Chapter 88: Extreme (3)

Lower Realm, Spirit Realm, Wasteland

Wang Ping cautiously walked out of the vortex; the effect of the Increase Yuan Pill on him remained, but when he left the Spirit Realm, he lost the support of vast spiritual power and had already returned to ten times normal speed.

By now, he had returned to the Wasteland, and that effect had dwindled to near nothing; Wang Ping estimated his speed had dropped to about one times.

This also confirmed his guess: the cultivation speed boost from the Increase Yuan Pill is related to the density of heaven and earth spiritual qi.

Even though Wang Ping had prepared, after training with the five‑catty Divine Sense Hammer in the Spirit Realm, the moment he fully appeared in the Lower Realm his head suddenly jolted and he felt dizzy.

The resistance of heaven and earth was still greater than Wang Ping imagined; he now could not even move.

One can imagine that, if he had not trained his Divine Sense, he would probably already be unconscious on the ground.

After three hours, Wang Ping finally managed to move a little; another three hours later, he slowly shuffled to the bedside and sat down slowly.

"This is definitely more than a hundredfold resistance!" Wang Ping muttered.

No one has ever heard of a cultivator being pressed by heaven‑and‑earth resistance to the point of being unable to walk.

After a full day had passed, Wang Ping was finally able to move freely.

Once he could move, he first took out the Trace‑seeking Butterfly; seeing it was basically unharmed, he then placed it back on himself.

Afterwards he checked the Soul‑devouring Butterfly; three years had passed, and the life force of its eggs seemed to have grown vigorous.

After sensing the condition of the eggs with his Divine Sense, Wang Ping decided to increase the dosage for the eggs over the next three years, with a continuously rising increment.

The Spirit Insect Cultivation Notes state: aside from the first three years, when adding Spirit Insect Liquid there is a standard; the remaining seven years can be added according to the eggs' life fluctuations as needed.

According to Wang Ping's observation, the life‑force fluctuations of his eight eggs are relatively excellent, so over the next three years he plans to add three bowls of Spirit Insect Liquid in the first year, then continue adding based on conditions in the second year.

After examining the Soul‑devouring Butterfly, Wang Ping lay down and slept, cultivating without rest for a month, his spirit kept highly tense.

Especially the struggle against heaven‑and‑earth resistance consumes the most essence, energy, and spirit.

That sleep lasted another three days and three nights.

On the morning of the fourth day, Wang Ping resumed the same cultivation routine as the previous three years.

Each day, under the pressure of heaven‑and‑earth resistance, a six‑catty small hammer incessantly struck in his mind.

Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

Every day, Wang Ping would hear this sound; it was illusory, occurring only in his mind.

That is the sound of the Divine Sense Hammer striking the will; that day, Xiao Yang once said this sound is also a kind of will‑training.

At first Wang Ping was very unaccustomed to it, but after over three years of enduring, this sound no longer disturbs him.

………

Three years later, deep in the Wasteland!

Nine azure sword lights howled; on the ground, Wang Ping, clad in a blue brocade robe, laughed heartily.

The middle stage of the Azure Light Sword Technique, i. e., the second layer, has finally been mastered by him!

Adding up the time before and after, it totals six years; from the Azure Light Sword Technique's first three layers obtained from that fallen Foundation Establishment cultivator, he has already cultivated the second layer!

The first layer can cultivate three sword lights.

The second layer can cultivate six sword lights.

Now, with nine sword lights, Wang Ping can only fuse six of them; the rest is painstaking practice.

Come back!

With a thought, Wang Ping sent the nine sword lights shooting like arrows leaving the bow, tracing a pale azure filament in the air.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! …

The nine sword lights that flew back continuously circled around Wang Ping.

After obtaining the first three layers of the Azure Light Sword Technique, Wang Ping finally understood that the condensed sword light is essentially a state of mixed spiritual power and metal.

The mantra in the sword technique can draw out the refined metal qi from a magical artifact, merge it with spiritual power, and thus form sword light of utmost sharpness.

Such separation does not harm the sword body; on the contrary, when the sword light returns to the sword itself, it nourishes the sword.

But what most moved Wang Ping's emotions was the last page of that sword manual, which recorded that a cultivator of great perseverance once practiced the Azure Light Sword Technique, using a single sword from the Qi Refining stage all the way to Golden Core.

When he was at Foundation Establishment, he took a high‑grade magical‑artifact‑level sword as his Natal Magic Treasure, continually refining it; when one day he cultivated the true Dao‑technique level of the Azure Light Sword Technique, a single sword swing sent azure light rippling three hundred li.

At that time, he was a Foundation Establishment Great Perfection!

Originally he could have led the Azure Moon Sect back to its peak, but he encountered a monster‑tide outbreak in the Barrier Sunset Mountain Range of the Western Declivity Region.

To save a city's populace, with the cultivation of a Foundation Establishment Great Perfection cultivator, he single‑handedly fought three fifth‑stage early demon beasts (equivalent to human Golden Core cultivators).

In the end, at the cost of his life, the three demon beasts comparable to early Golden Core cultivators resulted in one dead, one crippled, and one severely wounded.

That cultivator's name was Luo Zhengyang, the legitimate son of the Golden Core True Person of that time!

It is said that Luo Zhengyang, sword in hand, sat on the city wall, his oil and lamp exhausted, yet a hundred thousand ferocious beasts dared not advance a step.

It was also then that the fame of the Azure Light Sword Technique first spread beyond the Western Declivity Region.

When Wang Ping first read this passage, his heart was shaken.

He now can defeat even early Foundation Establishment cultivators—let alone the gap between Foundation Establishment and Golden Core.

And when fighting demon beasts, it is well known that demon beasts are generally stronger than human cultivators.

Precisely because he knows how difficult it is, his shock is all the stronger.

The notes once speculated that Luo Zhengyang's such combat prowess might stem from the perfect unity of his Natal Magic Treasure and the Dao‑technique Azure Light Sword Technique.

The perfect union of Natal Magic Treasure and Dao Technique made Wang Ping think of the Shopping Mall Battle; back then it seemed just like that, and the Dao Technique displayed by a Foundation Establishment expert appeared to be employed in conjunction with his Natal Magic Treasure.

But to achieve perfect harmony between Dao Technique and Natal Magic Treasure, one must, during the Qi Refining stage, fuse sword light into the body; thus, at Foundation Establishment it can likewise advance and become the Natal Magic Treasure.

This sword light is the only sword light; it requires completely extracting the refined metal qi from a magical artifact, turning it into sword light, and then re‑fusing it.

That is another secret method, which can draw out the refined metal qi from metal.

After fusing sword light into the body, it will form Natal Sword Light, which can then multiply—one to a hundred, a hundred to a thousand, a thousand to ten thousand.

Wang Ping once felt moved, but thinking of his own azure light ring, after much deliberation he chose to abandon merging the sword light.

The Azure Light Sword Technique is actually a process of constantly splitting the sword light and recombining it; if one really examines it closely, there isn't much change.

But his azure light ring indeed undergoes further change on this basis, and its power is astonishing—almost three times the limit of a single layer.

According to the notes, the sole sword light possesses uniqueness, with no other variations; that is to say, once he chooses to merge the sword light, the azure light ring will disappear.

This he cannot accept; the azure light ring is a product of his sudden inspiration, and with repeated use he has gained many insights—how could he let it disappear?

However, this method gave him an inspiration: if sword light can be merged, why can't the azure light ring be merged?

But there is still a problem: if the azure light ring is merged into his natal magic treasure, how will he perform Daoist arts in the future?

The power of merging Daoist arts with their corresponding magic treasures is great—he has seen it before, and it is indeed not insignificant.

If he does that, wouldn't he be losing part of his combat strength?

Regarding this, Wang Ping was greatly troubled; could it be that he must create a Daoist art? What would it be called? Diamond Polishing?

Over the past three years, Wang Ping has pondered this problem countless times; in the end he still decided to merge the azure light ring, but these are the tasks for the next three years. Now, his soul has reached its limit under the seven‑catty hammer.

Wang Ping already feels that he is about to undergo a transformation of will.

This period does not exceed three days; today is his last time coming out to test the Azure Light Sword Technique.

Having glanced at the vast, desolate land around him, Wang Ping returned once more to the underground cave dwelling.

Three days later! Wang Ping, sitting cross‑legged, trembled all over, cold sweat pouring forth, his face contorted.

The process of will transformation is extremely painful; he is enduring it with all his strength.

If anyone saw Wang Ping's current appearance, they would see a faint crystal‑colored light shimmering from his forehead—this is the phenomenon that appears only when the will begins to transform.