Chapter 111: Wild
Gencun whispered softly, his gaze fixed on the chest-sized divine source block before him.
It was a beautiful crystal akin to amber, radiating intense brilliance and exuding extreme sanctity, resembling a miniature sun so dazzling it was hard to look at directly.
Inside, it was filled with the purest and most elemental essence of the heavens and earth, its holy aura flowing so freely that just inhaling it made one's pores relax and one's whole body feel at ease, as if wrapped in immortal spirit.
For any cultivator, using divine source for cultivation greatly accelerates their progress to an unimaginable degree.
In foreign realms, among imperial families, royal clans, and powerful factions, divine source is one of the most common resources for cultivation.
Even slightly gifted geniuses have access to it, significantly shortening the growth cycle for cultivators.
This resource is not irreplaceable; it can be refined by those of supreme humanity, and the supreme beings of foreign realms place great importance on the growth of their successors, deliberately refining divine sources to assist in their cultivation.
If an immortal personally refines it, the efficiency would be even higher.
In the primal ancient realm, true immortals are unlikely to waste their time refining anything comparable to divine source, but in foreign realms, immortals are willing to do so.
The reason is simple: the entire foreign realm operates as a war machine.
From the immortal kings down to the supremes, all focus on nurturing the next generation, and since the fall of the emperors, the foreign realm has relentlessly waged wars across realms, dominating through the fresh blood of successive generations.
Thus, they are willing to invest time in refining divine sources to hasten the growth of successors, strengthening the foreign realm in preparation for the next war.
They even offer the immortal sources unearthed from conquered ancient realms to young supremes, aiding their rapid rise.
In terms of flourishing young generations, no ancient realm can compare to the foreign realm.
Considering these thoughts, Gencun sighed, and after a moment of reflection, he resumed his cultivation at the Boiling Blood stage.
This stage requires delving deep into the potential of blood particles, making the blood boil and unleashing infinite divine power.
Compared to the Dao seed method of the primal ancient realm, the foreign realm's methods are rougher, more direct, and even more domineering and wild.
Thus, the essence wall means far less to primal ancient realm cultivators than divine source does to foreign realm cultivators.
Gencun had no concerns as he began to devour the divine source, following the Boiling Blood stage cultivation method recorded in the Ancient Mo Sutra.
The entire cave abode was filled with brilliant radiance, mist swirling in sacred splendor, akin to a heavenly paradise.
Sitting cross-legged in such an environment, Gencun's cultivation was astonishingly effective; he was enveloped in luminous light, radiating majesty like an eternal deity.
“Gurgle! Gurgle...”
With his blood coursing rapidly, enveloped by the ancient Mo Sutra, potential surged forth continually, merging into his veins, heating up and causing the blood particles to pulse vigorously, like boiling water.
Meanwhile, Gencun's aura rose dramatically, increasing at a terrifying rate, observable to the naked eye, while the chest-sized divine source gradually diminished.
After two hours, Gencun ceased, having temporarily concluded his Boiling Blood stage cultivation.
He now needed to go to the Hall of Power to listen to the Supreme teachings.
In just two hours of intense consumption, half of the chest-sized divine source had already been depleted, and his cultivation was nearing the mid-stage of Boiling Blood, on the verge of entering this echelon.
At this pace of cultivation, it won't be long before Gencun reaches the peak of the Boiling Blood stage.
Everything stems from his acquisition of an ancient immortal scripture and abundant cultivation resources.
The wild method, the immortal scripture, the radiant Divine Source, and his extraordinary talent have all contributed to this astonishing speed of cultivation.
Putting away the Divine Source, Gencun stepped out of his cave and flew towards the Power Hall.
By the time he arrived, many people were already present; once again, a thousand meditation mats surrounded a grand platform.
He casually picked a spot and sat down.
Suddenly, a flash of light appeared on the platform, revealing a towering figure shrouded in chaotic energy, making it hard to see clearly.
This was the Supreme in charge of today's lecture, renowned for his formidable combat prowess and deep mastery of magic.
“Magic power is the cornerstone of a cultivator's existence. In a contest, the one with superior magic power is more likely to win…”
The Supreme started by emphasizing the importance of enhancing magic power, then explained how cultivators could expand their magic potential and unleash their inner strength.
The thousand students below listened intently, as the Supreme generously shared invaluable, practical insights, leaving nothing hidden.
This was the invaluable knowledge everyone needed most, demonstrating the advantage of joining War God Academy, where eminent figures imparted wisdom without reservation, guiding the way forward—it was akin to standing on the shoulders of giants, avoiding unnecessary detours.
“Look there, that is where the essence of the Power Hall lies. Usually, a cultivator's level of magic power can be assessed in the torrent of magic power. Also, by ascending against the current, one can break through their limits and activate their potential.”
The Supreme pointed towards the depths of the Power Hall, where something resembling a river continuously surged.
Upon closer inspection, this river was not composed of water but magic power, flowing in a peculiar manner, as if someone at the source was incessantly casting spells downstream.
Standing within it was like being under constant magical assault, with the intensity increasing the higher one climbed.
To traverse upstream, a cultivator must erect a magic power shield; otherwise, the magical torrent would ravage their body, causing severe injury in an instant. Thus, this test required a significant reserve of magic power.
“Look.”
The Supreme called again, summoning a warrior whose skin was bronze-hued and who had three heads and six arms, reminiscent of the Asuras from Gencun's mythical tales.
He was thrown into the torrent of magic power.
The raging torrent struck him with shock, and he hurriedly activated his magic power shield.
Initially, he handled it with ease, but under the Supreme's urging, he had to venture deeper, facing increasing pressure.
Before long, his face turned pale, and large beads of sweat dripped from his forehead.
Clearly, he was nearing his limit.
Supreme continued to compel him forward, leaving the warrior with no choice but to reluctantly advance.
"Puh!"
At last, the magic shield reached its limit and shattered explosively, the torrent of spells surging forth, instantly enveloping the creature in calamity. Bones fractured, and flesh mangled.
Facing death, the creature's will to survive ignited, unleashing latent potential from deep within its body.
A new layer of magic shield appeared, timely enough to block the rushing torrent, allowing the creature to catch its breath.
Suddenly, he sensed the onslaught of spells dissipate, his body relaxing.
It turned out Supreme had intervened, pulling the warrior out of peril.
"Boom!"
He landed heavily on the ground, met with indifferent glances from a group of awaiting warriors, none showing sympathy. As warriors, they were long resigned to the idea of dying at any moment.
The three-headed, six-armed creature, though grievously wounded, had narrowly survived, retaining a spark of life. With just a bit of recovery, it would regain its vigor. He struggled back to his previous position without a trace of discontent or complaint.
"Did you see? In the face of mortal peril, this creature's potential erupted, reconstructing the magic shield and thus surviving.
You should take note and first test your limits in the spell torrent before attempting to draw out your inner potential.
Do not rush; many have perished in spell torrents through the ages," he warned them, then fell silent, leaving the students to explore the torrent's truths.
A thousand academy students rose and proceeded towards the magic torrent, where there was ample space for all.
To the seasoned students, this was familiar ground. They skillfully cast their magic shields, progressing step by step against the spell torrent.
Gencun mingled in the middle, moving neither quickly nor slowly. No one dared underestimate this human, known as the "God of Killing," for his strength was outstanding.
"Brother Gencun, it's been just a day, and you've already broken through the Qi Consumption stage, advancing to the Boiling Blood realm.
Now that you've overcome your shortfall, it's hard for us to keep pace," remarked the Eight-Armed Youth, greeting him.
During the selection for advanced study, he had been defeated by Gencun, but not by a landslide, owing to his quarter Lo Mo lineage advantage.
Now, with the ancient immortal scripture, Gencun soared, compensating for his past weaknesses, widening their strength gap to a different dimension.
"Haha, Brother Dao, you could have entered the Boiling Blood realm long ago, but you chose to build your foundation first, ready to astonish the world," Gencun replied with a smile.
The Eight-Armed Youth chuckled wryly, shaking his head.
"Brother Gencun, you're making too much of it. I can only reign among royals, while you have already ventured into the empire's domain."
Gencun smiled, responding in silence, thus implicitly agreeing with the other.
In this foreign land, there was no need for excessive humility. With his abilities, even among the Imperial Tribe Beings, Gencun was outstanding. What he lacked now were merely the ancient scriptures and ancestral arts.
The Imperial Tribe Beings carried the bloodline of the Boundless Immortal King, practiced the ancient scriptures of the Boundless Immortal King, and mastered the secret arts created by the Boundless Immortal King, unparalleled since time immemorial.
However, in other aspects, Gencun was only stronger, not weaker.
Of course, it's possible that there exist descendants of the Boundless Immortal King who are extraordinarily impressive.
Currently, the Imperial Tribe remained a mystery to Gencun, having only encountered the Eight-Armed Youth who held a trace of their bloodline. He had yet to meet a genuine young noble of the Imperial Tribe.
As the extraordinary prodigies delved deeper, the power of the spell torrent surged. Among the energy-gathering students, some already struggled, their steps faltering as they neared their limits.
Only the most remarkable students moved effortlessly, hands crossed behind their backs, displaying a calm composure.
However, this situation soon shifted, as the energy-gathering boundary reached its limit. Even the mighty Eight-Armed Youth could only halt within a few feet of the boundary, unable to surpass it.
Gencun, on the other hand, crossed the boundary with ease, heading towards the extreme limit of the boiling blood realm.
Ahead, those with profound cultivation had already vanished, swallowed by the torrent.
As Gencun approached the extreme limit of the boiling blood realm, several royal tribe prodigies followed him, gritting their teeth in perseverance, hoping to close the gap between themselves and the human in front, but their strength was too far apart. All they could do was watch him drift away.
“Is this a joke? He's not even in the mid-stage of the boiling blood realm, yet my power, at the late stage, doesn’t compare to his?” a royal youth exclaimed in disbelief.
“The rumors were true; this human's potential rivals that of the Imperial Tribe. Only within the same rank can the Imperial Tribe create such a vast difference between us," someone sighed.
"Phew!”
Gencun exhaled heavily, beginning to feel the strain. After all, he had only just entered this realm, with shallow cultivation to back him.
Nonetheless, he surpassed the boundary designated for the boiling blood realm beings.
In the distance, a Supreme Elder watching this couldn’t help but nod approvingly: “Impressive. He has the potential for immortality; becoming a king in the future is not impossible.
It's been ages since someone, at the initial stage, could stand toe-to-toe with the Imperial Tribe.”
Several half-step Supremes also appeared to observe Gencun’s defiance of obstacles.
“He’s reached his limit; with such cultivation, getting to this point is truly incredible.”
“Hmm? He actually intends to continue onward. The power of the spell torrent is not to be underestimated. We must keep a constant watch on Gencun, preventing him from suffering a catastrophic fate here,” the expressions of the half-step Supremes grew solemn, maintaining vigilant attention on Gencun’s state.
“Crack!”
The magical barrier reached its limit and broken with a loud bang, as waves of spells crashed toward him.
Gencun's face remained unperturbed, showing not a trace of fear, as he bore the brunt with his bare flesh.
“Boom!”
Arcane arts exploded on his body like raindrops, their power immense and terrifying, yet they failed to seriously injure him immediately.
It couldn't be helped; this body was too extraordinary, invincible even against the torrent of spells.
Under the astonished gazes of onlookers, Gencun endured the spell torrent with his flesh and blood, advancing more than a dozen yards forward.
“What an astounding physique!”
Upon the platform, the Supreme was visibly shocked, his expression wavering for the first time.
In the midst of the flood, Gencun felt a stinging pain on his skin, as if endless enemies were relentlessly attacking him with ancestral arts.
“This is the feeling,” he murmured to himself, continuing onward.
The closer he was to danger, the more active his flesh and blood particles became, and the more his potential was unleashed.
When the torrent's power became unbearable, his flesh suddenly tore open, becoming a blurred mass of blood and flesh.
This stimulated his potential even further.
“Boom!”
With a muffled explosion, Gencun broke through to the mid-stage of the Boiling Blood Realm, experiencing tremendous growth in all aspects.
He delved deeply into understanding this, yet remained unsatisfied, pushing forward once again.
……
Half an hour later, he truly reached his limit, his body gravely injured, sprawled on the ground with uncountable broken bones and blood flowing freely.
He had a foreboding sense that another half step forward would lead to obliteration, no unexpected miracles.
Gencun felt a shiver in his heart, no longer pressing onward, having danced on the brink of death multiple times before, successfully triggering several "revivals."
Just as the Supreme had said, such deeds greatly stimulated his inner potential, leading to rapid progress in a short span.
Suddenly, a massive hand reached out, lifting the almost collapsed heap that was Gencun out from the torrent of spells—none other than the Supreme who had intervened.
“Crackling!”
The sound of bones shifting echoed, enough to make any listener's scalp tingle.
The "heap of flesh" wriggled, enveloped in a glow of blood, swiftly returning to a human form.
As soon as Gencun recovered, he immediately bowed towards the Supreme on the Daoist platform.
“Thank you, senior, for saving me. I nearly perished in the torrent.”
The Supreme in the chaos chuckled softly, responding nonchalantly, “Not necessarily. From what I see, you still had the strength to retreat to safety. It seems my intervention was a bit redundant.”