To achieve perfection in the Spirit Transformation Realm, one must progress through three stages: transforming the physical body into a spiritual form, reshaping the true self, and nurturing spirits within the Heavenly Passage.
Lin Fan had already mastered the first two stages to their utmost limits. Only the final stage—nurturing spirits within the Heavenly Passage—remained untouched.
Compared to the prior stages, this one was relatively simpler. It required inscribing runes within the Heavenly Passage to imbue it with spirituality.
The stronger the treasured techniques inscribed, the more powerful the nurtured spiritual body would be. This process wasn't limited to spiritual bodies; it could also apply to weapons—bells, cauldrons, towers—unlocking boundless mysteries.
However, nurturing spirits within the Heavenly Passage wasn't as straightforward as it seemed. Reaching the pinnacle was no easy feat.
For most, perfection was an unattainable ideal, approachable but rarely achieved.
For someone like Lin Fan, who aimed to surpass the extreme boundaries and reach an unimaginable realm, the challenge was exponentially greater.
"Nurturing spirits in the Heavenly Passage… Each passage can foster one spiritual body. With only my single, massive Heavenly Passage left, I should be able to nurture at least ten, right?" Lin Fan mused, gazing up at the vast, singular Heavenly Passage above him.
The Archaic Vicious Ten techniques, the Heaven Mending Technique, Liu Shen's method, and his own treasured technique would each give rise to a spiritual body.
As for other techniques, Lin Fan found them lacking. He'd rather leave slots empty or inscribe the forms of divine weapons than waste space on inferior methods.
Whoosh!
At that moment, Lin Fan's body glowed with crystalline brilliance, radiant beams of light swirling around him, enveloping him in a misty aura.
Boom! The singular Heavenly Passage quaked, exuding an overwhelming aura of life. Within it, a true dragon opened its eyes, coming to life as if granted a soul.
It coiled within the Heavenly Passage, its golden scales gleaming like molten gold, exuding an invincible aura that seemed to dominate the heavens.
"It's done!" Lin Fan's eyes snapped open. He had officially stepped into the stage of nurturing spirits, his spiritual body now imbued with divine consciousness, ready to be controlled at will.
More importantly, he discovered a crucial detail: the spiritual body was unaffected by the limitations of his Supreme Bone. Once it left his body, it could unleash the full might of its inscribed technique.
This is a pleasant surprise. It greatly expands my combat options, he thought.
Next, Lin Fan continued refining his Heavenly Passage, nurturing the remaining spiritual bodies—a total of ten.
Among them, an immortal divine phoenix raised its head, letting out a piercing cry as it spread its vibrant wings. Crimson radiance surged, flames roaring as if to incinerate all evil in the world.
Then, within the Heavenly Passage, a blade of grass took root. Lush and green, it bore nine ordinary-looking leaves.
But when those leaves shifted, boundless sword qi erupted, soaring to the skies, as if capable of cleaving the stars themselves. Its power was terrifying.
This was the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass technique, the only complete Archaic Vicious Ten technique Lin Fan possessed—the sharpest spear in his arsenal.
Then came Liu Shen's method. Before reaching the Divine Flame Realm, Lin Fan couldn't even begin to wield it, much like the Six Paths of Reincarnation Heavenly Art.
No surprise there. The technique of an Immortal King giant isn't something a mere mortal can touch.
Yet, this also meant its power far surpassed imagination, eclipsing even the Archaic Vicious Ten techniques.
Boom!
A towering Jianmu tree blossomed within Lin Fan's Heavenly Passage, radiating golden light, dazzling and majestic, exuding an aura of divine immortality.
In an instant, the once-silent Heavenly Passage brimmed with vibrant life, as if it had transformed into a true world, a celestial domain, shrouded in mystery.
Even the previously nurtured spiritual bodies—the true dragon, divine phoenix, and Nine-Leaf Sword Grass—paled in its presence, bowing in reverence.
"Liu Shen's technique is unreal. Nurturing this spiritual body alone took me three months—equal to the time spent on all the others combined," Lin Fan said with a light chuckle, though he felt it was well worth it.
Even without fully comprehending the technique, the unique nature of the spiritual body allowed it to unleash a fraction of its might—terrifying and world-shaking.
Lin Fan pressed on with his seclusion, determined to nurture the remaining spiritual bodies in one go. His pace quickened noticeably.
The Heaven Mending Technique and his own technique were shaped into humanoid spiritual bodies, one of which was an exact replica of himself.
Additionally, within the singular Heavenly Passage, he formed the divine shapes of a sword embryo, bell, cauldron, and tower to temporarily fill the slots reserved for supreme techniques, awaiting stronger ones in the future.
The effect was the same—it didn't hinder his cultivation in this realm.
"At last, I've done it. The nurturing of spirits is complete. The Spirit Transformation Realm is perfected."
In that moment, Lin Fan felt an unprecedented surge of power, his strength leaping to new heights. In this realm, he could crush any opponent.
If he faced Jin Chan again, defeating him would be far easier—perhaps within a hundred exchanges, the outcome would be decided.
On this day, Lin Fan opened his eyes. Unbeknownst to him, ten months had passed in seclusion, his body unmoving the entire time.
Cultivation is tedious, and time slips away so quickly. No wonder some great powers emerge from seclusion after decades or centuries.
At the immortal level, cultivation might be measured in tens of thousands of years. In the blink of an eye, the world outside changes, seas turn to mulberry fields.
"Time flows like a river, relentless day and night," Lin Fan sighed, rising to his feet. His joints cracked as he stretched.
Now ten years old, he had grown taller, resembling a young adult. His features were refined, his eyes lively, his skin as smooth and luminous as jade, surpassing even the fairest maidens.
Dressed in a flowing white robe, he exuded an ethereal grace, with a scholarly charm that made him seem gentle and approachable.
But what truly astonished was his cultivation. A ten-year-old at the peak of the Spirit Transformation Realm, poised to step into the Engravement Realm—news like that would shock the world.
Yet, Lin Fan's goal was to break the extreme boundaries, as he had in the Blood Transformation and Heavenly Passage Realms, surpassing the ancient sages before advancing.
"How do I carve my own path from here?" he asked himself.
It was no simple task. It required deep reflection and studying the paths of countless predecessors to take that correct step and achieve the ultimate leap.
"Time to go out and see the world." With a flourish of his sleeve, Lin Fan dismantled the formation and strode out of the cave, appearing outside in a flash.
Feeling refreshed and serene, he wandered through the purple bamboo grove, playfully teasing the snow rabbits and five-colored deer, his demeanor warm and kind.
But some creatures were exceptions. The moment they saw Lin Fan, they bolted, as if fleeing a plague god.
"Hey! What's with you lot? I only borrowed a bit of meat, and I healed you afterward. Why are you running like I'm out to kill you?" Lin Fan grumbled, indignant.
Cluck, cluck, cluck!
A dozen Eight-Treasure Chickens squawked, rolling their eyes at him. Maybe it didn't cost our lives, but it hurt like hell!
"You mangy chickens dare glare at me? Watch me carve half a pound of meat from each of you today!" Lin Fan snapped, lunging forward.
Instantly, the tranquil bamboo grove erupted into chaos—chickens flapping, dogs barking, and pig-like squeals echoing endlessly.
Even the Eight-Treasure Carp in the lake weren't spared. They were Lin Fan's usual "favorites" for such occasions.
Can't help it. These two Eight-Treasure species are the most abundant and easiest to raise. They can handle frequent… harvesting.
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