Gravity Space

After gaining an initial grasp of the Life Force Profundity, Hillman underwent a qualitative transformation in his endurance and ability to heal himself. When sparring with the Spined Iron-Armored Dragon, he could rapidly recover through the earth's vitality even when wounded, fighting fiercely for hours without tiring. But he knew full well that these four profundities had yet to touch the pinnacle of the Laws of the Earth. Soon, he set his sights on the Gravity Space Profundity, one of the most intimidating of the six great profundities.

This was a high-level profundity, a formidable branch of the Laws of the Earth that leaned toward spatial control. The original novel stated that gravity was the earth's primordial shackle. Those who comprehended Gravity Space could distort the gravity around them. At its mildest, it could make every step a struggle for an enemy, leaving them barely able to move; at its strongest, it could suppress souls with the might of mountains, grinding opponents of the same rank to dust under absolute gravity. Previously, when driving back the Gold-Eater Demon Ape, Hillman had inadvertently triggered a trace of gravitational fluctuation. Now, with four profundities as his foundation, he could finally begin formally studying the true essence of this profundity.

"The Profound Mystery of Strength concentrates power at a single point to defeat an enemy, while the gravity profundity cages an enemy within space." Hillman sat cross-legged on the highest peak in Mist Canyon, overlooking the endless forest below. Mountain winds howled past, making his robes snap. He could clearly sense an invisible gravitational pull emanating from the peak beneath his feet, binding everything around it firmly to the earth. This was gravity in its most fundamental form, and the core he needed to comprehend.

That day, dawn pierced the sea of clouds, spilling golden light over the mountains. Hillman first circulated the Mountain-Shaking Art, spreading all the Saint-level Battle Qi within his body outward and connecting it to the Earth Vein Power of the entire peak. He could feel a tremendous gravitational force pouring into his body along the earth veins, making his body sink slightly and his limbs grow as heavy as lead.

[Ding! Host detected analyzing the Gravity Space Profundity. Current compatibility: 5%! Recommendation: use the compression method of the Profound Mystery of Strength as a guide to condense the earth's gravity into a domain. Make the domain a cage and control the strength of gravity!]

The system notification rang out in his mind, stirring a thought in Hillman. He recalled his insight into "ultimate compression" within the Profound Mystery of Strength. Though the two followed different paths, they led to the same destination-both brought the properties of Earth Power to their utmost limits. He tried spreading his spiritual power over an area with a radius of ten meters while guiding the gravitational force flowing into his body slowly into that area.

At first, his control over gravity was extremely clumsy. The moment he infused his power, gravity within the area surged to ten times its normal strength. The rocks beneath his feet shattered instantly, and the fragments collapsed toward the ground as though clenched by an invisible hand. Caught off guard, Hillman lurched downward as well, his knees nearly hitting the ground. He hurriedly withdrew his spiritual power. Gravity instantly dissipated, and the fragments scattered lightly across the ground again.

"Too rigid, and it breaks. Too soft, and it scatters," Hillman murmured, wiping cold sweat from his forehead. He realized that the key to the Gravity Space Profundity lay in "control," not "brute force." Like a precisely balanced scale weight, a little more made it heavy, and a little less made it light. Only by precisely controlling the strength of gravity could he truly master this profundity.

Over the next several days, Hillman devoted himself to training on that peak. At first, he could barely maintain normal gravity within a radius of three meters; later, he could expand the domain to a hundred meters. Initially, gravity fluctuated wildly and was difficult to control; later, he could precisely adjust its multiplier, switching at will between one and twenty times normal gravity.

He discovered that the power of the gravity domain lay not only in the strength of gravity but also in its coverage and duration. At five times normal gravity, an ordinary Half-Step Saint-level expert's body would buckle under the pressure. At ten times, even an Early Saint-level magical beast would struggle to walk. And at twenty times, the rocks on the peak would shatter inch by inch, turning to dust.

That day, Hillman deployed his gravity domain again and adjusted gravity to fifteen times normal. The air within the domain instantly grew viscous, and even the mountain wind gave a muffled howl as it passed through. With a thought, he abruptly raised gravity within the domain to twenty times normal. The ground shook violently, web-like cracks spread outward, and the surrounding trees snapped and toppled to the ground.

Just then, a powerful dragon's roar came from below. The Spined Iron-Armored Dragon's enormous figure was slowly approaching the peak with heavy steps. It had clearly sensed the energy fluctuations at the summit and wanted to investigate out of curiosity.

Hillman grinned, a trace of fighting spirit flashing in his eyes. Rather than dismissing the gravity domain, he adjusted gravity to ten times normal and beckoned to the Iron-Armored Dragon. "Old friend, come up and give it a try!"

The Iron-Armored Dragon let out an excited roar, pushed off with all four limbs, and charged toward the summit. But the instant it entered the gravity domain, its enormous body abruptly sank, and its speed plummeted. Its limbs sank into the shattered rock. Every step cost it tremendous effort, and its once-agile body had become incredibly clumsy.

A trace of astonishment flashed through the Iron-Armored Dragon's eyes. It roared furiously and tried to swing its long tail, only to discover that it felt pinned beneath a thousand-pound boulder. It could barely lift it half a foot. Unwilling to give in, it charged toward Hillman, but under ten times normal gravity, it moved even more slowly than an ordinary wild beast.

Hillman walked slowly up to the Iron-Armored Dragon and reached out to pat its head gently. The Iron-Armored Dragon gave an aggrieved roar and rubbed its enormous head against his palm, clearly deeply wary of this invisible gravitational force.

With a thought, Hillman adjusted gravity to three times normal. The Iron-Armored Dragon's body abruptly grew lighter. It gave a cheerful roar, swished its tail, and tried to pounce on Hillman again, but gravity still restrained it, preventing it from displaying its usual speed and strength.

"So this is the power of the Gravity Space Profundity," Hillman murmured, his eyes brimming with excitement. He could clearly feel that his understanding of the Laws of the Earth had reached an entirely new height.

He began trying to fuse the Gravity Space Profundity with the other profundities. When he combined the gravity domain with the Profound Mystery of Strength, his punches carried gravity's tearing force, multiplying their power several times over. When he combined the gravity domain with the Life Force Profundity, plants within the domain grew wildly, entangling enemies while gravity crushed their bodies. When he combined the gravity domain with the Earth Travel Technique Profundity, his speed underground increased greatly, and he could also stir the gravity beneath the earth to launch surprise attacks on enemies above.

After several days of practice, Hillman could finally wield the gravity domain with consummate skill. He could deploy it in an instant and adjust the strength of gravity. He could also compress it into an extremely small area, forming a gravitational shackle that restricted an enemy's movements. He could even infuse gravitational force into his longsword, giving every strike a gravitational pull that made it difficult for enemies to dodge.

That day, the sun sank in the west, spilling golden-red light over the peak. Standing at the summit, Hillman deployed a gravity domain with a radius of a hundred meters and adjusted gravity to ten times normal. Rocks shattered and trees toppled within the domain as a heart-palpitating pressure spread outward.

He took a deep breath. With a thought, gravity within the domain abruptly surged to thirty times normal.

Boom!

With a tremendous crash, the ground within the domain instantly collapsed, forming an enormous pit. The surrounding trees were uprooted, becoming streaks of afterimages as gravity slammed them into the pit. Even the air shook violently, producing a piercing howl.

Hillman slowly withdrew the domain. As he felt the power surging within his body, a trace of understanding flashed through his eyes.

Just then, the system notification abruptly rang out in his mind.

[Ding! Host detected proficiently controlling the Gravity Space Profundity, freely adjusting the strength of gravity and constructing a gravity domain! Gravity Space Profundity compatibility has reached 100%!]

[Congratulations, host, on gaining an initial grasp of the Gravity Space Profundity! You can construct a gravity domain to suppress enemies' speed and strength. Your own combat power increases by 50% within the domain, and gravity can be raised to a maximum of thirty times normal!]

The instant the notification ended, a tremendous stream of information poured into Hillman's mind. He understood the paths for advancing the Gravity Space Profundity-connecting the domain to Earth Pulsation could extend it over an entire mountain range; condensing gravity into a singularity could create a devouring force like a black hole; he could even integrate gravitational force into himself, giving his body the weight of a mountain so that a single punch could shatter the earth.

Hillman slowly closed his eyes, absorbing the insights into the profundity within his mind. He could clearly feel his Saint-level cultivation growing increasingly stable. He was only one step away from the Saint Realm Mid-Stage.

When he opened his eyes again, they shone brilliantly. He turned toward the Spined Iron-Armored Dragon beside him and grinned. "Old friend, of the six great profundities, only the last one remains."

The Iron-Armored Dragon gave a low roar and gently rubbed its enormous head against his shoulder, its eyes full of anticipation.

Hillman raised his head toward the sky. Like a gigantic fireball, the setting sun slowly sank below the horizon. The sky was dyed a dazzling golden red.

The mountain wind howled, and the sea of clouds churned. Deep within Mist Canyon, a steady pulsing sound seemed to be slowly rising, gradually synchronizing with his heartbeat.