In the quiet room of the Dustless Palace in Nine Mysteries City.
Han Xuanji, dressed in white, sat cross-legged. No one knew that this seemingly ordinary garment was actually a high-grade Eternal Saint Artifact.
After ten years of dedicated study, Han Xuanji gradually grasped some of the key techniques.
The Saint King's will preserved in this Divine Might Like a Prison Painting is extremely domineering. The more one observes it, the more one can understand just how powerful a powerhouse of this level truly is, a difference as vast as the moon and a firefly.
To comprehend the inheritance within, one must naturally follow the natural order. Forcing one's way of comprehending it will at best damage one's sea of consciousness and soul, and at worst shatter one's Dao heart.
Even with his current abilities, he can only gradually observe and comprehend it.
Twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye.
Han Xuanji gained some further insights. He could now sense that the will left behind by the Immortal Saint Emperor contained a power that was difficult for him to grasp.
"Moreover, my mental fortitude has been honed for a long time, making it difficult to improve further. If I wish to comprehend the inheritance within, I will need to find another way."
Han Xuanji fell into deep thought. He had previously used this painting as a whetstone to temper his will.
But his ultimate goal is certainly not to train his mind and will, but to understand the legacy passed down within.
"It seems I need to be more proactive and communicate with them using my own will."
Han Xuanji had a flash of inspiration.
The idea of people communicating with paintings may sound unbelievable, but it's actually not impossible in the world of spiritual practice.
The will contained in the painting of the Immortal Saint Emperor is not something that is dull and difficult to comprehend, but rather something akin to a "deity".
It is not a deity formed from the power of faith, but a "deity" born from this wisp of supreme will.
Just like the innate Eternal Deity of the Eternal Continent, they are beings born from the rules of the Great Dao.
Han Xuanji began to try to communicate with the deities in the painting. Naturally, she couldn't communicate with them verbally, but rather used her own will as a bridge to merge with them.
The next second.
The figure in the painting seemed to move slightly, and a ray of light flew out from between the eyebrows of the portrait, directly entering Han Xuanji's sea of consciousness.
Han Xuanji felt as if he had been struck head-on by a majestic star from beyond the heavens. His sea of consciousness trembled violently, and his awareness was instantly pulled into a boundless void.
A figure stood in the void, burly and with a blurred face, but its eyes were surprisingly clear.
With just one glance, it was as if he saw right through him, inside and out.
Han Xuanji was filled with shock and fear, and a flood of thoughts surged within him. In this void, he spoke his thoughts aloud:
" The Immortal Saint Emperor?"
However, the phantom did not answer; it simply raised its hand and threw a punch.
This attack is impossible to react to.
Everything in Han Xuanji's eyes shattered under this punch. The entire void world shattered like glass falling to the ground. He didn't even have time to think before his consciousness was directly blasted out of that space.
Back in the quiet room, he suddenly opened his eyes, his chest heaving slightly, and a fine layer of sweat beaded on his forehead.
That punch was too fast; it was so fast that he didn't even have time to think about parrying before it was all over.
"Could this be the Immortal Saint Emperor's test? That's not the Immortal Saint Emperor, it must be a deity from the painting. It really exists..."
Han Xuanji took a deep breath, suppressed the shock in his heart, and quickly figured it out.
This is the test of comprehending the Immortal legacy.
To attain this path, one must first receive this punch.
This is quite in line with the style of a body-refining cultivator.
Fortunately, Han Xuanji had a special constitution, so this failure did not cause him much harm.
The next day.
Han Xuanji prepared himself, adjusted his state, and chose to enter meditation again, entering the world within the painting to face the illusory figure.
This time he learned from his mistake. The moment the phantom raised its hand, he attacked with all his might, neither dodging nor avoiding. On one hand, he intended to use offense as defense, and on the other hand, he was also thinking about how he would feel when he made his move.
Han Xuanji struck with incredible speed, delivering a punch with no reservation.
However, the phantom merely shifted its body slightly, causing his attack to miss. It then countered with a punch, clean and swift, still too fast for him to react, sending him flying out of the void once more.
Back in reality, Han Xuanji didn't get angry; instead, she laughed.
If this inheritance could be obtained easily, it wouldn't be worth his effort.
"The power of the deity in the painting is the same as mine under normal circumstances, but it was different in that extremely brief moment."
Han Xuanji pondered for a moment, adjusted his breathing, and entered it again on the third day.
The fourth day, the fifth day... the hundredth day... each time ended the same way: crushed by a single punch.
But he gradually began to grasp something.
When the phantom threw a punch, its body seemed to enter a state of extreme concentration in an instant, with true essence, Qi and Blood and qi, spirit and mind, and physical body becoming one, without the slightest hesitation or flaw.
That wasn't just a simple display of overwhelming power; it was an ultimate mastery of combat.
Realizing this, Han Xuanji understood that he was there to learn, not to win.
He stopped rushing to make a move and instead focused all his attention on observing the movements of the illusory figure.
He observed and meticulously analyzed every detail, from the trajectory of the punch to the subtle changes in the opponent's aura and even the unseen and intangible fluctuations of mental will.
And he began to try to imitate that state, initially only able to maintain its surface, failing to grasp its essence.
But he gradually grasped the secret through being beaten and was able to try to maintain a breath duration. Although the duration was extremely short, it showed Han Xuanji that it was feasible.
Although the possibility of being killed by a second punch is still unavoidable.
But when Han Xuanji withdrew from that mysterious battle state, a fine layer of sweat had already formed on his forehead.
He maintained this state for less than a breath before nearly ten percent of his true essence was depleted, his Qi and Blood surged like boiling water, and even his soul trembled slightly.
He wasn't proficient in this state, which was equivalent to forcing himself to carry the load, putting too much strain on his body.
He slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, calming his surging Qi and Blood and qi. Instead of feeling frustrated, he felt a long-lost sense of exhilaration.
And so, fifty years passed quietly.
One breath, two breaths, then five breaths, ten breaths.
Each time he was punched, he endured the blow longer than the last.
This progress was extremely slow, but he didn't care at all.
Han Xuanji was now able to withstand the attacks of that illusory figure for half an incense stick's time without falling. Although he was ultimately sent flying by a punch, the light in his eyes grew brighter and brighter.
"The inheritance of the Immortal Saint Emperor is not a simple inheritance of offensive Divine Ability; it is a further manifestation of the potential explosion after breaking through one's limits. Not only is the reaction extremely fast, but it also guides the body's potential and even the power of the mind, greatly enhancing both strength and speed... Even Saint King who is not proficient in combat would probably find it difficult to reach this ultimate combat state."
Han Xuanji wasn't exaggerating; although he was only Eternal True God, his combat ability was no less than that of cultivators whose realms were far higher than his.
Among all the prodigies, Ying Yuan was the only one on par with him.
This is why Ying Yuan is ranked first on the Heaven's Chosen Ranking. His opponent's strength is undoubtedly strong, and his combat level is extremely high. Even he had to use most of his power to deal with him, and his victory was not easy.