48: Chapter 48 No comprehension? Then refine your body!

The stone door of the Earth Abyss seclusion chamber slowly rose.

Su Yu stepped out, his aura having already undergone a qualitative change.

The guard elder stationed outside the door had been resting with his eyes closed.

The next moment, the Deacon at the early Foundation Establishment Stage turned pale and instinctively took half a step back.

That was the pressure brought about by being on the same level.

Liquid true essence circulated endlessly, and the earthly vein energy was as thick as a mountain; this was clearly the aura of the early Foundation Establishment Stage.

"Congratulations, Personal Disciple Su, on successfully stepping into the Foundation Establishment Stage!"

The Deacon reacted extremely quickly, immediately bowing to offer his respects, his tone full of amazement.

Twenty years old.

Having entered the sect for only nine years, he had swept all the way from the Qi Refining 7th Layer, becoming the first among the ten people who entered the inner sect at the same time to step into the Foundation Establishment Stage.

Such speed, even in the Cangxuan Sect where geniuses were as common as clouds, was enough to cause quite a stir.

The news quickly spread back to the Inner Sect Council Pavilion.

Several elders who had originally been playing chess or cultivating, upon hearing the news of "Su Yu exiting seclusion," all cast their divine sense over.

Inside the great hall.

The Inner Sect Great Elder sat high on his seat, looking at Su Yu standing below, his eyes revealing a complex emotion.

There was amazement, as well as that lingering trace of regret.

Without any additional insights, Su Yu had relied solely on his aptitude to forcibly absorb the entire medicinal power of the top-grade foundation establishment pill, completing an Earth Dao Foundation Establishment.

This step had been taken extremely steadily.

It was a pity, though, that it was only Earth Dao.

"Earth Dao Foundation Establishment, the purity of your true essence is excellent."

The Great Elder withdrew his divine sense and spoke slowly, his voice echoing within the great hall.

"Su Yu, it is truly rare that you could complete this step at twenty years old. This means your possibility of forming a Golden Core in the future is at least fifty percent."

"The sect will raise your resource allocation by another tier based on your progress."

In a large sect, this was the most naked logic.

If you have value, resources will be poured onto you endlessly.

Although Su Yu's Comprehension Ability was poor, he had a high realm, and he was an Earth Dao Foundation Establishment, after all.

"Many thanks, Elder, for your support."

Su Yu bowed his head to offer his respects, his expression revealing not a hint of complacency.

He was very clear about the significance of Earth Dao Foundation Establishment.

Earth Dao Foundation Establishment meant that you were an excellent "high-level combat reserve."

You could become the backbone of the sect's inner sect, guard a territory, or even have the qualifications to attempt to reach the Golden Core Stage after a hundred years.

But you were merely a reserve, not the core of the core.

Time flowed like water.

In the following years, the Cangxuan Sect's inner sect became the stage for Su Yu and the other nine.

Following Su Yu, in the third year, Tie Zhan also successfully reached the Foundation Establishment Stage.

It was also an Earth Dao Foundation Establishment.

Although his Comprehension Ability was also poor, he still had the foundation of a Second Grade Spiritual Root, and the accumulation of earthly vein energy allowed him to successfully cross that hurdle.

In the following two years, the other six people from the same batch also successively achieved breakthroughs.

However, the results were vastly different.

Among them, two disciples with Third-Grade Spiritual Roots, because their mental states were unstable or they were too eager for success, failed to stabilize the flow of their true essence at the final critical moment.

They ultimately had no choice but to opt for Human Dao Foundation Establishment.

When these two stepped out of the seclusion chamber, the attitude of the previously enthusiastic sect Deacon changed subtly in an instant.

In the judgment criteria of the Cangxuan Sect, Human Dao Foundation Establishment meant that one's potential was exhausted, and the path to the Golden Core Stage was almost severed.

Rather than wasting spiritual energy in the inner sect, it was better to take a position as an outer sect Deacon Elder and contribute to the sect.

This was the cruelty of the cultivation world.

A single step's difference, and fellow disciples who had originally walked side by side became people on two different paths, separated by a chasm between immortal and mortal.

Until the seventh year.

Above the Cangxuan Sect, two completely different yet equally terrifying heavenly and earthly phenomena completely overshadowed everyone else's brilliance.

That was the phenomenon triggered by Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment.

One streak of purple energy came from the east for thirty thousand li, with thunder hidden and not yet released.

One was filled with clouds and mist, with the faint sound of immortal music echoing among the mountains.

Chu Tiankuo and Lin Wan'er broke through their seclusion at the same time.

Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment, achieved!

The moment the two stepped out of their caves, even those few inner sect elders at the Golden Core Stage personally descended upon the mountain peak to welcome them.

Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment.

This meant that as long as they didn't perish, their Golden Core was a certainty.

Even the Nascent Soul Stage was within reach!

Their Comprehension Ability of the laws of heaven and earth had undergone a qualitative change the moment they established their foundation.

The most intuitive manifestation of this qualitative change was combat power.

To test their combat power, the inner sect arranged a sparring match.

Chu Tiankuo, who had just stepped into the early Foundation Establishment Stage, defeated a Deacon Elder whose cultivation had already reached the mid-Foundation Establishment Stage head-on in just ten moves.

Invincible at the same level was no longer enough to describe them.

They were monsters who could fight against those at the mid-stage while still at the early Foundation Establishment Stage; they were geniuses among geniuses!

Time flew like a shuttle.

In the blink of an eye, Su Yu was already thirty years old.

The rules of the Cangxuan Sect's inner sect stated that disciples at the Foundation Establishment Stage must not just blindly cultivate in seclusion.

In addition to accepting sect missions, they must also practice the Four Arts of Cultivation.

That was alchemy, artifact refining, formations, and talisman making.

For inner sect elites, mastering a third-tier craft could not only earn massive resources but also provide great assistance to their own cultivation, achieving self-sufficiency.

However, this was difficult for Su Yu.

"Can't do anything, but number one in cultivation."

This was the private evaluation of him by several familiar fellow disciples in the inner sect.

Because of his mediocre Comprehension Ability, Su Yu's talent in the four arts was simply unbearable to look at.

After stumbling through learning for several years, his attainments in artifact refining and formations were exactly the same as his level in his previous life, without any progress at all!

A second-tier craft could still earn a living during the Qi Refining Stage, but in the circle of Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators, it was completely useless.

Fortunately, although his Comprehension Ability was terrible, in terms of pure cultivation progress, he was still far ahead of everyone else.

At thirty, his cultivation had already steadily pushed to the peak of the early Foundation Establishment Stage.

Since the hundred arts of cultivation didn't work out, he could only do more tasks assigned by the sect to earn contribution points to exchange for high-tier pills.

But the experience of going on missions these past few years made Su Yu deeply realize what the disparity of the world meant.

He had killed chaotic demonic beasts and pacified some strongholds of evil cultivators.

But those widely circulated miraculous encounters in the cultivation world seemed to be completely insulated from him.

He went to guard mineral veins, but no ancient cultivator's cave was ever dug out in the mineral veins.

He went to escort caravans, and the journey was peaceful; he didn't even encounter any blind rogue cultivators, let alone counter-killing and seizing treasures.

Even if he occasionally strolled around the rogue cultivator stalls in the market.

The broken magical artifacts he bought were just truly broken magical artifacts, and what was recorded in the old jade slips was just a common, street-level fasting technique.

By comparison, the mission experiences of Chu Tiankuo and Lin Wan'er could simply be written into a legendary biography.

Ever since these two achieved Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment, in these short three years, they were simply like the children of destiny in the world.

Chu Tiankuo went to explore an abandoned ruin.

It was originally just a simple cleanup mission, but he accidentally discovered a node of a failed formation in the cracks of the ruins.

Digging down along the node, he actually dug into an ancient cultivator's seclusion chamber.

Inside, besides some high-tier spirit stones, there were also several precious ancient jade slips.

And Lin Wan'er went to collect spirit herbs.

She encountered the pursuit of a great Golden Core demonic beast and, logically speaking, was certain to die.

As a result, in the process of fleeing for her life, she lost her footing and fell into a cold pool.

Not only was she uninjured, but she discovered the already extinct "Ice Heart Lotus" growing at the bottom of the cold pool, and even used this to comprehend a new ice-type divine ability.

Such luck made even Su Yu have to sigh.

The so-called dragons and phoenixes among men, besides aptitude, this favor of the Heavenly Dao in the dark was the most unreasonable thing.

Welcoming Peak.

Su Yu sat at the stone table in his courtyard.

Today was a rare gathering for the geniuses who had entered the sect in the same batch as them.

However, of the ten people who were once famous for a time, only eight were left sitting in the courtyard now.

Those two fellow disciples who had undergone Human Dao Foundation Establishment had fallen behind and no longer had the confidence or qualifications to step into this circle of geniuses.

Just at this moment.

Beside the stone table, Chu Tiankuo pushed a dark red bone slip directly in front of Su Yu and Tie Zhan.

"Take this copy of the 'Savage Dragon Tyrant Body Art' directly."

Chu Tiankuo's tone was casual, and he did not make a big deal out of the gift.

"I accidentally obtained this cultivation method in that ancient cultivator's seclusion chamber. It's just gathering dust in my hands; the methods of body cultivation conflict with my Heavenly Dao Sword Intent, so I can't use it at all."

"We are all fellow disciples; there will be many times in the future when we need to look out for each other in the sect, so let's consider this a favor today."

Even Chu Tiankuo, who had achieved Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment, was also maintaining the connections and friendships within the circle of geniuses.

The cultivation world was treacherous, and no one could say for sure about luck and destiny.

Using a fragmentary cultivation method he couldn't use to exchange for the goodwill and friendship of two fellow disciples, he was purely making a profit.

Since things had reached this point, there was no need to decline further.

Su Yu nodded slightly, took the bone slip, and pressed it against his forehead to quickly make a copy.

"I, Su Yu, will remember this favor from Senior Brother Chu."

Su Yu's tone was steady as he handed the bone slip to Tie Zhan, who was beside him.

Tie Zhan grabbed the bone slip and grinned very happily.

"Senior Brother Chu is straightforward! If there is any place where you need my strength in the future, just speak up!"

The handover was completed extremely cleanly.

After the gathering dispersed, Su Yu returned to his cave.

He activated the defensive formation, pressed the copied jade slip against his forehead, and carefully examined the cultivation essentials of the "Savage Dragon Tyrant Body Art."

The logic of this cultivation method was extremely simple and crude.

Break and then establish.

Use the essential blood of high-tier demonic beasts, combined with violent spiritual energy, to forcibly scour the flesh and bones.

It did not require comprehending the laws of heaven and earth, nor did it require any Comprehension Ability; it only required the physical body to be able to bear that tearing pain and the infusion of spiritual energy.

This was simply a cultivation method tailored for him!

"Cultivating this method requires a massive amount of demonic beast essential blood..."

Su Yu put away the jade slip and quickly adjusted his subsequent cultivation plan in his heart.

The next morning.

Outside the Cangxuan Sect's Inner Sect Affairs Pavilion, Su Yu ran into Tie Zhan, who was also rushing over with a heavy black iron sword on his back.

The two looked at each other, both understanding each other's intentions.

They walked straight to the bounty board and took down a dozen or so tasks that required going to dangerous places to hunt second-tier Foundation Establishment demonic beasts.

In the three full years that followed, an extremely exaggerated rumor gradually spread among the Cangxuan Sect's inner sect disciples.

Two newly promoted Foundation Establishment Stage uncles had gone completely crazy.

They were stationed year-round in the most dangerous Ten Thousand Great Mountains and Black Wind Swamp north of the Cangxuan Mountain Range.

Every few months, the two would drag storage bags back to the sect's Affairs Pavilion to hand in their tasks.

What they poured out were all corpses of huge, extremely vigorous second-tier demonic beasts.

Iron-armored crocodiles, single-horned fire rhinoceroses, bloodthirsty violent apes...

These fierce demonic beasts were like harvested straw in their hands.

In three years, the number of second-tier demonic beasts that died at their hands reached over a hundred.

There were even disciples within the sect who privately gave them a title, calling them "Demonic Beast Killing Machines."

Tie Zhan's burly, iron-tower-like figure, paired with that heavy black iron sword that was constantly dripping with blood, made this title quite fitting.

But what made many fellow disciples feel extremely contrasting and incredible was...

The other killing machine was actually Su Yu, who was usually gentle to others and wore a green shirt.

No one knew why they had such a great obsession with demonic beasts.

Only when it was deep in the night, when waves of blood energy emanated from their adjacent caves, would an occasional Deacon Elder guess a thing or two.

Inside the secret chamber of the cave.

Under the huge bronze medicinal cauldron, the earth fire was burning fiercely.

What was boiling inside the cauldron was the pure essential blood refined from over a hundred second-tier demonic beasts, mixed with various spiritual herbs that relaxed the muscles and activated the blood, and had extremely fierce medicinal properties.

Su Yu took off his clothes and sat cross-legged with a calm expression in the boiling, viscous demonic blood.

The cultivation of the "Savage Dragon Tyrant Body Art" was essentially a cruel remodeling of the physical body.

The violent demonic beast essential blood followed the opened pores, like countless extremely tiny steel knives, arrogantly drilling into his limbs and bones.

Muscles were torn, bones were scoured, and every operation of the cultivation method was accompanied by the physical body repeatedly jumping between destruction and rebirth.

In the cave next door, there would occasionally be the rough low roars of Tie Zhan, who could not bear the pain of this lingering death.

Su Yu was not much better off either.

Even though he had eighty years of physical experience from tempering his body in the secular martial arts world in his first life.

But pain was pain; there was no antidote, only endurance.

Over three years, the essential blood of over a hundred second-tier demonic beasts was consumed by him.

Su Yu's physique did not undergo the extremely exaggerated expansion like Tie Zhan's; his figure remained slender and well-proportioned.

But beneath that seemingly fair and gentle skin, the density of muscle fibers and bones had been forcibly compressed to an extremely terrifying degree.

Purely in terms of physical strength, even without using any true essence, he could now crush ordinary Foundation Establishment magical artifacts with his bare hands.

"Dong—"

Outside the cave, the sound of a vast and ancient bronze bell pierced through the clouds and rocks, resounding throughout the entire inner sect mountain peak.

The Cangxuan Sect's decennial inner sect competition arrived as scheduled!

This was a grand event that determined the core quota for resource allocation for inner sect disciples for the next ten years.

The top ten in the competition would not only gain the qualification to enter the sect's secret realm for trials but could also enter the Treasure Pavilion to unconditionally exchange for a rare spiritual item they needed.

Su Yu had no interest in fame or magical artifacts.

By the stage he had reached in the "Savage Dragon Tyrant Body Art," the flesh and blood of second-tier demonic beasts had lost their effect in tempering the body.

If he wanted to take his physical body a step further, even reaching the level of shaking a Golden Core, he must use third-tier essential blood comparable to a great Golden Core demonic beast to scour it.

Such strategic-level supplies could not be obtained by taking on external bounty tasks; they could only be forcibly exchanged through the reward quota of the top ten in the competition.

Therefore, he must enter the top ten in this competition!

...

On the martial arts square, eight bluestone arenas reinforced by formations were lined up.

In mid-air, several Golden Core elders and the Sect Master sat high on the clouds, overlooking the entire scene.

The rules of the competition were extremely simple and crude: draw lots for duels, and the winner advances.

In this competition, Su Yu's fighting style simply stunned everyone.

On the Geng-numbered arena.

His opponent was a veteran disciple at the early Foundation Establishment Stage.

"Dang!"

The moment the gong sounded.

Su Yu's figure directly pulled out a blurry afterimage, and his terrifying explosive power allowed him to instantly cross a distance of ten zhang.

There was no spell-casting pre-swing, and no flashy spell bombardment.

He withstood the opponent's attacks and crashed into the opponent's defensive circle.

Those flames that were enough to melt low-grade magical artifacts burned on his skin, which had been tempered by demonic blood, without even leaving a white mark.

Immediately after, Su Yu clenched his right hand into a fist.

An extremely simple and unadorned straight punch smashed fiercely against those few flame shields.

"Crack!"

A crisp sound came.

The flame shields shattered like thin paper, and the remaining power of the fist wind did not diminish, stopping less than half an inch in front of the veteran disciple's nose.

The violent air wave blew the opponent's hair bun directly apart, and the whole person was pushed backward by the strong wind for several zhang.

One punch settled the outcome.

The whole process took less than three breaths.

In the next few elimination rounds, the situation was exactly the same.

Regardless of whether the opponent specialized in sword techniques or was good at talismans.

As long as Su Yu got close, all body-protecting magic power was vulnerable in the face of absolute physical strength and Earth Dao true essence.

Fast, accurate, and ruthless.

No spell Comprehension Ability?

Then no spells are needed!