When Yun Haitang received news that Lu Changsheng had awakened, she rushed over to the waterfall.
"Brother Dao, did you have an epiphany again?" she asked when she saw Lu Changsheng.
This was not the first ti Yun Haitang had witnessed Dao Shi'er enter a state of epiphany. The previous ti was aboard a vessel of the Far Ocean rchant Association, when he had leapt into the sea and remained there for an entire day before finally breaking through.
"That's right." Lu Changsheng nodded calmly.
"Then congratulations, Brother Dao," Yun Haitang said with a warm smile. "So people spend their entire lives without ever experiencing an epiphany, yet you've experienced it twice in just a few short months."
Dao Shi'er was her Dao Guardian. Naturally, she hoped his strength would continue to grow.
Lu Changsheng returned her smile. Then, he froze as his stomach let out an unmistakable growl. He cleared his throat before saying, "Right. Please get sothing to eat. I haven't had anything to eat in nine days. Even soone at the Divine Strength Realm can only endure so much."
A Divine Strength Realm expert was strong, but they had yet to reach the point of surviving without food. After days of cultivation, they still needed large amounts of food, especially at and other highly nourishing foods, to replenish what they had expended.
Seeing how impatient and restless Dao Shi'er beca the mont food was ntioned, Yun Haitang could not help but laugh. In monts like this, he felt far less alien and far more human.
"Alright," she said, turning to her disciples. "Prepare so food for Mr. Dao at once."
The order was carried out swiftly. Soon, the disciples returned, laying out a generous spread of dishes before him.
Seeing the food, Lu Changsheng wasted no ti. He devoured dish after dish, clearing everything in monts. Only when the table was cleared did warmth and strength return to him.
"I'm full," he said, patting his stomach. His expression soon sobered. "Now then, Miss Yun, isn't it ti to honor your promise? Where is the drop of Azure Heaven Water you ntioned?"
He had not forgotten about it. After all, it was a rare treasure, one capable of granting an additional marrow transformation and blood replacent.
"The Azure Heaven Water is rather unusual," Yun Haitang replied. "Co with . You'll understand once you see it."
Lu Changsheng stood and followed her.
Soon, the two entered a cave. Stalactites of strange shapes hung from above, worn smooth by ti. The cave was clearly ancient, at least several hundred years old, perhaps even over a thousand. Water droplets echoed faintly in the darkness, and the air grew colder with every step they took inward.
By the ti they reached the depths of the cave, the chill had beco biting. Only soone at the Divine Strength Realm could endure such coldness. An ordinary martial artist would freeze solid within monts.
Yun Haitang suddenly stopped. "We're here."
Then, she gestured toward an empty stretch of ground ahead. "Brother Dao, the Azure Heaven Water is right there."
"Where?" Lu Changsheng frowned and looked closely. The ground was bare and dry. There was no moisture, no trace of water at all. Doubt flickered in his eyes as he turned back to look at Yun Haitang.
"The Azure Heaven Water is very unique," Yun Haitang explained. "It does not seep from the cave walls, nor does it flow in from outside. Instead, it forms out of nothing, condensing briefly in the empty space here for reasons unknown.
"Only a few drops appear each year, and the mont they form, they must be consud. If they are stored in a container or touch the ground, they'll lose their effect instantly. That is why this water is so precious. It cannot be preserved.
"Based on the timing, it should appear around now. You can remain here and wait. The instant you see a drop of water take shape in the air within this area, that will be the Azure Heaven Water. When you see it, consu it imdiately. If you miss it, you will have to wait several more months."
Lu Changsheng nodded as the explanation settled in. "Alright, I'll wait here for a while."
"Oh, and one more thing," Yun Haitang said. "The Azure Heaven Water is only effective when you consu it for the first ti. Any further consumption will be useless. Whether you consu one drop or two, the result is the sa."
With that, Yun Haitang turned and left. She knew better than to disturb Dao Shi'er at a ti like this.
Standing alone in the cave, Lu Changsheng scanned his surroundings with quiet anticipation. The Azure Heaven Water mattered greatly to him.
With ninety cauldrons of strength already achieved, one more marrow transformation and blood replacent would be enough to carry him into the Hundred Cauldrons Stage.
Within the Divine Strength Realm, there were three critical thresholds. The Ten Cauldrons Stage was the first, and countless martial artists spent their entire lives trapped there. The Hundred Cauldrons Stage stood even higher. Even among talented martial artists, only a few ever reached it.
As for the Thousand Cauldrons Stage, anyone who achieved it would be regarded as extraordinary and could advance to the Divine Fortification Realm.
Lu Changsheng studied the cave carefully, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Azure Heaven Water. Aside from the stalactites and the biting cold, however, there was nothing remarkable.
If the Azure Heaven Water truly appeared here, it could only be due to subtle conditions of the land, climate, or the cave itself.
After a while, Lu Changsheng sat down, crossed his legs, and waited in silence.
Lu Changsheng waited in the cave for three long days. This ti, he hadn't entered a state of epiphany. In every waking mont, his attention remained locked on the space around him, alert to the slightest changes.
Compared to the nine days he had spent in the state of epiphany before, this was far more draining. His mind could never relax, not even for an instant.
Just then, Lu Changsheng saw that above his head, a crystal-clear drop of water was slowly taking shape. He did not even notice where it had co from. It was just as Yun Haitang had said, the Azure Heaven Water would appear out of thin air.
That has to be it! Lu Changsheng imdiately sprang upward and drew in a sharp breath, pulling the drop of water straight into his mouth.
The instant it entered him, it transford into an icy current that surged through his limbs and bones. A violent chill spread from deep within him, forcing even his powerful physique to shudder. It felt as though the cold was sinking into the depths of his bones.
The cold penetrated deeper into his bones and entered his bone marrow. A familiar sensation followed. It was another marrow transformation and blood replacent!
Old marrow was broken down and replaced. As the transformation continued, Lu Changsheng could feel his physical body strengthening rapidly. Power accumulated within him quickly, rising steadily from ninety cauldrons until it finally reached a hundred cauldrons.
Boom!
When that threshold was crossed, a thunderous roar erupted from inside him. His blood qi, muscles, and bones all trembled violently, as though they had been struck by a heavy hamr.
Lu Changsheng could barely contain the excitent in his heart. The Hundred Cauldrons Stage! At last, I have advanced to the Hundred Cauldrons Stage!
From the day he began practicing martial arts, roughly three years had passed. Three years of relentless cultivation, a thousand days and nights of effort, and he had finally reached the Hundred Cauldrons Stage.
Within the Divine Strength Realm, only one minor stage remained beyond this point—the Thousand Cauldrons Stage.
Reaching the Hundred Cauldrons Stage was difficult, but it was still achievable through hard work.
The Thousand Cauldrons Stage was different.
If each marrow transformation and blood replacent increased a martial artist's strength by ten cauldrons, then advancing from the Hundred Cauldrons to the Thousand Cauldrons Stage required a hundred marrow transformations and blood replacents—an impossible process for any martial artist.
At least Lu Changsheng was certain that no ordinary martial artist could endure one hundred marrow transformations and blood replacents
There had to be sothing else to be done rather than enduring one hundred marrow transformations and blood replacents; there had to be so other way that eluded most martial artists.
Lu Changsheng had actually realized that long ago, but at the ti, it had been irrelevant. He had not yet reached the Hundred Cauldrons Stage, so speculation was aningless. Now that he had crossed that threshold, he was determined to find the answer.
I should speak to Miss Yun. The Heavenly Maiden Sect has several hundred years of history; she must know of alternative ways to reach the Thousand Cauldrons Stage.
With that in mind, Lu Changsheng rose to his feet and left the cave.
Outside the cave, Yun Haitang was already waiting. Over the past few days, she had been coming by at least once to check on the situation.
When she arrived earlier, she sensed a powerful surge of aura from within the cave. The mont she felt it, she knew Dao Shi'er had already consud the Azure Heaven Water and would soon erge from the cave.
When Yun Haitang saw Lu Changsheng, she walked up to him with a warm smile. "Congratulations, Brother Dao. Your strength has advanced again."
"It was thanks to the Heavenly Maiden Sect's Azure Heaven Water," Lu Changsheng replied. "It was truly extraordinary. However, Miss Yun, there's sothing I don't understand. I hope you can answer honestly."
His serious tone caught Yun Haitang slightly off guard. She could not imdiately guess what question would trouble him so much that he would speak with such solemnity in his voice.
"I've reached the Hundred Cauldrons Stage," Lu Changsheng continued. "But the gap between this stage and the Thousand Cauldrons Stage is enormous. Advancing purely through marrow transformations and blood replacents would require enduring such a process more than a hundred tis.
"Is there really no other way?"
"Brother Dao doesn't know?"
Yun Haitang was slightly taken aback. As she considered it more carefully, she recalled that Dao Shi'er had always appeared alone and had never spoken of his origins. Could he be a rogue cultivator of the jianghu? That would be exceedingly rare. But if it were true, that'd actually be for the better.
"If that is the case, then Brother Dao, please follow first," she said. "I cannot share this information here."
Yun Haitang led Lu Changsheng to a secluded room, free from prying ears. Only then did she begin to explain.
"Brother Dao, there are roughly two paths from the Hundred Cauldrons Stage to the Thousand Cauldrons Stage.
"The first path is exactly as you described. A martial artist repeatedly undergoes marrow transformations and blood replacents. Each transformation increases strength by ten cauldrons. They'll slowly accumulate strength until the Thousand Cauldrons Stage is reached. The difficulty of this path needs no explanation.
"The second path involves seeking out peculiar items. There are quite a few peculiar items in the jianghu. Once consud, they'll subtly enhance the body, increasing strength by a full hundred cauldrons at once. In theory, only nine such peculiar items are needed to reach the Thousand Cauldrons Stage.
"However, these peculiar items are extrely difficult to co by, and whenever one appears, it always becos the object of fierce contention. As a result, so major sects and influential clans deliberately refine them, but to refine even a single one requires enormous ti and resources."
Lu Changsheng frowned slightly. "If such peculiar items can increase strength by a hundred cauldrons at once, why not use them at the Ten Cauldrons Stage? Major sects should have access to these resources. Wouldn't it be better to let their disciples advance directly to the Hundred Cauldrons Stage?"
Yun Haitang smiled bitterly. "There is a reason for that. It cos down to the limits of the physical body. A Divine Strength martial artist at the Ten Cauldrons Stage simply cannot withstand the power of these peculiar items.
"Forcing consumption at that stage would almost certainly result in death. Only after reaching the Hundred Cauldrons Stage does the body beco strong enough to endure them."
Lu Changsheng nodded. A peculiar item capable of boosting strength by a hundred cauldrons was clearly not sothing that could be absorbed carelessly. One mistake, and one would be torn apart.
"Is there any other way?" he asked. To him, both paths still seed fraught with danger and uncertainty.
"There is," Yun Haitang replied. "If you can obtain sothing that pleases an Immortal Master, that Immortal Master can help you refine a Hundred Cauldrons Pill. Those pills do not rely on peculiar items as their main ingredients, so with enough ti and effort, the required materials can be gathered.
"With an Immortal Master's refinent thods, you will have the pill in no ti. This is also the most commonly used thod among Hundred Cauldrons martial artists today."
Lu Changsheng's eyes narrowed slightly.
An Immortal Master... so Immortal Masters are capable of refining pills that can increase strength by a full hundred cauldrons in one go. No wonder they hold such an exalted status in the jianghu.
It also explains the chaos in Zhanhai City. The appearance of the Alum Core Ore stirred both major and minor forces, drawing out countless Divine Strength Realm experts. They are not after the ore itself, but the Hundred Cauldrons Pill behind it.
As long as they obtain the Alum Core Ore, they can ask Immortal Master Shangyuan to refine the pill.
Lu Changsheng considered the matter carefully. In truth, all three paths were viable. The first thod appeared inefficient at a glance, but it offered steady progress and strengthened the body step by step. More importantly, it would make the later consumption of peculiar items far safer.
His Celestial Treasure-Refinent Secret Technique still lacked five rare treasures. If he could obtain them, his strength would rise by fifty cauldrons. On top of that, the Ninefold Carp-Dragon Ascension still allowed five more leaps through the Dragon Gate, which would add another fifty cauldrons.
Even small gains mattered when accumulated, so together, they all amounted to a hundred cauldrons.
As for peculiar items that could grant a hundred cauldrons at once, he could begin gathering information about them now. If the opportunity arose, he would contend for them.
The most practical option, however, was to ask an Immortal Master to refine the Hundred Cauldrons Pill for him. This was readily achievable with the Alum Core Ore.
Originally, Lu Changsheng had no intention of getting involved with it. The matter had nothing to do with him, and there was no reason to step into troubled waters, but his circumstances had changed.
He was determined to obtain the Hundred Cauldrons Pill.
After a while, Lu Changsheng broke out of his thoughts and turned toward Yun Haitang. Then, as if sothing had just occurred to him, he asked, "Miss Yun, since you have already advanced to the Divine Strength Realm, it should be ti to hand over the remaining fire seeds, shouldn't it?"
"Of course..." Yun Haitang replied, taken aback by the sudden question. She hesitated for a brief mont before passing the fire seed to him.
The fire seed's ability to purify the blood was only a secondary benefit. Its true value lay in clearing stray thoughts and calming the mind—imnsely useful in cultivation. Still, she had given her word, and Yun Haitang would not go back on it.
Lu Changsheng accepted the fire seeds and put them away.
"There are still five rare treasures I need," he continued. "I will require the Heavenly Maiden Sect's help in searching for them. Even partial leads will be sufficient."
He then listed the remaining treasures recorded in the Celestial Treasure-Refinent Secret Technique.
"No problem," Yun Haitang replied with a nod.
If there was one thing she was confident in, it'd be information gathering. The Heavenly Maiden Sect excelled at it. Its disciples maintained countless connections, and their reach was both far and wide.
"There is one final matter," Lu Changsheng said. "I need the Heavenly Maiden Sect to do everything possible to obtain accurate information on the current whereabouts of the Alum Core Ore.
"You may even release this ssage publicly—the Alum Core Ore is sothing I, Dao Shi'er, intend to take. If anyone wishes to compete for it, they will taste my blade."
Yun Haitang was montarily stunned. Dao Shi'er's voice was calm, yet the aning behind his words was unmistakable. His confidence was absolute, his dominance unquestionable, leaving no room for doubt.
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