Chapter 128: 元神九层

Author: I Eat Tomatoes

All three volumes were ordinary books, containing no inherited artistic conception. This was because the inherited artistic conception contained within the lower volume of the Transcendental Divine Demon Fiendgod Cultivation Manual was too powerful; Great Sun Realm Fiendgods could only withstand it once they possessed a primordial spirit.

"This fiendgod cultivation manual has now been fully taught to you. After you condense your primordial spirit, you can return to examine the original manual and receive its inherited artistic conception," Elder Yi explained. "The process of breaking through from the Great Sun Realm to the Darkstar Realm, and from the Darkstar Realm to the Seamless Realm—the books only contain textual and pictorial descriptions. However, by receiving the inherited artistic conception, you will understand it in much greater detail, and your chances of a breakthrough will be much greater."

Meng Chuan and Liu Qiyue nodded.

"In fact, even after condensing your primordial spirit, there's no need to rush back," Elder Yi continued. "The books describe in great detail the specific thresholds for becoming a Darkstar Realm Fiendgod. When you've cultivated sufficiently in various aspects and are on the verge of a breakthrough, it won't be too late for you to return and receive the inherited artistic conception."

"Understood," Meng Chuan and Liu Qiyue replied, nodding.

"Elder Yi," Meng Chuan said with a smile, "does this primordial spirit secret art also have an inherited artistic conception? Is it also an ordinary book?"

"No," Elder Yi replied. "The primordial spirit is profoundly mysterious; before it's condensed, it cannot even be perceived internally. The so-called primordial spirit secret arts are methods gradually devised by generations of human powerhouses, but they are still very rudimentary. There's no need for an inherited artistic conception."

Meng Chuan nodded slightly. He had learned from conversations with his master that the enhancement of the primordial spirit primarily relies on questioning one's true self after entering the Dao. Each questioning of the true self causes a transformation of the primordial spirit and soul. As for primordial spirit secret arts? Although they can be practiced long-term, their effect is truly minimal. Otherwise, so many Great Sun Realm Fiendgods wouldn't be unable to condense a primordial spirit.

Meng Chuan flipped through the lower volume of *Thunder Annihilation Fiendgod Body*. Aside from lacking an inherited artistic conception, its descriptions were also very detailed.

"Physical true essence, mastery of techniques like blade arts and sword arts, and the primordial spirit... are these the three crucial elements for a breakthrough?" Meng Chuan nodded slightly.

Physical true essence comprises many aspects. The body's vitality is crucial, so the older one gets, the slimmer the hope of breaking through. Yuanchu Mountain has a rule that mortals must become fiendgods before the age of thirty. After thirty, the vitality of a mortal body will continuously decline, and the possibility of breaking through will become increasingly low.

Similarly, Great Sun Realm Fiendgods have a lifespan of two hundred years. Before sixty, their physical vitality can be maintained at its peak, but after sixty, their vitality will also rapidly decline. If a fiendgod repeatedly uses forbidden arts on the battlefield, causing too much damage to their body, their physical vitality might start declining after fifty.

Therefore, cultivation must seize every moment. Grow powerful early! Once you're old, breakthroughs become hopeless. This is just one aspect of vitality. Physical true essence also encompasses many minor thresholds, such as 'Body Refinement Realm' and 'Great Sun True Essence Completion'.

After reading through the entire book, he now had a clear idea of which aspects primarily require cultivation for becoming a Darkstar Realm (Marquis) Fiendgod or a Seamless Realm (King) Fiendgod in the future. He also understood just how powerful higher-level fiendgods were!

"To defeat a Marquis Fiendgod across realms is indeed quite impossible," Meng Chuan secretly marveled. The gap between the Great Sun Realm and the Darkstar Realm was too vast. It was somewhat like the difference between mortals and fiendgods, or the difference between newly promoted 'Core Cloud Realm' fiendgods and 'Great Sun Realm' fiendgods.

"Therefore, if I encounter a Fourth-Heaven demon monarch, there's only one word: run!" Meng Chuan thought to himself. Over eight hundred years, many demon monarchs had infiltrated the human world, but very few Fourth-Heaven demon monarchs had managed to infiltrate. Comparatively, the 'Heavenly Demon Gate' posed a greater threat within the human world because it was formed by human traitors who cultivated. Through continuous accumulation, the Heavenly Demon Gate now had two Fifth-Heaven Grand Demons.

However, there was no need to worry too much. Yuanchu Mountain, Two World Island, and Black Sand Grotto-Heaven—the three supreme human sects—had been constantly hunting down the Heavenly Demon Gate. Should a Fifth-Heaven Grand Demon dare to show itself, not only would King Fiendgods take action, but 'Creation Realm Venerables' would also pursue them. Thus, the grand demons also hid themselves. Their power was far too inferior compared to the three great sects; they absolutely couldn't afford to clash head-on. However, once the grand demons made a move, their schemes were usually significant.

"Primordial Spirit Secret Arts." Meng Chuan read faster. After finishing the lower volume of the Fiendgod Cultivation Manual, he picked up the Primordial Spirit Secret Arts and began to read through it.

"Huh?" Meng Chuan's eyes lit up.

Throughout human history, generations of exceptionally talented individuals had emerged. They had also made detailed classifications of the primordial spirit realms. The primordial spirit was divided into nine realms: Manifestation, Object Manipulation, Night Roaming, Spirit Severing, Body Seizure, Indestructibility, World, Tribulation Transcendence, and Eternity.

When the soul condensed into a primordial spirit, it could be perceived internally. This was the initial Manifestation of the primordial spirit, the most basic first realm. To become a Marquis Fiendgod, one's primordial spirit must reach this realm. Many Great Sun Realm Fiendgods desperately sought this but failed to attain it! Meng Chuan was currently still in the first realm.

Night Roaming was the third realm of the primordial spirit. To become a King Fiendgod, among other thresholds, the primordial spirit must reach this stage. Body Seizure, the fifth realm of the primordial spirit, was necessary to reach the Creation Realm.

The Creation Realm... is also the highest realm for human fiendgods. Throughout humanity's long history, those in the Creation Realm had mostly only reached the fifth or sixth realms of the primordial spirit. Those who reached the seventh were extremely rare. The highest primordial spirit realm achieved in human history had only been the eighth realm, 'Tribulation Transcendence.' As for the ninth realm, 'Eternity,' it is purely a theoretical concept.

According to the estimations of human predecessors, if the primordial spirit advances further to the ninth realm, one can become unbound by the physical body and achieve eternal life. Of course, this is merely a hypothesis.

"Nine realms of the primordial spirit? I'm only in the first realm," Meng Chuan thought to himself.

He continued to flip through it. This book contained secret arts for cultivating the primordial spirit, as well as various secret arts for wielding primordial spirit power. The primordial spirit cultivation secret arts were indeed rudimentary. They were methods of nourishing the soul using physical true essence, requiring gradual, long-term nourishment. This method could indeed gradually strengthen and condense the soul. After a long period, it might eventually undergo a qualitative change, condensing into a primordial spirit.

This method was merely supplementary. For generations of predecessors, the most fundamental way to enhance the primordial spirit was still to enter the Dao and question one's true self. Most powerhouses questioned their true selves through techniques such as blade arts and sword arts. Those who questioned their true selves through other methods like painting, guqin, calligraphy, or forging were relatively few, but they did exist in history. Each time such an individual emerged, their primordial spirit usually grew faster.

Why do Great Sun Realm Fiendgods find it difficult to condense a primordial spirit? Because the vast majority of them have not reached the 'Dao Realm' and thus cannot question their true selves at all! Naturally, it's hard for them to condense one.

"With the Primordial Spirit's Night Roaming Realm, one can enter dreams?"

"With the Primordial Spirit's Spirit Severing Realm, one can split off a portion of their primordial spirit and attach it to others or objects?"

"The Primordial Spirit's Body Seizure Realm? If one's own body is damaged beyond repair, they can choose a mortal body to seize. After seizing a body, one can cultivate up to their original realm at most, but cannot achieve further breakthroughs." Meng Chuan learned about these various secret arts.

It could be seen that the primordial spirit had little impact on one's combat strength, primarily conferring strange and peculiar secret arts. For instance, Marquis Fiendgods were mostly only in the first realm of the primordial spirit, with a small number in the second realm. The first realm of the primordial spirit barely adds ten percent to a Marquis Fiendgod's strength. Unless the primordial spirit is exceptionally powerful, its contribution to strength is very limited.

After Meng Chuan and Liu Qiyue finished reading the cultivation methods and secret arts, they left the Scripture Repository and went with Elder Yi to the Treasure Repository.

"Each disciple can receive treasures and merit points for twenty years free of charge. If you leave the mountain early, you can collect all the remaining treasures and merit points at once," Elder Yi said with a smile. "You two will still be able to collect a good many treasures."

As he spoke, Elder Yi walked into the Treasure Repository. The stewards and servants inside respectfully bowed.

"Meng Chuan and Liu Qiyue have passed through the Nine Mystical Caves and are preparing to leave the mountain. Prepare all the treasures they are entitled to receive," Elder Yi instructed.

"Yes, sir." The stewards immediately began to calculate.

Meng Chuan had ascended the mountain at the end of the year after his entrance examination, while Liu Qiyue had ascended at the beginning of the year. In fact, Liu Qiyue had stayed on the mountain for a longer period.

After calculating, the stewards quickly handed the prepared treasures to Meng Chuan.

"Esteemed Meng Chuan, this large gourd contains 1,100 Thousand Star Pills, which is precisely the amount of elixirs you are due to receive for the next nine years and more," the green-robed steward respectfully handed a large yellow gourd to Meng Chuan. Meng Chuan naturally took the large gourd. 'True Essence cultivation' was extremely important for fiendgods. On the mountain, he could still go to Myriad Thunder Peak to cultivate and save as many Thousand Star Pills as possible. Once he left the mountain and guarded a city pass, he wouldn't have cultivation conditions like those at Myriad Thunder Peak, so he would have to rely on Thousand Star Pills to save time cultivating true essence.

"Here are eighteen Thunder Tribulation Fruits." Soon, long jade boxes were brought over one by one; each contained three Thunder Tribulation Fruits.

"I'll exchange for twenty more Thunder Tribulation Fruits," Meng Chuan said. Thunder Tribulation Fruits were quite important for his cultivation; he had to take one every month. His initial deployment to the battlefield after leaving the mountain would be for three years, so exchanging for twenty more Thunder Tribulation Fruits would be enough.

Each Thunder Tribulation Fruit cost ten thousand merit points, indeed very expensive! Fortunately, the remaining nine years' worth of merit points were also disbursed this time, and he gained an additional 330,000 merit points, allowing him to make the exchange.

Meng Chuan and Liu Qiyue both exchanged for the treasures they needed for cultivation. After exchanging for Thousand Star Pills, spirit fruits, fiend energy, and some elixirs for healing, Meng Chuan had only thirty-two thousand merit points left. Even the merit points his grand-aunt had originally given him were almost entirely spent.

Liu Qiyue even borrowed five thousand merit points from Meng Chuan, just barely enough to acquire all the necessities for her first three years after leaving the mountain.