Standing in the Daoist arena within the grotto, Lei Jun felt a gentle breeze brush against his body. It was so familiar.

The same purifying wind he felt when he first crossed into this world.

It marked the beginning of his cultivation journey.

Lei Jun smiled faintly, and his soul traversed the flying bridge, formally arriving at theTrue-One Altar.

Around him, the banners and sacred canopies fluttered, the lights in the grotto illuminating everything in all directions.

The weight of profound Daoist meaning imbued Lei Jun’s body and mind, making him feel completely at ease.

Yet the altar remained sealed, as if the path forward was still barred.

Lei Jun calmed his mind, and with a thought, a massive Spirit Talisman appeared above his head, glowing brilliantly. It was nine feet high and four feet wide.

The talisman’s radiance echoed with the surrounding spiritual light of the grotto, generating a subtle resonance.

Simultaneously, theTrue-One Altarbefore him began to change.

The second tier of the altar remained silent, but on the first-tier square altar, a soft and eternal light shone.

Countless Daoist inscriptions seemed to float across the altar’s surface.

With the inscriptions appeared four doors:

The Heavenly Gate, Earth Gate, Sun Gate, and Moon Gate.

Lei Jun respectfully bowed to theTrue-One Altarfollowing his sect’s rites.

The procedure mirrored the ritual he had followed when he entered theTen Thousand Methods Altarduring theInitiation Ceremony.

After bowing, he stepped through the Earth Gate and entered the first tier of theTrue-One Altar.

Upon entry, Lei Jun felt as if he had entered an entirely new, isolated dimension—another realm within a grotto.

Looking around, he vaguely saw numerous silhouettes hovering in the air.

These weren’t real deities.

A similar scene had occurred during theTen Thousand Methods Altarceremony.

These figures were the spiritual essences of theHeavenly Soldiers,Guardians of the Nine Provinces, and theGrand Marshals of the Yearwho had been worshipped over countless years.

Ever since the Talismanic Branch altered its Daoist methods, these entities had ceased to be worshipped by the common people. Instead, they had become the foundation of the sect’s heritage.

In theTen Thousand Methods Altar, if one ascended to the second tier, they would encounter theThree Yuan Generals,Disaster-Relief Generals, andSpirit-Treasure Generals.

On the third tier, the veneration extended to theThree Sovereigns, variousCelestial Lords, andTrue Monarchs.

TheTrue-One Altaressentially mirrored a part of theTen Thousand Methods Altar.

Thus, by entering theTrue-One Altar, Lei Jun could also experience these profound Daoist insights.

The Daoist energy infused Lei Jun’s soul with a transformative purification, bringing his spirit closer to a state of pure tranquility and natural simplicity—an indescribable experience.

Cultivating here, or studying Daoist scriptures and spells, would yield twice the results with half the effort.

For Lei Jun, whose comprehension was at theIlluminatedlevel, this was a chance to immerse himself in the ocean of Daoist teachings.

Just being here filled his mind with inspiration.

Ideas that had been mere sketches when developing new spells and talismans now blossomed into clear concepts.

He could hardly wait to put them into practice.

For Daoist cultivators, selecting aLife-Bound Spellwas crucial.

During the Lower Heavens, cultivators refined their Life-Bound Spells. In the Middle Heavens, they refined Life-Bound Techniques.

While other spells could be cultivated, none matched the harmony and power of Life-Bound Spells.

More importantly, once a cultivator reached the Middle Heavens, they could enhance their Life-Bound Spells.

Even though they were still called “spells,” their power and effectiveness became incomparable.

For Lei Jun, having reached thePrimal Talismanstage of theFourth Heaven, he could now craftSupreme-Grade Basic Talismanseffortlessly.

However, his Life-Bound Talismanic Spells—theSpirit Strike Talisman,Wind Talisman, andFive Thunder Talisman—could now be upgraded to far surpass basic talismans.

His mind buzzed with ideas, eager to test them all.

But the real surprise was that, aside from his soul’s purification, he sensed the breeze outside the altar beginning to extend into the grotto, touching his physical body.

He could distinctly feel his body undergoing a second purification from theTianshi Seal.

Wait…

Lei Jun suddenly had a revelation.

This feeling was familiar.

But it wasn’t like the breeze that purified his body when he first arrived.

It was more akin to a rebirth.

He had experienced this twice before.

The first time was atQingyun River Beach, when the combined power of thePurple-Gold Lingzhi Essence,Dragon Horse Scale, andHeavenly Abyss Dewelevated his bone structure fromAverage Physiqueto theHidden Dragon Spirit Physique.

The second was in theYunxiao Mountain Range, where the fusion of theFire Marrow Yangfish,Water Marrow Yinfish,Unaccomplished Cauldron, andJiji Stoneenhanced his comprehension fromSupreme Goodto the currentIlluminatedlevel.

Now, with theTianshi Sealnurturing his body, he felt the same sensation.

It was closer to his experience atQingyun River Beachwhen his bone structure improved.

However, it wasn’t enough yet.

Lei Jun speculated that, just like before, he needed additional conditions for a full transformation.

Starting from a lower level meant easier breakthroughs.

But further advancements became progressively harder.

His currentHidden Dragon Spirit Physiquewould require a greater opportunity to evolve.

Regardless, accessing theTrue-One Altar’s first tier had provided the first step.

If he could enhance his bone structure to aSacred Physique, his cultivation journey would undoubtedly become smoother.

Lei Jun steadied his mind and focused.

At twenty-six years old, he had successfully reached theFourth Heavenand extended his lifespan to 400 years.

He was still very young.

Given that he had been atMount Longhufor less than eight years, his progress was remarkable.

Yet, cultivation required diligence.

Because…

Middle Heaven cultivators had a lifespan cap of 400 years.

From theThird Heavento theFourth Heaven, lifespan doubled—from 200 to 400 years.

But advancing further, from theFourth Heavento theFifth, and from theFifthto theSixth, offered no lifespan increase.

To extend his lifespan, he had to reach theSeventh Heaven, the realm of the Upper Heavens.

Fortunately, the prime window for advancing in the Middle Heavens was before the age of 100.

At twenty-six, Lei Jun had ample time.

However, after 100, advancement became significantly harder.

Between 100 and 200 years old, cultivators remained in their prime but faced greater difficulty breaking through.

Past 200, they entered their senior years, and breakthroughs became nearly impossible.

Historically, very few Middle Heaven cultivators had successfully advanced past 200, and none had succeeded beyond 300.

Lei Jun had no interest in challenging this record.

Lei Jun preferred to progress steadily and consistently rather than gamble on being an outlier.

Speaking of this, one couldn't overlook the three prodigies of the younger generation at theTianshi Mansion:Xu Yuanzhen,Li Zhengxuan, andTang Xiaotang.

Even in a Daoist Holy Land brimming with talent, these three were the objects of envy for countless disciples.

The background and capabilities ofSenior Sister Xu Yuanzhenremained shrouded in mystery, known to very few.

Senior Brother Li Zhengxuanpossessed the rare combination of aSacred PhysiqueandIlluminatedcomprehension.

Junior Sister Tang Xiaotanghad aCelestial PhysiqueandClear Tranquilitycomprehension, which left others feeling both envious and resigned.

All three had broken through to the Upper Heavens at a young age, surpassing many senior disciples and elders of the mansion.

Their success was certainly aided by the current era of abundant spiritual energy and frequent talent emergence, but it still drew admiration from other top sects.

“A towering skyscraper begins from the ground up. One step at a time,” Lei Jun murmured to himself.

His immediate goal was to advance within thePrimal Talisman Stageof theFourth Heavenand push towards theFifth Heaven Dao Palace Stage.

In the Talismanic Branch, theFourth Heaven Primal Talisman Stagewas divided into four sub-levels:Initial, Intermediate, Advanced,andPerfection.

Younger disciples often marked their progress with the number of talismans they refined.

Lei Jun, having just crossed the tribulation into theFourth Heavenand refined his firstPrimal Talisman, was at theInitial Stage.

Refining a second talisman would advance him to theIntermediate Stage, and so on.

Upon refining four talismans, representing the four cardinal directions, he would achievePerfectionin thePrimal Talisman Stageand be ready to break through to theFifth Heaven Dao Palace Stage.

Calming his thoughts, Lei Jun focused his soul on cultivation within the first tier of theTrue-One Altar.

As he immersed himself, the Dao insights he perceived grew deeper.

Time passed unknowingly until Lei Jun felt a subtle shift.

Amid layers of Dao inscriptions and energy patterns, something seemed to manifest within the first tier of theTrue-One Altar.

It felt like a wondrous talismanic scripture.

However, he couldn't yet discern its contents.

A thought crossed his mind, but after several attempts, he made no progress.

Respectfully bowing to the divine spirits of the altar, Lei Jun withdrew his soul.

This time, the first tier of the altar remained open, its surface shimmering with Daoist energy.

Lei Jun followed the sect’s ceremonial procedures to exit the altar grounds, returning his consciousness to his physical body.

Opening his eyes, he exhaled deeply, feeling utterly refreshed.

He proceeded to meet his master,Yuan Mobai.

“Have you refined yourPrimal Talisman?”Yuan Mobaiasked with a smile.

Lei Jun detailed his experiences, including his breakthrough to theFourth Heaven Primal Talisman Stageand his journey within the first tier of theTrue-One Altar.

After listening quietly,Yuan Mobaismiled. “The talisman you couldn’t yet discern is one of the three talismanic scriptures recorded in theThree Realms True Canon.”

Lei Jun’s eyes gleamed with recognition. “Is it theEarth Talisman Scripture?”

According to tradition, two of theTianshi Mansion’sthree treasures—theTianshi Sealand theTianshi Robe—contained theThree Realms True Canon.

The three tiers of the altar corresponded to theEarth,Human,andHeaventalisman scriptures.

His guess was confirmed whenYuan Mobainodded. “It is indeed theEarth Talisman Scripture.”

The saying went, “Heavenly Thunder, Earthly Fire.”

TheEarth Talisman Scripturecultivated theNine Abyss True Fire, an extreme form of pure Yin fire—not sinister but embodying the purest Daoist Yin, complementing theNine Heavens Divine Thunder.

Azure FlameandPurple Thunderwere the hallmarks of the mansion’s highest-level Daoist arts.

Currently, high-ranking elders likeXu Yuanzhen,Yao Yuan, andShangguan Ningpracticed this scripture.

Their mastery culminated in the powerful technique known as theNine Abyss Flame Ancestor Apparition, also called theYin Fire Tiger.

While not as fierce in combat as thunder-based arts, theNine Abyss True Firehad its own profound uses.

It excelled in refining elixirs and artifacts, offering endless applications.

Yuan Mobaiwas one of the mansion’s renowned elixir masters.

He wasn’t the only one; elders likeYao YuanandShangguan Ning, who cultivated theEarth Talisman Scripture, were also masters in crafting elixirs and artifacts.

Even the extraordinaryTang Xiaotanghad initially practiced theEarth Talisman Scripturewhen she received theThree Realms True Canon.

Later developments stemmed from her unique circumstances.

To be honest, both Lei Jun andYuan Mobaiwere curious to see what other surprisesTang Xiaotangmight produce.

“So, theHuman Talisman Scriptureis in the second tier, and theHeaven Talisman Scriptureis in the third,” Lei Jun mused.

Yuan Mobaismiled gently. “Proceed step by step, and let things happen naturally.”

Lei Jun nodded. “Forgive me, Master, but it seems you’re not particularly eager about theHeaven Talisman Scripture?”

Yuan Mobaismiled without offense. “I am sometimes curious, but only mildly. What suits you best is what’s truly important.”

Some people were suited for theHeaven Talisman Scripture, but that didn’t mean they could attain it.

Lei Jun mentally added the unspoken part of his master’s words.

He wasn’t in a hurry, either.

AsYuan Mobaihad said, step by step.

“But about the other matter…”Yuan Mobai’sexpression turned playful. “To my knowledge, while theTianshi Sealhas many wondrous abilities, it doesn’t grant transformations or improve one’s physique.”

If it did, the mansion would be mass-producing high-potential disciples.

“Was it just my imagination?” Lei Jun wondered aloud.

“Likely not. Your soul is now attuned to theTianshi Seal,”Yuan Mobaimused. “It’s more plausible that some unique aspect of yourself resonated with the seal. Your theory is likely correct: to advance from aSpirit Physiqueto aSacred Physique, you’ll need several opportunities aligning together.”

Lei Jun’s heart leapt with joy. He calmed himself and immersed his soul back into theTrue-One Altar.

After a while, he returned to his body and opened his eyes. “It felt likeNine Saints Frost, but not quite.”

Yuan Mobaiclapped his hands and laughed. “Then it’s likely a spiritual item nourished by theNine Saints Frost.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com