Chapter 253: Celestial Sky Domain!

Chapter 253: Celestial Sky Domain!

Chen Mu followed the mountain path upwards, heading towards the peak.

After a brief rest at his bamboo cottage, he embarked on the journey to the summit.

Over the past month, he had made two trips to the peak, but each time, Qin Mengjun remained in deep slumber, showing no signs of awakening. With regret, he decided to make one last visit before his departure.

In his estimation, the Seven Mysteries Sect would not remain indifferent to the Ice Province's turmoil, despite the threat from the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion. Although the Pavilion was a powerful sect ruling over an entire province, they were unlikely to engage in wanton slaughter and pillaging like the foreign tribes beyond the border. At the very least, they would adhere to the rules of the martial world. With the escalating chaos in Ice Province, the foreign tribes would not dare provoke the Northern Capital Prefecture, and the turmoil would eventually spill over to the borders of Amethyst Province.

Therefore, the Seven Mysteries Sect would undoubtedly take action sooner or later.

Before that happened, Chen Mu intended to return to Amethyst Province while the Seven Mysteries Sect was still undecided. After all, he had been away for nearly two and a half years since his departure for cultivation.

Chen Mu soon reached the summit, familiar with the route. At the rear cliff, he saw Qin Mengjun's figure still seated on the rock, just as she had been over a year ago, like a lifelike stone sculpture without any changes.

"Disciple pays respects to Master," Chen Mu greeted.

He stopped about ten zhang away from the rock, maintaining a respectful distance, and bowed from afar.

After being asleep for over a year, it did seem like a long time, even for a Marrow Washing Realm Grandmaster. Ultimately, they were still martial cultivators, not immortal beings with eternal life and freedom from the passage of time. Each year that passed was a year closer to their mortality.

After the greeting, Chen Mu remained in a respectful posture, standing there for about a quarter of an hour. When he realized that Qin Mengjun still showed no response, he finally exhaled and bowed once more.

"Disciple takes his leave," he said.

Apparently, he would not have the opportunity to receive guidance from Qin Mengjun this time.

Chen Mu shook his head slightly.

However, just as he was about to leave, his gaze flickered, and he noticed a faint change in the Celestial Sky Energy surrounding the rear cliff. It rippled gently, like the surface of a pond disturbed by a gentle breeze.

If not for his cultivation of the Heaven-Earth Concept, which granted him acute sensitivity to the transformations of celestial energy, he might not have noticed this subtle change so quickly. Nonetheless, it still caught him off guard.

Chen Mu halted his steps and stood still once more.

Every half hour, the Celestial Sky Energy around the rear cliff would stir slightly, like a gradually beating heart, its frequency increasing. After several hours, the rippling energy suddenly calmed, returning to tranquility.

Seated on the mountain rock, Qin Mengjun's long eyelashes quivered, and her eyelids slowly opened. Her clear eyes, like black obsidian, were initially devoid of consciousness, but gradually, a glimmer of light began to shine within them.

Finally, Qin Mengjun's eyes brightened completely, and she lazily stretched her body, her long, dark hair cascading over the mountain rock. Her body arched backward, forming an irregular curve.

Chen Mu averted his gaze immediately and bowed respectfully towards Qin Mengjun.

"I welcome Master's awakening," he said.

After more than a year, the top-tier Grandmaster Qin Mengjun had finally awakened, easing Chen Mu's worries.

A hint of delight flashed in Qin Mengjun's eyes, quickly fading into calmness. She turned her head towards Chen Mu and spoke in a gentle tone, "It's been over a year, hasn't it?"

"Master sees clearly," Chen Mu replied.

Qin Mengjun's expression remained serene as she said, "There's no need for formalities. You must have been waiting here for some time. Is there something you need? Your Heaven-Earth Concept cultivation is quite impressive, and you've already cultivated it for over a year. You must have entered the Six Viscera Realm by now."

"Yes," Chen Mu answered.

"I've come to seek guidance from Master on some martial arts questions, but I'm not sure about your current condition. I've come to disturb you right after your awakening, and I apologize for the intrusion."

"Don't worry about it," Qin Mengjun said, unbothered. "I'm feeling fine for now, and I'll be fully awake for a while. You're my disciple, and if you have martial arts doubts, feel free to ask."

"Congratulations, Master," Chen Mu said, his heart lightening at Qin Mengjun's words. He knew that after this period of slumber, Qin Mengjun had likely recovered significantly from her previous condition. After another respectful bow, he spoke, "Master, I've entered the Six Viscera Realm. Sooner or later, I'll encounter Grandmasters and those on the Gale Wind Rankings. However, I've never crossed paths with them before, and I'm not familiar with the power of their martial domains or their levels. I seek Master's guidance."

Chen Mu's question was straightforward.

Qin Mengjun glanced at Chen Mu, taking in his appearance. She wasn't surprised by his question, as before her slumber, Chen Mu had already cultivated the complete Heaven-Earth Concept, and now, over a year later, he had entered the Six Viscera Realm. Even as a beginner in this realm, Chen Mu should possess strength close to the Gale Wind Rankings.

At this level, it was only a matter of time before he would encounter other experts on the Gale Wind Rankings or even Grandmasters. As she had been asleep, she hadn't had the chance to guide him in this aspect, so it was natural for Chen Mu to have concerns.

"The top three on the Gale Wind Rankings should remain unchanged," Qin Mengjun said after a moment of thought.

Chen Mu nodded in agreement.

After a brief pause, Qin Mengjun continued, "When a martial cultivator breaks through the Mystic Gateway, enters the Marrow Washing Realm, and draws in celestial energy to refine their body, they can initially form a 'Martial Body.' Examples include the 'Wind Thunder Martial Body,' 'Great Yin Martial Body,' and 'Heaven-Earth Martial Body,' among others."

"Initially, after washing the marrow and refining the martial body, one reaches the first stage of the Grandmaster Realm."

"Based on this foundation, without any unexpected events, one can usually refine their martial body to perfection, achieving the 'Flawless Body,' which is the second stage of the Grandmaster Realm."

"If one can also comprehend a corresponding Martial Domain to their Martial Body, and achieve a complete Martial Body, then that's the third stage."

Just like the Marrow Washing Realm, there were no distinctions like 'Minor Accomplishment' or 'Major Accomplishment'. As for the three stages mentioned by Qin Mengjun, Chen Mu had a rough idea, but he found this categorization too simplistic and not clear enough.

After all...

Those who cultivate the Feng Shui Concept and those who cultivate the Celestial Sky Concept, even if they reach the third stage, their strength is not on the same level.

After listening to Qin Mengjun's description, Chen Mu looked up at her and said softly, "Disciple wants to know the strength of Marrow Washing Masters in more detail. Actually, I've always had a rough way of measuring it. I consider the amount of Primordial Power one can mobilize) after taking the second step in comprehending the 'Gusting Wind' or 'Thundering Quake' Concepts, as one 'portion'."

Qin Mengjun glanced at Chen Mu with a hint of surprise. As a top-tier Grandmaster, she instantly understood Chen Mu's meaning and smiled lightly, "One portion? It's a bit crude, but this way of measuring is indeed clearer."

As she spoke, a thoughtful expression appeared on her face. She seemed to be pondering something briefly, and while still thinking, she continued, "If we use your method of distinction, then the strength of Marrow Washing Grandmasters can be roughly divided into five categories."

"The first category is those who have taken the initial steps into Marrow Washing and condensed their Martial Bodies with two or three Concepts like 'Feng Shui' or 'Lei Huo'. Their mobilized Primordial Power is approximately between twenty and thirty portions."

"The second category is those who have achieved complete Martial Bodies or mastered Domains. They are around fifty portions."

"The third category includes those who possess both a Domain and a complete Martial Body, with power around seventy portions."

"The fourth category is someone like me, who has cultivated a complete 'Heaven Earth Martial Body' and commands the Heaven Earth Domain. The Primordial Power I can mobilize is around one hundred and twenty portions."

"The fifth category is an extremely small number who can break through the Mystic Gateway with a complete 'Yin and Yang Five Elements' Concept. They stand at the pinnacle of the Marrow Washing Realm and can almost face some Blood Realm beings. The Primordial Power they can mobilize is close to two hundred portions."

After listening to Qin Mengjun's description, Chen Mu's eyes lit up with contemplation. He finally gained a clear understanding of the strength of Marrow Washing Grandmasters.

The first category was undoubtedly the weaker group of Grandmasters, those who had just stepped into the 'Grandmaster Threshold' and might even lose to Gale Wind Ranking experts. The second category was the 'Stronger Grandmasters', and unless they were in the top three of the rankings, it was basically difficult for them to defeat anyone.

The third category was extremely powerful, second only to the top-tier. The fourth category was top-tier Grandmasters like Qin Mengjun, and as for the final fifth category... As far as he knew, there was no such person in the nineteen states of the Northern Cold Region.

Not just in the Northern Cold Region, but even across the entire Great Xuan Heaven, there wouldn't be more than a handful of such figures who were almost invincible among Grandmasters.

Of course, Qin Mengjun's categorization was still somewhat simplistic, lacking details like what level a Grandmaster who cultivated the Heaven Earth Martial Body but didn't possess the Heaven Earth Domain would be... But with Chen Mu's current experience, he could roughly make these judgments without needing specific guidance.

"Thank you, Master, for your guidance."

Chen Mu bowed to Qin Mengjun.

It seemed that with his current strength, he was still far from reaching the level of a top-tier Grandmaster like Qin Mengjun, and it would take a long time to catch up. Perhaps only when he also entered the Marrow Washing Realm would he have a chance to surpass her.

Qin Mengjun smiled faintly and then said, "As for the Martial Domain, it's a bit special. I think it's better for you to experience it yourself."

After speaking, her figure flickered, and she appeared beside Chen Mu, grabbing his shoulder. "Don't resist."

As her words fell, Chen Mu felt his entire body lighten, and he was lifted by Qin Mengjun, soaring towards the sky.

Heaven Earth Soaring.

Chen Mu didn't struggle, allowing Qin Mengjun to lift him as they soared upwards. Simultaneously, he carefully sensed the changes around him, and a strange feeling arose in his heart.

The way Qin Mengjun demonstrated the soaring technique using the Heaven Earth Concept was different from what Chen Mu had imagined. It wasn't about using the Heaven Earth Power to lift the body and fly into the sky, but rather, it directly isolated the Earthly Power! Between heaven and earth, the Eight Trigrams of the Universe flowed, and isolating one of them was extremely difficult. Even Chen Mu, in his current state, couldn't do it. In the depths of the desert in Sha County, even in such an extreme environment, the Water Power still existed, albeit in a very weak state.

Weakness and complete isolation were two different concepts.

By completely isolating the Earthly Power, it meant completely freeing oneself from the influence of the earth, making his body unaffected by weight, and his soaring speed far exceeded his expectations!

"This is so much more than just wind soaring."

A faint light flashed in Chen Mu's eyes.

If a Marrow Washing Grandmaster relied on the power of the Gusting Wind Concept to soar through the wind, it would only be a barely manageable feat. But with Qin Mengjun, they reached a height of a thousand zhang in an instant.

Of course, he also understood that even if he reached the Marrow Washing Realm, achieving what Qin Mengjun did would be difficult. Because what she had done was to almost completely isolate the Earthly Power within a certain range.

This was the Martial Domain!

Within a certain range, one could have near-total control over the Primordial Power!

In a moment, Qin Mengjun broke through the clouds, descending into a vast sea of clouds. She then released her grip and waved her sleeve, and the cloud sea below, within a hundred zhang area, suddenly solidified into a substantial platform.

Chen Mu landed on the cloud platform, and in reality, he had descended into the cloud sea. Even without Qin Mengjun's help, he could have hovered there, for the clouds provided some support, just like in a sandstorm. However, he couldn't make it as effortless as Qin Mengjun, who could solidify a hundred zhang area of clouds with a wave of her sleeve, creating a solid platform.

(End of Chapter)

"The so-called 'Domain' is when you cultivate your concept to the limit of the second step, and then take half a step further to reach a new height. You know that the third step of the concept is 'Body-Mind Unity', so this domain is actually only completing half of the 'Mind Unity' without achieving the other half, the 'Body Unity'."

Qin Mengjun floated above the sea of clouds, her delicate silk robes fluttering lightly. Her slender feet, like soft white jade, appeared and disappeared amidst the mist, giving her an otherworldly appearance, more akin to a celestial fairy than a mortal warrior. She calmly spoke, "When you reach the third step of the concept, where the body and mind unite, the body being the vessel of martial arts and the mind, the concept of martial arts, only by unifying the body and mind as one can you harness the power within yourself and attain the true third step. Before 'Blood Transformation', this is unattainable."

Before stepping into the eighth realm of Body Tempering, the highest level a warrior's concept can reach is the domain.

"Uniting the mind with heaven and earth, this mind is both concept and will, and neither can be lacking. The concept supports your ascent to that height, while will allows you to maintain that realm without falling."

"Once you grasp the domain that belongs to you, according to your own will) you will have a unique range. Within this range, the power of heaven and earth is almost entirely under your control, and the closer you get, the stronger it becomes."

Qin Mengjun answered Chen Mu's question and then said, "You can experience it now. Come towards me and unleash your Heaven-Earth Concept. Let's see how far you can go."

After speaking, she gracefully retreated several dozen zhang away, gazing at Chen Mu from a distance.

"Yes."

Chen Mu bowed towards Qin Mengjun; this was his first time, so he was very serious.

The Heaven-Earth Domain is also one of the strongest domains. In the future, he will inevitably encounter various martial domains, and the more he understands from Qin Mengjun now, the more experience he'll have when facing them later.

At this moment, Chen Mu felt that within a range of about four to fifty zhang in front of him, with Qin Mengjun as the center, the power of heaven and earth had changed. It seemed to completely block the rotation of the Eight Trigrams, leaving only the unique Heaven-Earth!

Without hesitation, Chen Mu took a deep breath and stepped forward, entering the edge of the Heaven-Earth Domain.

In an instant, it was as if heaven and earth had changed colors!

Although this step seemed uneventful, and the sea of clouds remained calm, for Chen Mu, it was like stepping from stable land into a terrifying storm of waves.

He felt that the power of heaven and earth, which he could once easily control, was now either directly blocked or completely chaotic, making it extremely difficult to manipulate. And within the entire area, there seemed to be a will vastly different from his own, constantly obstructing his control over the power of heaven and earth.

"This is the domain..."

Chen Mu's eyes widened, revealing an extremely solemn expression.

It's worth noting that he had just barely entered the edge of Qin Mengjun's domain, and the pressure he was enduring was no small matter. He felt that apart from Heaven-Earth, all other powers of heaven and earth were significantly weakened.

Fortunately, he himself cultivated Heaven-Earth, and the power of Heaven-Earth was within his control.

So, Chen Mu calmed down and forcefully controlled the power of Heaven-Earth surrounding his body. Then, step by step, he moved towards Qin Mengjun, drawing closer to her.

One inch,

Two inches,

Three inches,

...

The deeper he went, the more intense the pressure from Heaven-Earth became, comparable to the peak of Yun Ni Peak. And as he continued, the pressure kept increasing.

Chen Mu was determined to delve deeper into the power of martial domains. As the pressure intensified, making it difficult to advance further, he took a deep breath and said to Qin Mengjun, "Disciple, I apologize for my intrusion."

As he spoke, he raised his left hand and waved his right. In an instant, the oppressive power of Heaven-Earth transformed under his guidance, materializing into a visible seal.

Heaven-Earth Wheel Seal!

Even though he was still at the edge of the Heaven-Earth Domain, Chen Mu could hardly compete with Qin Mengjun for control over the power of Heaven-Earth. Other attributes were isolated, and only by using the Heaven-Earth Wheel Seal and the Eight Trigrams rotation could he forcefully transform Heaven-Earth into the Eight Trigrams!

After opening the Heaven-Earth Wheel Seal, the power of Heaven-Earth nearby continuously flowed through the Heaven-Earth rotation, transforming into a cycle of the Eight Trigrams, finally reducing the pressure Chen Mu felt significantly.

"Heaven-Earth Concept, Heaven-Earth Wheel Seal!"

Qin Mengjun stood with her hands behind her back, gazing at Chen Mu from afar, her red lips slightly parted as she spoke softly.

Between martial concepts, there is a path of nurturing and counteracting. At the domain level, this nurturing and counteracting influence not only doesn't diminish but often becomes more significant. However, the Heaven-Earth Concept is unaffected by such influences.

Furthermore, the Heaven-Earth rotation encompasses all things. Even though Chen Mu's Heaven-Earth Concept is far from the domain level, it's still difficult for any martial domain to absolutely suppress him. He can withstand one or two attacks.

But...

How did his disciple's Heaven-Earth Concept reach such an advanced level?

Although it wasn't at the limit of the second step, it was far from simply taking the initial step into the second step. Even the strength of the Heaven-Earth Wheel Seal was likely at least the fourth layer, possibly even the fifth.

Could it be that time hadn't passed for just over a year but for three to five years instead? Qin Mengjun was also momentarily puzzled.

(Chapter End)

Chapter end