Chapter 512: Shambhala, Amethyst Cradle (2)

"Wu Yuan, I've re-examined your past and your cultivation over the past three years. You've done better than I expected," Eldritch Sovereign Kua Chi spoke softly. "Your Dao comprehension progress isn't fast. Even with the Celestial Divine Body, you can only be considered average among the many top peerless geniuses."

"Among your many Senior Brothers, almost all of them have an Intermediate Law Dao Body."

"A few have even cultivated two true selves, both of which have an Intermediate Law Dao Body, equivalent to dual Intermediate Law Dao Bodies." Eldritch Sovereign Kua Chi said with a smile.

Wu Yuan was secretly shocked.

Indeed, his potential was top-notch in the Fifth Origin Eldritch Field, far ahead of everyone else. But among the millions of geniuses in the five Origin Eldritch Fields, his talent would probably only rank within the top hundred.

"However, your Dao comprehension speed is only one aspect of your talent. Some of your Senior Brothers became Astral Lords right after overcoming their Tribulations. But after billions of years, they are still stuck at the Astral Lord level, unable to break through. This has nothing to do with their speed of Dao comprehension."

"Your mentality is quite good, much better than your Senior Brother Chang Hong," Eldritch Sovereign Kua Chi said. "Even under pressure, your spirit can still remain calm, never wavering, walking your own path.

"This is good. With such resilience, your cultivation journey will be relatively stable, and when facing bottlenecks, it will be easier for you to break through," Eldritch Sovereign Kua Chi said calmly.

When he first took Wu Yuan under his wing, he habitually tried to deflate this new disciple’s pride, to temper his character.

But after observing him for a while, he found that this little disciple was not at all arrogant. There was no need to test or hone his temperament any further.

"Thank you for the compliment, Master," Wu Yuan said respectfully.

"Wu Yuan, for every disciple under my tutelage, before they overcome their Tribulations, I will give them a chance to attempt a path of great power," Eldritch Sovereign Kua Chi said.

"However, few have succeeded. Of the two most successful, one is your Third Senior Brother, but sadly, he has fallen."

"And the second one, is your Ninth Senior Brother, who now possesses power close to a Sovereign."

Wu Yuan felt a glimmer of hope as he listened.

His master would give them a chance?

"I gave the same opportunity to your Senior Brother Chang Hong and Senior Brother Jiang Huan," Eldritch Sovereign Kua Chi said. "However, your Senior Brother Chang Hong failed outright.

"Your Senior Brother Jiang Huan took the first step. Though he has yet to reach the end of this path, what he has achieved so far has already enabled him to claim the title of the current Number One High Eldritch, slaying Archimmortals as if slaughtering chickens."

Hearing this, waves of excitement stirred in Wu Yuan's heart.

Senior Brother Jiang Huan could slay Archimmortals as if slaughtering chickens? How powerful he must be, and this was just partial success?

"Now, I'm giving you the same opportunity," Eldritch Sovereign Kua Chi said, flipping over his palm.

In his palm, a crystalline silver sphere appeared, its surface covered in countless complex cryptic patterns and emanating mysterious fluctuations.

"What is this?" Wu Yuan was taken aback.

"Once your body refiner self breaks through to the ninth-stage Shambhala phase, split your focus between contemplating the Celestial Body Dao as well as this," Eldritch Sovereign Kua Chi softly said.

"I'll give you three hundred years. In the next three hundred years, if you can reach the initiate threshold, it means you have the aptitude for it."

"Within three hundred years, if you gain nothing, then don't force it. Continue studying the Celestial Body Dao as usual, and in the future, you can still become an Archeldritch," Eldritch Sovereign Kua Chi said. "If you comprehend something from it, come see me again."

Three hundred years?

Wu Yuan muttered to himself.

It sounded like a long time, but from his two senior brothers, he understood that the further along one’s cultivation path, the harder it was to make new accomplishments.

"Furthermore, I know you have ambitions to venture out on expeditions. But after you reach the ninth-stage Shambhala phase, start learning various ether arts first. Only after you've made progress should you venture out. In particular, you must properly consider your choice of grand ether art," Eldritch Sovereign Kua Chi advised.

"I understand." Wu Yuan nodded.

Once he advanced to the Shambhala phase, being a body refiner with a second-degree immortal root, his soul chamber would strengthen further, allowing him to learn an additional advanced ether art and a grand ether art.

Any grand ether art was immensely powerful, playing a key role in fights against opponents from higher cultivation phases. Obviously, he had to make a careful decision.

"Sharpening the chopper does not delay the task of chopping wood. The Voltari Temple would have set their sights on you by now," Eldritch Sovereign Kua Chi said. "In the eldritch world, you're safe. But once you leave the Cang Feng Continent, you'll face countless dangers."

"This is the divine crystal elixir, take it with you. When you're about to leave the eldritch world, come see me again." With a flip of his hand, Eldritch Sovereign Kua Chi sent a jade vial flying towards Wu Yuan.

"Understood." Wu Yuan respectfully replied as he caught the jade vial.

In an instant, a gust of invisible energy engulfed Wu Yuan, along with the Boundary Tree and the silver light sphere, causing them all to vanish from the plains.

Who would've thought. When that person fell back then, I spent countless years in the Cang Feng Eldritch World searching for Space Tomes. After much painstaking effort, I managed to collect two.

Eldritch Sovereign Kua Chi’s mouth curled up in a smile.

And now my disciple has managed to get one more!

With a wave of his hand, a corner of the previously calm space was torn open, revealing a mysterious hidden space. Within this dark realm were numerous powerful artifacts radiating strong auras.

Whoosh!

A silver, triangular crystal prism flew in, swiftly landing next to two other similar prisms.

They made up the foundation of the Cang Feng Eldritch World.

Having gained such a great benefit, I should properly consider this disciple’s future.

Eldritch Sovereign Kua Chi didn't like owing favors, even to his disciples.

With this in mind, he gave a mental command, "Hou Qu, come back."

"I've forgotten something, take it with you."

...

The Fifth Origin Eldritch Field, inside the Essence Tower of Wu Yuan’s void continent.

Just one thought, and Master sent me all the way back here?

Wu Yuan muttered to himself, his gaze fixed on the silver sphere in front of him.

Master took the triangular prism crystal but didn't say when I could accept the inheritance.

This silver sphere can lead me onto an incredibly powerful path? What path?

Wu Yuan questioned silently.

His master didn't make it clear. But Wu Yuan understood that this was just an opportunity. The talents of his many senior brothers and sisters were not lacking, but many failed to grasp the opportunity. The difficulty must be unimaginably high.

Let's try.

Wu Yuan began carefully observing the silver sphere, sensing the special nature of the countless silver cryptic patterns. They contained the Dao resonance, and were incredibly mysterious!

A full day passed.

I've gained nothing, I can't understand it at all.

Wu Yuan frowned, feeling as if he was trying to read a heavenly scripture.

It was impossible to understand!

No, that’s not right. Master said that it's not too late for me to comprehend it after reaching the ninth-stage Shambhala phase.

Wu Yuan mused inwardly.

There must be a reason for him to say that. Let's step into the Shambhala phase first.

Wu Yuan closed his eyes.

Within the expansive soul chamber, waves of vital ether surged, and a colossal Teng Snake meandered through. A verdant sapling also floated atop the ether.

Hum~

Countless light points converged, and Wu Yuan's soul avatar materialized within this soul chamber.

"Master," Little Black immediately sensed the arrival of Wu Yuan's soul.

"Hmm, Little Black, I'm about to step into the Shambhala phase and engrave the shambhala, get ready," Wu Yuan instructed.

"Got it. Master, you're finally going to break through?" Little Black's excitement was palpable.

It knew that its Master had a profound Dao comprehension. Wu Yuan could have broken through long ago, but to contemplate the transformation of life, he had opted to delay his transition from the ninth-stage Spiritual Body phase a little longer.

Celestial Body, True Intent, the soul chamber transforms into shambhala.

Wu Yuan gave a mental command, and his soul immediately activated the operation of the soul chamber.

To form shambhala.

Rumble~

A massive quantity of vital ether immediately began to churn, forming vortexes and quickly condensing into streams of even more refined vital ether.

Wu Yuan had reviewed the steps to transition from the Spiritual Body phase to Shambhala phase countless times.

Swoosh~

Inside Wu Yuan’s body, droplets of crystal clear divine crystal elixir flew out from the jade vial.

Each drop of divine crystal elixir contained unimaginable energy, quickly pouring into Wu Yuan's skin, before being absorbed by the soul chamber through the meridians.

Why was divine crystal elixir precious? Because it was the essence of all matter created by heaven and earth. Even an Archeldritch or Archdeity would face no hindrance when trying to absorb it. Converting it into vital ether or essentia/mana posed no burden at all.

Even in the Origin Eldritch World, over ninety-nine percent of geniuses couldn't acquire divine crystal elixir. Most simply used divine crystals for cultivation.

Within Wu Yuan's soul chamber, streams of pristine ether emerged, dozens of times purer than ever before.

Even with the divine crystal elixir, it took a full two hours for all the ether within the soul chamber to be refined.

At this moment, Wu Yuan felt as if his soul chamber was about to explode, unable to withstand the surging vital ether.

Explode!

Wu Yuan’s soul guided the vital ether.

Boom!

Like the creation of heaven and earth, the all-encompassing vital ether erupted. The entire soul chamber underwent a world-shaking transformation.

Rumble~

The soul chamber, originally an actual space, swiftly expanded, forming a landscape complete with vast lands, lakes, mountains, canyons, soil, and so on. The landscape spanned a thousand li in radius.

I heard that when a cultivator with a ninth-degree immortal root breaks through, the shambhala will only be a hundred li in radius.

Wu Yuan thought to himself.

Meanwhile, when someone with a legendary innate first-degree immortal root breaks through, they will form a shambhala of 5500 li.

5500 li represented a kind of limit, a sort of level of perfection under the operation of heaven and earth.

Only a cultivator with a first-degree immortal root could achieve this.

It’s a pity that the landscape lacks spirituality.

Wu Yuan's soul avatar wandered through the landscape.

This landscape was quite vast, but there was no life, not even plants. Everything seemed dead and desolate.

Only by stepping into the Elysian Field phase would one’s internal shambhala undergo a fundamental transformation, but it would still be uninhabitable.

Starting from the Shambhala phase, the Elysian Field phase, Dharma Body phase, and Universe Architect phase, were all steps of the internal shambhala’s transformation process.

Only after overcoming the Tribulations and becoming an Archeldritch would the landscape become entirely real, independent of heaven and earth.

But the stronger the power within the shambhala inside the body, the stronger the oppression from heaven and earth, and the greater the rejection.

Wu Yuan could already vaguely sense it.

Invisible power from heaven and earth was slowly eroding the essence of the shambhala within his body.

This erosion was very weak, like a slow-acting poison. Yet, Wu Yuan couldn't stop this erosion process, he couldn't even slow it down.

The essence of the shambhala within my body will be completely eroded in ten thousand years?

Wu Yuan did a quick estimation.

The internal shambhala was unique to body refiners and under their absolute control!

Just as the human body rejected and killed foreign cells, to the vast heaven and earth, its rules applied to every corner of the universe. Sensing that it can't control the internal shambhalas of body refiners, it naturally rejected, suppressed, and eroded them.

Those at the Elysian Field phase and the Dharma Body phase had strong bodies, and were almost unkillable. Theoretically, their lifespan could reach unimaginable lengths.

Yet, why was their lifespan only limited to thirty thousand and ninety thousand years respectively?

Essentially, it was the result of heaven and earth constantly eroding the shambhala within the body!

I must become an Archeldritch, and the shambhala in my body must become real, self-regulated and flawless. Only then can I resist the erosion and oppression of the vast heaven and earth.

Wu Yuan understood this clearly.

And only then can I truly live a long life.