C11 Extreme Cultivation

After successfully entering the realm, Laojiu felt the pain in his body rapidly diminish. His shattered meridians began to heal slowly, and with great effort, he overcame the immense challenge of drawing the dragon into his body.

Laojiu gradually found peace. In that moment, he reveled in an extraordinary sense of comfort, his entire being enveloped by countless strands of Origin Energy, the agony now a distant memory.

For him, simply being free from illness was the greatest joy!

With the passage of time, the vortex of Origin Energy within his dantian grew denser. Drawing on his own cultivation experiences, Patriarch Lieshan estimated that the level of Origin Energy accumulated in the young man's dantian had reached that of an ordinary practitioner at the Middle Rank Three God Cultivating Stage.

"Young man, you're ready to begin practicing the Magic Spell for the Marrow Entering Stage," Patriarch Lieshan advised Laojiu. He warned that without breaking through to the next level, there was a risk of losing control.

"There's no need to rush. The Celestial Dragon Guidance suggests that I can cultivate all three dantians simultaneously during the Qi Fostering Rank. That will make advancing to the Middle Rank Three God Cultivating Stage much easier," Laojiu responded confidently. Having endured so much hardship, he was determined to master the Celestial Dragon Guidance to its fullest extent.

Each minor realm within the Celestial Dragon Path came with annotations, typically dividing the practice into three states: ordinary, perfect, and ultimate cultivation.

The distinction between these states was specifically for those practicing the Celestial Dragon Guidance. For other methods, the ordinary practice of the Celestial Dragon Guidance was already considered the pinnacle!

"What a prodigy!" Patriarch Lieshan exclaimed inwardly.

The Celestial Dragon Guidance differed significantly from other techniques. Typically, one couldn't cultivate the three dantians at the Marrow Entering Stage and had to wait until reaching the Three-qi Gathering level. This was because the previous stages didn't provide enough Origin Energy to develop three dantians.

Yet, the Ultimate Cultivation Method outlined the possibility of cultivating all three dantians at the Qi Fostering Rank, shattering conventional cultivation barriers. It was clear that the Celestial Dragon Guidance was far more extraordinary than any other legacy Patriarch Lieshan had encountered.

As Patriarch Lieshan pondered, Laojiu had already successfully triggered the Origin Energy in his Low Dantian to assault the Middle Dantian. Remarkably, the process didn't take long, and he was successful.

A new dantian emerged in his chest!

"Now, move upward to the Baihui at the top of your head!"

Laojiu wasn't content with just opening the Middle Dantian. He was aware of the abundant Origin Energy still within him, enough to establish a third dantian and ensure each one was filled with potent Origin Energy.

Before long, a day and a night had passed.

"Kid, rise and test yourself, see what's changed."

Patriarch Lieshan was aware that Laojiu had completed the Qi Fostering Rank cultivation. The Origin Energy from the Dragon Blood had been perfectly assimilated by him. He was eager to see what kind of creature such an extraordinary method of cultivation would produce.

"Let's give it a shot."

Laojiu stretched lazily and stood up with a hint of nonchalance.

In an instant, Laojiu burst into action, his body generating a powerful stream of air currents!

Whoosh!

Laojiu dashed to the other end of the Martial Training Field at breakneck speed!

Crash!

A loud noise followed by a series of screams; the poor guy couldn't brake in time and slammed into the stone wall.

"Silly boy, serves you right for showing off!"

Patriarch Lieshan was torn between laughter and concern. He realized that while Laojiu's body was incredibly strong, his control over it was practically nonexistent. It was no surprise he crashed into the wall with such reckless abandon.

Despite his scolding, Patriarch Lieshan was quite pleased deep down.

"Shoot, I overdid it!"

Laojiu, rubbing his nose, was unscathed despite leaving a human-shaped imprint on the stone wall. The Dragon Blood had elevated his Perfect Body to unprecedented levels!

"First, adjust to the bodily changes. Then, proceed to learn the Devil Subduing Movement Technique from the Master's study. While the ‘Azure Dragon Fighting Sky' from the Celestial Dragon Guidance is your primary technique, avoid displaying it in front of others while you're still vulnerable. Master the Mountain Quaking Palm first; it will be your main form of defense in most future encounters."

Patriarch Lieshan had thought everything through with great care. There were numerous masters eyeing the Celestial Dragon Guidance, unaware of the stringent conditions required for its inheritance. If they discovered that Laojiu possessed such a formidable legacy, they would undoubtedly attempt to seize it from him.

Murdering for treasure was not an uncommon occurrence.

Currently, the practice of Celestial Dragon Guidance was split into two main components. The primary element was the cultivation of Origin Energy through a Magic Spell, followed by a complementary attack technique known as Azure Dragon Fighting Sky. However, there were no other techniques for movement or weaponry included.

Thankfully, the Xuanyuan Dragon Monarch had anticipated this shortfall and left behind several cultivation Secret Arts in his study to fill the gaps for Laojiu.

The Devil Subduing Movement Technique was a movement technique that the Xuanyuan Dragon Monarch had perfected, and Patriarch Lieshan had also practiced it. It was a truly remarkable Secret Art. Its name suggested that once mastered, not even demons could escape its pursuit.

Mountain Quaking Palm was a fist technique renowned for its brute strength. Seeing Laojiu's extraordinary physical prowess, Patriarch Lieshan recognized him as an ideal candidate for this technique.

"I'd also like to train with a weapon. What do you suggest would suit me best?"

Laojiu had been eyeing the weapon rack for quite some time. He believed that if one could fight with weapons, why would anyone choose to go unarmed?

"I don't have any exceptional Secret Arts for swords or sabers to offer you, as my master wasn't known for his weapon skills. However, the Shennong Yan Monarch possessed an extremely formidable Staff Technique called the Stacking Wave Staff Technique. I had the privilege of learning it from him, and I can pass it on to you."

Patriarch Lieshan pondered for a while before recalling this particular Secret Art.

"Stacking Wave Staff Technique? That name doesn't sound very impressive. Is it really any good? The other Secret Arts have such powerful-sounding names."

Laojiu expressed his dissatisfaction. He had once dreamed of embarking on a heroic journey through the martial world, or at the very least, becoming a legendary swordsman. Now, those dreams seemed to have been abruptly shattered.

Casually stepping out with a stick in hand, he couldn't even pull off looking cool; instead, he resembled a beggar pleading for food. It was quite embarrassing, to say the least.

"You have no idea! The Flame Emperor once used this staff technique to fight my master, the Xuanyuan Huang Monarch, to a draw. The Stacking Wave Staff Technique may only have seven moves, but its offensive power builds with each strike. By the time you reach the seventh blow, even experts at the Saint Becoming Stage wouldn't dare to face it directly!"

Patriarch Lieshan felt a mix of frustration and disappointment. To learn this staff technique, his master had to trade something of great importance with the Flame Emperor. Only then did he consent to teach it.

"Fine, I'll learn it."

With his attempt to look impressive thwarted, Laojiu reluctantly picked a Dragon Trapping Staff from the weapon rack.

In the days that followed, Laojiu's cultivation schedule was packed. He practiced Celestial Dragon Guidance and Azure Dragon Fighting Sky Secret Technique in the mornings, focused on Devil Subduing Movement Technique and Stacking Wave Staff in the afternoons, and in the evenings, he worked on Mountain Quaking Palm and revisited Celestial Dragon Guidance.

Patriarch Lieshan kept a watchful eye on Laojiu at all times, allowing no room for laziness. He was concerned that Laojiu might squander his exceptional talent.

However, the Patriarch's concerns were unfounded. Had Laojiu been in the outside world, he might have slacked off and sought opportunities to boast in front of others. But here, in solitude, his only conversation was with himself, and there was no audience to appreciate his bravado. How could he leave this place if he didn't complete his cultivation swiftly?

Laojiu was well aware of his own prowess, but without a benchmark, he couldn't gauge the extent of his abilities.

After a week of intense cultivation, he had perfected the third dantian of the Qi Fostering Rank and had also mastered Azure Dragon Fighting Sky. The Mountain Quaking Palm was coming along, but mastering the nuances of control and gaining combat experience would take more time.

Laojiu excelled at cultivating the Devil Subduing Movement Technique. It was as if the secret technique had been custom-made for him; he took to it naturally, and his self-mastery became as effortless as a fish swimming in water.

He had mastered the seven moves of the Stacking Wave Staff Technique, yet he could only mimic the form, not the essence. The fierce stacking force was almost beyond his grasp, with only the occasional flicker of sensation. Midway through the second move, his execution would falter.

Laojiu sometimes felt deeply frustrated by this. The more he practiced, the more he recognized the staff technique's exceptional nature. The technique demanded a masterful control of muscle and a sophisticated application of Origin Energy, which needed to be seamlessly integrated to truly produce the Stacking Wave effect.

Despite Laojiu's frequent complaints, Patriarch Lieshan was secretly delighted. To have Laojiu cultivate these secret arts to such a degree in just seven days was nothing short of remarkable.

Consider that Patriarch Lieshan, starting as a Saint Becoming Stage Expert, took a whole week just to scratch the surface of the Stacking Wave Staff Technique.

A Saint Becoming Stage Expert's Primordial Spirit has an extraordinary perception, and their control over Origin Energy is second nature, with reflexes far beyond what a novice like Laojiu could hope to match.

"No matter, I'll break through to the Marrow Entering Stage tomorrow."

Following another unsuccessful attempt, Laojiu resolved to advance to the second realm of Low Rank Three.

Typically, cultivators at the Marrow Entering Stage use Origin Energy to fortify their bones and enhance their physical strength. Finding someone who can truly infuse Origin Energy into their bone marrow is exceedingly rare, perhaps one in ten thousand.

The Celestial Dragon Guidance, however, takes a more extreme approach. Merely channeling Origin Energy into the bone marrow is its most basic requirement; it demands cultivation within every single bone!

The pinnacle of the Cultivation Method is not just achieving Marrow Entering but also establishing a perfect internal circulation.

This degree of cultivation is unfathomable to most, and those daring to attempt it often meet a grisly end, their bodies shattered beyond recognition.

Unaware of the dangers, Laojiu was driven by a desire to excel. To him, settling for ordinary cultivation was out of the question. While perfect cultivation was commendable, with the Ultimate Cultivation Method as his guide, why not strive for the absolute zenith?

His idea was straightforward.

The Celestial Dragon Guidance's approach to the Marrow Entering Stage was vastly different from other traditions. While most traditions involved the gradual nurturing of bones with Origin Energy, eventually allowing the energy to penetrate the bones and then the marrow, thereby strengthening the body, the Celestial Dragon Guidance was far more domineering. It employed a forceful method to drive Origin Energy into the bones rapidly, without any delay. As a result, practitioners were bound to endure significant hardship.

Laojiu had only just begun his training when the pain nearly made him leap to his feet.

Regrettably, once the progression of this tradition commenced, it couldn't be halted unless it resulted in death. Otherwise, one had to reach successful advancement to find release.