45: Chapter 45 Lin Yuan City

Supreme Elder Su Chenyuan's fingers tapped twice on the table, as if organizing his thoughts.

"Breaking through to Great Grandmaster involves two steps."

He extended a finger.

"The first step is to condense a Martial Dao Projection."

"The core of the Taixu Visualization Method is to construct a complete inner scene within your Divine Sense. You have already achieved this. But the leap from Grandmaster to Great Grandmaster isn't about refining the inner scene further; it's about..."

He paused, his gaze sharpening.

"From the inner scene, condense an 'object'."

"What kind of object?" you asked.

"It varies from person to person." Supreme Elder Su Chenyuan leaned back in his chair. "Some condense a sword, some a mountain, some a ball of fire. This 'object' isn't something you actively choose; it's a natural culmination of all your experiences, will, and understanding of the Martial Dao throughout your Cultivation. It is your Martial Dao Projection, the concretization of your Martial Dao."

You pondered for a moment: "So this step doesn't test the depth of one's cultivation, but rather one's comprehension of their own Martial Dao."

"Exactly." Supreme Elder Su Chenyuan nodded. "That's why many Grandmaster Peak cultivators never cross this threshold in their lifetime; their Martial Dao isn't their own. They learn others' Cultivation Techniques, walk others' paths, and when it comes time to condense 'themselves,' they find themselves empty."

He extended a second finger.

"The second step is to transform True Qi. The Martial Dao Projection is both a bridge and a furnace. The moment the projection takes shape, all the Protective Aura within your body will be drawn, compressed, and refined by the projection, ultimately transforming into True Qi. Protective Aura is gaseous, True Qi is liquid; the difference between the two is like creek water and mercury."

"But this process is extremely dangerous." His expression grew serious. "The projection's consumption of Mental Energy is continuous, and the more realistic it is condensed, the greater the consumption. If your Divine Sense cannot bear the weight of the projection, the projection will shatter midway. The backlash from shattering can range from severe mental trauma to outright madness."

This is the gap between Realms.

You lowered your head and flipped through the thin booklet in your hand. The pages were yellowed, the ink bold and strong, with dense annotations filling the margins.

"So this handwritten note records your insights when you condensed your projection back then?"

"Yes." Supreme Elder Su Chenyuan nodded. "It contains every step of my experience during my Breakthrough. Read it carefully; it's more useful than any Cultivation Technique Secret Manual."

He paused, then added: "But read it, don't rush to try. You've only Cultivated the Taixu Visualization Method for less than four years. My advice is that you should settle down for at least another one to two years."

You put the booklet into your embrace, cupped your fists, and bowed.

"This Disciple understands."

You cupped your fists, bowed, and turned to leave.

By the time you returned to your residence, dusk had fallen.

In the courtyard, Little Wang lay on the porch, its tail wagging idly. Hearing footsteps, it raised its head and yawned at you.

You squatted down, looking at it.

Little Wang's fur wasn't as vibrant as before. Its once snow-white fur with silver markings had lost most of its luster, and the fur under its jaw and on its belly was noticeably yellowed. Its movements were also much slower; its hind legs, which could leap over a zhang (approximately 3.3 meters) two years ago, now needed to gather strength just to jump from the porch to the courtyard.

The lifespan of a tiger is about twenty years.

Little Wang was seventeen this year.

You sat beside it and reached out to rub its head.

You had been waiting for a miracle. In your memories from your previous life, you had read legends about Spirit Beasts, saying that some beasts were exceptionally gifted, capable of spiritual communication and intelligence, even breaking through the shackles of Mortal beasts. You once thought that Little Wang might be such an existence.

But seventeen years had passed.

Little Wang was still Little Wang: smart, understanding, affectionate, and prone to getting angry, but ultimately just a relatively intelligent white tiger.

Not a Spirit Beast, no hidden Bloodline, nor would it suddenly undergo an Aperture Opening just by staying with you for a long time.

Or perhaps, some condition hadn't been met?

Little Wang seemed to sense your emotions, nudging its large head into your embrace, emitting a low whine from its throat.

You pulled out a small item from your embrace, a palm-sized cloth tiger doll, white, with the character ' king' (king) drawn in ink on its forehead.

You had made it over the past few days during your Cultivation breaks, using Little Wang's shed fur, rolled into thread, and sewn into a rough shape. Your craftsmanship wasn't great; its four legs were uneven, and its tail was crooked.

You hung the cloth doll around Little Wang's neck.

Little Wang looked down at it, then pawed at the doll a couple of times. Instead of tearing it off, it extended its tongue and licked it.

It was clear it liked it very much.

You smiled.

"Alright, go to sleep." You patted its back.

Little Wang rolled over, lying on its back with its four paws in the air, the cloth doll swaying on its neck. It blinked at you, its meaning clearly—scratch my belly.

"...You're so old and still like this." You grumbled, but your hand had already reached out.

——

After nightfall, you went to the cultivation chamber and sat down cross-legged.

Supreme Elder Su Chenyuan's handwritten note lay on your lap; you had already memorized its entire content with your Eidetic Memory.

You closed your eyes and began to sort out your thoughts.

To be honest, you weren't averse to seeing Wei Feisen.

Not because you missed him.

But because from him, you could get an answer.

Can this world truly have Immortal Cultivators?

The person behind the Black Tiger Gang, the one who made even the Patriarch of the Martial Dao Sect bow his head—Wei Feisen must know more inside information. About the origins of Immortal Cultivators, about the world beyond Mortal Martial Dao, about the path to a higher level.

But not now.

Your strength was not enough. Grandmaster Peak was nothing in front of Wei Feisen, and even more so a mere ant in front of that unknown Immortal Cultivator.

You only hoped that after all these years, he had forgotten you.

You calmed your mind, no longer thinking too much.

Breaking through to Great Grandmaster, this was the only thing that mattered right now.

You closed your eyes and sank into your inner scene.

Dongzhou, Linyuan City.

The Black Tiger Gang's main headquarters occupied half the city.

The main hall was named "Howling Heaven Hall," built entirely of obsidian. In front of the hall stood two iron-cast fierce tigers, heads raised in furious roars, their eyes inlaid with red copper, gleaming with a dark red luster under the sunlight. Inside the hall, a black, gold-woven carpet was laid, with tiger patterns carved on the pillars on both sides. Black banners hung between the pillars, embroidered with a golden tiger head—the Black Tiger Gang's emblem.

At the end of the grand hall, a person sat on a tiger-head chair carved from ebony.

Wei Feisen.

He wore a dark ink brocade robe, a golden silk belt around his waist, and his hair was tied up with a jade crown. His appearance had changed little compared to a decade ago. A Great Grandmaster's cultivation had preserved his youth; he looked to be in his early thirties, with sword-like eyebrows extending to his temples, a high nose bridge, and thin, sharp lips. Judging by his facial features alone, he was indeed an extremely handsome man.

But there was no warmth in his eyes; occasionally, a flash of light appeared, but that light was also cold.

Your Highness, a Grey-Robed Man knelt on one knee, presenting a scroll of intelligence with both hands.

"Gang Leader, after recent repeated verification, it has been fully confirmed that Lin Shuangwan, whom you offered a bounty for back then, is now Senior Sister Lin Shuang, the Great Master of Cangyun Sect."

Wei Feisen didn't move, his right index finger tapping rhythmically on the armrest.

"Speak."

The Grey-Robed Man opened the intelligence report and reported item by item.