Shocking the Nine Heavens With My Sword-Chapter 49 - Breakthrough to the Spirit Gathering Realm

Once things had calmed down, Black Donkey cleared his throat with a cough and said, “Cultivating the Martial Path is a process of turning the physical body into a god.

What is a god?

If you are the true master of this continent, a thought can make all living things flourish.

That is a god!”

“A martial artist aims to form a miniature world within him or herself, become the god of that world, and then connect with the larger world to obtain supreme power!”

“The Body Refinement Realm is still at the very base of the Martial Path, not even close to forming a miniature world!”

“Only when you reach the pinnacle of the Body Refinement Realm and open up your Dantian can you form a chaotic world inside, enabling the absorption of nature’s spiritual energy.

This is the Spirit Gathering Realm!”

So that’s how it is!

Zhou Heng nodded.

Although this shameless donkey was crafty, greedy, and not trustworthy, it indeed had a deep understanding of the Martial Path, explaining things in a simple to understand manner—much clearer than Lin Fuxiang had.

“How is a world created?

Separate the heavens from the earth, the clear qi becomes the heavens, the turbid qi becomes the earth!”

“Therefore, once the Dantian World is filled with spiritual energy, the next step is to divide the world, known as the Initial Separation Realm!”

“After that, you form the earth, which is the Land Cleaving Realm!”

“Next, forming the sky, that’s the Heaven-Opening Realm!”

“At that point, the heavens and earth are newly formed, desolate and boundless, and yet cannot be considered a true world!

Therefore, you must create mountains and rivers, which is the Mountains and Rivers Realm!”

“With mountains and rivers, you also need an ocean, which is the Spirit Sea Realm!”

“By this time, the world within has just begun to take shape.

Martial artists can now begin becoming gods in the flesh, forming a pearl at the heart of the world and giving birth to deities—this is the Nascent Soul Realm!”

“Transform the nascent soul into an infant, which is the Divine Infant Realm!”

“When the Divine Infant grows and transforms the ordinary into divine, it’s the Divinity Transformation Realm!”

Zhou Heng listened with a surging heart and quickly asked, “What comes after the Divinity Transformation Realm?”

“Idiot, ‘Divinity Transformation’ means turning into a god; what comes after that!” Black Donkey snorted with a look full of disdain.

Damn, scorned by a donkey!

Zhou Heng didn’t take it to heart, but in his mind, he pondered the nine realms that followed Body Refinement.

This was a process of forming an Inner World, illuminating a guiding light in the darkness, showing him the way forward.

“Black Donkey, didn’t you use to be very powerful?

Which realm were you in then?”

“Well, this Master was—” Black Donkey paused, thought for a moment, and said, “Naturally, the Divinity Transformation Realm!”

If it really was in the Divinity Transformation Realm, then it would be the strongest existence under the heavens.

How could it possibly have its cultivation level sapped by a formation?

Clearly, this shameless donkey was boasting again.

Feeding on Spirit Fruit every day, Zhou Heng’s cultivation level was improving at an astonishing rate.

Although the energy provided by the Black Sword was dwindling, he still managed to reach the peak of the Tenth Layer of Body Refinement within a month!

“I’ll check out the Cold Pool today!”

He made up his mind and, without waiting for nightfall, immediately leaped into the Cold Pool.

With a splash, the ice-cold water enveloped him, making him shiver instantly.

Amazing!

Considering he was already at the peak of the Tenth Layer of Body Refinement, his vitality was robust, and he should not be affected by cold or heat.

Yet, he still felt an extraordinary chill, indicating how unbelievably cold the water temperature was.

Holding his breath, he dived deeper with force.

Three meters, five meters, ten meters!

The chilling cold seeped into his bones, and the flow of his blood slowed down, as if it were about to freeze!

Zhou Heng quickly turned around and returned to the surface.

Once he climbed ashore, his body was covered with white frost, even forming pillars of ice!

“Hahaha—” Black Donkey immediately started laughing uproariously, its eyes slyly rolling as if it was considering whether to kick Zhou Heng back into the water.

“It’s incredible.

Just diving ten meters, the water temperature is so low that even the Tenth Layer of Body Refinement can’t withstand it!” Zhou Heng was astounded.

“Moreover, the Cold Pool is far from reaching the bottom.

I really don’t know how much colder it could get down there!”

“Lucky for me that I’m smart and didn’t act recklessly like that kid!” Black Donkey patted its chest, feeling relieved.

If the Tenth Layer of Body Refinement wasn’t enough, then wait until the Eleventh or Twelfth Layer!

Zhou Heng was in no rush to return to the Nine Spirit Sect.

After all, he had long since returned the copy of the Bright Jade Technique, and he was now eating Spirit Fruit every day, which was much stronger than Spirit Gathering Pills; the position in the top ten of the Outer Sect was not needed.

He quickly broke through to the Eleventh Layer of Body Refinement.

After another month of grueling cultivation, he reached the peak of the Eleventh Layer and dived into the Cold Pool again.

Twenty meters!

He dove ten meters deeper than last time, but it was still unknown how far from the bottom of the Cold Pool he was.

This, however, became Zhou Heng’s motivation.

He had a bone to pick with this Cold Pool and continued to elevate his cultivation level after breaking through to the Twelfth Layer of Body Refinement.

Before he knew it, three months had passed since he entered the valley.

“Stinky brat, I advise you to give up.

This Cold Pool might lead straight to the Earth’s Core; it’s beyond human capability to contend with!” Black Donkey was indolent, never having dived into the Cold Pool even once.

Zhou Heng had indeed given up on conquering this Cold Pool.

The Spirit Gathering Realm was just the beginning of the Martial Path.

Perhaps it would take reaching the Heaven-Opening Realm, or even the Divine Infant Realm, to truly qualify to challenge the Cold Pool.

He used the Cold Pool to challenge himself, with every additional Zhang or even Chi dived a step forward!

“Brat, your Donkey Master needs to find a good place to break through to the Spirit Gathering Realm.

From then on, it’s gonna be Donkey Roars Across the World!

Three months together is also a kind of fate.

If you encounter trouble later, just drop my name!” Black Donkey said with a careless air.

Zhou Heng laughed loudly and said, “Dropping your name, I’d only die faster, I’d definitely become a rat on the street that everyone wants to hit!”

“Stupid brat, you really don’t know what’s good for you.

Forget it, I’ll go to the East Spirit Immortal Pond and see what this generation’s Saintess looks like!” Black Donkey turned and walked away, carefree and unencumbered.

“This damn donkey!” Zhou Heng muttered, but a slight smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

Although this black donkey was shameless, after living together for three months, they’d inevitably developed some affection.

Zhou Heng, being sentimental by nature, suddenly missed Zhu Zhihe and the others and wondered if they had caught up with the purple-dressed lady.

“Starting today, I will open the Dantian and surge towards the Spirit Gathering Realm!”

Zhou Heng clenched his fists tightly, his eyes filled with determination and hope.

Only by reaching the Spirit Gathering Realm did he have the qualifications to avenge his father!

But, how should he open the Dantian?

This was not like Skin Refinement, Flesh Refinement, Bone Refinement, or Blood Refinement, where breaking through the barriers with True Yuan Force would suffice.

The Dantian held a world of its own, elusive and ethereal.

How should he proceed?

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Zhou Heng’s greatest advantage was that he could internally visualize his body even before reaching the Spirit Gathering Realm, and he could clearly see his own Dantian World!

How could he use this to his advantage?

He sank into deep thought.

For the first ten days, he sat cross-legged, reducing his body’s consumption of energy to a minimum.

Each day, he only needed to eat a piece of meat and take a sip of water to stave off hunger and thirst.

Starting from the eleventh day, he lay on the ground, his body even more relaxed, his Divine Sense floating as if out of body, looking down at his own form.

Somewhere in the void, he seemed to grasp a thread of enlightenment, yet it was untouchable, elusive, sparking a sudden surge of frustration within him.

Be calm, cool-headed, merge with nature, and comprehend nature!

This piece of advice was Black Donkey’s parting gift to Zhou Heng.

One day, two days, three days, Zhou Heng remained motionless, neither eating nor drinking, like a dead person, with almost all his bodily functions halted, leaving only his consciousness to circulate within him.

On the twentieth day, the Black Sword in his Dantian suddenly vibrated.

It was not the Black Broken Sword moving on its own but Zhou Heng’s consciousness shaking the Dantian, causing the Black Sword to tremble.

Zhou Heng’s body still had no movement, but the air around him was boiling like water, continuously steaming and making a magnificent sight.

If there were a Spirit Gathering Realm expert here, they would distinctly sense the disturbance in nature’s spiritual energy, as if Zhou Heng had become the center of the world, with countless streams of spiritual energy rushing toward him like a thirsty horse at a spring, swirling around his body.

But Zhou Heng was not yet in the Spirit Gathering Realm.

He had made a certain breakthrough but had not yet stepped across this threshold; unable to absorb this spiritual energy, it continued to accumulate around him, growing more substantial.

Spiritual energy is formless but can form great pressure in large amounts, squeezing Zhou Heng’s body intensely as if an enormous boulder was upon him, omnipresent.

If he did not break through and the spiritual energy did not disperse, Zhou Heng was destined to be literally crushed to death!

“Break open for me!”

Zhou Heng’s index finger twitched slightly, his consciousness returned to the Dantian, turning into a human shape and reaching for the Black Broken Sword.

Grabbing it, he swung down forcefully.

He desired to cut free from the fetters and carve out a new world!

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Roars like thunder emanated from his body, even affecting the nearby Cold Pool, causing the water to boil and swirl, forming a massive vortex.

Sky-soaring First Form!

Zhou Heng’s battle intent flared, and he began executing the Sky-soaring Nine Forms within the Dantian.

It was his consciousness that propelled the swordsmanship, not spending any True Yuan Force.

Sky-soaring Second Form!

Sky-soaring Third Form!

He continuously executed these three forms of the Sky-soaring Technique, slicing through the void.

His Dantian violently trembled, expanding slightly outward!

Zhou Heng forgot everything, solely focused on wielding the sword!

His Dantian Space, already expanded to four feet thanks to the help of an Exotic Fruit, continued to swell, breaking the original constraints.

Opening the Dantian!

Zhou Heng fought madly, his entire Yuan Force converging on the Dantian, continuously pounding it as if trying to tear a hole open.

Five feet!

Six feet!

Boom!

His Yuan Force depleted, Zhou Heng’s body trembled, his eyes snapped open, shooting out cold light as if to pierce through the heavens, dazzling and brilliant.

A gap opened in his Dantian!

Instantly, the surrounding spiritual energy from nature rushed insanely into his body.

So this was the spiritual energy of nature!

Zhou Heng’s eyes swept across, noticing the starlight particles filling the world.

Compared to the previously refined True Yuan Force, these were purer and contained more potent energy, each starlight particle at least a hundred times brighter than the True Yuan Force in his body!

The spiritual energy from nature surged crazily into his body, condensing in the Dantian, transforming into his own Spiritual Power!

This signified the Spirit Gathering Realm!