explored deeply.
It seems I'm about to break through!
Under the moonlight, after Li Jiusheng understood the phenomenon of Golden Lotus Seed in the Sea of Suffering and merged it into his body, the Real Core that had been accumulating energy in his dantian suddenly shook and began to pulse.
Clang!
The countless threads of gold covering the Real Core were about to envelop it completely. The Golden Core Realm, which had been only one step away, broke through on its own that very night.
Li Jiusheng lightly tapped the ground with his toes and floated gracefully onto a large bluestone. He sat cross-legged, circulated his cultivation method, gathered energy, and compressed it within his dantian.
Boom!
Outside the Scripture Repository Pavilion, among the mountains and ridges, spiritual energy flowed and stirred the vegetation. It was as though a fierce wind had risen, sweeping up fragments of grass and leaves as they spiraled around Li Jiusheng. Surging spiritual energy was drawn into his body.
At that moment, the spiritual energy rapidly transformed into waves, one after another, seeping into every pore of Li Jiusheng's body. It traveled through his meridians and entered his dantian, gathering around the Real Core.
After absorbing this immense spiritual energy, the Real Core shook more loudly. With every tremor, it shed piles of impurities. It grew smaller and smaller, yet increasingly brighter, radiating dazzling golden light.
The Real Core became a Golden Core.
Li Jiusheng did not need to control this process at all. He only needed to absorb spiritual energy. His accumulation during this period had been exceedingly deep, and his breakthrough had been inevitable. Tonight, he had merely borrowed the aura of Golden Lotus Seed in the Sea of Suffering and let nature take its course.
This was the smoothest breakthrough Li Jiusheng had ever experienced. It was as easy as eating a meal when hungry, drinking water when thirsty, or a fish biting the bait and being casually lifted up.
Thump!
Suddenly, after a fierce tremor within Li Jiusheng's body, the Real Core stopped shaking. Instead, it fed back an enormous amount of energy that spread throughout his body, nourishing every inch of skin and raising his body strength.
At that moment, Li Jiusheng's cultivation officially entered the third level of the Innate Realm, the Golden Core Level.
After receiving the immense energy unleashed by the Golden Core Burst, his body rapidly transformed. The most obvious change was his surging strength, which rose from seven Dragon Elephant Power to fifteen.
This was far from over. The body's improvement required time. For the next period, Li Jiusheng's strength would steadily rise until the potential from this breakthrough had been fully exhausted.
Fifteen Dragon Elephant Power within the Innate Realm. This strength can Crush Everything in the Innate Realm. Even the Holy Son of a Thousand Year Holy Land won't escape a single punch! Li Jiusheng clenched his fist, feeling the surging power within him, and smiled inwardly.
He was now King Among Peers. Killing enemies above his level would be as easy as drinking water.
Can I defeat a grandmaster? Li Jiusheng quietly asked himself.
When it came to strength alone, Li Jiusheng was absolutely confident. A grandmaster certainly would not possess fifteen Dragon Elephant Power. In a contest of pure strength, he could hammer a grandmaster into pulp.
But the grandmaster realm was not solely about strength. To break through to grandmaster, one had to comprehend the Heavenly Cycle, merge one's own energy with the world's energy, and turn the Minor Heavenly Cycle into a Major Heavenly Cycle, forming a unique domain.
The size of a domain was related to a cultivator's accumulation, comprehension, and potential. The larger the domain, the stronger its owner. Fighting within a domain granted the Heaven and Earth Boon and brought Heaven and Earth Pressure. If the disparity was too great, the weak would be directly crushed to death within the domain.
Therefore, Li Jiusheng could not gauge the combat strength of the grandmaster realm.
But he had confidence in himself. No matter how large the domain is, I'll Break with One Punch and Slay with One Sword. Against a grandmaster, even if I can't win, I won't lose.
After estimating his own combat strength, Li Jiusheng's mood brightened. He looked up at the night sky and began circulating his cultivation methods one by one.
[Grass and Wood Sword Technique]. Li Jiusheng used it as he pleased. There was no sword in his hand and no sword in his heart, yet he regarded all things between heaven and earth as Long Swords. His sword energy was resplendent, as though it had come alive, reaching the pinnacle of Momentum.
As Li Jiusheng performed it, beneath the sky and throughout the mountains and wilderness, everything seemed to become his sword energy. It moved with his figure, sweeping outward and forming the sight of ten thousand swords galloping beneath the moonlight.
After finishing his sword practice, Li Jiusheng sat cross-legged and circulated the [Mountain and Wild New Life Method]. Feeling the accumulation within him as deep as the Deep Sea, he knew his first rebirth was about to arrive and could not help but look forward to it.
Li Jiusheng then began practicing his fist technique. With every move, fifteen Dragon Elephant Power roared and boiled. The terrifying force even warped space. Concealed by the night, Li Jiusheng punched at empty air, displaying the majesty and dominance of [Dragon Elephant Prison Suppression Strength].
What this fist technique required was an unstoppable aura and the dominance to Crush Everything. Li Jiusheng's mindset shifted. When using this set of punches, his goal was to hammer every opponent to death.
This was the Momentum of [Dragon Elephant Prison Suppression Strength]. Li Jiusheng had already grasped its essence.
At last, Li Jiusheng withdrew his fists and let out a long breath. A golden figure dozens of zhang tall appeared behind him, radiant with golden light and enveloping Li Jiusheng. All kinds of Sanskrit flowed within that light, accompanied by the Bodhisattva Chant of the Buddhist Sect and Buddha Recitation, helping Li Jiusheng withstand all kinds of danger.
Buddha's golden light did not shine for long before a vast Sea of Suffering appeared. Within it, all beings wailed in grief, living creatures suffered, and cultivators struggled bitterly in their search. Above them all, a golden lotus appeared beneath Li Jiusheng's feet.
Li Jiusheng stood upon the golden lotus, like the Buddhist World Honored One, yet also like the Immortal Venerable Descends. He did not seem like a man of this world.
But Li Jiusheng quickly dispersed everything, because he sensed someone approaching.
After cultivating, his spiritual sense surged with every breakthrough. By now, he could clearly perceive everything around him.
On the mountaintop where the Scripture Repository Pavilion stood, night shrouded the land. A streak of sword light tore through the dark clouds and flew over at high speed, finally landing before Li Jiusheng.
It was Li Qingshan, the newly appointed head of Shangqing Palace.
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