Chapter 370: Demi-Immortal (Part 2)

Chapter 370 -142: Demi-Immortal (Part 2)

“Ah, to be young again… It feels amazing!”

Fang Rui put away the Chaos Dragon Pearl Origin and stretched lazily under the brilliant golden sunlight, then glanced at his panel.

[Tribulation: 318,296]

‘I started with over 410,000, but after activating the Divine Technique Immortality for a one-time rejuvenation, I’m down to just over 310,000.’

Over the past years, Fang Rui hadn’t deliberately stirred up any major events, so his Tribulation Points hadn’t increased very quickly.

On top of that, he’d had to use the Divine Technique Withered Wood Evergreen to inject Life Essence Power into Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family, Third Lady, and others. This had slowed his progress, making his accumulation of points rather gradual.

“But I have no regrets! None at all!”

Fang Rui sighed and looked at the *Primordial Scripture* in his Cultivation Technique column. ‘Now that I’ve confirmed a one-time rejuvenation can purge the Spiritual Poison, it’s time to break through to the Source Realm Master realm.’

Without this confirmation, he hadn’t dared to advance rashly, fearing the Spiritual Poison would accumulate to an irreversible point.

But now, that was no longer a concern.

In terms of dependence on Spiritual Qi, the three paths—Ancient Spirit Master, Imperial Spirit Master, and Martial Arts—were ranked from highest to lowest.

‘Before, I had even considered giving up on the Ancient Spirit Master path if the rejuvenation couldn’t purge the Spiritual Poison…’

Of course, that was all in the past!

‘Now that I’m sure the Spiritual Poison can be dealt with, I can fearlessly advance both my Martial Arts and Spirit Master paths. I don’t have to be so guarded when absorbing external Spiritual Qi. If the worst happens, I can just rejuvenate again.’

‘Yes, I’ll leave myself a buffer. I should try to keep a baseline of at least 100,000 Tribulation Points on the panel.’

With his mind made up, Fang Rui had the Purple Feathered Crane descend. He found a secluded mountain, carved out a cave, and went inside to prepare for his breakthrough.

‘*Primordial Scripture*, Volume Four… let’s begin the breakthrough!’

His consciousness submerged into the panel, and he pressed the ‘+’ icon next to *Primordial Scripture*.

Tribulation Points -70,000!

BOOM!

A phantom vortex materialized above Fang Rui’s head, and a vast, cool stream of energy poured down from it like a flood.

Fueled by this energy, the Spiritual Power within his Sea of Consciousness surged violently, rapidly purifying and beginning to transform into a crystalline blue liquid.

Indeed, a Low Grade Spirit Master’s Spiritual Power was gaseous; a Middle Grade Spirit Master’s turned to mist; and an Upper Grade Spirit Master’s was flocculent.

The next step was liquid!

Above the Upper Grade Spirit Master was the Source Realm, and the liquefaction of Spiritual Power was only one of its hallmarks.

What was a Source Technique?

It was forming an Origin Talisman in the Sea of Consciousness, allowing One Thought to Become Technique!

When casting, an Upper Grade Spirit Master had to go through the process of mentally sketching a Magic Talisman, which always took time, no matter how fast they were.

A Source Realm Master, however, could create a technique with a single thought. This wasn’t just a boost in speed; it was an epic enhancement in power.

However, a Source Realm Master couldn’t form an Origin Talisman in their Sea of Consciousness just like that. They first needed to cultivate a magic spell to at least the Minor Achievement level.

—Of course, reaching Great Success or Perfection was even better, as the resulting Origin Talisman would be more flawless.

During the breakthrough to the Source Realm, the Sea of Consciousness was in turmoil, making it the easiest time to condense Origin Talismans. Thus, every Upper Grade Spirit Master made extensive preparations before attempting their breakthrough.

‘I can’t possibly miss such a perfect opportunity. When it comes to Origin Talismans, the more the better.’

‘And conveniently, the legacy of the Primordial Path comes with a full set of complementary magic spells!’

A thought flashed through Fang Rui’s mind. ‘As for spell proficiency, others have to practice painstakingly, but I don’t… Time to use my cheat!’

Tribulation Points -1,870!

Enchanting Technique reached Perfection, and a gray Origin Talisman began to condense.

…

Tribulation Points -1,870!

Celestial Fire Technique reached Perfection, and a red Origin Talisman condensed.

…

Tribulation Points -1,870!

Golden Shield Technique reached Perfection, and a golden Origin Talisman condensed.

…

Tribulation Points -1,870!

Shadow Splitting Technique reached Perfection, and a cyan Origin Talisman condensed.

…

One after another, Origin Talismans formed in his Sea of Consciousness.

At the same time, a vast, ethereal phantom swayed behind Fang Rui—it was none other than his Half-Immortal Dharma Aspect taking shape.

HUMMM!

The Taiyi Golden Pearl, his Heart and Spirit Linked Lifebound Magical Artifact, also levitated in front of him. It absorbed the baptism of the cool, ethereal energy stream, its aura surging as it evolved toward the level of a Magical Treasure.

「A short while later.」

SWOOSH!

Fang Rui’s eyes snapped open. “Source Realm, achieved!”

Within his Sea of Consciousness, twelve Origin Talismans shone brilliantly.

The thirty-zhang-tall Half-Immortal Dharma Aspect behind him was fully formed, its appearance solemn and majestic as streams of light cascaded down like a beaded curtain.

HUMMM!

At that same instant, the Taiyi Golden Pearl erupted in a dazzling golden light, completing its transformation from a Magical Artifact into a Magical Treasure!

‘When others break through to the Source Realm, they’re lucky to condense three or four Origin Talismans. I, on the other hand, have condensed twelve in a row, all from Perfection Level spells—the most flawless state possible.’

‘The Taiyi Golden Pearl was crafted from extraordinary materials and contains a wisp of Chaos Qi. After decades of my nurturing and baptism by Primordial Energy, now that it has evolved into a Magical Treasure, its power is probably no less than that of a veteran Master’s Magical Treasure!’

‘Overall, not even counting my Martial Arts, my combat strength should be among the top tier of all Source Masters!’

Fang Rui floated up gracefully and exited the cave, ready to test his new powers.

“Swift!”

He shot a disdainful glance at the Purple Feathered Crane flying cheerfully toward him. He formed a hand seal, and the liquefied Spiritual Power at his feet surged, transforming into a lifelike Flowing Cloud Cyan Simurgh made of pure energy. It beat its wings and took to the sky.

‘A Primordial Sea Martial Saint’s Spiritual Essence, while agile, contains a volatile, explosive property. By contrast, a Source Master’s Spiritual Power is far more malleable.’

For example, in the past, the most Fang Rui could do was shape his Martial Saint Spiritual Essence into wings of light. Now, his Half-Immortal Spiritual Power could directly mimic the form of a mount.

‘Theoretically, a Source Master could fly continuously if they didn’t mind the energy cost, but with the current decline of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, their flight endurance is severely lacking.’

‘So, a mount is still necessary.’

‘Hmph. I suppose I should be nicer to the Purple Feathered Crane when I get back down.’

Muttering to himself, Fang Rui rode the energy-state Flowing Cloud Cyan Simurgh high into the sky, gazing down at the world below.

Under the midday sun, the mountains, rivers, lakes, and the distant city all glittered. They seemed to prostrate themselves before him, like so many pieces scattered across a chessboard.

‘Heaven and earth as the board, and all living beings as the pieces? Is this the perspective of a Source Master?’

‘I finally understand why it’s said that only a Source Master can be a player in the game. A Spirit Master’s Super Grade combat power undergoes a qualitative leap, they can fly to a degree, and if they have no ties, they are free to come and go as they please.’

‘Though I still can’t take on an entire army by myself, I now have the qualifications to speak on equal terms with the powers of the State Mansion. This is a significant breakthrough.’

“Dharma Aspect, arise!”

Fang Rui’s expression was impassive as Spiritual Power surged around him, manifesting as the massive, thirty-zhang-tall Dharma Aspect.

‘The Martial Arts Saint Body focuses on overwhelming all techniques with pure force, breaking all methods with a single strike. The Half-Immortal Dharma Aspect, however, leans more toward skill and support, providing an especially massive boost to magic!’

He muttered to himself, then abruptly pressed his hand downward.

RUMBLE!

Rolling waves of Celestial Fire crashed down, turning a section of the mountain forest below into an inferno.

…

He flipped his palm over.

CRACKLE!

Countless bolts of lightning crashed down like a thunderstorm as electric serpents writhed wildly, turning a vast expanse of trees to scorched black.

…

The enormous disturbance startled countless wild beasts, sending them scattering in terror.

‘Tsk, tsk. The Super Grade combat power of a Spirit Master is ridiculously strong. In terms of raw power alone, it rivals my Martial Arts Primordial Sea, but its techniques are far more comprehensive and complex. No wonder the breakthrough cost more Tribulation Points!’

‘Furthermore, a Spirit Master’s magical power is influenced by the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi. This is what it’s like when the Spiritual Qi is scarce; back in the Ancient Era, a Source Master was likely a cut above a Primordial Sea Martial Saint.’

This was something Fang Rui could understand. The Spirit Master path was an ancient one, with an extremely comprehensive array of magic spells developed over eons. Martial Arts, on the other hand, was a more recent path, possessing few Combat Secret Techniques suited for the Martial Saint Realm.

‘Hmm, I’m in a great mood today. I might as well unlock a few Divine Techniques to celebrate. Feng Shui Skill, Beast Taming Technique, Disguise Technique… you’re next.’

Tribulation Points -11,500!

Feng Shui Skill, Minor Achievement —> Limit-Breaking!

Divine Technique Generated: Emperor’s Gaze!

…

Tribulation Points -11,500!

Disguise Technique, Minor Achievement —> Limit-Breaking!

Divine Technique Generated: Thousand Transformations!

…

Tribulation Points -11,000!

Beast Taming Technique, Great Success —> Limit-Breaking!

Divine Technique Generated: Gathering Beasts and Taming Birds!

…

Panel:

[Name: Fang Rui]

[Tribulation: 207,876]

[Cultivation Technique: Longevity Scripture (Gold), Primordial Scripture (Volume Four)]

[Realm: Martial Saint (Primordial Sea), Master (Source Technique)]

[Skills: Divination Skill (Limit-Breaking) (Gold), Life-taking Saber Technique (Limit-Breaking) (Gold), Fang’s Medical Skill (Limit-Breaking) (Gold), Feng Shui Skill (Limit-Breaking) (Gold), Beast Taming Technique (Limit-Breaking) (Gold), Disguise Technique (Limit-Breaking) (Gold)…]

[Divine Techniques: Immortality (Glimmering), Outside the Calculation, Godslaying Spirit Shattering, Withered Wood Evergreen, Emperor’s Gaze, Thousand Transformations, Gathering Beasts and Taming Birds]