Chapter 1937: An Array Wizard
Three years of isolation pushed the number of Precepts in Zhang Ruochen’s body past the 10-million mark and stepped into the territory of the Greater Precept World.
The Greater Precept World was a complete realm formed when the precepts burst out of the Sea of Qi, flew through the meridians, blood, and Saint Veins before they spread throughout the body.
The application of the Precepts would go to the next level when it came to this stage. The speed and power of the saint technique gained a substantial increase.
Zhang Ruochen did not dive into the next realm headfirst. Instead, he really thought about how to weave the perfect Greater World and lay a solid foundation for forming the Precept Domain next.
After attaining Nine-Step Saint Kinghood, each step was meticulously calculated. Any mistake, however minute it was, could have a great impact on the next step of his self-cultivation.
After thinking long and hard, he started to break into the next realm by performing Empyrean Emperor Ming’s Scripture.
Ten million Precepts went active instantly, pounding through to the next level.
At some point, the restraint of the Sea of Qi was broken through. Ten million Precepts rushed out of the Sea of Qi.
The Heavenly Stream flowed out of the Sea of Qi and circulated slowly through the meridians, blood and saint veins.
Zhang Ruochen was s.h.i.+vering slightly as a slight pain sensation hit.
The entrance of the Precept into meridians, and blood and saint veins were not an easy one. If not careful, it could hurt the meridians, and blood and saint veins, or even worse, damage the entire person.
The fortunate thing was, Zhang Ruochen’s physique was extremely robust now, just below the Supreme Sainthood. His meridians and blood and saint veins were strong. He felt uncomfortable when the Precepts entered them, but they did not cause him any harm.
Unlike that of other cultivators, the structure of his meridians, and blood and saint veins were much more complex. This was because not only he had opened up 36 meridians when he was in Huangji Realm, but also his three meridians had been destroyed by King Zhongying before, almost quas.h.i.+ng his hope of practicing self-cultivation. But with immense willpower, he developed his three meridians using the Qi of chaos all by himself.
Back then, he illuminated the universe with his body, and let his body’s three meridians evolve with the Precept of heaven and earth. He changed from an Acquired Five-Element Chaotic Body to an Inborn Five-Element Chaotic Body.
The structure of his three meridians were so complex that it seemed as intricate as the galaxies in the universe.
It was extremely difficult for him to form a perfect Great Percept World.
But he had powerful spiritual power, which had attained the last stage of 59th order. He could perfectly master the three meridians of his body, and if he was thoughtful enough, forming the Greater Precept World was just a matter of time.
The Precepts finally formed in all his meridians, blood and saint veins, looking as if a complex star chart.
The Heavenly Stream sped up as it flowed along the three meridians in an endless cycle.
Countless Precepts shone out of his body, moving at an incredible speed and vigor.
Zhang Ruochen had successfully attained the Greater Precept World. Ten million Precepts in the meridians, blood and saint veins formed a perfect big cycle.
The saint Qi in his body compressed and changed, which was something that would happen every time his cultivation base broke into another realm.
Before long, the level of saint Qi had dropped in half as some impurities were rid of, helping his saint Qi achieve a higher quality.
He immediately took out the G.o.dstones and performed an Empyrean Emperor Ming’s Scripture to refine and absorb to replenish his saint Qi.
“Finally, the Great Precept World! It feels really different!”
Feeling the flowing Precepts in his body, a smile broke out on his face.
Right now, there were over 11 million Precepts, over 10,000 Precepts of Time, over 30,000 Precepts of Dimension, 480,000 Precepts of Sword, 420,000 Precepts of Palm, and 370,000 Precepts of Fist, which were impressive.
It was difficult to practice the Path of the Ancients and the Path of Supreme Saint. But it was relatively easy to achieve 3,000 Major Paths and 100,000 Minor Paths.
But if all that a person practices is minor and major Paths, that person’s strength will go nowhere, no matter how many Precepts have been cultivated.
Given the same level of cultivation, the strength difference between a person who majors the Path of Supreme Saint and the Major Path is huge.
As Zhang Ruochen clenched his fists, innumerable Precepts appeared. It was so much easier to form the Greater Precept World and summon the Precepts than in the past.
Now, when he performed a punch and immediately summoned a ma.s.sive number of Precepts of Fist, he could even shatter a Thousand-Inscription Sacred Artifact.
After some time of practicing, four G.o.dstones had been exhausted, and the Sundial stopped running.
As the battle was imminent, he could not keep practicing behind closed-door for long. So he had used only four G.o.dstones and kept the remaining eight for another time after the battle.
His target was only to attain the Great Precept World in the first place.
Next, attaining Precept Domain from Great Precept World would be ten, and even a hundred times, more difficult than going from Lesser Precept World to Greater Precept World. It would not do with only eight G.o.dstones.
Of course, it was not entirely hopeless; he could fast-track the Precept Domain cultivation if he was lucky.
Legend had it that some rare substances in heaven and the earth could help cultivators form Precept Domain.
There was one more thing that Zhang Ruochen felt happy about, which was that after the Ancient Abyssal Blade refined those many weapons, its grade had improved to become a Ninth Radiance Thousand-Inscription Sacred Artifact. Coupled with the rise from the purple G.o.dstones, its power rivaled that of a Tenth Radiance Thousand-Inscription Sacred Artifact.
The elevation of the Ancient Abyssal Blade’s grade had made his Sword Path even more powerful. There was no doubt about it.
Besides, the evil spirit had completely coalesced with the corpse of the divine python. It had a perfect control of the divine python’s power. This was making him more powerful than before.
“It is too difficult to form a Precept Domain. I still couldn’t do it after four good years.” Xiang Chunan was frustrated.
He had long attained Great Precept World, but still could not form Precept Domain.
Xiang Chunan had been extremely lucky. During the years when he was separated from Zhang Ruochen, he had some incredible encounters, his cultivation base improving tremendously, just like Murong Yue did.
Without those encounters, he would have fallen far behind Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen patted him on the shoulder. “Be patient. I have just attained Great Precept World. Treat it as a handicap race to save myself.”
“I haven’t formed Precept Domain, too. Why so desperate? Aren’t you confident of yourself?” said Feng Yan.
His cultivation base was of Great Precept World, too. He still had a long way to go before he could form Precept Domain.
Speaking of which, Ji Fanxin was the only person among them who had formed Precept Domain. In contrast, Pei Yutian did not even attain Great Precept World.
The Precept Domain realm was a hurdle, the crossing of which meant Supreme Sainthood. Many cultivators had failed to cross this hurdle in the past.
“I might not have formed Precept Domain, but I can beat an ordinary Precept Domain fighter with only a hand.” Xiang Chunan chuckled as he quickly corrected his mindset.
He was still confident of his ability.
“I will only say you are great if you defeat those Precept-Domain shenzis and princes,” said Feng Yan.
“That will be a piece of cake. The Metal Demonic Crown alone will crush them to death.”
Feng Yan had no word for it. Xiang Chunan was probably right on this one; not everyone had a Supreme Artifact, after all.
The Five-Element Temple cultivators brought Zhang Ruochen and his mates to the manor in the base where they saw from afar Zhang Yuan and Xuanyuan Liekong talking to what might look like a well-cultured, middle-aged man.
They went up to Zheng Yuan and Xuanyuan Liekong, and cupped their hands in greeting. “Brother Zheng. Brother Xuanyuan.”
By addressing them as brothers, it would definitely help them build rapports and sound friendlier.
“Brother Zhang, you all had come out at the right time. Let’s meet our senior, Lu Baiming. Brother Lu is Five-Element Temple’s youngest array master.” Zheng Yuan broke out in a smile.
“Nice to meet you, Brother Lu.”
Zhang Ruochen and his mates cupped their hands at Lu Baiming as a sign of respect.
It surprised the five of them. They did not expect that the person whom Zheng Yuan and Xuanyuan Liekong were waiting for was an array master.
An array master’s spiritual power was at least at the pinnacle of 59th order, an attainment in the path of array that no ordinary people could understand
Before this, the only array masters that Zhang Ruochen had encountered were Mr. G.o.dcliff and the Nether Clan’s Immortal Ming, who was only a near-array master and had not really taken that step.
Right now, Zhang Ruochen finally understood what Zheng Yuan had meant when he said that an array master was of great help in attacking Xianji Mountain.
Xianji Mountain was where Xianji Sect, the largest sect in Northern Region previously, was based and laid with many higher-order arrays. If the Deathkin controlled Xianji Mountain, attack from the outside would be difficult.
What had really happened was that a Deathkin array master was in Xianji Mountain and controlling those arrays. If there was no array master from the Celestial Court, they could forget about entering Xianji Mountain.
Lu Baiming let out a smile. “Make yourself comfortable, Brother Zhang, Fairy of a Hundred Flowers. I was told of your achievements. In the Sword Vault Palace in Central Region, you all wiped out the hundred-thousand-strong Immortal Vampire army, and gave the Rakshasa a hard time with incredible wits and courage at the Cliff of Doom. I am really impressed. Now we are attacking Xianji Mountain and need the help of you all.”
“I was a team effort, Brother Lu. We will do whatever we could to attack Xianji Mountain,” said Zhang Ruochen.
“Please be seated, and let us discuss the details,” said Zheng Yuan.
So Zhang Ruochen and four others sat down.
As the attack on Xianji Mountain was drawing near, they needed to know the details so they could make the preparation for it.
As soon as they sat down, Ji Fanxin talked to Zhang Ruochen through telepathy. “Lu Baiming is no ordinary array master. While Mr. G.o.dcliff took over a thousand years to become one, he took merely two hundred years, and he is not even five hundred years old at that. If not for his vital role on the Battlefield of Merits, he could have become a Supreme Saint of spiritual power long ago.
“In terms of the mastery of arrays, Lu Baiming was far ahead of Mr. G.o.dcliff. Even Neverwither Supreme Saints could not hold a candle to him. There is a rumor that he is trying to attain arch array masters.h.i.+p from Saint Kinghood. If successful, he will become a legend.”
Zhang Ruochen’s heart skipped a beat. “From Saint Kinghood to arch-masters.h.i.+p? How?”
In his understanding, from Saint Kinghood to array masters.h.i.+p was the limit. Only spiritual-power Supreme Saint could become an arch array master.
“It is entirely possible. A wizard had once done that. But it has been a long time ago, and probably no one remembers it,” said Ji Fanxin.
There were many talented people in the Celestial Court, and few could impress her. But Lu Baiming impressed not only her but also got her admiration. No one could tell how far things could go in the future.