The Big White Cat felt wonderful to the touch, streams of light shimmering through its fur and swirling beneath his palm.
Its eyes were clear, and it seemed worried that Wu Yu might be angry. Despite its enormous size, it did not dare move a muscle.
The contrast with its imposing presence in the [Tiger Roar Mountain Forest Painting] could not have been greater!
As a creation of a divine ability, its power depended on Wu Yu's cultivation level in spirit refinement.
The higher his cultivation level, the stronger it would be.
But even though he had only just become transcendent, it was already far stronger than the Mountain Lord in the [Newcomer Secret Realm].
"You're too big. Can you shrink?"
Wu Yu stroked the Big White Cat's head.
It purred, and its enormous body really did grow smaller and smaller, until it was no bigger than an ordinary cat.
It leaped onto the sofa where Wu Yu sat and stretched lazily, as though surveying its territory.
"Now you really are a cat!"
Wu Yu chuckled and picked up the things on the floor.
He checked the time. Only a few minutes had passed.
"Cards really are amazing. A hundred years can pass in an instant."
"But understanding, learning, and gaining control still take time. I'll have to be more careful from now on and use them somewhere safe whenever possible."
"And breaking through to transcendence in spirit refinement changed my body, too."
He clenched his fists, his muscles bulging as his Blood-and-Qi Power stirred within him and his heart pounded.
His skin, flesh, bones, blood, and five internal organs were all extraordinary now. He could push open the transcendent gate at any moment.
Thanks to the nourishment from spirit refinement, his Blood-and-Qi Power had even advanced beyond anything Wu Yu understood.
"How strong am I now?"
"Probably more than a thousand jin. Even with his talent, Yu Tiezhu might not be able to beat me."
Confidence welled up inside Wu Yu.
Strength bred courage. His powerful physique had made him much bolder.
Picking up the wine flask, Wu Yu poured out the divine blood.
The golden divine blood looked utterly unremarkable. Its wondrous nature lay concealed, with no unusual phenomena appearing above it.
"..."
Wu Yu hesitated, then put the divine blood into his mouth.
It felt like a piece of jelly. The divine blood melted on contact and flowed throughout his body.
He examined it with his divine sense and found that the divine blood had joined his qi and blood, yet remained distinctly separate.
A mortal body could not refine immortal blood!
"No wonder I have to use it when I push open the transcendent gate. I need to refine the divine blood in that instant when I transcend mortality!"
Somehow, Wu Yu understood everything, and his heart immediately settled.
He stood and assumed the posture of the Tiger Power Stance, setting all his qi and blood in motion.
With his stance technique at the perfection realm, he could direct his qi and blood at will, circulating them at tremendous speed!
One cycle, two cycles, three cycles...
At some point-
Thump! Thump! Thump!
In the quiet room, the sound of his heartbeat grew increasingly distinct.
Suddenly,
A great mass of qi and blood condensed and compressed inside Wu Yu, becoming a single strand of Blood-and-Qi Power!
It was like a signal. The rest of his qi and blood ran wild like unbridled horses, frantically condensing and compressing.
A second strand, a third, a fourth...
If his cultivation had been insufficient, forcing a breakthrough would only have depleted his body.
But Wu Yu had already perfected organ refinement and blood refinement. His five internal organs resonated together, greatly accelerating blood production. With the mystical Bronze Tripod as well, he consumed qi and blood faster and faster!
Finally, all the qi and blood in Wu Yu's body transformed, attaining transcendence!
THUMP-!
This time, his heartbeat carried transcendent power, sending a tremor through the surrounding air.
"Now!"
A sharp light flashed in Wu Yu's eyes. He seized the divine blood and refined it in an instant!
BOOM-!
A sudden thunderclap rang out inside the room.
The divine blood instantly permeated his entire body, transforming all his Blood-and-Qi Power before nourishing his five internal organs, skin, flesh, bones, and blood.
Myth descended, and transcendence ascended to the divine!
BOOM-!
Vast currents of qi and blood surged inside him, and the sound of river waves crashing against the banks rose around his body.
Golden patterns appeared on his skin, with some kind of extraordinary manifestation faintly visible within them.
But he had only just become transcendent, and still possessed too little Blood-and-Qi Power. Before the manifestation could take shape, it dissipated for lack of power, and the golden patterns on his skin faded as well.
"Whew-!"
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 too. It nestled beside him, peeking curiously around.
"A Martial Dao Transcendent!"
"With my current strength, I could earn quite a bit of money just by getting certified."
Wu Yu was delighted, but had no intention of seeking certification.
He was no ordinary martial artist. He was a Cultivator who had received corporate investment and joined the [Spirit Cultivation Association]!
Until the Mysterious Tower became part of mainstream society, Wu Yu would never reveal his abilities.
"The world after the Great Cataclysm..."
He stood and felt the power within his body, filled with a sense of security unlike anything he had ever known.
Strands of Blood-and-Qi Power surfaced around his body, beyond the mortal and mundane, brimming with boundless might!
After eighteen full years in this life, he finally had the power to control his own fate, rather than drifting with the tide like most ordinary people, becoming fuel for the splendor of this Cyber City.
"That feels good!"
He chuckled, grabbed the Mountain Lord, and gave it a vigorous petting.
The Big White Cat did not dare resist and could only purr away.
Coming back to himself, 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 refining: mortal. Spirit refinement: transcendent · transformation realm. Spirit refinement method: "Tiger Roar Soul-Refining Diagram" (beginner). Qi refining method: none. Essence refinement methods: "Tiger Power Stance" (perfection), "Tiger Roar Eight-Slash Saber" (perfection), "Heaven-and-Earth Toss" (perfection), "Heavenly Maiden Scatters Flowers" (perfection). Divine ability: [Mountain Lord Summoning] Inventory: (omitted) Great Ruins Source Points: 100,000.
"So it really is divided into essence, qi, and spirit!"
"The first transcendent stage of spirit refinement is called the transformation realm, and the first stage of essence refinement is the divine strength realm!"
Wu Yu grasped the key points, then saw all his techniques at perfection and could not help smiling.
He really did possess astonishing wisdom and peerless talent!
Unable to resist, Wu Yu stood and struck a pose, his muscles bulging like a Primordial Beast's.
"With these muscles, I could go back to the academy and become a teacher..."
"Wait."
"Aren't I a Cultivator?"
Still posing, Wu Yu's expression froze as he remembered an awkward fact.
He was a genuine Cultivator, someone who had spent eighteen years planning in this life before finally embarking on the path of cultivation!
From displaying precocious intelligence as a child and securing investment, to studying his way into River City Advanced Academy, then joining the [Spirit Cultivation Association] to gain knowledge and protection...
"Whatever. I'll be a Cultivator in a few hours!"
Wu Yu waved his hand. The Mountain Lord dissolved into light and returned to the [Tiger Roar Mountain Forest Painting].
He looked around the living room. It was a complete mess.
Too lazy to tidy up just then, he picked up the box containing the [External Heavenly Spiritual Root] and headed for the bedroom.
At dawn, sunlight streamed through the window.
Beep-!
The alarm sounded. Wu Yu's eyes snapped open, and he climbed out of bed.
He grabbed his Communication Watch, which displayed the caller's name:
[Star River Group], Lin Shouyuan.
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