Stepping into the Transcendent Realm

Of the three Boar Demons, not a single one had a Demon Core inside. Lin Jun was deeply disappointed.

It seemed that last time had been purely luck. This time, he had not been so fortunate.

After dealing with the Boar Demon corpses, Lin Jun found a quiet room and began to practice.

Mortal martial arts emphasized tempering the body, squeezing energy from flesh and blood to unleash techniques. The stronger the fleshly body, the fiercer the techniques.

Transcendent Realm techniques, on the other hand, emphasized drawing in external energy to temper oneself.

A person's own energy was limited, while the energy of the outside world was limitless.

Transcendent Realm techniques used the boundless energy of the outside world to fill one's body, growing stronger without end.

The True Scripture of Body-Melting and Furnace-Casting was a Transcendent Realm technique, an Origin Transformation cultivation method.

On the road, Lin Jun had already gained a preliminary understanding of the True Scripture of Body-Melting and Furnace-Casting's peculiarities.

One used oneself as a Furnace and the qi of heaven and earth as materials, refining heaven-and-earth energy through the body's Furnace, taking its essence and discarding its dross, turning that energy into one's own.

Just like refining medicine, Lin Jun's body could be seen as a human-shaped medicinal furnace, while the energy of heaven and earth was the medicinal ingredient.

Naturally, heaven-and-earth energy did not only refer to energy drifting through the world. The energy within Demon Cores and precious herbs could also be refined for one's own use.

Lin Jun drew a deep breath, opened the panel, and began the simulation.

[You have obtained the True Scripture of Body-Melting and Furnace-Casting. This is an Origin Transformation cultivation method, wondrous beyond words. You decide:]

[1. Cultivate diligently and persevere, believing that there are no shortcuts to success. (Consumes 300 experience)]

That was it.

Lin Jun rubbed his eyes, unable to believe it.

Why were there two fewer options?

What was going on?

Lin Jun noticed the phrase, "There are no shortcuts to success."

It seemed that cultivation to increase one's cultivation level was entirely different from martial techniques. There were no shortcuts; one could only accumulate power steadily, then break through.

Helpless, Lin Jun could only continue investing experience.

[You imagine yourself as a great furnace, madly absorbing the energy of heaven and earth and refining it bit by bit within your body. However, you are not yet proficient in the technique, and your efficiency is low. (-300)]

[Rather than cultivating immediately, you decide to first carefully study the True Scripture of Body-Melting and Furnace-Casting. Perhaps beginning cultivation after fully mastering the technique will yield twice the result with half the effort. True Scripture of Body-Melting and Furnace-Casting (Beginner) (-300)]

[You rise at the crow of the rooster and sleep at the bark of dogs. After ten years, you finally gain an understanding of the subtleties of the True Scripture of Body-Melting and Furnace-Casting, but this is still not enough. True Scripture of Body-Melting and Furnace-Casting (Minor Accomplishment) (-300)]

[You rise at the crow of the rooster and sleep at the bark of dogs... (-300)]

[You rise at the crow of the rooster... (-300)]

The panel seemed to have malfunctioned, endlessly making him rise at the crow of the rooster.

After consuming a full two thousand one hundred experience from Lin Jun, a different change finally appeared.

[Heaven does not disappoint those who strive. You diligently study the True Scripture of Body-Melting and Furnace-Casting for sixty years and finally obtain its true essence. True Scripture of Body-Melting and Furnace-Casting (Perfected) (-300)]

[Although there are still some parts of the True Scripture of Body-Melting and Furnace-Casting that you do not understand, you know that your time is running short. Thus, you begin cultivating. (-300)]

[You widen all your meridians and come to understand the refinement of energy. Heaven-and-earth energy enters your body as though returning home, and you refine this energy into your own in immeasurable quantities. This refinement lasts three years. (-300)]

[One morning, you suddenly open your eyes. The sky before you is no longer sky in your eyes, and the earth before you is no longer earth. A brand-new world has opened itself to you. You touch the threshold between Mortal and the Transcendent Realm, then step through it. (-300)]

Lin Jun abruptly opened his eyes. Sixty-three years of cultivation flashed past his gaze.

The True Scripture of Body-Melting and Furnace-Casting in his hand felt so familiar, as if he himself had written it.

Trembling, Lin Jun touched the table before him, then touched the stool.

Like a newborn child, he was filled with curiosity toward everything outside.

Too wondrous. It was simply too wondrous.

The world had changed!

After spending a full three thousand experience, Lin Jun had finally stepped across the threshold of the Transcendent Realm. His cultivation was now Origin Transformation.

The world as seen through Transcendent Realm eyes was so marvelous that Lin Jun could even see the energy drifting through heaven and earth with his naked eyes.

This was the world Chen Feng had pursued for ten years without attaining.

Lin Jun's body was like a parched sponge, while the energy outside crazily burrowed into him.

His body temperature was abnormally high, a result of cultivating the True Scripture of Body-Melting and Furnace-Casting.

Lin Jun was now a walking furnace, refining every bit of energy that entered his body.

Unable to resist, he drew his blade and performed an entire set of the Flowing Swallow Saber Technique within the room.

Even though it was a Mortal martial art, it now displayed the power of the Baleful Blood Demon-Subduing Blade Technique.

And because Lin Jun had entered Origin Transformation, the Baleful Blood Demon-Subduing Blade Technique could now unleash one hundred percent of its power.

Against Boar Demons like the three from yesterday, Lin Jun felt that he would not need to use any martial arts at all. A few casual punches would be enough to shake them to death.

"Heh heh, hahahahaha!"

Heaven Beyond Heaven! I alone am supreme! Hahahahaha!

I am a Demon Exorcist—I shall suppress every demon and monster beneath heaven!

Cough, cough, cough. He was getting carried away.

Lin Jun hurriedly reined in his wildly inflated thoughts.

He knew this was merely an illusion brought on by suddenly gaining power. He had only just entered the world of cultivation.

Above Origin Transformation was Boundary Breach, and above Boundary Breach was Golden Core.

The road of cultivation was blocked by mountains and long with rivers.

Of the human body's eight extraordinary meridians, Lin Jun had only just opened the Ren and Du Meridians. The remaining six were still blocked.

Of the twelve primary meridians, he had barely opened the three yin meridians of the hand.

The burden was heavy, and the road was long.

After some thought, the excitement of his recent breakthrough had completely faded. In just a few minutes, Lin Jun had calmed down.

Although the cultivation process within the simulation would not directly transfer to Lin Jun, it would influence his way of thinking to some extent.

Cultivation measured in decades at every turn had made Lin Jun's mindset incomparably tranquil. Though he was not yet twenty, his heart was as steady as an old dog's.

Lin Jun opened the door. The sky outside had already gone dark.

He came to the eastern side of the Demon Exorcism Bureau, where there stood a rather dilapidated house.

It had originally been intended as housing for the Demon Exorcism Bureau's subordinates, but the entire Green Forest County Demon Exorcism Bureau only had Lin Jun and Chen Feng. Naturally, there was no need for subordinates.

The neighbor stood beside the house's wall, drew a deep breath, and placed a hand against it.

Then, he gave it a shake.

Rumble!

The entire house collapsed with a thunderous crash, as though an earthquake had struck.

"My lord, the braised pig head meat Shopkeeper Song sent over tastes quite good. Would you..."

The moment Chen Feng entered, he saw the collapsed house, then saw Lin Jun's outstretched palm.

"...like to try some..."

Lin Jun withdrew his arm, humming a cheerful tune as he walked over to Chen Feng and accepted the food box.

"Thank Shopkeeper Song for me."

Lin Jun carried the food box toward his room.

Chen Feng scratched his head, feeling that the scene before him looked strangely familiar.