Chapter 127

Feeling the immense power coiling within his body, Lu Qing felt a quiet satisfaction. Jin Gu Jing Wan Man — the peak of a Hou Tian realm cultivator’s bone and sinew strength — had been reached. Further cultivation through qi and blood refinement would yield no more progress. Even advancing to Nei Fu Jing would bring only marginal gains in physical fortitude. The only way to break through this limit again was through extraordinary fortune, acquiring some miraculous spiritual herb.

But Lu Qing had already consumed Dipulse Spiritual Fluid — a miracle in itself — which had vastly enhanced his innate talent. His bone and sinew strength was now several times greater than that of an ordinary Jin Gu Jing Wan Man cultivator. To find a spiritual herb even rarer than the Dipulse Spiritual Fluid? That seemed impossible.

Therefore, the most practical path forward was to solidify his foundation before pushing toward Nei Fu Jing.

Yet, while the Jin Gu Jing breakthrough brought him joy, it was another achievement that truly thrilled him.

Lu Qing picked up a single green bamboo leaf, staring at it in silence. To the average eye, it was nothing more than an ordinary leaf. But to him, it was profoundly special — especially the intricate patterns etched across its surface, each one resonating with a unique significance.

"At last," he murmured softly, "I’ve finally entered the Script Dao."

Gently rotating the leaf in his palm, a smile spread across his face. At the moment he achieved Jin Gu Jing Wan Man, the overwhelming sense of completion had triggered a sudden insight. In that moment of enlightenment, the long-stalled Script Dao — which had been stuck at a bottleneck for so long — finally cracked open. He had broken through.

The three hundred mysterious glyphs in his mind now each carried a hint of meaning. He could perceive their corresponding patterns in the real world.

Since obtaining the Heritage of the Divine Seal Sect, Lu Qing had spent considerable time cultivating the Script Dao. It was, without doubt, the most difficult path among all the inheritances he had acquired. Even with the aid of his abilities, it had taken him this long to truly begin.

For days, he had observed everything around him — pots, bowls, stones, leaves, flowers, weeds, gold, and jewels. Anything he could see, he studied, trying to perceive it through the lens of Calm Mind and Wash Heart. The more he observed, the deeper his understanding of the Script Dao General Outline grew.

Slowly, a faint, elusive sense of enlightenment began to take root within him, accumulating like a quiet tide.

But that progress had stalled recently. He sensed he was only one step away from truly entering the Script Dao — yet that final step remained just out of reach.

The Heritage had warned: this step could only be achieved through personal insight. For the Script Dao was infinitely variable, embodying the profound truths of heaven and earth. Every cultivator developed their own unique understanding of the connection between glyphs and the universe. Over-reliance on past teachings could only lead to stagnation, hindering future cultivation.

That was why Lu Qing had been stuck for so long.

Now, however, riding the wave of his recent martial realm breakthrough — feeling the surge of qi and the transformation of his bones and flesh — inspiration struck like lightning. The door to the Script Dao had finally opened.

"I was too narrow-minded," he realized. "The first line of the Divine Seal Sect’s Heritage says to learn from all things in heaven and earth. I studied the external world, but forgot — humans themselves are part of the universe. Living beings are the most wondrous, miraculous phenomenon in existence. How could I possibly craft spiritual glyphs with soul if I don’t understand the mystery of life?"

Of course, creating a glyph imbued with true soul — a feat so divine it bordered on the miraculous — was beyond the reach of ordinary cultivators. Even within the Divine Seal Sect’s Heritage, it was merely a lofty ideal.

Lu Qing, at this stage, was far from achieving such a level. He had only just grasped the subtle flow of qi during his breakthrough, the transformation of flesh and bone. That fleeting moment of insight was enough to open the door.

He hadn’t even mastered the simplest glyph yet — let alone drawing a spiritual one.

"Still," he thought, eyes gleaming with quiet excitement, "now that I’ve entered the Script Dao, I can finally begin practicing the Secret Technique within the Heritage."

In the Divine Seal Sect’s Heritage, there existed a special Secret Technique — one that allowed a cultivator to awaken Spirit Soul Power before reaching the Hou Tian realm’s peak. But this technique came with strict requirements.

First, the cultivator’s physical constitution had to be at least Jin Gu Jing level — strong enough to endure the strain of soul refinement.

Second, the cultivator had to have truly entered the Script Dao, with a mind and spirit powerful enough to withstand the process.

Only when both conditions were met — and with the protection of a rare treasure like Dipulse Spiritual Fluid — could the Secret Technique be attempted.

Thus, while the technique allowed early cultivation of Spirit Soul Power, its requirements were just as demanding as reaching Nei Fu Jing Wan Man.

But now, Lu Qing met every criterion.

The sky was still bright. After a moment of thought, he turned to Xiao Li. “Let’s go deeper into the mountains,” he said.

Not long after, the two — man and small beast — arrived at the valley where the Jade Transformation Cave Chamber lay hidden.

The scene before him — birds singing, flowers blooming — stirred a sense of daze in Lu Qing’s heart. It was his first return since the last time he’d left. Then, he had been a Qi Xue Jing cultivator. Now, he stood as a Jin Gu Jing Wan Man, his strength multiplied many times over.

Much of this progress was thanks to the fortune he’d found in the cave.

He stopped briefly at Li Weitian’s tomb, offering a quiet tribute, before leaping into the waterfall and descending into the cave.

Inside the Jade Transformation Cave Chamber, everything remained unchanged — exactly as he’d left it.

But now, when he looked at the ancient glyphs carved into the walls, his perception had shifted entirely.

The last time, before mastering the Script Dao, he’d sensed only mystery and wonder — but no deeper meaning. Now, with the Script Dao truly awakened within him, countless insights flooded his mind. He felt a deep reverence, as if gazing upon a mountain so tall it blocked the sky.

The one who had carved this chamber — a mysterious figure long lost to time — must have possessed an unparalleled mastery of the Script Dao.

Standing before the wall for a long while, Lu Qing felt his understanding deepen. His feet had truly crossed the threshold into the Script Dao.

He decided: he would return here often to cultivate and reflect.

He reached out and pushed open the hidden door, stepping into the secluded chamber where Li Weitian had once sat in stillness.

The room was unchanged — silent, empty, untouched by time.

“Xiao Li,” Lu Qing said, turning to the little beast, “guard the entrance. I’m going to meditate. Don’t let anyone disturb me.”

The Secret Technique was dangerous. Even the slightest interruption could be catastrophic.

Though the Jade Transformation Cave Chamber lay deep in the mountains, hidden and remote, Lu Qing remained cautious. He trusted Xiao Li to keep watch.

Seeing the beast nod solemnly, Lu Qing closed the door behind him.

He sat cross-legged on the stone bed where Li Weitian had once meditated, calmed his breath, and adjusted his body into perfect harmony.

Then, in his hand, he held a jade bottle — the very one he’d taken from the cave before.

Without hesitation, he poured a single drop of Dipulse Spiritual Fluid into his mouth.

The liquid burned through his body, instantly dissolving into a torrent of vibrant, life-giving energy.

Lu Qing didn’t wait. He immediately activated the Secret Technique’s method — guiding his qi through a complex, precise path toward his Brow Qi Cavity.

Blood surged upward. His face flushed crimson, his brow burning as if about to bleed.

Yet his expression remained calm, his control absolute. This was perilous — the Brow Qi Cavity was a vital point in the human body, one that could not be damaged lightly.

But Lu Qing had reached the Hou Tian Zong Shi level in his martial arts, mastering the principle of Balanced Strength and Gentleness, Exquisite Precision. His control over his own body was exquisite.

He guided the qi with surgical precision, shaping the delicate cavity as the Dipulse Spiritual Fluid’s energy seeped in, nourishing and fortifying the hidden space.

For a time, he maintained perfect focus. But then — a slip.

A tiny misstep. The qi surged just a fraction too hard. The Brow Qi Cavity trembled, nearly collapsing.

But the Dipulse Spiritual Fluid’s power surged forward, shielding the cavity, sealing the damage in an instant, restoring it to full health.

Lu Qing exhaled — a breath of relief.

This was the true danger of the technique. The human brain was fragile, even for martial cultivators. Even Nei Fu Jing masters avoided forcing qi into their heads. Damage could mean paralysis, madness — or death.

Without the Dipulse Spiritual Fluid, Lu Qing would never have dared attempt this.

Now, with experience, he was more careful.

His concentration deepened. His spirit drained rapidly, but he remained calm, unwavering.

Soon, he felt the flow of spiritual energy within him begin to wane.

No hesitation. He opened the jade bottle again and poured another drop into his mouth.

The revitalized energy surged through him. He resumed the cultivation.

Time passed. He repeated the process — one drop, then another, each time replenishing the dwindling energy.

How long had it been?

When he had consumed the fifth drop — and the energy from that drop had already burned through half — he suddenly felt a faint, invisible sound echo in his mind.

Like an egg cracking.

The Brow Qi Cavity had finally opened.

In that instant, the world changed.

But before he could fully absorb the transformation, the remaining energy — both the spiritual vitality and his own blood qi — poured into the cavity in a flood.

A wave of weakness washed over him.

He acted instantly, pouring three more drops of the spiritual fluid into his mouth.

The liquid burned through his body, instantly replenishing his depleted reserves. The surplus continued to flood into the Brow Qi Cavity.

No matter how small the cavity seemed, it absorbed the energy like a bottomless pit.

And then — slowly, imperceptibly at first — a strange, unique energy began to form within the Brow Qi Cavity.

When it finally took shape, Lu Qing’s entire body trembled.

Without thought, he plunged his entire consciousness into the cavity, merging with that nascent energy.

Then — boom.

He slipped into a state beyond thought.

Lost in the void, time dissolved.

When he finally opened his eyes, his gaze held clarity — profound understanding.

“This… is Spirit Soul Power?” he whispered. “Truly miraculous.”

In the center of his brow, a small, vibrant, and peculiar force now pulsed — delicate yet alive.

Compared to the vastness of the Brow Qi Cavity, it was almost invisible.

Yet this single thread of Spirit Soul Power had cost him much — precious drops of Dipulse Spiritual Fluid, danger, and effort. It was priceless.

And it did not disappoint.

Now, the world looked different.

“This… is what Master called Heavenly and Earthly Qi?” he sensed, feeling the faint, invisible currents weaving through the air around him.

He knew — this was it. The essence of the universe, the life force that flowed through all things.

But his Spirit Soul Power was still weak. He couldn’t yet perceive the flow clearly. And because his body hadn’t reached Hou Tian peak — his Qi Cavity still tight — he couldn’t yet draw qi into his body to break through to Xian Tian.

Yet, even now, the results were clear.

His connection between mind and body had grown stronger. His control over his own form had increased dramatically — perhaps even surpassing that of a Nei Fu Jing cultivator.

If this continued, his breakthrough to Nei Fu Jing would come even sooner.

But these changes were minor.

The true significance — the reason this breakthrough mattered most — was this:

Now, at last, he could begin the real cultivation of the Script Dao.

The first step — Calm Mind and Wash Heart — was to observe all things, sense the hidden patterns in nature, and align them with the glyphs in the Script Dao General Outline. Only then could one find the door to enter.

Now that he had entered, the second step — actual glyph crafting — could begin.

And for that step, Spirit Soul Power was essential.

Now, Lu Qing had it.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end