Chapter 479: Achieving the Third Rank, Becoming a Heavenly Master!

Chapter 479: Achieving the Third Rank, Becoming a Heavenly Master!

In the courtyard.

Jiang Ning stood up.

"I'll be back!" he said to Lvyi.

In the next moment, his figure vanished from the courtyard, leaving behind only a swirling gust of air.

A short while later.

Jiang Ning appeared in a pristine forest.

This place was already dozens of miles away from Guǎngníng Chéng.

His divine sense spread out, scanning the area for several miles around.

He immediately nodded.

"This is the place!"

In his simple scan, this forest, while not particularly remote, was rarely visited by humans and showed little trace of human activity.

For him, it was just right.

Next, he moved to an open area.

The ground was covered in lush greenery, surrounded by towering trees forming a circle, with no obstruction overhead. The midday sun shone down fiercely.

For him, this place was perfect.

He needed to draw in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and then undergo a blood transformation.

This required a sufficiently open environment.

In the next moment, he sat down cross-legged.

For most people, and even for the vast majority of Grandmasters, the blood transformation process was akin to walking through the gates of hell.

During this process, the body's Life Force would wither, and the body would fall into a state of dormancy, with the flame of life nearly extinguished.

For ordinary people, a 30% loss of blood would cause them to lose consciousness and become disoriented.

A 40% loss of blood would lead to organ failure and irreversible death.

Even for Grandmaster-level martial artists, a complete loss of blood would not be sustainable for long.

Simultaneously, in the state of blood depletion, with the body gradually falling into dormancy and the flame of life nearly extinguished, they had to draw in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and then regenerate the body's blood.

This was a highly challenging process, and the later the blood transformation, the more difficult it became.

It required a strong physical foundation.

However, the transition from death to life, from dormancy to revival, was a process of breaking and rebuilding.

This would be a transformation of life, a form of evolution.

It was a path on par with that of immortals and deities.

It was a confidence that came from deep within.

He knew he was invincible, unmatched by his peers, unmatched in his realm, and would ultimately be invincible.

This was both an instinctive recognition and a reflection of reality.

Not long ago, he had, with his Fourth Rank body, directly beaten to death Xiao Qiushui, who was a Third Rank Heavenly Master.

This fact, right before his eyes, had proven the source of his confidence.

And at this moment, the change in his heart was also a necessary part of the True Spirit Nine Sheddings Heavenly Master techniques.

After a few breaths.

Jiang Ning's eyes shone like stars and the moon, and he looked up at the sky.

The Great Sun hung high, and it was now midday.

The glaring sunlight fell upon him, but it had no effect on him at this moment.

Suddenly, a bright, luminous Internal Alchemy Nourishing Technique emerged from his mouth.

The Internal Alchemy Nourishing Technique slowly rose.

The air around him immediately stirred, and a strong wind arose from the ground.

As the Internal Alchemy Nourishing Technique ascended, it seemed to absorb some substance from the heavens and earth, and the light it emitted became increasingly bright and radiant.

The brighter it became, the more dazzling it was.

When it slowly rose to three feet above his head, the Internal Alchemy Nourishing Technique came to a complete stop, hanging in the air without any further movement.

However, the surrounding light began to flicker.

Even though it was midday, with the Great Sun high in the sky and no obstructions, the light continued to flicker.

It was as if something was devouring the surrounding light.

At the same time, a ripple of excitement stirred in Jiang Ning's otherwise calm heart.

Because at this moment, he suddenly realized that the Internal Alchemy Nourishing Technique was a huge advantage for him.

He could sense that the Internal Alchemy Nourishing Technique rising into the air was merging with the heavens and earth.

It seemed that invisible gates were opening, and with these gates opening, strands of invisible white light, which he could sense but others could not see, were being drawn to and absorbed by his Internal Alchemy Nourishing Technique.

This was the spiritual energy, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth was being absorbed into the Internal Alchemy Nourishing Technique, where it was stored.

Now, the Internal Alchemy Nourishing Technique had become a container, a container for storing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

And this was his advantage.

A significant advantage.

Because this would greatly shorten the process of completing the blood transformation.

In other words, even if his physical foundation was comparable to others, he could complete more blood transformations due to the advantage of the Internal Alchemy Nourishing Technique storing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

Thinking of this, he felt a sense of calm.

He then continued to maintain his current state, waiting for the Internal Alchemy Nourishing Technique floating three feet above his head to continue absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

The surrounding light flickered, and strong gusts of wind continuously arose from the ground.

The beasts in the mountains were continuously moving away from this place.

After a long while.

"Almost there!" Jiang Ning murmured to himself.

At this moment, he could sense that the accumulation in the Internal Alchemy Nourishing Technique had reached its limit. If he continued to absorb, he had a feeling it might explode.

He then controlled the rate of absorption.

Then, he focused his mind inward.

He saw the pulsating blood vessels in his body, like winding dragon veins.

The scorching blood flowed like molten lava.

His heart beat slowly and powerfully.

With each beat, his blood circulated faster throughout his body, supplying his organs and reaching every limb and bone.

In the next moment.

The Life Force within his body surged, and his body instantly transformed into a blazing furnace.

A furnace that burned fiercely.

The flames seemed to rise into the air, and a wave of heat rolled over him.

The grass and trees around him quickly turned yellow, and the moisture inside them was rapidly evaporated by the intense heat.

At this moment.

Jiang Ning's body also gradually became withered.

The full, plump blood vessels gradually shrank, as the blood around him was rapidly evaporated.

In his mind, the knowledge from his previous life resurfaced.

When the human body loses four-tenths of its blood, it is beyond saving, and the organs begin to fail due to the lack of blood supply.

At this moment.

He gradually felt the negative effects of his blood being largely evaporated.

After a short while, half of his blood had been evaporated.

His body became more gaunt, and his muscles started to sag.

The internal organs, such as the five viscera and sixfu, also gradually fell into a state of silence.

A little while later.

His Life Force was almost completely evaporated, leaving only a powder-like residue in his blood vessels.

At this moment.

Jiang Ning's body became withered, his once jade-like skin now dull, and his hair lost all its luster.

In this short moment, he seemed to have transformed into an elderly man on the brink of death, his body showing signs of the five signs of decay.

Even his posture had become slightly hunched.

At this moment.

The organs, such as the five viscera and sixfu, entered a state of complete silence.

In this state, his powerful physical body could maintain itself for a short while, but over time.

Over time, as the flame of life gradually withered.

If he did not stop in time, he would truly walk the path to death.

At this moment.

Jiang Ning allowed his physical body to fall into a state of withering, and the flame of life gradually withered.

According to the records in True Spirit Nine Sheddings,

Only by truly hovering on the brink of death and relying on an immensely powerful will could one feel the origin of life and that thread of true spirit in the midst of darkness.

Time ticked by slowly.

His breath gradually weakened, and the flame of life, which had previously been like a raging bonfire, turned into a burning torch.

He could feel that as the flame of life withered, darkness gradually enveloped him.

After a short while.

The flame of life became even dimmer, like a flickering candle.

The darkness around him grew even thicker.

His body condition worsened, his muscles resembling dry bones, his skin more sallow and wrinkled like that of an octogenarian.

But at this moment, he was not at all anxious; his heart became increasingly bright.

The light of his mind grew ever brighter.

Because the sensation grew clearer as the flame of life withered.

He could feel that the thread of true spirit, representing the origin of life, was only a thin membrane away.

And his own condition was far from reaching its limit.

Suddenly.

"I found it!!"

The thought flashed through Jiang Ning's mind, and the light of his mind grew intensely bright.

The light shone like a full moon rising, and the darkness quickly receded.

Then.

He opened his eyes.

At this moment, although his body was extremely weakened, his eyes contained the brightness of the moon and stars, exceptionally bright.

As he slightly opened his mouth.

The pigeon-egg-sized Inner Core above his head instantly shot into his mouth.

Swoosh—

The sound of it breaking the air.

It disappeared into his mouth instantly.

In an instant.

The Inner Core returned to its place in his dantian.

At this moment.

The bright Inner Core suddenly emitted countless rays of white light, which were the celestial energies that had been absorbed and stored in the Inner Core.

At this moment.

The celestial energies burst forth, continuously flowing into his blood vessels.

His powerful physical body began to work, starting to produce new blood.

Blood was generated from the bone marrow, and thin streams of new blood were born from the bones.

The new blood, infused with celestial energies, contained powerful vitality.

As the flame of life began to grow, the silent body also started to revive.

From silence to new life, his breath gradually strengthened.

Thump—

When the new blood flowed through the blood vessels and reached his heart, the heart made the first beat.

In an instant.

Under the pressure of the heart, the new blood flowed to every part of the body, to the five viscera and sixfu, and to every limb and bone.

Wherever the new blood flowed, the body began to fully revive and renew itself.

As time passed, his hair regained its luster, his muscles gradually filled out, and his wrinkled skin became plump again.

Continuously producing new blood, every cell in his body consumed energy.

This was the foundation of his physical body.

The birth of every drop of new blood required the consumption of a large amount of essence.

It continuously drew essence and energy from his physical body.

Only then could it continuously produce blood.

If the physical body was insufficient, it would be difficult to maintain the blood-producing state, and the new blood in the body would not reach its peak.

If there was a slight deficiency, the body could be restored to its peak with time and powerful medicines.

If there was a significant deficiency, the body's foundation would be damaged, and only top-tier Heavenly Treasures could repair the damaged foundation.

At this moment, his body continuously produced blood, and that slight consumption was not a big problem for him.

His foundation had long surpassed that of ordinary Grandmasters.

If not for this, he would not have been able to kill Xiao Qiushui with his physical body alone.

A moment later.

The rate of new blood production began to slow down.

It was not because his body could not withstand this level of consumption, but because the heavenly essence stored in his Inner Core had been completely depleted.

The heavenly essence was now insufficient.

Jiang Ning immediately opened his eyes and looked up at the sky.

Under the influence of the connection between heaven and man.

He could sense a portal opening in the void.

From that portal, a continuous stream of heavenly essence was pouring out, supplying him with the energy needed to break through to the Third Rank.

Jiang Ning realized this.

It was because he had just expelled his Inner Core, and the connection between heaven and man had caused the portal that locked the heavenly essence to open.

The words of Ye Zhengqi flashed through his mind.

After the great upheaval of the previous era, the Heavenly Dao had developed its own consciousness, fundamentally altering the environment of the world.

The heavenly essence no longer existed.

Thus, the current environment came to be.

With these thoughts, he began to draw the heavenly essence from the surroundings into his body.

The heavenly essence slowly flowed into his bone marrow.

The bone marrow began to produce blood at a much slower rate compared to the initial burst, which was more than ten times slower.

The advantage of the Inner Core was indeed significant!

Jiang Ning thought to himself.

At this stage of initial blood production, the speed at which new blood is produced is crucial.

Because the body lacks sufficient blood, every moment can have a significant impact on the organs.

The slower the initial stage of new blood production, the longer it takes, and the more difficult it is to pass through this phase.

The Inner Core, however, can consume a large amount of heavenly essence and store it, allowing him to quickly complete the most challenging initial phase.

Once he had overcome the most challenging initial phase, the subsequent process would be like water flowing naturally.

Time passed, moment by moment.

The heavenly essence slowly integrated into his body, merging with his bone marrow to produce new blood, and his body's recovery accelerated.

With the supply of fresh blood, a large amount of energy was provided.

His muscles became full, his appearance gradually returned to its original state, and the wrinkles disappeared.

The dull and lifeless strands of hair regained their luster, becoming glossy and shiny.

His aura grew stronger.

The flame of life burned brightly, changing from a torch-like flame to a roaring campfire.

The fire blazed, and his aura became powerful.

Throughout this process, a large part of his mind remained firmly focused on the thread of true spirit he had perceived.

This true spirit represented the essence of life, the most primal true spirit.

True Spirit Nine Sheddings.

The core secret lies in finding the true spirit that represents the essence of life and firmly holding onto it.

With each blood transformation, the life transformation would cleanse the obscured true spirit.

Ultimately, this would lead to a complete mastery of one's true self.

At the time, the words left by Xiao Wuque on the white paper made sense to him now.

See the heavens, see the multitude, see yourself.

By "see yourself", he now understood much more.

The self is the true self.

This is the true meaning of True Spirit Nine Sheddings, thoroughly mastering oneself, understanding oneself, and comprehending oneself.

After a long while.

Jiang Ning slowly opened his eyes.

His long hair was disheveled, fluttering gently behind him.

The air currents swirling around him lifted the withered and broken grass on the ground.

The moment he opened his eyes.

The invisible portal in the void suddenly closed.

The heavenly essence was no longer present.

"Indeed! The Internal Alchemy Nourishing Technique is complete, and the key to opening the portal of heavenly essence is a one-time use!"

Sensing the change in the void, Jiang Ning understood.

Then, his expression changed slightly.

The precise judgment of the portal locking the heavenly essence further confirmed Ye Zhengqi's words.

The Heavenly Dao has consciousness, has a spirit, and has autonomous awareness.

After a moment of contemplation, he slowly shook his head.

Worrying about this matter was meaningless for him at the moment.

Then.

He clenched his fist, immediately feeling a faint sense of weakness in his body, mixed with a destructive force.

The source of the weakness was due to his blood being dried up and then replaced with new blood.

The new blood, infused with heavenly essence, drew energy from the trillions of cells in his body.

The significant depletion of his physical body made him feel a faint emptiness.

He also understood why Xiao Qiushui had held the Master Feast so long after achieving the rank of Grandmaster.

After advancing to the Third Rank and completing the blood transformation.

It was necessary to consolidate his current realm.

The depletion of his body required the use of Heavenly Treasures and precious medicines to replenish.

Moreover, he could feel that the new blood was now nourishing and rejuvenating his physical body.

This process was one of continuous transformation and elevation of life.

Until one day, when his physical body reached a new level, and the two would balance, this transformation would end.

But there was no doubt.

He had now stepped into the Third Rank, achieving the rank of Heavenly Master.

Although it was an initial integration, the absorption of heavenly essence had made him completely different.

In his understanding, because he had fused with the heavenly essence, he had gained partial control over the powers of heaven.

With this control over the powers of heaven, a Heavenly Master could harness the power of heaven to walk on air and break through the void.

Chapter end