Chapter 411: Great Progress in Cultivation
"Demon Ape, stay in the valley and heal your wounds first. Wait for me to return."
Zhang Ruochen issued a command to the Demon Ape, then leaped up and plunged into the Black Water Cold Pool, heading down to excavate the Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal.
At the bottom of the cold pool, over two hundred meters deep, the water pressure was intense and the cold was bone-piercing. The stone walls around the pool were extremely hard. Zhang Ruochen exerted all his strength but only managed to dig out a small piece.
It weighed about one or two taels, roughly the same size as the Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal on the divine staff of Master Longze.
"Who would have thought that the legendary Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal was nurtured at the bottom of a cold pool?"
The Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal was formed from the purest water-attributed power of the Five Elements Ruins Realm. Even if brought back to the Kunlun Realm, it could fetch a considerable price.
Spending a full half day, Zhang Ruochen dug out all the Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal exposed on the surface, totaling over six hundred and twenty jin.
The largest piece was as big as a washbasin, weighing over two hundred jin. The water-attributed power it contained was extremely pure, and within the crystal, strands of golden colored glaze light could be seen.
Then, Zhang Ruochen released his Heavenly Eye and discovered that beneath the soil, a small amount of Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal was still buried deep. So, he continued digging downward.
Spending an entire day and night, he dug out another two hundred jin of Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal, leaving not a single grain behind.
In total, Zhang Ruochen harvested over eight hundred and twenty jin of Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal.
"The Black Water Cold Pool is an excellent place for cultivation. I'll refine the Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal right here."
Zhang Ruochen did not enter the inner space of the Time-Space Crystal but instead planned to use the external environment of the Black Water Cold Pool.
He took out a piece of Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal weighing about one jin, held it in his palm, and wrapped it with Azure Void True Qi.
"Bang!"
Under the pressure of the true qi, the Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal burst apart, turning into a black crystalline mist that flowed through Zhang Ruochen's meridians along with the true qi.
After circulating through his body for one major cycle, one-third of the power contained in that piece of Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal was absorbed.
The water-attributed power of the Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal was extremely cold, causing Zhang Ruochen to shiver all over. His muscles, bones, internal organs, and viscera emitted crackling sounds, like the popping of frying.
Strands of black air current infused into Zhang Ruochen's bones, leaving patterns on them.
After three more major cycles, Zhang Ruochen almost completely absorbed the power of that piece of Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal.
"My cultivation has indeed increased significantly, equivalent to about a year's worth of training. I've reached the peak of the Heavenly Extreme Realm Later Stage and am not far from the Heavenly Extreme Realm Small Extreme Position."
Without the Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal, Zhang Ruochen would have needed to cultivate for another year to reach his current realm.
Even with the Time-Space Crystal, it would have taken four months.
Of course, Zhang Ruochen possessed the Dragon Pearl, allowing him to continuously absorb the power of the Sacred Dragon, which could save half the time. Even so, it would still take two months.
This was the importance of cultivation resources. Without sufficient resources, even a top-tier genius might never break through to the Fish-Dragon Realm in a lifetime of cultivation.
Zhang Ruochen examined his bones and found that the black patterns on them had increased tenfold, becoming harder and seemingly giving off a crystalline, translucent feel.
Beyond his bones, every structure in his body had undergone a noticeable transformation.
It wasn't just strength and defense; his compatibility with heaven and earth's spiritual qi had also improved. More precisely, he had become attuned to the water-attributed power of heaven and earth.
If he could cultivate the Water Spirit Treasure Body, Zhang Ruochen would become the spokesperson for water-attributed power in the world, easily controlling the water of the earth, the water of the void, and the water of his own body.
Just like the Demon Ape, which could condense ice spikes in its abdomen and spit them out from its mouth.
However, the Demon Ape was merely a barbaric beast and didn't know how to use the special power of the Water Spirit Treasure Body. If it could harness that power, even if Zhang Ruochen used his Martial Soul, he might not be able to suppress it.
Water is the source of all things, containing power that is ever-changing.
It can both attack and defend.
If he cultivated the Water Spirit Treasure Body, besides a great enhancement in physical constitution, there were two major advantages:
First, a martial artist could directly cultivate to the Fish-Dragon Realm without encountering any bottlenecks.
Just like a martial artist with a Sacred Body could directly cultivate to the Saint realm without any bottlenecks. Of course, the Water Spirit Treasure Body couldn't compare to a Sacred Body; it was weaker by more than one level.
Second, a martial artist's cultivation speed would be significantly faster than that of an ordinary martial artist, and they could more easily comprehend the Sacred Path and grasp its true essence.
This was because a martial artist with the Water Spirit Treasure Body was more attuned to heaven and earth's spiritual qi.
Although Zhang Ruochen had an ordinary constitution, he possessed many heaven-defying advantages that other martial artists lacked, such as the "Time-Space Crystal," "Past Life Memories," "Strong Spiritual Power," "Nine Heavens Bright Emperor Scripture," and so on. Thus, his cultivation speed was even faster than those with Sacred Bodies.
Cultivation experience was also an advantage.
If he could cultivate the Water Spirit Treasure Body, his cultivation speed would become even faster.
Zhang Ruochen took out another one-jin piece of Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal and began to refine it, preparing to charge at the Heavenly Extreme Realm Small Extreme Position.
After three more major cycles in his body, he completely absorbed the Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal. His cultivation improved further, but he still hadn't broken through to the Heavenly Extreme Realm Small Extreme Position.
He had reached the limit of the Heavenly Extreme Realm Later Stage, only needing the final step to break through the realm barrier.
"Indeed, in the Heavenly Extreme Realm, every level is not easy to break through. Even without bottlenecks, the accumulation of true qi needed to break through a realm can exhaust countless martial artists."
The Heavenly Extreme Realm was called the limit of martial arts for a reason.
Countless martial artists were stuck at the Heavenly Extreme Realm, unable to break through, forever remaining mortal martial artists, unable to charge at the coveted Sacred Path.
Only by reaching the Fish-Dragon Realm could one be considered to have initially crossed the threshold of the Sacred Path.
Zhang Ruochen took out a third piece of Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal. When he had refined half of it, a low rumble sounded from his Qi Sea.
Then, a devouring aura emerged, and Zhang Ruochen's speed of absorbing the Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal doubled.
In an instant, he completely absorbed that piece of Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal.
Finally, he broke through the realm barrier and stepped into the Heavenly Extreme Realm Small Extreme Position.
Zhang Ruochen felt that his Qi Sea was extremely empty, urgently needing to absorb more spiritual qi.
So, he took out another piece of Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal and continued refining, converting the water-attributed power into true qi, steadily expanding the true qi orb in his Qi Sea.
After absorbing about six jin and five taels of Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal in total, Zhang Ruochen's constitution seemed to have reached saturation, unable to refine any more Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal into his body.
"How can this be?"
Zhang Ruochen took out a small piece of Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal weighing two taels, held it in his hand, absorbed it into his body, and continued refining.
But as soon as he started circulating his technique, a sharp pain shot through his entire body, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
The power of the Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal also automatically surged out of his body and dissipated into the water.
Zhang Ruochen clutched his chest and took a deep breath. "It seems my body has reached its limit. Without breaking through to the next realm, I probably won't be able to absorb any more Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal into my body."
Even trying again would be useless; it would not only rupture his body but also waste the Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal.
Of course, having absorbed six jin and five taels of Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal, Zhang Ruochen's cultivation had already been elevated to the peak of the Heavenly Extreme Realm Small Extreme Position, not far from the Heavenly Extreme Realm Middle Extreme Position. This had saved him about seven years of arduous cultivation.
"When the artifact spirit of the 'Heavenly Ranking' said that finding the Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal could save ten years of arduous cultivation, it probably wasn't referring to pure cultivation but to the Water Spirit Treasure Body."
"Refining one jin of Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal can save about a year of arduous cultivation."
"In other words, absorbing ten jin of Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal would allow me to cultivate the Water Spirit Treasure Body?"
Zhang Ruochen had already examined his constitution, especially his bones.
His bones were almost entirely covered with black patterns, becoming more crystalline and translucent. Although still far from the Demon Ape's bones, they were already much better than before.
His guess might not be wrong. Absorbing another three jin and five taels of Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal might give him the chance to cultivate the Water Spirit Treasure Body.
"Now, my constitution has reached its limit. I must break through to the Heavenly Extreme Realm Middle Extreme Position before I can continue absorbing Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal. By then, I should be able to cultivate the Water Spirit Treasure Body."
Zhang Ruochen rushed out of the Black Water Cold Pool and landed on its shore. He noticed that the water in the pool was no longer as icy cold.
Looking at the water's surface, even the water quality was no longer as pitch-black, having become somewhat clearer.
"With the Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal taken away, this cold pool is essentially abandoned," Zhang Ruochen sighed.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen fly out of the Black Water Cold Pool, the Demon Ape stood up, let out a loud roar, and moved its massive body to kneel before Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Demon Ape, how many days have I been cultivating in the Black Water Cold Pool?"
The Demon Ape transmitted a thought to Zhang Ruochen, saying, "Reporting to master, five days."
Zhang Ruochen nodded. "So much time has passed. The Five Elements Ruins Realm must be in chaos by now. I need to go out and take a walk, striving to seize the other four spiritual treasures amid this turmoil."
Refining Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal could cultivate the "Water Spirit Treasure Body."
If he obtained the Spiritual Fire Source, could he cultivate the "Fire Spirit Treasure Body"?
If he obtained the Purple Cloud Agarwood, could he cultivate the "Wood Spirit Treasure Body"?
...
Each of the five spiritual treasures represented the purest origin power of the Five Elements Ruins Realm, and even Half-Saints would fight to seize them.
If he could find all five spiritual treasures, he would have the chance to cultivate the legendary "Five Elements Chaos Body."
The Five Elements Chaos Body was even more powerful than the Five Elements Sacred Body, but its cultivation difficulty was also extremely high, even harder than the Supreme Extreme Realm.
Even if Zhang Ruochen seized all five spiritual treasures, he might not necessarily succeed in cultivating it.
The human body's capacity was limited after all. Being able to cultivate a single-attribute treasure body was already quite remarkable.
To merge two powers and cultivate a "Dual Spirit Treasure Body" would increase the difficulty tenfold.
Let alone the Five Elements Chaos Body?
Zhang Ruochen's current goal was only to cultivate the "Water Spirit Treasure Body," though he could also strive to charge at the "Dual Spirit Treasure Body" or even the "Triple Spirit Treasure Body."