Chapter 422: True Immortal (Part 2)

Spiritual Treasures were an evolution of Magical Treasures, and only Profound Domain True Monarchs could refine them. Take her Lifebound Spiritual Treasure, the All Heavens Star Map, for example. After years of nourishment, it was probably enough to allow her current body to display Profound Domain-level combat power.

“Then I thank you, fellow Daoist.”

Although he was entrusting his safety to someone else, Fang Rui wasn’t worried. He already had a certain understanding of her. Plus, her practice of Refining the Heart in the Red Dust depended on him, so in a way, they were bound by mutual interest.

“When and where do you plan to make your breakthrough?”

“Tonight, outside the city.”

A breakthrough like this was best done sooner rather than later. Fang Rui certainly wasn’t going to act like some protagonist from a novel and wait until the eve of a crisis or for a mid-battle breakthrough.

‘Wouldn’t that just be asking for trouble?’

“Very well.”

“SCREECH!”

“CRY!”

Fang Rui and Yu Yunlan, mounted on a Purple Feathered Crane and a Phoenix respectively, flew into a remote mountain forest.

WHOOSH!

With a wave of her Flowing Cloud Water Sleeve, Yu Yunlan sent a scroll flying out. It scattered into countless silver stars that rose into mid-air, bright enough to rival the real stars in the sky.

Immediately, they arranged themselves into a formation, instantly purging the area of all Spiritual Qi.

The Heaven-Sealing Earth-Locking Spirit-Banning Array was now complete.

“Just focus on your breakthrough. I’ll stand guard.”

After speaking, Yu Yunlan turned away. Her figure was cool and distant as she ascended into the sky on the Phoenix.

Clearly, she was remembering their prior agreement not to spy on each other.

‘This woman… She actually keeps her word.’

Fang Rui carefully extended his senses but detected no sign of being watched. Shaking his head with a slight smile, he sat cross-legged under the starlit sky and opened his panel.

[Tribulation Points: 349,338]

‘After the incident in Pinghu County, added to what I’d already saved up, I had 160,000 Tribulation Points. Then, in Divine Wood Prefecture City, by working with Yu Yunlan to kill two Evil God projections and foiling Great Black Heaven’s plot, I gained another 180,000 in one go. Now my Tribulation Points have surpassed 340,000.’

‘And Volume Five of the *Primordial Scripture* has finally lit up!’

Looking at the vast number of Tribulation Points on his panel, Fang Rui felt a sense of elation, the kind that comes with immense wealth and financial freedom.

‘After this breakthrough, I’ll surely have a lot left over. At the very least, I’ll definitely have the 100,000 points needed to activate Rejuvenation once.’

‘Alright then. The Profound Domain Realm of a Spirit Master—the peak of individual power in this world. Let’s begin!’

Fang Rui’s consciousness sank into the panel. He tapped the ‘+’ sign next to the *Primordial Scripture*. ‘Volume Five of the *Primordial Scripture*… break!’

Tribulation Points -160,000!

BOOM!

As his Tribulation Points drained away like a receding tide on the panel, a massive, ethereal vortex manifested above his head, unleashing a torrential, cool stream of energy.

In that instant, Fang Rui’s mind entered a deep meditative state. The complete runic text of the *Primordial Scripture*, Volume Five, flowed through his mind like a river, its profound mysteries revealing themselves one by one.

At the same time, fueled by that vast, cool current of energy, the liquefied Spiritual Power in his Sea of Consciousness began to boil. It churned and expanded, its color shifting from a pale azure to a pure, deep azure.

High above his Sea of Consciousness, the humanoid figure of his Divine Soul sat cross-legged, also undergoing a transformation. It was as if it were being cleansed of all impurities, gradually becoming crystal clear and translucent. The star-like Magic Talismans he had condensed in the Source Realm now floated over one by one, engraving themselves upon its Divine Soul Feather Robe.

Outside, the Half-Immortal Dharma Aspect manifested behind Fang Rui. Infused with the surging, cool current of energy, it expanded rapidly like an inflating balloon, its aura growing increasingly powerful.

Fifty zhang!

Sixty zhang!

Seventy zhang!

VMM!

His Lifebound Magical Treasure, the Taiyi Golden Pearl, hovered before him and began to advance once more, transforming from a Magical Treasure into a Spiritual Treasure.

Several minutes later.

Within his Sea of Consciousness, the churning Spiritual Power gradually calmed. It had now turned a clear, deep azure and expanded to the size of a lake.

The humanoid Divine Soul was now as translucent as crystal, radiating a clear light. The numerous Magic Talismans had formed a starry robe draped over its body.

Outside, the Half-Immortal… no, the *True Immortal* Dharma Aspect stabilized at a height of one hundred zhang. Behind its head, scenes of Primordial Opening Heaven, Primordial Chaos, and Five Elements Mutual Generation continuously evolved.

VMM!

The Taiyi Golden Pearl also completed its transformation at this moment. A golden light shot toward the heavens, as resplendent as a great sun.

SWOOSH!

Fang Rui’s eyes snapped open. “The Profound Domain Realm! I have reached it!”

Panel:

[Name: Fang Rui]

[Tribulation Points: 189,338]

[Cultivation Techniques: Longevity Scripture (Gold), Primordial Scripture (Volume Five) (Gray)]

[Realm: Martial Saint (Primordial Sea), True Monarch (Profound Domain)]

[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 (Radiant), Outside the Calculation, Godslaying Spirit Shattering, Withered Wood Evergreen, Emperor’s Gaze, Thousand Transformations, Gathering Beasts and Taming Birds, More is Better·Fragment]

‘So I’m a Profound Domain True Monarch now. This breakthrough cost 160,000 Tribulation Points, huh?’

Fang Rui was elated, but his joy turned to a sigh when he saw that the *Primordial Scripture* had turned gray in his Cultivation Technique list. ‘It’s turned gray… Does this mean that even though it hasn’t reached its theoretical limit, I can’t upgrade it any further?’

‘Just as I expected. Not even the panel can force an upgrade of the *Primordial Scripture* to Volume Six and push me into the Celestial Heart Realm!’

‘It makes sense when I think about it. With the world’s will dormant, the fundamental condition for breaking through to the Celestial Heart Realm—to “sense the Celestial Heart”—can’t be met. How could I possibly succeed?’

It’s like trying to grow a towering pine in a flowerpot, or train a thousand-li steed in a tiny courtyard.

‘As long as the Celestial Path remains dormant, the Profound Domain is the pinnacle for the Spirit Master path. Beyond it, there is no road.’

‘If I want to break through again, I have two options: either help Yu Yunlan awaken the Celestial Path, or walk a different path… like Martial Arts.’

‘In my view, the Spirit Master path focuses more on communing with heaven and earth, borrowing external power. Martial Arts, on the other hand, focuses on developing one’s own body. Further down the line, it must be a different road, one that doesn’t require “comprehending the Celestial Heart” like the Spirit Master path.’

Fang Rui was certain of this.

‘And if it doesn’t require “comprehending the Celestial Heart,” it would naturally bypass the problem of the dormant Celestial Path.’

‘But it’s too early to be thinking about all that. I haven’t even used Inference to figure out the Martial Arts equivalent of the Spirit Master’s Profound Domain Realm yet!’

‘Whatever, I’ll deal with that later. For now, I should check out the changes from my breakthrough to the Profound Domain Realm.’

Fang Rui gestured, and a ball of liquefied Spiritual Power materialized in his palm, its color a pure, deep azure.

If the liquefied Spiritual Power of the Source Realm was like clear water, then the Spiritual Power of the Profound Domain Realm was as viscous as syrup.

WHOOSH!

He channeled the ball of Spiritual Power, transforming it into a fire dragon that shot out and blasted a large patch of trees to smithereens.

‘The quality of Spiritual Power in the Profound Domain Realm is higher, so the power of my Magic is naturally much greater—a full fifty percent stronger than in the Source Realm.’

‘However, the greatest change is far more than just the purification of my Spiritual Power.’

With a mere thought, the humanoid Divine Soul in Fang Rui’s Sea of Consciousness lit up. The Magic Talismans on its Star Robe flared like starlight, forming a Domain around his physical body. It flowed with the five colors of white, cyan, blue, red, and yellow, and covered a radius of one li.

‘This is the Five Elements Profound Domain, cultivated from the *Primordial Scripture*. Within my Five Elements Profound Domain, my Magic will receive a tremendous boost. Conversely, any Five Elements Magic used by an enemy at or below my realm will be completely useless. Even something like a Half-Immortal Dharma Aspect would be suppressed until it collapsed.’

‘Oh, right. My True Immortal Dharma Aspect… rise!’

With a thought, the hundred-zhang-tall Dharma Aspect rose up behind him, looking down upon the world.

In this complete state, with his True Monarch Domain and True Immortal Dharma Aspect, it would be a simple matter for him to single-handedly fight an elite army of sixty, seventy, or even eighty thousand.

‘And my Lifebound Magical Treasure, the Taiyi Golden Pearl, has evolved into a Spiritual Treasure. It’s probably on par with a Super Grade Secret Treasure from a State City now.’

‘The Profound Domain Realm… it truly is another major transformation. According to Yu Yunlan, there are only two or three people at this realm in the entire Great Yu Court.’

Fang Rui stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his spirits soaring. He felt a sense of lonely eminence, like drawing a sword and looking around only to find no one left who could withstand a single blow.

‘Even if I were face-to-face with the Great Yu Royal Family’s Wuji True Monarch or Yu Yunlan’s true self, I’m confident I could take them on… Er, ahem, they both have Innate Supreme Treasures. I probably can’t beat them.’

‘Still, as a player in this grand game, I’ve now shored up my own realm, which was my weakest link.’

He murmured to himself.

Just then—

FWOOSH!

A brilliant beam of moonlight suddenly pierced through the starry canopy, shining down upon Fang Rui.