Chapter 282: The Gate Threshold
Chapter 282: The Gate Threshold
As the group discussed the situation in Ice Province, each had their own thoughts.
Suddenly, Feng Hongsheng took out a uniquely shaped chessboard from behind him. The board had numerous chess pieces, all in a dull gray hue, with different characters engraved on them: 'Soldier', 'Scholar', and 'General'.
The characters were tinged with a faint crimson color, and upon closer inspection, they seemed to be connected by fine red threads, intertwining with each other and linking the pieces to the board as a whole. When he picked up one of the 'Soldier' pieces and moved it away from the board, the barely visible red threads dimmed as they followed the piece, gradually fading as it left the board.
"This is a Spirit Armament 'Battle Array Board'. All the pieces are interconnected with the array, forming a whole. With the activation of Primordial Essence True Force, it can trigger a response from the nearest higher-level piece."
As Feng Hongsheng spoke, he casually picked up a 'Soldier' piece and placed it on the other side of the table. He infused a strand of Primordial Essence into it, causing the nearly invisible red threads to flicker. This action also caused the 'Scholar' pieces on the board to vibrate and move slightly towards the 'Soldier' piece, as if drawn by an invisible force.
Chen Mu watched Feng Hongsheng's simple demonstration and understood its purpose. This was a more efficient means of communication than the 'Signal Order'. The Signal Order relied on sound to communicate, which had its limitations in terms of distance and could be easily disrupted. For those at the Organ Realms and above, it might even be impossible to use the Signal Order for help. However, with a Spirit Armament like this array chessboard, the situation was different.
Of course, if this array could only be activated by Primordial Essence True Force, then Martial Practitioners below the Organ Realms would not be able to use it.
"Murong Huafa, Chen Huafa... Each of you take a 'General' piece. Distribute the 'Scholar' pieces to the various Defenders, and the 'Soldier' pieces to the True Transmitters and Officials."
Feng Hongsheng handed the Battle Array Board to Chen Mu.
Chen Mu took a 'General' piece from the board and, after a brief inspection, was slightly surprised. This Spirit Armament was more like an array or a combination of an array and a Spirit Armament, with an extremely intricate structure.
The 'General' piece could receive requests for help from the 'Scholar' pieces and also seek assistance from the 'Array Main Body'. The main body of the array was obviously controlled by the Elders, with the 'Scholar' pieces held by the various Defenders of the Six Viscera Realm, and the 'Soldier' pieces by the True Transmitters and Officials.
After everyone had taken their respective pieces, Feng Hongsheng put away the array board and said, "Good, that's it for now. Chen Huafa, you've traveled a long way with the Yulin Army, so take two days to rest. In two days, we'll head to the border and Frost Province."
No one had any objections.
After leaving the main hall, Chen Mu hadn't walked far before he encountered Meng Danyun, who was waiting for him.
"Chen Shidi, follow me."
Meng Danyun nodded slightly at Chen Mu. "You and the Yulin Army have just arrived, so you should rest for two days. The county government has arranged accommodations for you at the back."
"Thank you, Meng Shijie," Chen Mu replied calmly. Then, he followed Meng Danyun towards the rear of the county government.
Along the way, Chen Mu could vaguely sense the dense and rich blood essence of various officials and defenders from the Seven Mysteries Sect, including some familiar presences like Zhou Hao, a True Transmitter from Great Mystery Peak.
Zhou Hao was no longer just a True Transmitter; he had entered the Six Viscera Realm and become a Defender of Great Mystery Peak, further advancing his strength. Even at the initial stage, he was no less formidable than Chu Jingsu.
However, despite this, Zhou Hao's status was still considered ordinary among the Defenders, and he was not a 'Main Peak Defender'. He still needed to further hone his skills in the Six Viscera Realm or comprehend a domain to rise in rank.
Just as Chen Mu and Meng Danyun were passing by, Zhou Hao, sitting in meditation on a platform in his courtyard, suddenly opened his eyes and glanced in their direction through the courtyard wall.
Chen Mu did not conceal his presence, so Zhou Hao could sense him as well.
"Chen Mu..." Zhou Hao murmured softly.
Ever since he joined the Seven Mysteries Sect and entered the inner sect, he had been known as the top young talent in Jade Province. However, he struggled to make progress in the Earthly Firmament Intention and suffered a defeat at the hands of Zuo Qianqiu. After enduring numerous trials, he finally cultivated the Earthly Firmament Intention, but during the battle at Cloud Rainbow Peak, everyone else paled in comparison to Chen Mu.
Zhou Hao held no jealousy towards Chen Mu, his junior in the sect. Instead, he used Chen Mu's existence to motivate himself. After all, having a goal provided the drive to move forward. Before his defeat by Zuo Qianqiu, he had experienced a period of laziness in his cultivation, but he never slackened again after that.
However, when Chen Mu was targeted by the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion, Zhou Hao fell into a long silence upon hearing the news.
He understood the principle that outstanding talents often faced greater challenges. If not for Chen Mu, the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion might have targeted him instead. In a way, Chen Mu had unknowingly shielded him from calamity.
"If I can break through the Gate Threshold, I will definitely slay a Grandmaster from the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion in the future!" Zhou Hao vowed to himself.
Although Chen Mu had killed a Defender from the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion, in Zhou Hao's eyes, the price paid by the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion was not enough for their despicable actions. If he could cultivate to the Grandmaster realm and break through with the Earthly Firmament Intention, he would be on par with top Grandmasters like Qin Mengjun. At that time, he would help Chen Mu and make the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion pay a heavier price!
Of course, these words were spoken too early. For now, Zhou Hao needed to focus on his cultivation and martial path in Ice Province, striving to climb the Wind and Cloud Rankings and catch up with Chen Mu's progress. Only then would he be in a position to speak of such matters.
...
Meng Danyun led Chen Mu to a small courtyard located at the back of the county government.
Chen Mu glanced at Meng Danyun and carefully sensed her aura, saying, "Meng Shijie, your cultivation has progressed significantly. You're not far from completing the Six Viscera Tempering."
Meng Danyun had entered the Six Viscera Realm much earlier than Chen Mu, and after some time, her aura had become even more robust. At this rate, she would soon approach the level of Zhao Zhenchuan and Chu Jingsu.
Meng Danyun looked at Chen Mu and shook her head. "I'm just following the standard cultivation path. To complete the Six Viscera Tempering, I'll need at least a few more years of hard work. I also have to thank you, Chen Shidi, for your Spirit Armament. With this sword in hand, I've been able to escape several crises in Ice Province."
Chen Mu smiled and said, "It's good to be able to help you, Shijie. In a few years, you'll also be able to try breaking through the Gate Threshold. I wish you success in your cultivation."
For True Transmitters of various sects, entering the Six Viscera Realm was a basic requirement, but breaking through the Gate Threshold was much more difficult. Out of ten True Transmitters, it was unlikely that even one would become a Grandmaster. Although Meng Danyun's comprehension was not particularly high, and she had only cultivated two Intents of Wind and Water, breaking through the Gate Threshold and becoming a Grandmaster would still be easier. Therefore, it was a balanced situation.
By becoming a Grandmaster, one would have the opportunity to cultivate to the level of Fu Jingyuan.
The Path to Grandmastery: Overcoming Obstacles and Unlocking the Martial Dao
Reaching the level of Fu Jingyuan's cultivation opens up future opportunities to challenge the 'Blood Transformation'. Taking that step would lead to a whole new world, reaching the pinnacle of the Martial Dao and becoming one of the top figures of the era.
According, to Chen Mu's knowledge, the Grand Elder of the Seven Mysteries Sect cultivated the 'Thunder and Fire' path.
"Thank you for your kind words, Senior Brother Li."
Meng Danyun glanced at Chen Mu, and a sense of admiration filled her heart. She could sense that Chen Mu showed no signs of despair or discouragement, and his martial resolve remained unshaken even after being affected by demonic energy.
With such a clear mind and unwavering will, even if he had been delayed at the Inner Gate for over a decade, there was still a chance to achieve Grandmastery. Perhaps, in twenty years, a Heaven and Earth Grandmaster would emerge!
From the very beginning, her junior brother had been no ordinary person.
"Senior Brother, please rest well."
Meng Danyun exchanged a few more words with Chen Mu before leaving his courtyard.
As Chen Mu watched Meng Danyun's departing figure, he thought of Chu Jingsi, Zhao Zhenchuan, and others of their generation, as well as the Seven Mysteries Sect's defenders. "It's hard to predict who will be the first to achieve Grandmastery."
Returning to his room, he summoned the system panel.
[Martial Dao: Heaven-Earth Concept (Second Step)]
[Experience: 328 points]
[Available Simulations: 1]
...
[Six Viscera Realm (92%)]
[Experience: 0 points]
A flawless version of the Six Viscera Scripture!
After a month and a half with the Jade Army, studying the three-talents formation and drawing on his accumulated experience, Chen Mu's concept had accumulated enough for another simulation. However, he hadn't had the time to use it.
As for the refinement of the Six Viscera, after reaching 90%, normal cultivation methods became ineffective. Chen Mu was well aware that even consuming multiple portions of heavenly spirit artifacts would be futile without the system's aid. By using the system panel, he consumed a nourishing spirit artifact and managed a small advancement.
At this stage of Six Viscera refinement, like the Five Viscera stage, further progress was impossible through conventional methods. Only by acquiring extremely rare and precious heavenly spirit artifacts could one squeeze out a tiny bit more progress.
However.
Chen Mu faced no bottlenecks in his Six Viscera cultivation, and he still had one unused nourishing spirit artifact.
Sitting in his bedroom, Chen Mu wasted no time in consuming the simulation. He performed another simulation of the Heaven-Earth Concept, his sixth simulation at the second step! His understanding and mastery of the concept deepened further, bringing him closer to the second step's limit.
Next, he used the nourishing spirit artifact for the Six Viscera refinement, consuming the last one in his possession. This artifact was of good quality, and his Six Viscera refinement progressed a little more, reaching 94%!
"It's almost there."
Chen Mu took a deep breath as he observed the system panel and sensed the changes in his body.
Understanding the Heaven-Earth Domain was a qualitative leap!
Breaking through the Inner Gate and cultivating the Grandmaster Martial Body was another qualitative leap!
In the past, his cultivation of the concept had always been a step ahead. However, after fully grasping the Heaven-Earth Concept, his physical cultivation began to surpass his conceptual understanding. After all, various types of organ-refining spirit artifacts, including nourishing spirit artifacts, were readily available to a top-ranked Gale Wind expert like him. With these resources, his cultivation efficiency was maximized.
Just as there were no bottlenecks in the Jade Bone Realm when entering the Five Viscera Realm.
If he could refine his Five Viscera and Six Viscera to their limits and combine them with his already refined Martial Dao Will, even if his progress in the Heaven-Earth Concept was slightly slower, it wouldn't hinder his path to Grandmastery.
He was very close to Grandmastery. Even now, he could attempt to break through the Inner Gate.
With his Six Viscera refinement at 94%, the thickness of his Primordial Essence True Force within his body was beyond ordinary comprehension. He could clearly sense the mysterious barrier within his body's highest orifice.
Chen Mu even felt an urge to try breaking through that barrier, but he suppressed this impulse. Even if he succeeded in breaking through, doing so before reaching the limit of the Six Viscera Realm would result in an imperfect foundation. This would hinder his future cultivation in the Marrow Washing Realm.
"With my current level of cultivation, even if I reach the limit of the Five Viscera Realm and have an unprecedented level of Six Viscera refinement, breaking through the barrier and directly becoming a Grandmaster wouldn't guarantee a flawless foundation..."
"No, that's not my true will. It's the Mystic Gate's obstacle."
Chen Mu took a deep breath, calming his mind.
No wonder breaking through the Inner Gate was so challenging.
Just thinking about breaking through the Inner Gate naturally gave rise to the desire to transcend the physical body. It was as if breaking through would lead to immortality and ultimate freedom.
However, Chen Mu knew that this was an illusion. If he truly broke through and his divine soul and intent left his body, he would never return.
The Inner Gate wasn't a gateway to freedom from the physical body. There were no immortals or buddhas in this world.
Stepping through this gate wasn't about escaping the physical body but about breaking down the barriers between the body and the spirit. It was about achieving unity between spirit and matter, washing away impurities, and cultivating a true martial body.
Without a sufficiently strong Martial Dao Will, one would naturally be tempted by various illusions at the Inner Gate. Giving in to these temptations would make breaking through impossible.
It was like a child who had grown up at home finally stepping out into the vast world outside. They needed the courage to face the unknown while remaining steadfast and unmoved by external temptations.
However.
Chen Mu's Martial Dao Will was unwavering, and he had already surpassed the level of a Grandmaster. He quickly calmed his mind.
"Becoming a Grandmaster is indeed a challenging path in the Martial Dao."
He sighed inwardly.
It was no wonder that with his extraordinary talent, he had attracted the attention of the entire Cold Northern Path's eleven states, yet no Grandmaster had challenged him. Even the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion's attempt to harm him was orchestrated by those at the Six Viscera Realm.
(End of Chapter)
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