Two years have brought many changes, and this sea region has been turbulent.
The azure sea is vast and the islands are serene. The nest of the Kunpeng has remained impregnable, and no one has truly acquired its treasured techniques.
Over these two years, countless powerful figures have come and gone, many of whom have died in groups, leaving behind numerous corpses.
Many beings have perished in this sea area, and the azure sea has almost been stained red. Heroes have come and gone, replaced by new ones in a constant cycle.
By now, the news has spread far and wide, and it's impossible to keep it hidden. Those with the ability to come have shown themselves, trying to find a way to break into the divine nest, but they have all failed.
Even some venerables have arrived, sneaking in to observe the Kunpeng's domain, but they too have found no solution. Some have even ended up humiliated, their powers suppressed, and they narrowly escaped being killed.
Since the girl left, she has not appeared again.
However, the legends of the two great thieves have never faded. They are frequently mentioned because their plundering of the Jiao Venerable's spiritual body was exposed, and some people had witnessed it firsthand.
When this incident became known, it left many stunned and then in an uproar, finding it both laughable and absurd. How ruthless must these two be to dare attack a venerable?
In fact, people felt great sympathy for the Jiao Venerable. After the incident, he was truly disgraced. Such a powerful being was beaten up and robbed by two juniors, leaving people speechless.
This incident led to a significant increase in the number of Jiao in the sea region. It is said that these were sent by the Jiao Venerable himself, who was furious and dispatched his disciples to find the thieves.
He looked down on the North Sea and scorned all heroes. How could he accept being so terribly bullied by a young brat and a detestable girl? He could not swallow this anger.
This became a joke. Whenever people saw Jiao dragons appearing, they would exchange knowing glances and smile, finding a sense of satisfaction.
Elder figures who suffered due to their powers being suppressed would also think of the Jiao Venerable to console themselves, knowing that if even the Jiao Venerable had been beaten, they had nothing to complain about.
Over time, the Jiao Venerable became a symbol of tragedy, and the two great thieves remained remembered and talked about as a source of amusement.
However, their silence lasted too long. The witch had been absent for two years, and the young brat only appeared every few months, always sneaky and elusive.
Two years had passed, and Shi Hao was now over thirteen, having left his childhood behind. At this age, he could already marry and start a family in the Great Wilderness.
Yet, the mischievous nature of the child remained unchanged. He still displayed some cruel tendencies and engaged in peculiar acts, causing widespread outrage.
For example, although it was already known that the Jiao Venerable had been robbed, people did not know that the child, upon learning of the increased Jiao in the area, had secretly acted to beat up all eighteen of the Jiao Venerable’s grandsons. He beat them until they cried for their parents and took all their valuables.
However, he did not kill them. He let the eighteen grandsons return to deliver a message to the Jiao Venerable to be cautious.
Such a blatant threat and warning could only come from someone as ruthless as him. The Jiao clan was left speechless, grinding their teeth in frustration.
Over these two years, several hostile powerful figures had suffered from his attacks, having been struck with dark bricks and smashed with divine stones, causing fear among those who mentioned the child. They could only swallow their grievances in silence.
The child had grown considerably taller, his black hair flowing freely, and he had become even more handsome and striking. At this moment, he was seated at the bottom of the sea, in the Yang Extreme Cave, refining his body and spirit with true fire.
The flames here were special and terrifying. Only recently had he managed to approach the deepest part, where the flames were extremely hot, representing the ultimate yang fire, nearly scorching his body.
Yet, he remained calm and unmoving, his eyes serene and his heart unperturbed.
It was unclear how much time had passed, but his body shed a layer of charred old skin, revealing a jade-like, crystalline physique that had become even more powerful.
If someone were here, they would be astonished by the torturous process of refining the body with true fire, which almost scorched him but ultimately led to a transformation.
This was undoubtedly a form of torture, an unbearable trial. Shi Hao’s advancement to this level, with such strength, was not without reason. He possessed immense willpower, remaining steadfast in the face of such suffering.
In reality, shedding the old skin and growing new flesh was not the goal of his training here. His body had already reached the peak of spiritual transformation and could autonomously improve itself without such intense methods.
The reason he endured this was not for the body but to temper his spirit and reforging his true self.
The spiritual refinement involves three stages: the first is the spiritual transformation of the body, the second is the reforging of the true self, and the third is nourishing the spirit in the Cave of Heaven.
Given the child’s talent, it was impossible for his cultivation to stagnate over the two years. On the path of cultivation, he possessed unparalleled talent and had always been "dominant."
The achievements he made in these two years were astounding, advancing rapidly from the initial stage to the peak of this realm.
As one progresses on the path of cultivation, it becomes increasingly difficult, and the pace slows, making each step harder to achieve. The spiritual transformation is a challenging domain, akin to climbing a steep slope.
Reaching the spiritual transformation realm means becoming a master. In the ancient countries, the elders of great clans are typically only at the later stages of this realm. For someone as young as Shi Hao to reach this field is truly shocking.
A thirteen-year-old boy has already reached the peak of the spiritual transformation realm, which is astonishing.
Even pure-blooded beings from the ancient divine mountains would be astonished. Strong as they were, such as Qingyun who possessed nine cave heavens, they only reached the mid-stage of the spiritual transformation realm at fourteen or fifteen years old.
Moreover, Shi Hao’s path was different from others. He was at the Ten Cave Heaven level and had pushed each stage to its extreme, requiring even more effort and time.
As a result, he reached the pinnacle first.
Such achievements and talent are awe-inspiring. If the outside world knew, it would cause a huge stir in the荒域.
However, over the past two years, he had remained low-key, consolidating his cultivation.
Shi Hao had already achieved the spiritual transformation of the body, a legendary state that he had unraveled.
The spiritual reforging of the true self and the nourishing of the spirit in the Ten Cave Heaven, although he had entered these stages and reached their peaks, he had not yet broken through to the ultimate limit. These stages were still in the process of sublimation.
Currently, Shi Hao was no longer afraid of others in the spiritual transformation realm and could battle against the many powerful beings in this azure sea, no longer needing to avoid great enemies as he did two years ago.
Yet, he was still not satisfied, never truly coming out of seclusion. He wanted to break through to the ultimate realm. The child had set very high standards for himself, aiming to become the strongest.
In the Yang Extreme Cave, his cultivation and refining were aimed at breaking through to the legendary state of the past, as he sought to reforging his true self.
Spiritual reforging of the true self is undoubtedly terrifying. It can easily harm the soul, fraught with danger. Few would risk changing anything.
Most people choose to refine a little, pass the stage, and enter the next realm. However, the child was meticulous, comparing ancient texts, and setting high standards for himself.
He used the true fire in the Yang Extreme Cave to temper his spirit, refining his soul, and reshaping his "true self" to reach the ultimate strength.
He was seated in meditation, enduring the scorching and burning of the fire in the cave, his body becoming charred and shedding skin. This was merely a byproduct of refining his spirit, not a necessity. The true purpose was to allow the divine consciousness to undergo a form of rebirth, strengthening the spirit and soul.
Over many sessions, his body had become increasingly crystalline, shedding skin multiple times. This was a side effect of his spiritual training.
Finally, this time he made new progress. A ball of light was burning within his head, as if it was about to break free and release an immortal divine radiance.
The Yang Extreme Cave was no ordinary place. The fire produced there was revered by the Kunpeng and was said to be similar to the environment it had during its youth, far from mundane.
The fire from the Yang Extreme Cave nurtured immortal divinity, capable of not only refining the body but also forging the spirit, making it stronger and even rebirthing it.
Shi Hao had been cultivating here for two years and had finally reached this point. His spirit seemed to be burning, as if it was turning to ashes, but the true essence remained undying, wrapped in the center, undergoing thousands of trials to be reshaped.
That was his spiritual source, which had become increasingly resilient and rapidly strengthening under the scorching true fire.
A “pop” sounded.
The light within his head seemed to have reached its peak, igniting his entire spirit, as if it were on the brink of destruction, facing extreme danger.
Just like his body, his spiritual source seemed to have been “burned out,” appearing dark and lifeless.
At last, a faint sound was heard, and the dim flame suddenly surged, gaining new life. The spirit had shed its old skin and became even stronger.
“The spiritual fire has been reborn once again,” Shi Hao said to himself, satisfied with his progress. A few more such sessions should lead him to the legendary realm.
After a period of adjustment and recovery, which took several days,
“It’s time to go to the Frozen Abyss,” Shi Hao said as he rose. He was now considerably taller, though his appearance had not changed much. He quickly exited the fire cave and arrived at a new area.
He drilled through the frozen sea and entered a deep abyss, a place of terrifying cold with temperatures that were unbearable for most.
Many powerful figures who came here were immediately shattered by the cold, unable to move an inch. It was impossible for them to descend continuously like he did, reaching the very bottom.
Shi Hao’s body was frozen white, nearly on the verge of depletion, and his spiritual fire seemed to be sealed by the ice, struggling to reflect from his forehead.
This was another form of tempering. The Frozen Abyss, in addition to its extreme cold, also harbored immortal divine power, capable of refining both body and spirit.
A year ago, when he trained here, his body had cracked from the cold, almost dying, but eventually, he had undergone a transformation and become stronger. The intense and painful experience was difficult but fulfilling, with a sense of achievement.
Long-term exposure led to his flesh being intermittently cracked by the cold and then regenerated. He gradually adapted, with the primary benefit being the nourishment and tempering of his spiritual source by the extreme divine power, leading to continuous evolution.
For example, now a ball of spiritual fire was pressed to its limit by the white divine power, almost extinguished, solidifying into a “frozen state.”
Yet Shi Hao persisted, refusing to back down, and continued to resist, making his spirit even more resilient.
“Boom.”
In the end, the frozen state shattered, and the spiritual source seemed to explode, but it eventually revived, with the divine fire burning more fiercely.
Thus, he alternated between the Yang Extreme Cave and the Frozen Abyss, switching every few days, continually striving towards the legendary realm.
The spirit grew stronger and was constantly being reforged, removing some “impurities,” repeatedly tempered, and becoming more resilient.
Reforging the true self is a slow process, requiring the spirit to harmonize with the Dao, making it easier to grasp the Dao and reach the ultimate limit.
When Shi Hao reached this stage, it was considered a defiant process, as it involved changing the potential of cultivation.
The path of cultivation becomes increasingly difficult in the later stages. His transformation, continuously tempering his spirit and undergoing near-rebirth changes, was like expanding this path.
Easier said than done, only by reaching such legendary realms can one make a difference. Few can achieve this.
What Shi Hao was shaping was not only his potential and spirit but also the future path. This was of immense significance, thus it could be called reforging the true self.
Predecessors searched high and low, experiencing various tribulations and life-and-death situations to carve out one path after another.
Reforging the true self involved a breakthrough, a form of rebirth, making the difficult path of cultivation a bit broader and more stable for the future.
Of course, both the spiritual transformation of the body and reforging the true self are legendary realms, with few achieving them. Though they are named as the two major stages of spiritual transformation, they can only be approached infinitely closely.
“It’s done. I’ve reached the legendary realm,” Shi Hao opened his eyes, satisfied with the near-completion of reforging the true self.
At the same time, a Kunpeng appeared beside him, and a Suanni roared, circling around him as if resonating with him.
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