Chapter 162 - 156: Promote to Innate, Five Elements Spirit Root

Chapter 162: Chapter 156: Promote to Innate, Five Elements Spirit Root

"Breath!"

Jiang Zuo quickly slapped a Breath Rune Technique on himself and leaped toward the sea’s surface.

Just before he hit the water, Jiang Zuo donned the Black Stone Fish Armor.

Amidst the sound of waves crashing on the shore, Jiang Zuo entered the water like a fish, making almost no sound.

After landing in the sea, Jiang Zuo dove deep and quickly departed.

In the sky, a giant skeleton finally emerged from the void.

This giant skeleton looked unremarkable, except for the pale blue flames flickering within its eye sockets.

It gazed at the ravaged island, the vanished fruit tree, and the large crater left in the ground.

There was also a faint but distinct human aura.

That human aura didn’t seem too far away, but it was faint and intermittent, having already escaped the range of the Natural Illusion Array.

’Should I give chase?’

The giant skeleton fell into contemplation.

’Forget it. The missing fruit tree has nothing to do with me anyway. I was explicitly forbidden from leaving the range of the Natural Illusion Array.’

’If I chase him and manage to retrieve the fruit, that’s one thing. But if I can’t, I’ll just be adding the crime of trespassing in a Forbidden Land to my name.’

’Who knows, someone unwilling to take responsibility might even shift the blame onto me.’

’Besides, this human’s aura is quite strange. He seems to have mastered a remarkably advanced technique for concealing his presence. He’s completely hidden his Spiritual Power without leaking the slightest trace, which is making my senses unreliable.’

’I can’t track his Spiritual Power, and we’re inside the Heaven and Earth Sealing Spirit Array. Tracking him would be extremely difficult.’

’Huh? It seems that person also knows a Clone Technique?’

’That makes him even harder to catch. And even if I did, the fruit would most likely no longer be on him.’

’Forget it. I’ll just pretend I don’t know anything!’

The giant skeleton thought for a moment, then decisively gave up and turned back into the void.

The shattered void quickly returned to normal, as if nothing had ever happened.

...

As Jiang Zuo fled, he had also left a Blood Qi Avatar behind underwater.

After putting a great distance between them and seeing no one in pursuit, Jiang Zuo finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"What’s so incredible about these fruits that they would attract an expert capable of shattering the void!"

Only then did Jiang Zuo look at the seven black fruits he had placed in a storage pouch.

His intuition told him that these black fruits were far rarer than he had anticipated.

’I wonder what level of Cultivation is needed to shatter the void.’

’It’s not just Cultivation. One would probably need an extremely profound understanding of the laws of space as well.’

Jiang Zuo recalled being pursued by the Divine Wood Sect. They clearly didn’t have anyone capable of shattering the void, or he would have never escaped.

If that skeleton that had suddenly appeared had a way to pinpoint his location and chase him, Jiang Zuo felt he wouldn’t be able to get away.

His opponent could shatter the void. No matter how far Jiang Zuo ran, the other party could just tear through space to pursue him. How could he possibly escape that?

Jiang Zuo felt that his escape this time was pure luck.

’It seems I need to be more reverent toward places like this in the future. I nearly met my end this time.’

Jiang Zuo reflected inwardly.

’This world is just too dangerous. To think that a powerhouse capable of shattering the void could appear in the Mortal Territory.’

Shaking his head, Jiang Zuo didn’t dwell on it.

’When facing such a powerhouse, strength is everything. Overthinking it is useless.’

The most urgent task was to find a place to Promote to Innate and awaken his Spirit Root.

The first choice was naturally the Nameless Island where he had lived in seclusion years ago.

No one would disturb him there.

Jiang Zuo traveled alone underwater for half a month.

After confirming that no one was following him, Jiang Zuo returned to the surface, mounted a Seated Mountain Eagle, and flew toward the Nameless Island.

「One month later.」

Jiang Zuo arrived at the Nameless Island.

Compared to over a hundred years ago, the Nameless Island hadn’t changed much.

However, the plants and birds had become much more numerous.

The most numerous among them were the Seated Mountain Eagles.

Among the Seated Mountain Eagles Jiang Zuo had raised back then, some of the Grandmaster-level ones had not yet died of old age.

However, Jiang Zuo’s appearance and aura were now vastly different from before, so these surviving Seated Mountain Eagles didn’t dare to come forward and acknowledge him.

Jiang Zuo had no intention of disturbing them. He simply landed on the island, built a temporary shelter, and settled down to rest.

’When Promoting to Innate, age is very important. The younger you are, the higher the chance of awakening a Spirit Root, and the better its Spirit Root Talent might be.’

After settling in, Jiang Zuo’s first task was to reduce his age again.

As for what age to reduce it to, Jiang Zuo already had a plan.

With a wave of his hand, he reduced his age to thirty-nine.

Jiang Zuo believed this was the most suitable age.

’Lowering my age further probably wouldn’t make a huge difference, and it might attract unnecessary trouble.’

’Of course, the most important thing is that I still have to consider Scattering and Reincarnation.’

’During the subsequent Scattering and Reincarnation, I’ll need to reduce my age by a significant amount to remove the mark that was placed on me.’

’I have to leave some leeway, or I’m afraid I won’t have any age left to reduce when the time comes.’

After doing all this.

「Half a month later.」

Jiang Zuo slowly opened his eyes.

After half a month of regulating his breath, he felt that his essence, qi, and spirit were all in a state of flawless Perfection.

’It’s time to Promote to Innate.’

Jiang Zuo thought.

The method of using Scattering and Reincarnation to ’reroll’ for a Spirit Root had not yet been truly confirmed.

For his first promotion to Innate, Jiang Zuo prioritized stability, planning to first awaken whatever Spirit Roots he could.

In reality, aside from the Earth Attribute represented by the Nine Revolutions Returning Essence Skill, for which he had no awakening item, Jiang Zuo was highly confident he could awaken Spirit Roots for the other four attributes.

Of these four attributes, he had only one Blood Crystal for the Fire Attribute and one Cyan Wood Spirit Fruit for the Wood Attribute; both were single-use.

However, the Extraterrestrial Ore for the Metal Attribute and the seven fruits for the Water Attribute could be used multiple times.

Following the Five Elements cycle of generation and restriction—where Wood feeds Fire, Water nourishes Wood, Metal produces Water, and Earth yields Metal—

Jiang Zuo thus decided on the order of promotion: first the Blood God Skill, followed by the Life Essence Returning Skill, then the Blood Sea Creation Skill and the Golden Qi Jade Body Skill.

Finally, he would use the Nine Revolutions Returning Essence Skill.

In this first promotion, the Nine Revolutions Returning Essence Skill was essentially a sacrificial piece.

Having made his decision, Jiang Zuo silently began to circulate the Blood God Skill.

Jiang Zuo already knew the five Cultivation Techniques like the back of his hand.

This was especially true for the Blood God Skill, which Jiang Zuo had cultivated for nearly two hundred years, modified extensively, and even taught to his Pet Beasts. He was incomparably familiar with it.

In just an instant, Jiang Zuo’s aura reached its absolute peak.

With Jiang Zuo holding nothing back, a terrifyingly powerful surge of Blood Qi shot into the sky.

Countless seabirds on the island, seeing this skyward-rushing Blood Qi, flew away in a panic, watching from a distance with uncertainty and alarm.

Jiang Zuo gripped the Blood Crystal and circulated the Blood God Skill to break through to the Innate Realm.

The Blood Crystal instantly melted into his body. Without the slightest obstruction, Jiang Zuo crossed the threshold and entered the Innate Realm.

Fiery red Power of Heaven and Earth descended like raindrops, cleansing Jiang Zuo’s body.

Under the Innate Baptism, Jiang Zuo’s body began to transform, and his Innate Aura began to emerge.

Within his body, a Fire Attribute Spirit Root quietly appeared.

Initially, this Fire Spirit Root was only a low-grade Spirit Root. However, the duration of Jiang Zuo’s Innate Baptism was far longer than Great Black’s had been—about four to five times as long.

Under the Innate Baptism, this low-grade Fire Spirit Root quickly became a mid-grade, low-tier Spirit Root, then mid-grade, mid-tier, then mid-grade, high-tier...

But just as it was about to break through to a high-grade Spirit Root, the Innate Baptism began to end.

’Improving Spirit Root Talent is truly a monumental task.’

Jiang Zuo sighed.

The baptism was so much longer than Great Black’s, yet it only raised the grade by two minor tiers.

Life Essence Returning Skill!

Cyan Wood Spirit Fruit!

Before the Innate Baptism ended, Jiang Zuo stepped into the Innate Realm once more.

Pale green raindrops of the Power of Heaven and Earth descended upon Jiang Zuo, baptizing his body once again.

The Fire Attribute Spirit Root, which had been on the verge of advancing, finally transformed, becoming a high-grade, low-tier Spirit Root.

A Wood Attribute Spirit Root was also born.

Furthermore, the effect of the Cyan Wood Spirit Fruit was clearly much more potent than the Blood Crystal.

Before the Wood Attribute Innate Baptism had even finished, the Wood Spirit Root Jiang Zuo awakened had also become a high-grade, low-tier Spirit Root.

As the Wood Attribute baptism was about to end, Jiang Zuo put on the Seated Mountain Eagle armor and swallowed one of the black fruits.

The Blood Sea Creation Skill activated with a roar, and in an instant, Jiang Zuo entered the Innate Realm yet again.

And the effect of this black fruit was absolutely astonishing.

Jiang Zuo felt that his breakthrough with the Blood Sea Creation Skill, which he had barely cultivated, was even more rapid than his breakthroughs with the Blood God Skill and the Life Essence Returning Skill.

The descent of the Water Attribute Power of Heaven and Earth from the sky seemed to confirm his thoughts.

This Water Attribute baptism lasted even longer than the previous two.

By the time the Water Attribute Innate Baptism was nearly over, Jiang Zuo had not only awakened a Water Attribute Spirit Root, but it had also broken through to the high-grade, high-tier level in one go!

And this was with Jiang Zuo merely wearing a ’skin’ to imitate a flying bird; if he were a real one, he might have awakened a supreme-grade Water Spirit Root right then and there!

Of course, this also had much to do with Jiang Zuo’s terrifying physical stats. Without his constitution and attributes, the situation might have been different.

Regardless, the effect of the black fruit was far more heaven-defying than Jiang Zuo had imagined.

After the Blood Sea Creation Skill came the Golden Qi Jade Body Skill.

Jiang Zuo held the Extraterrestrial Ore, and with the Golden Qi Jade Body Skill, he promoted to the Innate Realm again.

As an item for awakening a Spirit Root, the effect of the Extraterrestrial Ore was also excellent.

By the time the Metal Attribute baptism was nearly over, Jiang Zuo’s Metal Spirit Root was just one step away from breaking through to a high-grade Spirit Root.

Finally, it was time for the breakthrough with the Nine Revolutions Returning Essence Skill.

There was no awakening item for the Nine Revolutions Returning Essence Skill, but perhaps because he had practiced the Body Freedom Technique, his physical body was incredibly powerful.

Or perhaps the previous four Innate Baptisms had already made his body extraordinary.

Without using an awakening item, Jiang Zuo still managed to awaken an Earth Attribute Spirit Root through the Nine Revolutions Returning Essence Skill.

Soon, the baptism of the Earth Attribute Power of Heaven and Earth came to an end.

Thus, Jiang Zuo’s first round of promotions to the Innate Realm was complete.

The results were far better than he had anticipated.

During the final baptism of Earth Attribute Power of Heaven and Earth, his Metal Spirit Root was promoted to high-grade. After multiple baptisms, the talent of his Fire Spirit Root and Wood Spirit Root also improved again.

In the end, after this round of promotions was over,

Jiang Zuo now possessed a high-grade, mid-tier Fire Spirit Root; a high-grade, mid-tier Wood Spirit Root; a high-grade, high-tier Water Spirit Root; a high-grade, low-tier Metal Spirit Root; and a low-grade, mid-tier Earth Spirit Root!

He had all Five Elements Spirit Roots, and apart from the Earth Spirit Root, all of them were high-grade!