Chapter 236: Indestructible Golden Body

Inside the cave dwelling.

As you finished refining the Ten-Thousand-Year Blood Apricot, you felt your physical body slowly transform. Your physique, trapped in a long-standing bottleneck, suddenly began to advance by leaps and bounds.

Your body cultivation realm had been stagnant for ages; no matter how hard you cultivated, you hadn't made an inch of progress.

Yet now, with the help of a single Ten-Thousand-Year Blood Apricot, you had achieved remarkable results.

'Is this the top body cultivation resource in the Human Realm?'

You marveled inwardly. You had encountered top-tier dharma cultivation resources before, such as the Lotus Heart Seed.

After all, your primary path was dharma cultivation.

But top-tier body cultivation resources... you had never touched those before.

In the near-ancient era, the Human Realm was starved for resources, especially those for body cultivation. This was why body cultivators generally faced such a difficult path.

Top-tier dharma cultivation resources? Even without relying on grotto-heavens and blessed lands, certain secret realms and perilous zones in the Human Realm occasionally produced them.

Top-tier body cultivation resources were infinitely rarer and far harder to come by.

'At my current cultivation speed, it will take roughly several decades to reach the Fourth Tier Middle Stage Peak. After that, I can undergo the body cultivation heavenly tribulation and step into the Fourth-Tier Late Stage.'

'And cultivating to the Fourth-Tier Late Stage Peak? That will only take a century or two.'

You estimated inwardly.

With such a massive accumulation of resources, even if your innate talent for body cultivation wasn't top-tier, you could still reach the pinnacle of the Human Realm in pure physical physique.

Of course, this required your divine soul and willpower to keep up.

If an ordinary person obtained such a massive body cultivation resource but lacked the divine soul and willpower to match, they would be unable to control their immense vitality and blood qi. In all likelihood, they would perish under the body cultivation heavenly tribulation.

'That golden seal secret art...'

The golden seal characters carved into the massive boulder at the center of the Lingxu Blessed Land surfaced in your mind.

Time had been tight back then, so you hadn't had the chance to comprehend them; you had simply memorized them and left.

But just now, while in seclusion refining the Ten-Thousand-Year Blood Apricot, you took the opportunity to comprehend the text.

Whether they represented body cultivation or dharma cultivation, golden seal characters were all manifestations of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth. They required no learning; you understood them naturally.

The content of the golden seal characters was quite simple, lower in difficulty than the Divine Origin Void Crossing Great Art.

'This is a secret art for the Indestructible Golden Body...'

You pondered secretly. The secret art was clearly left behind by a Heavenly Monarch. The prerequisite for cultivating it was mastering the Indestructible Golden Body.

The Indestructible Golden Body was the core method of top-tier ancient body cultivation True Monarchs, similar to the Nascent Soul spirit body of top-tier dharma cultivation True Monarchs.

'This trip to the Lingxu Blessed Land... the harvest was simply too great.'

You couldn't help but sigh in amazement. Not only had you obtained the resources to cultivate to the Fourth-Tier Late Stage Peak, but you had also acquired a profound body cultivation secret art for free.

'However, my feud with the Sacred Body Sect and the Extreme Dao Pavilion is now set in stone.'

You thought silently to yourself.

The greater your harvest, the greater the Sacred Body Sect's loss.

But this couldn't be helped. The path of the Dao came first. Even if Heavenly Sword Peak stood in your way, you would still try to make a move.

It wasn't just the Sacred Body Sect and Extreme Dao Pavilion. Over a century ago, when the Tianzhu Grotto-Heaven opened, you had similarly offended the Hexu Sect, one of the Three Laws, to the bitter end.

Without that batch of grotto-heaven resources, you wouldn't have cultivated to the Late Nascent Soul Stage Peak by now. For a normal Nascent Soul cultivator, being trapped at a bottleneck for hundreds of years was perfectly normal.

True Monarch Zixu was a living example of this.

If you hadn't snatched the resources from the Tianzhu Grotto-Heaven, you probably still wouldn't have cultivated to the late-stage peak by the time Heavenly Monarch Shuiyue passed away in meditation. Then, your attempt to break through to the Deity Transformation Stage would likely fail, wasting this simulation opportunity.

'The Thirty-Six Grotto-Heavens and Seventy-Two Blessed Lands were originally left to future cultivators by the mighty Heavenly Monarchs of ancient times. They belong to whoever is strongest; the top forces only occupy them through might.'

You felt no burden in your heart.

The strong preying on the weak was the fundamental law of heaven and earth.

Year 126. You were 143 years old.

Relying on the piece of Substitute Withered Wood left by the Purple-Eyed True Monarch, you divined his general location, confirming that he should still be hiding at the Great Snow Mountain.

'This Purple-Eyed True Monarch... even after losing the resources of the Tianzhu Grotto-

Chapter 236: Indestructible Golden Body

Inside the cave dwelling.

Having finished refining a Ten-Thousand-Year Blood Apricot, you felt your physical body slowly transforming. Your physique, which had been trapped at a bottleneck and unable to improve for a long time, unexpectedly began to advance by leaps and bounds.

Your body cultivation realm had been stagnant for ages; no matter how hard you cultivated, you hadn't made an inch of progress.

Yet now, with the help of a single Ten-Thousand-Year Blood Apricot, you had achieved such remarkable results.

'Is this the top body cultivation resource in the Human Realm?'

You marveled inwardly. You had encountered top-tier dharma cultivation resources before, such as the Lotus Heart Seed.

After all, the main path you walked was that of dharma cultivation.

But top-tier body cultivation resources... you had never touched them before.

In the near-ancient era, the Human Realm was starved for resources, especially those for body cultivation. This was why body cultivators generally faced such a difficult path.

Top-tier dharma cultivation resources? Even without relying on the grotto-heavens and blessed lands, certain secret realms and perilous zones in the Human Realm could occasionally produce them.

But top-tier body cultivation resources were infinitely rarer and far harder to come by.

'At my current cultivation speed, it will take roughly several decades to reach the Fourth Tier Middle Stage Peak. After that, I can undergo the body cultivation heavenly tribulation and step into the Fourth-Tier Late Stage.'

'And cultivating to the Fourth-Tier Late Stage Peak? That will only take a century or two.'

You estimated inwardly.

With such a massive accumulation of resources, even if your innate talent for body cultivation wasn't top-tier, you could still reach the absolute pinnacle of the Human Realm in terms of physique.

Of course, the prerequisite was that your divine soul and willpower could keep up.

If an ordinary person obtained such a massive amount of body cultivation resources, but their divine soul and willpower couldn't keep pace, they would be unable to control their immense physical vitality and blood qi. In all likelihood, they would perish under the body cultivation heavenly tribulation.

'That golden seal secret art...'

The golden seal characters carved into that massive boulder at the center of the Lingxu Blessed Land surfaced in your mind.

Time had been tight back then, so you hadn't had the chance to comprehend them; you simply memorized them and left.

But just now, while in seclusion refining the Ten-Thousand-Year Blood Apricot, you took the opportunity to comprehend that golden seal text.

Whether they were golden seal characters representing body cultivation or dharma cultivation, they were all manifestations of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth. They required no learning; you understood them naturally.

The content of the golden seal characters was quite simple, lower in difficulty than the Divine Origin Void Crossing Great Art.

'This is a secret art regarding the Indestructible Golden Body...'

You pondered secretly. The secret art was clearly left behind by a Heavenly Monarch. The prerequisite for cultivating it was mastering the Indestructible Golden Body.

The Indestructible Golden Body was the core method of ancient, top-tier body cultivation True Monarchs, similar to the Nascent Soul spirit body of top-tier dharma cultivation True Monarchs.

'This trip to the Lingxu Blessed Land... the harvest was simply too great.'

You couldn't help but sigh in amazement. Not only had you obtained the resources to cultivate to the Fourth-Tier Late Stage Peak, but you had also acquired a profound body cultivation secret art for free.

'However, the feud with the Sacred Body Sect and the Extreme Dao Pavilion has certainly been cemented.'

You thought silently to yourself.

The greater your harvest, the greater the Sacred Body Sect's loss.

But this couldn't be helped. The path of the Dao came first. Even if Heavenly Sword Peak stood in your way, you would still try to make a move.

It wasn't just the Sacred Body Sect and Extreme Dao Pavilion. Over a century ago, when the Tianzhu Grotto-Heaven opened, you had similarly offended the Hexu Sect, one of the Three Laws, to the bitter end.

Without that batch of grotto-heaven resources, you wouldn't have cultivated to the Late Nascent Soul Stage Peak by now. For a normal Nascent Soul cultivator, being trapped at a bottleneck for hundreds of years was perfectly normal.

True Monarch Zixu was a living example of this.

If you hadn't snatched the resources from the Tianzhu Grotto-Heaven, you probably still wouldn't have cultivated to the late-stage peak by the time Heavenly Monarch Shuiyue passed away in meditation. Then, your attempt to break through to Deity Transformation would likely fail, wasting this simulation opportunity.

'The Thirty-Six Grotto-Heavens and Seventy-Two Blessed Lands were originally left to future cultivators by the mighty Heavenly Monarchs of ancient times. They belong to whoever is strongest; top forces only occupy them by relying on their strength.'

You felt no burden in your heart.

The strong preying on the weak was the fundamental law of heaven and earth.

Year 126. You were 143 years old.

Relying on that piece of Substitute Withered Wood left by the Purple-Eyed True Monarch, you divined his general location, confirming that he should still be hiding at the Great Snow Mountain.

'This Purple-Eyed True Monarch... even after losing the resources of the Tianzhu Grotto-Heaven, he still successfully became a top-tier Great Cultivator?'

You thought to yourself. During this trip to the Lingxu Blessed Land, the Purple-Eyed True Monarch had displayed the strength of a top-tier Great Cultivator, virtually identical to his strength in the fifth simulation.

And in the fifth simulation, the Purple-Eyed True Monarch had acquired key resources from the Tianzhu Grotto-Heaven.

'Support from the Demon Abyss Realm?'

You pondered inwardly. As a pawn nurtured by the Demon Abyss Realm, it wasn't strange that the Purple-Eyed True Monarch had received their backing and greatly advanced in strength.

'I'll wait a few more centuries until the Demon Abyss Realm has invested the most in him before taking action. Or I could let Heavenly Sword Peak strike. Slaying the Purple-Eyed True Monarch then would also serve to deplete the Demon Abyss Realm's strength.'

You plotted silently.

You didn't know what methods the Demon Abyss Realm was using to support the Purple-Eyed True Monarch, but it certainly required a massive price.

Separated by two realms, even transmitting a tiny bit of information demanded a heavy toll, let alone providing tangible resources for cultivation.

But as long as you eliminated the Purple-Eyed True Monarch before Heavenly Monarch Shuiyue passed away in meditation, there would be no hidden dangers or problems with letting an enemy grow unchecked.

As long as Heavenly Monarch Shuiyue lived, the Human Realm couldn't give birth to a new Deity Transformation Heavenly Monarch. No matter how much support the Demon Abyss Realm poured in, the Purple-Eyed True Monarch would have to obediently stay within the Nascent Soul Stage.

Year 136. You were 153 years old.

'The Central Continent Ten Great Rogue Cultivators Ranking...'

You looked at the latest ranking list before you.

The Central Continent Ten Great Rogue Cultivators Ranking was compiled by Four Chambers-level forces. It recorded Nascent Soul Stage true lords who took action while hiding their identities, ranking them based on their demonstrated strength.

Only these Nascent Soul true lords who struck from the shadows could be smoothly placed on the list.

As for those who didn't hide their identities, those public true lord Great Cultivators? Who would dare rank them?

Once one reached the level of a Great Cultivator, aside from the slim hope of Deity Transformation, what mattered most was reputation. If a list ranking their explicit strength was published, it would undoubtedly trigger a storm of blood and carnage across the Central Continent. Even Four Chambers-level forces wouldn't be able to withstand such pressure.

For instance, if they ranked a top body cultivation Great Cultivator from the Two Bodies above a top dharma cultivation Great Cultivator from the Three Laws, would the Three Laws ever accept that?

In contrast, this rogue cultivator ranking, where identities were hidden and uninfluenced by established factions, managed to remain relatively fair.

'Number one on the Ten Great Rogue Cultivators Ranking... True Monarch Golden Face...'

You glanced at the ranking without any surprise.

If a legendary Great Cultivator couldn't rank first, the Ten Great Rogue Cultivators Ranking would be a joke, and its credibility would plummet.

'True Monarch Golden Face... First appeared over a century ago when the Tianzhu Grotto-Heaven opened. At that time, True Monarch Golden Face's strength had reached the level of a top-tier Great Cultivator. His Nascent Soul spirit body was incredibly tyrannical; he blocked the grotto-heaven entrance, holding off five Great Cultivators single-handedly...'

You read the description of True Monarch Golden Face on the rogue cultivator ranking list.

Every rogue cultivator true lord on the ranking received a detailed introduction. This was firstly to justify their rank, and secondly to showcase the Four Chambers-level forces' absolute grasp over intelligence.

Whenever the ranking was updated, Four Chambers-level forces would distribute the list to the hands of every true lord in the Central Continent.

'True Monarch Golden Face's second appearance was over twenty years ago, during the opening of the Lingxu Blessed Land.'

'True Monarch Huanye, True Monarch Wugan, and the Purple-Eyed True Monarch, three top-tier Great Cultivators, formed an alliance. They wanted to expel True Monarch Golden Face and monopolize more resources within the blessed land, but were easily crushed by him instead.'

'In this battle, the strength displayed by True Monarch Golden Face crossed into the realm of legendary Great Cultivators. True Monarch Wugan's magic power was immense, capable of suppressing top-tier Great Cultivators, yet the magic power domain he formed shattered at a single blow before True Monarch Golden Face's magic power. In terms of magic power, True Monarch Golden Face has likely broken the limit of the Nascent Soul Stage.'

'True Monarch Huanye excels most in divine soul illusion arts, looking down upon other top-tier Great Cultivators in matters of the soul. Yet she suffered grievous wounds under True Monarch Golden Face's divine soul attack. True Monarch Golden Face has likely broken the limit of the Nascent Soul Stage in terms of his divine soul as well.'

'In both magic power and divine soul, True Monarch Golden Face has shattered the limits of the Nascent Soul Stage. Even in ancient times, very few legendary Great Cultivators could achieve this step; ancient legendary Great Cultivators typically only broke the limit in a single aspect.'

'Exactly how True Monarch Golden Face managed to reach this step during the harsh near-ancient era is unknown to all. His origins remain an utter mystery. His unfathomable Nascent Soul magic power suggests a connection to Three Laws-level forces, yet the very first target True Monarch Golden Face robbed was the Tianzhu Grotto-Heaven belonging to the Three Laws...'

'The same holds true for Two Bodies-level forces. If True Monarch Golden Face hailed from the Two Bodies, that battle over twenty years ago would have been completely unnecessary.'

'As for the Four Major Chambers of Commerce... our foundations are too shallow to birth such a legend. The Five Side Sects are even less likely; they do not excel at direct combat, relying primarily on talismans, pills, puppets, formations, and weapons... This doesn't match the methods True Monarch Golden Face has displayed...'

'Heavenly Sword Peak... True Monarch Golden Face's Nascent Soul spirit body is not a Sword Dao Nascent Soul of a sword cultivator, so he shouldn't be from Heavenly Sword Peak either.'

You read the speculation regarding True Monarch Golden Face's identity on the Ten Great Rogue Cultivators Ranking drawn up by Four Chambers-level forces. They had suspected everyone in circles, yet stubbornly failed to narrow down a general range of suspects. They could only lament that the Human Realm was truly full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons.

'A rather fair assessment, actually.'

You nodded slightly. The rogue cultivator ranking's description of your strength was quite accurate. At the very least, they recognized that your Nascent Soul magic power and divine soul consciousness had shattered the limits of the Nascent Soul Stage.

'If I continue to take action in the future, the Great Cultivators from those top forces will definitely be on guard against me...'

You thought inwardly, though you didn't pay it much mind.

During your past few outings, you hadn't exposed many of your trump cards. For instance, the myriad Beast King Transformations recorded by your Divine Ability Transformation, or the numerous talismans you had nourished to this day.

If your body cultivation realm crossed into the Fourth-Tier Late Stage Peak, it would be equivalent to breaking the Nascent Soul Stage limit in terms of your physique. Your strength would leap forward once again.

Year 146. You were 163 years old.

You ended your seclusion and received news: another Great Cultivator of the Heavenly Talisman Sect had passed away in meditation.

'Sigh...'

You lamented secretly. Today, among the Great Cultivators of the Heavenly Talisman Sect, the only ones you had known since your early days were the Red Talisman Grand Cultivator and the Cold Talisman Grand Cultivator.

'Time flows on. Even a Great Cultivator can only shine brightly for a few centuries...'

You thought silently to yourself. Only by becoming a Deity Transformation Stage Heavenly Monarch, or an even greater existence, could one live long and witness the ages pass.

Year 156. You were 173 years old.

You did a quick divination on your fingers and stepped out of your cave dwelling.

'It is time for Yan'er to break through to the Nascent Soul Stage.'

In this simulation, under your tutelage, Li Yan was attempting to reach the Nascent Soul Stage before the age of two hundred. This was considered incredibly fast.

You were a Late Nascent Soul Great Cultivator. You frequently had the Blood Roc deliver numerous cultivation resources to Li Yan, not to mention providing the insights and experiences you'd gleaned from past simulations.

Your support was on par with the full backing of a top-tier Central Continent faction. Attempting to break through to the Nascent Soul Stage before two hundred was perfectly normal under such conditions.

'I should make a trip.'

You left the Heavenly Talisman Sect and returned to the Qingxuan Cave Dwelling in the Eastern Wilderness Domain.

On this journey, aside from personally confirming whether Li Yan had met the requirements to attempt a Nascent Soul breakthrough, you also planned to inspect the major Nascent Soul-level forces under your control.

Several years later, you arrived at the Qingxuan Cave Dwelling.

'Master...'

Li Yan's face lit up with joy when she saw you.

You carefully inspected Li Yan, specifically sending out your magic power to repeatedly observe her Flawless Gold Core. Finally, you nodded. "Yan'er, you may attempt to break through to the Nascent Soul Stage."

In terms of external conditions, the Li Yan in this simulation far surpassed her previous incarnation. In terms of personal foundation, a Golden Core of Flawless Gold Core quality likewise exceeded her previous runs.

Currently, Li Yan's musical arts had also reached the Rank 4 Middle Grade. Her state of mind was beyond question, giving her a very high chance of surviving the Heart Demon Tribulation.

'Okay.'

Li Yan nodded, implicitly trusting your every word.

Soon after, Li Yan returned to her cave dwelling to prepare for her breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Stage.

You stood guard outside.

Thus far, Li Yan's growth had been entirely within your expectations.

Stepping into the Nascent Soul Stage before two hundred, reaching the Mid Nascent Soul Stage before five hundred, nurturing her first wisp of Primordial Yin Qi for centuries, and her future Fourth Tier High Grade musical arts... all of these would provide tremendous assistance when you attempted to break through to Deity Transformation.

Before long, the heavenly phenomena signaling Nascent Soul condensation appeared.

The Heavenly Thunder Tribulation. The Heart Demon Tribulation.

Under your watchful eye, Li Yan's breakthrough went incredibly smoothly. She stepped into the Nascent Soul Stage, becoming a newly ascended true lord.

'Not bad.'

You nodded slightly, a smile playing at your lips.

Once she had crossed into the Nascent Soul Stage, everything in the future was secured.

Advancing from the Early Nascent Soul Stage to the Mid Nascent Soul Stage wasn't difficult when nurtured by a legendary Great Cultivator like yourself.

As for her safety? You would absolutely never let Li Yan travel to the Central Continent. Residing within the Eastern Wilderness Domain, Li Yan was naturally incomparably safe.

'It's a pity the Primordial Yin Treasure Physique is too rare... I simply can't find a second one...'

You thought to yourself. From the fifth simulation up until this sixth one, you had been trying to find another cultivator with the Primordial Yin Treasure Physique.

But you had yielded no results. Constitutions like treasure bodies and dao bodies were favored by heaven and earth, naturally obscuring heavenly secrets. Even with your Divination skills, unless you found some crucial clue, trying to divine one out of thin air was extremely difficult.

As for other treasure bodies and dao bodies in the Human Realm used for dual cultivation and nourishment? Even if you actually found one, it wouldn't be of much help to you.

Even a special treasure body like the Primordial Yin Treasure Physique offered you negligible benefits until it reached the Nascent Soul Stage.