There are two primary tasks for martial artists at level 12.
The first is to comprehend the Rules, and then find traces of Laws within the power of those Rules. Lu Sheng already possesses no fewer than ten different types of Law Powers. This task is entirely dispensable for him.
The second is to utilize the power of the Rules to temper their bodies, to prepare them for level 13, prepare them for bearing the power of the Laws. In some ways, the second task is even more important than the first. This is because the power of the Laws is far more overwhelming than the power of the Rules. It contains the ultimate principles governing the operation of all things in the universe; in legends, only gods are qualified to learn and wield it.
With a mortal body, how could one easily wield divine power? Without a physique comparable to that of a deity, merely touching the blade of divine power will only wound oneself. This is why martial artists strive so desperately to comprehend more Rule Powers at level 12.
On one hand, the more Rules collide with one another, the more powerful the traces of Laws they can capture. On the other hand, only with the support of more Rule Powers can one avoid being devoured by a tyrannical new Law Power when comprehending it.
Take, for example, Anon and Zoe, who possessed naturally Immortal-level Extraordinary Physiques. They could harness the power of the Laws as early as Level 12, but what truly prevented them from immediately breaking through to Level 13 was still a matter of body constitution. Without sufficient preparation, without their martial bodies being honed to the necessary strength, advancing rashly would only lead to collapse and annihilation, due to the inability to withstand the gift of such innate talent.
For Lu Sheng, however, this was not an issue. Even when he first ascended to Level 12, the power of the Laws he had mastered already far surpassed the accumulated strength of a top-tier martial genius like Anon. The might of his martial body was virtually unmatched among Level 12 practitioners. Now, under the influence of his comprehension of the Extreme Yang Law and the constant refinement with vast amounts of Star Core energy, his body has begun to transform into a level 14 Law Body.
The barrier between Level 12 and Level 13—which many others view as an insurmountable chasm—is for Sheng a path that has long been thoroughly cleared, completely unobstructed.
He absorbed Third-tier Star Cores one after another. Their vast energy catalyzed the generation of countless Extreme Yang Immortal Cells within his flesh and blood. By the time he had absorbed ten Third-tier Star Cores, the number of Extreme Yang Immortal Cells within his body had already approached 150 million.
When he had fully absorbed all twenty third-tier Star Cores, the number of Extreme Yang Immortal Cells had surpassed 200 million. And at this moment, Sheng still felt no sign of reaching his limit.
"I can keep going! I need more energy!"
He flipped his hand to shake out his storage bracelet, pulling out every energy-containing item within. Energy crystals of various grades, potions, exotic beast crystal cores… Crushed, absorbed. Like a savage, greedy beast that would eat anything to satisfy its hunger. But even after emptying his entire storage bracelet, these meager supplies were still a drop in the bucket given his current situation.
"No, it's still not enough!"
Sheng extended his spiritual energy outward. To his surprise, he discovered that the cosmic energy drifting freely in the starry sky was unexpectedly dense. So dense that it had even formed a silver glow visible to the naked eye. The glow coalesced into a vortex, surging majestically toward a specific location.
He tried to glance in that direction and was startled to find that someone else, just like him, was also in the midst of a breakthrough. This vast expanse of cosmic energy was being channeled by that person.
"How domineering…"
His eyes flickered. Then, his Level 13 spiritual energy surged, and the two hundred million Immortal Cells within his body let out a roaring growl. An incredibly powerful suction force erupted from his body. In an instant, with the Meteor spaceship as the center, the starry sky seemed to suddenly give way to a black hole collapsing inward. All cosmic energy passing through this region flowed uncontrollably into the black hole.
"Boom!"
This energy was not as vast or pure as that provided by a Star Core. But it was stable, and as the suction force released by Sheng grew stronger, this energy also showed a tendency to swell ever larger. The growth rate of the Extreme Yang Immortal Cells within his body, which had previously slowed, began to accelerate once more.
Having reached this stage of cultivation, he had no intention of stopping. He was determined to push his cultivation to the absolute limit of level 12, and then, in one decisive surge, break through to level 13.
-
The Meteor spaceship, resembling a beautiful crystal, was enveloped by streams of silvery cosmic energy. Uncontrolled, it spun and swayed continuously in place. It resembled a stone that had accidentally fallen into the eye of a whirlpool, constantly oscillating between rising and sinking.
Haiji Dao and Anon Turing stood outside the ship, each occupying a corner. Haiji Dao had already drawn his signature bone longsword, impassively scanning every object that might pass through this area.
Pablo and Zoe had also exited the ship and were periodically stepping in to guide the crew members working on the Meteor out of the vessel. By now, Sheng was practically the only one left aboard the massive spaceship. The commotion caused by his breakthrough was too great; aside from the AI, no one dared to remain inside.
Zoe looked at the energy vortex surrounding the spaceship, which was growing larger by the moment, and said to Pablo, "Father, are we going to stay here and guard him forever?"
As she spoke, she couldn't help but glance in another direction, her face betraying a look of eagerness and impatience. But Zoe's words were met with a stern rebuke from Pablo.
"Zoe, don't forget. If it weren't for Lu Sheng, we might still be drifting through the cosmos, and you would most likely have missed this Celestial Throne Selection. Protecting him is how we repay his kindness."
"Fine." Zoe muttered a few words, sounding somewhat reluctant. Then she turned her gaze back to the vortex before her.
This energy vortex bore a striking resemblance to the massive one they were currently in, though it was far smaller in scale. Yet its growth rate was astonishing. In the mere few hours since its appearance, it had already grown over a hundred times larger than it was at the start! And this rate of growth was still skyrocketing.
Zoe stared intently at the vortex for a moment, watching as vast amounts of cosmic energy poured into it. Gradually, she felt a sense of unease for no apparent reason. The vortex's activity had already begun to attract the attention of some passersby. If it weren't for the even greater spectacle of Dilius ahead, coupled with the "persuasion" of the Long Bone Blade nearby, people would likely have already rushed over to investigate.
"Dilius has broken through to Level 13, and so has he. Is this intentional? Is he trying to compete with Dilius for the title of champion among the younger generation?"
Zoe stared at the center of the vortex and murmured softly. Suddenly snapping back to reality, she turned her head toward the direction of the Celestial Serpent's heart and shook her head. "If that's truly the case, it's a bit of a miscalculation. How could the wielder of a mere Extreme-Rank Law possibly compare to the Sovereign-level glory that subdues an entire galaxy?
The gap was simply too vast. After all, that was the Sovereign level. An existence that stood an entire tier above even the Monarchlevel. Those two words alone are enough to inspire reverence in the hearts of Immortal-level Bloods like Zoe and Anon.
Lu Sheng was very strong, truly extraordinary. But there was no doubt about it. Dilius, possessing a Sovereign-level Extraordinary Physique, was absolutely stronger and even more extraordinary than him! Now that both have ascended to level 13, the scale of the cosmic energy tides and vortexes they've triggered was the best illustration of this gap.
In the starry void near the the Celestial Serpent's heart, a spaceship came to a halt. A towering man, nearly ten meters tall, stepped out. The man glowed golden all over; his skin appeared as if coated in a thick layer of gold dust, and even his teeth were golden.
The moment he appeared, an incomparably powerful aura radiated from him. This aura was like a multitude of celestial blades, directly slicing through everything around him.
"Dilius!"
The moment the golden giant appeared, he shouted this name. He then cast his gaze toward the distant horizon, in the direction where the countless silver energy tides in the starry sky were flowing back.
-
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
-
Translation notes by dhoo
-
Long Bone Blade
The weapon of Hai Ji Dao, whose name means Bone Long Blade.