Divine Wilderness Dragon Emperor

Shangguan Hong and the others left.

Ling Fei squeezed out a drop of fresh blood, circulating his Cold Chi True Qi into it before letting both merge with the Sodium Ring.

Instantly, the Sodium Ring flickered with Light Patterns as if something had been activated.

Afterward, Ling Fei felt a faint connection form between himself and the ring.

With a thought, his Heart Spirit sank into the Sodium Ring.

Inside was a space a hundred zhang wide.

'With this Sodium Ring, I can carry so many things with me,' Ling Fei thought, delighted.

'Now I should take this opportunity to comprehend the True Meaning of the Sword.' After his spar with Shangguan Yurou, his understanding of the Sword Dao had grown much deeper.

If he continued to pursue this enlightenment, he could truly touch the threshold of the Sword Dao.

Ling Fei returned to the Cold Cave.

He once again took out the Celestial River Sword Manual and began to study it.

The Sword Intent soared, piercing straight into his Heart Spirit.

But now that his understanding of the sword had improved, his mindset had also changed as he perceived this Sword Intent once more.

'My aura is a sword, my gaze is a sword, my momentum is a sword, and I... am also a sword.' Ling Fei was completely immersed in the Sword Dao.

...

'Intent follows the spirit, spirit enters the body. When the heart moves, intent moves; qi follows the heart...' Suddenly, Ling Fei had an epiphany.

The Qi Manipulation Technique seemed to contain a profound truth.

Now, he was connecting it to the Sword Dao.

'Intent like a sword, momentum like a sword, qi like a sword. When the heart moves, the sword moves. This is what it means to be like a sword. Yes, that's it!'

Ling Fei had gained some understanding.

At that moment, the aura around him suddenly sharpened.

A sharp, sword-like presence seemed to emanate from his body.

His eyes glinted like Sword Auras, incomparably sharp.

'This is it.' Ling Fei's heart settled.

Then, he continued to meditate on his newfound understanding.

Time passed.

The light of the small sword on the Celestial River Sword Manual had already dimmed.

At this point, it could no longer be used to comprehend the True Sword Dao Intent.

But Ling Fei himself now exuded a Sword Momentum, as if he no longer needed the Sword Intent from the Celestial River Sword Technique.

Afterward, Ling Fei rose and practiced with his sword inside the Cold Cave. Wherever his Long Sword passed, a sharp Sword Momentum swept forth.

'If I coordinate it with my True Qi, the momentum should be even stronger.' Ling Fei held his sword.

SWISH, SWISH!

He brandished his Long Sword, and from its tip, Cold Chi True Qi burst forth.

The True Qi did not erupt far, extending only three cun.

However, an Extreme Cold Qi spread out from it.

BANG!

The Long Sword struck a stone block in front of him at an angle.

The stone block instantly shattered. The erupting Sword Qi was incredibly sharp, tearing it into countless pieces.

CLATTER! CLATTER!

Then, as the broken stones fell, they were all covered in ice crystals.

This was the effect of using Cold Chi True Qi.

A single strike was not only incomparably sharp, but could also seal objects in ice!

'True Qi like a sword!' Ling Fei sheathed his sword. Gazing at the rubble before him, he nodded slightly.

Only by making True Qi like a sword could its power be maximized.

The current Ling Fei could be considered to have reached Minor Achievement in the Sword Dao.

'But my Sword Momentum is still lacking. It's not as masterful or effortless as Miss Yurou's,' Ling Fei understood in his heart.

When he fought Shangguan Yurou before, he could clearly feel that her control over her Sword Momentum had truly reached a point where she could do as she pleased.

'Where the hand arrives, the sword arrives. Where the eye looks, the sword arrives... Miss Yurou has clearly reached the stage where the sword follows the heart!' Ling Fei constantly pondered this.

Only by knowing one's own shortcomings and others' strengths can one improve.

'Qi follows the sword, momentum follows the heart, the sword follows the heart...'

Through repeated verification and exploration, Ling Fei's understanding of the sword deepened.

...

In the blink of an eye, two months had passed since Ling Fei entered seclusion.

HUFF!

On this day, Ling Fei, who was seated cross-legged on the Cultivation Platform, suddenly opened his eyes.

'It's been a month since I reached the Ninth Layer Body Tempering Perfection Realm, but I still can't seem to break through.'

Ling Fei's gaze sharpened.

Inside his body, his True Qi surged like a torrential flood, having long since reached the Perfection Realm.

Two months might seem like a short time to others.

However, Ling Fei's spine absorbed Cold Dao Essence Qi at an incredible rate.

The Cold Chi Dragon Qi within his body was constantly being replenished.

He now felt as if his spine was completely filled with Essence Qi, and there was a faint sense that it was about to transform into a True Dragon and soar through the nine heavens.

His True Qi had also reached a state of Perfection.

Now, all that remained was to break through to the Innate Realm.

In fact, Ling Fei had been trying to break through to the Innate Realm for the past half-month.

But he had yet to find the right Technique to do so.

'I've just crossed the initial threshold of Sword Dao comprehension, and my understanding of the mystical principles of the "True Dragon Visualization Image" is constantly improving. Yet I can't find the opportunity to break through to the Innate Realm. Why is that?' The current Ling Fei had clearly hit a bottleneck; bitter cultivation alone was no longer enough for him to advance.

'I have to go ask Instructor Ruo Huan.'

Then, Ling Fei got up and walked out of the Cold Cave.

Ling Fei headed for the Genius Area.

The Genius Class had already ended for the day, so Ling Fei went straight to the instructors' building to find Instructor Ruo Huan.

"You've already reached Ninth Layer Body Tempering Perfection?" When Ling Fei found her, Instructor Ruo Huan's face was filled with astonishment.

It's only been two months!

"Yes," Ling Fei nodded. "I've been trying to break through to the Innate Realm, but I haven't had any clues on how to proceed."

He explained his troubles.

"The Innate Realm is about perceiving the nature of Heaven and Earth, comprehending the Momentum of Heaven and Earth, and merging with it. Then, you borrow that momentum to open your Pill Sea," Instructor Ruo Huan explained. "But to step into the Innate Realm, you must first find your own path. Will you enter the Innate Realm through the Momentum of Martial Arts, or through the Cold Dao? Regardless, only after finding your own path can you attempt to break through and succeed. If you don't even have a clear path for yourself, how can you possibly break through to the Innate Realm?"

"My own path?" A look of realization dawned in Ling Fei's eyes. 'How did I not think of that?'

"You must open your mind and find your path," Instructor Ruo Huan said. "Being in seclusion for too long isn't the answer. You should try to get in touch with the natural world."

At this stage, one could no longer advance just by being in seclusion.

Only by comprehending Heaven and Earth could one make progress.

After Instructor Ruo Huan's explanation, Ling Fei was suddenly enlightened.

"Thank you for your guidance, Instructor," Ling Fei said with a bow.

"You practice the Cold Cultivation Dao. You could go to the Beihai Glacier. The Cold Qi there is oppressive, like an entire world of ice. Meditating there should be of great benefit to you," said Instructor Ruo Huan.

"The Beihai Glacier?" Ling Fei's gaze focused.

"It's a Glacier Mountain Range located in the northern part of Celestial River County. The academy has detailed maps and information about it," Instructor Ruo Huan said.

"Alright, I'll look into it," Ling Fei nodded.

He then took his leave.

'I really should go find my own path now.' As he walked out of the instructors' building, Ling Fei mused to himself.

The Innate Realm was about shedding one's mortal shell, comprehending the Momentum of Heaven and Earth, and becoming a child of Heaven and Earth.

This was no longer something that could be achieved through bitter cultivation alone.

'But what is my path?' Ling Fei wondered as he walked.

'First, I cultivate the "True Dragon Body Refining Technique." Everyone thinks I have a Cold Essence Spirit Body, but this technique is actually my true foundation. Second, by studying the "True Dragon Visualization Image," I grasped the True Dragon Momentum. This serves as my current Martial Arts foundation, and it aligns with the "True Dragon Body Refining Technique."'

This was Ling Fei's true foundation.

'As for the Celestial River Sword Technique, I've also comprehended Sword Momentum. This can serve as a supplementary tool for facing enemies.'

On this point, Ling Fei's mind was as clear as a mirror.

In other words, everything still had to be based on the "True Dragon Body Refining Technique."

However, he still had his doubts.

How could he enter the Innate Realm with the "True Dragon Body Refining Technique"?

'Perhaps I can also comprehend the nature of Heaven and Earth. The Cold Dao might be a way forward,' Ling Fei thought.

After all, he was indeed practicing the Cold Cultivation Dao.

These were all his potential paths.

After thinking about this, his state of mind gradually improved.

At least, now that he had a clear goal, there was hope for a breakthrough.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" Just then, a light scolding voice rang out.

It turned out that Ling Fei, lost in thought, had nearly bumped into a young woman.

He finally came back to his senses and looked up at her.

"Huh? It's Young Master Ling!" When Ling Fei looked up, the woman who had been about to get angry instead cried out in pleasant surprise.

"Miss Qingshui!" Ling Fei's eyes also showed surprise.

The young woman before him was Zhou Qingshui from the Genius Class.

She was Zhou Feng's cousin, also a genius, who possessed a Water Half-Spirit Body.

"Young Master Ling, I haven't seen you in two months. You're finally out!" Zhou Qingshui said, sizing up Ling Fei with a curious expression.

"Haha, I've been focused on improving my Cultivation, so I haven't been to class much," Ling Fei said with a smile.

"So, where are you headed now?" Zhou Qingshui asked.

"Me? I don't know yet. I've hit a bottleneck recently. What about you? Where are you off to?" Ling Fei replied with a smile.

"I've hit a bottleneck too. So, I was planning to go accept some tasks to earn some points. I want to see if I can exchange them for the middle part of the Celestial River Sword Technique," Zhou Qingshui said, smiling.

"Accept tasks and earn points?" Hearing this, Ling Fei's eyes lit up.

He had already achieved initial success with the Celestial River Sword Technique and could now continue on to study the middle part.

However, to study the middle part, he needed enough points.

There are two ways to obtain points.

First, one can complete academy tasks to earn corresponding points.

Second, if one ranks among the top in the academy's assessments, the academy will also award points.

"Why don't we go to the Task Hall together?" Seeing Ling Fei seemed interested, Zhou Qingshui said with a smile.

"Alright," Ling Fei readily agreed.

The two of them walked toward the Task Hall together.

"Points have so many benefits," Zhou Qingshui said as they walked. "Not only can you exchange them for Martial Arts, but you can also trade them for healing medicine, and even Profound Eagles! That way, traveling in the future won't be so troublesome. My goal is to exchange for a Profound Eagle in half a year."

"You can even exchange for Profound Eagles!" Hearing this, Ling Fei's interest grew even more.

"That's right!" Zhou Qingshui said. "You can also exchange for Weapons. For a Cultivator, a good Weapon is very important. Having a High Level Weapon will give you a big advantage."

She continued telling Ling Fei about the benefits of points.

This made Ling Fei extremely interested in points as well.

"At the same time, taking on tasks is a good way to temper yourself and test what you've recently learned," Zhou Qingshui said.

'Looks like I really should go out and take on a few tasks.' Hearing her words, Ling Fei nodded in agreement.

If one only knows how to bury their head in cultivation without tempering themselves, they'll be like a flower in a greenhouse.

Soon, the two arrived in front of the Task Hall.