Grinding Cultivation Toward Martial Saint

The man was entirely shrouded in a layer of hazy chaotic aura, with black and white energies spiraling around like swimming dragons. The nine-layered Yin-Yang mysterious light spread out in layers, accompanied by a noble purple aura.

His left eye was bright as the sun, his right eye as dark as the moon, calmly gazing down at the valley below. Wherever his gaze landed, the flow of spiritual energy in the valley, the patterns of the earth veins, and even every thread of Qi-blood and mana circulating within him seemed to be thoroughly perceived, leaving nothing hidden.

"An Immortal Primordial Spirit?!!"

Yellow Heaven Taoist felt his heart fiercely shaken, his pupils suddenly constricting.

He had practiced for hundreds of years, mastering both martial and daoist paths. He had witnessed the elegance of Immortal Primordial Spirits described in ancient scrolls and sensed the obscure aura of slumbering immortals in some hidden grotto heavens.

But never had anyone given him such a feeling as he now experienced, such an unexplainable oppression and sense of mystery.

The primordial spirit body intertwined with Yin-Yang, the foundation illuminated by nine-layered profound light, instantly reminded him of a possibility.

High-level Immortal Foundation!

His heart was deeply shaken, filled with doubt and uncertainty.

Where did this person come from?

In the entire world, Immortal Primordial Spirits, viewed across all immortal cave heavens, were not few in number but were not commonly seen either.

And most were concealed within cave heavens and blessed lands.

Now that the Martial Saint intimidated the world, overseeing it, who would dare to easily leave the shelter of cave heavens and blessed lands?

Moreover, the mysterious sense presented by this Immortal Primordial Spirit’s descent assured him that this was the mystery characteristic only of a high-level Immortal Dao Foundation.

Enveloped in a chaotic aura, with Yin-Yang mysterious light blooming and accompanied by purple aura.

Is this person a friend or foe? What is their intent?

Numerous thoughts flashed through Yellow Heaven Taoist’s mind, apprehension and seriousness surging like a tide.

He slowly gathered his spell, and the pillars of light from the earth veins around him gradually dimmed, but the boundless Qi-blood and mana within him quietly rose to the peak, ready to be unleashed.

The air in the valley seemed to solidify, with only the gaze from high above, cold as ice and piercing as electricity, penetrating all illusions.

At the same time, the Primordial Spirit of Jiang Ning in the sky above captured Yellow Heaven Taoist’s state.

In his vision, Yellow Heaven Taoist was no longer a vague concept of a powerful being but a clearly defined, structured energy conglomeration.

His physical body’s Qi-blood was vigorous as a furnace burning, fierce and pure, without any signs of hidden injuries.

Within the Dantian, Martial Arts True Essence and Immortal Spiritual Power intertwined, creating a unique balance, complementing rather than repelling each other.

Deep within the Spirit Platform, a pinpoint of primordial spirit light also manifested independently, solid and resilient, illustrious even when not expressed outwardly.

Golden divine power pervaded every inch of his flesh, every cell, appearing at the micro level as a sun at its peak.

The presence of Yellow Heaven Taoist unconsciously emitted a field, distorting nearby energy particles and even bending the surrounding light, akin to a celestial body.

"Teeming with vitality, Qi Blood Perfection, with no signs of injury. It seems the Martial Saint was not exaggerating; this person’s strength indeed reaches an unimaginable realm. Ji Xuan likely suffered under his hand, his strength inferior to his!" Jiang Ning mused to himself.

His mind recalled the commotion he had just witnessed.

Drawing the energy of eight earth veins into the body—this is cultivation.

"Second under heaven!"

"Perhaps this Yellow Heaven Taoist is indeed the rightful second under heaven!!"

They locked eyes, one high above, one below, their gazes intersecting in the void.

The valley remained silent.

However, the stare lasted only a moment.

The Primordial Spirit of Jiang Ning in the sky did not speak nor display any hostility.

After a brief glance, he turned his figure, and the Yin Yang mysterious light around him rapidly flowed into a dazzling black and white intertwining tunneling light, like a meteor cutting through the sky, disappearing instantly at the eastern horizon’s edge.

Fast!

Extremely fast!

The speed of that tunneling light exceeded Yellow Heaven Taoist’s comprehension of speed, seemingly ignoring spatial distances, still before him one moment, gone a thousand miles away the next, leaving not even a shadow behind, only a straight, faint trail of black and white profound light in the sky.

Yellow Heaven Taoist maintained his gaze upward, a hint of solemnity and doubt flitting across the depths of his pupils.

"Who... is this person?" he questioned inwardly once again.

In the context of Martial Saint’s surveillance of the world, any such figure emerging from Immortal Cave Heavens would certainly face the Martial Saint’s thunderous response.

He believed this firmly.

The more one interacted with the Martial Saint, the more one could sense his unbelievable power.

And his contact with the Martial Saint was far deeper than those of other strong practitioners, with much greater understanding.

He had no doubt about the Martial Saint’s power.

"If it’s not one of the ancient monsters from the Immortal Cave Heavens, then looking at the entire world, only a few could reach this point; even in Qingxu Temple, there are only two or three individuals." He mused silently, then shook his head, "No match! The world doesn’t have such a presence. Such grandeur is likely from achieving the legendary high-level Immortal Foundation."

Reflecting repeatedly, he slowly withdrew his gaze, returning to a meditative posture, but his heart could no longer fully immerse into cultivation.

He looked toward the distance, in the direction Jiang Ning had just departed, an imperceptible look of concern emerging between his brows.

With someone so unfathomable stepping into the world, he knew it would inevitably bring new variables.

And the greater the variables, the less control he had over the future.

...

Meanwhile.

The Primordial Spirit of Jiang Ning had already traversed a thousand mountains and rivers, returning to the cavern deep in the barren mountains.

His primordial spirit body transformed into a stream of light, merging into the brow of his physical form.

Sitting cross-legged on the giant stone, Jiang Ning’s true body slowly opened his eyes.

The black and white hues in his eyes briefly flashed and then returned to a profound depth.

He gently moved his fingers, feeling the sense of perfection and unity from the return of his primordial spirit to his body, a slight smile appearing at the corner of his lips.

"With the initial formation of my primordial spirit, I can traverse thousands of miles in a single thought; the world now is vast as a hollow to me, and I can perceive the essence of all things at a glance. The wonders of the Immortal Dao indeed surpass those of the Martial Arts." He marveled inwardly, "Just now, that Yellow Heaven Taoist, with Qi Blood Perfection and flourishing vitality, was indeed formidable. If engaging in martial combat, even deploying all my trump cards, the outcome would be fifty-fifty. But adding the maneuvers of the primordial spirit... still uncertain!"

He shook his head quietly, refraining from further thought.

He did not have a clear assessment of his current strength.

Nor did he have a clear concept of the power level of Yellow Heaven Taoist at this tier.

While confident, he had no basis for judgment.

"All can only be known through a battle!" He murmured to himself.

Then, he slowly rose from the giant stone, turning his thoughts.

"However, this journey confirmed two things."

His form flickered, vanishing from the cave, appearing atop the cliff.

He gazed at the gradually brightening sky outside, "First, Yellow Heaven Taoist was unharmed, and Ji Xuan likely suffered at his hand. Second... this world is indeed livelier than I imagined."

He recalled the moments during his primordial spirit expedition when in a blink of an eye, he spanned countless mountains and rivers.

The immense strength of the primordial spirit allowed him to easily perceive everything along the way.

He sensed that beyond the wilderness, within the mountains and forests, there were also some unique and powerful presences.

"In ancient times, immortals, demons, and gods coexisted."

"Now, as the Ten Domains converge, the world is gradually reviving, and gods have long existed."

"Mountains have river gods, and the gathering of spirituality might awaken these immortal gods!"

Thoughts flickered in his mind, understanding emerging.

Long before now, he had come across the existence of gods multiple times.

Like the Blood and Flesh God of the God Worship Sect, the Black Lotus Saint Mother of the Black Lotus Sect, the tumultuous Fu Yuan Saint at the Royal Capital, and the divinity-bearing Wang Qintan and Su Qingying.

"With my current ability, finding that Blood and Flesh God is no longer a difficult task!"

"I’ll take some time to thoroughly resolve this matter!"

"And also the Black Lotus Saint Mother!"

One by one, thoughts rose in his mind.

Then he calmed his heart.

With a flip of his palm, the thirty-seven fragments of Taiyin Stones he just brought hovered above his palm, swirling with black light and exuding waves of cold lunar sheen.

"Once hard to find even one piece, now in just a moment, I’ve collected all the Taiyin Stone fragments scattered in the Luoshui River!"

He grasped his palm slightly, exerting minor force, and the thirty-seven fragments of Taiyin Stones began to merge.

In just a moment, they formed a whole.

"It still has a broken feeling!" He shook his head, summoned the previous wine jar, and tossed the merged Taiyin Stone into it.