Chapter 80 - 78: Peerless Freak, He Is Not a Second-Tier Figure

Chapter 80: Chapter 78: Peerless Freak, He Is Not a Second-Tier Figure

Nobody took Jiang Hao’s words to heart.

The realms following Spirit Transformation were unlike those before it. Breaking through was phenomenally difficult; it was simply impossible for anyone to reach the First Spirit Transformation in a mere month.

Even though Jiang Hao had advanced into the Spirit Transformation Realm half a month ago, the crowd believed that reaching the First Spirit Transformation was virtually impossible, even with those extra fifteen days.

However, after learning that the person Ji Qingxue had brought was actually the champion of the Pill Master Competition, everyone accepted Jiang Hao’s presence.

Time slowly flowed by, and five days passed in the blink of an eye.

Just as Ji Qingxue had predicted, there were indeed many people eyeing the Ancient Emperor Sect. Countless terrifying factions gradually appeared in the surroundings.

These Cultivators arrived in squads of varying strengths. Of course, very few could rival the Nanling lineup. Any Cultivator who happened to pass by Ji Qingxue’s group would immediately give them a wide berth.

Over these five days, all the Cultivators from Nanling had been cultivating like mad. Having finally secured such an optimal cultivation environment, no one was about to take it for granted.

"The Spiritual Qi here is much denser than when we first entered. There’s absolutely no need to worry about exhausting it," Jiang Hao murmured to himself, slowly opening his eyes in the forest not far from Ji Qingxue’s group.

It had to be said that the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi within this ancient ruin was unimaginably rich. Even the Qin Family’s Level One Cultivation Chamber couldn’t compare to a thousandth of what was here.

In other words, cultivating here meant one never had to worry about a lack of Spiritual Qi hindering a breakthrough. There was more than enough for even two people breaking through in the exact same spot simultaneously.

"The Spirit Transformation Realm is divided into nine stages in total. Including the transitional stages, one might say there are twelve," Jiang Hao analyzed carefully while accumulating his cultivation base.

Spirit Transformation was different from Unity. Stepping into the Spirit Transformation Realm meant truly setting half a foot into the ranks of the strong. Even in the outside world, such a person was a figure who could not be ignored. And the cultivation methods following Spirit Transformation were even more particular.

"According to the description in the Spirit Transformation Celestial Technique that Gu Qingyan gave me, there are Nine Spirit Transformations in total. They correspond respectively to the eight meridians and the spine," Jiang Hao muttered softly, recalling the details of the Cultivation Technique in his mind.

Right then, Ji Qingxue walked over from out of nowhere and picked up where he left off.

"The First Spirit Transformation is essentially the main cultivation of the eight meridians and the spine. Once each meridian is cultivated to a certain degree, it will undergo the ultimate sublimation, resulting in a qualitative change. Therefore, it is known as the First Transformation.

"Among the Nine Spirit Transformations, the most difficult is the ’Bone Transformation.’ After successfully cultivating the eight meridians, which means entering the ninth transformation, you need to cultivate your entire spine.

"In the Cultivation Realm, the spine is also known as the Heaven-Reaching Pillar. It is the entire spinal column connecting the whole body, resembling a Divine Dragon lying dormant within the human form, composed of thirty-three vertebrae.

"The difficulty of the ninth transformation lies in the fact that all thirty-three vertebrae must be cultivated. Only then can they merge into one and undergo a qualitative change.

"It is said that experts who have completed the Nine Spirit Transformations possess the tyrannical power to reach the heavens and plunge into the earth. They are infinitely close to the Realm of Transcendence, truly invincible in the mortal world and supreme among men."

Listening to Ji Qingxue’s explanation, Jiang Hao looked thoughtful. After a brief moment, he asked mildly, "Are the Nine Spirit Transformations the same for everyone? Or are there distinct differences?"

"Generally speaking, they are almost the same. However, different physiques will naturally yield different results after the transformation.

"Some people will eventually form Tiger Meridians, manifesting Divine Tiger Power.

"Others might even forge Dragon Sinews, manifesting Divine Dragon Power.

"But such people are exceptionally rare. If one tries to force a qualitative change, the slightest misstep will doom them to eternal damnation.

"The first one you’re cultivating is the Conception Vessel, right? How does it feel?" Ji Qingxue asked, abruptly inquiring about his cultivation progress.

"Not bad. I’m still figuring it out," Jiang Hao replied calmly. For the past five days, he had indeed been exploring while constantly attempting to cultivate the Conception Vessel. But by now, he had almost thoroughly understood the Spirit Transformation Celestial Technique and its cultivation methods.

Ji Qingxue merely nodded slightly. "Keep at it. The path of cultivation cannot be rushed. Take your time."

She turned and left the forest, acting as if her check-in had merely been an unintentional show of concern.

Jiang Hao didn’t mind. Instead, he sat cross-legged once more and slowly circulated his Cultivation Technique. Endless Spiritual Qi converged, surging toward his Conception Vessel.

The first step of the Spirit Transformation was to open the eight meridians. After five days of relentless effort, Jiang Hao had already cleared the Conception Vessel; it didn’t seem as difficult as he had imagined.

Little did he know, if Ji Qingxue found out he had opened the Conception Vessel in just five days, her jaw would have dropped to the floor.

Time slowly ticked by. In the blink of an eye, another five days passed.

On this day, Jiang Hao’s entire body suddenly jolted as he finally sensed a strange movement within his Conception Vessel.

"There’s a reaction," he noted.

After ten consecutive days of grueling, day-and-night cultivation, a distinct change had finally occurred. Jiang Hao suddenly felt his control over the Conception Vessel become much smoother. Even the pathways of the meridian became increasingly clear.

More importantly, at this moment, Jiang Hao caught a trace of an extremely terrifying power fluctuation within the Conception Vessel. It seemed to have condensed out of thin air, yet it didn’t dissipate.

With his many days of hard cultivation finally bearing fruit, Jiang Hao worked even harder.

All at once, an even more terrifying amount of Spiritual Qi converged frantically. He absorbed it madly, acting like a bottomless pit.

Time ticked by, minute by minute, second by second.

Before he knew it, the fearsome power inside Jiang Hao’s Conception Vessel had reached a horrifying level. It drifted through the meridian, continuously scouring it.

Until the twentieth day.

BOOM!!!

A terrifying force suddenly erupted. The entire Conception Vessel began to undergo an astonishing mutation. The resulting terrifying Spirit Transformation Power continuously nourished his entire body, and the aura radiating from Jiang Hao skyrocketed madly.

Twenty-first day.

Twenty-second day.

...

Until the twenty-sixth day.

BOOM!!!

The entire Conception Vessel trembled violently, like a giant dragon on the verge of awakening, finally endowed with life.

At the same time, Jiang Hao finally understood the true essence of the First Spirit Transformation in every sense of the word. He felt his entire Conception Vessel reach some sort of limit. As it underwent its ultimate sublimation, it unleashed waves of incredibly terrifying power fluctuations.

"A qualitative change... Is this the power of the First Spirit Transformation?" Jiang Hao thought.

Only then did he realize the disparity between standard Spirit Transformation and the First Transformation. It wasn’t just the Conception Vessel itself undergoing a qualitative change; this transformation radiated throughout his entire body. It felt as if his very being had been sublimated.

As the Conception Vessel completely awakened and reached the peak of its transformation...

Suddenly...

BOOM!!!

A terrifying suction force abruptly exploded. The overwhelming Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi surged madly, autonomously absorbed by the Conception Vessel. Like a Heaven-Devouring Beast encountering sweet rain after a long drought, it desperately inhaled the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.

This scene was even more earth-shattering when viewed from the outside.

The Spiritual Qi within several miles of the forest churned, surging toward Jiang Hao like a torrential flood. It even formed a massive Spiritual Qi vortex right above his head.

SWOOSH!!!

This sudden surge of Spiritual Qi instantly alarmed all the Cultivators from Nanling. Ji Qingxue and the others paled in shock, looking in that direction with eyes full of horror.

"What a terrifying disturbance in the Spiritual Qi. Someone is breaking through."

"It’s coming from Brother Jiang’s direction."

"What? Jiang Hao’s direction? How is that possible? Is he really charging for the First Transformation?"

WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!!!

As soon as those words were spoken, almost everyone flickered and instantly appeared a short distance away from Jiang Hao.

And when they saw that Spiritual Qi vortex and sensed the terrifying, rapidly skyrocketing aura, every single one of them was instantly petrified on the spot.

"Heavens, is he really breaking through to the next realm?"

"How can this be? Didn’t he just enter the Spirit Transformation Realm not long ago? How could he break through to the First Spirit Transformation so quickly?"

"That’s definitely the aura of the First Spirit Transformation. It hasn’t even been a month, yet he actually did it?"

"Impossible, this is absolutely impossible. It’s impossible for anyone to gather spirit for the First Transformation so quickly! How did he do it?"

Watching the young man whose aura was skyrocketing, all the peerless geniuses of Nanling felt as if they had been struck by lightning.

This was an undeniably massive blow to them. Even the leading figure among them—the one with the most terrifying talent and potential—had taken three months to reach the First Spirit Transformation. And that was the absolute minimum time required, achieved only with the assistance of his peers.

Yet this white-clad youth, whom they barely knew, had broken through without making a sound.

How could they accept this? They were all the cream of the crop among peerless geniuses; what gave him the right to break through so easily?

While the crowd stood dumbfounded, the Spiritual Qi in the forest surged to the heavens. A terrifying aura swept in all directions, and the aura radiating from the figure in white grew visibly stronger.

"What terrifying power," Jiang Hao murmured in his heart. Even he was surprised.

He had originally thought that the First Spirit Transformation merely entailed a qualitative change in the Conception Vessel. He never expected a ripple effect to occur; the feedback from the Conception Vessel’s immense transformation caused his entire being to grow stronger.

At a certain moment...

BOOM!!!

Unable to suppress that power, Jiang Hao’s body jolted. The terrifying power of the First Transformation erupted from within him, instantly reducing the endless surrounding flora to ash.

Inside his body, the Conception Vessel shone with blinding radiance. A faint golden power slowly circulated within it, seemingly heavy enough to crush boundless mountains and rivers. It drove the endless Spiritual Power within him to undergo a massive transformation, making it even more terrifying and formidable.

"Golden Spiritual Power? It’s actually Golden Spiritual Power?"

When they saw that burst of golden Spiritual Power sweep out, everyone was utterly stupefied.

"Heavens, Qingxue, just what kind of monster did you find?"

"Reaching the First Spirit Transformation in around forty days... It’s simply unbelievable."

"A peerless freak! He’s a peerless freak!"

"An existence of the first tier! With Golden Spiritual Power, he isn’t just a peerless genius of the second tier; he’s a peerless freak of the first tier!"

"What did you say? A peerless freak of the... first tier?"

At those words, everyone gasped. Ji Qingxue was completely dumbfounded, her delicate frame trembling violently.

Ji Wufeng felt as if his world had been rocked. Breathing heavily, his eyes wide with shock, he said, "A peerless freak of the first tier? Doesn’t that mean he... he’s a Martial Soul Awakener of the Saint Tier or higher?"

BOOM!!!

Upon hearing this, the crowd felt as though they had been struck by lightning once again, suddenly finding their mouths completely dry.

"An Awakened of the Saint Tier or higher? Then... what level of Martial Soul is that?"

Someone gasped for air, having already realized something but not daring to believe their own guess. However, one of the peerless geniuses of Nanling said with a trembling voice, "Divine Tier Martial Soul. The Golden Spiritual Power... he is a Divine Tier Martial Soul Awakener."

A heavy thunderbolt viciously struck everyone’s hearts.

A Divine Tier Martial Soul, also known as a Divine-level Martial Soul, was an existence comparable to a deity. They were the true chosen ones of heaven.

Learning that the youth in white was actually a Divine-level Awakener, massive waves of shock surged within the hearts of Ji Qingxue and the others.

"A Divine-level Awakener... How could someone like that join our faction?"

Someone cried out in alarm. Chosen ones of this caliber were all incredibly arrogant and proud. At the same time, they represented the absolute ceiling of talent and usually operated alone, because traveling with a group would only hold them back. The vast majority chose to enter the ruins by themselves.

Moreover, such figures were as elusive as dragons. Merely encountering a peerless freak was harder than ascending to the heavens.

Yet, right here, right now, right in front of everyone, a peerless freak had actually appeared.

"Heavens—!"

Looking at the frankly earth-shattering flow rate of the Spiritual Qi, Ji Wufeng stood completely paralyzed on the spot.

That was a legendary, freak-level existence! A figure destined to enter the Hegemony Rankings, rather than just the Celestial Pride List.

To think that such a peerless figure had actually crossed paths with them.