100: Nine Transformations

In the long corridor, Qin Jin walked quickly, and with each step he took, the corridor behind him dimmed by one section.

He walked all the way to the door, and by the time he reached it, the entire corridor had completely dimmed, and the strange, colorful scenery on both sides had also faded away.

Qin Chi looked back.

Behind him was complete darkness.

Even though this corridor, in his perception, was only a few hundred meters long, the miniature star sea behind him had completely vanished.

After a few seconds of pause.

Qin Chi pushed the door open and stepped out.

Outside.

Nothing had changed; not far ahead, Gu Huang was resting with her eyes closed, but the moment Qin Jin emerged, she opened her eyes and looked at him.

At the same time.

Quietly.

Candle Kite’s figure appeared, and her voice rang out.

“Six hours and thirty-one minutes.”

“Qin Jin, you chose to leave actively, so it seems everything went very smoothly for you within the Origin Realm.”

Candle Kite had a faint smile on her face, no longer serious as when she faced Gu Huang: “Congratulations, you have successfully achieved the feat of entering the Congenital Realm before the start of the school year.”

“Your information will be recorded in the history of Martial Abyss, and at this moment, you are already considered a [Campus Celebrity].”

“If you wish, when new junior students enroll in the future, I can help publicize your deeds.”

Qin Chi smiled calmly at her.

His ambition had already set its sights further, and he would not be complacent about this short-term gain.

Then.

His gaze fell on Gu Huang, and he respectfully addressed her: “Teacher Gu.”

After Qin Jin walked out, Gu Huang had been watching him, and as Qin Jin’s voice sounded, Gu Huang’s eyes shifted, and at this moment, the ink-wash world reappeared.

However—

Gu Huang herself did not appear in this ink-wash world; within Qin Jin’s sight, on the distant ground, ink outlines formed.

Figures, some human-shaped, some beast-shaped, emerged, and at the same time, though they had no faces or eyes, they all faced Qin Jin.

This ink-wash world had transformed into an ink-wash battlefield!

“You’ve been holding back, haven’t you?”

“Perfect, use this to familiarize yourself with your own body.”

Gu Huang’s voice seemed to come from beyond the heavens.

“Thank you, Teacher Gu.”

Qin’s voice rang out.

At present, power surged within his body; he had long been eager to fight and verify himself.

Gu Huang, clearly, had seen through his thoughts.

“Did Teacher Gu feel this way when she broke through to the Congenital Realm back then?”

The thought flashed through his mind, and Qin looked at the swarming ink figures, his own aura soaring and rising sharply.

An invisible wave of energy suddenly erupted within this ink-wash world.

At this instant, Qin held nothing back; Sky Thunder Body activated!

The power within the Spirit Tomb surged out, merging with Qin Jin’s own primal power; as the two intertwined, within this ink-wash world,

a rumbling thunder actually sounded!

As the thunder rumbled, lightning surged out from Qin’s body, intertwining at his sides; under Qin Jin’s control, it continuously compressed, while new lightning surged forth, and in the space of a breath, Qin Jin’s figure grew taller, reaching several meters in height, like a thunder god standing in place!

Sky Thunder Body!

The usual Sky Thunder Body appears in the form of armor.

But now, compared to ordinary Martial Artists, he had the power of the Spirit Tomb as extra support, and his precise control over lightning as assistance,

which caused this Combat Method to undergo a completely different transformation.

The lightning was compressed so densely that it began to show an unusual, extremely deep color.

“Still a bit short.”

“Although bigger is stronger, the power after compression is even more extraordinary; if I can someday, with the support of the Spirit Tomb’s power,

also compress the Sky Thunder Body back to its original form, then it will be a great success.”

“But for now—”

“It’s already enough!”

Ink-colored monsters surged forward like a tide.

Qin Jin bent his right leg, and his body suddenly exerted force; the thunder god leaped forward abruptly, its height instantly breaking through a hundred meters; after evolution and transformation, although Qin had not yet mastered the ability to [fly], he had already felt the joy of soaring.

In mid-air, the thunder god adjusted its posture and landed with a crash!

His target was precisely the center of the ink-colored monster horde!

Boom!

Accompanied by a deafening roar, Qin landed among the monsters; upon descent, an unknown number of ink-colored monsters directly disintegrated, turning into residual ink.

The compressed lightning power had astonishing might.

Touch it and be injured, collide with it and die.

As he landed, Qin’s thoughts stirred, as if liberating; the lightning power around him exploded with a roar!

With him as the center, the lightning power erupted, instantly engulfing an area of nearly a hundred meters around him with rampant lightning, transforming it into a lightning cage; countless ink-colored monsters shattered directly after enduring for a moment within it.

“Is this what the Congenital Realm is like?”

After the power erupted, the surroundings became empty, and Qin felt a slight sense of emptiness within his physique.

That was the result of the rapid consumption of internal power.

But—

As the feeling of emptiness appeared, Qin Jin could perceive that within his physique, his primal power began to recover rapidly.

Congenital Realm, spirit and flesh united, a perfectly integrated whole.

After the elevation of life essence, everything about a Martial Artist improves, naturally including their recovery ability.

At this moment, if he were to sustain a small injury, it would heal at a visibly rapid pace.

Once one enters the Congenital Realm, everything changes; it’s not just an empty saying.

At the same time.

In the distance.

The monsters that had been annihilated by lightning and turned into shattered ink began to reassemble at this moment.

After entering the Congenital Realm, Qin no longer needed to actively perceive anything; he was constantly observing everything around him; at present, Qin keenly noticed that the reassembled monsters had significantly increased in strength and power.

“This is—”

“Is Teacher Gu also assessing my current state, wanting to understand more?”

Qin Jin was the first student Gu Huang took on after breaking through to the Celestial Being realm.

This ink-wash battlefield was not only to let Qin vent and familiarize himself with his own body, but also to ascertain Qin’s current state so that she could guide him in the future.

Compared to data detected by various machines, a Celestial Being Realm expert trusts what they see in combat more, and trusts the true combat power displayed more.

“In that case.”

Having understood Gu Huang’s thoughts, Qin Chi lowered his gaze slightly.

“It’s time to test your effects too.”

That was the Human Body Secret Treasure!

Each human body is different, and each Secret Treasure is different.

Some Secret Treasures are more fundamental, such as: [Great Strength], [Acceleration], [Steel Body], etc. These are basic enhancements for Martial Artists.

Such Secret Treasures often manifest after a Martial Artist is born; for example, some people are born with strength that surpasses their peers.

Some Secret Treasures are more complex, even involving mysterious attributes that cannot be measured, such as [Comprehension] and even [Luck], but they are extremely rare, one in a billion.

The human body holds great secrets, which can reappear after reaching the Congenital Realm.

Among the Secret Treasures, some are biased towards combat power, while others are biased towards cultivation.

Similarly, the specific abilities of Secret Treasures are also completely different; some are passive, some are active, and some have become completely different due to the Martial Artist’s own acquired growth; even Secret Treasures of the same type produce completely different effects.

And at this moment.

Qin Chi calmed his mind and focused his spirit, strange sights reflected in his eyes, and the Secret Treasure activated.

Above and behind him, a scene only he could see flashed by.

It was a mountain and river scene; at present, everything within the mountain and river was illusory, and at its very center, there was a small divine tree,

also in an illusory state, almost completely transparent, its appearance somewhat similar to Qin Jin’s Dao Foundation form, the lightning-struck wood, but in fact completely different.

This divine tree was full of vitality, and above it, various colored fruits had formed, enveloped in clouds and mist.

Among them.

The most abundant were the brilliant lightning fruits.

As this mountain and river scene manifested, Qin Jin perceived that his recent exhaustion was instantly replenished.

At the same time, light fell from the divine tree, and Qin himself received a boost.

He charged into the ink-colored monster horde; as the small divine tree swayed, the various colored fruits above it trembled, and these ink-colored monsters’ movements became noticeably slower, as if suppressed.

This was a domain!

Qin’s Secret Treasure’s function was precisely domain and enhancement.

This enhancement was not limited to combat; when the Secret Treasure awakened, Qin had already gained insight into relevant information; when he cultivated, he could also activate the Secret Treasure to provide enhancement, assisting his cultivation!

During his later cultivation, Qin Jin underwent immense changes, even integrating another cultivation system; with both methods progressing in parallel, the resulting Secret Treasure was also extremely special.

That mountain and river scene and that small divine tree would accompany his continuous growth, until they shone brilliantly.

Within this ink-wash battlefield, Qin fought to his heart’s content.

The ink-colored monsters shattered and reassembled, and an unknown amount of time passed.

As the other True Body of the Nine Tribulation True Body activated, Qin’s hair turned frosty white. Under its influence, the colossal monster before him was temporarily frozen. He then transformed again, ending it with an explosive thunder. Cracks appeared on all sides of this ink-wash battlefield, which then shattered with a roar.

He returned to the Sky Island.

Gu Huang’s gaze fell upon him, and her questioning voice rang out.

“Qin Jin, how do you feel now?”

Qin stood still. After a long battle, beads of sweat dripped from his forehead.

The Congenital Realm was not an infinite energy source; while recovery speed far exceeded that of ordinary people, he still felt fatigued.

Upon hearing the question,

Qin Jin smiled brightly and spoke bluntly: “It was exhilarating.”

What could be more exhilarating than an unrestrained battle after breaking through?

After the harvest, he had gotten a full release.

“Your performance exceeded my expectations.”

Admiration rose in Gu Huang’s eyes: “With the combat power you just displayed, you are even capable of contending with Martial Artists in the Congenital Realm who have undergone three, or even four, transformations.”

“And, from the looks of it, you still held something back.”

“You’ve only just entered the Congenital Realm and haven’t fully familiarized yourself with your improvements yet.”

“Qin Jin, your performance has truly surprised me.”

At this point, Gu Huang looked towards Candle Kite on the other side: “Have the security levels for related information been raised?”

“Of course.”

“Qin Jin’s security clearance was already very high.”

Candle Kite nodded.

Gu Huang withdrew her gaze.

She lightly turned her right foot on the ground, and the ink-black lake reappeared, taking Qin Jin away from the Sky Island, their destination unknown.

Her lips parted slightly, and her voice sounded.

“After a Martial Artist enters the Congenital Realm, each person’s cultivation will begin to differ for the first time.”

“For the first two realms, under the exploration of the Federation’s predecessors, specific numerical values were set. Meeting these numerical requirements would lead to a breakthrough.”

“But the Congenital Realm is entirely different.”

“Upon returning to the Congenital Realm, every Martial Artist is a completely different individual. In this situation, the specific numerical values required for a breakthrough will also change for the first time.”

As they moved, she explained earnestly.

“Congenital Realm Martial Artists no longer have life index or spiritual index; they only have the Origin Index!”

“The Origin Index is a new data point established by the Federation, primarily based on origin power, combined with other aspects.”

“The cultivation of a Congenital Realm Martial Artist is mainly about continuously increasing their origin power. Because individuals differ, some Martial Artists will experience their second transformation after their origin power reaches a certain value.”

“This is the Second Transformation of the Congenital Realm.”

“Similarly, some Martial Artists may need to spend more time and increase more origin power before they can undergo a transformation. This is not a bad thing; origin power is like liquid, and the Martial Artist themselves is the container. Being able to carry more origin power in one transformation means greater potential and a higher chance of breaking through to the peak realm.”

Speaking of this, she paused slightly, looking at Qin: “It is precisely for this reason that Congenital Realm Martial Artists with the same number of transformations can have a wide range of combat power.”

“What I just said, that you can contend with three or even four transformations, refers to Martial Artists who, after being statistically analyzed by the Federation, are above the average in terms of combat power.”

“The greatest difference between Federation Martial Arts and ancient Martial Arts is the abundant big data support, making all aspects more transparent.”

“Above the Congenital Realm is the Grandmaster.”

“A Congenital Realm Martial Artist, after undergoing five transformations and mastering their power to the extreme, can be called a Grandmaster!”

“Do not underestimate the five transformations; the result of each individual transformation is not equal, but gradually increasing.”

“Some Martial Artists with astonishing foundations can even achieve flight at this stage, mastering abilities that individual humans should not possess.”

“Nine Transformations of the Congenital Realm means the Grandmaster Completion.”

Gu Huang’s voice softened slightly: “After nine transformations, a Martial Artist arrives before another threshold.”

“Martial Saint!”

The corner of her mouth curved into a smile, her eyes subtle: “To break through to Martial Saint, there are two choices.”

“One is to refine the Martial Saint Body through [Ancient Methods] and complete the breakthrough.”

“The other is to [Create Your Own Method], refine the Martial Saint Body, and thus break through.”

Gu Huang’s voice abruptly stopped here.

The surrounding ink wash dissipated, and they had already arrived at another location within the academy.

Looking around, ahead was an extremely vast, gigantic building. The entire structure was tower-shaped, appearing to have thirteen floors from the outside. Like other buildings within the academy, it had a distinctly ancient style.

In the middle of the tower body, there was also a [plaque] with three powerful characters written in ink.

[Zhenwu Tower]

“Teacher Gu.”

Qin Jin’s gaze lingered on the Zhenwu Tower for a moment, then he spoke: “Then—what about a Heavenly Being?”

He had never encountered information about such high-level cultivation realms and was now curious.

“A Heavenly Being is too far from you right now.”

“Moreover, that is an entirely different realm.”

Gu Huang did not answer directly, saying in a deep voice: “Five transformations make a Grandmaster, nine transformations approach a Martial Saint. In reality, the Martial Saint realm is also equally distant from you.”

“But—”

“You have shown impressive talent, and you are my student, which is why I am explaining this to you. I want you to be fully prepared in your upcoming cultivation process and make your choice in advance.”

“In the future—”

“Should you truly approach the Martial Saint realm one day, will you choose the [Ancient Method] or [Create Your Own Method]?”

Qin Jin listened attentively.

As he heard this, a person came to mind.

Su Chaozong.

According to Teacher Chu, Su Chaozong left with what he sought to break through to Martial Saint.

If he were to create his own method, why would he seek out Chu Tianyi?

“So,”

“Su Teacher chose the [Ancient Method], and obtained the [Ancient Method] from Teacher Chu?”

A thought flashed, and Qin Jin spoke: “Teacher Gu, which one do you recommend?”

“Me?”

Gu Huang led the way, walking towards the interior of the [Zhenwu Tower], her voice carried on the wind.

“If one cannot even create their own method, how can they be called a Saint?”

She did not speak directly.

But the meaning was self-evident.

Qin looked thoughtful and followed behind.

Before arriving here, Candle Kite had clearly made preparations in advance. When the three figures—two large, one small—reached the door,

The door opened automatically.

Qin followed Gu Huang inside, stepping through.

The moment he entered this [Zhenwu Tower], Qin Jin’s steps paused slightly, his gaze sweeping around, ripples appearing in his eyes.

From the outside, this thirteen-story building already appeared quite magnificent.

But upon entering the interior,

The style was completely different.

The interior of this building clearly utilized spatial expansion technology, making it much wider than it appeared from the outside.

As far as the eye could see, on the ground and high in the air in all directions, there were countless pieces of furniture resembling [bookshelves]. On top of these bookshelves, some held paper ancient texts, some held technological hard drives, and even Martial Dao Crystals were neatly stacked and arranged everywhere.

Qin Jin’s gaze looked upwards.

On the very top floor, he even saw some objects resembling precious pearls. Although he was seeing them for the first time, since he was in this place, their purpose was obvious.

They were also carriers for recording Martial Dao inheritances!

This [Zhenwu Tower].

It housed the vast inheritances of the Martial Arts Department of Wu Yuan Academy, a true scripture repository in every sense of the word!

At the front,

Gu Huang’s voice sounded again.

“Qin Jin, I told you that after the Congenital Realm, your cultivation method will be completely different.”

“Previously, you cultivated Breathing Method and Visualization Method.”

“Breathing Method unearthed your own potential and refined life energy, while Visualization Method bore pressure and enhanced spiritual power.”

“But—”

“These are merely the most superficial methods of cultivation.”

“Martial Artists who have not yet entered the Congenital Realm are too fragile; using external objects would contaminate their very essence.”

“Now that you have entered the Congenital Realm, it’s time for you to see the truth behind these two cultivation methods.”

“Take Visualization Method as an example.”

Gu Huang reached out and lightly tapped in the void. Ink wash appeared, forming a human figure.

That human figure sat cross-legged, engaged in visualization. The object of his visualization was an extremely fierce-looking monster.

During the visualization,

Specks of ink-black color flowed from the monster towards the visualizer. After purification and refinement, they converged within his heart.

“Keep oneself pure, untouched by dust.”

“Congenital Realm Martial Artists, in visualization, no longer cultivate solely by the pressure given by the opponent. Instead, during visualization, they comprehend extraordinary factors from the opponent, refine them, transform them into the purest power, and integrate them to converge within themselves!”