Book 3 Chapter 24: Lu Zheng Yi - Martial God

Chapter 24: Lu Zheng Yi On the mountainside of the main peak, a clear stream meandered its way down, its waters crystal clear. The riverbanks were densely covered with lush forests, graceful pines, and vibrant bamboos, creating a mesmerizing tapestry of green across the mountain, enchanting all who beheld it. This place was originally a famous scenic spot on the main peak, where the residents often came to relax during their leisure time. After all, even among the picturesque landscapes of the main peak, this location was one of the most stunning. However, at this moment, it was thoroughly sealed off under the orders of Yu Jing Lei. A thousand meters away, there were over three hundred top-tier experts, drawn from various peaks. These individuals were the core disciples of the Heng Mountain sect, each possessing an internal energy cultivation of at least the eighth level. Among them, there were even masters who had reached the pinnacle of the tenth level. If such a force were to appear in Taicang County, or even within the Tianluo Nation, it would undoubtedly leave everyone in awe. Should they intend to dismantle a noble family, such a household would be effortlessly leveled to the ground. This is the power of a hidden sect. Beyond the supreme strength of innate experts, their reserve of acquired experts is far beyond what ordinary families can imagine. Of course, the most significant figures here were not these acquired disciples stationed kilometers away by the stream, but rather the few elders and supreme elders of the Heng Mountain sect. Beside them stood a stern-looking middle-aged man. This middle-aged man possessed a healthy bronzed skin, which gleamed under the sunlight, exuding an aura of robust vitality. Though he appeared to be in his forties, his actual age was sixty-six. Yet, having both his dual energies cultivated to the pinnacle of the tenth level, his appearance was indeed somewhat youthful. This man was none other than the current peak master of Lingyu Peak, Lu Zheng Yi, with talent in the gold and water elements, having cultivated both to the pinnacle of the tenth level. At that moment, he sat serenely by the stream, eyes closed, breathing quietly. He was making the final preparations before attempting to breach the innate realm. When He Yi Ming first met Lu Zheng Yi, he couldn't help but marveled. His appearance was even younger than his uncle, which clearly demonstrated the advantages of residing in this superior environment compared to the outside world. However, when He Yi Ming's gaze fell upon Yao Dao Ren, he promptly pulled back his thoughts of admiration. Over a hundred years old, yet appearing as if in his twenties, this was truly the stuff of legends. The Youth Preserving Pill... Just thinking of this elixir gave him a massive headache, requiring so many rare herbs that were not easily procured. He could only take one step at a time and hope for an opportunity. Suddenly, He Yi Ming raised his head. He sensed that, at that moment, Lu Zheng Yi had reached a state of complete tranquility, achieving a mindset as calm as still water, without a trace of disturbance. The innate elders exchanged glances and nodded silently. Perhaps, after the two failed attempts to reach the innate realm, Lu Zheng Yi had become as steady as a rock. In that moment, he seemed to possess a faint sense of integration with the heavens and the earth. With this state of mind, his chances of a successful breakthrough reached their peak. "Elder He, this disciple is ready." Lu Zheng Yi opened his eyes and spoke respectfully. His eyes calmly focused on He Yi Ming, as if only He Yi Ming existed in his world, subconsciously neglecting the presence of the other elders. He Yi Ming nodded slightly and sat cross-legged behind him, suddenly asking, "Do you trust me?" Without hesitation, Lu Zheng Yi replied, "The disciple naturally trusts the elder." His words were decisive, without the slightest doubt. In his heart, he indeed trusted He Yi Ming as his words implied. After all, the person sitting behind him was He Yi Ming, who had successfully ascended to the innate realm at the age of sixteen, earning high praise from Yu Jing Lei, the supreme elder, as the foremost under the heavens. In the face of such a figure, if he couldn't trust him, who else was worthy of trust? He Yi Ming gave a satisfied smile and said, "Good. Since you trust me, then focus all your strength on breaking through to the innate realm." His voice was firm and resounded in the surrounding air, as if even the atmosphere was responding, "Put aside all thoughts, remember that I am behind you, and proceed..." A spark of determination flared in Lu Zheng Yi's eyes before he closed them. Suddenly, a powerful aura surged from his body, seemingly infused with his current resolve. It was a mindset of risking everything, as if genuinely forsaking all to imbue his thoughts, his true essence, and even his life into the effort. Simultaneously, the gold element in his body began to circulate wildly. Yu Jing Lei and the others exchanged a glance and silently dispersed, retreating to stand a hundred meters away, maintaining vigilance over the surroundings. During Lu Zheng Yi's breakthrough attempt, he could not afford the slightest disturbance. Yet, with the security so tight, unless a master of Yu Jing Lei's caliber appeared, no one could hope to disturb He Yi Ming and Lu Zheng Yi during their efforts. For any sect, an innate expert was a cornerstone. Whenever a disciple had the opportunity to attempt a breakthrough to the innate realm, it was an event of utmost importance, leading the entire sect to treat it with the utmost seriousness and provide the best protection. In contrast, when He Yi Ming attempted his breakthrough, he did so alone, proving that ignorance is truly bliss. As the gold element within Lu Zheng Yi's body surged, He Yi Ming's golden aura quietly infiltrated his meridians. At this moment, Lu Zheng Yi was entirely immersed in the operation of his technique, unaware that He Yi Ming's infusion of aura did not cause any disturbance. Instead, it adhered to his meridians, gradually reinforcing them. Moments later, it seemed as if an additional layer of substantial virtual meridians had formed around his. If Yu Jing Lei and the others were to learn of this, their jaws would certainly drop in amazement. Every individual is a unique entity, and not even the closest of kin can be identical. When an innate expert's aura entered the body of an acquired practitioner, it inevitably caused some degree of hindrance. The exact extent of this interference varied depending on their physiological differences. If the obstruction were too great, even shared attributes between their techniques wouldn't allow for effective shielding and reinforcement of the meridians. After all, if one's internal energy could not flow smoothly, how could there be a successful breakthrough? No matter how thick or robust the supplemented meridians were, they would be pointless if a breakthrough couldn't be achieved. However, as He Yi Ming's aura slowly integrated into Lu Zheng Yi's body, far from causing obstruction, it subtly facilitated his efforts. This strange phenomenon exceeded their understanding entirely, though fortunately, they were unaware of the internal changes. Otherwise, they might have reevaluated He Yi Ming's capabilities with fresh astonishment. Even so, they were already relieved. Their initial concerns were about this situation. Now, seeing Lu Zheng Yi unperturbed, they assumed that their physiological differences were insignificant, making any obstruction negligible. Yet, they couldn't fathom the oddity that He Yi Ming's aura possessed such mysterious and remarkably beneficial effects. Slowly, Lu Zheng Yi's internal gold energy reached the pinnacle of the tenth level, his skin faintly taking on a metallic sheen. At this moment, if someone wielded ordinary blades against him, they would discover in disbelief that Lu Zheng Yi's skin was as tough as iron, utterly impenetrable. However, even with Lu Zheng Yi's tenth level internal energy, he couldn't sustain this state for long. Achieving an impervious-to-blades level of durability required so much more, and not even the present He Yi Ming could maintain it indefinitely, let alone Lu Zheng Yi. From He Yi Ming’s perspective, the fierce force of inner energy continually pounded against Lu Zheng Yi's meridians, reaching an unparalleled intensity. Under normal circumstances, prolonged pounding could severely damage his meridians. However, with He Yi Ming's protection, not even the virtual meridians created by his aura were breached, let alone causing any disastrous consequences. After an incense burning's worth of time, the gold element in Lu Zheng Yi's body finally peaked, beyond which it could not grow by even a fraction. Simultaneously, the water element technique began to circulate within him. A minute thread of water energy, delicate as could be, started to flow slowly inside him. Compared to the gold inner energy coursing through his body, this droplet of water was as insignificant as a drop in a parched desert. Yet, this droplet seemed imbued with endless vitality and tenacious perseverance, slowly weaving its way through the meridians filled with the powerful gold energy. At that moment, He Yi Ming also focused his attention on this droplet of water energy, deeply puzzled. He had undergone a similar process before, but he remembered it being far less arduous. He vaguely sensed that this might have something to do with his unique constitution. No wonder Yu Jing Lei and others had mentioned that even with dual-element complementary talent, successfully overcoming this final hurdle was not guaranteed. Initially, he thought they exaggerated, but now it seemed they had actually understated the difficulty. Lu Zheng Yi seemed to recall He Yi Ming’s words well, devoting his entire concentration to circulating his inner energy, no longer concerned about his meridians. Despite his all-out effort to channel the water energy, its growth was frustratingly slow. Suddenly, He Yi Ming noticed that as his energy permeated Lu Zheng Yi's body, their minds seemed to overlap to some degree. While he couldn't discern Lu Zheng Yi's precise thoughts, he was acutely aware of his emotional fluctuations. Lu Zheng Yi's spirit seemed to grow restless, with a dark shadow gradually corroding his once steadfast will. He Yi Ming realized that this darkness was the shadow of failure from Lu Zheng Yi’s previous attempts to break through to the innate realm. While usually repressed, this shadow had never been fully eradicated. As he neared the crucial moment of another attempt, the shadow magnified, assaulting his confidence. Furrowing his brows, He Yi Ming sensed Lu Zheng Yi's confidence falter slightly under the shadow's assault. At that moment, Yu Jing Lei and the others also showed signs of apprehension. As innate experts, they sensed Lu Zheng Yi was on the verge of achieving a state of unity with heaven and earth when he initially circulated his gold inner energy to its peak. However, his state was now precariously teetering, like a mirror about to shatter. If the mirror shattered, they understood all too well what that entailed. Just then, a scene suddenly flashed through He Yi Ming’s mind. It was when he first encountered Romiya and others. Romiya had repeatedly spoken in a language he didn't understand, and this language seemed to enhance their abilities. Though He Yi Ming didn’t comprehend the language, he knew from Yu Jing Lei it was a mystical sonic technique. It combined one’s energy and a mysterious mental force into a powerful vocal expression. This power could unlock human potential, boosting confidence and strength temporarily. Amazed, He Yi Ming wondered why this scene and these details suddenly emerged in his mind. But in his confusion, he found his attention fixated on Romiya. He "saw" Romiya open her mouth and even "heard" the trajectory of a certain power coursing through her body. His head throbbed briefly, reminiscent of the splitting pain he felt when Romiya had ambushed him. However, this sensation dissipated naturally in less than a heartbeat. A sense of epiphany washed over He Yi Ming. In that instant, he seemed to grasp something ephemeral like clouds, elusive and intangible. But as if witnessing this intangible essence, a steady hand emerged in his mind's eye, seizing the strange cloud firmly. The cloud dissipated quickly, its knowledge like a spring flowing into He Yi Ming’s heart. A profound, indescribable joy bloomed within him. He opened his mouth, and a voice imbued with a strange power echoed from him. “Lu Zheng Yi, you will surely succeed in breaking through to the innate realm…” This voice, laden with immense authority, thundered through the void like a crashing storm. Lu Zheng Yi's body trembled then quickly regained composure. The mirror, once on the brink of breaking, steadied. Solid as a mountain, it was unbreakable. His confidence swelled uncontrollably, his heart lightened, radiant like sunlight. The lingering shadow that plagued him was completely vanquished, leaving no trace. Within his meridians, water energy flowed like a torrent, demolishing any obstacles before it like a mighty flood. The vast gold energy continuously transformed, incrementally becoming part of the water element. Gradually, his meridians could no longer contain the inner energy. Yet, the gold energy continued its relentless transformation, akin to a dam filled to capacity with waters still rushing in from upstream. Finally, the rising water level spilled over the dam, inundating everything with unstoppable force. Both He Yi Ming and Lu Zheng Yi seemed to hear a crisp sound echo in their minds. A vast innate water energy wondrously connected with Lu Zheng Yi’s body, engulfing them in an extraordinary sense of fulfillment. Even He Yi Ming, already an innate expert, felt as if he were experiencing his first breakthrough, wholly immersed in this blissful state. He seemed to gain deeper insight into the gold and water elements, edging closer to their core essences. Unbeknownst to him, Yu Jing Lei and the others watched, agape, in disbelief, utterly awestruck by He Yi Ming. At this moment, they even forgot about Lu Zheng Yi, who had just ascended to the innate realm. In this green-lit state, He Yi Ming emanated a strange radiance, unmatched even by Lu Zheng Yi’s newfound glory. After an indeterminate amount of time, He Yi Ming exhaled deeply and stood up, glancing contentedly at Yu Jing Lei and the others, “Uncle Master, when Che Wen Jun reaches the pinnacle of the tenth layer and attempts to break through to the innate realm, I should also support her meridians.” Yu Jing Lei and the others instinctively agreed but then snapped to realization. Yu Xi Chen hesitated a moment before speaking, “Elder He, Che Wen Jun cultivates the dual elements of earth and gold.” He Yi Ming stretched luxuriously, still partly caught in the lingering euphoria. He casually replied, "Worries are unfounded, Elder Yu. I cultivate all five elements." Yu Jing Lei: "………" Yao Dao Ren: "………" Yu Xi Chen: "………" Lian Yi: "………"