Chapter 237: Surge of Power (3)

After becoming an eldritch warrior, the strength of my soul has grown exponentially. But as I cultivate vital ether and expand my soul chamber, most of my soul’s power is taken up by the soul chamber.

Wu Yuan finally grasped the difficulty of cultivating two paths simultaneously.

The soul was intangible. When a cultivator perceived the outside world, they converged their soul power. For body refiners, a significant portion of the soul's power remained concentrated within the soul chamber, a smaller fraction resided within the upper dantian lobe, and only a tiny amount merged into the flesh.

The fusion of soul and flesh granted immense physical strength to a body refiner and granted one strong recovery abilities.

To cultivate the soul chamber, a majority of the soul's power had to be dedicated to expanding it. The stronger the soul chamber, the further it nurtured the soul, thus amplifying its strength. However, this also necessitated a stronger soul to sustain it.

Eventually, a body refiner's soul completely integrates into the soul chamber, forsaking the middle and upper dantian lobes. In contrast, a qi refiner follows the opposite path, continually merging their soul’s power into the qi sea, strengthening it, and ultimately abandoning the lower and upper dantian lobes.

Only through the unification of soul and qi did a qi refiner’s essentia attain an unparalleled spirituality. These two paths were diametrically opposed, yet both demanded the continuous integration of a cultivator's soul.

Even though I Visualize the black pagoda consistently, there’s a limit to the daily growth of my soul. How long can the black pagoda support me? Will there come a time when my soul stops developing?

Wu Yuan furrowed his brow

Furthermore, this is just the beginning. The further I progress, the greater the disparities between these two paths. The cultivation of ether arts, arcane arts, vital ether, essentia, mana, etc. all demand a significant amount of time.

He finally understood the realm master’s advice to stick to one path. By trying to balance two endeavors, both would end up hindered by their mutual influence. Perhaps by cultivating each path independently until he reached the ninth-stage Qi Sea phase and ninth-stage Communion phase, he could defeat a Golden Core Superior despite being one phase lower. However, if he stuck to a single path, he might end up reaching the Spiritual Body phase far earlier. Most practitioners could ill afford to spend part of their lifespans on another cultivation path.

Eldritch universal cultivation must exist for a purpose. If this path is available to me, I should naturally walk it.

Wu Yuan resolved himself. This decision was not born of recklessness but rather a note from his inherited memories. Though this path was arduous, the rewards it granted in the latter stages were equally bountiful.

But I can’t embark on the path of the eldritch mage at the moment. I have just entered the Communion phase, and my soul power is insufficient.

He furrowed his brow slightly.

Moreover, I don’t possess any good materials for root establishment. Even if I forcefully unlock my qi sea, a sixth-degree immortal root is the best I can hope for.

A sixth-degree immortal root seemed decent, but it offered little help to Wu Yuan.

I must wait until I am certain of achieving a fourth-degree immortal root before opening my qi sea. As long as I have yet to breach the Spiritual Body phase, there’s no hurry.

Once he reached the Spiritual Body phase, his body and soul would fully meld into one, and the opportunity to unlock his qi sea would be lost.

...

The news that Wu Yuan had become the Middle Land's first eldritch warrior was only known by Fang Xia. The Middle Land remained peaceful throughout this period.

Apart from his daily eldritch ether practice, Wu Yuan spent his time cultivating the Eldritch Form ether art and comprehending the world. His power grew steadily each day.

...

The eldritch battle armor has finally awakened fully.

Standing in mid-air, Wu Yuan’s body was completely covered in eldritch battle armor. His body glowed with earthy-yellow light, akin to a war deity.

Previously, before I became an eldritch warrior, I was only able to claim partial ownership over the eldritch armor. Though a fourth-grade spirit armor, its defensive capabilities did not surpass that of typical eighth or seventh-grade spirit armor. That was because it was partially sealed, and yet to be fully awakened! Only vital ether can activate its dormant power. It is an artifact tailored to body refiners.

Wu Yuan could feel immense power coursing through the eldritch armor.

Once qi refiners ascended to the pinnacle of their cultivation path, they could wield countless artifacts with their boundless essentia. Meanwhile, body refiners tended to wield only two or three artifacts, though each one held paramount significance.

The seasons shifted, and the arrival of the year 3231 was marked by the ephemeral dance of spring. Wu Yuan, now 21 years of age, had already been an eldritch warrior for over a year.

Within the forbidden zone of the Cloudstride Sect, the once thriving mountain range was now flattened, transforming into desolate plains. Sandy expanses stretched as far as the eye could see, ravines and gullies etching a chaotic pattern across the land.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

A torrential downpour of golden swords cascaded from the heavens, akin to a mighty river of swords hurtling towards the earthy-yellow figure below.

"Be careful, Young Master!" Fang Xia's voice rang out.

"Haha, good move!" Wu Yuan bellowed, his saber firmly gripped in one hand. Standing in mid-air and encased in battle armor, he calmly observed the oncoming deluge of blades.

Boom!

Wu Yuan’s figure flashed. At the same time, he grew from less than two meters to three zhangs tall, transforming into a towering war deity. Ether art: Eldritch Form!

A supersonic boom accompanied his earthy yellow form as he sprinted forward with boosted speed. A magnificent trail of blade rays sliced across the sky like a dazzling river.

Clashes of steel resonated through the air. The golden river of swords stood no chance against the earthy-yellow war deity's unstoppable charge, spiraling out of control as their aura dissipated. The earthy-yellow figure pressed on, closing in on the black-armored figure.

Flee!

Fang Xia's expression shifted as the pressure of the war deity’s aura bore down on him. He launched countless flying sword artifacts in desperation, yet they proved futile against the earthy-yellow deity's relentless advance. Several successive charges brought him within just three li of Fang Xia.

Stabilize!

With a mental command from Fang Xia, golden qi currents swirled around him in a three-li radius. The fusion of the qi currents and flying swords amplified the power of the sword lights to a staggering degree.

For a moment, it seemed as though Wu Yuan was mired in a treacherous quagmire, his speed diminishing rapidly as he struggled to approach Fang Xia. However, the golden sword lights, despite their impressive display, merely tickled the surface of Wu Yuan's battle armor. It could hardly stop him.

"Old Fang, that’s foul play!" Wu Yuan called out with some annoyance. "You agreed to limit yourself to the base mana of a ninth-stage Qi Sea cultivator and not activate your Domain."

"Young Master, your ether art outburst was far too terrifying," Fang Xia shook his head in disbelief. "You covered a distance of three li in an instant. Even if I were to unleash my full mana, I wouldn't be at ease without resorting to my Domain."

It was akin to the rumble of a massive truck, automatically sending shivers down one's spine even if they knew it was unlikely to hit them. The pressure Wu Yuan was exerting far exceeded that of a truck. A single punch from Wu Yuan could shatter a mountain. There was no way Fang Xia would allow him to get close.

Soon, Wu Yuan's eldritch form dissipated and Fang Xia retracted his Domain. Bu Yu and Huan Jian were not invited to spectate this sparring match.

Fang Xia expelled a long breath. "Young Master, your progress is truly earth-shattering," he shook his head in admiration. "If I were to engage in close combat without utilizing my Domain, I would have no confidence in holding you off."

Wu Yuan couldn't help but smile. A body refiner was a warrior at heart, and now that he had cultivated an ether art and advanced to the second-stage Communion phase, his strength was significantly greater than when he first broke through.

"Ether arts are immensely powerful, but a body refiner's ether is limited," Wu Yuan chuckled. "Once the ether is depleted, it becomes impossible to unleash ether arts with the same level of explosive strength."

"That’s one way of putting it. But at least, during the activation of the ether art, it is incredibly challenging for a qi refiner of the equivalent phase to withstand the onslaught of a body refiner," Fang Xia sighed. "When I fought against the Qiong Sea King, who was also at the ninth-stage Communion phase, the pressure I felt from him wasn't much stronger than yours, Young Master."

"Qiong Sea King has yet to master any ether arts," Wu Yuan laughed.

Though he was just a second-stage Communion cultivator, Wu Yuan had a powerful immortal root. Qiong Sea King’s immortal root was weaker than his by three degrees. Once he unleashed an ether art, the power gap shrunk even further.

"Young Master, with this ether art at your disposal, you’ll be able to contend with any ninth-stage Qi Sea cultivator in the Middle Land," Fang Xia chuckled, his laughter echoing through the air. "Even if your ether is depleted, your strong defenses and ground speed would make it improbable for anyone to kill you."

"That is still far from enough," Wu Yuan said, shaking his head. "If we are to topple Great Jin, we need even greater strength. But there’s no need to worry, that day will soon arrive." After over a year of nurturing the Teng Snake, it was on the verge of hatching.

...

Years of peace had allowed the Cloudstride Sect to solidify their dominion over the Jiang Continent. The Cloudstride Sect’s status had gradually risen to the same rank as the Wu Sect, Yuanxia Palace, and Starsea Pavilion, becoming a true sacred sect in the eyes of martial artists and common folk alike.

Deep within the Huang Continent lay a mountain range shrouded in darkness. The soil was a crimson red, and the flora emanated an unsettling aura.

This place was decreed as a forbidden zone by the Huang Temple. Hence despite the abundant population of mortals in the Huang Continent, none had set foot in this realm for thousands of years, rendering the peculiar nature of this place unknown to the public.

On an early summer day in the year 3221, the centuries-long peace in this peculiar mountain range spanning hundreds of li was abruptly shattered.

Hum~

In an instant, the sky above the mountain range was illuminated, and violet fog enveloped the region.

Boom!

Like an apocalyptic cataclysm, a surge of dark power surged forth from the bowels of the earth. The heart of the mountain range ruptured, causing an onslaught of soil and stone to tumble into the hole. In the blink of an eye, a colossal chasm stretching hundreds of meters in length materialized—an abyssal cavern without end, devastating power leaking out from its depths.

As streams of eerie crimson power surged out, the once-vibrant foliage of the entire mountain range wilted visibly.

A resonant cry pierced the air. From the depths of the cavern, a colossal creature burst out into the open. Its sinewy frame extended twenty meters in length, encased in black scales. Its four hooves pounded the earth as it looked around with a bloodthirsty expression.

"The passage is opened?” The creature lowered its head, sniffing about as though predicting the fate of the world. Its eyes, obsidian orbs brimming with anticipation and malevolence, emitted a strange resonance, as if conversing in a language foreign to mortal ears. "At long last, we have returned!"

A series of deafening roars erupted, reverberating off the cavern walls. Emerging from the depths, grotesque beings crawled forth, one after another. They numbered in the hundreds, perhaps even the thousands. The smaller ones among their ranks measured a mere ten meters in length, while others reached an astonishing 50 meters.

"Roar!" "Roar!" The black-hooved creatures stood at the entrance of the cavern, their collective outcry challenging the heavens themselves, as if declaring their emergence.