Chapter 43: First Layer of the True Essence Realm (Part 1)

Leaving aside mental and spiritual prowess, the Night Demon Ancestor had a very clear understanding of what kind of temperaments Wu Zuo and Wu You possessed in private, especially after launching an assault on their minds.

If not for their formidable mental strength, in the eyes of the Night Demon Ancestor, these two fellows would be no different from complete blockheads.

However, considering that these two fellows actually found a way to please Wu Shu, the Night Demon Ancestor's heart was indeed tempted. Once Wu Shu truly managed to suppress the curse power within his body, the Night Demon Ancestor had already made up his mind: he would capitulate, he would surrender to Wu Shu.

No, at least he would surrender to Wu Shu on the surface, rather than suffering any other kind of indignity.

Emerging from his sea of consciousness, Wu Shu awakened the Pagoda Spirit and asked, "Little Pagoda, I heard that the Flame Pagoda can assist practitioners in rapidly enhancing their earth force. Is this true?"

The Pagoda Spirit was still somewhat drowsy, as if it had not yet fully awakened from a pleasant dream. After a long moment, the little Pagoda Spirit replied, "Young Master, just as you said, Little Pagoda is indeed able to assist you in cultivating earth force. Furthermore, Little Pagoda can also help you enhance your physical cultivation. However, when the Flame Pagoda assists the Young Master in cultivation, it does require a certain amount of resources. For example, it consumes a certain quantity of spirit stones..."

The spiritual energy inside the Flame Pagoda was abundant, and it could also aid practitioners in their cultivation. Viewed in this light, the Flame Pagoda was far more than a mere storage vessel. Realizing that the Flame Pagoda would consume certain resources to aid his cultivation—such as a specific amount of spirit stones—Wu Shu asked again, "The Flame Pagoda will consume certain resources to assist my cultivation? If I want to advance the earth force in my dantian from the True Origin Realm to the Qi-Exalting Realm, I wonder how many spirit stones would be required."

After pondering for a moment, the Flame Pagoda answered, "Young Master, utilizing the Flame Pagoda for cultivation, advancing from the True Origin Realm to the Qi-Exalting Realm under normal circumstances requires consuming one hundred and ten thousand low-grade spirit stones."

Only one hundred and ten thousand spirit stones?

This figure completely stunned Wu Shu. One hundred and ten thousand low-grade spirit stones were indeed small change for the scions of many great families on the Vast Earth Continent. However, for the citizens of the Kun Kingdom, and especially for Wu Shu of Eastern Lodge City, gathering this many spirit stones would probably be impossible even if the entire Eastern Lodge City were taken apart.

Having sworn allegiance to Wu Shu, the Pagoda Spirit naturally knew his current circumstances. Whenever the issue of spirit stones arose, Wu Shu would get a tremendous headache. Why? Simply because Wu Shu was too poor, and the mere mention of spirit stones turned his face pale.

Unwilling to let his mood be dampened by the matter of spirit stones, Wu Shu sighed, "With the blessing of the Earth Fire Technique, cultivating within the Flame Pagoda will allow my earth force to improve very quickly, even without a sufficient abundance of spirit stones."

The Pagoda Spirit chimed in, "What the Young Master says is entirely correct. The Flame Pagoda itself is capable of gathering the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Even without the aid of spirit stones, cultivating inside the Flame Pagoda will allow the Young Master's strength to grow very rapidly."

Indeed, deeply lacking in spirit stones yet forced to find some excuse for himself, Wu Shu nodded helplessly and calmly said, "Little Pagoda, I am preparing to enter the Flame Pagoda to cultivate once more. I need to rapidly enhance the earth force within my dantian."

Upon receiving Wu Shu's command, the Pagoda Spirit summoned the Flame Pagoda without delay. The pagoda transformed to a height of over six feet and stood firmly in Wu Shu's room.

With the reappearance of the Flame Pagoda, Wu Shu merely shifted his thoughts, and the next moment, he found himself inside the pagoda. Upon entry, the space within the Flame Pagoda remained as lofty and vast as before. The only difference was that to an outsider, the true height of the Flame Pagoda now appeared to be no more than six feet tall.

Entering the first floor of the Flame Pagoda, Wu Shu sat cross-legged directly on the ground and took out a large portion of the several thousand spirit stones Li Jianfeng had sent. More than two thousand spirit stones appeared before Wu Shu, forming a small pile.

Looking at such a multitude of spirit stones, Wu Shu could not help but sigh with emotion, "Cultivation is not easy. Every single low-grade spirit stone is the driving force that sustains practitioners as they move forward with difficulty. Only through accumulation over long years and months can one achieve success upon the path of cultivation."

With over two thousand spirit stones prepared, Wu Shu ran the circulation method of the Earth Fire Technique through his mind over and over again. At the same time, guided by the technique, the spiritual energy within his body began to flow along his meridians.

Thus, unawares, the Earth Fire Technique began to operate within Wu Shu, and wisps of warm, fiery spiritual energy emerged within his meridians. To Wu Shu's surprise, in less than half an hour, under the enhancement of the Earth Fire Technique, the concentration of fiery spiritual energy contained within his body reached an almost unbelievable degree.

Steadving his mind and keeping his inner self clear, Wu Shu silently circulated the Profound Technique.

Guided by the Profound Technique, strands of fiery spiritual energy within Wu Shu continuously transformed into profound energy, converging into his dantian. Before long, a second tiny droplet of profound liquid formed in his dantian. Accompanied by the appearance of this second droplet, a ripple of profound force manifested in his dantian for the first time. This signified that Wu Shu had attained the strength of the first layer of the True Origin Realm, specifically at the early stage of the first layer.

The True Origin Realm was divided into ten minor levels. For each level of strength gained, an additional ripple of energy would appear in the dantian. For instance, at the third layer of the True Origin Realm, the energy ripples appearing in a practitioner's dantian would number three each time, and once each ripple fully solidified, a fourth ripple would emerge, signifying that the practitioner was about to possess the strength of the fourth layer of the True Origin Realm.

Wu Shu did not slacken his efforts simply because energy ripples had appeared in his dantian; he continued to cultivate diligently.

Soon, the third and fourth droplets of profound liquid materialized in Wu Shu's dantian. When the fifth droplet appeared, energy ripples emerged in his dantian once more. At this moment, the energy ripples looked extremely solid, accompanied by the faint, indistinct appearance of yet another ripple.

The appearance of two energy ripples in the dantian meant that Wu Shu now possessed the strength of the second layer of the True Origin Realm. In a mere fraction of time, with the assistance of the Flame Pagoda and the Earth Fire Technique, Wu Shu had broken through once again.

Before Wu Shu even had time to rejoice over this fresh breakthrough in profound force, the power of the bloodline curse erupted within his body without any warning.

Compared to its previous manifestation, this curse power was even more ferocious. In an instant, Wu Shu had the illusion that his limbs were about to disintegrate.

Struggling to support his body, Wu Shu thought with great difficulty. Tormented by a pain so intense it felt as though his thoughts were snapping, Wu Shu once again utilized the breathing technique to guide the curse power toward his acupoints. As for which specific acupoint the breathing technique would guide the curse power into, Wu Shu had no way of knowing; this process was entirely beyond his control.

Thus, two hours passed. The curse power within Wu Shu gradually calmed down, and Wu Shu, drenched in sweat from the torment of the curse, finally regained consciousness.

Tears welling in its eyes, the Pagoda Spirit hurried forward and said, "Young Master, you..."

At this very moment, Wu Shu was extremely weak, yet he still firmly stated, "I am fine!"