Chapter 535: Eternium
“Eternal, the fourteenth-tier of martial arts… but what is Eternal?”
Just before he ascended, Jiang He sat cross-legged beneath the Old Tea Tree of Enlightenment in meditation.
And yet…
“What is Eternal?”
“The truth was that I could not write anything further from the thirteenth-tier when I created the Martial Scripture, and the fourteenth-tier was no more than a made-up name… whatever, I’ll just ascend directly!”
“Of what, am I going to face Qi Deviation to a cultivation system I developed myself?”
With a single thought, a crisp System Notification jingled in his mind.
[Spend 10 trillion Farm Points to improve martial arts cultivation to fourteenth-tier?]
“Yes!”
[Ding!]
[-10 trillion Farm Points.]
Jiang He already noticed that his body was changing once the System Notification jingled in his mind.
It began with his Martial Yuan Spirit, which suddenly flew out of his body and hovered up int the air. At the same time, a golden aura had materialized and swirled, instantly dyeing the Martial Yuan Spirit in a golden light.
Then, it was Jiang He’s physique.
There was now a touch of golden light in his bones, muscles, and flesh.
It quickly filled his body.
As the golden light extended, Jiang He’s aura also strengthened by a whole notch… and soon returned to calmness.
Soon, the golden light was gone, and the Martial Yuan Spirit reverted to its original position.
Jiang He opened his eyes, confusion showing on his face.
What the heck?
It ended… just like that?
“No way… the fourteenth-tier of martial arts corresponds to Demi-Saint, so shouldn’t there be some phenomenon occurring at least after ascending to this level? Even if there wasn’t, I should clearly feel an increase in my combat ability, shouldn’t I?”
Jiang He extended his senses over his body.
He also turned on his System stats panel to confirm—
[Cultivation: immortal arts—full-fledged Grand Luo, martial arts—fourteenth-tier of martial arts (Eternal)]
“There’s no mistaking it… but why do I feel like there’s no great improvement in my ability?”
Jiang He scowled, at a loss for words. “Could I have made a pseudo cultivation-tier in Eternal? But it still costed me 10 trillion Farm Points… and here I was, ready to take a trip across the stars to bait the Demi-Saints of the G.o.d and Demon races… how could I do that when I did not improve much in ability? Hold on…”
Then, even as he complained…
Jiang He suddenly remembered the golden light that covered his entire body and Martial Yuan Spirit when he ascended, and promptly calmed down to search for it within his own body.
After reaching the fourteenth-tier of martial arts, his Martial Grotto-Heaven has become a world in his body.
Jiang He’s consciousness then submerged to find that, unbeknownst to himself, a profound realm had sp.a.w.ned inside his own body. Even so, the world was utter chaos—there was no light and none of the cosmic bodies he expected to find, and he could not even feel time flowing…
Let alone that the golden light.
Withdrawing his consciousness, a thoughtful look appeared on Jiang He’s mind.
He summoned his Martial Yuan Spirit, which golden light had faded away as well.
Clenching his fist in frustration, he punched the stone table in front of him.
Pow!
The stone table exploded.
“Hold on…”
Jiang He then exclaimed in surprise, “What was that just now?”
He clenched his fist and mustered his strength again.
This time, faint golden light materialized over his fist.
Jiang He could sense that his fist strength was stronger thanks to the buffing of the golden light… hence, he rose to his feet and charged his yuan strength—golden light promptly flashed around his body, and there was even a golden light on his hair.
“…”
Did this not resemble a Super Saiyan?
Of course, it was just a resemblance.
With Jiang He’s current abilities, it was no problem to kill a Super Saiyan with a single punch.
Feeling out his own strength, Jiang He clearly sensed that in the instant that the golden light covered his body, his strength would increase by more than ten times.
“My martial arts strength could match a full-fledged Grand Luo before. Though I didn’t gain much strength after I ascended and was at best equal in ability to an average Demi-Saint… I could kill them with a single punch if buffed by this golden light!”
It was only now that Jiang He smiled.
After studying it for a long while, he discovered various curious effects to the golden light aside from buffing his strength.
For example, his defensive ability would reach a frightening level once buffed by the golden light… he estimated that he might not even suffer any damage if he was struck by most acquired soul treasures.
Even if he was hurt, he could recover instantly with the golden light.
Jiang He hence started to attempt control over the golden light, and it took him three days and nights to fully control it as he wished.
He raised a finger, and a streak of golden light flow out from the tip.
The golden light also carried a special presence as if it would exist eternally.
“Eternal-tier?”
“Golden light?”
“Let’s call this golden light Eternium, then.”
Feeling inspired then, Jiang He withdrew the strand of Eternium into his own body. In that very instant, a small realm was actually opened in the chaotic world within his body thanks to the strand of golden light.
The realm was incredibly small and totally dark, and Jiang He s.p.a.ced out as he stared into the darkness.
“This feeling…”
“A cosmic realm?”
“No, it only be called that if there were cosmic bodies!”
“This darkness is bleak and barren, and it’s like a part of outer s.p.a.ce with no cosmic bodies.”
Jiang He was stunned.
Perhaps he really could create a cosmic realm within his own body at the fourteenth-tier of martial arts?
However, how much golden light would be needed to develop the borderless chaos?
Moreover, there were no cosmic bodies after it had been developed… does he have to plant some inside?
As the thoughts crossed his mind, Jiang He harvested the medicinal pellets in his Farm which were already ripe three days ago, then turned toward Dumbo nearby and barked, “Why are you lying down there? Keep planting!”
There were not many medicinal pellets left, though the planting had stopped because he was cultivating over the last few days.
After that, Jiang He began to farm day and night.
Unsurprisingly, doing that made farming more efficient, with a new batch of several hundred thousand medicinal pellets planted at an average three hours… and in a day and a half, every last medicinal pellet was planted.
“Dumbo, have you bought the divine rice?”
“Three hundred thousand catties?”
“It’s more or less enough. You guys can start planting the rice while I go to see the Jade Emperor—we’re leaving the Celestial Court tomorrow, and I’ll be bringing you on a trip across the stars.”
After that, Jiang He met the Jade Emperor and asked for a star map, with distinct labels of various constellations and planetary systems, as well as many records of the worlds outside it.
Even so, the Jade Emperor quickly tried to dissuade Jiang He once he learned that he would leave the Celestial Court.
“You mustn’t, Jiang He!”
“I’ve received word that the G.o.d race and the Demon race had an understanding, and have already sent out thirty-six Demi-Saints to kill you!”
“It’s fine.”
“What could thirty-six Demi-Saints do to me anyway?”
Jiang He ignored the dissuasion, leaving half of the medicinal pellets he planted with the Jade Emperor and keeping half for himself.
There would be one hundred medicinal pellets gained from each medicinal pellet planted, and therefore keeping half would mean he had fifty times more pellets regardless.
The next morning, the Jade Emperor saw Jiang He off in his Golden Armor General form.
He saw Jiang He out of the Southern Sky Gate, offering a fist-palm salute and said, “Take care of yourself, Brother Jiang He.”
Jiang He returned the salute, before leading along his cat and dog to disappear over the horizon as a flash of light.