In the end, I managed to stop Kiana from starting a dual cultivation session right from the get-go. She was eager to start a dual cultivation session together with Sirin, though she considered that Sirin hadn't done her first time yet. I was left to accompany the sleeping Sirin who remained clinging onto me.
The Tuna has become a pervert, and so is everyone else…
Seele and Veliona got addicted to dual cultivation as well. When they managed to handle their exaggerated sensitivity, they became unhinged.
I thought it would be men who would be more perverted, not the other way around. If there comes a day I become overwhelmed and dried out…
No, that day won't come.
I have to become stronger… for the sake of dual cultivation.
I don't know whether to cry or laugh at this notion.
Having nothing else to do, I continued my retrospection. I kept watch of my current accomplishments and statuses. There are commendable achievements, but I also have glaring problems.
During the time inside the Bubble World, I focused on studying the [Blade Mantra 2.0]. It is the biggest bridge between the honkai and immortal cultivation, an extremely strong cultivation hack per se.
However, I lost the time to learn my cultivation techniques. I have a total of sixteen aspects of the Dharma Avatar, yet I only learned eleven techniques to correspond to them. The Dharma Avatar can be compared to a fine sword, while the techniques are the ways to handle them.
In my case, I have a busted sword but lack full control over it. This resulted in my combat power not being 'optimal' to my current realm—like the difference between 90% and 100%.
Back then, this didn't matter. The lacking 10% wouldn't help much against the Honkai's fake immortal cultivators, given their realm advantages.
No matter how strong my Purple Mansion Realm became, it won't matter in the face of awakened Herrschers. The gap between physical strength can be rendered meaningless by overwhelming Awakened Herrscher Authorities comparable to Dharma Laws.
I was forced to forsake the traditional 'peerless foundation' and chose other options that will give power-ups faster (i.e., 'unstable foundations'). Blade Mantra is a part of that choice.
Now that the Honkai is dealt with, it is better to rectify this 'unstable foundation'. The Dharma Avatar aspects that have no corresponding techniques are Life, Ice, and Void. I am fortunate to have learned the [Heaven Shrouding Karmic Projection Art] moments before my clash with Nihility which filled in the gaps for Time, Mirror, and Permanence.
The Dao of Enlightenment is a special power, thus it didn't need any techniques for its full utilization.
Life, Ice, and Void.
Hundreds of thousands of peerless cultivation techniques appeared inside my mind. Their sheer volume is enough to bring down any kind of cultivation world to its knees. From the cultivation side arts down to cultivation techniques capable of becoming golden fingers (i.e., cheats) in its own right, I have them all.
I recalled the time I learned my first technique—Toushen Yin-Yang Aperture Spiritual Guidance Manual. Then came the times I coughed up blood due to mind overload brought by learning a cultivation technique.
Who would have expected Sirin to be sleeping while sitting in my lap now?
The nostalgic memories receded once I chose the appropriate cultivation techniques.
For the Dao of Ice and Life, I chose a spell technique similar to the [Five Elements Dao Sutra], the [Universe Covering Winged Kunpeng's Descent].
It is an automatic technique that utilizes the Dao of Ice and Life to increase one's physical prowess to exaggerated levels. It grants a permanent multiplier to one's physical body realm. The best thing about it is its adaptability to other techniques. It works with the recovery effects of [Five Elements Dao Sutra] (Dao of Water) and [Ten Directions Body Art].
In terms of speed, nobody can match me if I decide to use the [Universe Covering Winged Kunpeng's Descent] and [Cloud Seeking Steps].
In terms of recovery, I can tank two to three blows from the Divine Transformation Realm, something a normal peak Nascent Soul will die in one strike.
In terms of physical blows, I can tear apart the entire solar system with bare hands. It is the literal tearing apart of space and destroying what is within.
In short, I can burst out a power surpassing my major realm in a brief moment. It is like a forbidden technique, but with weaker drawbacks and weaker burst potential.
As for the Dharma Avatar aspect of Void, I chose a simpler technique, the [Endless Combinations Art]. It is an auxiliary technique that serves one purpose: to combine various Daos into one.
Unlike Kiana's broad range of application, this technique is a bridge to combine several techniques' output. It has its pros and cons. For its pros, being simple meant being easier to learn. For its cons, it lacks a direct effect when the technique is used alone. It means forsaking the ability to control space and other dimensions.
Nevertheless, its function is enough for me. I did not plan to major in the Dao of Void. My main goal has always been to combine the Dao of Five Elements, Yin-Yang, Extremity, and Void to harness the Dao of All Creation.
Nihility struck fast enough to the point I wasn't able to learn the fusion of these four. I only managed to utilize its strength through my future projection during that fight. It was a decisive strike that forced Nihility to tank my fully powered attack. The end result is our victory.
Given my capabilities now and the Dao of Enlightenment that reached the level of a Divine Law, studying new techniques is but a trifle. The difficulty comes from upgrading my mastery from [Great Accomplishment] to [Perfection]. It will definitely take up a lot of my time.
[Perfection] is the final realm of mastery over my cultivation techniques. Once mastered, the techniques' prowess can be used up to the Tribulation Transcendence Realm. With special circumstances, it could even reach the threshold of a True Immortal.
For now, the [Great Accomplishment] mastery is enough for my current progress. Crossing the major realms ahead will take years. I might have comprehended my techniques to that mastery when that time comes.
"Our future…"
Being able to think freely of the future…
Perhaps this is the meaning of immortal cultivation.
*****
A/N: A major event will happen next. It's been withheld for some time, but it's time to settle things within the solar system ;)
PS: Bonus chapter (1/2)