Sage of Humanity
Chapter 868 - 866 True Lake

Lu Ye and Yiyi were both focused on their cultivation, while even Amber was nearby absorbing that pure spirit force.

Neither of them noticed a ghostly figure that had silently appeared and was standing just ten feet in front of them.

The numerous warning and protective arrays that Lu Ye had carefully set up seemed to have completely failed in their function.

The only person capable of such stealthy intrusion in today's Cangyan Mountain Pass was none other than Nian Yuexian.

At this moment, she was intently observing Lu Ye, clearly sensing the terrifying efficiency of his cultivation. With her keen eyes, she could easily spot the peculiarities in Lu Ye. Though this was her first time seeing him, a slight contemplation allowed her to roughly understand the situation.

She was greatly astonished, for even with her extensive experience, she had never thought that someone could cultivate in such a way.

Reflecting on the information she had gathered about Lu Ye's growth, Nian Yuexian finally understood how he could advance so quickly.

This kind of cultivation efficiency was beyond terrifying; normal cultivators' breathing exercises were not even comparable. This had nothing to do with cultivation aptitude anymore.

Seeing this, it was evident that this boy in the Cloud River Realm had been doing this since his cultivation was very low, and he had persisted until today.

Such audacity.

How astonishing must his talent be in the Path of Spirit Runes to have such a brilliant idea and to put it into action.

Even those who had reached the Divine Sea Realm usually had a calm mindset, yet Nian Yuexian was still shocked by Lu Ye's unique cultivation method.

Looking at Yiyi sitting beside Lu Ye...

She was even more shocked.

She had infiltrated to investigate because she sensed a strange presence in the bamboo house.

She had seen Lu Ye before; he was always accompanied by Amber, and she clearly remembered the aura of both. Suddenly sensing a new aura made her vigilant.

Upon entering, she discovered that beside Lu Ye and his pet beast, there was another extremely unique being—a young girl who had successfully concealed herself even from her.

After watching silently for a moment, Nian Yuexian's figure vanished as if she had never been there, leaving no trace behind.

One after another, gold-hued spirit fortune sticks were being consumed. After seven days, when the effect of the seventh stick was about to end, an enormous buzzing sound suddenly emanated from Lu Ye's body, like thunderbolts or raging rivers.

A torrent of spirit force surged within him, causing waves of energy to ripple outward.

The fullness he had experienced in recent days became even more pronounced, yet instead of discomfort, Lu Ye felt that every inch of his flesh was overflowing with spirit force.

Cultivators open numerous spiritual orifices starting from the Spirit Stream Realm. Once enough spiritual orifices are open, they can connect throughout the body, achieving the Cloud River. At that level, spirit force within the body flows like a great river connected end to end, unceasingly.

However, this river has its limits; the purpose of cultivation in the Cloud River Realm is to continuously expand this river of spirit force.

Every minor level advancement signifies an expansion of the river's capacity until it fills every corner of the body.

By this stage, the body is filled with one's own spirit force without limitations. The response of spirit force becomes immediate regardless of how it is mobilized, giving greater control than before.

At this point, the spirit force within is like a lake, signifying the True Lake Realm.

At this moment, Lu Ye had one foot in the doorway of the True Lake Realm, which essentially made him a True Lake cultivator.

However, the turbulence of spirit force around him indicated unstable cultivation. If left unchecked, he could fall back to Cloud River Level 9, rendering all recent efforts futile.

The cultivation in the True Lake Realm is different from the previous two realms.

In the previous realms, the goal was to increase the quantity of spirit force, especially in the Cloud River Realm.

But in the True Lake Realm, the focus shifts to improving the quality of spirit force.

The True Lake 9 Revolutions correspond to the nine levels within the True Lake Realm.

Lu Ye could only be considered stable in the True Lake Level 1 once he has refined his spirit force through the first revolution. As it stands, he is merely a house of cards, ready to collapse at any moment.

He had previously sought advice from Shui Yuan about cultivating in the True Lake Realm, so he knew what needed to be done at this crucial moment.

To refine his spirit force, he needed to rely on the Cultivation Technique he had acquired from the Heaven's Augury treasure vault during his time in the Spirit Stream Realm.

After entering the Cloud River Realm, his internal spiritual orifices connected to form the Major Circumambulation, creating a river of spirit force. Lu Ye once thought that Cultivation Techniques were no longer useful, but after consulting Shui Yuan about True Lake Realm cultivation, he realized his mistake.

Cultivation Techniques are extremely important and accompany a cultivator throughout their life. The better the technique, the more it helps in refining spirit force.

Lu Ye's Great Sun Glazed Glass Method was undoubtedly exceptional, one of the top techniques in the Heaven's Augury treasure vault. Although there were more expensive techniques available, this was the most suitable for him.

This made him grateful for not skimping on merit points back then.

The process of refining spirit force wasn't difficult, just tedious, as it involved circulating spirit force according to the technique's route, which naturally caused the abundant spirit force to undergo some marvelous transformations, becoming more refined.

Simply put, it's compression.

Two parts of spirit force would be compressed into one part through the technique, reducing in quantity but increasing in quality, marking a single revolution.

Once all of his spirit force reached this refined state, he'd be stable in True Lake Level 1.

To advance to True Lake Level 2, he'd need to repeat this process, further compressing refined spirit force.

And so on, with each level.

Therefore, the higher a cultivator's progression, the greater their spirit force requirements, as what once provided two parts of improvement now provides only one part in the True Lake Realm, and just half a part in True Lake Level 2...

The resource demand for True Lake Realm cultivators multiplies, reflecting its enormity.

While refining spirit force isn't difficult, it is laborious, repeating the same task over and over.

Moreover, the process demands incredibly pure spirit force; any impurities or pill poison significantly increase the difficulty of refining.

So, typically, cultivators focus their mind and body, striving to purify their spirit force as much as possible.

Lu Ye, having the Talent Tree to burn away pill poison, need not worry about such issues.

Spirit force surged within him as he concentrated, circulating spirit force according to the Great Sun Glazed Glass Method.

Though his internal spiritual orifices were flooded with spirit force, the orifices opened during the Spirit Stream Realm still existed, forming the foundation for his small spirit energy gathering funnel.

At this moment, spirit force surged through numerous orifices, causing the overflowing sensation, and initiated some remarkable changes.

After a dozen breaths, Lu Ye's focus wavered.

He distinctly felt a small, unique strand of spirit force within him. Though barely noticeable, like a blade of grass in his spirit lake, it was exceptionally potent compared to the rest.

An incessant buzzing echoed within him. The fullness did not diminish as the gold-hued spirit fortune stick continued its effect and his small spirit energy gathering funnel kept absorbing.

This highlighted the advantage of Lu Ye's unique cultivation method.

Normal cultivators could only focus on one task—either refining existing spirit force or absorbing external spirit force to replenish themselves. Dividing focus was impossible as both tasks consumed tremendous concentration.

Lu Ye, however, could do both simultaneously, saving significant time.

As time passed, more and more of his spirit force reached the first revolution, becoming distinctly recognizable until it completely replaced his original spirit force.

When all his spirit force was refined to the first revolution, Lu Ye abruptly opened his eyes.

In that instant, the entire world seemed different.

Lu Ye knew that it was not the world that had changed but himself.

The world was still the same, but he was no longer the same person.

An advancement in major realms brought profound changes.

Advancing to the Cloud River Realm was like this, and so was the True Lake Realm, albeit to a greater extent.

Lu Ye could clearly feel the terrifying power within him now. Compared to his pre-advancement self, his strength could only be described as skyrocketing.

If he were to face the Golden Corpse King from the Unparalleled Continent now, he felt he could end the fight in three strikes.

Moreover, he sensed a slight physical enhancement upon stabilizing in True Lake Level 1—though it might just be his imagination.

"Lu Ye, have you reached the True Lake?" Yiyi asked as he opened his eyes. She'd held back while Lu Ye's advancement caused quite a stir, ensuring not to interrupt him.

"Yes, the True Lake!" Lu Ye gently clenched his fist. Years of arduous cultivation had finally brought him to this level. Though higher mountains like the Divine Sea still awaited, he had undoubtedly broken free from the lower realms.

"Then Amber and I must work harder." Yiyi resolved silently. To avoid falling behind, she and Amber had never slacked in their cultivation. Usually, they trained while Lu Ye did.

Each had their unique method.

Lu Ye could ingest elixir pills to strengthen his foundation, while Amber consumed demonic pills to close the gap.

Through such efforts, they had kept pace with Lu Ye.

However, the advancement of a major realm instilled a sense of urgency in Yiyi.

"Shall we continue, then?" Lu Ye asked, noting the unfinished gold-hued spirit fortune stick. An opportunity for stability couldn't be missed.

"Yes." Yiyi nodded eagerly, immediately resuming her cultivation state.