Speaking of Xia Qingchen.
After chasing away Swordsman Pingyang, he instantly went into the cultivation chamber and started a session of seclusion.
He first checked his own realm.
The martial realms, from top to bottom, could be classified into four major realms namely the Sun Realm, Moon Realm, Star Realm, and Constellation Realm.
Each Realm could be further divided into the minor, medium, and major stages.
For example, the Constellation Realm could be divided into the minor constellation stage, medium constellation stage, and major constellation stage; the Star Realm could be divided into the minor star stage, medium star stage, and major star stage, etc.
Each stage was further divided into nine levels.
Xia Qingchen's current cultivation base was at the lowest realm, the minor constellation stage of the Constellation Realm.
The minor constellation stage could then be further divided into nine levels. These nine levels were known as radiance-levels and Xia Qingchen was currently at the third radiance-level.
The lowest criteria to enter the martial pavilion was that one had to have a cultivation base at the fourth radiance-level of the minor constellation stage.
Given his thousands of years of experience, it was effortless for him to break through to the fourth-radiance level in three months.
When he thought of the events a thousand years ago, Xia Qingchen subconsciously clasped his chest. He could feel a dull ache there.
"Can't deep emotions of 10,000 years compare to a single crown?" Xia Qingchen muttered to himself as a hint of hatred flashed in his eyes.
After he had attained the Godking Realm, he had bitterly cultivated for 10,000 years, preparing to break through to the supreme God Emperor Realm.
But at the moment of his breakthrough, the woman he had trusted and loved most, Heavenly Deity Frost, had actually stabbed him in the back, dealing him a critical blow.
Before he died, he saw Heavenly Deity Frost pick up the crown that signified him being the Sovereign of Gods and place it on her head, becoming the godking of a new generation - Godking Frost!
So it turned out that she had always wanted to become a godking.
As one of the nine strongest heavenly deities in the world, she had always been under the governance of a Godking.
Every day Godking Dustless existed would mean that heavenly deities would ultimately be heavenly deities. They wouldn't be able to crown themselves as king.
Hence, Godking Dustless had to die.
"It's fine to kill me, but the crocodile tears you shed, who did you shed it for?" Before Xia Qingchen died, through his blurry vision, he saw Godking Frost with the crown on her head staring up the skies and crying mournfully with pain.
The sound of her sobs reverberated throughout the divine realm, unceasing for a hundred years.
Xia Qingchen laughed at himself. "I'm already in such dire straits, yet I'm still lying to myself? She could steel her heart and be ruthless enough to kill me, how could she cry because of her emotions for me? No matter who she cried for, the person definitely isn't me!"
Staring at his new body, Xia Qingchen's eyes suddenly became exceptionally sharp. "Godking Frost. You didn't exterminate my soul completely, one of my remnant souls managed to escape. This will be the start of your nightmare!"
He was going to use this body and climb up once more to the top. He was going to stand before Godking Frost and return that merciless sword strike!
After a long time, Xia Qingchen finally regained calmness and began his cultivation.
Based on his past life's experience. The first cultivation-type martial skill he should cultivate should be none other than [Light-Dark Heaven Heart]
Martial skills could be classified into four tiers, from top to bottom, they were known as the heaven-tier, earth-tier, mystic-tier, and yellow-tier.
Each tier could be further classified into high, mid, and low grades.
For example, for this [Light-Dark Heaven Heart], it was a yellow-tier, high-grade martial skill.
And according to their usage, martial skills could be categorized into four types. Attacking-type martial skills, cultivation-type martial skills, movement-type martial skills, and auxiliary-type martial skills.
The effect of cultivation-type martial skills would allow one's cultivation realm to improve. For all martial practitioners who wished to cultivate inner force, they had to cultivate a cultivation-type martial skill.
The [Light-Dark Heaven Heart] was a cultivation-type martial skill that Xia Qingchen regarded very highly. Its profound mysteries lay in the word 'Dark'.
Everyone in the world knew that humans were innately born with nine great martial meridians. Every time one managed to clear and link up one meridian, they would be able to break through the levels of the minor constellation stage.
However, no one knew that other than the nine great martial meridians in the human body, there were still ninety tiny martial meridians hidden.
[Light-Dark Heaven Heart] referred to the nine great martial meridians of the human body as the 'Revealed Meridians', and as for the unknown tiny ninety martial meridians, they were known as the 'Hidden Meridians'.
If one could 'clear' their hidden meridians, the inner force that was stored in their bodies would far surpass ordinary people!
He immediately focused his mind and cultivated it.
Given his cultivation experience a thousand years ago, his progress was naturally like driving a lightweight chariot on a familiar road. There were no obstructions at all.
Time was like flowing water. Two months passed without realizing it.
Xia Qingchen suddenly opened his eyes. His palms slammed against the stone monument before him.
Kacha~
Five clear cracks appeared on it.
This stone monument was an item that could check one's cultivation level at the minor constellation stage. When one unleashed the inner force of their bodies at it, the number of cracks that appeared would represent which radiance-level one was at.
Xia Qingchen caused five cracks with a palm strike. According to logic, he should be at the fifth radiance-level of the minor constellation stage.
"I've finally broken through and reached the fourth radiance-level of the minor constellation stage!" Xia Qingchen exhaled a breath of turbid air. In his fatigued gaze, a hint of calmness could be seen.
However, the reason why he could unleash inner force equivalent to the might of the fifth-radiance level was because during these two months, other than him clearing a great meridian, he had also connected a total of forty tiny hidden meridians.
The amount of inner force stored in the tiny meridians could be comparable to the amount stored in a great meridian. That, in addition to the four great meridians he had cleared, the inner force he unleashed was actually a level more solid compared to the inner force of the fifth radiance-level.
"Given my current cultivation base, it's more than sufficient to join the martial pavilion." Xia Qingchen calmly spoke. "However, I still cannot stop."
His target wasn't a small martial pavilion—It was that woman who stole his crown!
What was a mere fifth-radiance level of the minor constellation stage before that woman?
Just a gaze from her was enough to kill him over thousands of times!
"Godking Frost, just you wait!" Xia Qingchen mumbled in a low voice.
BOOM, BOOM~~
When Xia Yuan heard the commotion in the cultivation chamber, he knocked on the door from outside. "Qingchen, how's your cultivation?"
Xia Qingchen opened the stone door. He smiled. "I've improved slightly."
"Oh?" Xia Yuan was gratified. Ever since they had returned from the Shrine, his son was like a completely new person and would work exceptionally hard when it came to cultivation.
His son spent a total of two entire months in the cultivation chamber, not leaving half-a-step from there at all.
This was something unprecedented.
Xia Yuan smiled and walked into the cultivation chamber. His gaze turned to the stone monument the moment he entered.
Five cracks came into view, causing him to be startled on the spot. "You actually broke through to the fifth radiance-level of the minor constellation stage?"
Xia Qingchen nodded calmly, not concealing the fact at all.
"Uncle Qin, where did you buy this inferior-grade stone monument test? Go and purchase a new one!"
The person named Uncle Qin was this manor's butler. He walked over for a look and puzzledly scratched his head. "There should be nothing wrong. This stone monument was purchased from legitimate shops. How could it be of shoddy quality?"
Regardless of Xia Yuan or Uncle Qi, when they saw the five cracks, both of them thought that there was a problem with the stone monument.
Why? Because Xia Qingchen was only at the third radiance-level of the minor constellation stage three months ago.
No matter how monstrously talented he was, it was impossible for him to break through to the fifth radiance-level of the minor constellation stage within a short two months.
Let alone the fact that his talent for the martial path was originally extremely mediocre.
Xia Qingchen's lips moved, but after that, he remained silent.
If it wasn't for the act of clearing the tiny meridians taking up plenty of time, he might have been able to clear three more great meridians and reach the sixth radiance-level of the minor constellation stage.
However, he didn't make any attempts to explain. Just let the misunderstanding be a misunderstanding then. When he succeeded in his cultivation, it wouldn't be too late to give them a surprise.
"Qingchen, martial cultivation requires one to walk firmly with their feet on the ground. No matter how awesome someone is, it's impossible for them to break through to the fifth radiance-level from the third radiance-level within two months," Xia Yuan lectured. He then continued, "You actually mistakenly believed that you have broken through to the fifth radiance-level. From this, one can see that your heart contains many unrealistic thoughts on your journey of the martial path. You have to work hard and improve on this point."
Xia Qingchen silently smiled, but he had a straight look on his face as he replied, "I will remember father's teachings well."