Chapter 441: Marrow Refinement Perfection, Planning for the Divine Human Master

Chapter 441: Marrow Refinement Perfection, Planning for the Divine Human Master

The End of Snake Hour approached, and the beginning of Horse Hour was imminent.

Two white and fiery steeds, their intelligence and understanding of human nature awakened, pulled the carriage swiftly along the smooth road.

Jiang Ning sat cross-legged atop the carriage, the scorching sun hanging high above him.

Cultivation Level: Fourth Grade Marrow Refinement (1999/1999)



Technique: Nourishing Life with Inner Dan (Great Accomplishment 5467/10000)



In the past half a month, the most significant progress had been in his Marrow Refinement progress.

Yesterday, he had worked tirelessly, reaching the perfection of Marrow Refinement, achieving the level where his marrow was like frost and his blood like mercury.

Now, when his blood dripped, it no longer flowed like ordinary people's blood but remained condensed like liquid mercury.

This phenomenon indicated that his Marrow Refinement had reached perfection.

The phenomenon of blood dripping like mercury was a sign of complete Marrow Refinement.

For blood originates from the marrow.

The next step was to enter the Third Grade and achieve the rank of Master.

As for how to become a Master, he had already learned of it.

The simplest and most common way to become a Master was to use Hundred Spirits Blood for blood renewal and enter the ranks of Masters.

This was also the weakest type of Master, known as the Human Path Master.

It was called the Human Path Master because humans were the leader of all spirits.

And it was the weakest Master because the Hundred Spirits Blood came from ordinary spirits.

Ordinary spirits had inherently weak spiritual essence, making it difficult to establish a solid foundation.

The second method was much more challenging.

It required ancient secret realms or small worlds left over from the ancient era.

The reason for this was the significant changes in the environment since the ancient era.

Spiritual plants that were once divine herbs in the ancient era had lost their spiritual essence due to environmental changes, and their effects were no longer the same.

However, these environmental changes did not affect the secret realms known as small worlds.

The environments within these secret realms still supported the growth of divine herbs.

Therefore, these divine herbs contained extremely potent spiritual essence.

Masters who achieved this level were known as Earthborne Masters, as they relied on the spiritual essence of divine herbs as their foundation to become Third Grade Masters.

Their foundations were more robust, and their strength was more formidable.

But the most challenging part of this path was obtaining divine herbs from secret realms and small worlds.

Especially in the current era, as time passed, unknown secret realms and small worlds became extremely rare.

So, this path was becoming increasingly difficult.

Without finding ancient secret realms and small worlds, one couldn't obtain divine herbs.

And without divine herbs, one couldn't refine them to extract their spiritual essence.

As for the third method, it was also the most challenging.

It required understanding the state of Union with Heaven, triggering the resonance between heaven and humanity, and then absorbing the spiritual essence of heaven and earth to complete the blood renewal, thus becoming a Divine Human Master.

To reach this stage, one needed an extremely high level of comprehension.

Apart from understanding the Union with Heaven, there were other ways to trigger the resonance between heaven and humanity.

One such method was through a special cultivation technique.

Currently, Jiang Ning only knew of one such technique, which he had already mastered—Nourishing Life with Inner Dan.

Upon perfecting this technique, a golden pill would form within his body, allowing him to control his destiny. This would trigger the resonance between heaven and humanity, drawing in the spiritual essence of heaven and earth and enabling him to enter the ranks of the Divine Human Master.

This information was about becoming a Master.

The blood renewal process for Masters was not a simple, traditional blood renewal.

Instead, it used the perfected marrow and the newly formed marrow blood as a catalyst.

By introducing spiritual essence or the spiritual essence of heaven and earth into a special environment, one could become a Master.

The initial intention varied, and so did the number of blood renewals required.

For example, the Water-Fire Mysterious Transformation required two blood renewals.

The first renewal took place in a water-rich environment when the newly formed marrow blood was abundant.

The second renewal occurred in a special environment, such as a volcanic crater or a place with abundant fire energy.

Another example was the Four Seasons Blood Renewal and the Four Symbols Return to Origin.

The first renewal happened in spring, during the growth of plants, using a rare treasure containing the essence of Yin Wood as a catalyst.

The second renewal took place during the summer solstice, using objects containing fire essence as a catalyst, in a high-temperature environment.

The third renewal occurred in autumn, using objects related to Geng Metal as a catalyst, in a solemn place like an ancient battlefield.

The fourth renewal needed to be done in the depths of winter, in an extremely cold environment.

Only then could one truly complete the blood renewal and reach the peak of Mastership.

Additionally, he learned about the Yin-Yang Mysterious Transformation, which required blood renewal in extremely Yin and Yang environments.

There was also the Five Elements Mysterious Transformation, Star Circulation, Life and Death, Heavenly Phenomena, and Nirvana Nine Transformations, which followed similar principles.

Each step was a path that only a Divine Human Master could take.

By resonating with heaven and humanity and absorbing the spiritual essence of heaven and earth, one could achieve various profound transformations.

As for the Human Path Master, if they didn't pursue higher realms, they had only three transformations: Hundred Spirits Blood, Thousand Spirits Blood, and Ten Thousand Spirits Blood.

The Earthborne Masters, on the other hand, had transformations based on years: ten years, a hundred years, a thousand years, or even ten thousand years.

Most Masters could only complete three blood renewals at most.

The number of blood exchanges directly correlates to the depth of the physical foundation required.

The blood exchange process involves gradually depleting the blood, followed by a revival from a state of dormancy and exhaustion.

During the revival process, the body frantically absorbs the energy contained within.

If the foundation and depth of the physical body are insufficient, it won't withstand this stage.

Milder consequences result in imperfect blood exchanges and foundation damage.

More severe cases lead to immediate death, rendering past efforts futile.

Each blood exchange consumes more energy than the previous one.

After three blood exchanges, the foundation of most masters in the world cannot withstand such consumption.

This crucial choice significantly impacts their future achievements.

Setting a low goal, completing three blood exchanges, might seem ordinary among masters.

The upper limit for ordinary masters is often below three blood exchanges.

Even a typical Human Path Master achieves perfection with three blood exchanges.

The same is true for Earthborne Masters.

However, there are variations within this process.

A Human Path Master, after a single blood exchange, can still aspire to become a Divine Human Master by comprehending the Union with Heaven. Subsequently, they can also achieve perfection with three blood exchanges through the Water-Fire Mysterious Transformation.

For any master, reaching this stage and completing three blood exchanges is not a challenging task.

Exceptional masters can even withstand four blood exchanges.

However, setting an overly ambitious goal and failing to achieve it throughout one's life will result in stagnation at the Third Grade, never reaching the Second Grade as a Great Master.

In fact, such martial artists are not uncommon.

Most of them are not mediocre masters but young geniuses with exceptional talent, aiming for the First Grade.

Precisely because of their extraordinary talent and high aspirations, the difficulty of choosing a path becomes a significant obstacle, causing them to remain at the Third Grade for their entire lives.

Jiang Ning is about to face this crucial decision, having struggled with it for a long time.

It will determine his future potential.

Undoubtedly, the more blood exchanges one undergoes, the stronger their foundation becomes, leading to greater progress and longevity in martial arts.

This stage is also crucial for advancing to the Second Grade.

The Third Grade involves blood exchanges, while the Second Grade focuses on divine intent and martial arts true intent.

These thoughts flashed through Jiang Ning's mind, and he silently shook his head.

The Second Grade seemed too distant for him at the moment; his primary concern was the Third Grade.

For the Third Grade blood exchange, he needed to decide on the approach he would take.

He had no doubts about his decision.

The Four Seasons—spring, summer, autumn, and winter—represented four blood exchanges, and completing all four would lead to perfection.

The Five Elements—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—meant five blood exchanges, and achieving all five would result in perfection.

He had long ago comprehended the secrets within these concepts.

But his ambition went far beyond that.

Four or five blood exchanges were still too few in his eyes.

His physical foundation and depth had surpassed ordinary understanding.

Especially after breaking through the limits of the Goldenvolution Invincible, his body underwent significant changes.

Even though he was currently at the Third Grade, he could easily defeat an average master with his bare fists.

And this was not even his limit.

As he continued to break through the limits of the Goldenvolution Invincible, his physical body would only become stronger.

So, he set his goals exceptionally high.

According to his knowledge, there was the Eight Trigrams Omnipresent Transformation.

This transformation was divided into Heaven, Earth, Wind, Thunder, Water, Fire, and Mountains, for a total of eight blood exchanges.

Completing all eight blood exchanges would lead to perfection in the Third Grade.

This required an incredibly powerful physical body to support such an exchange.

In his opinion, this was entirely feasible.

Eight blood exchanges, though rare, had occurred multiple times throughout the eight hundred years of the Great Xia Dynasty's history.

After all, the Eight Trigrams Omnipresent Transformation was recorded in the history books, indicating that others had achieved it before.

If they could do it, he believed he could too.

Compared to the Eight Trigrams Omnipresent Transformation with eight blood exchanges, he was more inclined to attempt nine blood exchanges.

The Nirvana Nine Transformations, the Nine Stellar Forging, the Nine Blood Renovations, and the Nine Lightning Ordeals were all methods to achieve nine blood exchanges.

Throughout history, there had been individuals who accomplished this feat.

According to his recent investigations, the Martial Saint had also completed nine blood exchanges.

The number nine represented the ultimate limit in blood exchanges, as recorded in ancient texts.

Undoubtedly, to reach the realm of the Martial Saint, one must complete nine blood exchanges to qualify for such a pursuit.

This was the goal he truly aspired to attain.

However, even with his position as the Patrol Commissioner of Dongling County, he had not obtained any of these nine-blood-exchange methods.

He had only heard mentions and introductions of them.

After deep contemplation, he shook his head.

"Forget it!"

"I won't think about this for now!"

"Only by perfecting the Nourishing Life with Inner Dan can I qualify for the Third Grade."

"If I aim to become a Third Grade Master, I will strive to be the strongest!"

Jiang Ning clenched his fist, firming his resolve.

He exhaled, assuming the Five Hearts Pointing to the Sky posture.

At that moment, noon arrived.

The next instant, he inhaled the essence of the sun above.

A strand of fiery red light descended from the sky, entering his body.

[Nourishing Life with Inner Dan Experience Points +1]



[Nourishing Life with Inner Dan Experience Points +1]



[Nourishing Life with Inner Dan Experience Points +1]



[.]



As he breathed in the essence of the sun, his experience points in Nourishing Life with Inner Dan steadily increased.

At the end of the noon hour, a deep breath was exhaled.

The air before him instantly distorted, and the vegetation turned a scorched yellow.

[This time, absorbing the essence of the sun, Nourishing Life with Inner Dan experience +108]



[Skill]: Nourishing Life with Inner Dan (Great Accomplishment 5575/10000)



Glancing at the panel, he promptly closed it.

Then, he leaped down from the top of the carriage into the cabin.

"Have you achieved Great Accomplishment in Nourishing Life with Inner Dan?" Wang Jin asked.

"Yes!" Jiang Ning nodded.

"Whoa!" Wang Jin sucked in a breath of cold air.

Jiang Ning's growth was something he had witnessed step by step.

When he first joined the martial arts hall, he was just an ordinary disciple with a slightly better memory.

He didn't think much of it at the time.

Later, he discovered that Jiang Ning's progress was astonishing, so his interest grew, and he began to cultivate him with care.

After finding that Jiang Ning was a decent person, he even considered making Jiang Ning his closed-door disciple, inheriting his legacy, and taking care of him in his old age.

Soon after, he realized that a true dragon had emerged.

The small martial arts hall couldn't contain this true dragon, nor could the humble Luo Water County.

So, he abandoned his original idea.

But he never imagined that in such a short time, Jiang Ning would progress so far.

The carriage fell silent.

After a moment, Jiang Ning, having explained the situation to Wang Jin, jumped out of the carriage.

Riding the carriage back to Luo Water County, the journey from Herb King Valley to Luo Water County would take at least five days.

Although he could use this time to read and gain experience in literacy, it was still a waste of time for him.

Now, he had reached the pinnacle of the Fourth Grade.

His primary goal was to plan his ascent to the Third Grade, the Divine Human Master.

To go far in this step, he needed a robust physical foundation.

He didn't know how strong a foundation he needed to support him through the nine blood renovations he envisioned.

But strengthening his foundation was always a good idea.

Outside the carriage, Wang Jin watched the direction where Jiang Ning had disappeared, shaking his head.

"Coming and going in a hurry!"

"His life is a bit too dull!"

"At such a young age, he doesn't know how to enjoy life!"

As his words fell, Wang Jin lay down at the front of the carriage, feeling the afternoon breeze on his face.

"Slow down, horse. I'm not in a rush!" Wang Jin said casually.

The next moment, he stood up, looking at the two White Snow and Red Flame horses pulling the carriage in amazement.

As soon as he spoke, the two horses noticeably slowed their pace.

"Truly fine horses! They understand human nature so well!" Wang Jin exclaimed in surprise.

But what he didn't know was that these two horses, through Jiang Ning's enhancement, were, strictly speaking, no longer ordinary beasts after their enlightenment. They could be considered as yao.

Their wisdom was so high that they could read maps, and their strength was comparable to that of Eighth Grade martial artists.

Before Jiang Ning came to Herb King Valley, it was these two horses that pulled the carriage and stopped several li away, waiting for his arrival.

Now, with Jiang Ning's instructions, they could carry Wang Jin all the way to Luo Water County.

Meanwhile, in just half a shichen, Jiang Ning had returned from Herb King Valley to Dongling City.

When he arrived at his residence, he saw Zhou Xing had been waiting for him for a long time.

"Sir!"

Upon seeing Jiang Ning, Zhou Xing bowed respectfully.

"What's the matter?" Jiang Ning asked.

"Mr. Bai said he wanted me to inform you that he is leading a team to Bai Sha County!"

Bai Sha County?

Hearing these three words, Jiang Ning was slightly startled.

He immediately recalled the task Ye Zhengqi had given him and Xie Xiaojiu before leaving.

The Worship God Sect in Bai Sha County had become too powerful, and it seemed that the Patrol Office in Bai Sha County was struggling to deal with the sect.

So, they were tasked with investigating and handling the Worship God Sect in Bai Sha County.

Bai Luoyu had taken charge of this matter, and he hadn't paid much attention to it.

After all, he had witnessed the strength of the Worship God Sect before.

The four deity messengers of Wind, Fire, Mountain, and Wood were only of the Fifth Grade.

Bai Luoyu could easily handle them, especially since he had already killed the Wind Deity Messenger.

Now, the Worship God Sect only had the remaining three deity messengers.

However, when he thought of the deity worshipped by the Worship God Sect, he realized something.

If that deity exerted its power, Bai Luoyu might not be able to handle it.

With this thought, he immediately took out Heaven's Seal to check.

After finding no news about Bai Luoyu, he put his mind at ease.

As a friend he respected and who had helped him a lot, he didn't want anything to happen to Bai Luoyu.

With this in mind, he sent a message to Bai Luoyu.

"Brother Bai, the Worship God Sect involves a malevolent deity. Please be cautious! If you need my help, just ask!"

"I will come to your aid immediately!"

After leaving a message for Bai Luoyu, Jiang Ning no longer worried about this matter.

Bai Luoyu wasn't a fool or a child; he didn't need to worry about everything.

If there was a problem, he believed Bai Luoyu would seek help.

Holding Heaven's Seal, he could not only seek aid from him but also from Zhao Yu Long.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end