Swallowing Heavenly Water, Three Years of Arduous Cultivation Culminates in the Hundred Tripods Realm!

The moment Yun Haitang received the news, she rushed over without delay. Upon seeing Lu Changsheng, her very first question was, "Brother Dao, did you experience sudden enlightenment?" Yun Haitang asked because this was not the first time she had witnessed "Dao Twelve" enter such a state. Previously, aboard the Ocean Commerce Guild's vessel, she had watched him plunge into the sea for an entire day before emerging in sudden enlightenment. "Indeed. I gained a modest measure of insight," Lu Changsheng nodded, not denying it. "Then my sincere congratulations to you, Brother Dao. Some spend their entire lives without ever experiencing sudden enlightenment, yet you have attained it twice in just a few short months." A smile appeared on Yun Haitang's face. Dao Twelve was her Dao Protector; naturally, the stronger he became, the better. "By the way, hurry and get me something to eat. Nine days without food—even a Divine Strength Realm body can barely endure it." At this moment, Lu Changsheng's overwhelming sensation was ravenous hunger. After nine days without sustenance, no matter how formidable a Divine Strength physique might be, it had not reached the stage of inedia. It still demanded vast amounts of food—especially meat and potent tonics—to replenish what the body had consumed. Seeing Lu Changsheng become so urgent and impatient the instant food was mentioned, Yun Haitang could not help but chuckle. In this brief moment, Dao Twelve seemed far more approachable. "Very well, I will have someone prepare it at once," she instructed. Before long, a lavish spread of food was laid across the table. Lu Changsheng did not stand on ceremony. Like a whirlwind sweeping away clouds, he devoured the entire table of food, only then feeling thoroughly refreshed and invigorated from head to toe. "That should do for now." "Miss Yun, is it time to fulfill your promise? Where is the drop of Heavenly Water you guaranteed?" Lu Changsheng asked. He had not forgotten the Heavenly Water. After all, this was a secret treasure capable of bestowing an additional marrow transformation and blood exchange. "The Heavenly Water is rather unusual. Brother Dao, you will need to accompany me." Lu Changsheng nodded, rising to follow behind Yun Haitang. Soon, the two arrived at a cavern. Inside hung stalactites of bizarre and grotesque shapes; evidently, the cave possessed an ancient history, having stood for hundreds or perhaps even thousands of years. Drip, drop. The sound of falling water echoed within. Moreover, the deeper they ventured, the colder the air became, until the chill turned extraordinarily biting. Only a Divine Strength Realm martial artist could withstand such frigid temperatures; an ordinary martial artist would likely freeze to death. "We have arrived." Yun Haitang came to a stop and pointed toward an open space ahead. "Brother Dao, the Heavenly Water is right here." "Heavenly Water?" Lu Changsheng looked closely. The ground was completely bare, with nothing upon it. He could not even find a damp patch, so how could there be any Heavenly Water? Doubt crept into his gaze. Yun Haitang explained, "Heavenly Water is extremely peculiar. It does not trickle from the cave walls, nor does it seep in from outside. Instead, it seems to manifest out of thin air above this clearing, as though condensed directly from the void by some unseen principle. "Furthermore, the window of its formation is fleeting, producing barely a few drops each year. Once it appears, it must be consumed immediately. Whether collected in a porcelain vial or allowed to drop onto the ground, it will instantly lose all efficacy. "It is precisely because it cannot be preserved that Heavenly Water is so exceptionally precious. "By my calculations, the time for it to appear should be within the next few days. Brother Dao, you may wait in this cave. As long as a drop of water coalesces in the air within this area, it is definitely Heavenly Water. When it happens, you must seize the moment; otherwise, you will have to wait several more months. "Also, Heavenly Water can only be taken once; consuming it a second time yields no effect. And whether one takes one drop or two, the result is identical." Listening to her explanation, Lu Changsheng grasped the situation. "Understood. I will wait here for a while." Yun Haitang turned and departed. She knew that at such a moment, Dao Twelve would certainly prefer not to be disturbed. Lu Changsheng remained inside the cave, surveying his surroundings. *I already possess the strength of ninety tripods. One more marrow transformation and blood exchange, and I will truly step into the Hundred Tripods Realm...* He attached immense importance to the Heavenly Water. After all, the Divine Strength Realm had three hurdles: the Ten Tripods Realm, the Hundred Tripods Realm, and the Thousand Tripods Realm. Many spent their entire lives languishing in the Ten Tripods Realm. Many exceptional martial artists could barely reach the Hundred Tripods Realm. As for the Thousand Tripods Realm, those who attained it were rarer still—truly preeminent figures who possessed genuine hope of ascending to the Divine Gang Realm! Lu Changsheng inspected the vicinity for a while. He found no trace of Heavenly Water, nor anything particularly unusual about the cave. If it truly produced such a wonder, it could only be attributed to a unique confluence of geography, climate, and environment. And so, he sat cross-legged on the ground, waiting in silence. One day, two days, three days... He endured three long days of waiting. Unlike during sudden enlightenment, he had to keep watch over every corner of the cave at every waking moment. In truth, this vigil was far more exhausting than his nine days of meditation, demanding relentless, unbroken concentration. Yet after three days, Lu Changsheng finally caught sight of it. *It is finally here!* Above his head, a crystalline drop of water slowly condensed into being. Just as Yun Haitang had described, Lu Changsheng could not discern how it had formed; it appeared entirely out of nothingness. This had to be the Heavenly Water! Without a shred of hesitation, Lu Changsheng leaped upward and drew in a sharp breath. *Whoosh.* He drew the single drop of Heavenly Water straight into his mouth. *Buzz.* The instant the droplet crossed his lips, it dissolved into an icy current that coursed through his limbs and bones. Formidable as his physique was, Lu Changsheng could not help but shudder as a bitter frost welled from the depths of his skeleton. Even so, he did not panic. He felt the cold seep deep into his bones and sink into his marrow. Then, that familiar sensation washed over him once more. Marrow transformation and blood exchange! Fresh bone marrow began to generate, supplanting the old. With its growth, Lu Changsheng's physical body strengthened in tandem, and the power within him surged upward. Ninety tripods, ninety-three tripods, ninety-five tripods, ninety-eight tripods... *Boom!* When his strength crested at one hundred tripods, a deep rumble echoed through his body. His qi and blood, muscles, and bones vibrated in unison. The Hundred Tripods Realm! At this moment, Lu Changsheng had finally advanced to the Hundred Tripods Realm! Nearly three years had elapsed since he first began practicing martial arts. Three years of arduous cultivation—a thousand days and nights—had culminated at last in the Hundred Tripods Realm! Once in the Hundred Tripods Realm, only one minor stage remained within Divine Strength: the Thousand Tripods Realm. However, while many could reach the Hundred Tripods Realm through sheer diligence, the Thousand Tripods Realm was not something effort alone could achieve. For instance, each marrow transformation and blood exchange granted the strength of ten tripods. To advance from the Hundred Tripods Realm to the Thousand Tripods Realm, would one not require a hundred such transformations? Lu Changsheng doubted that anyone could possibly endure a hundred marrow transformations and blood exchanges. *There must be some secret between the Hundred Tripods Realm and the Thousand Tripods Realm. Or rather, some crucial link unknown to ordinary martial artists.* Lu Changsheng had long recognized this question, but had never pursued it before; after all, he had not yet reached the Hundred Tripods Realm. Now that he stood as a Hundred Tripods Realm martial artist, he had earned the right to learn the truth. Conveniently, he was currently at the Heavenly Maiden Sect, an organization with centuries of heritage that surely possessed knowledge of these secrets. Rising to his feet, Lu Changsheng walked out of the cave. Outside, Yun Haitang was already waiting. She came by every day to check on his progress. The moment she arrived outside the entrance, she had sensed a formidable aura, realizing that Dao Twelve had most likely consumed the Heavenly Water and would emerge shortly. Sure enough, moments later, Dao Twelve stepped out. "Congratulations, Brother Dao, on taking your strength a step further," Yun Haitang offered warmly. "It is thanks to the Heavenly Maiden Sect's drop of Heavenly Water. Its effects are truly extraordinary. Miss Yun, there is a matter I do not understand, and I hope you can enlighten me candidly." Yun Haitang wondered what could make Dao Twelve sound so solemn. "I have just advanced to the Hundred Tripods Realm, but the gulf between the Hundred Tripods Realm and the Thousand Tripods Realm is vast, seemingly demanding a hundred marrow transformations and blood exchanges. Could it be that every Thousand Tripods Realm martial artist truly undergoes a hundred such transformations?" Lu Changsheng asked directly. "Brother Dao does not know?" Yun Haitang was taken aback. Yet on reflection, Dao Twelve had walked alone from the moment he appeared, never disclosing his origins. Could he truly be an unaffiliated rogue martial artist? That was exceedingly rare—and if true, an even greater stroke of fortune for her. "Brother Dao, please follow me." Yun Haitang led Lu Changsheng to a quiet, secluded chamber. Only then did she speak: "Brother Dao, from the Hundred Tripods Realm to the Thousand Tripods Realm, there are essentially two paths. "The first is as you described: undergoing at least ninety marrow transformations and blood exchanges. With each transformation adding the strength of ten tripods, one's body will slowly attain the Thousand Tripods Realm. But the difficulty of this goes without saying. "The second path is to seek out certain specific curiosities. Various rare curiosities exist throughout the martial world. Once ingested, they subtly transform the body, gradually enhancing one's physical constitution to bestow the strength of one hundred tripods at once. In this manner, one requires only nine such curiosities to reach the Thousand Tripods Realm. "However, these curiosities are exceedingly rare. Whenever one surfaces, bloody contention follows. Even among the great sects and venerable clans capable of cultivating them, nurturing a single curiosity to maturity requires an immense span of time." Lu Changsheng frowned slightly. "If a curiosity can grant the strength of a hundred tripods in one stroke, why not consume them starting at the Ten Tripods Realm? Those major sects with the means surely possess such items; wouldn't it be better to have their disciples advance directly to the Hundred Tripods Realm?" Yun Haitang smiled wryly. "There is, of course, a reason for that, the most fundamental being the limitations of the physical vessel. A Ten Tripods Realm martial artist's body simply cannot endure such curiosities; forcing oneself to ingest one would more likely cause the body to burst. Therefore, one must reach at least the Hundred Tripods Realm before taking them." Lu Changsheng understood. A curiosity capable of granting the strength of a hundred tripods at once was certainly not simple to refine. The slightest misstep would tear the practitioner apart. Yet neither of these two paths seemed easy. "Is there any other way?" Lu Changsheng asked again. "There is! "If Brother Dao can find an offering that satisfies an Immortal Master, you can request that they refine a Hundred Tripods Pill. Many Hundred Tripods Pills do not require rare curiosities as primary ingredients. With a bit of time and effort, the necessary materials can be gathered, and with an Immortal Master's alchemy, a Hundred Tripods Pill can be concocted. "This is also the method most commonly employed by Hundred Tripods Realm martial artists today." Lu Changsheng's eyes narrowed slightly. An Immortal Master? A Hundred Tripods Pill? So an Immortal Master could craft a Hundred Tripods Pill capable of bestowing the strength of a hundred tripods in a single bound! No wonder Immortal Masters held such a transcendent status in the world. And no wonder the appearance of the Yunying ore mother had stirred nearly every faction in Zhanhai City, drawing out countless Divine Strength Realm experts. The true reason was the Hundred Tripods Pill! With the Yunying ore mother in hand, one could commission Immortal Master Shangyuan to refine Hundred Tripods Pills. *So that is how it works...* Lu Changsheng pondered the options; in truth, he could pursue all three paths simultaneously. The first method might seem slow, but it steadily reinforced the physical body, making the refinement of curiosities far safer. For example, his Qiantian Treasure Transformation Secret Method still had five rare treasures left to find; locating them would yield another fifty tripods of strength. Combined with the five remaining leaps of the dragon gate in the Ninefold Carp Leaping Dragon Gate Art, they would together grant an additional one hundred tripods. Even the thinnest mosquito leg offered meat. As for curiosities that directly bestowed the strength of a hundred tripods, he could begin making inquiries and vie for them whenever the opportunity arose. Yet the most practical, immediate path remained having an Immortal Master refine a Hundred Tripods Pill. And right before him lay a ready opportunity: the Yunying ore mother! Originally, Lu Changsheng had felt no desire to meddle with the Yunying ore mother, considering it none of his concern and seeing no reason to wade into muddy waters. But circumstances had changed; the Yunying ore mother now concerned him directly. The Hundred Tripods Pill was something he must possess! "Miss Yun, now that you have advanced to the Divine Strength Realm, shouldn't you return the rest of the fire seed to me?" Lu Changsheng suddenly asked. "Of course." Yun Haitang was momentarily taken aback, but she reluctantly handed the fire seed back to Lu Changsheng. Purifying the blood was secondary; its ability to purge distracting thoughts and calm the mind was of immense value. Yet having promised Dao Twelve, she could not go back on her word. Lu Changsheng stowed the fire seed away. "There are five rare treasures I need the Heavenly Maiden Sect to help me search for. Any clues will suffice." He proceeded to describe the five remaining rare treasures required for the Qiantian Treasure Transformation Secret Method. "No problem," Yun Haitang agreed with a nod. Whatever else the Heavenly Maiden Sect might lack, gathering intelligence was its strength, given the sprawling network of connections woven by its disciples across the region. "One final matter. "I need the Heavenly Maiden Sect to exhaust every effort to track down specific intelligence on the Yunying ore mother's current whereabouts. "You may even put out word: "The Yunying ore mother belongs to me, Dao Twelve. Whoever wishes to contest it may test the blade in my hand!" Yun Haitang stared in astonishment. Though Dao Twelve spoke in an even, calm voice, his words carried an unquestionable dominance and unshakeable confidence.