94: Chapter 94 True Meaning, Immortal Spirit

Deep in the night, the white jade tower ship was like a silent island of light gliding across the ink-black sea.

Most guest rooms still emitted a faint glow of lamplight, as the young Martial Artists who had gathered from all corners of the East Sea were thirstily absorbing the texts on the wooden shelves—texts that appeared basic, yet were sufficient to overturn their past understanding.

Jiang Hanzhou gently closed the thick tome in his hands titled Dragon Elephant Exposition》, leaned back into the cold jade chair, and slowly exhaled a long, turbid breath carrying the scent of the sea.

This breath seemed to expel that unconscious sense of "self-righteousness" from his heart.

He had been reading for a whole day, his mind fully immersed, and only now did he feel a trace of fatigue; but more than that, there was a sense of clarity after a sudden realization, along with a heavy pressure.

So, the world was this vast, and the Dao of martial arts this profound.

The three stages he was familiar with—Qi Gathering, Iron Bone, and Burning Viscera—were, in the records of the Dragon Abyss Palace, collectively known as the "Three Mortal Shedding Stages," combined into the first Realm—the Mortal Shedding Realm.

It meant shedding one's mortal coil and solidifying the Foundation for transcendence.

The second Realm was the Dragon Elephant Realm, of which he had already heard and whose power he had witnessed with his own eyes.

As for the third Realm, the book only summarized it with the two characters "Divine Ability." There was very little description, yet the few words revealed a sense that was both mesmerizing and seemingly unattainable, as if it were another leap in the essence of life, the beginning of what was truly "non-human."

What he read today focused on the Dragon Elephant Realm.

It was not named "Dragon Elephant" arbitrarily; rather, it was taken from the names of two legendary supreme "Immortal Spirits" recorded in ancient texts—the Yuexu Divine Elephant and the Zhuyuan True Dragon.

Immortal Spirits were the apex of evolution for strange beasts, transcending Vicious Beasts and Essence Spirits. They were unworldly, possessed long Lifespans, and could even establish their own order and power, existing as near-legendary beings.

Combining the names of these two Immortal Spirits to name this Realm implied that a Martial Artist who stepped into this Realm began to possess the potential and power comparable to legendary creatures.

The Dragon Elephant Realm was divided into three stages: Primal Form Realm, Dragon Fetus, and Dragon Elephant Mutual Harmony.

The Primal Form Realm required condensing Qi, blood, and essence to the extreme, and from it, "capturing" a trace of one's own "Martial Dao True Intent," manifesting a phantom of the True Intent.

True Intent was the product of the initial resonance between a Martial Artist's will, the characteristics of their Cultivation Technique, and certain Laws or principles of Heaven and Earth. It was the seed of future Divine Ability, and the source and symbol of power in the Dragon Elephant Realm.

The Dragon Fetus Realm required, on the basis of a stable True Intent, using the True Intent as a core within the Dantian or the depths of the Sea of Consciousness to fuse with Heaven And Earth Spiritual Essence, gestating a more profound "Divine Fetus."

Once the Divine Fetus was formed, the True Intent would have a more solid Foundation, and the Martial Artist's ability to sense and command Heaven And Earth Spiritual Essence would greatly improve, while their Lifespan would also significantly increase.

As for the third stage, "Dragon Elephant Mutual Harmony," the book was vague, only stating that the Divine Fetus and True Intent were completely fused without separation. From then on, True Intent became instinct, Divine Ability was like breathing, and flesh, blood, and bones were all imbued with Spiritual Qi; the level of life began to undergo a fundamental transformation, which was a key step toward the "Divine Ability Realm."

What shook Jiang Hanzhou's heart the most, even making him feel somewhat parched, was the discourse on "True Intent."

He had originally thought that, like Li Chongshan's Scarlet Flame True Intent or Xu Zhaoyang's Protective Aura that contained Dragon might, a Martial Artist capturing one True Intent that suited them was an incredible achievement, sufficient to support them in climbing the peak of the Dragon Elephant Realm.

This was correct; the vast majority of Martial Artists were like this.

One True Intent was already a path fraught with thousands of difficulties, requiring talent, Opportunity, and hard work—none of which could be lacking.

But the book clearly recorded that for those true Geniuses and Prodigies, one True Intent was merely the starting point.

"True Intent is the Foundation; the more, the better. However, unless one has a tenacious Divine Soul, profound Foundation, and Heaven-Defying Opportunity, one must not try it lightly. Each additional True Intent not only means needing to exert double or even several times the effort to comprehend and condense, but it also means that the conflict, balance, and even Fusion between different True Intents are all perilous barriers. The slightest carelessness, and it results in the conflict of True Intents, the destruction of one's cultivation, and damage to the Divine Soul."

"However, if one can succeed... with each additional True Intent, the Martial Artist gains another perspective on the Laws of Heaven and Earth, adds another variation to their power attributes, and gains infinite possibilities in combat methods. Among those of the same rank, those with more True Intents can almost crush others. Fighting across ranks is also no empty boast."

The book even cited several legendary figures of the Dragon Abyss Palace from the past hundred years as examples.

One of them, while in the Primal Form Realm, had successfully captured five completely different True Intents!

Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth—the Five Elements were complete, mutually generating and restricting, forming a cycle within their body.

While only in the Primal Form Realm, they could fight against ordinary Dragon Fetus Realm Martial Artists without being defeated.

When their Five Elements True Intent initially fused and they stepped into the Dragon Fetus Realm, they had once, in the depths of the East Sea, head-on killed an old-school, long-famous Dragon Fetus Realm evil cultivator, shaking all directions.

There was another who specialized in the sword Dao, but simultaneously comprehended three sword-related True Intents: "Sharpness," "Swiftness," and "Heaviness," and integrated them perfectly into their sword heart.

With one sword strike, nothing could not be pierced, nothing could not be destroyed by speed, and nothing could not be suppressed by weight; Sword Cultivators of the same rank could hardly withstand three of their moves.

Looking at these records, Jiang Hanzhou only felt a surge of heat rise from his Dantian, rushing straight to the top of his head, and his blood seemed to be slightly scalding.

He involuntarily clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms, bringing a clear sense of pain.

"So... it can be like this!"

The faint resonance he had previously sensed from the "Water," "Power," and "Momentum" at the Perfection of the Evil Flood Dragon Wave Surfing Art might perhaps be the Opportunity for the "Water" or "Tide" True Intent.

But at this moment, his ambition, like a spark thrown into fuel, roared into flames.

One True Intent?

How could that be enough!

He had the 【Late Bloomer】 fate as a fallback!

The extraordinary Comprehension Ability brought by his fourth-rank fate gave him the confidence to understand and capture those profound True Intents.

In the future, when he Advanced to the fifth rank, that power of "Epiphany" would be his greatest reliance for smelting multiple True Intents, avoiding conflict, and seeking balance, and even Fusion!

"Five Elements True Intent? Sword Dao True Intent? Each has its own merits..."

Jiang Hanzhou's eyes were sharp as knives as he quickly calculated in his heart, "I Cultivate the Dragon Subduing and Tiger Taming Skill, and my Foundation is the extremely Yang and extremely rigid Dragon-Tiger Qi and blood. If this path is taken to the extreme, perhaps I can touch True Intents like 'Rigid and Fierce,' 'Majestic,' and 'Suppression.' But I also have the Heavenly Dipper Precious Qi, which refines all things and contains the meanings of 'Refining,' 'Breaking Prohibitions,' and 'Pure Yang.' And there are the fire energy changes of the Thirteen Transformations of Heavenly Fire..."

"The Evil Flood Dragon Wave Surfing Art brings the Opportunity for 'Water,' 'Power,' 'Tide,' and 'Surging.' And since I am in the East Sea, accompanying the sea every day, this Dao has a deep affinity with me..."

"Even the resolute Saber Intent of 'severing everything' contained in the fragmented pages of the 《Heavenly Saber》, though I have not mastered it, its Concept is already deeply planted in my heart..."

For a moment, all kinds of thoughts came in a rush.

Jiang Hanzhou seemed to see a path full of thorns that led to an infinite peak.

The coexistence of multiple True Intents meant more complex cultivation, more difficult balance, and greater risks.

But it also meant the capital to be invincible among one's peers, the confidence to challenge those of higher ranks, and, in the future when climbing to higher Realms, even broader possibilities.

Risk and Opportunity have always coexisted.

"Others fear the conflict of True Intents, but I have the help of the Epiphany during my fate advancement, so my chances of success are much greater."

Jiang Hanzhou slowly unclenched his fists, leaving a few shallow crescent-shaped marks on his palms, but his eyes had returned to calmness; only, beneath that calmness was an even firmer flame.

"Dragon Abyss Palace... assessment..."

He looked toward the cabin door, as if he could see through the thick jade walls and feel that this ship was sailing toward the place that would allow his dreams to set sail.

"I must get in. Not only must I get in, but I must get in with the most excellent results! Only in this way can I access more Advanced Cultivation Techniques, more profound Legacies, and richer resources to support me in walking this path of 'Multiple True Intents.'"

He sat up straight again, no longer looking at those heart-stirring "tales of Geniuses," but opened another more basic book, 《Compendium of Common Knowledge for Cultivation in the East Sea》.

One must eat rice mouthful by mouthful, and walk the road step by step.

The most urgent task was to pass the assessment and officially become a member of the Dragon Abyss Palace.

This book detailed the distribution of forces in the East Sea cultivation world, common resources, dangerous Secret Realms, and some basic cultivation common sense and taboos. The content regarding "Spiritual Essence," "attributes of Spiritual Qi," "identification of basic Formation runes," and "illustrated guide to common Medicinal Pill Materials" were all knowledge gaps that Jiang Hanzhou urgently needed to fill.

He was like a dry sponge, greedily absorbing all the moisture.

Unknowingly, the simulated daylight from the pearls embedded outside the window gradually turned from a deep ink-blue to a hint of fish-belly white.

Outside the tower ship, it was still the eternal night and the sea, but the alternation of day and night created by the Formation inside the ship reminded people of the passage of time.