Chapter 165: Rune

The spirit root is formless, hidden in the dantian; you can sense it, but if you try to observe it concretely, you'll find you have no way to grasp it.

However, Wang Ping has an advantage no one else can match: he can use the Reverse Fire Spell to enter that special space, thereby observing concrete, tangible spirit roots.

Upon returning to this strange space, the heavenly pillars of yellow, gold, blue, azure, and fire—five colors—are arranged in dark circular patterns.

Now the pattern of the Reverse Fire Spell has become a five‑color pattern, linking all the manifested spirit roots.

Among the five spirit roots, Wang Ping is most familiar with the wood spirit root, followed closely by the fire spirit root; to comprehend them, using the two major spirit roots as breakthrough points is most suitable.

Wang Ping's gaze first fell on the wood spirit root, a pillar emitting azure light.

On the nine‑zhang‑high wood spirit pillar, a faint azure glow spreads; at first glance it seems unremarkable.

But after Wang Ping's divine sense lightly touched it, the azure light blocked him; as he gradually increased his divine sense strength, the blocking force of the azure light grew stronger—no matter how much his divine sense increased, the resistance of the azure light increased accordingly.

However, after slaying Huo Yunzi, Wang Ping's essence, energy, and spirit had broken through to an abnormal degree; with the aid of the Will Star, this resistance lasted about ten breaths, and Wang Ping finally entered the interior of the azure light pillar.

Is this a rune?

After breaking through the azure light's obstruction, Wang Ping saw a vast expanse of runes arranged in a spiral; each rune followed a certain order, giving a sense of perfection, as if moving any one would destroy that perfection.

Again, runes?

Formations bear runes, and the Heaven and Earth Treasure Pattern is also a rune; could the most superficial manifestation of the Great Dao be just runes?

Wang Ping harbored a hint of this doubt; he recalled that in the Ancient Orchid Relics he had once comprehended many fire‑system runes.

Is comprehending Dao intent simply mastering the so‑called runes? At this moment Wang Ping's consciousness was in a violent collision; ideas surfaced one after another, constantly striking each other, a feeling that was quite marvelous.

Perhaps by thoroughly comprehending these runes he could grasp wood Dao intent; Wang Ping guessed as much, but seeing the thousands of runes made him feel his idea might be impractical.

Even though he has now reached Foundation Establishment Great Perfection and his divine sense has grown, Wang Ping estimates he can at most comprehend and remember a hundred runes— not bad— which, spread over the five elements, amounts to only twenty runes each.

Exiting the azure spirit pillar, Wang Ping entered the red spirit pillar, where likewise thousands of runes form a spiral pattern.

Back in the outside world, Wang Ping opened his eyes; his left and right hands each condensed a rune using wood spirit power and fire spirit power—these two runes are one of the thousands within the spirit root.

When he condensed the two runes, Wang Ping felt he had gained a different understanding of the wood and fire five elements!

To verify his hypothesis, Wang Ping again condensed two wood‑fire runes each; this time the feeling became a bit clearer.

At this moment Wang Ping seemed to fall into a strange epiphany, and countless ideas suddenly flooded his mind.

Outside his body, a big fireball appeared at times, vines at others, then a water sword, earth thorns, golden knives, and various ordinary spells were unleashed one after another.

His eyes glimmered with a crystalline light as he stared at the various spells, muttering:

"Spells use spirit power as a bridge; ultimately they are changes in runes, and each spell requires a different combination of runes!"

"A cultivator's spirit power comes from the dantian; the role of runes therein is to serve as a framework, to amplify, to call upon spirit power, forming lethal force—or perhaps even more!"

"Why do spells have grades? Because the arrangement of runes differs; why does Dao technique surpass spells so greatly? Could it be that after comprehending enough runes, unimaginable changes occur?"

"If that is true, ancient cultivators could grasp Dao technique at the Foundation Establishment stage; I could too—perhaps when the number of comprehended runes reaches a certain level, Dao intent arises, just as carving runes gives me a clearer sense of the wood and fire Dao."

Wang Ping's self‑spoken voice appeared in this space, and this change continues.

"Nowadays, cultivators can use their natal magic treasure to perform Dao technique—is it because that treasure bears the runes for that Dao technique, or for the most part, as long as a cultivator refines it into a natal magic treasure, those runes are equivalent to the cultivator's own comprehension of Dao! However, this is a shortcut."

"The yellow‑clothed cultivator says this is a dead end, but Wang Ping disagrees—how many people in the world can comprehend Dao technique at the Foundation Establishment stage? Even someone with talent like the Soul Moon Young Master of the Soul Refining Palace needs medicinal aid to grasp Dao technique, showing how difficult it is."

"If one often performs Dao technique with the aid of a natal magic treasure, that is not necessarily a bad way to comprehend Dao technique."

Wang Ping also thought of the Heaven and Earth Treasure Pattern on his natal magic treasure; the key for Foundation Establishment cultivators to cast Dao technique lies in the runes contained within that pattern—is this not a targeted forging based on the characteristics of Dao technique?

Upon reaching this thought, Wang Ping's eyes grew brighter; the spirit root bears over a thousand runes, and if the number of comprehended runes reaches a certain point—that is, comprehending Dao intent—he could completely create a Dao technique suited to himself!

Is this not exactly the Dao technique he desires for the Vajra Pestle?

A natal magic treasure should enhance the power of Dao technique, not merely serve as an aid to cast it.

His own five‑elements return to one essentially means unifying the runes on the five‑element spirit roots; that is true five‑elements return to one.

All difficulties lie in the runes; once solved, many problems will be readily resolved, and Wang Ping suddenly felt enlightened.

"Time's up! After three breaths, the third match begins!"

The familiar cold voice sounded!

Wang Ping drew a deep breath, then slowly exhaled.

A flash of light before his eyes, and he found himself on an arena—however, this arena is huge, square, fifty li across!

This time his opponent is no longer a young cultivator but a middle‑aged man.

Upon seeing him, Wang Ping felt his hairs stand on end; a strong intuition told him he was no match, and if he forced a battle he would likely die.

This feeling was the first time it had appeared on Wang Ping, yet he despised it!

"Junior cultivator! Come! Let me see whether, after another ten thousand years, your spirit‑root cultivation method has made any progress!"

"Battle!"

Wang Ping let out a loud roar; at this moment he was furious, furious at himself for fearing battle before fighting.

After ten breaths, Wang Ping was slammed to the ground by an invisible pressure, unable to move.

The middle‑aged cultivator opposite stood still, his gaze calmly fixed on Wang Ping as he said lightly:

"My talent is dull; when I first learned spells, I picked up the ordinary gravity technique in earth‑system spells a bit faster, a bit better. Knowing I was stupid, I devoted myself to this single spell, studying it for a hundred and fifty years. One day I suddenly grasped earth Dao intent, and the gravity technique became ever more terrifying—just like what you feel now! My teacher said my gravity technique equals the power of Dao Technique First Realm Open Dao Great Perfection."

"In my life I know only this one Dao technique; if you can stand up, you win!"