Chapter 281: Dark Earth Sword Path

Chapter 281: Dark Earth Sword Path

“After reading the immortal slips I gave you, you should understand the importance of a strong immortal root establishment treasure to support the opening of your qi sea." the realm master said.

“The cultivators in the Middle Land generally have weak immortal roots, with only a few sixth-degree ones. Their shortcomings are not solely due to a lack of natural talent, but are mainly the result of a lack of guidance and a scarcity of the precious treasures needed for root establishment," explained the realm master.

Wu Yuan nodded, "Root establishment treasures are indeed incredibly important."

The Luminous Immortal Soil that the realm master previously gave him was an earth attribute treasure that could help him establish a fourth-degree immortal root at minimum.

A fourth-degree immortal root was already incredibly strong.

As for the highest three degrees? They were extremely rare even within the Greenridge Macrocosm. Those who managed to establish them were considered top-tier geniuses.

As for his Heavenly Endowed Eldritch Tattoos, that was considered an immense fortuitous encounter.

"Naturally," the realm master continued, "For someone like you with both great physical and soul strength, establishing a fourth-degree immortal root would be easy."

Wu Yuan murmured, "Fourth degree?"

If this were a year ago, he would have been satisfied with establishing a fourth-degree immortal root in qi refining. After all, it wasn't his main cultivation focus.

But now? Wu Yuan felt somewhat dissatisfied.

"Realm Master, do you have any superior root establishment treasures?" Wu Yuan couldn't help but ask.

"I possess various treasures such as weapons and talismans, but they are not suitable for root establishment," the realm master replied. "Moreover, when the Fourth Eldritch Realm was established, the main emphasis was on raising eldritch warriors rather than eldritch mages."

Wu Yuan nodded slightly.

In his previous life, different universities emphasized different aspects of their students’ education, which led to different facilities and equipment prepared for their students.

"Even the finest of the root establishment treasures I have here still pale in comparison to the Luminous Immortal Soil," the realm master shook his head. "They wouldn't be of much help to you, and will not support the establishment of a third-degree immortal root."

"And as for the second and first degrees? They are simply myths! To establish such high-tier immortal roots directly, one would need an extremely rare opportunity."

Wu Yuan sank into deep thought.

According to the immortal slips, powerful cultivators with second or even first-degree immortal roots mostly established lower degree roots at first, then slowly upgraded them over time.

The number of cultivators establishing a second-degree immortal root on their first try was far fewer than those establishing a first-degree immortal root after numerous years of cultivation.

"Realm Master, please have a look at this." Wu Yuan suddenly flipped his palm, revealing several glimmering shards. Little Black had given them to him when he woke up.

“Oh?” The realm master was initially surprised, but after a brief examination, his eyes lit up with excitement. "Hahaha! Wu Yuan, the heavens must favor you indeed! This is Soul Ethercrystal, an invaluable treasure that greatly supports the unlocking of one’s qi sea. It’s far better than the root establishment treasures I have."

“Soul Ethercrystal?” Wu Yuan was startled.

"Where did you find such a treasure?" asked the realm master curiously. "In the Middle Land, it is rare for anyone to come across such invaluable treasures."

“It was retrieved from the remains of the worm devil,” Wu Yuan explained

Wu Yuan sensed the uniqueness of these crystal shards but had no idea what they were until now.

"I see," said the realm master. "Worm devils are mysterious creatures. The knowledge I have on them is only a tiny fraction of its many secrets. I never imagined that its main body would be so valuable even after death."

“But it makes sense. The worm devil’s main body is inherently frail, yet it’s able to control an army of devil soldiers. So it turns out the reason behind this is that its main body is made up of Soul Ethercrystal, naturally endowing it with an extremely strong soul. Perhaps it has an innate Yang Soul?” The realm master speculated.

Wu Yuan was rather impressed at how quickly the realm master could make a logical deduction of the workings of the worm devil’s soul from just its remnants.

“Realm Master, can I potentially establish a third-degree immortal root with the support of Soul Ethercrystal?” Wu Yuan asked.

The realm master shook his head slightly. "There is a possibility, but fortune will also play a role."

Wu Yuan’s expression froze.

“Soul Ethercrystal is just as precious as Luminous Immortal Soil, albeit slightly rarer. Typically, they are able to help one establish a fourth-degree immortal root at least. Even if your soul is incredibly strong, there is no guarantee of being able to unlock a third-degree immortal root. It all depends on luck.” The realm master clarified.

Luck? Wu Yuan nodded slightly. On the path of cultivation, luck was indeed crucial.

"I’ll use it then." Wu Yuan said, "In all honesty, even if I did manage to obtain better treasures, I don’t have the ability to refine them as of now. If I do end up with a fourth-degree immortal root, then I'll wait for another opportunity in the future to advance to the top three degrees."

"When you enter the Greenridge Macrocosm in the future, you should look for opportunities to join a major sect and cultivate the ‘Heaven and Earth Sword Path'. Both teachings are compatible."

Wu Yuan nodded slightly. He trusted that the realm master wouldn’t deceive him.

Whoosh! The realm master waved his hand.

Wu Yuan didn’t resist, allowing the deluge of information to flood his mind. With his powerful soul, he assimilated the knowledge within ten breaths.

It was the cultivation method of the 'Dark Earth Sword Path'.

"This is just the first half?" Wu Yuan froze.

"The first half is enough to last you until the Golden Core phase, and this is all I have," the realm master stated. "To obtain the other half of the methodology, you’ll have to rely on yourself."

"Understood," said Wu Yuan with a smile. "May I cultivate here?"

"Naturally. I’ll send you to the meditation chamber," the realm master replied, gesturing with a wave of his hand.

In the distant sky, a rift in space opened, revealing a meditation chamber inside. An unseen force wrapped around Wu Yuan, pulling him into the chamber, and then the rift closed.

Apart from a jade platform, the meditation chamber was bare.

Wu Yuan sat cross-legged on the platform. He felt the cluttered thoughts in his mind fade away, and his spirit felt calm and serene.

This jade platform alone is a true treasure. Wu Yuan marveled.

Suddenly, invisible vibrations filled the air, and a large quantity of metal ores materialized in the chamber. The metal ores emitted rich spiritual qi, and came in shades of black, yellow, and silver.

“This is?” Wu Yuan was taken aback.

"When you first unlock your qi sea, your lifebound flying sword mustn’t be too strong as your qi sea won’t be able to contain it. You may forge your swords with the metal ores provided," the realm master's voice echoed within the chamber.

"As you continue to progress in your cultivation, you will have the opportunity to gradually refine and upgrade your lifebound flying swords."

"Thank you, Realm Master," Wu Yuan said with gratitude.

The realm master's voice echoed, "No worries. Concentrate on your cultivation. These are just some things I can offer within my capacity. If you need anything, feel free to inform me."

With that, the voice of the realm master faded away.

Life is indeed much easier with a senior’s guidance. Wu Yuan chuckled and closed his eyes.

The steps to cultivate the methodology rose in his mind.

He only had one opportunity to establish his initial immortal root and forge multiple flying swords. There was no room for error. Hence, he had to fully understand the cultivation method before proceeding.

...

While Wu Yuan cultivated in the meditation room within the Fourth Eldritch Realm, his formal challenge quickly spread across the thirteen continents of the Middle Land with the help of the Middle Land Alliance.

"Deity Wu Yuan is still alive?”

“From what the Starcom Consortium wrote, he surpasses Emperor Dong Pan in strength and is currently the number one expert in the world. He’s just 21 years old!”

“Wasn't he killed during the battle with the worm devil?”

"Wu Yuan is alive! He will challenge Imperator Jin at the Holy Capital on September 8th, and the result will determine who lives and dies."

"Whoever wins will be rightfully called the world's number one expert." The thirteen continents buzzed with excitement.

Upon hearing the news, countless martial artists began their journey to the Holy Capital, eager to witness this epic showdown. Battles between Heavenly Rankers were a rare sight to begin with, let alone a fight to determine the number one expert in the world.

...

Within the depths of a cave in the forbidden zone of the Jin royal family.

“Father, will you accept the challenge?” Jin Ji asked, looking at Jin Quan on the jade platform.

Jin Quan gave a mirthless smile. "Do I have a choice?"