[Host: Lu Fan]
[Title: Qi Refiner (permanent)]
[Refined Qi Level: 4 (progress in Refined Qi Level 4: 1.9/10 [Spirt Fluid])]
[Soul Strength: 608 (exchangeable: 521 [Spiritual Sense: 5])]
[Physique Strength: 510 (exchangeable: 510 [Magic Demon Blood: 4])]
[Spirit Qi: 14790 wisps]
[Spirit Fluid: 1 drop]
[World Leveling System: Wuhuang Continent (Mid Level Martial World)]
[Available Points Awarded: 83]
Looking at the system page that had popped up before him, Lu Fan could not help but show a smile that pulled the corner of his lip up.
Seeing Wuhuang Continent upgrade into a Mid Level Martial World from a Low Level Martial World, Lu Fan was very inspired.
Nothing had been easy.
But at this moment, Wuhuang Continent had finally become a Mid Level Martial World.
Others raised chickens, geese, or, at most, pigs.
However, he, Lu Fan, was raising a world…
It had just become a Mid Level Martial World. If Lu Fan himself was not counted in, then the current Wuhuang Continent might be slightly weaker than the Mid Level Martial World of that Golden Elixir cultivator who always made orchid fingers. Among all Mid Level Martial Worlds, Wuhuang Continent was still a new world.
However, Lu Fan was very confident. He believed soon enough, Wuhuang Continent would exceed that Golden Elixir cultivator’s Mid Level Martial World.
A system prompt popped up.
[“Congratulations, Host. You have finished transforming the world. It was a solid step forward on the way to an Ultimate Fantasy World.”]
[“Transformation Reward: Sense Collection Technique, 3 Upgrade Points.”]
Lu Fan had always been expecting the reward from Wuhuang Continent’s upgrade from a Low Level Martial World to a Mid Level Martial World.
Although he had not completed the main quest—to upgrade to an Ultimate Fantasy World—an upgrade of the plane was not a small achievement, either. He figured the reward could not be modest.
Would it be excessive at all to give him three or four Spirit Tools of Ground Level like the Trial Pagoda?
However, Lu Fan was a little lost when he had seen the reward…
Because the reward prompt that had popped up seemed quite dry. The rewards did not seem to be a lot.
Lu Fan was a little letdown.
But he cheered himself up very soon. It was still better than no reward at all.
The first reward was Sense Collection Technique. Lu Fan was a little surprised. Judging from the name, it could be similar to that almost useless Transformation Technique.
Lu Fan checked its introduction.
[“Sense Collection Technique. Grade: ??? Host can get a cut from the Spiritual Senses of cultivators on Wuhuang Continent by cultivating this method.”]
Lu Fan was excited to read the short and simple introduction.
As calm as he was, he could not help but take a deep breath when he had seen it.
This reward was amazing.
He had thought it was as useless as the Transformation Technique, but the introduction was a slap in his face.
This Sense Collection Technique turned out to be a fantastic technique!
Lu Fan could get a cut from the Spirit Qi all cultivators in this world had refined, but this Sense Collection Technique went even further.
Lu Fan had experienced himself how difficult it was to get Spiritual Sense. He spent a hundred points of Soul Strength in return for only one wisp of Spiritual Sense.
And Lu Fan had only got five wisps by far.
It was beyond doubt that Spiritual Sense was very powerful, and it could be used in many aspects.
When Lu Fan had cultivated the Sense Collection Technique, one more column showed up on the system page.
[Sense Collection: 1]
This meant Lu Fan had got one wisp of Spiritual Sense as commission, and it should come from Nie Changqing…
Because Nie Changqing was the only Heavenly Lock Realm cultivator at the moment.
The appearance of the Sense Collection Technique made Lu Fan more eager to improve the strength of the strong cultivators on Wuhuang Continent.
If there were a hundred Heavenly Lock cultivators, his Spiritual Sense would get a hundred wisps!
It certainly would not be easy to train a hundred Heavenly Lock cultivators.
But at least he should have the dream.
Lu Fan fixed his eyes on the other reward “3 Upgrade Points” after restricting his excitement.
Judging from the name, it should be similar to Available Points.
Lu Fan shifted his consciousness.
He thought of the All Method Furnace, the technique to deduce methods.
That thing seemed to be upgradable.
Lu Fan added one of his Upgrade Points to the All Method Furnace.
Instantly, the All Method Furnace upgraded to level two from level one.
So it was used for upgrade indeed.
Lu Fan was pleasantly surprised.
But soon, his face slightly twitched. He regretted.
The All Method Furnace was not a very useful technique for Lu Fan.
He was a little frustrated for having wasted one Upgrade Point on it.
The Spirit Pressure Chessboard emerged. After seeing [“Spirit Pressure Chessboard: Heaven Level Low Grade Spirit Tool (able to level up)”], Lu Fan decided to invest the other two Upgrade Points in the Spirit Pressure Chessboard.
The Spirit Pressure Chessboard instantly started to shine.
Lu Fan checked it again and found its grade had achieved Heaven Level and High Grade.
Lu Fan had owned the Spirit Pressure Chessboard for a long time. And at this moment, he was able to upgrade the tool finally.
Lu Fan felt himself connecting deeper with the Spirit Pressure Chessboard. Even the Spirit Pressure released every time he placed a chess piece was several times greater. Most importantly, he could refine more Soul Strengths from setting up the chessboard according to Heavenly Go Manual.
That was what mattered to him most.
He exited the system page.
Lu Fan somehow felt a slight bit of regret. If he had not wasted one Upgrade Point, maybe the Spirit Pressure Chessboard would have been upgraded to Spirit Tool of Ground Level.
Just think about the Trial Pagoda. A Spirit Tool of Ground Level was absolutely very powerful.
It was breezy on Beiluo Lake, the wind creating ripples on the surface water from time to time.
While crouching on Lu Fan’s shoulders, the little Responsive Dragon continued spraying water on the birds in the distance, scaring all of them away.
Lines were shifting up and down in Lu Fan’s eyes.
He went on to configure the three forbidden areas.
He had set the three forbidden areas aside during the transformation to realize that bold idea of his.
If the cultivators on Wuhuang Continent wanted to improve themselves, cultivation should not be the only thing they counted on.
They also needed to fight.
For Heavenly Lock cultivators like Nie Changqing, almost no one else on Wuhuang Continent could fight him.
As a result, Lu Fan would have to find them some sparring partners, namely, the so-called sharpening stones.
Lu Fan divided the thunder bead into three, each of which flew to one forbidden area.
Sealed in the thunder bead was the Origin of that top-class Mid Level Martial World.
It could be used as the medium or bridge for communication.
******
The world had experienced a significant change, but everyone in Beiluo City had panicked.
Although White Jade City was situated in Beiluo, such a change was like something done by the Immortal. Would White Jade City be able to resist it?
It was quite safe in Beiluo. There was no concern for wars.
However…
In the face of this unknown crisis, they still wanted to continue living.
For civilians who were not cultivators, staying alive was the only thing they expected.
Finally…
When the whole city was in panic…
Lu Fan’s voice came. He sounded like he was speaking right beside each of the citizens.
“Wherever White Jade City is located, it’s a safe place.”
Lu Fan’s voice echoed in every corner in Beiluo City.
The civilians, who had been worried, knelt down on the ground, feeling crazy about him.
In their eyes, Young Master Lu from Beiluo was exactly the Immortal. He was the deity who protected Beiluo City from dangers.
The chaotic Beiluo City recovered its peace again.
Once more, everything went back the way it was before this massive change.
Maybe the only irreversible change was that Beiluo City had been moved to the mountain summit from the mountain foot.
Beiluo Peak was very tall. It was surrounded by clouds halfway up.
Theoretically, at such high altitude, ordinary people might feel uncomfortable.
However, the mortal living in Beiluo City did not have any uncomfortable feelings at all, not only because of Spirit Qi but also because Lu Fan had taken some measures so that ordinary people could stay unaffected by the altitude and live there normally, just like on the plain.
White Jade City was the number one cultivator power in the world, indeed.
However, Lu Fan did not want to drive ordinary people out of White Jade City…
Because Lu Fan thought cultivation was something inhuman, and if all ordinary people, who were human, were driven away, the life here would be even more lonesome and boring.
Time fleeted.
The whole world was affected by the big change that happened. Since the land had become bigger, it was even more difficult to communicate with other parts of the world.
Letters or messages that used to arrive in one day needed two or three days by then.
As a result, people in every place became less informed.
However, it was only a general situation. Tianji Pavilion was always the fastest to pass on messages.
Tainji Pigeons, bathed in and transformed by Spirit Qi, were not average pigeons anymore. As great as Qi Core cultivators, they could fly very fast.
They could fly a thousand miles to and fro in one day.
The news about the grotto-heavens and blissful lands and the three forbidden areas was spread far and wide.
The world was shocked.
Some were excited, while others were worried. Some people thought since the world had been transformed and the ancient cultivation era would revive, it was full of opportunities in this era, and if they could seize such opportunities, they would be able to climb up the ladder much faster.
Others had a heavy heart.
The upcoming revival of the ancient cultivation era even made the extremely mysterious Young Master Lu from Beiluo so worried, so it must be extremely dangerous.
The world would probably be eliminated, and they would be erased from the universe.
No matter what, since the concentration of Spirit Qi had been generally increased, the entire Jianghu of cultivation had been thriving.
******
It had been a month since the Overlord had come back to the Imperial City of the capital city.
He had not comprehended elemental Spirit Qi yet. He even showed no sign of achieving the Heavenly Lock Realm.
The transformation of the world had gradually gone easier. During this period, the Overlord sent people to travel around to investigate what the world was like after the transformation.
Just like what Lu Fan had announced, there were nine more grotto-heavens and blissful lands and three forbidden areas.
There was no doubt that the entire world was paying attention to grotto-heavens and blissful lands. Although no Jianghu powers had claimed they would occupy or fight for these places yet, it would happen sooner or later.
The balance would be broken once any of the sects or schools in the Jianghu had an Internal Organs Realm cultivator.
As to the three forbidden areas, to everyone’s surprise, they were located in South County, Western Liang, and the Great Xuan.
It was easy to find them.
The concentration of Spirit Qi was the clue. There was no Spirit Qi within thirty miles around those forbidden areas.
Some people went deep into the forbidden areas. There were always people who were brave enough to explore the unknown.
They saw a wall in the deep part of the forbidden areas. It was a wall of air. It also looked like a wall made of water, on which water was rippling.
Some people extended their hands and found their hands could pierce through the wall of water easily. It seemed possible to reach the other side of the wall.
They had the nerve to go into the forbidden areas because the forbidden areas were actually three mountains, which were visible and touchable.
However, no one knew what was behind this transparent wall of fluctuating air.
It was inevitable to feel scared in the face of something dangerous and unknown.
However, some people were just not afraid of death.
A man went through the wall of air.
In just a few seconds, the wall of air fluctuated violently.
This man fled back in a disgraceful manner, covered with blood.
However…
This man came back extremely scared, and he died right away.
This man was a Ninth Stage Qi Core Realm cultivator. He was not weak. Nevertheless, he died almost immediately after going through the wall of air.
In this way, the forbidden areas became famous.
The forbidden areas in South County, Western Liang, and the Great Xuan immediately became three intimidating places.
Of course, there were still challengers who were not afraid of death.
Four Ninth Stage Qi Core Realm cultivators formed a team. One of them stayed outside in case anything arose, while the other three went into the forbidden area of South County together. And they went through the wall of air.
They said they would go back in half an hour. If they did not go back, it would mean they were dead.
In the end, none of the three went back.
When this news had spread, the forbidden areas became a taboo for all cultivators in the world.
Tang Yimo sent South Manor Army to be stationed outside of the forbidden area of South County so that no creatures from the forbidden area would come out.
As to what was in the forbidden areas…
No one knew.
Some people guessed there were dreadful monsters.
Others assumed there was an endless hell.
However, no one exactly knew.
Only Internal Organs Realm cultivators were able to explore the forbidden areas further.
But even Internal Organs Realm cultivators did not have the nerve to go inside. After all, it was not easy to break through to the Internal Organs Realm.
Tang Yimo wanted to go inside, but Tang Xiansheng stopped him.
“What if you die in the forbidden area? What would happen to South County? What would happen to Guo?”
Tang Xiansheng’s questions made Tang Yimo hesitate.
The forbidden areas in Western Liang and the Great Xuan had armies guarding outside as well.
They were afraid whatever living in the forbidden areas would come out. Those monsters must be very strong since those Qi Core cultivators all died so quickly.
******
Tianhan Gate.
In spite of the big change the other parts of the world had experienced, Tianhan Gate still remained the same.
The Great Xuan’s army was still stationed there. They had no complaints about guarding the frontier.
It was overcast this day.
A sentry was standing on the tower, guarding the place.
All of a sudden, he saw clouds of dust approaching from the horizon.
The sentry instantly turned pale.
He went to every corner in the tower running and screaming, “The enemy is coming!”
Although a long time had passed since the last attack from Xirong, none of the guards at Tianhan Gate would let down their guard.
The entire Tianhan Gate, like a sleeping lion, was woken up by the sentry’s warning.
A team of Xuanwu Guard showed up immediately on the tower.
Standing on the tower, their leader was looking into the distance.
He was a Ninth Stage Qi Core Realm cultivator, so that means he could see farther.
What he saw…
It was an elite troop marching, the sands flying all over. There were infantries and cavalries. All of them had a shield in hand. They were approaching Tianhan Gate like crazy.
It seemed they had seen the magnificent Tianhan Gate standing in the sands.
This troop looked insane. The eyes of many of its soldiers were extremely bright.
The leader turned slightly pale. He had gone through many battles. He knew this was an elite troop.
How come there was such a strong army in the west of Tianhan Gate?
“Get ready to fight!”
However, there was no time for the leader of Xuanwu Guard to think. He sent someone to inform the Lord of Beixuan. Then, standing on the tower, with his fist closed, he brandished a flag.
The tower of Tianhan Gate was filled with sounds of horns and drums.
Tianhan Gate had been in peace for a long time. However, at this moment, it had totally gone into an uproar.
******
Beiluo.
Lake Island.
Nie Changqing, carrying the Dragon Slaying Knife, walked onto the island from the lakeside.
Sitting in the wheelchair by the railing, Lu Fan was listening to the wind while playing chess and drinking.
“Young Master…”
Nie Changqing cupped his hands at Lu Fan.
“You refined the second vertebra in one month. Not bad,” Lu Fan said with a smile as he threw Nie Changqing a look.
He placed the chess piece between his fingers down slowly. Spirit Qi was fluctuating and spreading unnoticeably.
However, Nie Changqing replied seriously, “Young Master, Changqing has hit a bottleneck, not only the bottleneck of Spiritual Sense but also of refining vertebras…”
“I’m feeling a little lost. I have no idea where to start.”
Lu Fan rolled up his sleeve. He glanced at Nie Changqing after placing a white chess piece on the chessboard.
“You are not lost… What you lack are enough pressures and a goal.”
“You are the first man to achieve the Heavenly Lock Realm. Although you are the first one to go beyond the limits, and it is really an honor, you are not pressured anymore. So you are making slow progress, just like Li Sansi. He was the first man to achieve the Internal Organs Realm. He beat you, Ning Zhao, the Overlord, and the others to the Internal Organs, but what about now? He hasn’t even refined all of his five organs…”
“That is the result of not having enough pressures.”
“Don’t learn from him.”
“Don’t go the way he has gone.”
The corner of Nie Changqing’s mouth twitched. He cupped his hands.
Young Master did not seem very satisfied with Li Sansi.
“Young Master, the gap between Heavenly Lock and Internal Organs is huge. Now neither the Overlord nor Ning Zhao can pressure me anymore. Changqing knows this clearly. Therefore, after days of thinking, I’ve made a decision…”
Nie Changqing said, “Changqing wants to challenge the forbidden areas!”
When that had been said…
It was suddenly very quiet.
Pah.
Lu Fan placed a black chess piece on the chessboard with a clear sound.
It felt sharp. Nie Changqing’s pores shrank involuntarily.
Looking at the white-clothed teenager sitting on the second floor of the pavilion…
Nie Changqing vaguely felt he could not breathe.
Even though he had achieved Heavenly Lock, he still could not figure out how strong the Young Master was…
Maybe, the Young Master had also gone beyond Heavenly Lock…
After a long while, the pressure Lu Fan imposed on Nie Changqing was suddenly lifted.
Looking at Nie Changqing, Lu Fan said flatly, “You want to challenge the forbidden areas?”
“Even though you are already in Heavenly Lock, you’ll still be risking your life to challenge the forbidden areas.”
“Are you sure you still want to take this challenge?”
…