Standing in the Daoist arena within the grotto, Lei Jun felt a gentle breeze brush against his body. It was so familiar.
The same purifying wind he felt when he first crossed into this world.
It marked the beginning of his cultivation journey.
Lei Jun smiled faintly, and his soul traversed the flying bridge, formally arriving at the
True-One Altar
.
Around him, the banners and sacred canopies fluttered, the lights in the grotto illuminating everything in all directions.
The weight of profound Daoist meaning imbued Lei Jun’s body and mind, making him feel completely at ease.
Yet the altar remained sealed, as if the path forward was still barred.
Lei Jun calmed his mind, and with a thought, a massive Spirit Talisman appeared above his head, glowing brilliantly. It was nine feet high and four feet wide.
The talisman’s radiance echoed with the surrounding spiritual light of the grotto, generating a subtle resonance.
In that moment, Lei Jun seemed to hear the heavenly voice of the Dao—a sound both ethereal and thunderous, filling the entire world.
Simultaneously, the
True-One Altar
before him began to change.
The second tier of the altar remained silent, but on the first-tier square altar, a soft and eternal light shone.
Countless Daoist inscriptions seemed to float across the altar’s surface.
With the inscriptions appeared four doors:
The Heavenly Gate, Earth Gate, Sun Gate, and Moon Gate.
Lei Jun respectfully bowed to the
True-One Altar
following his sect’s rites.
The procedure mirrored the ritual he had followed when he entered the
Ten Thousand Methods Altar
during the
Initiation Ceremony
.
After bowing, he stepped through the Earth Gate and entered the first tier of the
True-One Altar
.
Upon entry, Lei Jun felt as if he had entered an entirely new, isolated dimension—another realm within a grotto.
Looking around, he vaguely saw numerous silhouettes hovering in the air.
These weren’t real deities.
A similar scene had occurred during the
Ten Thousand Methods Altar
ceremony.
These figures were the spiritual essences of the
Heavenly Soldiers
,
Guardians of the Nine Provinces
, and the
Grand Marshals of the Year
who had been worshipped over countless years.
Ever since the Talismanic Branch altered its Daoist methods, these entities had ceased to be worshipped by the common people. Instead, they had become the foundation of the sect’s heritage.
In the
Ten Thousand Methods Altar
, if one ascended to the second tier, they would encounter the
Three Yuan Generals
,
Disaster-Relief Generals
, and
Spirit-Treasure Generals
.
On the third tier, the veneration extended to the
Three Sovereigns
, various
Celestial Lords
, and
True Monarchs
.
The
True-One Altar
essentially mirrored a part of the
Ten Thousand Methods Altar
.
Thus, by entering the
True-One Altar
, Lei Jun could also experience these profound Daoist insights.
The Daoist energy infused Lei Jun’s soul with a transformative purification, bringing his spirit closer to a state of pure tranquility and natural simplicity—an indescribable experience.
Cultivating here, or studying Daoist scriptures and spells, would yield twice the results with half the effort.
For Lei Jun, whose comprehension was at the
Illuminated
level, this was a chance to immerse himself in the ocean of Daoist teachings.
Just being here filled his mind with inspiration.
Ideas that had been mere sketches when developing new spells and talismans now blossomed into clear concepts.
He could hardly wait to put them into practice.
For Daoist cultivators, selecting a
Life-Bound Spell
was crucial.
During the Lower Heavens, cultivators refined their Life-Bound Spells. In the Middle Heavens, they refined Life-Bound Techniques.
While other spells could be cultivated, none matched the harmony and power of Life-Bound Spells.
More importantly, once a cultivator reached the Middle Heavens, they could enhance their Life-Bound Spells.
Even though they were still called “spells,” their power and effectiveness became incomparable.
For Lei Jun, having reached the
Primal Talisman
stage of the
Fourth Heaven
, he could now craft
Supreme-Grade Basic Talismans
effortlessly.
However, his Life-Bound Talismanic Spells—the
Spirit Strike Talisman
,
Wind Talisman
, and
Five Thunder Talisman
—could now be upgraded to far surpass basic talismans.
His mind buzzed with ideas, eager to test them all.
But the real surprise was that, aside from his soul’s purification, he sensed the breeze outside the altar beginning to extend into the grotto, touching his physical body.
He could distinctly feel his body undergoing a second purification from the
Tianshi Seal
.
Wait…
Lei Jun suddenly had a revelation.
This feeling was familiar.
But it wasn’t like the breeze that purified his body when he first arrived.
It was more akin to a rebirth.
He had experienced this twice before.
The first time was at
Qingyun River Beach
, when the combined power of the
Purple-Gold Lingzhi Essence
,
Dragon Horse Scale
, and
Heavenly Abyss Dew
elevated his bone structure from
Average Physique
to the
Hidden Dragon Spirit Physique
.
The second was in the
Yunxiao Mountain Range
, where the fusion of the
Fire Marrow Yangfish
,
Water Marrow Yinfish
,
Unaccomplished Cauldron
, and
Jiji Stone
enhanced his comprehension from
Supreme Good
to the current
Illuminated
level.
Now, with the
Tianshi Seal
nurturing his body, he felt the same sensation.
It was closer to his experience at
Qingyun River Beach
when his bone structure improved.
However, it wasn’t enough yet.
Lei Jun speculated that, just like before, he needed additional conditions for a full transformation.
Starting from a lower level meant easier breakthroughs.
But further advancements became progressively harder.
His current
Hidden Dragon Spirit Physique
would require a greater opportunity to evolve.
Regardless, accessing the
True-One Altar
’s first tier had provided the first step.
If he could enhance his bone structure to a
Sacred Physique
, his cultivation journey would undoubtedly become smoother.
Lei Jun steadied his mind and focused.
At twenty-six years old, he had successfully reached the
Fourth Heaven
and extended his lifespan to 400 years.
He was still very young.
Given that he had been at
Mount Longhu
for less than eight years, his progress was remarkable.
Yet, cultivation required diligence.
Because…
Middle Heaven cultivators had a lifespan cap of 400 years.
From the
Third Heaven
to the
Fourth Heaven
, lifespan doubled—from 200 to 400 years.
But advancing further, from the
Fourth Heaven
to the
Fifth
, and from the
Fifth
to the
Sixth
, offered no lifespan increase.
To extend his lifespan, he had to reach the
Seventh Heaven
, the realm of the Upper Heavens.
Fortunately, the prime window for advancing in the Middle Heavens was before the age of 100.
At twenty-six, Lei Jun had ample time.
However, after 100, advancement became significantly harder.
Between 100 and 200 years old, cultivators remained in their prime but faced greater difficulty breaking through.
Past 200, they entered their senior years, and breakthroughs became nearly impossible.
Historically, very few Middle Heaven cultivators had successfully advanced past 200, and none had succeeded beyond 300.
Lei Jun had no interest in challenging this record.
Lei Jun preferred to progress steadily and consistently rather than gamble on being an outlier.
Speaking of this, one couldn't overlook the three prodigies of the younger generation at the
Tianshi Mansion
:
Xu Yuanzhen
,
Li Zhengxuan
, and
Tang Xiaotang
.
Even in a Daoist Holy Land brimming with talent, these three were the objects of envy for countless disciples.
The background and capabilities of
Senior Sister Xu Yuanzhen
remained shrouded in mystery, known to very few.
Senior Brother Li Zhengxuan
possessed the rare combination of a
Sacred Physique
and
Illuminated
comprehension.
Junior Sister Tang Xiaotang
had a
Celestial Physique
and
Clear Tranquility
comprehension, which left others feeling both envious and resigned.
All three had broken through to the Upper Heavens at a young age, surpassing many senior disciples and elders of the mansion.
Their success was certainly aided by the current era of abundant spiritual energy and frequent talent emergence, but it still drew admiration from other top sects.
“A towering skyscraper begins from the ground up. One step at a time,” Lei Jun murmured to himself.
His immediate goal was to advance within the
Primal Talisman Stage
of the
Fourth Heaven
and push towards the
Fifth Heaven Dao Palace Stage
.
In the Talismanic Branch, the
Fourth Heaven Primal Talisman Stage
was divided into four sub-levels:
Initial, Intermediate, Advanced,
and
Perfection
.
Younger disciples often marked their progress with the number of talismans they refined.
Lei Jun, having just crossed the tribulation into the
Fourth Heaven
and refined his first
Primal Talisman
, was at the
Initial Stage
.
Refining a second talisman would advance him to the
Intermediate Stage
, and so on.
Upon refining four talismans, representing the four cardinal directions, he would achieve
Perfection
in the
Primal Talisman Stage
and be ready to break through to the
Fifth Heaven Dao Palace Stage
.
Calming his thoughts, Lei Jun focused his soul on cultivation within the first tier of the
True-One Altar
.
As he immersed himself, the Dao insights he perceived grew deeper.
Time passed unknowingly until Lei Jun felt a subtle shift.
Amid layers of Dao inscriptions and energy patterns, something seemed to manifest within the first tier of the
True-One Altar
.
It felt like a wondrous talismanic scripture.
However, he couldn't yet discern its contents.
A thought crossed his mind, but after several attempts, he made no progress.
Respectfully bowing to the divine spirits of the altar, Lei Jun withdrew his soul.
This time, the first tier of the altar remained open, its surface shimmering with Daoist energy.
Lei Jun followed the sect’s ceremonial procedures to exit the altar grounds, returning his consciousness to his physical body.
Opening his eyes, he exhaled deeply, feeling utterly refreshed.
He proceeded to meet his master,
Yuan Mobai
.
“Have you refined your
Primal Talisman
?”
Yuan Mobai
asked with a smile.
Lei Jun detailed his experiences, including his breakthrough to the
Fourth Heaven Primal Talisman Stage
and his journey within the first tier of the
True-One Altar
.
After listening quietly,
Yuan Mobai
smiled. “The talisman you couldn’t yet discern is one of the three talismanic scriptures recorded in the
Three Realms True Canon
.”
Lei Jun’s eyes gleamed with recognition. “Is it the
Earth Talisman Scripture
?”
According to tradition, two of the
Tianshi Mansion’s
three treasures—the
Tianshi Seal
and the
Tianshi Robe
—contained the
Three Realms True Canon
.
The three tiers of the altar corresponded to the
Earth
,
Human,
and
Heaven
talisman scriptures.
His guess was confirmed when
Yuan Mobai
nodded. “It is indeed the
Earth Talisman Scripture
.”
The saying went, “Heavenly Thunder, Earthly Fire.”
The
Earth Talisman Scripture
cultivated the
Nine Abyss True Fire
, an extreme form of pure Yin fire—not sinister but embodying the purest Daoist Yin, complementing the
Nine Heavens Divine Thunder
.
Azure Flame
and
Purple Thunder
were the hallmarks of the mansion’s highest-level Daoist arts.
Currently, high-ranking elders like
Xu Yuanzhen
,
Yao Yuan
, and
Shangguan Ning
practiced this scripture.
Their mastery culminated in the powerful technique known as the
Nine Abyss Flame Ancestor Apparition
, also called the
Yin Fire Tiger
.
While not as fierce in combat as thunder-based arts, the
Nine Abyss True Fire
had its own profound uses.
It excelled in refining elixirs and artifacts, offering endless applications.
Yuan Mobai
was one of the mansion’s renowned elixir masters.
He wasn’t the only one; elders like
Yao Yuan
and
Shangguan Ning
, who cultivated the
Earth Talisman Scripture
, were also masters in crafting elixirs and artifacts.
Even the extraordinary
Tang Xiaotang
had initially practiced the
Earth Talisman Scripture
when she received the
Three Realms True Canon
.
Later developments stemmed from her unique circumstances.
To be honest, both Lei Jun and
Yuan Mobai
were curious to see what other surprises
Tang Xiaotang
might produce.
“So, the
Human Talisman Scripture
is in the second tier, and the
Heaven Talisman Scripture
is in the third,” Lei Jun mused.
Yuan Mobai
smiled gently. “Proceed step by step, and let things happen naturally.”
Lei Jun nodded. “Forgive me, Master, but it seems you’re not particularly eager about the
Heaven Talisman Scripture
?”
Yuan Mobai
smiled without offense. “I am sometimes curious, but only mildly. What suits you best is what’s truly important.”
Some people were suited for the
Heaven Talisman Scripture
, but that didn’t mean they could attain it.
Lei Jun mentally added the unspoken part of his master’s words.
He wasn’t in a hurry, either.
As
Yuan Mobai
had said, step by step.
“But about the other matter…”
Yuan Mobai’s
expression turned playful. “To my knowledge, while the
Tianshi Seal
has many wondrous abilities, it doesn’t grant transformations or improve one’s physique.”
If it did, the mansion would be mass-producing high-potential disciples.
“Was it just my imagination?” Lei Jun wondered aloud.
“Likely not. Your soul is now attuned to the
Tianshi Seal
,”
Yuan Mobai
mused. “It’s more plausible that some unique aspect of yourself resonated with the seal. Your theory is likely correct: to advance from a
Spirit Physique
to a
Sacred Physique
, you’ll need several opportunities aligning together.”
Lei Jun’s heart leapt with joy. He calmed himself and immersed his soul back into the
True-One Altar
.
After a while, he returned to his body and opened his eyes. “It felt like
Nine Saints Frost
, but not quite.”
Yuan Mobai
clapped his hands and laughed. “Then it’s likely a spiritual item nourished by the
Nine Saints Frost
.”