Chapter 343 24: Nine Years Pass, Mid-Stage Dao Foundation! Body Refining Fourth Realm

「Three years later.」

The back mountain of the Bright Void Sect.

This place was already outside the range of the Bright Void Sect's Array. Nothing done here would be detected.

Zhu Ju sat cross-legged on a boulder, his eyes narrowed as he watched a figure in the distance.

The Primordial Spirit Stone Embryo, its body like a nimble ape, had lively eyes. Its long arms reached down, grabbed a vine, and with a flick of its wrists, it launched into the air. A single tumble carried it a hundred zhang away. Upon landing, it shed the momentum with a slight shake, displaying an agility that far surpassed that of a Dao Foundation Cultivator.

After more than three years of Refinement, Zhu Ju could now completely control the incarnation, its body moving as he willed.

It was no longer clumsy and stumbling like it had been at the beginning.

"ROAR!"

"ROAR! ROAR!"

The Primordial Spirit Stone Embryo let out a low roar, its face filled with excitement as it weaved and leaped through the mountain forest.

In Zhu Ju's perception,

the incarnation seemed to be able to merge with heaven and earth, each and every movement possessing an extraordinary rhythm.

The Yin Yang Qi lingered around its body, the Power of the Five Elements was discernible at a glance, and the mysteries of heaven and earth flooded its senses...

This level of perception was truly transcendent.

Forget Dao Foundation Cultivators; even a Golden Core Grandmaster probably couldn't achieve such closeness to nature.

'A Dao Body?'

'If the Primordial Spirit Stone Embryo counts as some kind of Dao Body, it must be the most superior type.'

Unfortunately,

although the Primordial Spirit Stone Embryo possessed this transcendent perception, it couldn't use Magic—at least not yet.

'I've heard that a naturally hatched Primordial Spirit Stone Embryo has inconceivable Spirituality. Not only can it cultivate and grow, but it can also use Magic and Divine Techniques. It's a natural Nascent Soul embryo.'

Zhu Ju mused:

'A Primordial Spirit Stone Embryo hatched with Innate Spiritual Milk might have a physical form, but its Spirituality is lacking. It can't even speak. And since I've refined it into an Outer Body Incarnation, it's impossible for it to develop true sentience anymore.'

'Hmm...'

'You were born from stone, naturally close to the Great Dao, and your form is that of a monkey. That's quite similar to a certain figure from a story. In that case...'

Looking at the Primordial Spirit Stone Embryo, he spoke slowly:

"You shall be called Wukong!"

Wukong!

The incarnation was an extension of himself, so naturally, it had no special reaction. It just gave a slight nod.

"Three years of Refinement, and I've finally reached the Entry Level."

Zhu Ju's voice was leisurely. With a flick of his finger, the Wind and Thunder Blade Wings unfurled from his back and shot forward.

"SWISH!"

The palm-sized Curved Saber spun rapidly, slashing toward Wukong's neck.

"DANG..."

Sparks flew.

Wukong leaned back slightly, completely unharmed, while the Curved Saber flew back and trembled in mid-air.

'What a tough Physical Body!'

Zhu Ju sighed softly.

'It's almost on par with the hide of that Rock Armor Demon Crocodile.'

"HUM..."

Before he had even finished speaking, the Wind and Thunder Blade Wings behind him hummed, and over three hundred Curved Sabers flew out like a swarm of bees.

A sky full of saber lights, wrapped in Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy, chopped down. It was as if the sky were collapsing and the earth caving in, a terrifying power pressing down.

Wukong's eyes narrowed. He positioned his arms in a profound stance and struck out to meet the incoming blades.

Human Immortal Martial Arts!

Little Heavenly Gang Fist Technique!

Wukong didn't need a Weapon; its Physical Body was the strongest weapon.

Since it couldn't use Magic, Human Immortal Martial Arts was undoubtedly the optimal solution for the Primordial Spirit Stone Embryo.

"DANG..."

His fists became a blur of afterimages, unleashing the power of the Celestial Spirit in close quarters and forcibly knocking away the attacking Magical Treasure.

The Wind and Thunder Blade Wings returned to the sky and hummed once more.

This time,

wind and thunder raged and electric arcs leaped. The power was several times greater than before as lightning crashed down.

He had clearly activated the Wind and Thunder Power hidden within the Magical Treasure to enhance its might.

"BOOM!"

The earth trembled, and thunder roared.

A huge crater appeared on the ground below, but Wukong's figure had vanished.

A hundred zhang away,

Wukong appeared without a sound. With a flash in its eyes, its body vanished again, reappearing above the Wind and Thunder Blade Wings.

Its fists hammered down like mallets, unleashing a terrifying Giant Power.

"PENG!"

The three hundred-plus blades scattered in all directions.

"Instant Teleportation!"

A smile appeared on Zhu Ju's face.

'As expected of a Primordial Spirit Stone Embryo with an Immortal Vein. Its Innate Divine Technique, Instant Teleportation, is practically invincible in the Dao Foundation Realm.'

At full power, Wukong's Instant Teleportation could cover a distance of five li in a single jump. Even while carrying someone, it could move three li.

However, the power within the Immortal Vein was limited. It could only teleport a maximum of ten times within a certain period.

Any more than that,

and the Immortal Vein would need to be replenished.

But Wukong's Instant Teleportation could ignore the effects of most Arrays, unless it was a Tier Three Grand Array that involved spatial manipulation.

In other words,

Tier Two Arrays were useless against it, and even a Tier Three Array would need to involve spatial manipulation to have a chance of trapping it.

"SWISH!"

With a flash, Wukong appeared before Zhu Ju and threw a punch.

Zhu Ju raised his left hand, from which the Five-Colored Divine Light burst forth.

"PENG!"

The two figures were simultaneously blasted backward.

"So hard!"

Shaking his wrist, Zhu Ju stopped testing Wukong and rubbed his palm with a bitter expression.

'Even the Five-Colored Divine Light is useless against it. Could it be that you're also an existence that has transcended the Five Elements?'

He shook his head. Just as he was about to try again, his eyebrows twitched, and he suddenly waved his sleeve, recalling the incarnation.

'It's time.'

*

*

*

「Cave Mansion.」

Wukong sat cross-legged opposite him.

Zhu Ju had already closed his eyes, deep in a state of Meditation.

"WHOOSH..."

His True Essence Magical Power circulated steadily through his body according to the method described in the Primordial Heart Technique. His Dantian and Meridians seemed to be undergoing some kind of change.

At a certain moment,

a surge of True Essence flowed from his Upper Dantian, which was connected to his incarnation, causing the True Essence in his body, already at its limit, to stir violently.

"BOOM!"

It was like boiling water.

A hazy Qi seeped out from his body.

In that instant, his limbs, bones, and organs were rapidly tempered by True Essence to accommodate the changes in his body.

"BOOM!"

"RUMBLE..."

His True Essence surged.

Mid-Stage Dao Foundation!

His Essence, Qi, and Spirit all soared at the same time.

The breakthrough, which should have been fraught with peril, was effortlessly achieved under Zhu Ju's meticulously precise control.

'After years of taking medicine to purge Pill Poison, and with the help of my Outer Body Incarnation in my cultivation, I've finally advanced to the Mid-Stage Dao Foundation at the age of one hundred and ten.'

Opening his eyes, Zhu Ju spoke with a complex tone:

"It was a bit slower than I expected, but at least I've solidified my foundation. I won't be held back anymore in the future."

"Next..."

"I'll connect to the Fourth Spirit!"

...

For Zhu Ju, advancing to the Mid-Stage Dao Foundation was only a matter of time; there was no chance of failure.

And advancing to the Mid-Stage Dao Foundation was just the beginning.

After the advancement, his Divine Soul Power surged, allowing him to connect to the fourth Soul.

Humans have Seven Spirits.

Celestial Impact (Celestial Wisdom), Spiritual Wisdom, Central, Essence, Heroic, Power, and Qi.

Zhu Ju had already connected to Three Spirits.

They were the Power Spirit, the Essence Spirit, and the Heroic Spirit.

They corresponded to strength, vital blood, and speed, respectively.

With the Three Spirits entering his body, he had cultivated his Body Refining Third Realm Hard Skill, which also served as his life-saving capital in times of danger.

Which fourth spirit should he choose?

Celestial Impact (Celestial Wisdom) and Spiritual Wisdom were rather special and required an enormous amount of Divine Soul Power, more than he could support even after advancing to the Mid-Stage Dao Foundation.

The Qi Spirit?

Or the Central Spirit?

The Qi Spirit governed Primordial Energy and was where the kidney water was stored.

Ordinary people often confused the Essence Spirit and the Qi Spirit, but in reality, the two were completely different.

The Essence Spirit governed vital blood. After an injury, vital blood would be replenished, and one would have abundant energy. This was why Zhu Ju had such incredible resilience when fighting; he didn't care about getting injured. After all, as long as it wasn't a severed limb or decapitation, ordinary wounds would heal quickly.

The Qi Spirit governed Primordial Energy. Abundant Primordial Energy resulted in a strong constitution and high resistance to disease. Primordial Energy could also promote growth and development and strengthen the Power of Vital Organs.

In the Human Immortal Martial Arts World, a Martial Saint who connected to the Qi Spirit didn't show much change at first, but their strength grew exponentially over time.

This was because the abundant Primordial Energy was constantly strengthening their Physical Body.

The Central Spirit was no less special than Celestial Impact (Celestial Wisdom) or Spiritual Wisdom, and perhaps even more so.

Among the most supreme Sumeru Martial Saints of Human Immortal Martial Arts, both the Buddhist and Daoist paths started by opening the Central Spirit.

This spirit was connected to the human soul.

It was the core of the Seven Spirits.

It simultaneously influenced both the Divine Soul and the Physical Body.

Theoretically,

if one opened the Central Spirit first, opening the Celestial Impact (Celestial Wisdom) and Spiritual Wisdom spirits later would become simpler.

Connecting to the Central Spirit would enhance the five senses and six perceptions, and all aspects of the Physical Body would also be boosted.

In any single aspect, it might not be a match for the Power Spirit or the Heroic Spirit, but it was far more comprehensive.

「One month later.」

Zhu Ju stopped what he was doing and shook his head gently.

"There's a chance of failure when connecting to the Central Spirit. The Qi Spirit is a safer bet. I'll choose the Qi Spirit."

In the Human Immortal Martial Arts World, the strongest method for opening the Qi Spirit was the Pure Yang Qi Technique, a Cultivation Technique he had obtained long ago.

With Zhu Ju's current Cultivation, practicing Martial Arts was as easy as a thousand li a day.

「Two weeks later.」

The Pure Yang Qi Technique had already reached Great Success.

「Two months later.」

"Open!"

With a roar that echoed in his Sea of Consciousness, Zhu Ju felt his Divine Soul Power being consumed at a frantic rate. Then, something from the void was pulled into his body, connecting with his Physical Body.

The Qi Spirit!

As the Soul entered his body, his Physical Body immediately began to change. His Skin and Flesh tightened, and his Vital Organs writhed wildly.

「Ten days later.」

Body Refining Fourth Realm!

The Body Refining Fourth Realm, which others might fail to achieve even after years of arduous cultivation, taking elixirs, and practicing techniques, was accomplished by him with ease.

...

"PENG!"

"PENG! PENG!"

Inside the Quiet Chamber, two figures collided at high speed.

Where their fists and palms met, visible waves of Powerful Qi crashed in all directions. Even with the protection of an Array, the surrounding mountain walls still trembled violently. Countless rocks rolled down, turning into clouds of dust.

"KILL!"

Zhu Ju's eyes flew wide. He formed his hand into a blade and chopped down furiously. A saber light flashed, and ten afterimages appeared abruptly.

Ten Directions Killing Dao!

Each of the ten afterimages executed a different Saber Technique—a chop, an upward slash, a sweep... all rushing toward the central figure.

"BOOM!"

The air vibrated.

Zhu Ju, drenched in sweat, staggered backward. A look of exhaustion was visible in his eyes, and a bitter smile was on his face.

"It's no use!"

"Even at the Body Refining Fourth Realm, I'm no match for the Primordial Spirit Stone Embryo. I'm not its opponent at all."

The Primordial Spirit Stone Embryo's Physical Body was comparable to the Body Refining Fifth Realm, and it had no weaknesses whatsoever.

Its aura was Harmonious and Unobstructed. No matter how one attacked, it was difficult to break through its defense.

Zhu Ju estimated that even if he cultivated to the Body Refining Fifth Realm, he might not be a match for the Primordial Spirit Stone Embryo.

Only his Mutated Left Hand, having grown stronger along with his Physical Body, could barely suppress the Primordial Spirit Stone Embryo if he went all out.

"Right now, my Mutated Left Hand should be no weaker than a Middle Grade Magical Treasure. I should have no problem suppressing that Rock Armor Demon Crocodile for thirty breaths. With my incarnation 'Wukong' also attacking, I could definitely kill a Tier Three Demon Beast."

"Hmm..."

"I almost forgot, the Rock Armor Demon Crocodile was heavily injured at the time; its strength wasn't at its peak. Even with my great increase in strength, trying to suppress a Tier Three Demon Beast head-on is still a fantasy."

"At Late-Stage Dao Foundation, there might be a slim chance."

Shaking his head, Zhu Ju cleared his mind of stray thoughts, took out some Elixirs, and swallowed them before sitting cross-legged to continue his cultivation.

Mid-Stage Dao Foundation, Body Refining Fourth Realm, and a stronger left hand.

This rapid surge in strength in a short period of time had inevitably led to an unstable foundation. He still needed to solidify it.

In a flash,

several more years passed.

「This day.」

Zhu Ju, who was in the middle of cultivating, suddenly opened his eyes, a look of surprise on his face.

"Why is the Mountain Guarding Array suddenly drawing on the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi?"

"Could it be..."

"Someone is breaking through to the Innate Realm, trying to attain a Dao Foundation?"