Crimson Bright Nine Heavens Map Tenth Level

Immortal Juhua nodded, then asked no more.

The aptitude of a genius and that of an ordinary cultivator were worlds apart.

And a monster was ten or even a hundred times more terrifying than a genius.

"Lei Zhan, now that you have returned to the Water Mansion, do you wish to go to the Star Hall to seek enlightenment?" the Yellow-Haired Great Bear asked. "The Star Hall is filled with the profound mysteries of the Dao; it is a sacred place for enlightenment. You have been away from the cave dwelling for nearly four years, and your accumulated insights are more than sufficient. If you go to seek enlightenment now, it might just allow your understanding of the Dao to advance even further!"

"Enlightenment?" Lei Zhan shook his head. "There is no rush for the Star Hall. My Crimson Bright Nine Heavens Map could have broken through to the tenth level long ago; I only refrained from returning because I had not yet gathered enough Essence Liquid."

Although one could break through in God-Devil Body Refining while outside, he still had one chance left to challenge the War God Hall while at the Purple Mansion stage.

The opportunities to exchange for treasures in the Hall of Treasures were precious. Since Lei Zhan had become the fourth master of the Water Mansion, he had already missed the two chances granted at the Xiantian stage. If he were to break through to the Myriad Phenomena stage now, this opportunity at the Purple Mansion stage would naturally be wasted.

"Hmm," the Yellow-Haired Great Bear nodded. "You have managed to comprehend a secret technique like the Water-Fire Grinding Disc and have fully grasped two minor Daos; breaking through to the tenth level of the Crimson Bright Nine Heavens Map is indeed an easy task for you."

The Water-Fire Grinding Disc involved the mutual generation and restriction of water and fire, and the Crimson Bright Nine Heavens Map required an equally profound understanding of water, fire, yin, and yang to break through.

Lei Zhan bowed to Immortal Juhua and the Yellow-Haired Great Bear, then chose a prayer mat and sat down cross-legged.

"Let's begin!" Lei Zhan sat cross-legged, his dharma robes retracted into his body, leaving him completely naked.

Every time the Crimson Bright Nine Heavens Map reached a major breakthrough, a wisp of Lunar True Water and a wisp of Solar True Fire would descend. Even Celestial Gods and True Immortals would be unwilling to touch such true water and fire lightly; the dharma treasures on Lei Zhan's body would not be able to withstand them.

Since he would have to be naked by the end anyway, it was better to just get it over with.

Lei Zhan's Dao heart was strong, so he naturally did not take such trivial matters to heart.

"Whoosh." Lei Zhan slowly closed his eyes, and with a thought, he activated the techniques of the Crimson Bright Nine Heavens Map.

In an instant, the Lunar Divine Pattern and Solar Divine Pattern on Lei Zhan's bare back flared with light.

The divine patterns were incredibly dazzling, instantly establishing a connection with the two supreme stars—the Lunar Star and the Solar Star—hidden deep within the distant void, separated by countless spatial barriers.

The Lunar Star and the Solar Star immediately transmitted a stream of Solar True Fire and Lunar True Water.

The reason the Crimson Bright Nine Heavens Map was hailed by countless cultivators as the number one God-Devil Body Refining technique in the Great Xia World was precisely because every major breakthrough was assisted by the two supreme stars, using the Lunar True Water and Solar True Fire to temper and transform the divine body.

"A breakthrough in the Crimson Bright Nine Heavens Map is truly extraordinary." The Yellow-Haired Great Bear watched Lei Zhan, who was surrounded by countless swirls of water and fire. Under the tempering of these elements, his aura climbed steadily.

"If only you had the aptitude to learn this Crimson Bright Nine Heavens Map back then..." The Yellow-Haired Great Bear glanced at Immortal Juhua, then shook his head. This technique had incredibly high requirements for comprehension; for those geniuses and monsters, it was like adding wings to a tiger, but for those with mediocre comprehension, they couldn't even enter the door.

"You..." Immortal Juhua was instantly enraged. Nothing was more feared than comparison, yet the Yellow-Haired Great Bear, whom he knew best, managed to stir ripples in his ice-cold heart with just this look.

"What about me! Lei Zhan has managed to comprehend two Daos in succession; even if he wanted to break through his God-Devil Body Refining to the Primordial Spirit stage immediately, he wouldn't face a single bottleneck." The Yellow-Haired Great Bear glared at Immortal Juhua, then said leisurely, "Juhua, this disciple of yours will soon catch up to you, his master!"

"Hmph!" Immortal Juhua choked, flicking his wide sleeves without a word.

From Immortal Juhua's perspective, what the Yellow-Haired Great Bear said was the truth; Lei Zhan's understanding of the Dao was simply too high!

God-Devil Body Refining required slow accumulation. It would take at least several years for Lei Zhan's Crimson Bright Nine Heavens Map to reach the thirteenth level. During these years, with the help of the Star Hall, his enlightenment of the Dao would certainly not stagnate, and by then, breaking through to the Primordial Spirit stage would be even easier.

"So what? No matter how strong Lei Zhan is, he is still my disciple..." Immortal Juhua looked at the Yellow-Haired Great Bear with a haughty expression.

"It's almost done!" The Yellow-Haired Great Bear ignored him, keeping his eyes fixed on Lei Zhan.

The water and fire enveloping Lei Zhan gradually became transparent, clearly indicating that the true water and true fire had been completely absorbed by his body. Then, the water and fire vanished entirely, revealing the naked Lei Zhan within.

Under the tempering of the true water and true fire, Lei Zhan's body was perfect—a true God-Devil physique!

"Whoosh!"

Lei Zhan opened his eyes, and with a thought, a black robe instantly appeared on his body.

"I've broken through." Lei Zhan smiled, feeling his more perfect and powerful God-Devil physique, and the more vigorous, surging divine power flowing within him.

"This power..." Lei Zhan felt somewhat intoxicated. "If I were to use the divine ability Star-Plucking Hand now, its power would be even greater, and I could use it many more times!"

"Now that I have a God-Devil physique comparable to the late Myriad Phenomena stage, a Qi Refinement cultivation comparable to the late Myriad Phenomena stage, and have comprehended the fourth stance of the Red Snow Spear Technique..." Lei Zhan thought to himself, "My strength has undergone a qualitative change compared to just over an hour ago!"

"Lei Zhan." The Yellow-Haired Great Bear smiled.

"Senior Great Bear." Lei Zhan looked over.

"With your foundation improved, your overall strength has naturally risen. Now that your God-Devil Body Refining has reached the Myriad Phenomena stage, you have two more chances." The Yellow-Haired Great Bear said, "Do you wish to challenge the fifth level of the War God Hall?"

"Challenge the fifth level?" Lei Zhan stared at the smiling Yellow-Haired Great Bear and shook his head. "Senior Great Bear, you are trying to trick me! If I were to challenge the fifth level of the War God Hall with my current strength, I probably wouldn't have even a twenty percent chance!"

The fifth level was designed for those at the Primordial Spirit stage of God-Devil Body Refining. If Lei Zhan had cultivated the Crimson Bright Nine Heavens Map to the twelfth level, he would be comparable to an early-stage Primordial Spirit God-Devil, and with his insights into the Dao, he would have a hundred percent chance. But as of now...

"You are quite clever!" The Yellow-Haired Great Bear shook his head and laughed. "Now that your God-Devil Body Refining has reached the Myriad Phenomena stage, you could consider finding Five Elements Essence to cultivate the second transformation of the Star-Plucking Hand; that would make your God-Devil Body Refining methods even stronger."

Lei Zhan nodded. He naturally knew the potential of the Star-Plucking Hand, but Five Elements Essence was not so easy to obtain.

Not everyone could be as lucky as Ji Ning, who happened to encounter the tail feather of a Void Refinement stage Peacock Demon King and had millions of Essence Liquid to purchase it.

"Five Elements Essence?" Immortal Juhua's expression shifted, and he took note of it in his heart.

"Lei Zhan, adding the one from just now, you can now choose two Earth-rank dharma treasures or treasures from me," the Yellow-Haired Great Bear said. "Do you want to choose them now?"

"Now?" Lei Zhan nodded, his eyes growing fervent. The Hall of Treasures was filled with treasures as numerous as the stars, and every single one was a masterpiece incomparable to those in the outside world; their value was worlds apart from ordinary items.

"Then, let's choose the treasures first."

"Hmm." The Yellow-Haired Great Bear smiled. "Let's go, to the Hall of Treasures to pick them out slowly."

The Hall of Treasures remained as it always was, with powerful dharma treasures and strange objects still suspended high in the air.

The fluctuations radiating outward... if not for the restrictions isolating them, and if he were to come into direct contact with them, the mere fluctuations emitted by powerful magic treasures—such as those at the Earthly Immortal or Pure Yang level—would easily annihilate Lei Zhan.

Lei Zhan and the Yellow-Haired Great Bear were both inside the Hall of Treasures.

"Lei Zhan, unless you encounter a great opportunity, your Qi Refining Path will likely progress even slower than your cultivation at the Purple Mansion level. Therefore, you must be even more cautious when choosing treasures and magic treasures in the Hall of Treasures," the Yellow-Haired Great Bear cautioned.

Lei Zhan nodded.

It was indeed true; the further a cultivator progressed, the longer they would linger at each stage. Lei Zhan practiced the Nine Directions Fragment, so the amount of Essence Liquid he required was even greater!

Although the realm of the Dao was not an issue for him, the amount of Essence Liquid required to fuel it was truly vast!

Seeing that Lei Zhan understood, the Yellow-Haired Great Bear laughed, "You skipped the third level of the War God Hall and followed that up by breaking through to the Myriad Phenomena level in your God-Devil Body Refining... you could say you took a shortcut. This time, all the Earth-rank treasures in the Hall of Treasures are recorded here, without a single one missing."

To exchange for treasures in the Hall of Treasures, one had at most three opportunities to redeem items at each level.

When choosing magic treasures or rare items for the first time, the Treasure Catalog only recorded a portion of them.

By the second time one chose magic treasures or rare items, the Treasure Catalog would record more than it did the first time.

And by the third time, the Treasure Catalog would record every magic treasure and rare item of that level available in the Hall of Treasures.

Lei Zhan paused and offered a faint smile toward the Yellow-Haired Great Bear.

The Yellow-Haired Great Bear shook his head. With a thought, a golden book appeared out of thin air in his bear paw, with two divine-demonic characters for "Treasure" inscribed upon it.

"Go ahead and choose."