Reflection Peak's sealed room was completely sealed off, with merely a few small gaps for air. One ate, drank, and excreted all within the place. It was like a prison. This cramped place was so dark that one could not see one's outstretched hand. To be sealed here for a year was not something that a normal person could endure.
Feng Xueya had locked Wu Yu inside perhaps to test his will. A martial cultivator faced many dangers, and it was impossible for someone with weak willpower to succeed on the arduous path of cultivation.
As for Wu Yu, he had killed five people in succession on Heaven's Lament, and his state of mind had changed. After becoming an External Disciple, he had finally set off on the path of an immortal, and his character had changed as well.
A year's time did not daunt him. Because to him, it was a time when no one could disturb him. He could concentrate on cultivating, and it was an excellent chance for him to charge to an even higher level!
"The Basics of the Sword says that since I have killed five people, I am of an evil nature. By right, I should be executed on the spot. A more magnanimous judgement would be to invalidate my Immortal Dao path and exile me from the sect. Knowing this, the Sect Leader's treatment must have set tongues wagging."
He was not in a hurry to train. And in this darkness, he used the light from the gaps to finish reading the three books that they had been issued at the opening ceremony. Out of these, The Basics of the Sword and The Records of the Bipo Mountain Range had lighter content and could be finished in a couple of hours.
But The Chronicles of the Dong Sheng Divine Continent was 10 times thicker than The Basics of the Sword. It detailed huge volumes of information related to the Dong Sheng Divine Continent. It included the Three Thousand Immortal Kingdoms, all kinds of major schools, power distribution, families, assorted demons and monsters, and even more spirits, treasures, martial arts, medicines, talismans, etc. After finishing this chronicle, Wu Yu's knowledge had increased greatly. Only now did he understand how broad the world he lived in truly was.
"This vast landmass is known as the Dong Sheng Divine Continent, and it’s surrounded on all four sides by sea. It's limitlessly rich. On the Dong Sheng Divine Continent, besides great mountains and rivers, it is a paradise. Many mortals are unable to reach this place. There are Three Thousand Immortal Kingdoms. My Dong Yue Wu Kingdom is in the most eastern region of the Dong Sheng Divine Continent, but in terms of national power, it's low when compared to those in the middle range, and can’t even hold a candle to those of the highest ranks!
"The Three Thousand Immortal Kingdoms' combined territories are but a third of the Dong Sheng Divine Continent. The other two thirds are high mountains and dangerous places. They are forbidden areas where no mortal can live in. These areas are widely ranged by demons. Immortal sect forests grow there and are full of ancient history. They have been the battlegrounds for immortals and demons. Also, within the Dong Sheng Divine Continent, the Heavenly Sword Sect is a sect that has relatively more interaction with the mortal world."
After all, the Bipo Mountain Range was within the mortal world. If one was lucky, even mortals could traverse the high hills and crawl here.
"Become an immortal, broaden your horizons! My goal should be the entire vastness of the Dong Sheng Divine Continent! But I do not know if the Heavenly Domain that descendant spoke of is as endless and vast as the Dong Sheng Divine Continent."
Just The Chronicles of the Dong Sheng Divine Continent had elevated Wu Yu's mind to a different level.
"But it is important to cast one's gaze far, important to broaden one's horizons, and even more important to be grounded in reality. This Invincible Vajra Body, I have only trained it to the fifth tier of the first realm. Now I've returned to the fifth tier of the martial way. From now on, it'll be a difficult grind."
He had killed Situ Jin and Situ Kang - and their 13-year-old brother, Situ Minglang, was raging to take revenge. When Wu Yu went out, it would not be easy. This crucial year would determine how far Wu Yu could go, or if he would be cut down in a moment.
"Situ Minglang is too young. If I fight him, it’ll seem like I'm too old......"
It was fine to be older, but if he was beaten up by his opponent, that was even more of a shame. Not only would he lose face, but he would also embarrass the Sect Leader.
In this year, he had expand his horizons and compose his heart!
"The Invincible Vajra Body's sixth tier is called Full-Body Golden Crystal Meridians. Once mastered, the entire body's meridians will be torn asunder. My body will become like the expansive, starry sky. My entire body's meridians will be like the stars but burn like the sun!"
The later one began training the Invincible Vajra Body, the more shocking it was. Especially that dream with the huge pillar - it had made Wu Yu deeply feel how far he had to go. But the Invincible Vajra Body was cruel. If he was not especially careful, he would fall prematurely, to the benefit of others.
Meeting a calamity, losing his princeship and reputation, and returning from death's door. Wu Yu knew what was precious to him.
The road of martial cultivation was one of persistence in the face of dryness. And in this sealed room, Wu Yu adhered to the lore of Full-Body Golden Crystal Meridians and evoked the power of the ground and fire, which flowed through his feet into his whole body. The fire burned his meridian points, and then through them. They became golden crystal meridians and heated his body until it was as hot as a meteor.
A body had hundreds of meridian points. They were numerous, and the fire from the ground burned inside his body. It was even more excruciating than normal fires, and only those with the strongest wills could change the entire body's meridian points to golden crystal.
The guard on the sealed room would often hear anguished wails that were painful to hear. Even deep in the night, there were moans akin to wild beasts. All of this was Wu Yu burning the hundreds of meridian points on his body.
Day after day passed, and the sealed room often shone with firelight. Through the gaps, one could see that the meridians on Wu Yu's body were starting to burn like comets. His body was like a sky with stars burning, an uncountable number of stars! As the number of broken meridians increased, the sealed room became even brighter. Even the metal on the sealed room's great door seemed like it would melt.
After 130 days, Wu Yu finally managed to break open all the meridian points in his body. It was the first time he had achieved the Opening Meridians tier. At that moment, there were hundreds of meridian points all over his body, which shone like the sun within the darkness. They were dense and, although small, shone intensely. The entire steel sealed room glowed red from the heat. Especially those eyes. Once they shot out golden light, they could virtually melt steel.
On his back, the sauvastika symbol became even more scorched. In the dimness, he howled like a trapped monkey!
Weng!
He clenched his fists, and the prison shook.
"This Invincible Vajra Body has flamed my heart. In my imagination, I am actually an enraged ape, beating down everything in my way.
"At my current strength, I far surpass the sixth tier of the Body Refining Realm. The Body Refining Realm's sixth tier basically has 100 warhorses worth of strength. And now I am well above 800! Normally, only when one has sought the eighth tier of the Body Refining Realm does one have 500 warhorses worth of strength.
"I'm afraid that right now, even those at the seventh tier of the Body Refining Realm, and the weaker ones of the eighth tier of the Body Refining Realm are all no match for me."
At his present level, it was impossible not to get excited given his age. But as he thought of the 13-year-old Situ Minglang, who had already achieved Spirit Ascension, and Heavenly Immortal Hao Tian from Capital Wu, he began to calm down. He knew that there was still a long way to go.
"Invincible Vajra Body’s seventh tier, Visualizing the Inner Ape.
"The seventh tier of the Mortal Body Refining Realm is Spirit Congealing. Spirit Congealing allows one's soul to grow and unifies the heart and mind. One's will is strengthened, and they become more focused. It completely manipulates one's body to elevate battle power, and it is also the key to entering the Qi Condensation Realm in the future."
Wu Yu was not prepared to rest.
"Visualizing the Inner Ape, imagine a monkey?"
At this point, Wu Yu realized that the Invincible Vajra Body was indeed connected to a monkey. He followed the “Inner Ape” that the Invincible Vajra Body described. By his own sketches, and imagination, he created the form of a monkey in his mind.
"Invincible Vajra Body! When fully cultivated, one will become exceptionally powerful, able to kill through all 8,000 heavenly palaces and wreck the 10,000 layers of hell! One would possess a skull of copper and bones of steel, a body forged with a myriad of metals. The weapons of gods and immortals would cause no harm. The Heavenly Dao's immortals cannot vanquish you!
"I am the Heavenly Domain's Great Sage, the Heavenly Buddha Domain's Victorious Fighting Buddha! Fated one, accept my legacy and defy the Heavens and destroy all that stand in your way!"
In his imagination, these dominating, disdainful words pierced through the mental world of Wu Yu. It battered him savagely. At the same time, the Inner Ape began to materialize within his heart.
"The unrivalled monkey king, with a phoenix-feathered crown of purple gold on his head, donning golden armor, and treading on a cloud, with the Ruyi Jingu Bang in his hand! Blood boiling, causing chaos in the heavenly palace, tearing it all asunder. All the spirits and buddhas howl like demons and ghosts!"
In his mind, such words appeared. In addition to the previous two sentences, the Inner Ape suddenly formed in whole! It was a monkey king unrivalled. In the raging inferno, his golden crown struck awe, his golden armor shone, his long whip was like ink, his golden staff invincible! A pair of golden eyes which saw through all in the world. A pair of eyes that demons and monsters alike could not escape! Behind, a blood-red wave came gushing from 30,000 li, making it seem as if blood filled the skies!
"Inner Ape, what an Inner Ape!"
Wu Yu's spirit completely suppressed this Inner Ape. Just thinking about it made his head ache to the point that it felt like splitting. Clearly, this level of soul mastery could not endure it. He had to visualize it again and again, train, and congeal his spirit!
Bang!
Visualizing it over and over, and experiencing the feeling of his skull splitting over and over.
"I will be reborn after death. If I do not persist, I will not attain the transformation. Then, I will be a waste!"
In Capital Wu, thieves still roamed at large, and Wu Yu's grudge of blood grew. His life of hatred would only be appeased by killing.
Therefore, the elder guarding the sealed room again heard the painful cries of Wu Yu, which would not cease.
"This Wu Yu is a real lunatic. Cultivate away, but must you weep and howl like a demon?
"It's fine to give it your all, but that Situ Minglang has already condensed his qi, making ridiculous progress. I'm afraid that he still does not know. If he did, he would probably wet his pants in fright."
In an instant, more than 200 days had passed.
At this time, the Inner Ape had already been fully formed, and even the hairs on the body were clear within Wu Yu's mind. Martial arts always came to those who persevered. After close to 200 days, he could finally withstand the pressure that the Inner Ape exerted. His soul metamorphosed again and again. Although one could not see it or feel it, in Wu Yu's heart, his soul had already taken on the form of the Inner Ape.
"Mortal Body Refining Realm, seventh tier, success.
"For Heavenly Sword Sect disciples, if you congeal your spirit according to The Mental Arts to Pursue the Stars, you will have 500 warhorses worth of power. And when I visualize the inner apem and congeal my spirit, I can bring forth 1,500 warhorses worth of power!
"Normally, one has about 1,000 warhorses worth of power after seeking the ninth tier of the martial way. The martial way's 10th tier has 2,000 warhorses worth of strength. This means that I am about roughly equal to Situ Minglang.
"Life is a curious thing. It's a marvel. When I was in Capital Wu, my life's dream was to reach the 10th tier of the martial way. To have 2,000 warhorses worth of power. Who would have thought that a year later, I'd achieve it all!"
And just like that, a year of sealing passed.
On the day that the doors of the sealed room were opened, it was the first time in a year that Wu Yu basked in the sunshine. There was an otherworldly feel to it.