Inside the Water Mansion's great hall.
Yellow-Haired Great Bear beamed, in an excellent mood.
"It's only twenty thousand catties of Essence Liquid. Any one of the Heavenly-tier treasures in the Hall of Treasures is worth more than that. Lei Zhan obtained my master's divine ability, so naturally he's no ordinary cultivator."
"Lei Zhan, do you want to challenge the third level of the War God Hall? I don't know how far you've comprehended the Dao, but I imagine you're doing quite well. With your cultivation, far beyond that of an ordinary Qi Refining Path cultivator, you should have a fifty percent chance!"
Yellow-Haired Great Bear could naturally tell how extraordinary Lei Zhan's Qi Refining technique was. It was entirely comparable to the Crimson Bright Nine Heavens Map at the same level, and might even surpass it by a little.
"Only fifty percent?" Lei Zhan smiled faintly.
Whoosh!
Blazing flames surged, and the azure sea churned.
The might contained in every drop of seawater and every spark of flame was terrifying. The space throughout the great hall of the Water Mansion seemed to freeze.
This was the power one could wield after mastering a complete Dao: drawing upon the might of the Dao and bringing the surrounding space under one's control.
This move was called "Self-Forming World"!
"Hm? Self-Forming World!" Immortal Juhua's eyes widened, and he stared in shock at Lei Zhan, who looked like a god amid water and fire.
"Has he... completely comprehended both the Dao of the Azure Sea and the Way of Blazing Fire?" Yellow-Haired Great Bear's eyes were as wide as copper bells, and his mouth hung open. He was clearly just as astonished.
"Lei Zhan, in less than four years... you've completely comprehended two Daos one after another?" Immortal Juhua's expression was complicated.
It was like a wealthy father in the mortal world, hoping to toughen his children, sending them out to make their own way. He wanted them to learn that every meal and every bite was hard-won.
But after three years out in the world, his children returned not only with fine carriages and beautiful companions, but with fortunes in their pockets! Who could understand even a fraction of the complicated feelings that stirred in him?
If he'd possessed even half of Lei Zhan's talent back then, how could he have ended up a Loose Immortal, barely clinging to life? Even after living for millions of years and becoming a Loose Immortal who could rival a Celestial Immortal, he was still a Loose Immortal.
"Besides these two Daos, I've also reached the Domain Realm of the Dao in two minor paths by extrapolating from what I learned." Lei Zhan spoke slowly. "And I've comprehended the third stance of the Red Snow Spear Technique."
"Oh? You really are a monster when it comes to comprehension!" Yellow-Haired Great Bear exclaimed in admiration. "Comprehending a complete Dao does help you draw parallels and grasp other Daos, but to comprehend the third stance as well—looks like you've made considerable progress in the Great Dao of the Spear!"
As he spoke, Yellow-Haired Great Bear turned to Immortal Juhua. "Juhua, it looks like you really will have to change the way you teach your disciple!"
"Mm." Immortal Juhua nodded. His gaze settled on Lei Zhan, who wore a faint smile, and a trace of anticipation showed on his face. "You've earned over twenty thousand catties of Essence Liquid in only three short years, and your comprehension of the Dao has advanced rapidly. Looks like you've made quite a stir out there!"
Lei Zhan turned to his master, Immortal Juhua. "After leaving the cave abode, I went straight to Tianbao Mountain in North Sea Commandery City and bought a report on the Demon Race in the North Dark Sea. For the past three years, I've continually slain demons guilty of heinous crimes. After building up my spoils, I managed to save up this Essence Liquid."
"Mm." Immortal Juhua nodded slowly. "Slaying demons guilty of heinous crimes brings many benefits to a cultivator. I used my Heavenly Eye to examine you just now. After this trip, you've indeed returned surrounded by Clear Qi of Merit."
When he'd taken Lei Zhan as his disciple, Immortal Juhua had already examined him with his divine sense. His disciple had carried neither sin nor merit, and could be considered an ordinary cultivator.
Now, after one trip outside, he was surrounded by Clear Qi of Merit. That alone said a great deal.
Lei Zhan looked at Yellow-Haired Great Bear. "Senior Big Bear, please take me to challenge the fourth level of the War God Hall."
Lei Zhan wasn't speaking without reason.
In terms of Dao comprehension, he'd just completely comprehended two Daos in succession, a level attained by many veteran Primordial Spirit Daoists.
As for cultivation, Lei Zhan's God-Devil Body Refining was still at the ninth layer of the Crimson Bright Nine Heavens Map. He'd comprehended both the minor paths of water and fire, but had yet to break through—not because he couldn't, but because he didn't want to waste an opportunity to challenge the War God Hall.
His Qi Refining Path, however, used the top-tier Nine Directions Fragment. Though he was only at the early Myriad Phenomena stage, it was enough to rival the tenth layer of the Crimson Bright Nine Heavens Map. His Qi Refining Path techniques weren't as powerful as the divine ability Star-Plucking Hand, but they fell short by only a little.
As for his spirit, he possessed the divine sense of a Primordial Spirit Daoist. It could cover a radius of two hundred li, which was quite impressive even among Primordial Spirit Daoists.
"The fourth level? Your God-Devil Body Refining is still only at the Purple Mansion stage!" Yellow-Haired Great Bear exclaimed in surprise. At the ninth layer, the Crimson Bright Nine Heavens Map was only comparable to early-Myriad Phenomena God-Devil Body Refining. Only the tenth layer could match the late Myriad Phenomena stage!
But a moment later, Yellow-Haired Great Bear continued, "You've comprehended two Daos, and reached the third stance of the Red Snow Spear Technique. That makes you quite formidable even among Primordial Spirit Daoists. But to pass the fourth level of the War God Hall, you generally need the strength to defeat a Primordial Spirit Daoist. Could it be that your spirit has also reached the divine sense stage?"
"Mm." Lei Zhan nodded. "About a month ago, my spirit reached the divine sense stage too."
"Ah." Yellow-Haired Great Bear fell into thought. "In that case, you can indeed try the fourth level of the War God Hall now."
Lei Zhan smiled. "Senior Big Bear, what do you think my chances are?"
"Fifty percent!"
Yellow-Haired Great Bear replied, "If your God-Devil Body Refining broke through to the Myriad Phenomena stage, then the power of your divine ability, Star-Plucking Hand, would soar. With the might of the Dao backing it, you'd be certain to pass."
"But although your Qi Refining Path is powerful, you have no technique to rival the divine ability Star-Plucking Hand. You can only rely on brute force and magic treasures. Even though your Water-Fire Grinding Disc secret art has grown much stronger after your comprehension of two Daos, the War God Hall's challenges aren't measured against the mediocre Primordial Spirit Daoists outside!"
"Well..." Lei Zhan could only shake his head. The trials left behind by Daoist Sanshou really weren't something an ordinary cultivator could withstand! Even with his mastery of the Dao already so high, he still had only a fifty percent chance!
"But..." Lei Zhan sighed inwardly. "My Qi Refining Path techniques really are a little lacking. The Water-Fire Grinding Disc can crush those weaker than me through my comprehension of the Dao, but against someone stronger, it can only restrain them."
"Lei Zhan." Immortal Juhua smiled. "Since Senior Big Bear says so, and I can see that your Crimson Bright Nine Heavens Map is on the verge of a breakthrough, why not break through first and challenge it afterward? You should know that even I only barely passed the seventh level of the War God Hall."
"Mm." Lei Zhan glanced at Immortal Juhua, then turned to Yellow-Haired Great Bear.
"Have you made up your mind?" Yellow-Haired Great Bear asked when Lei Zhan didn't reply.
"The fifth level of the War God Hall corresponds to the Primordial Spirit stage. It's a qualitative leap in difficulty from the fourth. I'll have to wait until I learn top-tier Qi Refining Path techniques or raise my Qi Refining cultivation to the level of a Primordial Spirit Daoist..." Lei Zhan's thoughts raced, but he reached a decision after only a moment.
"Senior, I still want to challenge the fourth level of the War God Hall!"
Even if he failed, once his God-Devil Body Refining broke through to the Myriad Phenomena stage, he'd still have two more chances. Besides, the treasures he could choose from on the fourth level were far more precious than those on the third!
"And besides all that, I still have a trump card!" Lei Zhan's divine sense turned toward his Purple Mansion dantian. Deep within the sea of his Purple Mansion sat a black bead the size of a baby's fist. Countless points of starlight glittered inside it, shining brightly.
"Mm." Yellow-Haired Great Bear nodded. Then, with a single thought, he vanished from the hall with Lei Zhan.
Immortal Juhua waited quietly in the great hall of the Water Mansion, lost in thought.
"My disciple... is already challenging the fourth level of the War God Hall."
He'd watched from the sidelines the whole time. He'd seen every bit of Lei Zhan's progress over the past few years.
"Senior Big Bear was right. Geniuses and monsters have always been out of the ordinary!"
"As his master, I need to teach him in a way that suits his talents!"
Time passed.
Only an hour later.
Whoosh~~~
Space rippled inside the great hall of the Water Mansion, and Lei Zhan and Yellow-Haired Great Bear appeared.
"How did it go?" Immortal Juhua looked up at Lei Zhan, whose face was serious.
Suddenly,
Lei Zhan smiled faintly, and his solemn expression broke into a grin.
"Master, I've lived up to your expectations!"
"Hm?" Immortal Juhua started, then smiled as well.
"This kid Lei Zhan really has heaven-defying comprehension. He actually grasped the fourth stance of the Red Snow Spear Technique right in the middle of battle!"
Yellow-Haired Great Bear sighed. "At this rate, it won't be long before the Great Dao of the Spear reaches the Domain of the Great Dao!"
"He had another breakthrough?" Immortal Juhua was stunned. His disciple had breakthroughs so easily? As if it were as simple as eating or drinking!
"I was just lucky!" Lei Zhan smiled faintly. There had indeed been some luck in the battle just now.
Every five years, the black bead in his Purple Mansion dantian filled up with energy.
And it had just reached the end of its five-year cycle since his last breakthrough.
As Lei Zhan fought inside the War God Hall, the black bead had helped him, allowing him to break through in the middle of battle and comprehend the fourth stance of the Red Snow Spear Technique in one smooth stroke!