403 Realms of Body Cultivation

All cultivation methods, techniques, and battle skills created during the primordial era were made to make use of the True Grandmist Energy and never reproduce it.

When Leon thought of this point, it became more apparent that the [Hegemon of Primal Chaos] had a deeper origin compared to all these other heritage from the primordial era of gods and devils.

Exactly what was the origin of the Hegemon of Primal Chaos technique?

It was found in ancient ruin before it was circulated throughout the Divine Realm, but not a single Divine Practitioner could achieve success in this technique. 

Yet, it was precisely this technique that can reproduce the very source of energy that gave birth to everything in existence.

For the first time, Leon felt like his fate and destiny was not his own to decide, but more like he was being guided by an unknown force at work; like believing he had choices to make all this while when, in fact, he had been walking down a single linear pathway.

The thought scared him. 

After a moment, he shook his head and tried not to think about it. 

If there was such a strong entity that can manipulate the fates and lives of every being in the universe, such a powerful being should be considered the one True God or True Creator.

Even if he were to figure that such a being truly existed, there would still be nothing he can do about it. He was far, far too weak to break the chain of fate set by such an entity.

If he wanted to break away from the chain of fate set by someone else, he just had to keep cultivating until he becomes stronger than such a being.

In the first volume of the [Godfiend Body Forging Method], Leon was introduced to the realms of the Body Cultivation System from the primordial era. 

Namely, there were four major realms within the Body Cultivation System. These four realms were called the Body Tempering Realm, Body Transformation Realm, Eight Hidden Gates, and Nine Star Palaces.

As the names implied, the Body Tempering Realm focuses on tempering the body to the limits, and the Body Transformation Realm focuses on transforming the body beyond the limits.

However, the Eight Hidden Gates and Nine Star Palaces were different from the first two realms and could be a completely different set of their own cultivation systems. 

At the realm of Eight Hidden Gates and beyond, one can no longer strengthen the body through the standard method of using energy to refine the body. 

They are also required to seek worldly treasures and wondrous elixirs to further aid them in bringing out the absolute potential that lies dormant within the body. 

Regardless of race, it is said that every living entity had eight hidden points within its body that contain untapped power from another dimension. 

These eight hidden points are like the black holes in the universe that always draw things inside and never let anything out. To draw out the power from deep within, Body Practitioners had to go to great lengths to force them open.

However, each opened hidden gate was equally rewarding. The power boost was immense, allowing Body Practitioners at this realm to be on equal footings with Celestials and practitioners at the Divine State.

Beyond that was the Nine Star Palace Realm that is on par with Divinities. This was a realm beyond mortality, and no mortals can achieve this realm no matter how great their talents and body potential, at least not on their own.

At the Realm of Nine Star Palaces, there is no more potential within the mortal body to draw out. As such, Body Practitioners must build these so-called Star Palaces to achieve greater strengths in their Body Cultivation.

Each Star Palaces was akin to a miniature universe. As such, having nine Star Palaces was akin to having nine energy centers, whereas most divine practitioners of the Energy Cultivation System would only ever have one, which lies in their glabella region.

From this, it could be seen how terrifying a Body Practitioner at the Nine Star Palace Realm is like.

After Leon understood the introduction to the Body Cultivation System, he read through the instructions for the [Godfiend Body Forging Method].

His eyes flickered with determination after he memorized the contents.

'Time to test whether my pseudo-Grandmist Energy can indeed be substituted for the True Grandmist Energy or not.'

Leon decisively thought.

He drew out the Great pseudo-Grandmist Energy from his Black Vortex and manipulated it according to the [Godfiend Body Forging Method]. 

The Great pseudo-Grandmist Energy was shortly energized and vibrated at high frequency, turning each particle of Great pseudo-Grandmist Energy into sieve-like particles. 

Leon felt a slight chill and sighed, 'This is going to hurt like hell! …However, the body forging methods were never a pain-free process!'

Leon gritted his teeth and immediately began the tempering process on his body. The pain that followed was as he had expected. It was like a layer of his skin was being flailed and ground away as numerous waves of electric shock assaulted his mind in continuous streams.

Despite the pain he was feeling, no visible damage was seen on his flesh. 

It was all in the mind.

'It's effective! Pseudo-Grandmist Energy can indeed be substituted in place of True Grandmist Energy!'

Leon thought excitedly.

He endured the pain with bloodshot eyes and felt the changes taking place to his flesh. 

After the sieve-like Great pseudo-Grandmist Energy grind against his flesh, it blended and fused into his flesh.

'Hm?'

Leon suddenly discovered something.

[Godfiend Body Forging Method] could indeed complement the practical aspect the [Hegemon of Primal Chaos] was lacking, but that did not stop him from practicing the [Black Turtle Heavenly Guard] to temper his flesh at the same time.

[Hegemon of Primal Chaos] produces the energy, [Godfiend Body Forging Method] teaches how to manipulates it, and [Black Turtle Heavenly Guard] directly applies it.

Leon immediately tried to put his thoughts into practice, utilizing both techniques to temper his flesh.

'Hm, it's a bit difficult to practice both simultaneously, but it's still manageable for me.'

Leon thought.

The results were as he presumed.

This fleshly strength and defensive properties began to grow at an alarming rate. The [Black Turtle Heavenly Guard] 's stagnant first stage began to rise and inch closer and closer to the second stage.

After losing his Body Runes, his arm's 9-star Ranked Awakener defensive strength dropped back to the 1-star Ranked Awakener defensive strength.

However, once he breakthrough in his [Black Turtle Heavenly Guard] to the second stage, his entire body's defensive strength will rise to Transcendent first rank. In other words, no attack below 100 thousand jin would hurt him!

Not only that, but his body's physical strength was also rising at the same time! It was the benefit of practicing the [Godfiend Body Forging Method]!

The peak of Body Tempering Realm in the Energy Cultivation System only gives Divine Practitioners the physical strength of 1000 jin. 

However, in the primordial Body Cultivation System, 100 thousand jin was the peak of the Body Tempering Realm!

With Leon's base strength of roughly 20 thousand jin, he would have only been considered a Rank 2 Body Tempering Realm Practitioner back in the primordial era!

He still had a long way to go!

'The difference between the strengths of the current cultivation systems and the cultivation systems of the past is so immensely vast. No wonder everyone that lived in that age was considered a living god even if they had yet to achieve Divinity and obtain everlasting life!'

Leon mused.

'Everlasting life… everlasting life…'

He began to mumble.

What kind of disaster could have befallen the gods and devils for their era to end when they had everlasting life? Were they truly wiped out by some great disaster, or did they leave their legacies behind and left for some distant place?

Leon always seems to have a lot of his mind and delve into deep thoughts, but the mysteries of the past can only be unraveled slowly.

For now, just keep cultivating!

Only by becoming stronger will he have the strength to travel to places previously too dangerous for him to explore. For example, the depths of the Extreme Misty Forest, one of the four Perilous Lands in the Human Domain!

As Leon continued to endure the painful process of tempering flesh and exhaust his Great pseudo-Grandmist Energy reserves, his physical strength steadily climbed from 20 thousand jin to 30 thousand jin.

With the right technique and conditions, his strength soared quickly! After all, the Body Tempering Realm was only the beginning of body cultivation!

…