Saint-level was only the beginning of cultivation in the Coiling Dragon World.
That was what Jason had thought when he read the story years ago. Before reaching Saint-level, people needed food and power, and had to scheme against one another, burdened by all manner of worldly concerns.
Once they reached Saint-level, none of those things were necessities anymore. They only needed to devote all their energy to cultivation, and they could gain the strength to crush everything in their path.
Jason spent two years bringing the water- and death-attribute Battle-qi in his body to Saint-level. His Water Element and Lightning Element mana also reached the ninth rank.
Jason spent no further time absorbing Battle-qi of other attributes. Only now did he understand why the War God had warned his disciples in the original story to focus on a single Profound Mystery: with too many things to cultivate, a Saint-level expert without a Divine Clone really couldn't cultivate too many laws at once.
Of course, Jason wouldn't go to the same extreme as the Saint-level experts of the War God Sect and stubbornly focus on a single Profound Mystery within one elemental branch. But he had decided to focus on the Profound Mysteries of death, water, and lightning.
As for the other attributes, he would leave them to chance. If he could gain an insight, he would; if the opportunity didn't arise, so be it. He would look for another chance after reaching Deity-level.
After two years of cultivation, Jason's water, death, lightning, and destruction cultivation had all stabilized, and he had reached something of a minor bottleneck.
Jason was strongest in the Water Element. He had comprehended one-third of the Profound Mystery of Roundness and grasped the basics of the Water Body Technique. Among Peak Saint experts, that put him in the third tier, on the same level as Haydson. Given the weakness of water-attribute attacks, he might be weaker than Haydson relying on that element alone.
The Edicts of Death were difficult to describe. In terms of "abilities," Jason's Edicts of Death had the abilities of "corrosion" and "final destination." Corrosion attacked both the soul and the body. As for final destination, Jason had only just grasped the basics. Because it possessed characteristics of fate, final destination had always been difficult to comprehend.
His lightning attribute was progressing at a moderate pace. He had grasped the basics of both Lightning Flash (Lightning Speed) and the Lightning Element.
His comprehension of the Edicts of Destruction was the lowest. He hadn't even developed any combat ability with them, and they worked only sporadically. Jason couldn't tell what he had comprehended. He didn't even want to spend time absorbing the Power of Destruction.
After two years of cultivating in seclusion.
Jason decided to spar with the Saint-level experts in the Rhine Empire first, to see how strong he was. Afterward, he would travel around the Yulan Continent.
Jason's first opponent was Edward Rhein.
It wasn't that he didn't know his own strength, but that Edward had sought him out. As for the person who introduced them, that was Ailin, the Violet-Eyed Bladewing Fiend.
"Ancestor Edward, please don't joke. You were a Saint-level expert three thousand years ago. There are only a handful of Saint-level experts on the entire continent who can match you." Jason looked helpless.
Edward Rhein was not only a legendary emperor but also a Saint-level expert who had lived for more than three thousand years. His death and destruction cultivation had both nearly reached the Saint-level limit. Moreover, both his magic and martial arts were at Saint-level. Before reaching Saint-level, Edward had even personally led campaigns as a necromancer. One could imagine how many undead he now commanded.
Jason felt that Edward's Saint-level undead alone could gang up on him and beat him to death.
"Don't be afraid. I've heard about you from Ailin. Of this generation of the Rhine Clan, you're the only one who can compare to her. Honestly, to have this kind of strength right after breaking through to Saint-level-in the more than three thousand years since the Rhine Clan was founded, there haven't been many with talent like yours."
"So?" Jason still didn't understand why Edward had sought him out for a spar.
"I want to train you." Edward spread his hands. "That brat Dante praises Ailin every day. I want to train one of my own descendants too, then win back some face."
"Dante?"
"Oh, he's Ailin's father," Edward explained. "Violet-Eyed Bladewing Fiends have a relatively high birth rate. Dante's other five children were born thousands of years ago, but Ailin was born only recently. As it happened, that child was different from other Violet-Eyed Bladewing Fiends from birth. She was very rational and comprehended the laws at the ninth rank. Dante absolutely dotes on her."
Jason still didn't understand what any of this had to do with Edward seeking him out for a spar.
"So, I'll set aside a month to fight you and make sure you improve by leaps and bounds. Then you can beat Ailin and give that old bastard Dante a good slap in the face."
Jason remembered. Not long after breaking through to Saint-level, he had fought Ailin once and lost. So Edward wanted to give him special training, helping him grow stronger and ultimately turn the tables on her.
But Jason had no such thought. She was a Violet-Eyed Bladewing Fiend; if he couldn't beat her for now, he could simply win after his strength grew. His own wife was as beautiful as a flower, so why would Jason keep pestering Ailin?
But Edward was right there before him. Leaving aside his seniority, Jason really couldn't beat him, so he could only do as Edward said.
"Let's begin." Edward took out a large gray saber.
It was a divine artifact. Years ago, Edward had earned merit by expanding their territory and had been granted an audience with the patriarch of the Violet-Eyed Family, the Deity-level expert in Bloodshadow Valley, who had bestowed the divine artifact upon him.
Edward swung the saber, and gray Power of Death spread through the surroundings. Jason felt his sensitivity to the surrounding elements drop instantly, while the once-vast Battle-qi in his body also grew still.
"Dead silence." Edward's Edicts of Death had a distinct characteristic: they could reduce the activity of the surrounding elements, directly weakening an opponent's overall strength.
Bolstered by the lightning-attribute Profound Mystery of Lightning Flash, Jason raised his speed to the maximum. Then, relying on the Water Element's defense, he charged straight at Edward, using his momentum in an attempt to overcome technique with brute force.
Then Edward's great saber collided with Jason's straight saber, and the tremendous force sent Jason flying backward.
Just as I expected, Jason thought, before feeling his body hit the ground.
He felt as though all his internal organs were about to bleed.
Edward's mastery of both the Edicts of Destruction and the Edicts of Death had nearly reached the Saint-level limit. Combining the two with his divine artifact saber, he wouldn't be at a disadvantage even against Fain, the War God Sect's senior disciple.
"How was that? Want to take a break?" Edward asked.
"Yes!"
The two were now in the Blazing Sun Desert, outside Bloodshadow Valley.
There were no countries in the entire Blazing Sun Desert, only loosely organized desert tribes living around the oases.
Since they didn't have to worry about accidentally injuring passersby, the Rhine Empire's Saint-level experts always chose this place when they wanted to fight.
As Jason used Battle-qi to heal his body, he questioned Edward.
"Ancestor, do you know where I can find inheritances for Life Magic and Fate Magic?"
"Just call me Edward. If you're uncomfortable with that, add 'senior.'" After three thousand years, Edward no longer had the imposing presence he had possessed as an emperor. "Only the Radiant Church has Fate Magic. Of course, the Dark Forest has it too, but you must never go there.
"Life Magic is fairly widespread in the Yulan Empire, but the Yulan Empire is at odds with us. There are a few scattered life mages on the Yulan Continent, but it takes luck to meet one."
It seemed Edward couldn't help Jason either.
"However..." Edward hesitated for a moment. "I heard that in the waters near Crescent Island, people have discovered many submerged ruins left by the elves. It's said that ten thousand years ago, the Yulan Plane had four continents. After a great war, the other three continents sank beneath the water. The continent where the elves lived back then lies near Crescent Island, though its name can no longer be verified. Perhaps you could try your luck there."
"Thank you, Senior." Jason felt that his chances of finding something by searching underwater were lower than if he looked for those wandering life mages on the Yulan Continent. After all, with the Rhine Empire's intelligence network, finding them would be much easier.
"You've rested enough, right? Let's go again." Edward flew into the sky once more.