Chapter 1294: The Least Skilled Among the Grandmasters

Zu An was startled. He had been so engrossed in admiring Yan Xuehen's beauty that he hadn't paid attention to himself. It was only when she reminded him that he noticed his Dao injuries, caused by the backlash of 'Jian Lai', had mostly healed, and the cracks on his body were also beginning to close. He felt particularly refreshed and invigorated. For a moment, he seemed to sense that something in the world around him had changed. His entire body was filled with surging power; he felt far stronger than before.

Moreover, he discovered a new pattern in his mind. The lines outlined a strange, enormous bird. Although it was just a phantom image in his mind, its back seemed thousands of miles wide, and its wings were like clouds hanging from the sky. In the corner, two characters written in small seal script read: Kunpeng. Zu An was somewhat lost in thought. Kunpeng? He wondered if it had any connection to the great roc in this world's demon race.

Just as he was about to try summoning this Kunpeng to see what it could do, he suddenly frowned, feeling a strong sensation from behind. He instinctively looked over his shoulder. Why was it burning hot around his backside?

At this moment, Yan Xuehen was also somewhat dazed. How much time, how many years had it taken her to break through to the Master rank? Countless early geniuses in the world, many of them never even managed to take that final step in their entire lives. Yet, he had broken through just like that?

Dual cultivation with a Dao companion could indeed promote cultivation speed, but it usually only increased it by 10 or 20 percent. She had never heard of anyone improving so much at once; otherwise, few cultivators worldwide would practice peacefully—they would all seek Dao companions for yin-yang union. Crucially, she herself had also benefited immensely. Not only was the speed of her injury recovery astonishing, but even her realm, which had been sealed for years, began to loosen.

Could his so-called "Hongmeng Primordial Scripture" really be so miraculous? However, being widely experienced, she immediately dismissed this guess. She had just experienced the "Hongmeng Primordial Scripture," and it was primarily for healing injuries and recovery. There was absolutely no way it could enable a breakthrough in her realm, and merely for recovery, such an exaggerated speed was unlikely.

She recalled that Yu Yanluo had also been gravely injured and on the verge of death previously, and even her disciple Chu Yan had been in a similar state. Yet, after being "treated" by him in this manner, they had quickly recovered. A thought struck her: it seemed the legends were true; the vital essence of someone with transcendent talent was indeed an excellent tonic. It was a miracle this guy hadn't been drained dry by succubi yet.

She understood how tempting this was for cultivators; even a person as ascetic as herself felt a slight stir. She wanted to remind Zu An not to reveal his transcendent talent under any circumstances, but then worried it might be misunderstood as her wanting to keep the secret for herself. In the end, she felt too embarrassed to speak. Anyway, this guy seemed quite shrewd; he probably wouldn't act foolishly.

At this point, she noticed Zu An's actions and couldn't help but ask, "What are you doing?"

"I keep feeling a burning sensation back there," Zu An said, feeling a little embarrassed. He had been the one to 'break' the other person, so why did he feel like he was the one who had been bullied?

Yan Xuehen didn't overthink it and said, "That's perfectly normal. All newly ascended Masters experience this feeling."

Zu An was stunned. "Masters all get... 'broken in' like this? (Coughs) They all have this experience?"

Yan Xuehen was a little surprised. "You don't know? Below the Master rank, one cultivates the physical body—skin, flesh, bones, internal organs, and so on. Above the Master rank, cultivation focuses on the soul, specifically the three souls and seven spirits. When one first enters the Master rank, they cultivate the Heroic Spirit, one of the seven spirits."

"Three souls and seven spirits?" Zu An seemed to recall hearing similar concepts in his previous life.

Yan Xuehen explained, "The three souls refer to the Heavenly Soul, Earthly Soul, and Life Soul. The seven spirits refer to the Heavenly Rush Spirit, Spiritual Wisdom Spirit, Qi Spirit, Strength Spirit, Central Spirit, as well as Essence Spirit and Heroic Spirit."

"The Heroic Spirit is located at the base of the coccyx, outside the butt... (coughs) outside the buttocks. This area is also known as the Root Chakra and is where the Primal Fire slumbers."

"Primal Fire?" Zu An was a little confused.

Yan Xuehen frowned slightly. "Your power is clearly very high, but your basic knowledge is so weak it's unlike someone from this world."

Zu An gave an awkward smile. He was indeed not from this world; his previous cultivation knowledge had been learned at Brightmoon Academy. However, the students there were all part of the younger generation, and there wasn't even a single Master in the entire Brightmoon City, which led to a lack of knowledge regarding anything beyond the Master rank.

Seeing his reaction, Yan Xuehen had no choice but to continue explaining: "The so-called Primal Fire is not fire in the elemental sense; it refers to the fire of life. As long as a person is alive, there must be warmth and heat in their body. This is actually the function of the Primal Fire. However, below the Master rank, it's difficult to even realize its existence, let alone utilize it."

"After reaching the Master rank, when the divine soul is formed, one can perceive it. It's as if there's an ocean at the Heroic Spirit, and the Primal Fire slumbers at the bottom of that ocean. Upon breaking through to the Master rank, the Primal Fire awakens. Throughout the entire Master cultivation process, one guides this Primal Fire upwards, tempering the three souls and seven spirits located in other parts of the body. The reason you feel a burning sensation now is because the Primal Fire has awakened."

"I see." Zu An let out a long breath. Otherwise, he might have thought he was violated.

Seeing her peculiar expression, he quickly changed the subject: "By the way, how many realms are there for Masters? Three souls and seven spirits, does that mean ten realms?"

"Of course not." Yan Xuehen shook her head slightly. "Actually, there isn't as big a difference between Great Masters and Masters as one might imagine, because they both cultivate the seven spirits. The seven spirits are divided into three groups for various reasons: the lower two realms are the Heroic Spirit and Essence Spirit; the middle three realms are the Central Spirit, Strength Spirit, and Qi Spirit. These five realms are all considered Master ranks. Cultivating to the upper two realms, the Spiritual Wisdom Spirit and Heavenly Rush Spirit, falls into the category of Great Masters."

Seeing Zu An's bewildered expression, she scoffed, "You were so reluctant to call me Master, so today I'll teach you properly."

Zu An mumbled, "I was calling you Master just now. It was you who kept saying no, no."

Yan Xuehen blushed deeply. "Are you going to listen or not?"

"Yes, yes, yes, Master, please continue." Because of what had just happened, calling her "Master" felt especially natural.

Yan Xuehen was itching with frustration but could do nothing about him, so she continued explaining on her own: "Your current realm requires you to temper the Heroic Spirit, which is located below the coccyx."

"The next realm involves guiding the Primal Fire forward, which is... the place where you 'misbehaved.' That area belongs to the Essence Spirit. It's meant to prevent cultivators from being entangled by various desires, which is why inner demons can arise, making it very dangerous. That's also why more powerful cultivators often find it harder to have offspring."

Zu An immediately exclaimed, "Let's just skip cultivating this Essence Spirit! If I lose all desires, what's the point of life?"

Yan Xuehen glared at him. "Is your mind always full of such indecent thoughts? 'Desires' refers to all kinds of worldly desires, like greed and such, not specifically the one you're thinking of."

"I didn't say which one!" Zu An protested. "Besides, how can natural human desires be called indecent?"

Yan Xuehen clearly didn't want to get tangled in that topic with him, so she continued: "The next realm involves raising the Primal Fire to the area around the navel. It's easy for the Primal Fire to rise, but difficult for it to settle down again. This realm requires one to meditate while observing the rising Primal Fire."

"The realm after that is to temper the Strength Spirit near the heart. At that point, even without relying on the power of heaven and earth, one can achieve immense power, capable of pulling up mountains and dominating the world, purely through their own strength."

"Then comes the Qi Spirit in the throat. Masters at this realm can transmit their voice over a thousand miles, search souls, and even kill a Master of the first realm with a single roar." Seeing Zu An's exaggerated expression, Yan Xuehen added, "Don't worry, even though you're currently in the first Master realm, your combat power is strangely potent, so a single roar definitely won't kill you."

Hearing her say this, Zu An finally felt a little relieved.

"Next is the Spiritual Wisdom Spirit in the center of the eyebrows. Cultivating to this point allows one to form their own unique domain. Because reaching this stage grants an overwhelming advantage over lower realms, to differentiate, it is respectfully called a Great Master. Yun Jianyue and I are currently in this realm," Yan Xuehen said.

Zu An's expression was strange. "I thought you and Sister Yun were so amazing! Turns out you're the weakest Great Masters?"

Yan Xuehen: "???"