Chapter 262: Central Province’s Turmoil, Stepping into the Marquis Realm
“Strictly speaking, this is a triple cultivation,” Meng Changqing’s lips curled into a faint smile as he recalled the cold and aloof woman.
The Great Yin-Yang Joyful Meditation was a Heaven-grade secret art, and mastering it would indeed require significant effort. However, with his enlightenment cards, the improvement could happen in an instant, like a quick series of upgrades in a game.
Back in the cultivation hall, Meng Changqing sat cross-legged.
The recent deal with Dongmen Xiangzhong not only increased his favorability but also granted him a chance to select an attribute.
After glancing through the options, he found nothing particularly desirable and decided to opt for a random selection instead.
This netted him a First-Grade Root Bone.
Upon dismantling it, he obtained three attribute selection cards.
As for the Bloodline Purification Card, he wasn’t in a rush to use it. His spirit beast pouch had yet to be opened.
All this would wait until after his breakthrough to the Marquis Realm.
For now, it was time to go into seclusion and fine-tune his state.
With that thought, Meng Changqing took out the Third-Tier Wish Spirit Fruit.
The fruit was about the size of a fist, with no fixed color, constantly shifting like a kaleidoscope.
Sacred and vast, its aura resonated deeply.
It stirred vibrations in his physical body’s hidden reserves and his spiritual essence, evoking a sense of yearning while diminishing their mutual repulsion. It was as if these aspects were on the verge of merging.
“Truly a top-tier divine object. Just its fragrance stirs reactions within the body.” Meng Changqing nodded slightly.
The Wish Spirit Fruit’s unique property was its ability to grant a gift from the Heavenly Dao.
What that gift might be, no one knew, as no one had ever fully unraveled its mysteries. Most only managed to extract its basic mysterious essence.
“Let’s hope I can unlock its full potential.”
He set the fruit before him, adjusting his state while attuning himself to its aura.
It was said that Sikong Wuque had ventured into the Wild Sea precisely for this fruit. As the future successor of the Eternal Nether Sect, Sikong Wuque was unlikely to lack divine treasures.
The fact that he had waited so long indicated the extraordinary nature of the Wish Spirit Fruit.
Closing his eyes slowly, Meng Changqing entered a meditative state.
—
Half a month passed without notice.
News of Meng Changqing had spread swiftly throughout the Desolate Region and even to surrounding regions. His feats were astonishing to all who heard.
Pre-Marquis, he had already condensed a Martial Domain — an accomplishment unheard of.
Even the Holy Land’s top disciples, cultivated with vast resources, had not achieved this.
In simple terms, this Southern Region’s contemporary leader had surpassed the inheritors of the Holy Land — entities backed by boundless resources and unmatched heritage.
This was unprecedented in history.
Holy Lands, with their near-infinite resources, stood as invincible forces, producing unparalleled talents across generations.
But now, an ironclad rule of the martial world had seemingly been shattered.
“Let’s see how far this young man can go,” someone remarked with deep intrigue.
At the same time, another event caught Central Province’s attention.
The second-most dangerous place in the region, the Abyss of Heavenly Demons, had been breached.
Its guardian artifact had fled, allowing a massive demonic invasion. Fortunately, the Holy Land responded swiftly, driving back the demons before large-scale casualties occurred.
In response, the Wanxiang Pavilion issued a bounty: anyone who retrieved the guardian artifact would be richly rewarded with supreme treasures and other benefits.
This sparked a frenzy across Central Province, with martial artists scouring the lands. But as time passed without success, the search began to wane.
Meanwhile, numerous Heavenly Ranking martial artists reached their ten-year challenge dates.
Many emerged from seclusion, drawing challengers from all corners of the martial world.
The Heavenly Ranking was of monumental importance.
Each listed individual was required to emerge every decade, allowing others to challenge them for two months.
Once the challenge window closed, no further challenges would be permitted.
This rule protected Heavenly Ranking martial artists from constant disturbances, ensuring they had peace to cultivate.
None of this concerned Meng Changqing for now.
Having fully adjusted his state, he was ready for his breakthrough.
In the cultivation hall, the formation rose.
Meng Changqing sat cross-legged at the center, with the Wish Spirit Fruit hovering before him, emanating a sacred glow.
“It begins.”
His aura brimmed with vigor and intensity, reaching the limits of the Life and Death Realm.
The Marquis Realm, in essence, represented the fusion of spirit, body, and Martial Dao — birthing a force far surpassing True Essence, known as True Force.
True Force was crucial to constructing a Martial Dao True Domain.
Meng Changqing’s True Domain was still in its embryonic stage, lacking the essential component of True Force.
He likened the process to cultivating a seed (True Intent) in the soil of Heaven and Earth’s laws, requiring True Force to nourish it.
Without hesitation, he grasped the Wish Spirit Fruit and took a bite.
The moment it entered his mouth, countless streams of cool, mysterious energy spread throughout his body, infiltrating every corner, including his hidden reserves.
Boom!
His reserves trembled violently as the mysterious energy transformed into threads connecting his reserves.
However, dense gray mist emerged, lurking deep within him, eerie and malevolent. It surged with each pulse, attempting to sever the connections and prevent fusion.
“So this is the so-called repulsion,” Meng Changqing observed calmly in his inner vision.
He recalled ancient texts describing humanity as beings of innate spirituality, later struck by calamity, sealing their hidden reserves.
Only through martial cultivation could one reclaim this innate state, overcoming countless internal and external tribulations.
These gray mists, known as repulsion or calamity remnants, were among those trials.
Only divine objects could counteract them.
Meng Changqing took another bite of the divine fruit.
Larger waves of mysterious energy flooded his body, devouring and suppressing the gray mist.
“What exactly is this energy within divine objects?”
Despite his curiosity, prolonged contemplation yielded no answers. He set the thought aside, allowing the divine object to ‘perform.’
With each bite, the divine fruit’s power fully suppressed and consumed the gray mist. His reserves established complete connections, akin to two isolated continents finally bridged.
Boom!
In an instant, his dantian surged with chaotic brilliance, birthing a new power infused with True Essence, Soul Force, and his Martial Dao insights.