Chapter 112: Becoming A True Cultivator - Master Realm.
Inside Jun Wu’s mansion, silence reigned except for the faint hum of spiritual energy circulating through the cultivation chamber.
While the entire city buzzed with his name and some preparing for the incoming store. He was different.
After returning from the lecture, Jun Wu had been unable to calm himself.
His mind swirled with strange and profound information, knowledge far beyond what he thought possible for someone at his level.
Yet instead of confusion, there was clarity.
His thoughts were sharper than a blade, every detail falling into place with uncanny precision.
Seated cross-legged in the dim glow of the cultivation chamber, he slowly digested the flood of knowledge streaming into his consciousness.
At first, he could scarcely believe what he was experiencing.
Only a few days ago, he thought setting up a Grade-2 Array Formation was beyond his reach, only those at the Master Realm could do it.
He had accepted the so-called limitations of the mortal body as truth.
But now... those shackles had been lifted.
His soul energy had strengthened immensely, radiating with vigor, and he knew with unshakable confidence that he could now construct a Grade-2 Array Formation without faltering.
Yet, this newfound ability was not the most shocking revelation.
Within his mind, etched deeper than memory itself, rested an array formation of a complexity he had never seen before.
It pulsed with dao rhymes, every strand brimming with ethereal resonance as if it were woven by the heavens themselves.
He tried to comprehend it, but his thoughts blanked the moment he touched its essence.
He tried again and again, only to fail.
Finally, he gave up with a bitter smile.
Though he could not understand its mysteries, he somehow knew how to construct it and recognized its sole function.
It was an array meant to test for the chosen one.
At first, the notion seemed absurd.
But the longer he digested the information, the more the purpose behind it unfolded in his heart.
The world was moving toward impending disaster.
Salvation would not come from heaven itself, but through bearers of light—teachers who would spread knowledge, guiding cultivators and mortals alike through the looming calamity.
Jun Wu inhaled sharply, his breath cold. The way of heaven is beyond the way of man...
Since heaven had laid this mandate upon him, he would not reject it.
But before fulfilling such a monumental task, he needed to sift through and organize the torrent of knowledge filling his mind.
His understanding of arrays had increased by leaps and bounds, but that was not all.
His runic mastery, once only a supplement to his blacksmithing—had also ascended.
"Perhaps," he muttered to himself, "mortal weapons should no longer be called simple blades or spears. A true Artifact is born under the hands of a Grade-1 Blacksmith—no, an Artifact Refiner."
Just like arrays, runes were the very language of the heavens, capable of channeling unfathomable power.
What mortals played with was nothing more than the faint shadow of true divine script.
Hours passed as he sorted through every fragment of insight.
When he finally turned his focus on his body, his breath caught. His body had transformed.
He had always been considered handsome, but under the baptism of heaven’s blessing, his appearance had transcended mere beauty.
His aura was no longer simply noble—it was otherworldly.
Those who saw him would not just admire him; they would bow in reverence.
His cultivation had surged as well.
From the Early Stage of First-Rated Martial Artist, he had leaped directly to the Peak Stage of First-Rated Martial Artist.
With the slightest push, he could step into the Master Realm.
Under normal circumstances, such rapid advancement would create a weak and unstable foundation.
But now... his foundation was as firm as a mountain.
Every impurity in his body had been purged, leaving behind skin so tender it seemed fragile, yet beneath it lay terrifying strength.
With his physique alone, he could crush a Peak First-Rated Martial Artist.
If he chose to unleash his Wind Blade technique, his enemies would perish before they even realized what struck them.
Rising to his feet, Jun Wu clenched his fists and whispered, "I guess it’s time. I can attempt my breakthrough to Master."
His instincts urged him forward. This was the best moment, and he could not afford to miss it.
The difference between martial artists and cultivators was like night and day.
A martial artist trained body and blood Qi, but a cultivator... a cultivator birthed a dantian, the vessel to harness heaven and earth’s spiritual energy.
Forming this dantian required more than willpower; it required a visualization technique.
The dantian was not a physical organ—it was a metaphysical construct woven into existence by the cultivator’s consciousness, recognized and blessed by heaven and earth.
Without it, no martial artist could take the step into true cultivation.
Standing before the mural etched in his chamber wall, Jun Wu fixed his gaze upon it.
Slowly, the world around him shifted.
He no longer stood in his chamber. He stood before a colossal tree, its trunk so vast it pierced beyond heaven itself.
Its countless branches stretched infinitely in all directions, and upon each leaf shimmered a world of its own.
Life, endless and boundless, rippled across its surface.
Jun Wu’s chest tightened as his heart pounded furiously.
He felt as though the mysteries of existence itself were unraveling before him.
The vision twisted, and suddenly he stood at the bank of a river.
To call it a river was an understatement.
Its waters stretched endlessly, so vast that even oceans would pale in comparison.
The gentle current flowed serenely, carrying whispers of eternity, while a cool breeze washed over him, soothing his mind and soul.
Back in reality, Jun Wu’s body began to undergo visible transformation.
The few spiritual stones placed in the chamber cracked, then shattered into powder.
Their energy surged into him, coursing through his meridians like a flood seeking its destination.
At last, the energy found its target—his forming dantian.
Like a starving beast, the dantian devoured every wisp of spiritual energy, swelling and solidifying with each pulse.
The process repeated without pause, autonomous and unstoppable.
Energy continued to pour in, weaving threads of heaven and earth into the newborn core within him.
The chamber quaked under the intensity, yet Jun Wu remained still, immersed in the divine vision.
His journey as a mere martial artist had ended.
The path of a cultivator had begun.