Chapter 79 - Elemental Laws (1/2)

Three months. Only three months to advance to the sixth stage and increase their strength as much as possible.

As soon as they returned home, Hei and Lian concentrated on cultivating all the time. Apart from sleeping and eating, they wouldn't stop cultivating, pausing even their usual physical workouts.

But it wasn't just them, Ye and Xing were also cultivating like them. Or rather, it would have been more correct to say that they were digesting the energy deriving from the spirit cores they had eaten. Indeed, even if the very act of eating spirit cores was something that took a few seconds, the energy contained inside would take longer to be fully assimilated.

That was why they waited until they reached the sect to eat the remaining two spirit cores at their disposal.

Shui, Mi, and other nearby residents placed the area under close surveillance. No foreign living organism could approach, not that there was any need, given the number of spirit beasts present there. But, it was also a preventive move towards humans who lived there with them as they only trusted Hei e Lian but still kept their distrust against humans.

Thus, under this intense cultivation cycle, Hei and Lian reached the peak of the fifth stage. All that was missing was to overcome the bottleneck that separated them from the sixth stage. At that moment, they would finally reach the much-coveted sixth stage and open their meridians.

It wasn't just a matter of raising their strength by one stage. The sixth stage was the door that led to the Elementals Laws' realm. If up until now, they could be considered humans with greater strength to ordinary people, by learning the Elemental Laws, they would become beings that transcended the very concept of humanity in a certain sense.

”Alright, I think the time has come. Lian, are you ready?”

”Yes, Hei. I'm ready.”

The two youths, therefore, swallowed the Fortifying Metal Pills. Initially, they planned to divide it between the two of them, but thanks to the sect leader, that was no longer necessary since they had received another one.

The energy inside the Fortifying Metal Pill was genuinely extraordinary. Their whole body was vibrating with excitement, and spirit power was penetrating their bones. They could feel their body getting stronger.

But they didn't have the luxury to stay still and admire that reaction. In order not to miss a drop of the pill's energy, Hei and Lian closed their eyes and continued to cultivate.

They remained in that cultivation state for a couple of days. During all that time, they didn't even stop to eat or sleep. They couldn't stop anyway, or otherwise, they would have thwarted the process, nullifying all their work up till now.

In the end, however, their efforts were rewarded. When the last grain of energy contained in the pills was absorbed, Hei and Lian opened their eyes and looked at each other. On their faces, there was a bright smile, a sign that they had succeeded in their intent of advancing.

Sixth stage!

Finally, they had reached the sixth stage!

Although there was still the seventh stage, the marrow stage, for martial artists, the most crucial stage in the spirit apprentice rank was undoubtedly the sixth.

'Well done, my little ones. You succeeded.'

Bao Bei complimented his son and Lian. She was thrilled with the result. Meanwhile, Ye and Xing had also finished digesting the energy of the spirit cores.

Although there were no apparent changes, Hei knew it wasn't. They had become even stronger than before. If before they were comparable to a fifth stage, now their strength was equal to a sixth stage just advanced. Meaning, they had the same power as Hei and Lian had.

'You too, my treasures. Well done.' Bao Bei said as she gently stroked her daughters.

Then, she prepared a nice big meal before sending everyone to sleep.

They were still tired from the advancement process, and although they had a deadline, it wasn't so imminent as not to give them a day off. Moreover, it was better they were at full strength to understand the explanations concerning the Elemental Laws.

*

The following morning, after a long sleep, Hei woke up with a start.

Due to the excitement and fatigue resulting from having reached the sixth stage, he totally forgot about it. But finally, he could know his second element as well as that of Lian and his two little sisters.

Sensing his restlessness, Bao Bei smiled inwardly and calmed him down.

'Be serene; there is plenty of time. Wake up, Lian and your sisters. After eating, we will proceed with verifying your elements.'

Hei nodded his head as he carried out his mother's command. His two little sisters were still a little sleepy, but after smelling breakfast, they woke up completely. Lian was as usual; the only change was a slight excitement in her eyes.

Immediately after eating, Bao Bei took them out of the spiderweb house and placed them in line, side by side.

'Okay, now that you have opened your meridians, we can know your elements, Hei, Lian. As for you two, my little ones. Those who are divine beasts by birth don't have something like the opening of the meridians, as they are already open inside your bodies. Consequently, you could have already begun to understand the Elemental Laws. However, this process is best to be performed after reaching a certain rate of maturation of your bodies. That's why I've made you wait until now.'

Bao Bei's gaze swept over each four of them. Two humans and two spirit beasts. Together they would take the first step towards the realm of Elemental Laws.

'Before starting, I need to explain a few things. As I mentioned to you before, there are 18 elements - Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Lightning, Light, Darkness, Ice, Metal, Wood, Poison, Blood, Gas, Illusion, Ghost, Energy, Space, Time.

Excluding Space and Time, living beings can awaken one of these. In truth, the Energy Law is combined with Space and Time simply because, throughout history, there has only been one being able to learn it. No, in truth, it isn't even totally correct.

If you think about it, the neutral spirit power you possess now is nothing but the Energy Law. However, you use it unconsciously and aren't able to perceive it as a Law and comprehend its secrets. For years, martial artists have tried to understand this law without success. After all, the Energy Law can be considered as the origin of all other laws.

But since it is too difficult, we have abandoned that road to focus instead on the remaining laws. And here comes what is called Elemental Conversion. By absorbing objects containing the energy of one's element, a martial artist can convert the neutral energy of their spirit power into their element of belonging. When the conversion is over, a Spirit Seed will be formed. This is nothing other than the condensation of the Elemental Law itself in your body, allowing you to use the techniques of that element.

Theoretically, one can form in his own body a spirit seed for every Elemental Law. However, it isn't something beneficial to do. In the past, there have been some who formed more than one spirit seed without the help of a bloodline. But, by the time they finished creating their second spirit seed, their potential was exhausted due to having spent too much time converting their spirit power. For that reason, all martial artists focus only on one element, or at most two if they have a bloodline. The same goes for us, divine beasts.

The process of increasing your understanding of your Elemental Law is simple but complicated at the same time. When you learn a move, to increase its power or range or add other effects, you will only have to practice that.