Gu An saw through Yang Jian’s thoughts but didn’t explain and instead waited for his choice.
Yang Jian’s bones were special and required vast amounts of spiritual energy for body tempering. This process was bound to be painful, so Gu An let him choose.
No matter how strong the aptitude, without a firm will, the road ahead would be difficult.
The Blood Prison Great Saint looked at Yang Jian mockingly, wanting to see how the boy would choose.
Yang Jian clenched his teeth and said, “Yang Jian from ‘Investiture of the Gods’ was able to split a mountain to save his mother and fight against the heavens. Since I’ve renamed myself Yang Jian, I can’t disgrace his name. Even if it means my body is shattered to pieces, I will have no regrets. Master, please help me defy destiny!”
With that, he knelt down suddenly.
Gu An’s lips curved upwards, and Yang Jian felt a terrifying force envelop him, sending chills down his spine.
Before he could think further, he felt the world suddenly shift, causing his internal organs to quiver.
The next second, the world returned to normal, and he felt his feet touch the ground. The intense sense of weightlessness made him almost want to vomit.
He supported himself on the ground and instinctively looked up to see his master still sitting on the Bull Demon King’s back. He couldn’t help but sigh in relief. He opened his mouth and asked, “Master, just now…”
Before he could finish his sentence, a sea breeze blew, instantly clearing his mind.
He stood up and turned around, dumbfounded by what he saw.
What did he see?
“The sea…how is that possible…”
Yang Jian looked towards the vast ocean in front of him, utterly stunned.
Though he had never seen the ocean, he had heard old stories saying it was larger than a lake, boundless, like another world.
The Blood Prison Great Saint had felt the Limitless Freedom Step before, but each time it left him astonished.
This divine skill was truly unbelievable!
Without any warning, it was so fast that even he, a Mahayana Realm cultivator, couldn’t react.
Gu An dismounted from the Bull and walked towards the island’s interior, saying, “Follow me.”
Yang Jian snapped out of his stupor and quickly followed Gu An.
The Blood Prison Great Saint also followed, curious about how Gu An planned to help Yang Jian defy destiny.
Could such a mediocre talent truly transform into a favored son of heaven?
He was filled with doubt.
Yang Jian’s feelings were complex, a mix of excitement and trepidation.
Just from that earlier display, he could tell that his master was definitely not a Core Formation Realm cultivator.
In other words, his master’s words were true!
He could defy destiny, but he would have to face bone-crushing pain. The mere thought of it made his legs tremble.
Gu An noticed Yang Jian’s state but didn’t offer any comfort because Yang Jian would have to face it eventually.
After walking into the forest, Yang Jian’s attention was diverted. He found the spiritual energy here incredibly abundant, and the creatures on the island seemed unusual. He saw a blue-furred rabbit as fast as lightning.
There were also snakes resembling white jade, spiders like gemstones, and long creatures hovering in mid-air like sea dragons. All these new sights stimulated his senses.
After walking for an hour, Gu An finally stopped at a lakeside deep within the forest. He stood by the lake, took out a great cauldron, and started a fire.
Yang Jian watched as Gu An pointed with his right hand, shooting out a blue flame, feeling an even deeper sense of awe.
“Master, what realm are you in?” Yang Jian braved himself to ask.
Gu An casually replied, “Loose Immortal Realm.”
“What is a Loose Immortal?”
“Qi Cultivation, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, Divinity Transformation, Void Crossing, Unification, Mystic Heart, Mahayana. These are the nine ranks of the Mortal Realm. Beyond that is the Immortal Path Realm. Nirvana is the first step on the Immortal Path, and Loose Immortal is the second step.”
Gu An explained, and Yang Jian gasped in shock.
The Blood Prison Great Saint also learned about the Immortal Path Realm for the first time.
Was his master really only two major realms above him?
The Blood Prison Great Saint suspected Gu An was hiding something.
Fortunately, Yang Jian, the innocent one, asked the question he wanted to ask: “What realm is above Loose Immortal?”
“That is something you will have to seek out yourself in the future.”
Gu An answered. While he intended to reveal part of his strength, he couldn’t fully expose himself; there always had to be some reserve.
He had recently been contemplating breaking through to a higher realm. In case a World-Destroying Sea Tide erupted, he feared the Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal technique wouldn’t suffice.
He wasn’t too worried, though. If the Mortal World were ever submerged, he could escape to Outer Heaven or open a Grotto Heaven under the sea, bringing those close to him into a Minor Heaven and Earth of his own creation.
Yang Jian continued to inquire about the differences between the various realms, and Gu An patiently answered, gradually emboldening Yang Jian.
He suddenly felt that his master wasn’t as terrifying as he had initially thought and was actually quite gentle.
In reality, Gu An treated all his disciples gently, including him, but his desire to depend on Gu An brought inevitable pressure.
After Gu An had finished preparing the medicinal herbs, he instructed Yang Jian to enter the Medicine Cauldron.
Yang Jian asked if he needed to undress, and Gu An replied that it wasn’t necessary.
Ordinary robes couldn’t block spiritual energy.
Yang Jian sat inside the Medicine Cauldron, extremely nervous, clutching the corners of his robe tightly, with cold sweat the size of beans dripping from his forehead.
The Blood Prison Great Saint stood up, placing his hooves on the edge of the Medicine Cauldron, and said, “Boy, the path of immortal cultivation is arduous. Many times, you just need to think about holding on a little longer, just a little longer, and the pain you’re enduring will soon pass.”
Yang Jian took a deep breath, looked at the Blood Prison Great Saint, and asked, “Senior Niu, may I ask what realm you are in?”
Since his master was a Loose Immortal, the Bull Demon King, as his master’s mount, must be incredibly strong.
Otherwise, why would his master only bring him along?
The Blood Prison Great Saint looked at Gu An, saw him nod, then turned back, smiling proudly, and said, “I am at the Mahayana Realm’s eighth floor, and I’m not just a Bull Demon; I am the Blood Prison Great Saint who ascended from the Lower Realm…”
He recounted his glorious history endlessly, leaving Yang Jian with his mouth agape.
The Mahayana Realm’s eighth floor!
He knew that the Supreme Sect had only two Mahayana Realm cultivators in name.
Who would have thought that the bull raised by his master was at the Mahayana Realm?
Yang Jian was dazzled by the immense joy, feeling as if he were dreaming.
Gu An instructed the Blood Prison Great Saint to step aside, and the Blood Prison Great Saint had no choice but to shut up and move away, showing none of the bearing of a Mahayana Realm cultivator.
Gu An took out an elixir and handed it to Yang Jian, saying, “After consuming this, follow the mental method I described and cultivate your energy. I will guide you in your training. No matter how much it hurts, you must follow my guidance to absorb energy; otherwise, you will perish, and not even an Immortal Daluo can save you.”
Yang Jian was about to ask what an Immortal Daluo was when he saw Gu An turn away. He could only toss the elixir into his mouth.
The moment it entered, it dissolved, and Yang Jian felt his throat burning, his body suddenly heating up.
At this moment, Gu An’s voice reached his ears using the Sound Transmission Skill, along with a domineering force entering his body, guiding him to absorb nature’s spiritual energy.
Gu An was teaching the All Things Form and Energy Art!
The All Things Form and Energy Art originated and continually elevated from the Energy Nurturing Skill. It was fundamentally a body tempering technique. Although Gu An rarely engaged in close combat, his physique was robust.
Furthermore, the All Things Form and Energy Art could conceal one’s aura, making it perfect for Yang Jian to hide his strength in the future.
Gu An wasn’t worried about Yang Jian revealing the technique, as he himself would inevitably upgrade it further.
Yang Jian began absorbing energy following the power within him while keeping his master’s mental method in mind.
As time passed, the medicinal soup in the cauldron started to boil. Yang Jian’s skin turned hot red, but the pain in his skin was insignificant compared to the agony of tearing in his bones and muscles.
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Pain!
Pain beyond imagination!
The sensation of thousands of insects gnawing at bones, tearing muscles, couldn’t begin to describe this agony!
His master’s voice constantly echoed in his ears, making him feel less afraid. With his master present, he felt inexplicably reassured.
Just like the Blood Prison Great Saint had said, hold on a little longer, and soon it would be over.
The pain intensified, and gradually, he began gritting his teeth.
His hair fluttered, veins bulged on his face, and his body was drenched, making it hard to distinguish between sweat and medicinal fluid.
Crunch—
His body suddenly made a hair-raising sound, as if bones were grinding against each other. Even the Blood Prison Great Saint couldn’t help but shiver.
“Can he really defy destiny?”
The Blood Prison Great Saint thought in shock.
To him, Gu An remained the omnipotent immortal!
He turned his head, seeing Gu An standing by the lake with his back to the medicine cauldron, his calm demeanor earning even more admiration.
For Gu An, defying destiny seemed like it wasn’t a difficult task.
Little did the Blood Prison Great Saint know, Gu An wasn’t truly defying destiny but merely helping Yang Jian restore his true physique.
At this moment, Gu An was multitasking, guiding Yang Jian’s cultivation while using his divine sense to scan the ocean.
He was searching for a suitable place for his next breakthrough.
“I wonder what realm lies beyond Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal…”
Gu An thought expectantly. With over sixteen million years of lifespan, he felt he should be able to break through.
However, he hesitated over whether to enhance his cultivation techniques and divine skills, as elevating them required investing tens of thousands or even more lifespan years.
He feared he might not have enough lifespan left to break through afterward.
“Ah—”
Yang Jian suddenly let out a shrill scream, making the Blood Prison Great Saint’s heart tighten.
This seemed more painful than when he had absorbed the true blood of the divine beast.
Gu An didn’t turn back, seemingly unconcerned about Yang Jian.
The elixir he had given Yang Jian was extraordinary, worth 100 supreme-grade spirit stones, equivalent to 10,000 top-grade spirit stones.
One hundred million low-grade spirit stones!
It was known that outer sect servant disciples only received one low-grade spirit stone per month as stipend. The treatment in Mystic Valley and the Third Medicine Valley was better, but not by much.
With this elixir, Yang Jian might even make a direct breakthrough, depending on how much of the medicinal power his physique could absorb.
Time passed by second by second.
After a while of screaming, Yang Jian’s voice suddenly stopped.
The Blood Prison Great Saint widened his eyes in shock.
Yang Jian slowly rose from the cauldron, still in a meditative posture. His black hair fluttered, skin glowing red. Strangely, he emitted a menacing aura, frightening the Blood Prison Great Saint.
This feeling was like encountering a nemesis!
Rumble—
A thundercloud had quietly formed in the sky, brewing a mighty force.
“What kind of life grid is being altered? This is too overwhelming!”
The Blood Prison Great Saint thought in astonishment. Even with his divine beast blood-enhanced physique, he was intimidated by Yang Jian’s presence, indicating how terrifying Yang Jian’s physique had become.
He turned to look at Gu An, who remained unfazed, seemingly unconcerned by the heavenly power.