Chapter 432: Heavenly Extreme Realm Middle Position
As for breaking through to the eighth transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm, Lei Jing actually did not hold much hope.
Even among those Half-Saint clans, reaching the seventh transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm or above was considered extremely rare. Achieving the eighth transformation was even more difficult by a thousandfold.
This was his first attempt at the eighth transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm. According to his estimates, he had at most only a twenty percent chance of successfully breaking through.
However, when he saw the black crystal Zhang Ruochen had taken out, his eyes flew wide open, his expression stirred with excitement, and his lips trembled slightly. "Such rich water-attributed spiritual energy, this... this... could it be a water-attributed origin spiritual treasure?"
"Exactly. This is a water-attributed origin spiritual treasure, Black Water Liuli Crystal. Please, Master, accept it. Consider it a small token of your disciple's regard." Zhang Ruochen said.
With such a large amount of water-attributed origin spiritual treasure, it was enough for Lei Jing to cultivate a Water Spirit Treasure Body, saving ten years of bitter cultivation.
Not to mention the eighth transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm, "Chong Ling Sacred Meridian," he even had the opportunity, within ten years, to reach the ninth transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm, "Liuli Treasure Body."
A Half-Saint was within reach.
Even Half-Saints regarded such things as treasures, so Lei Jing naturally found them extremely enticing.
There was no need to be polite with his own disciple. Lei Jing did not put on any airs. He took the Black Water Liuli Crystal, turned around, and left to go into seclusion for cultivation, beginning his assault on the eighth transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm.
Zhang Ruochen had originally intended to give Lei Jing a portion of the Purple Cloud Agarwood as well. Seeing Lei Jing leave, he put away the Purple Cloud Agarwood he had taken out. He could give it to him later.
The relationship between Zhang Ruochen and Lei Jing was more like friends and teachers than master and disciple.
"First, heal my injuries, then break through to the Heavenly Extreme Realm Middle Position."
Zhang Ruochen instructed Xiao Hei, asking him to help train the Demon Ape and the Swallowing Elephant Rabbit Guo Guo, striving to elevate the strength of the Demon Ape and Guo Guo to the next level.
Afterwards, he returned to his room, entered the inner space of the Time-Space Crystal, and began to cultivate.
Six days later, not only had Zhang Ruochen's injuries fully healed, but he had also absorbed one percent of the Half-Saint Light within his Qi Sea.
His Martial Soul strength had reached the level of a cultivator at the fifth transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm.
Moreover, his cultivation had also increased, infinitely approaching the Heavenly Extreme Realm Middle Position.
After spending another six days, Zhang Ruochen's Martial Soul continuously absorbed the Half-Saint Light. With the assistance of that energy, he finally broke through to the Heavenly Extreme Realm Middle Position in one go.
At the very moment of the realm breakthrough, Zhang Ruochen took out over a thousand Spirit Crystals, drawing the spiritual energy into his body, making the true qi in his Qi Sea increasingly thick and profound.
At this time, Zhang Ruochen's Martial Soul strength had already approached that of a martial artist at the sixth transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm.
However, the speed at which the Martial Soul absorbed the Half-Saint Light was becoming slower and slower, as if suppressed by some force, reaching a critical point.
"It should be that the Martial Soul is too strong, while the martial arts realm is too low. I have already reached the strongest state of the Martial Soul for my current realm. Only when the realm breaks through again can the Martial Soul continue to absorb the Half-Saint Light."
The problem Zhang Ruochen was now facing was the same as Blood Spirit King's.
Blood Spirit King's physical body was not strong enough, so she had been unable to fully absorb the Half-Saint Light.
She could only continuously absorb blood to strengthen her physical body before she could continue fusing with the Half-Saint Light.
Even so, the speed at which she increased her strength was still astonishingly fast.
Of course, Zhang Ruochen was not discouraged in the slightest. At the Heavenly Extreme Realm Middle Position, he could at most raise his Martial Soul to a level comparable to that of a martial artist at the sixth transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm. Other martial artists at the Heavenly Extreme Realm Middle Position would find it even more impossible to surpass this limit.
In the same realm, his Martial Soul was the strongest.
"Borrowing the power of the Martial Soul, I should be able to fight head-on against a cultivator at the second transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm."
Back in the Five Elements Ruins Realm, the reason Zhang Ruochen was able to kill the Divine Skeleton Dharma King, who was at the second transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm, was not only because of the Sacred Sword and his alliance with the Demon Ape, but also because he ultimately used spatial power to kill him when he was caught off guard.
Now, even without using the Sacred Sword or spatial power, Zhang Ruochen was confident he could fight the Divine Skeleton Dharma King to a draw.
"Since I have reached the Heavenly Extreme Realm Middle Position, I can also begin to continue refining the Black Water Liuli Crystal, striving to cultivate a Water Spirit Treasure Body in one go. As long as I cultivate a Water Spirit Treasure Body, my strength will surely take another step forward."
To cultivate a Water Spirit Treasure Body, one needed to absorb approximately ten jin of Black Water Liuli Crystal.
Zhang Ruochen had already absorbed six jin and five liang.
Zhang Ruochen took out a piece of Black Water Liuli Crystal weighing about one jin, placed it between his hands, mobilized his true qi, and channeled it through the meridians of his hands, surging out from his palms.
"Crack!"
Under the impact of the true qi, the Black Water Liuli Crystal shattered into fine powder.
The true qi, like countless bubbles, enveloped the powder of the Black Water Liuli Crystal, flowing back against the current, entering the pores, and flowing into the meridians throughout the body.
Following the flow of true qi, the Black Water Liuli Crystal integrated into Zhang Ruochen's bones, blood, muscles, and internal organs, continuously improving his physique.
Before long, Zhang Ruochen had fully absorbed that one jin of Black Water Liuli Crystal.
Refining one jin was equivalent to a year's worth of cultivation results.
Zhang Ruochen felt that his cultivation had increased significantly, and the true qi in his Qi Sea had become even deeper.
"Continue."
Subsequently, Zhang Ruochen refined another two jin of Black Water Liuli Crystal in succession, finally approaching the limits of his body.
"I have already absorbed nine jin and five liang of Black Water Liuli Crystal, yet I still haven't cultivated a Water Spirit Treasure Body."
Zhang Ruochen could clearly perceive the water-attributed spiritual energy. He could even see, with his own eyes, tiny droplets of water dancing in the air.
However, those water-attributed spiritual energies were completely beyond his control and did not actively fly towards him.
This showed that he was still a bit short and had not truly cultivated a Water Spirit Treasure Body.
"Continue refining."
This time, Zhang Ruochen took out a piece of Black Water Liuli Crystal the size of a pigeon egg, weighing about two liang.
As soon as he absorbed that piece of Black Water Liuli Crystal into his body, Zhang Ruochen felt an unusual strain. His body had almost reached a state of saturation. If he absorbed even one more liang, he would endure tremendous pain.
"Could it be that I have to wait until I reach the Heavenly Extreme Realm Great Position before I can cultivate a Water Spirit Treasure Body? No, I must succeed. At the Heavenly Extreme Realm Middle Position, I will cultivate a Water Spirit Treasure Body."
Zhang Ruochen gritted his teeth and frantically urged his true qi.
Drops of sweat emerged from his body, completely soaking his clothes.
After spending the entire half-day, he finally fully absorbed those two liang of Black Water Liuli Crystal, yet he still had not cultivated a Water Spirit Treasure Body.
At this point, Zhang Ruochen had already refined nine jin and seven liang of Black Water Liuli Crystal.
No one knew exactly how much Black Water Liuli Crystal needed to be refined to cultivate a Water Spirit Treasure Body. Zhang Ruochen could only roughly estimate it to be around ten jin. It could be nine jin and eight liang, or it could be ten jin and two liang.
It seemed like only a difference of a few liang, but that was precisely the most crucial part.
Many people might be just one liang short, causing them to be unable to cultivate a Water Spirit Treasure Body for their entire lives.
Zhang Ruochen did not give up. He took out another piece of Black Water Liuli Crystal weighing two liang and continued refining.
"Whoosh!"
Just as he began to absorb it, Zhang Ruochen felt a tremendous pain, emanating from the depths of his bone marrow, from his five viscera and six bowels, from his mind, making him wish he were dead.
His body felt as if it were about to be torn apart by the power of the Black Water Liuli Crystal. Beads of blood continuously oozed from his pores. His bones made a "cracking" sound, as if they might be crushed at any moment.
But it was also at this moment that strands of the origin power of the Black Water Liuli Crystal slowly merged into Zhang Ruochen's body.
Without enduring the bitterest of hardships, how could one become the best among men?
Even though his skin was splitting and blood stained his body, Zhang Ruochen still did not give up. He continued to persevere with effort. If he did not push himself to the limit, how could he know for sure that he could not succeed?