Shen Xiang arrived at the Immortal Demon Cliff and looked down at the thick black death energy, muttering, "Are there really immortals and demons in this world?"
Su Meiyao snorted lightly, "Of course there are! Don't think that the True Martial Realm is the highest realm of martial arts; above the True Martial Realm, there are three ultimate realms, followed by the Nirvana Realm! Once you successfully undergo Nirvana, you can enter the Heavenly Martial Realm, reaching a stronger spatial world, known as the Heavenly Martial World!
"Not to mention those powerful worlds, even in the Mortal Martial World we are currently in, it is vast and magnificent. The spiritual energy is very thin in this area, which is why there are very few demon beasts! Those who truly cultivate martial arts usually head to places with abundant spiritual energy, where powerful warriors are numerous, demon beasts abound, and dangers lurk everywhere. Without sufficient strength, one could easily perish in such areas."
This was the first time Shen Xiang had heard about the martial arts world, which amazed him. He realized how insignificant he was; previously, he thought the True Martial Realm was incredibly strong, but now he found out there was even more above it.
"Kid, this Mortal Martial World is vast and boundless. Beyond this continent, there are many lands where strong warriors abound. In the endless world, countless secret realms are hidden, filled with abundant genius treasures, but they are also fraught with dangers. As long as you have strength, you can witness the greatness of the entire martial arts world, and only then will you understand how small you truly are," Bai Youyou said coldly.
Shen Xiang clenched his fists. At this moment, he felt his horizons broadened. He knew that only by continuously improving his strength could he ensure his survival in the martial arts world filled with strong warriors!
He jumped into the abyss. With his fifth level of Mortal Martial strength, there was a pool below, so he didn't have to waste time climbing down slowly.
With a "splash," Shen Xiang landed in the pool that emitted white light. Although there were often demon beasts lurking in this abyss, he was not afraid, as the demon beasts here were not strong enough for him to worry.
"Meiyao, how do I use this Immortal Demon Pool?" Shen Xiang asked, stirring the strange water with his hand. Besides glowing, he didn't notice anything special about it.
Su Meiyao replied, "This mass of pure energy flows out from the bodies of the immortals and demons after their deaths, but you can't devour this energy since it isn't yours. You can only use this energy to temper your body! It will refine your spirit, but the process is extremely painful."
Shen Xiang furrowed his brows and asked, "How long do I need to stay in this Immortal Demon Pool?"
Su Meiyao replied, "I don't know. You can stay until you can no longer feel pain. Just jump in and run the Tai Chi Divine Art to draw that energy into your body."
Without hesitation, Shen Xiang took off his clothes and jumped in. He submerged beneath the surface, able to breathe normally, and he didn't have to worry about demon beast attacks.
As soon as he reached the bottom, he began to run the Tai Chi Divine Art. At that moment, he felt a strange force pressing against his body from all directions, as if trying to crush him into a ball, which alarmed him greatly.
At the same time, that strange energy surged into his body, flooding in like a torrent, crashing through his insides and making him feel as if his body was about to explode. The excruciating pain was so intense it felt worse than death.
Bubbles continuously rose in the Immortal Demon Pool, and the water surface churned, due to Shen Xiang's frantic struggles below...
It was unclear how much time had passed, but Shen Xiang finally managed to surface from the pool. He lay at the edge of the pool, gasping for breath, and said, "Why haven't I reached the sixth level of Mortal Martial yet?"
"Do you think it's that easy to break through? You've only tempered your body, making your entire flesh stronger, which can enhance your spirit!" Su Meiyao's voice came.
Shen Xiang stood up, clenching his fists tightly, and indeed felt that his body had improved significantly. Although he hadn't reached the sixth level of Mortal Martial, he had laid a solid foundation.
"How many days have I spent down there?" Shen Xiang asked, as he had been in a daze, enduring the excruciating pain.
"Just five days. The Immortal Demon Pool has become ineffective, but it has helped you lay the groundwork for cultivating the Immortal Demon Body!" Su Meiyao said. Shen Xiang was secretly shocked by the Immortal Demon Body; just the name suggested it was incredibly powerful.
From time to time, roars echoed up from the abyss beneath the Immortal Demon Cliff, along with a faint, peculiar true energy. This true energy was filled with an ancient and heavy aura, giving an inexplicable pressure. It was the Azure Dragon True Energy produced from Shen Xiang practicing the Azure Dragon Divine Art below.
Shen Xiang did not leave the Immortal Demon Cliff; he continued training below. He was bare-chested, and a pair of iron fists radiated azure true energy as they struck the cliff face, sending shattered stones flying. His body was enveloped in a faint true energy, and after punching hundreds of times, he had created a small hole in the cliff, yet his breath remained steady, showcasing the richness of his true energy and stamina.
With every punch, true energy would rebound, flowing from his arms directly into his head, suddenly blending with the spiritual energy in his brain, thereby opening his mind and enhancing his spiritual power. This was also a method of training spiritual awareness.
As Shen Xiang practiced below, the commotion was significant, causing the once-quiet area to reverberate with sounds throughout the entire abyss.
Two days passed, and at this point, Shen Xiang felt his true energy was extraordinarily full, and his spiritual power had increased significantly. As long as he opened up a sea of spiritual awareness, he could enter the sixth level of "Spiritual Awareness Realm." This required spiritual power and substantial true energy to break through.
"I'm ready to break through to the sixth level!" Shen Xiang took a deep breath. After two days of training, he could clearly sense that his body had become much stronger, all due to the tempering in the Immortal Demon Pool.
Shen Xiang sat cross-legged on the ground, closed his eyes in concentration, and operated the true energy within his body while releasing his spiritual power to merge the two together. The spiritual power sought out the door to spiritual awareness, while the true energy was used to break through that door!
The profound techniques of the Tai Chi Divine Art guided Shen Xiang's true energy and spiritual power to search for the door to spiritual awareness hidden within his soul, and soon Shen Xiang saw a golden door as if it were right in front of him.
Seeing that door meant the "Spiritual Awareness Realm" was within reach. He focused his brow, and with a thought, the azure true energy instantly transformed into a majestic azure dragon, roaring ferociously as it charged toward the golden door.
The azure dragon collided with the door, producing a resounding "boom." Shen Xiang saw a blinding golden light, and at the same time, he opened his eyes. A powerful true energy surged through his body, prompting him to let out a loud roar. The violent Five Elements true energy erupted from his body, creating a whirlwind that swept in all directions.
"Is this the sixth level of Mortal Martial?" Shen Xiang closed his eyes, feeling the rich and powerful true energy within him. He released his spiritual awareness, and the slightest movement in the surroundings was within his grasp!
Shen Xiang opened his eyes and smiled slightly, "Now I can use that move!"
Suddenly, flames burst forth from his back, and a pair of enormous wings made of flames appeared, dancing wildly. The flames flashed, and waves of heat surged, resembling the wings of a phoenix.
"Vermilion Bird Fire Wings! Fly!" Shen Xiang laughed heartily, and with a flap of the fire wings, in just a few blinks, his figure vanished into the black death energy.
This was the power of the sixth level of Mortal Martial! He could control the true energy flowing out of his body through powerful spiritual awareness, which allowed him to manifest the true energy into wings, soaring into the sky.