Lightning surged through his body, traveling through the Quintessential Energy chart and fusing into every acupuncture point in his body. His body began transforming into a Lightning Divine Body.
Meng Chuan opened his eyes, picked up the jade box beside him and opened it, then took two bites from the Iceheart Fruit inside. The ice-cold energy flowed down his throat into his stomach, which then slowly spread to his whole body. His transformation became more obvious after his muscles and bones absorbed the cold energy from the fruit as he fused with the lightning.
Next, the Astral Spirit Herb. He opened the wooden box and plucked a leaf and some roots from the intact Astral Spirit Herb. It was about one of thirty portions that he could finish in about a month.
His mouth was filled with a refreshing fragrance as he chewed the leaf and roots gently. Then, his mind jolted. A magical sensation surged into his head before slowly transmitting to his whole body, allowing his body to continue strengthening as he transformed.
Although he didn't know the origins of the Iceheart Fruit and Astral Spirit Herb, the fact that his father—a good-tempered man who always laughed and never complained—had said they weren't "easily obtained" and that he had to "treasure them," meant that they were extremely difficult to obtain. The prices behind them were probably huge as well. All he could do was not disappoint the hopes they placed on him.
…
For the next month, Meng Chuan trained according to plan and had consumed the drop of Godfiend Jade Marrow Liquid. He also finished consuming the Astral Spirit Herb. He also spent hours executing the Saber Drawing Stance 8000 times a day, as well as practicing his movement technique and saber arts. He never stopped cultivating.
According to the manual, one was still transforming in the early stages of the Godfiend Body as one cultivated. If one were to train a particular aspect diligently, one's body would also be inclined towards transforming in that aspect. It was like a growing sapling. If one exerted pressure on it in a certain direction, it might also begin growing in that direction.
The transformation of his Godfiend Body was clearly slowing down. One day near the end of June, Meng Chuan ate a watermelon as he sat on the training ground.
The first month of my cultivation was meant to be an explosive growth. I also consumed three rare treasures. My improvement was astonishingly fast, so fast that it was somewhat inconceivable. The drop in my growth speed is expected. Meng Chuan sighed. My Godfiend foundation is indeed very robust and deep. My body and Quintessential Energy at the Mortal Shedding realm's early-stage already match those at the perfected Mortal Shedding realm.
One had to know that the early-stage Mortal Shedding realm provided the greatest improvement in the five Mortal realms. After all, it was the first time cultivating a Godfiend Body, allowing them to possess the power of a Godfiend gradually.
To be able to match a perfected Mortal Shedding realm while in the early stage meant that his foundation was terrifyingly robust.
Meng Chuan's body and Quintessential Energy would probably rival those at the Impervious realm when he was at the late-stage of the Mortal Shedding realm—even though the breakthrough from the Mortal Shedding realm to the Impervious realm was significant.
This situation was something rarely heard of in the entire Eastcalm Prefecture. Typically, only geniuses from the imperial capital and Archean Mountain who had been groomed by ancient Godfiend families would have such a Godfiend foundation.
"Chuan'er, Chuan'er." Meng Dajiang's voice came from afar.
"Dad." Meng Chuan put down the watermelon and wiped his mouth with a towel before running over.
Soon, he saw his father—Meng Dajiang—and a bald, thin elder with a walking stick walking over.
"Third Elder." Meng Chuan jolted to attention. He was most afraid of the Third Elder amongst the elders of the Meng family. The Third Elder was a cold, old-fashioned man who treated the younger generation the fiercest. Without a second word, he would swing his walking stick and viciously beat up the younger generation. It wasn't surprising every junior was afraid of him.
"Chuan'er, why aren't you paying your respects to the Third Elder?" Meng Dajiang said.
Meng Chuan immediately stepped forward and bowed. "Greetings, Third Elder."
"Okay."
The bald, thin elder looked at Meng Chuan and saw his sweat-soaked clothes. Only then did he nod in satisfaction. "You have to put your heart into cultivation. How can you become stronger without enough sweat?"
"Yes," responded Meng Chuan obediently. He had to be obedient when he was facing the Third Elder. Under no circumstances should he argue with him. If he dared talk back, he would receive a blow from the walking stick!
"This is a torn page of a saber art that I fortuitously acquired when I was young. You can take a look." The bald, skinny elder took out a piece of black paper that was carefully wrapped and handed it to Meng Dajiang with the wrapping included. However, just the terrifying aura emanating from that piece of black paper when unwrapped shocked both Meng Chuan and Meng Dajiang.
"A Godfiend legacy?" Meng Chuan and his father were incomparably shocked.
Godfiend legacies required an extremely powerful Godfiend to pay a massive price to create them.
For instance, Fairy Meng, Patriarch Yun, and most Godfiends did not have the qualifications to create a Godfiend legacy.
"That's too valuable," said Meng Dajiang immediately. "Third Uncle, we can't accept it."
Third Elder frowned and said, "I gave it to him, so he has to accept it! I wouldn't have given it to Meng Chuan if his perception was insufficient. Since he is our Meng family's only hope now, he has to accept it. Besides, this isn't a complete Godfiend legacy. It's just one of its remnant pages.
"Alright, I'll be returning." Third Elder supported himself with his walking stick and turned to leave. At the same time, he coldly said, "Little brat, you must make something of yourself. Don't disappoint everyone."
"Yes, Third Elder." Meng Chuan held the black torn page wrapped in cloth and was quite touched.
Typically, a hundred thousand taels of silver would be the starting bid at an auction for a remnant page of a Godfiend legacy. Not to mention the fact that it happened to be a saber art! This made it even more valuable.
This was something that could only be obtained by chance! To ancient Godfiends, silver was of little significance. No one would exchange a complete Godfiend legacy for mortal items.
"This remnant Godfiend legacy page should be the Third Elder's most precious item. He's giving it to you right now," said Meng Dajiang.
"Yes." Meng Chuan nodded and pulled away the cloth, looking at the saber art page.
The black piece of paper recorded the key secrets of the move and the things to take note of when executing it.
But as he read it, Meng Chuan gradually immersed himself in it.
Huh?
Meng Chuan felt as though he had entered a trance. After entering this special mental state, he saw a tall, thin man showcasing this saber art—Swaying Moonfall!
The saber was extremely gentle as it streaked across the sky, leaving behind a beautiful arc. It was as though the moon in the sky had been chopped off, setting its descent into motion.
It was beautiful and gentle.
Eh? Meng Chuan jolted awake and escaped the illusion.
"Chuan'er, how is it?" Meng Dajiang immediately asked.
Meng Chuan stared seriously at the black paper and softly said, "It looks like a gentle and beautiful saber art, but in reality, it's extremely ruthless and vicious." The terrifying aura emanating from the black piece of paper was enough to alarm Meng Chuan.
"Sinister and vicious? Are you going to cultivate it?" asked Meng Dajiang.
"Of course," Meng Chuan said rather solemnly. "Saber techniques are divided into Yin and Yang. This technique falls under the extreme softness of Yin. This is an extremely beautiful move. It's called Swaying Moonfall. It really does seem capable of slashing the moon down with a single move. I can sense that the conceptual legacy contained within this torn page can withstand transmitting the legacy ten or more times before it completely tears apart."
"I will make good use of these ten chances and have this move become one of my killer moves," said Meng Chuan.
Initially, he had planned on honing the Saber Drawing Stance into his only killing move. But Swaying Moonfall was simply too perfect. Furthermore, he had more than ten chances to experience the move.
"Don't waste the legacy's opportunities," Meng Dajiang reminded him. "It's gone once all chances are used up."
"Before becoming a Godfiend, I'll only permit myself to use it nine times," said Meng Chuan.
From that day forth, Meng Chuan added an hour-long afternoon routine to his cultivation. In this hour, he cultivated only one move—Swaying Moonfall.
…
Eastcalm Prefecture. Within a hidden hall in Jadesun Palace.
In the center of the hall was a pool of cold water. The white-robed youth, Yan Jin, was currently seated in the lotus position within the pool. Only his chest was exposed above the water.
The terrifyingly low temperature caused the white-robed youth's entire body to frost. His hair and brows were covered in frost, and his face was pale.
"Young Master, you've been cultivating for four hours today. It's time for you to exit the Frost Cloud Pool," shouted an old servant. Jadesun Palace Lord was watching calmly.
"I've already reached the mid-stages of the Mortal Shedding realm. From today onwards, I'll cultivate in the Frost Cloud Pool for six hours every day," Yan Jin said coldly.
"Junior Brother, overreaching yourself isn't wise. Four hours is enough for you to cultivate your Godfiend Body," said Jadesun Palace Lord.
"It's still early."
Yan Jin said coldly, "All of you can leave."
Jadesun Palace Lord shook his head gently.
"Let's go." Jadesun Palace Lord led the old servant out, leaving the frosted white-robed youth to continue his arduous cultivation.
…
Many youths were training hard within Eastcalm Prefecture, with Meng Chuan and Yan Jin working especially hard.
Days passed.
During the final month of the year, Mei Yuanzhi first went to Wu Prefecture City, then arrived at the distant Archean Mountain region to participate in the entrance examination. In the end… Mei Yuan failed to join Archean Mountain. After failing, he went to Qinyang Pass to serve in the military.
When news of this spread to Eastcalm Prefecture, it caused Yun Fu'an and the others to gloat secretly. Others sighed.
Meng Chuan also felt the pressure. The threshold to enter Archean Mountain was extremely high. He had to work harder and become stronger than Mei Yuanzhi to have hope.
(End of the First Volume—Secret Technique, Third Autumn Leaf)