Chapter 791 - 712: Reaching the Peak 111
Although Tan Shuangshuang was at Martial Venerable cultivation, she should have stayed on the eighth level. However, her physical strength was even greater than that of a Magic Beast, allowing her to directly enter the ninth level for cultivation. It was after entering the ninth level that Tan Shuangshuang, who had been relatively at ease under pressure, finally felt a strong sense of oppression.
At the eighth level, Tan Shuangshuang only felt a slight difficulty in the flow of her spiritual power. But when she reached the ninth level, she immediately felt a heavy sluggishness in the flow of her spiritual power.
Not only the spiritual power but even walking and breathing became difficult due to the pressure. She had to constantly circulate spiritual power to slightly alleviate the pressure. Under such conditions, the cultivation method was very simple; she just had to desperately circulate her spiritual power against the pressure.
When she could circulate her spiritual power swiftly under such pressure, after leaving this pressure-filled world, her cultivation speed would increase by three or four times or even more. This was extremely beneficial for cultivation, and it was by relying on such benefits that Sea Country became one of the top countries.
The first four levels of Sea Country were bustling, prosperous, and endlessly charming, but starting from the fifth level and downward, the world became desolate, monotonous, and dull. However, such a world was most suitable for cultivation, with no external temptations, and a person needed only to focus on breaking through themselves.
Everyone stayed in their own suitable places for cultivation, focusing on breaking through themselves without the concept of day and night. Tan Shuangshuang went into closed-door cultivation for three years.
During these three years, Tan Shuangshuang did nothing but strive to break through the Martial Venerable Perfection level. However, this time her once-proud natural gifts seemed to disappear and were of no use. The barrier blocking her remained unmoved.
Initially, Tan Shuangshuang was somewhat impatient, especially since Bai Sheng had already broken through to the Martial Venerable level and entered the ninth level. Even Fei Hu had crossed the Martial Sect and was preparing for transformation while she was still stuck. This was an unprecedented blow to Tan Shuangshuang, who had always sailed smoothly in cultivation.
Although impatient, Tan Shuangshuang remained rational. She knew that her mindset was not right. At the Martial Venerable level, the Heart Realm was more important than talent. Her current poor Heart Realm meant that no matter how hard she tried, it would be in vain. So she simply put aside cultivation and visited her companions who were each cultivating.
She then observed Fei Hu’s transformation. With the Transformation Pill, transformation was simple for Fei Hu. However, Fei Hu had not yet reached maturity. Although he transformed, he was just a small three-headed baby.
Fei Hu transformed into an adorably chubby little baby with arms like lotus roots, white and tender. Though he was cute, he lacked majesty, and Fei Hu was very dissatisfied with his transformed appearance, immediately returning to his original form and vowing not to transform back into a human form until reaching maturity.
Fei Hu, Bai Sheng, Tan Feiyu, and Lu Tianyi were each observed, and their cultivation methods were casually pointed out. Tan Shuangshuang then embarked on her own actions, heading directly to the first four levels of Sea Country to relax.
This time, Tan Shuangshuang didn’t think about anything, putting both cultivation and breakthroughs aside, completely relaxing her mind by enjoying food, drink, play, and pleasure, indulging comfortably. After enjoying herself fully, she went to Sea Country’s largest Library.
The Library of Sea Country was renowned outside. It didn’t only possess various High-level cultivation methods but also the cultivation insights of past high-level experts. It’s said that there were insights even from Tribulation Crossing powerhouses and even legendary Demigod level experts. As long as you had enough Spirit Stones, you could view them.
Entering the Library, Tan Shuangshuang directly deposited a thousand High-level Spirit Stones, deciding she would leave once those stones were all spent.
The Library of Sea Country had a hundred floors, each containing countless books, vast like the sea, arranged in neat floating formations, row upon row, layer upon layer, dazzling to the eye.
Tan Shuangshuang’s thousand High-level Spirit Stones were exchanged for a Book Viewing Jade Token, which contained reading points equivalent to the Spirit Stones she exchanged. Before reading any scroll, one must scan it with the Jade Token, which would deduct the corresponding reading points based on the scroll’s content.
The simpler the scroll’s content, the fewer reading points deducted. If it contained a top-level cultivation method or a Great Power’s cultivation insights, the required reading points were akin to a sky-high price, unaffordable for many.
The Library had rest rooms, reading rooms, dining rooms, and a viewing platform on top, where one could enjoy the distant view. With enough payment, one could focus solely on reading the jade scrolls without distractions, accumulating knowledge.
Tan Shuangshuang immersed herself in the Library, devouring books, forgetting about all external chaos, focusing solely on the knowledge within the scrolls. She read like this for another three years.
It wasn’t until Tan Shuangshuang had consumed the thousand High-level Spirit Stones on high-cost scrolls readable only by High-level cultivators and was reminded by the library guard to renew her points that she snapped back to reality.
Instead of renewing her points, Tan Shuangshuang left the Library. Upon leaving, her mind was already completely calmed. Over the years, she had found some notes on Martial Venerables, even those infinitely close to God, at the Transcendance Tribulation Stage in the Library.
Although only brief records, they were costly. Most of her remaining Spirit Stones were spent on these notes. Now, regarding how to break through the Martial Venerable Perfection barrier and progress to the Transcendance Tribulation Stage, Tan Shuangshuang had her own ideas.
Stretching lazily, Tan Shuangshuang first ran to enjoy an unbelievably delicious seafood feast before contentedly returning to the ninth level of Sea Country to focus on breaking through the Martial Venerable Perfection barrier. But before that, she needed to advance her Mental Realm Cultivation.
To break through after the Martial Venerable, the Heart Realm must come first, followed by cultivation. This was why Tan Shuangshuang couldn’t previously breakthrough the Martial Venerable Perfection barrier, something she realized in the Library: without a sufficient Heart Realm, cultivation cannot advance.
Three years of solitude and studying scrolls had made Tan Shuangshuang’s Heart Realm smooth and transparent, allowing breakthroughs to happen naturally, without any obstacles. Once her Heart Realm breakthrough occurred, the cultivation breakthrough followed immediately, and the barrier that had held for three years burst like a bubble with a gentle poke.
Because her Heart Realm breakthrough was significant, her cultivation advancement was surprisingly rapid. After breaking through the Martial Venerable Perfection and then progressing to Half-step Martial Venerable, thick thunderclouds gathered in the sky, a precursor to the Heavenly Tribulation experienced only by cultivators at the Transcendance Tribulation Stage!
Although Sea Country was underwater and the tribulation thunderclouds in the sky couldn’t be seen, any cultivator at the Transcendance Tribulation Stage could sense the arrival of tribulation thunderclouds. Sensing the impending Heavenly Tribulation, Tan Shuangshuang immediately rushed towards the sea surface.