MTLNOVEL Chapter 9: Clues!
After coming out of the "Xunwang Order," Chen Yi calmed his mind and solidified the cultivation breakthrough he had just achieved.
After reaching the Heavenly Human realm, he could sense some elusive changes in his body compared to before.
Aside from the noticeable enhancements in Heart God Perception, Sword Intent, and Inch天涯 Divine Will, his physical body seemed to have undergone a transformation.
Initially, it was not apparent.
But upon careful observation of his body, he discovered that the Sword Intent now circulating within him according to the Nine Revolutions Profound Gang Technique, when fused with nature's spiritual energy, no longer passively, partially enhances the physical body, but is equally balanced.
— An equal enhancement of both Physical Power and Sword Intent!
So much so that merely half a day had passed, and Chen Yi could noticeably feel a slight increase in the strength of his physical body.
To put it more frankly, at this moment, his physical power alone could rival that of a martial arts practitioner in the Third Grade Heavenly Harmony Realm.
"The Heavenly Human realm is indeed extraordinary."
Chen Yi could not help but recall the teachings of his Master, Li Qingzhou:
The Void Extreme Realm is the pinnacle of human capabilities; the term "void" does not mean weakness but illusion, indicating "all are ants if one does not break the void extreme."
Even if one's techniques are cultivated to the Divine Power Realm, without reaching the Heavenly Human realm, there is a limit to lifespan, usually three to five hundred years.
Once cultivation is elevated to the Heavenly Human realm, regular cultivators have an eight-hundred-year lifespan, while those as powerful as Lonely Mountain Ancestor, Grandmaster Xuanjian, and Huangshan Taoist can live for a thousand years.
"I see."
Chen Yi quietly felt it for a while, allowing the Sword Intent within him to slowly circulate and absorb nature's spiritual energy.
After thinking for a moment, he internally mused: "Given this situation, I temporarily cannot accept any cultivation tasks."
Earlier at the Xunwang Heaven conference, Daoist Zhao Muzi mentioned that a secret realm which opens once every thousand years has limits on cultivation and techniques — cultivators exceeding the Divine Power Fifth Realm can only stay on the periphery.
If a cultivator exceeding this realm delves deeper into the secret realm, their life could be endangered.
Even Daoist Zhao Muzi of the Divine Power Tenth Realm must be cautious, and Chen Yi does not consider himself exceptional.
At this moment, his Heart God Perception detected Lou Yuchun and others waiting outside the room, so he calmed his breath and stood up, walking to the door.
"Please come in, Daoist Yu Chun, let's talk."
Squeak.
With a beaming smile, Lou Yuchun pushed the door open and entered, clasping his hands to congratulate: "Congratulations on advancing your cultivation, Daoist friend!"
Chen Yi smiled lightly, nodding: "A bit of enlightenment."
"The Heavenly Human realm isn't something that one can break through just by enlightenment," Lou Yuchun continued his compliments:
"Don't be fooled by the thousands of years of talents reaching the Third Grade realm coming to the Taizhou Mountain Battlefield, yet only one or two in ten can break through to the Heavenly Human realm."
"Without adequate accumulation, even with the 'Heaven and Earth Bridge' support, one will struggle bitterly under the Void Extreme realm."
At the end, Lou Yuchun felt inexplicably emotional.
Sometimes the gap between people is as vast as a chasm, one in the heavens and another in the earth.
Thinking of himself as Lou Yuchun, former Sect Master of the Sea Covering Dao at Wuliang Mountain, and son of the previous Sect Leader of Wuliang Mountain, he was naturally gifted from a young age, with the finest cultivation techniques and Magic, and access to Elixirs and Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.
Yet it still took him fifty years to break through to the Heavenly Human realm.
His elder brother, Lou Yushan, took forty-eight years.
Even so, both he and his brother were rare prodigies of Wuliang Mountain within a century, who later assumed leadership positions at the Heaven-Flipping Dao and Sea Covering Dao.
Yet his level of cultivation in front of Chen Yi could not even compare, which was indeed a source of lament for him.
"There's no need for such courtesy words, Daoist Yu Chun," Chen Yi gestured for him to sit as he sat at the desk, "Have the esteemed ancestors responded?"
Lou Yuchun sat opposite him, arranging his armor skirt at his waist, nodding with a smile:
"Indeed."
"After reporting to Ancestor Hong Tian at the strong city of the Human Pole, I received a reply from his esteemed self."
"Is there an arrangement for me to set off to Youdu City?" Chen Yi asked with a smile.
"Slightly different," Lou Yuchun's smile grew even brighter as he clasped his hands and said: "The ancestor wishes for you to visit the strong city of the Human Pole, he'd like to meet you."
"Oh?" Chen Yi raised an eyebrow slightly, "Meet me?"
Unexpected, yet reasonable.
After all, he had accomplished some significant feats on the Tianyuan Continent, gaining a reputation that seemed to surpass his talent and cultivation, so the ancestor wanting to see if he was worthy of his name made sense.
However, Chen Yi did not particularly like those esteemed ancestors, as he had barely interacted with them, having only heard a few words from Li Qingzhou, and he was not truly inclined to meet them.
But not going seemed unacceptable — presently, the fortresses of the Human Race are held by several ancestors, and whether strategizing against the Demon Court or determining areas within strong cities or garrisons for recuperation, these ancestors hold sway.
Except for lacking the Emperor Wei's Dragon Vein support, those ancestors almost act as emperors in the Taizhou Mountain Battlefield.
Seeing Chen Yi ponder, Lou Yuchun paused his smile, half feeling he was youthful and reckless, half asking:
"Do you have any concerns, Daoist friend?"
Chen Yi looked at him, shaking his head gently: "I wouldn't call it concerns, it's just that the styles of those esteemed ancestors are different from mine, so I'm contemplating how to approach this."
On the Tianyuan Continent, apart from youthful days, since he descended the mountains, whether facing Emperor Wei or the great powers of the Holy Land, he interacted with them as an equal.
Having to conduct himself differently before the ancestors now was somewhat unusual for him.
Lou Yuchun understood his thoughts and chuckled, offering reassurance: "In private meetings, those ancestors treat others with warmth and generosity."
With this, Chen Yi smiled and asked: "And when it's not private?"
Lou Yuchun paused before replying: "It depends on the occasion and circumstances."