Opening the Realm!

Opening the Realm!

The more Jiang Zhe read, the more amazed he became. The adaptation was simply perfect, seamlessly integrating with this world's Cultivation System.

As long as one's consciousness was strong enough, one could begin cultivating from the stage where the Soul Core was revealed.

In other words, one could theoretically cultivate it from the Planetary Level onward. His own Soul Core was now that "Micro-Planet" at the very center of the Original Core space.

The Stellar Level was the central "Micro-Star";

The Cosmic Level was within the "black hole" at the center of the spiral arms;

At the Domain Lord Level, one condensed a Soul Crystal Core and entered the newly born life core;

At the Realm Lord Level, the soul and Force crystal core fused together to form a Source Pearl;

Then came—

The most unique stage in Devouring World's Cultivation System: shattering the soul and merging it into the body to form a divine body.

Once one entered this stage, there would no longer be even the slightest possibility of cultivating a "Second Primordial Spirit"!

The secret art contained an enormous amount of information. To Jiang Zhe, "vast" was the only word that could describe it.

Possessing a tangible Soul Entity that could be cut was merely the first threshold of cultivation.

It only meant that one could "put a knife" to the soul.

One's Soul Foundation also needed to be strong enough to ensure survival after Self-Division.

To make an analogy—

It was like a human undergoing major surgery. Your body had to be strong enough; otherwise, if you casually "went under the knife" while ignoring your physical condition, you might never leave the operating table. Even if the surgery was somehow completed, it would damage your vitality and turn you into a sickly wreck who needed a long time to recover.

Therefore, the secret art had a second threshold—willpower, consciousness, and Psychic Power all had to be sufficiently strong!

Finally, there was a third threshold: finding a suitable vessel.

Based on the information conveyed by the Golden Leaf Pages, it laid out four cultivation tiers for him—

At the lowest Planetary Level, there was the "bankruptcy-style" cultivation method;

The optimal stage was the Stellar Level, where consciousness and Psychic Power could basically meet the requirements, while the exposed Soul Core could easily be divided;

The most ordinary stage was the Cosmic Level. As long as one found a suitable vessel, cultivation would certainly succeed;

The most difficult stages were the Domain Lord Level and Realm Lord Level. There was still a chance of success, but cutting into an already "hardened" soul carried an extremely high chance of sudden death. It was an opportunity that amounted to gambling with one's life.

"A vessel, a vessel..."

Looking at the Golden Leaf Pages spread across the stone table, Jiang Zhe scratched his head in distress and began another round of mystical prayers.

"Immortal Mechanical Race brother, I collected your corpse and all. It shouldn't be hard for you to drop a Second Primordial Spirit vessel as payment for your funeral service, right?"

Forget a "Heart of Space"—even a material for a heavy treasure was an extravagant hope for the current Jiang Zhe.

He could only consider Immortal Level natural treasures.

The Mechanical Race excelled at manufacturing weapons and had enormous, exacting demands for materials. Energy was also an indispensable core component...

Taking all that into account, perhaps that Mechanical Race Immortal's inventory really did contain something valuable!

For now, he would not fantasize about space or time. He should at least get a spiritual treasure connected to one of the eight Lower Laws as a fallback.

Once I get out, I'll focus on that World Bracelet... Jiang Zhe calculated inwardly.

At the same time, he considered something else. If I really can obtain a vessel at the Planetary Level, should I use the "bankruptcy-style" cultivation plan provided by the Golden Leaf Pages?

The so-called "bankruptcy-style" method involved raising one's Genetic Level to seven or eight times normal, expanding one's consciousness and Psychic Power until they became extraordinarily robust, then returning the Soul Core to the Dim Purple Psychic Power Sphere. With willpower, consciousness, and Psychic Power united as one, one strike would split them apart directly.

Only someone like him, with high Brain Domain Capacity and the remnants of the "gift" in his Sea of Consciousness, could adopt such a cultivation method.

Otherwise, a normal Planetary Level cultivator did not meet the standards needed to cultivate a Second Primordial Spirit.

Jiang Zhe shook his head. "No, I should still play it safe. Unlike Luo Feng, I haven't been forced to keep pushing forward. I should avoid taking such dangerous shortcuts whenever possible. The second plan is the best."

"The primary prerequisite is obtaining a spiritual treasure vessel at the Planetary Level."

"Once I reach at least a fivefold Genetic Level and Planetary Level eighth-rank warrior cultivation, I'll fully digest the 'gift' and reach Stellar Level first-rank Psychic Master cultivation. At that point, my willpower, consciousness, and Psychic Power will all meet the requirements. That will be the best time to cultivate the Second Primordial Spirit."

As he pondered, Jiang Zhe suddenly frowned, recalling a few tricks related to cultivating the Second Primordial Spirit.

For example, the Nuwa Painting Visualization Method.

Or rather, any useful visualization technique would do.

"That person had practiced a Visualization Method since childhood, which was why he could divide his soul ahead of time and cultivate a Second Primordial Spirit. A Visualization Method can also accelerate recovery from the weakness after splitting the soul."

Jiang Zhe muttered again, "A Shu, you gave me a Second Primordial Mystery Technique, but not a Visualization Method to go with it?"

"Tsk, tsk. Lend me one, will you?"

Holding the Golden Leaf Pages, Jiang Zhe planned to inspect them carefully once more, but his fingers detected a different texture on the back.

"???"

He hurriedly flipped them over and found a new secret art engraved on the reverse side in Hanxia Script.

"You actually gave me one?"

"'Coiled Dragon Technique'? Fuyaozi? Isn't that... Chen Tuan the Elder?"

Having read ancient scriptures extensively since childhood, Jiang Zhe naturally knew the names of the various Sages. The words "Fuyao" came from the Nanhua Sutra.

—He who soared upward on a whirlwind rose ninety thousand li, departing with the breath of the sixth month.

"It has absolutely nothing to do with the 'Second Primordial Mystery Technique.' It looks like they were forcibly cobbled together, and it was even casually engraved on the back of the pages."

Jiang Zhe opened the other set of pages, "Life Blueprint," but no other secret art was engraved on its reverse side.

As he carefully read this secret art, the astonishment on Jiang Zhe's face grew deeper and deeper. At last, his brows danced with delight, unable to conceal his surprise.

The "Coiled Dragon Technique" could actually be cultivated!

Moreover, it was a secret art for cultivating the heart? Cultivating consciousness? Cultivating willpower? It was hard to say for now, but it was certainly a secret art tied to soul cultivation.

"Dragon returns to the Essence Sea, yang hides within yin. Others say the dragon lies dormant, yet I make my heart lie dormant. Silently storing its use, breathing ever deeper. Reclining high amid white clouds, with no kindred spirit in the world."

"Once, Zhuang Zhou dreamed he was a butterfly, a fluttering butterfly, happy and content, unaware that he was Zhou. Suddenly he awoke, startled to find himself Zhou. Did Zhou dream of being a butterfly, or did the butterfly dream of being Zhou? Between Zhou and the butterfly, there must be a distinction. This is called the transformation of things."

After reviewing the secret art, Jiang Zhe almost instinctively recited the contents of the Nanhua Sutra.

Then he murmured, "In short, the cultivation method is—sleeping! Imitate Zhuang Zhou Dreams of Being a Butterfly and use the illusory experiences within dreams to nourish the transformation of one's spirit!"

"Very powerful. I've learned it. Once I get out, I'll take a nap." Jiang Zhe closed the Golden Leaf Pages, eager to give it a try.

The essence of the "Coiled Dragon Technique" lay in "sleeping." One needed to assume a specific posture, follow specific transition steps, and connect with that faint, intangible essence of "Zhuang Zhou Dreams of Being a Butterfly"...

It sounded rather complicated, but it was not difficult to learn. He had memorized everything after one reading and felt that he should succeed after trying it twice outside.

"Excellent. The 'Coiled Dragon Technique' fills in the gap left by the Visualization Method. I won't need to worry about recovering after splitting my soul."

He stacked the two sets of Golden Leaf Pages atop each other on the stone table.

Without exaggeration, even a Cosmic Lord would regard them as priceless treasures. Jiang Zhe was growing increasingly eager to see what new surprises "A Shu" could come up with later.

Counting on his fingers, he began calculating his next arrangements.

"Raise my warrior cultivation to the Planetary Level, then head into the universe to get Nutrient Solution. I need to reach Planetary Level eighth rank as quickly as possible and fully release all my Psychic Master cultivation."

"As for money, I'll consider that carefully when the time comes."

"Find a Second Primordial Spirit vessel... There's no point rushing that. I can only leave it to fate."

"What I should do right now is use the secret art recorded in the 'Second Primordial Mystery Technique' to modify my soul."

If he cut directly into his soul without modifying its structure, serious problems would arise.

For example, when Luo Feng cultivated the "Soul Seal" secret art, he needed to transform his soul into the "shape of Yunmo Star"; when cultivating the "Supreme Sonic Secret Art," he needed to transform his soul into the "shape of the Mo Yin Divine General."

After the soul structure changed, its adaptability and recovery ability would be greatly enhanced. That way, when one cut it, the soul would not collapse and ascend on the spot.

Thinking about modifying his soul, Jiang Zhe was left clicking his tongue at the contents recorded in the secret art.

"The soul modification method recorded in the 'Second Primordial Mystery Technique' isn't just preparation for splitting the soul—it has other uses. After succeeding, I can actually use it to simulate 'Yunmo Star Exclusive Psychic Power.' I won't need a Legacy Soul Imprint or to slowly modify it myself to cultivate Yunmo Star's exclusive secret art, 'Soul Seal.'"

"But the 'Soul Seal' secret art... I really can't summon much interest in it. Its most praiseworthy ability, enslavement, comes with a slight drawback and affects oneself."

"What matters most to me is that perhaps I can cultivate Psychic Power secret arts from other schools throughout the universe without modifying my Psychic Power to match them first."

Jiang Zhe stroked his chin and sucked in a breath. "Hiss... Minor Non-Phase Technique?"

Then he began counting on his fingers again. "I also need to practice 'Controller Basic Form 312,' 'Illusionist Basic Form 186,' the 'Controller Chapter,' the 'Illusion Chapter,' the 'Void Tower'..."

"Most of them are foundational secret arts, the kind that must be cultivated. If I want to go far in the future, I can't allow myself the slightest laziness."

"And the 'Coiled Dragon Technique' is an absolutely indispensable required course..."

Leaving his Inner World, Jiang Zhe appeared in his bedroom.

"Anna, I'm going to break through in warrior cultivation and become Planetary Level!"

"Master, your consciousness and spirit have already met the standard, while your Physical Quality can no longer advance at the Apprentice Level. The breakthrough will be easy—just a few breaths."

She taught Jiang Zhe the breakthrough secret art she had long prepared.

It was nine movements similar to a Guiding Technique. After Jiang Zhe performed them in succession, his body turned scorching hot, and he felt as though every cell within him were boiling.

The nutrients from Wood Spirits that had settled in his cells and could not previously be fully absorbed were completely activated.

The Gene Primordial Energy he had failed to absorb also began gathering like droplets of water, becoming streams, creeks, and rivers...

The heat flowing in from throughout his body continuously swirled and gathered, like a hundred rivers flowing into the abyss, converging at the Dantian in Jiang Zhe's abdomen.

Boom!

The Dantian, which had never existed before, was instantly opened with a thunderous burst!

Just like when his Psychic Power had broken through eight days ago, it underwent the process of gathering, compressing, and collapsing...

His consciousness trembled, and his body shook uncontrollably. The sensation was so pleasurable that Jiang Zhe nearly moaned aloud.

That felt good!

Within the vast Dantian, a Micro-Planet appeared.

It was not transparent, but dark purple. The entire "Micro-Planet" was a whole formed from countless dark purple hexagonal crystals gathered together.

The "Micro-Planet" rotated, emitting a strange ripple outward.

At a thought from Jiang Zhe, wisps of dark purple primordial energy emerged from his Dantian and flowed through his body.

It was just like his previous breakthrough.

His marrow, bones, organs, muscles, fascia, meridians, and skin were all transforming at extreme speed. The intensity was even more outrageous than last time!

"Ah? It hurts! What's going on?"

Jiang Zhe's eyes widened. He tore off his Dark Blue Daoist Robe, exposing his upper body, and looked down at his chest in disbelief.

It was as if someone had treated his chest like stone, hammering and chiseling away at it, trying to carve something out.

A dark purple vertical mark gradually emerged, lengthening and becoming distinct.

Once it reached around seven centimeters, it began expanding toward both sides.

Jiang Zhe's mind went blank for an instant as he thought of the spot between Erlang True Lord's brows.

It looked incredibly similar!

It was as though an eye were opening in his chest... and it was damn fashionable too, with dark purple eyeshadow.

He could clearly feel something being opened in his chest, just like the Dantian that had been opened beneath his abdomen moments ago.

As the pain intensified, that space gradually expanded.

At the same time, a strange power extended from his chest.

It resembled strands of thread, yet also blood vessels and meridians. In just a few breaths, it had linked up with every part of his body—marrow, bones, organs, fascia, and skin were all connected.

Jiang Zhe discovered in astonishment that the mutation in his chest was linking his entire body through this method, replacing the Dantian and Sea of Consciousness as the core of his body.

Most importantly, the area undergoing mutation was the location of the Crimson Palace within his body—the Original Core usually hovered there, but had now drilled inside.

A space within a space?

Who taught you to play like that?

At a certain moment, the transformation neared its end. Jiang Zhe could feel the expansion in his chest stop.

Then it suddenly contracted.

Like the beating of a heart, it tugged at those "threads" connecting his bodily tissues, making them all twitch together!

At that moment, Jiang Zhe felt as if his muscles were cramping and his bones being pulled apart!

Fortunately, this was the final wave. The bodily transformation of his Planetary Level breakthrough had come to an end.

Meanwhile, within the Original Core space, as his Physical Quality leaped upward, the dim purple sphere mechanically spewed out an enormous amount of Psychic Power.

Gathering, churning, collapsing...

The second and third smaller transparent "Micro-Planets" formed in succession, protecting the one at the very center of the space as they revolved around it.

Psychic Master cultivation, Planetary Level third rank!

This was the terror of Brain Domain Capacity 40!

One had to know that Psychic Masters capable of developing a fortyfold Psychic Power Amplitude were usually Stellar Level ninth rank.

But Jiang Zhe had no mind to care about that. He collapsed limply onto the floor, panting heavily. The sweat pouring from his body had already formed a puddle, making it look as though he had just wet himself.

Oriana circled around him as though she had spotted some rare species.

Jiang Zhe rolled his eyes and asked curiously, "Anna, can you tell what Special Ability this is?"

Barabata had judged that Luo Feng's Special Ability was "Diamond Body" from the cracking explosions produced by his bones during his bodily transformation.

Oriana had viewed Barabata's memories and reviewed all of Yunmo Star's inheritances. She could certainly identify the Special Ability born when someone reached the Planetary Level.

Especially when it was this obvious.

Jiang Zhe looked at the diamond-shaped dark purple mark on his chest, nearly seven centimeters long and two fingers wide.

"Master, you may have hit the jackpot. This Special Ability is not recorded in Yunmo Star's records."

Oriana paused before continuing, "It seems that you have opened another Inner World?"

An Inner World?

Yes, it really was quite similar!

Frowning, Jiang Zhe climbed to his feet and personally explored the use of his Special Ability.

"It's similar, but it's only a ten-meter-long, ten-meter-wide, ten-meter-high space entirely constructed from lightning energy."

"...I need to put Thunder Element Treasures inside. The space will break them down and store a special kind of energy?"

"This energy can be used to enhance my Physical Quality, burst forth during moments of danger, or be fired outward as an energy attack..."

Jiang Zhe showed intense interest in this Special Ability.

After all, humanity's Physical Quality was not worth mentioning in the vast universe.

Some races could enter Dark Universe travel at the Realm Lord Level. Human Realm Lords could not do that; even raising their Genetic Level to three times normal was insufficient. They needed a tenfold Genetic Level.

Even after breaking through to immortality and transforming their bodies into divine bodies, the strengths of each race still remained.

Metallic Lifeforms and Rock Life Forms possessed incredibly high defense and were difficult to shatter into divine bodies, such as the Kawi Race...

Before attaining an Undying Body, Energy Life Forms were exceptionally skilled at condensing divine bodies, making them even harder to kill than ordinary Immortal Legion Lords.

Note: The racial traits above are not retcons; they were all things Luo Feng witnessed on the Outer Realm Battlefield.

Brothers, don't rush me. The Eternal Serpent is the Second Primordial Spirit—I'll get it out for you soon!