The Undying Immortal System

Chapter 488 – Life 120, Age 104, Martial Sovereign 1

Sitting in my cultivation chamber, deep in the heart of Black Eagle City, I opened my mental library and pulled out the first volume of the Scripture of the Turning Wheel—the Heaven-Rank technique that we had received for destroying Blackblade Hall.

I would have liked to upgrade this scripture into a three-element technique so I could continue cultivating both earth and metal qi. However, since this was the only Heaven-Rank technique in my possession, changing it was exorbitantly expensive. Even just a small adjustment to its mental effects was 10,000 credits.

Fortunately, upgrading it from a Low-Heaven technique to a Peak-Heaven technique was far more affordable. Improving all three volumes of the technique, covering Ranks 1 through 3, would only cost a single credit.

At first, this seemed like a good deal. But the more I studied the technique, the more I began to feel that such an upgrade would be a waste of a credit.

Officially, the Scripture of the Turning Wheel was a Warrior Tier cultivation technique, meaning its three volumes were intended for Disciples, Masters, and Grandmasters. However, this classification was misleading. No Martial Disciple could even hope to cultivate this technique. This was a technique meant for Sovereigns.

I knew better than to underestimate the complexity of a Sovereign-level technique. Leaping straight into the Peak-Heaven version would have been reckless. It was far wiser to begin with the Low-Heaven version and work my way up.

That said, even in its Low-Heaven form, the Scripture of the Turning Wheel was anything but easy to cultivate.

The first volume, like every Rank 1 technique, involved constructing filters, absorbing ambient qi, and directing that qi into one’s energy body. The only difference was the design of the filters. Like Rank 7 formations, these filters relied on portals to weave through four-dimensional space.

Simultaneously creating dozens of precise, microscopic portals pushed me to my limits. Controlling guandao qi as it threaded through said portals was nearly beyond what my meager three-star guandao affinity could handle. It took me an entire month to create a single filter that was even halfway acceptable.

Even then, the amount of qi exiting the filter was far less than what entered. A large portion was being lost to higher-dimensional space. At first, I assumed this was a flaw in my construction, but I soon realized it was by design.

The filter was depositing the majority of the energy it collected into a higher dimension intentionally. In doing so, it made my energy body “thicker,” significantly increasing its qi capacity.

The second volume focused on constructing four-dimensional meridians, while the third dealt with forming a four-dimensional dantian. Both topics were rather challenging, especially the process of condensing qi within the dantian to advance through the Grandmaster stages.

Thankfully, the more I practiced, the more both my guandao and qi affinities improved, making the process easier to manage.

After nearly two years of gradual refinement, I finally managed to construct a meridian network that could be considered acceptable. At that point, I could have reformed my core, but I first wanted to explore the advantages of this Low-Heaven technique.

Standing in the center of our sect’s primary training yard, I held my guandao at the ready while slowly circulating qi through my meridians.

The courtyard around me was quiet. Few disciples came here this early in the morning, and those who did quickly moved aside after spotting the robes of an elder. None of them truly left, however. They gathered near the edges of the courtyard to silently study my techniques.

I ignored them. My attention remained fixed on the weapon in my hands.

The dark metal shaft felt familiar beneath my grip, but the qi flowing through it was… different. Heavier.

As I swung the blade through the air, it felt as if something trailed behind it. As I moved through the courtyard in a slow, deliberate dance, that sensation followed me with every step.

Each strand of qi flowing through my acupoints felt unnaturally dense. Most of the energy circulating through my body existed in higher-dimensional layers of reality, and when I directed that qi into my weapon, some of it stayed behind in those unseen spaces. I had the faint sense that attacks empowered by this qi would strike across multiple dimensional layers.

Was this it? Was this the advantage of cultivating a Heaven-Rank technique?

Possibly… but it felt somewhat lackluster. Attacks capable of striking through fourth-dimensional space certainly had some value, particularly against high-level formations or cultivators traveling through portals. However, such applications were incredibly narrow and hardly seemed worth the immense effort and skill required to cultivate such a complicated technique.

Of greater value was the possibility that this could simplify the creation of high-level formations and pills. If my body naturally contained qi across a segment of four-dimensional space, I might no longer need to use so many portals during the crafting process.

To make use of this advantage, I would need far greater control over that four-dimensional qi than I currently possessed. I needed to be able to control qi across four dimensions as easily as I could across three.

Stolen story; please report.

Exhaling slowly, I lowered my stance. Then, I moved.

My guandao swept through the air in a smooth, horizontal arc, releasing a crescent of silvery qi that tore across the courtyard before slamming into a reinforced training wall.

The impact rang out across the courtyard, and the formation protecting the wall rippled violently, while nearby disciples staggered backward with wide eyes.

I ignored them and continued.

One strike became ten. Ten became fifty. Fifty became a turning wheel, with each strike flowing seamlessly into the next.

Hours slipped by as qi flowed through my body, steadily sharpening my perception. Slowly, the weight trailing behind my guandao began to close the distance. At first, it trailed ten centimeters. Then nine. Then eight.

As the gap closed to within a centimeter, this “weight” began to merge into my blade. I had originally assumed this was merely my four-dimensional qi failing to keep pace with my strikes. However, as the weight merged into the blade, I felt a connection to some new, unknown power. Strength that lay just beyond my reach.

I slowed my movements, narrowing my eyes. My next slash carried less force, as I focused all my attention on the changes occurring within my weapon.

For the briefest instant, I felt as if I could pull on that weight to empower my attacks.

I shifted my stance and struck the air once more.

The sensation strengthened. A strange pressure gathered inside my guandao. The weapon itself seemed slightly blurred for an instant, as though multiple overlapping versions occupied the same location.

I reached for this power and brought my guandao down in a powerful overhead strike.

The connection instantly collapsed, and the qi gathered within my weapon scattered uselessly into the air, releasing nothing more than a weak gust of wind across the training yard.

Over the next several days, I spent nearly all my time in the training yards, trying everything I could think of to draw upon that strange, distant power. No matter what I did, however, it remained elusive. At best, I could briefly sense that distant power stirring in response to my movements. At worst, the connection collapsed entirely, scattering my qi into the air before anything meaningful could occur.

On the fifth day, as dusk settled over the courtyard, a messenger rushed across the courtyard and dropped into a deep bow. “Supreme Elder, a guest has arrived. He seeks a private audience with you.”

I frowned. “Who?”

“An elder from the Sect Affairs Bureau.”

My eyes narrowed. Then, without another word, I sent my guandao back into my inner world and followed the messenger. By the time we reached the reception hall, the fading light of sunset had vanished entirely.

Pushing open a heavy, ornately carved door, I stepped inside.

An old man sat calmly at the far side of the room, leisurely sipping tea as though he were visiting an old friend. When I entered, he gave me a faint smile.

“Congratulations on your ascension to Martial Sovereign. Most of us did not expect you to succeed—not this quickly, at least. We had been preparing to invite you to join one of our clans, but this will no longer be possible, it seems.”

I cupped my fists and gave him a light, insincere smile. “Thank you, elder.”

Moving to take a seat opposite the man, I did my best to work out why he had come. He clearly already knew about my breakthrough, but a Bureau elder wouldn’t have come all the way to the Nine Rivers Domain just to congratulate me.

“I see you’ve been cultivating our Scripture of the Turning Wheel. Have you had much success?”

“Some,” I replied cautiously. “The technique is… far more complicated than I expected.”

“That is a common reaction.” The old man sounded almost amused. “And have you managed to touch upon the Laws of the Guandao?”

I froze. In an instant, countless fragmented thoughts regarding that strange power suddenly began to crystallize.

The elder rose calmly from his seat and walked toward an open section of the hall. With a smooth motion, he drew the saber hanging at his waist.

“Tapping into the Laws of this world is exceedingly difficult,” he said, “but once achieved, the power one gains far surpasses what can be accomplished with qi alone.”

Qi surged through the elder’s body and flooded into his saber, causing the blade to glow with a faint blue radiance. Then, he swung.

A beam of terrifying energy erupted forward and blasted through the reception hall wall without resistance. The attack then shot into the distance before crashing into the sect’s defensive formation, causing untold damage.

My eyes widened in shock.

This was the same type of attack that had been used against JiuLi during our first tournament, what the System had referred to as the “Artistic Conception of Spear.” The only difference was that while the elder’s attack contained far more qi, JiuLi’s opponent’s attack had possessed a deeper connection to the Laws.

The elder smiled, seeming pleased by my reaction. “Your cultivation technique allows you to sense the Laws, but to truly wield them, you need a proper Heaven-Rank martial technique.”

I let out a quiet snort, already understanding where the conversation was headed. “A technique which you no doubt possess.”

The elder sighed. “The Heaven-Rank techniques are the foundations of the nine great powers. None of us would willingly hand such a thing to outsiders. At most, you might obtain a cultivation technique for one element or a martial technique for another—never both at the same time. Enough to lure you forward, but not enough to control any Laws.”

I waved my hand impatiently. “And what exactly would I need to do to gain access to a Heaven-Rank martial technique for the guandao?”

“The condition is simple: return to the Heroes Domain. The leaders of the Amorphous Blade Sect, the Su Clan, and the Shi Clan must all swear an Oath recognizing the Saint of Heroes as their overlord. No special restrictions will be imposed upon you. Your sect will retain full autonomy over its internal affairs. You need only fulfill the obligations expected of a subordinate force.”

“What exactly does it mean to recognize the Saint of Heroes as our overlord?” I asked slowly.

“Only that you formally recognize the Saint’s authority. In exchange, once she ascends beyond this world, members of your bloodline would become eligible to inherit her mantle.” The elder paused a moment before continuing. “At the same time, however, no one from your bloodline will ever again be able to claim the mantle of a foreign Saint.”

I remained silent for a long time. The benefits were obvious, and I genuinely wanted that Heaven-Rank technique. But no matter how attractive the offer, I couldn’t burden my entire clan with a poisonous Oath that could bind our futures indefinitely.

“I must decline.”

The elder studied me for several long moments and nodded. “I thought you might.”

Then, his expression became more serious. “You are free to continue developing however you choose. No one will stop you from advancing as a Sovereign or breaking through to Spirit. However, this situation will not be permitted to continue forever.”

A faint pressure filled the room. The elder’s tone remained calm, but his eyes sharpened.

“No one who has yet to acknowledge a Saint as their overlord is permitted to ascend to Martial Ancestor. I strongly advise you not to test this boundary, as doing so would make you the enemy of the entire continent.”

Then, just as suddenly as it appeared, the pressure vanished, and the elder gave me a pleasant smile.

“Your sect has made admirable progress. The Heroes Domain remains open to you. We will talk again after you ascend to Martial Spirit. By then, I hope you will have considered your options.”