The commotion outside was immense.
But within the secret chamber, Shen Changqing was cultivating with total dedication, forgetting sleep and meals. He was nourished by nature’s spiritual energy, so there was no need to worry about any consumption issues.
Now, within his Sea of Consciousness, the blood-colored lotus had officially sprouted its second petal, and even the silhouette of the third petal had begun to faintly manifest.
As the second petal of the blood-colored lotus emerged, Shen Changqing discovered that he had reached the stage of True Intent Manifestation.
In other words, once the second petal solidified, the Spiritual System had fully progressed from the initial stage of Cultivating True Intent into the second stage.
But even though he had successfully made a breakthrough, he did not leave the secret chamber.
It was simple. All the Merit Points had been submitted. Leaving halfway would only waste resources.
So, even after a successful breakthrough, Shen Changqing continued to cultivate in the chamber, ceaselessly nourishing his own True Intent.
But after the successful breakthrough, he found that the growth of the Hundred Battles True Intent had slowed down significantly. It seemed that the Bloody Heaven and Earth no longer possessed enough power for its growth. The Bloody Iron Cavalry had trampled across the lands, slaying nearly all living beings. What was left was scarce.
Indeed, the secret chamber is only suitable for the first phase of the Spiritual System. After the second phase, it doesn’t serve much purpose. To significantly improve now, I either have to seek out the Jade Wall on the fifth level or venture out for real-world experience. Shen Changqing thought to himself.
Going out for real-world experience and fighting against Demon Evils or other powerful beings was rich nourishment for the Hundred Battles True Intent. Before breaking through to the second phase, he had never considered venturing out.
But now, Shen Changqing had reached a decision.
Since achieving True Intent Manifestation, my spiritual power has become much stronger—roughly twice as strong as before the breakthrough. With just a spiritual shock now, I should be able to injure a Martial Artist of the Innate Realm, right?
Before the breakthrough to True Intent Manifestation, with the power of Cultivating True Intent, he could intimidate an Innate Martial Artist. But such intimidation wouldn’t cause any substantial harm.
Now things were different. With strengthened spiritual power, a spiritual shock was truly threatening. Moreover, with the growth of his spirit, he no longer had to worry about being overwhelmed by a stronger force in terms of spirit.
It was also during the breakthrough of the Hundred Battles True Intent that the panel had progressed from ten percent to twenty percent.
Ten percent was Cultivating True Intent!
Twenty percent was True Intent Manifestation!
From twenty percent onwards, up to ninety percent and then one hundred percent Perfection, all of it fell entirely under the True Intent Manifestation stage.
Thus, Shen Changqing finally understood why it was easy to enter the Spiritual System but hard to master it. Turns out the gap within the same stage of True Intent Manifestation was far greater than that between the first and second stages.
Twenty percent True Intent Manifestation might not necessarily overpower ten percent Cultivating True Intent. But one hundred percent True Intent Manifestation would certainly suppress twenty percent True Intent Manifestation—such is the disparity.
The pinnacle of the Spiritual System must be akin to raising True Intent to the one hundred percent Perfection stage. Shen Changqing mused to himself.
Others, without a panel, could not meticulously quantify True Intent to stages like ten percent or twenty percent. Even in the Martial Hall, where many scrolls were kept, there was no record of this aspect.
However, the phrase ’peak of the Spiritual System’ had already explained a lot.
At this moment, a feeling arose in his heart.
A heavy burden and a long road ahead!
Having broken through to True Intent Manifestation within the Spiritual System, he was now fully considered a late-stage Grandmaster. Due to advancements in the Physical System, he was quite a strong one among his peers at that level.
But no matter how strong, Shen Changqing was clear that there was still an insurmountable chasm between him and a true Grandmaster Peak.
To put it simply, a Grandmaster Peak could confront a Demon Evil, whereas a late-stage Grandmaster could only hold out for somewhat longer.
Shaking his head, he stopped contemplating this issue.
He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but as long as Tan Tianji remained silent, he would just stay in the chamber. Though the effects after the breakthrough were limited, they were there, after all. The dense spiritual energy was capable of refining a Martial Artist’s physique, allowing for an overall improvement.
For that reason alone, Shen Changqing would not waste any time.
He stilled his mind and continued to ponder the Hundred Battles True Intent.
It was uncertain how much time had elapsed.
A grand and ancient voice rose.
Instantly, Shen Changqing opened his eyes, rose from the cushion, and strode out of the secret chamber, leaving the Martial Hall behind.
A ray of light shone in. Suddenly, he had the illusion that he was a world away.
Standing still, he collected his thoughts for a while before he slowly came back to reality.
A voice tinged with amusement reached his ears. Shen Changqing turned his head to see Tan Tianji sitting there.
Upon hearing this, a hint of a smile appeared on his face. "I feel alright. It’s just that it’s my first time in seclusion for so long; I’m not quite used to it yet."
"Normal. Even with a significant breakthrough, no one would seclude themselves for two months in one go. You are the first, and probably no one else in the Martial Hall would do that either. Who else would spend two thousand Merit Points at once, all on the secret chamber?" Tan Tianji chuckled and shook his head.
Even if people in the Martial Hall were rich, they wouldn’t waste like that. Shen Changqing was the first. But since the man had the means, Tan Tianji could do nothing about it.
Immediately afterward, Tan Tianji asked again, "So, did you manage to make a breakthrough?"
"I was lucky enough to succeed," Shen Changqing nodded.
Tan Tianji remarked with admiration, "You really did make a breakthrough. You’re probably the fastest among the Grandmasters in the Martial Hall to progress from Cultivating True Intent to True Intent Manifestation."
The difficulty from Cultivating True Intent to True Intent Manifestation wasn’t great. Many would choose to rely on their own strength, spending one or two years methodically improving. For someone like Shen Changqing to complete the breakthrough in just a few months was truly unprecedented.
Immediately, Tan Tianji looked at Shen Changqing seriously again, and his face finally showed a trace of doubt.
"This isn’t just as simple as a True Intent breakthrough, right? Could it be that you’ve also made breakthroughs in other areas?"
"Elder Tan’s insight is as sharp as a torch!" Shen Changqing exclaimed.
He hadn’t expected Tan Tianji’s perception to be so acute. He had already used spiritual energy to replenish his consumption earlier and had raised his level in the Great Sun Scripture on his panel.
Thirty Slaughter Value. Just enough to raise the Great Sun Scripture two levels, from the fifteenth to the seventeenth.
The seventeenth level of the Great Sun Scripture had nearly filled his Dantian to the brim, almost to the point where it could contain no more.
He had originally thought there would be some time to act as a buffer, allowing the aura of the Great Sun Scripture’s breakthrough to settle down considerably, making it hard for others to notice anything unusual.
As a result, as soon as he left the Martial Hall, Tan Tianji saw through it.
"A prodigy, truly a prodigy!" Tan Tianji praised repeatedly.
In two months’ time, not only had he made a breakthrough in the Spiritual System, but he had also achieved breakthroughs in other areas. Such talent was truly remarkable.
"Perhaps you really have a chance to reach the stage of breaking human limits, as long as you can reach the peak of one system before you turn thirty!" Tan Tianji added.
Seeing this, Shen Changqing’s expression changed slightly. "Elder Tan, you also have a great understanding of the limits of the human body?"
"Who wouldn’t have an understanding of the human body’s limits?" Tan Tianji laughed, then his expression grew more complex. "All the Grandmasters in the Demon-Subduing Division want to break the human limits, but is that an easy feat? Your Martial Hall has records that suggest if someone can bring both major systems to their peaks, they might hope to break the human limits. Unfortunately, reaching the peak of one system is already incredibly difficult, let alone two. It’s practically impossible."
He paused for a moment, as if something had crossed his mind.
"Over two hundred years ago, there was an astonishing prodigy in Jianghu who reached the peak of the Physical System at the age of fifty. After another seventy years, he was only one step away from the peak of the Spiritual System. However, he was lacking that one final step. As the prodigy exhausted his lifespan, he couldn’t make any further breakthroughs and passed away in meditation. But at the time of his demise, he had said that if someone could break through to the peak of the Physical System before thirty, then it was possible, in the subsequent time, to cultivate the Spiritual System to perfection. At that point, it would naturally be possible to break the limits of the human body."
Reaching the peaks of both systems can break the human limits!? Shen Changqing’s expression was serious.
This was the first time he was hearing such a thing.
The Martial Hall would undoubtedly have records on this subject. He just hadn’t delved too deeply, so it was normal for him not to have heard of it.
"I’m not sure. It’s only a rumor that reaching the peaks of both systems can break the human limits. It’s not necessarily true. Of course, no one has ever achieved this, so it’s impossible to verify the truth."
"I see. How old was that prodigy when he passed away?"
"One hundred twenty-five," Tan Tianji answered and added, "If he had been given another ten years or so, he might have truly achieved the peaks of both systems."
One hundred twenty-five years old!
Shen Changqing reflected on his own age. He counted, of course, not from his previous life but from the memories of his former self. Taking into account his three years or so with the Demon-Subduing Division, his age would be around twenty-three, as his predecessor was only twenty when he joined the Demon-Subduing Division. At twenty-three, he was seven years shy of thirty. With enough Slaughter Value to enhance the Physical System, it wouldn’t be a difficult task. The only issue was whether he could successfully make a breakthrough in the Spiritual System.
"Just let nature take its course; there’s no need to force it," Tan Tianji said, worried that Shen Changqing might dwell on it too much, which wouldn’t be good.
Shen Changqing nodded.
Then, he thought of something and couldn’t help but ask, "May I ask Elder Tan, now that I qualify to become a Defender Envoy, what do I need to do if I want to become one?"