Am I a Cultivator?

The big white cat felt wonderful to the touch, streams of light rippling through its fur and swirling beneath his palm.

Its eyes were clear, as if it were worried Wu Yu might get angry. Its massive body did not dare move an inch.

This made for an enormous contrast with the domineering presence it had shown in the [Tiger Roar Mountain Forest Painting]!

As a Divine Ability creation, its strength depended on Wu Yu's realm along the "soul-refining" path.

The higher his realm, the stronger it became.

Yet even upon first entering the Transcendent realm, it was far stronger than the Mountain Lord of the [Newcomer Secret Realm].

"You're too big. Can you shrink down?"

Wu Yu rubbed the big white cat's head.

It gave a purr, and its enormous body truly began shrinking until it was only the size of an ordinary cat.

It leaped onto the sofa where Wu Yu sat, lazily stretching its body as though inspecting its own territory.

"This time, you really have become a cat!"

Wu Yu could not help but laugh as he picked up the things from the floor.

He checked the time. Only a few minutes had passed.

"The card is miraculous. It can turn a single instant into a hundred years."

"But comprehension, learning, and mastery all take a process. I still need to be careful in the future and use it somewhere safe whenever possible."

"Besides, breaking through to Transcendent on the soul-refining path has also brought changes to my body."

He clenched his fist. His muscles bulged, the power of his qi and blood stirred within him, and his heart thumped violently.

Skin, flesh, bones, blood, and the five viscera had all become extraordinary. He could knock open the Transcendent Gate at any time.

Moreover, due to the feedback from soul refinement, his power of qi and blood had advanced further, exceeding Wu Yu's understanding.

"How much strength do I have now?"

"Probably more than a thousand jin. Even with his talent, Yu Tiezhu might not be able to beat me."

A surge of confidence rose in Wu Yu's heart.

Strength emboldened the timid. His powerful physique greatly increased his courage.

Picking up the wine jug, Wu Yu poured out the divine blood.

The golden divine blood looked utterly ordinary. Divine objects concealed their own brilliance, and there was not the slightest phenomenon upon its surface.

"..."

Wu Yu hesitated for a moment before placing the divine blood into his mouth.

It was like holding a piece of jelly in his mouth. The divine blood melted as soon as it entered, flooding into every part of his body.

He sensed it with his divine consciousness and discovered that the divine blood had merged with all the qi and blood in his body, yet the two remained as distinct as the Jing River and the Wei River.

A mortal body could not refine immortal blood!

"No wonder it must be used when knocking open the Transcendent Gate. One has to use that instant of transcending the mundane to refine the divine blood!"

Somehow, Wu Yu understood everything, and his heart immediately settled.

He stood up and assumed a stance with the Tiger Power Stance, mobilizing all the qi and blood in his body.

With the stance technique at the perfected realm, mobilizing qi and blood came as naturally as moving his fingers, and it circulated at tremendous speed!

One cycle, two cycles, three cycles...

At some unknown moment!

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Within the silent room, the sound of his heartbeat became increasingly distinct.

Suddenly,

A great quantity of qi and blood within Wu Yu's body condensed and compressed, transforming into a single strand of qi-and-blood power!

It was like a signal. The rest of his qi and blood became horses that had broken free of their reins, wildly condensing and compressing.

A second strand, a third, a fourth...

If one's realm was insufficient, forcing a breakthrough would only drain the body dry.

But Wu Yu had perfected organ refinement and blood refinement. His five viscera resonated together, vastly accelerating his blood production. Coupled with the mysterious Bronze Tripod, the rate at which his qi and blood were consumed grew faster and faster!

At last, all the qi and blood throughout Wu Yu's body transformed, reaching the Transcendent!

Thump—!

This time, the sound of his heartbeat contained Transcendent power, making the surrounding air tremble.

"Now!"

A sharp gleam flashed through Wu Yu's eyes as he locked onto the divine blood and refined it in an instant!

Boom—!

A sudden thunderclap erupted within the room.

The divine blood instantly permeated his entire body, transforming all his qi-and-blood power before feeding back into his five viscera, skin, flesh, bones, and blood.

Myth descended, and Transcendence entered sainthood!

"Boom—!"

The qi and blood within his body surged mightily, and the sound of river water crashing against the banks actually rose around him.

Golden patterns appeared upon his skin, vaguely revealing some kind of phenomenon.

But he had only just become Transcendent. The qi-and-blood power in his body was still too little. Before the phenomenon could fully coalesce, it dissipated from lack of qi-and-blood power, and the golden patterns on his skin faded away as well.

"Huff—!"

Wu Yu came back to himself and let out a long breath.

Seeing no sign that Wu Yu was angry, the big white cat relaxed as well. It nestled against his side, poking its head around and looking about curiously.

"Martial Transcendence!"

"With my current strength, I could get certified and earn quite a bit of money."

Wu Yu was delighted, but he had no intention of seeking certification.

He was not an ordinary martial artist. He was a cultivator who had received corporate investment and joined the [Spirit Cultivation Association]!

Before the Mysterious Tower became mainstream in society, Wu Yu would never expose himself.

"The world after the Great Cataclysm..."

He stood up and felt the power within his body, experiencing an unprecedented sense of security.

Strands of qi-and-blood power surfaced around his body. He had transcended the mundane, possessing boundless mighty strength!

After a full eighteen years in this life, he finally possessed the power to control his own fate, rather than drifting with the current like most commoners and becoming fuel beneath the splendor of this Cyber City.

"Awesome!"

He chuckled and grabbed the Mountain Lord, giving it a vigorous petting for a while.

The big white cat did not dare resist and could only purr and rumble.

Coming back to his senses, Wu Yu put down the Mountain Lord and opened his status panel.

[Wu Yu]

Race: Zhuxia Human Race.

Lifespan: 18/220.

Essence Refinement: Transcendent · Divine Strength Realm.

Qi Refinement: Mortal.

Soul Refinement: Transcendent · Transformation Realm.

Soul-Refining Method: Tiger Roar Soul-Refining Diagram (Beginner),

Qi-Refining Method: None.

Essence-Refining Methods: Tiger Power Stance (Perfected), Tiger Roar Eight-Slash Saber (Perfected), Heaven-and-Earth Toss (Perfected), Heavenly Maiden Scatters Flowers (Perfected).

Divine Ability: [Mountain Lord Summoning]

Inventory: (Omitted)

Great Ruins Source Points: 100,000.

"So there really is a division between essence, qi, and spirit!"

"The first Transcendent stage of soul refinement is called the Transformation Realm, while the first stage of essence refinement is called the Divine Strength Realm!"

Wu Yu grasped the key point. Then, seeing one perfected technique after another, he could not help but smile.

Sure enough, he possessed world-shocking wisdom and peerless talent!

Unable to resist, Wu Yu stood up and struck a pose. His muscles bulged, making him resemble a savage beast from primordial wilderness.

"With these muscles of mine, I could even become a teacher when I return to the academy..."

"Wait."

"Am I not a cultivator?"

Wu Yu's face stiffened as he recalled an awkward fact.

He was a legitimate cultivator, someone who had spent eighteen years in this life plotting before finally stepping onto the path of cultivation!

From displaying precocious intelligence as a child and obtaining investment, to studying all the way into River City Advanced Academy, then joining the [Spirit Cultivation Association] to gain knowledge and protection...

"Forget it. In a few hours, I'll become a cultivator!"

Wu Yu waved his hand. The Mountain Lord turned into light and dispersed, returning to the [Tiger Roar Mountain Forest Painting].

He looked around the living room. It was a complete mess.

He could not be bothered to tidy it up now. Picking up the box containing the [External Heavenly Spiritual Root], he headed toward the bedroom.

Dawn arrived, sunlight streaming through the window.

Beep—!

The alarm sounded. Wu Yu abruptly opened his eyes and climbed out of bed.

He grabbed his Communication Watch, which displayed the caller's name:

[Star River Group], Lin Shouyuan.