Chapter 131: The Unfathomable Will of Heaven

The Vermilion Bird Divine Light, transformed by the Vermilion Bird Divine Light Mantra, blazed intensely, illuminating his spiritual world, his Yin Spirit, all his memories, and every consciousness and thought he possessed.

Every memory from Gao Wu’s entire life surfaced. All his thoughts, including those fleeting, absurd notions, were unearthed and laid bare. The good and the bad, the joys and the angers, the sorrows and the delights—everything that had ever occurred, including the memories of his past life, were presented.

Amidst the rolling waves of the Vermilion Bird Divine Light, these chaotic and complex memories were refined until they were crystalline and pure, including the stray thoughts that had suddenly sprouted. Within the sea of soaring crimson flames, these gleaming, crystalline memories converged with his consciousness, reconstituting his Yin Spirit.

If a perfected Yin Spirit could be compared to something ten times more flexible and dense than water, with a subtle, icy texture, his current Yin Spirit had reached a state of clarity and transparency like glazed glass, appearing remarkably stable and solid. Glass is fragile, yet it does not melt under the sunlight as ice does. In terms of the level of a Yin Spirit, this was a massive improvement.

Gao Wu slowly opened his eyes. The grey-white curtains were already faintly translucent as light filtered through. He glanced at the small alarm clock on the nightstand: 5:00 AM. It was an hour earlier than his usual biological clock. He did not rush to open the Book of Boundless Merit; instead, he channeled his Yin Spirit and attempted to touch the alarm clock.

Unsurprisingly, the Yin Spirit passed straight through the clock without any physical interaction. The Yin Spirit, having ascended to a major realm, had not changed its essential nature. Gao Wu felt a slight pang of disappointment, but this was not necessarily a bad thing. A Yin Spirit that cannot interfere with matter cannot be detected by other martial artists—a truly enormous advantage. Furthermore, the fact that the Yin Spirit could interact with the Destiny Sword was already enough.

Gao Wu recited the mantra silently. The Vermilion Bird Divine Light Mantra had been upgraded and simplified, reducing the time required to recite the full passage to thirty seconds. His Yin Spirit could now store eight layers of the mantra.

He projected his Yin Spirit through the wall to wander outside. Under the bright, warm morning sun, he drifted for ten minutes before the Yin Spirit felt a distinct, burning pain. It was roughly equivalent to a delicate infant being exposed to the noon sun; the skin would burn, but it was endurable for a time and would not cause him to dissipate. The flight speed of his Yin Spirit had also noticeably increased, as had the range of his projection. Detailed data would require further testing.

Gao Wu felt that after this enhancement, his Yin Spirit had reached the level of inner and outer clarity, with a body like glass. It could be said that he had completed a crucial tempering of his spirit. From this moment on, he had firmly established his true self and separated it from all external forces. In such a state, his Yin Spirit could be shattered, but it could not be invaded by outside forces. Even a powerful Demon God should be unable to control his consciousness.

Gao Wu opened the Book of Boundless Merit. As he had expected, his base attribute of Spirit had increased by 5 points, reaching a total of 20. This meant his spiritual power had increased by 7.5 times. While this spiritual power was not "spiritual telekinesis," and the increase was vast, it would not manifest directly through external displays. He felt it primarily as his mind working faster, his perception becoming exceptionally keen, and the ability to naturally categorize and process complex streams of information without being distracted.

Whether it was the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Mantra or the Vermilion Bird Divine Light Mantra, his recitation was more stable and faster, and the power of the triggered divine mantras had improved significantly. Although the speed boost from the Gale Transformation had not truly increased, it made his body more coordinated. While the Thunderclap Transformation could no longer enhance his spirit, the power of the invisible thunder it released had at least doubled. At this point, the Thunderclap Transformation posed a massive threat even to martial masters like Wan Canglong.

Beyond this, the enhancement of his spiritual power was primarily manifested in his Yin Spirit. The Vermilion Bird Divine Light Mantra, when triggered by the Yin Spirit, had increased in power by at least four times. The high temperature released by the mantra was formidable, though he had yet to test it. Based on his experience, 20 points of Spirit should firmly place him at the level of a Martial Master, though there was still a gap to reach a Martial Grandmaster.

The stronger one’s martial cultivation, the more important the Spirit attribute becomes. However, this Spirit attribute is different from telekinesis; Martial Masters can only manifest spiritual power through methods like externalizing their Martial Dharma Image. Outsiders find it difficult to observe a martial artist’s level of spiritual power or have an intuitive understanding of it.

The elevation of the Vermilion Bird Divine Light Mantra to the realm of perfection had caused his Spirit attribute to surge while simultaneously raising his Root attribute by 0.5, bringing it to 9 points. Gao Wu felt that a Root of 9 was still mediocre, not even comparable to martial artists like Yang Ru, let alone Song Mingyue. He guessed that Song Mingyue’s aptitude was at least 15, if not higher. Only by reaching that threshold could one be considered a true genius.

Finally, there was the Destiny Sword. Gao Wu had checked it last because he could observe all its changes through his Yin Spirit and was certain of its excellent state. Observing it with his eyes, he saw that its shape remained unchanged, though the blade had grown to 108 centimeters and the hilt to 22 centimeters, for a total length of 130 centimeters. The blade had gained 66 kilograms, bringing its total weight to 98 kilograms.

The silver-white blade was as clear as a mirror, with a sharp, powerful ridge running down the center. As Gao Wu gripped the brand-new Destiny Sword, he felt a deep connection; as his source energy circulated, the sword moved with extreme agility—where his intent went, the sword followed, responding instantly. Having been refined once more by the Vermilion Bird Divine Light Mantra, the Destiny Sword was heavier and longer, yet Gao Wu found it increasingly natural and pleasing to wield.

As for how the fused Wuji Divine Weapon and Crimson Flame Golden Kirin had altered the sword’s properties, that would require further testing. With a thought, the Destiny Sword in his hand split into two. Thanks to the multi-dimensional phase-shifting properties of the Wuji Divine Weapon, he could easily divide it into two identical swords by channeling his Yin Spirit, though their individual weight was halved. Ever since acquiring the Wuji Divine Weapon, he had been considering this possibility. After all, the "Roaming Dragon Secret Sword" style he practiced required dual blades. A brief test confirmed it worked perfectly.

With the Destiny Sword split into two, he could not only perform the Roaming Dragon Secret Sword, but he could also wield one with his Yin Spirit while holding the other himself—the tactical possibilities were endless. Furthermore, since it could split into twin swords, there should be other changes. The scabbard was also part of the Destiny Sword and should be capable of transformation as well. Gao Wu sheathed the sword. Under the guidance of his Yin Spirit, the blade emerged from the sealed top of the scabbard, while the scabbard itself naturally elongated and transformed into a long handle, quickly turning the weapon into a very long sword. After a few adjustments, he fixed the blade length at seven feet and the handle at two feet.

Standing quietly in his small bedroom, Gao Wu held the nine-foot sword. He had observed several Martial Grandmasters in battle; only An Ziru used a long spear, while the others favored swords or blades. In combat with cold weapons, length is naturally an advantage—as the saying goes, "an inch longer is an inch stronger." However, Martial Grandmasters all had their preferred combat modes and specialized techniques, and one had to consider the resonance between source energy and the weapon; the choice of cold weapon was highly individual.

Gao Wu could control the Destiny Sword completely through his Yin Spirit, allowing him to manipulate it at will regardless of its external form. Single sword, dual swords, long sword—the different forms gave him more choices in battle, more defensive modes, and more tactical variety. The massive changes to the Destiny Sword had greatly increased his strength. At the very least, wielding the Destiny Sword with his Yin Spirit was enough to challenge a Martial Master. Even the mighty Wan Canglong, as long as he could not block the Thunderclap Transformation, would be unable to stop the Destiny Sword wielded by the Yin Spirit.

The Vermilion Bird Divine Light Mantra, the Yin Spirit, and the Destiny Sword had all undergone tremendous changes, and Gao Wu only had a rough understanding of them for now. He needed time to ponder and research before he could truly master the power of the mantra, the changes in his Yin Spirit, and the properties of the Destiny Sword. Regardless, this upgrade had propelled him to a higher tier.

Gripping the Destiny Sword, and relying on his Yin Spirit and powerful spiritual strength, Gao Wu could sense the countless source energy particles flowing in the void; he could even "see" them coming from a distant, endless void. The real world and that vast void were establishing some sort of connection through these particles. A thought suddenly occurred to Gao Wu: How did these particles enter the secret realms from the otherworld, and how did they permeate from the secret realms into the real world? This transmission must have channels, meaning the space of the real world had already been permeated by countless holes... Once these holes expanded, they would become secret realms.

At this thought, Gao Wu was chilled to the bone. The stable state of the real world likely would not last much longer. Before the world underwent its great transformation, he had to become as strong as possible. Currently, he might be considered an expert among his peers, but in the grand scheme of humanity, he was nothing. Not to mention, in the face of such cosmic upheaval, what was the strength of a single individual?

A sense of urgency welled up in Gao Wu. His weakest attribute was Agility, and the Hunter’s Association had just given him fifty thousand points, which he could use to exchange for high-grade Flying Squirrel Serum. The serum was highly addictive, and few people used the high-grade version anymore. Even so, a single dose cost as much as three thousand points. With his powerful spiritual strength and a Yin Spirit as clear as glass, the mere addictiveness of the serum was nothing.

Furthermore, his surge in spiritual power had greatly increased his efficiency in inhaling source energy. The benefits of the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Mantra were also significantly enhanced. At this rate of cultivation, he might be able to condense his second acupuncture point in his chest and advance to an Intermediate Martial Warrior in less than half a year. This speed sounded exaggerated, but considering the 7.5-fold increase in spiritual power, it was actually quite reasonable. His body was already tough, with Strength and Agility reaching the level of an Advanced Martial Warrior; it was only his slow source energy inhalation rate and insufficient martial cultivation that had hindered his progress.

The upgrade of the Vermilion Bird Divine Light Mantra and his powerful spiritual strength allowed him to bypass the limitations of his martial cultivation and accelerate his training. Even so, Gao Wu felt that reaching Intermediate Martial Warrior within half a year was still too slow. He needed to earn more money to buy more potions, and he needed to accumulate more merit to trigger other divine mantras. Based on his previous experiences, it seemed he could only trigger mantras after suffering severe injuries; given his current physique and spirit, that was something he could try.

"Xiao Wu, time to eat." Shang Qingjun knocked gently on the door, interrupting Gao Wu’s thoughts.

"Coming, coming." Gao Wu had intended to carry the Destiny Sword downstairs, but changed his mind; there was no need to be so tense at home. The Yin Spirit and the Destiny Sword were nearly one; at close range, he could quickly retrieve the sword through his Yin Spirit. After such a massive incident, the Demon God’s followers probably wouldn’t be so reckless, and even if the world were to change, it wouldn’t happen that quickly.

After breakfast, Gao Wu and Shang Qingjun began packing. He had very little to take, mostly some daily clothing and two items of sentimental value. At 6:00 PM, Gao Wu and his group met Song Mingyue at the station. Zhou Qingyun and an assistant accompanied them. The Longteng Company had booked a soft-sleeper compartment, ensuring comfort and privacy for their journey.

Gao Wu and Shang Qingjun stood in the corridor, waving goodbye to the old man outside the window. As the train slowly pulled away, the evening breeze caught the old man’s white hair, making his figure look lonely and desolate. Gao Wu felt a sting in his heart: the old man was truly getting on in years.

Shang Qingjun noticed her grandfather’s state, her eyes turning slightly red. Gao Wu took her hand. "Don't worry. Once we get settled in Anjing, we'll bring him over."

"He won't leave Dongjiang," Shang Qingjun said softly, feeling helpless.

"How about we find him an old lady? Maybe then he'd be willing to come to Anjing," Gao Wu suggested.

Shang Qingjun had no heart left for sorrow; she glanced at him and retorted, "Don't talk nonsense."

Gao Wu looked innocent. "The old man doesn't want to come because there's no one to keep him company. If he has a partner, he’ll have someone to be with. What’s wrong with that? I’m not talking nonsense!"

Shang Qingjun was speechless, though she then began to think that maybe it wasn't such a bad idea.