A Life Leap Method! A Wisp of Grandmist Qi, a Surging Physical Body!

"Your ranking is... ninety-three thousand, six hundred eighty-first!" Zisang announced. "What? Ninety-three thousand-something?" Lu Changsheng's eyes widened in disbelief. That was far too low. In truth, Lu Changsheng held himself in rather high regard. He knew very well that he had passed the Black Light Pagoda's trial while still in the god-ascension stage. His talent was unquestionably extraordinary. Even if he wasn't among the top ten, he should at least have placed within the top hundred. And yet? Over ninety thousand! How was that possible? "Master, you haven't formally taken part in the ultimate trial yet, so your ranking can only be calculated based on your potential when passing the preliminary trial. The Black Light Pagoda's ranking is actually a projection of when you will become a source lifeform based on your cultivation circumstances. The earlier the projected time, the higher your ranking. For instance, the chaos lifeform currently ranked first might achieve the leap to source lifeform within a year or so," Zisang explained patiently. Lu Changsheng finally understood. It turned out to be an overall assessment by the Black Light Pagoda estimating the time needed to become a source lifeform. That made sense. He had only just become a chaos lifeform and hadn't even undergone a single life leap. How could he possibly become a source lifeform in the short term? Having a low ranking was only natural. Even so, another question crossed Lu Changsheng's mind. "If I am ranked over ninety thousand, how many cultivators in the Black Light Realm have passed the Black Light Pagoda's preliminary trial? From the looks of it, could it exceed a hundred thousand?" "Yes, it exceeds a hundred thousand. The total is around a hundred and ten thousand." Lu Changsheng fell silent. A hundred and ten thousand. Those were a hundred and ten thousand of the most supreme geniuses. Anyone who could pass the Black Light Pagoda's preliminary trial was an elite talent wherever they went. In the entire Hundred Flowers Domain, there had not been a single one aside from Lu Changsheng. Yet here in the Black Light Realm, there were a hundred and ten thousand! "Master, the vastness of chaos may exceed your imagination. At present, the number of domain realms is already beyond counting. In the face of such sheer scale, even if only one genius capable of passing the Black Light Pagoda's preliminary trial emerged from every ten domain realms, the total would still be immense. Furthermore, chaos lifeforms possess exceedingly long lifespans, and waiting for their lifespan limits to arrive is extraordinarily difficult. Thus, this total of a hundred and ten thousand was slowly accumulated over countless epochs. Even so, Master's talent is remarkably outstanding. Once you participate in the ultimate trial, your ranking will surely rise by a large margin." On this point, Zisang was quite confident. Once artifact spirits of the Black Light Pagoda's subordinate manifestations chose a master, their fates became thoroughly intertwined. The better their master performed in the Black Light Realm—or if they eventually became a source lifeform—the better the artifact spirits of these sub-pagodas would fare. But if their master perished or failed to become a source lifeform, they would return to the mother Black Light Pagoda, and their spirit would be thoroughly merged into it. For them, that was no different from death. Therefore, the artifact spirits of the subordinate Black Light Pagodas truly shared honor and ruin with their cultivators. "Then since its founding, how many source lifeforms have emerged from the Black Light Realm?" Lu Changsheng asked. "From its founding to this day, a total of eleven source lifeforms have emerged from the Black Light Realm." Lu Changsheng's eyes went wide. Eleven source lifeforms? That was across the entire history of the Black Light Realm since its inception! Some chaos lifeforms had reached their natural lifespans, while others had fallen along the way. If one truly counted them all up, the cumulative total would far exceed a hundred and ten thousand. And out of all those chaos lifeforms, only eleven had ever become source lifeforms. It seemed that even for the chaos lifeform ranked first, attaining the realm of a source lifeform was an exceptionally daunting feat. Among those who passed the preliminary trial, becoming a source lifeform was practically one in ten thousand. "By the way, what counts as passing the ultimate trial?" Lu Changsheng asked. "That... I've only heard about it. It can be called difficult, yet also simple. One only needs to undergo a single life leap, but there is a time limit—and that limit is supposedly quite harsh," Zisang replied hesitantly. Lu Changsheng nodded. It seemed the ultimate trial was meant to filter out geniuses even further. "Let's go. We'll take the ultimate trial first." Lu Changsheng hesitated no longer and quickly made his way to the Trial Hall under Zisang's guidance. There were not many people in the Trial Hall. After all, many cultivators had already undertaken the ultimate trial, and the vast majority had failed. Once they failed, they lost the qualifications to take it again. Since Zisang was originally a subordinate manifestation of the Black Light Pagoda, Zisang handled all the guidance. Lu Changsheng stood inside a private chamber, where a figure materialized before him—none other than Zisang. "Master, Zisang has received the contents of your ultimate trial. Please take a look." With a wave of Zisang's hand, Lu Changsheng focused his gaze. "Lu Changsheng, age twelve thousand, transformed into a chaos lifeform via the Myriad Origins Fundamental Art." "Based on Lu Changsheng's comprehensive parameters, the following ultimate trial is assigned: within ten thousand years, Lu Changsheng must complete one life leap using the 'Sky Cleaving Art.'" "Exceeding the ten-thousand-year limit shall be judged a failure. Undergoing a life leap via any other method shall be judged a failure." "Upon successfully completing the life leap, a rating will be assigned based on the time taken; the shorter the duration, the higher the rating and the more generous the rewards." Immediately following that, Lu Changsheng saw the details of the so-called 'Sky Cleaving Art.' In essence, it was a method for life leaps. A life leap method was distinct from regular cultivation arts. For chaos lifeforms, ordinary cultivation arts were all fundamentally similar—one simply needed to strengthen the physical body continuously. But a life leap required a specific technique. Life leaps took place repeatedly, each one equivalent to a sublimation of one's fundamental life essence. Thus, this 'direction of sublimation' was of paramount importance. The Sky Cleaving Art served precisely to guide that direction. It was exceptionally critical, strictly forbidden from being shared, and could only be practiced by Lu Changsheng alone. "Master, to think the mother pagoda actually bestowed upon you the Sky Cleaving Art! This is one of the absolute pinnacle methods for life leaps. For the mother pagoda to give Master such a supreme method proves it assesses your potential to be top-tier, with a real hope of becoming a source lifeform in the future!" Zisang said excitedly. It seemed this Sky Cleaving Art was indeed not to be underestimated. Lu Changsheng, on the other hand, did not show much excitement. Instead, he immersed himself in studying the art. As a top-tier life leap method, cultivating it naturally would not be easy. Upon closer inspection, Lu Changsheng realized that the Sky Cleaving Art required every particle of the physical body to undergo a terrifying explosion, akin to the opening of heaven and earth, achieving a life leap from within that explosion. The difficulty was immense. Such a method demanded extraordinarily high comprehension, exceptionally precise control, and a terrifyingly resilient physical body. None of the three could be lacking. If any area fell short, the life leap would very likely fail. And once it failed, the physical body would collapse, resulting in immediate death. Having grasped this, Lu Changsheng muttered softly under his breath, "It certainly thinks highly of me. Giving me such a top-tier life leap method—is it that certain I can succeed?" Lu Changsheng knew the mother Black Light Pagoda possessed vast divine capabilities, and its computational power was unimaginably immense—one could tell simply by seeing how many subordinate pagodas had been split off. With such terrifying computational power, it could naturally formulate tailored cultivation paths according to each practitioner's circumstances. In truth, this was the real benefit of coming to the Black Light Realm. It was equivalent to having a powerhouse at the level of a source lifeform teaching each cultivator according to their aptitude. For a chaos lifeform, that would spare them countless detours. This Sky Cleaving Art had clearly been tailored to Lu Changsheng's unique strength—namely, his comprehension! The Sky Cleaving Art demanded monstrous comprehension; without enough of it, mastering the technique was impossible, and attempting a life leap with it would only lead to failure. But for Lu Changsheng, it was a perfect fit. Even so, ten thousand years was a rather tight window. "Zisang, is the Black Light Pagoda—or rather, the Black Light Realm—a sect or an organization?" Lu Changsheng asked. This Black Light Realm was somewhat peculiar. It specifically gathered geniuses, and the absolute pinnacle ones at that, yet it was not a sect. Or rather, it was entirely different from a traditional sect. There were no elders, masters, or fellow disciples. Instead, everything depended on oneself. At most, cultivation resources were distributed based on ranking—the higher the rank, the more resources one received. But if it wasn't a sect, were all these cultivation resources given out for free? Something felt off. "Master, cultivators within the Black Light Realm have always been categorized based on passing the preliminary trial. Anyone who passes the Black Light Pagoda's preliminary trial receives the imprint of the Black Light Realm, becoming a part of it. Passing the ultimate trial makes one a core member of the Black Light Realm. If one wishes to join another faction or sect of an equivalent level, their subordinate Black Light Pagoda will be revoked, and they are strictly forbidden from revealing any arts obtained from the Black Light Realm. Beyond that, there are no mandatory restrictions," Zisang explained. Lu Changsheng began to understand. The Black Light Realm was indeed an organization, likely one of the premier factions across the vast chaos. It simply nurtured its members differently from traditional sects or conventional forces. Yet the fact that it had produced eleven source lifeforms was ample proof of its capability. "Let's see what cultivation resources are required." Lu Changsheng knew that because different chaos lifeforms practiced different life leap methods, their cultivation efficiency varied depending on the resources used. Specific cultivation resources provided immense benefits to particular life leap methods. For instance, the specific resource required for the Sky Cleaving Art was Grandmist Qi. "Zisang, what is Grandmist Qi?" Lu Changsheng asked. "Grandmist Qi is a unique treasure born when a chaos world explodes and begins taking form. Moreover, it only exists during the primordial opening of a chaos world. Once the heavens and earth take shape and the world stabilizes, the Grandmist Qi naturally dissipates. Therefore, Grandmist Qi is exceedingly rare. A newly born chaos world yields only a single wisp of it. Master, because you passed the preliminary trial with outstanding performance and have now chosen the Sky Cleaving Art, the mother pagoda will reward you with one wisp of Grandmist Qi. Once you refine it, you will see its benefits for yourself." Lu Changsheng nodded and waited quietly. A moment later, a purple box appeared out of thin air before him, containing a wisp of Grandmist Qi. "Grandmist Qi..." Lu Changsheng's heart stirred, and he began refining it without delay. One month, three months, five months, eight months... In the blink of an eye, a year passed. The refinement of this wisp went exceptionally smoothly. Lu Changsheng could clearly feel the Grandmist Qi permeating every single flesh particle in his body, enhancing each of them to varying degrees. It was a flawless fit for his current physical body. One had to remember that when Lu Changsheng transformed into a chaos lifeform, every single flesh particle had undergone metamorphosis. This manner of transformation made further strengthening his physical body exceedingly arduous. Only an elite few cultivation resources could elevate his entire body as a whole, and Grandmist Qi happened to be one of them. *Swish.* Lu Changsheng opened his eyes. Having finished refining the Grandmist Qi, his first priority was to check the enhancement of his physical body. He immediately brought up his attribute panel. **Host: Lu Changsheng** **Comprehension: Top-tier comprehension** **World Master: 0 (Embryonic)** **Chaos Lifeform: 2% (Newly Formed)** Sure enough, his progress as a chaos lifeform on the panel had reached 2%. Compared to the previous 1%, it had clearly increased by 1%. That meant refining each wisp of Grandmist Qi advanced his physical body's progress by 1%. With ninety-eight more wisps, his physical body would reach full completion, at which point he could attempt a life leap. However, where was he supposed to get Grandmist Qi? That was the crux of the matter. "Zisang, apply for a reranking," Lu Changsheng said. He had refined a wisp of Grandmist Qi and accepted the ultimate trial, which in a sense had altered his overall potential. Soon, Lu Changsheng's rank was recalculated. "Master, your updated ranking is out: ninety-two thousand, six hundredth," Zisang reported. Lu Changsheng nodded, quite pleased. Refining a single wisp of Grandmist Qi not only advanced his physical progress by 1%, but also raised his ranking by nearly a thousand places. "Zisang, will the Black Light Realm only issue this single wisp of Grandmist Qi?" Lu Changsheng inquired. "Not necessarily. As long as one passes the preliminary trial and ranks within the top ten thousand, cultivation resources are distributed. However, there are time intervals for these distributions: the top ten thousand receive one portion every ten thousand years; the top one thousand receive one portion every thousand years; the top hundred receive one portion every hundred years; and the top ten receive one portion every one to ten years depending on their exact standing. Regardless of ranking, a maximum of one hundred portions can be distributed per cultivation stage." Lu Changsheng understood now. No wonder the rankings were so crucial—they were directly tied to cultivation resources. His current ranking was in the ninety-thousands. By rule, he was not qualified to receive resources distributed by the Black Light Realm; he had to break into the top ten thousand first. Even if he made it into the top ten thousand, a portion—one wisp of Grandmist Qi—would only be distributed once every ten thousand years. For the ninety-eight remaining wisps, he would need nine hundred and eighty thousand years, nearly a million years, which spanned dozens of epochs. That was far too long. Thus, merely reaching the top ten thousand was nowhere near enough. He needed at least the top thousand—no, the top hundred. Reaching the top ten would be even better. Yet to attain a higher rank, he had to cultivate diligently, and cultivating required resources. It was a circular dilemma. For now, Lu Changsheng had to find a way to obtain cultivation resources himself—namely, securing Grandmist Qi on his own. "Zisang, where can Grandmist Qi be found?" "Master, that requires you to explore on your own," Zisang replied cautiously. It was merely an artifact spirit, not omnipotent. Cultivation resources were something Lu Changsheng had to figure out for himself. "Let's head back to my cave dwelling first." Under Zisang's lead, Lu Changsheng returned to his cave dwelling. As a cultivator who had passed the preliminary trial, he held permanent residency in the Black Light Realm and was naturally allocated a residence. The cave dwelling was spacious and free of any fees. Other chaos lifeforms were not so fortunate; not only did staying in the Black Light Realm require fees, but renting a cave dwelling incurred costs as well. Inside the dwelling, Lu Changsheng sat lost in thought. He had acquired the life leap method, and his grasp of the Black Light Realm's situation was largely established. Yet his cultivation had now hit a snag: resources. Cultivation resources were too difficult to come by, and he had to procure them himself. A newcomer in unfamiliar territory, where was he supposed to look? Suddenly, a figure crossed Lu Changsheng's mind. Chen Yuan! Wasn't that fellow selling guides? He must have been in the Black Light Realm for a long time and surely had some news. With that in mind, Lu Changsheng immediately sent a transmission to Chen Yuan. Before long, Chen Yuan arrived outside the cave dwelling, and Lu Changsheng welcomed him inside. Chen Yuan looked left and right, nodding repeatedly in admiration. "As expected of a cultivator who passed the preliminary trial. This treatment simply cannot compare to what other chaos lifeforms receive. Fellow Daoist Lu, what brings you to contact me this time?" Chen Yuan knew full well that Lu Changsheng had summoned him for a reason, but it certainly wasn't about trial guides. "Does Fellow Daoist Chen Yuan know about Grandmist Qi?" Lu Changsheng asked. "Oh? Fellow Daoist Lu has already received his life leap method, and Grandmist Qi happens to be the required resource? That's quite difficult to find, though not impossible." Chen Yuan immediately guessed that Lu Changsheng's required resource was Grandmist Qi. That was only natural. Lu Changsheng hadn't intended to keep it a secret anyway—such a thing couldn't be hidden in the long run. If he wanted to cultivate, he had to search for Grandmist Qi, and others would inevitably find out. "Oh? You have a way?" Lu Changsheng's eyes brightened. "Grandmist Qi is a precious resource found only during the primordial opening of a chaos world. There are two methods currently available. The first is direct purchase. Others certainly have Grandmist Qi in their hands, but such resources are usually bartered; one must trade resources of equivalent value to obtain it. The second method is finding a newly born chaos world, or one that has not yet fully transformed into a chaos world, and staking it out to harvest the Grandmist Qi." Of these two paths, Lu Changsheng immediately ruled out the first. What resources did he have to trade for Grandmist Qi? He had nothing to his name right now. He could only take the second. "Fellow Daoist Chen Yuan, if I choose the second method, do you know of any newly born chaos worlds?" Lu Changsheng asked. "A newly born chaos world... of course I do. However, are you sure you really want to go? A newly born chaos world doesn't just hold Grandmist Qi—it holds many, many other cultivation resources. What kind of figures do you think such an abundance of resources attracts? Since even I know about it, the news has long since spread. The powerhouses drawn there are beyond imagination; even cultivators who have undergone a life leap would only be making up the numbers..." Lu Changsheng naturally understood what Chen Yuan was getting at. Indeed, if even Chen Yuan knew, countless others had surely known long before. Lu Changsheng had to adapt to his current standing: he was no longer an apex existence of the Hundred Flowers Domain, but merely an ordinary chaos lifeform ranked in the ninety-thousands within the Black Light Realm. Over a newly born chaos world, he wouldn't be able to compete even with the Black Light Pagoda—after all, he wasn't the only one who possessed a subordinate pagoda; all one hundred and ten thousand chaos lifeforms held one. For a moment, Lu Changsheng furrowed his brow, sensing trouble. Was he truly left to wait indefinitely for an opportunity? Chen Yuan smiled faintly. "Fellow Daoist Lu, there are many in the Black Light Realm in your situation. If you want Grandmist Qi, your best option is actually to find an embryonic world that hasn't yet evolved into a chaos world, keep it as secret as possible, and prevent word from spreading. Alternatively, you could help someone secure a specific cultivation resource in exchange for intelligence or even Grandmist Qi directly." Lu Changsheng gave Chen Yuan a meaningful look, vaguely suspecting his angle. "Which faction does Fellow Daoist Chen Yuan represent?" "Haha, nothing gets past Fellow Daoist Lu! I would like to invite you to join the Same Boat Society—named after the concept of sharing the same boat through thick and thin. Its members are all chaos lifeforms, distributed not only in the Black Light Realm, but across many domain realms. The Same Boat Society is a loose organization where members come and go freely. There are many such groups in the Black Light Realm, and the realm does nothing to restrict them. Inside, all kinds of intelligence can be exchanged, and private trades can be conducted." Lu Changsheng understood. It was simply a loose communication and networking association. Moreover, Chen Yuan was right: being alone in the Black Light Realm left him with limited access to information. Joining the Same Boat Society would grant him broader insight. Still, Lu Changsheng was not one to act recklessly. He immediately consulted Zisang. "Zisang, look into the Same Boat Society at once." "Yes, Master." Before long, Zisang completed the inquiry. As a subordinate manifestation of the Black Light Pagoda, Zisang possessed certain authority to access information. For instance, regarding the Same Boat Society, Zisang confirmed that it was indeed an exchange network just as Chen Yuan had claimed. It was expansive with a vast membership, but lacked cohesive unity. However, it was exceptionally convenient for sharing news across many domain realms, suiting Lu Changsheng's needs perfectly. "Agreed," Lu Changsheng said with a nod. Beaming, Chen Yuan replied, "Wonderful! Fellow Daoist Lu is someone who passed the Black Light Realm's preliminary trial, which carries considerable weight. Come, I'll take you to the Same Boat Society's station right away." With that, Chen Yuan led Lu Changsheng to the society's post in the Black Light Realm. There were other chaos lifeforms inside. Upon hearing that Lu Changsheng had cleared the Black Light Pagoda's preliminary trial, smiles broke out across their faces, and their demeanor grew noticeably warmer. Though there were a hundred and ten thousand cultivators with Black Light Pagodas here, this was the Black Light Realm, where the top talents of the entire chaos congregated. Out in the wider world, which cultivator holding a Black Light Pagoda wasn't renowned and capable of suppressing an entire domain realm on their own? "Fellow Daoist Lu, this is your Same Boat Token. You can project your consciousness directly into it. This token was crafted by a source lifeform and spans a range of ten thousand domain realms. Anyone within that radius can project their consciousness into the token to communicate with one another, effectively bridging vast distances with immense convenience." Lu Changsheng's eyes lit up. That was certainly convenient. Without delay, he immersed his consciousness into the token. *Hmm? How remarkably lifelike...* The moment Lu Changsheng entered the Same Boat Token, he found himself standing inside a grand hall. The hall was colossal, more than large enough to accommodate an immense crowd. Lu Changsheng had already agreed on contact details with Chen Yuan, so he added Chen Yuan as a contact, allowing the two of them to meet directly within the token's space. *Whoosh.* Chen Yuan materialized before Lu Changsheng with a broad smile. "Fellow Daoist Lu, what do you think?" Lu Changsheng nodded. "Quite impressive indeed." "Haha, the Same Boat Token offers countless benefits. Come, let me introduce you to some fellow Daoists." Chen Yuan was smooth and tactful, possessing an extensive circle of acquaintances and many friends even within the Same Boat Token. Thus, Lu Changsheng met numerous chaos lifeforms. Upon learning that Lu Changsheng possessed a Black Light Pagoda, their expressions turned understanding and their attitudes grew far more cordial. "Everyone, Fellow Daoist Lu requires Grandmist Qi. If anyone comes across any word of it, please let him know as soon as possible," Chen Yuan announced. He understood full well why Lu Changsheng had joined the society and entered the token to meet so many people—it was for Grandmist Qi, of course. That was the primary objective, and Chen Yuan was not about to lose sight of it. "Grandmist Qi... that's a rare resource found only during the primordial opening of a chaos world." "Indeed. Finding a newly born chaos world is far too difficult. Even if one were found, it wouldn't be something we could casually meddle in..." The crowd gathered in small clusters to discuss it. They were eager to forge ties with Lu Changsheng, knowing that anyone who possessed a Black Light Pagoda held boundless prospects, but most simply lacked information on newly born chaos worlds. "Actually, I happen to know a little something about Grandmist Qi, only..." Just then, a black-robed cultivator spoke up slowly.