Chapter 10
C10 – Spirit Release Stage Level 1
Pann Qiu has returned.”
“Not only has Pann Qiu returned, but she’s also brought with her a One-horn Pig and a man who, despite his thin and unattractive appearance, seems to possess immense strength!”
In the valley, as Pann Qiu and Jiang Que arrived, all the clansmen of the Flame Mountain Tribe emerged to greet them.
The news that the One-horn Pig had been slain by Jiang Que was met with disbelief. Yet, the display of Jiang Que’s power left them with no choice but to accept the truth.
The clansmen were overjoyed that Jiang Que had agreed to join the Flame Mountain Tribe. Patriarch Shito even declared that a bonfire celebration would be held that evening in honor of the occasion.
Roger, another warrior of the tribe, was thrilled as well. He aspired to become the Patriarch of the Flame Mountain Tribe and to win over Pann Qiu’s affections. Despite Jiang Que’s formidable strength, he lacked a muscular build, a rugged visage, and dark, coarse skin—qualities Roger thought Pann Qiu would prefer.
Roger was confident in his agility, an area where he felt Jiang Que couldn’t match him. He believed that in a prepared confrontation, Jiang Que might not stand a chance against him.
Once he ascended to the role of Patriarch, he envisioned Jiang Que as his lieutenant. With the support of Jiang Que and Pann Qiu, he was certain he could propel the Flame Mountain Tribe to new heights.
Thus, Roger welcomed Jiang Que’s arrival with open arms. He refrained from any underhanded tactics and instead sought to befriend him.
Come evening, Jiang Que made his way back to the modest wooden cabin the Flame Mountain Tribe had constructed for him.
The cabin was simple and bare, spanning merely fifteen or sixteen square meters. Yet, within the Flame Mountain Tribe, such a dwelling was considered quite grand.
Previously, only the Patriarch, the High Priest, and two warriors, Pann Qiu and Roger, had the privilege of residing in such grandeur.
Jiang Que settled onto the wooden bed, assumed a lotus position, and swiftly entered a state of deep meditation. The rich Spiritual Energy in the surroundings coalesced around him.
From then on, Jiang Que seldom ventured out of his wooden sanctuary.
The Flame Mountain Tribe organized hunting parties daily. Tribal rules mandated that every adult male participate in the hunt at least once every three days.
Regardless of whether the invitation came from Pann Qiu, Roger, or even the Patriarch Shito himself, Jiang Que found various excuses to decline them all.
This defiance of tribal customs caused some discontent among the clansmen. However, since Jiang Que had slain a One-horn Pig weighing over ten tons, his actions were seen as a significant contribution to the Flame Mountain Tribe. Consequently, the clansmen begrudgingly suppressed their dissatisfaction with him.
Yet, as days turned into weeks, the discontent within the Flame Mountain Tribe grew steadily.
The viewers watching the live stream, on the other hand, harbored no such dissatisfaction. Jiang Que’s dedication to his cultivation had propelled his abilities forward at an astonishing pace.
In under five days, he had ascended to Energy Condensation Stage Level 7. By the sixth day, he had reached Energy Condensation Stage Level 9.
For the viewers, Jiang Que’s focused cultivation and rapid progression meant he could swiftly determine the limits and potential side effects of this method of cultivation—information they were eager to obtain.
The one aspect that troubled the audience was Jiang Que’s failure to transcribe the incantation of the Flying Blade Spell.
This issue hung over them like a persistent irritant, causing considerable unease.
Yet, the live stream viewers were powerless to intervene. If Jiang Que chose not to document the incantation of the cultivation method, they had no choice but to wait with patience.
Time flew, and over twenty days passed. Inside his wooden hut, Jiang Que continued his diligent practice.
Suddenly, he experienced a slight shudder.
A formidable aura erupted from within him, stirring up a fierce wind within the confines of the hut.
Once the gust subsided, Jiang Que’s eyes snapped open—he had achieved a breakthrough!
With a casual flick of his wrist, a stream of invisible Spirit Power surged forth from his palm.
Having reached a new realm, he could now channel the Spirit Power from his Qi Sea outward.
This marked a tremendous leap forward. Now, he could wield Spirit Power to fend off attacks from a distance.
Armed with a weapon, he could even convert Spirit Power into Sword Qi or Blade Qi.
As he advanced to a new realm, Jiang Que’s Spirit Power underwent a significant transformation, becoming compressed and refined many times over. The Qi Sea and meridians within him also expanded continuously, growing ever wider under the influence of the Spirit Power.
“After breaking through to this new realm and gaining the ability to release Spirit Power, I’ll name this phase the Spirit Release Stage,” Jiang Que decided without dwelling too long on the name. His priority was to stabilize his realm quickly and vie for the role of Patriarch. He knew that only by taking control of the entire Flame Mountain Tribe and securing the support of over a thousand clansmen could he take the first step towards expanding his territory and enhancing the benefits of the Strongest Talent System.
Jiang Que calmed his mind, reigning in the thrill and happiness that came with reaching Spirit Release Stage Level 1. He sat down cross-legged again and resumed his cultivation practice. However, disappointment soon set in. His breakthrough had fundamentally altered his Qi Sea, meridians, and Spirit Power, rendering the Chaos Spell nearly ineffective. The Spiritual Energy drawn into his meridians was negligible.
This meant that to continue his cultivation journey, he would need to adapt the Chaos Spell into a method that suited the Spirit Release Stage. “Being a trailblazer certainly comes with its hardships and numerous challenges! It seems that with every major realm I break through in the future, I’ll need to spend time refining the Chaos Spell or inventing a new cultivation method,” Jiang Que sighed.
Luckily, there was still time before the competition for the Patriarch position, based on hunting achievements, commenced. Jiang Que quickly regained his composure and started to attune himself to the unique properties of the Spirit Power within and the Spiritual Energy outside. He sought to understand their similarities and differences.
He then set out to refine the Chaos Spell, aiming to tailor it more effectively to the needs of those at the Spirit Release Stage. Meanwhile, the hundreds of thousands of viewers in the live broadcast were utterly astounded. With each minor advancement, Jiang Que’s physical condition, the intensity of his Spirit Power, and the volume of Spirit Power in his Qi Sea improved. This was common knowledge. Yet, as Jiang Que ascended to Spirit Release Stage Level 1, the audience witnessed something even more astonishing.
Although Jiang Que experienced only a minor breakthrough, his Spirit Power, Qi Sea, and meridians all underwent a significant transformation, multiplying in strength several times over.
“It’s incredible to see such a massive improvement from Energy Condensation Stage Level 9 to Level 10!”
“It’s not Level 10 of the Energy Condensation Stage; it’s Level 1 of the Spirit Release Stage.”
“His Spirit Power, Qi Sea, and meridians have all achieved major breakthroughs. It’s no surprise he didn’t refer to this new phase as Energy Condensation Stage Level 10, but instead coined a new term: Spirit Release Stage.”
“Even though there wasn’t a dramatic change in his physical condition after advancing to the Spirit Release Stage, his Spirit Power, Qi Sea, and meridians have all seen significant enhancements. Consequently, as he continues his cultivation, he will release more Spiritual Energy, accelerating the improvement of his physical condition.”
“After all this time, he has neither hit the ceiling of his cultivation potential nor suffered any adverse effects. I’m compelled to practice the Chaos Spell myself!”
“Those with the courage to emulate the practice of the Chaos Spell, especially those with high talent, have now reached Energy Condensation Stage Level 8! Like Jiang Que, they haven’t hit any limits in their cultivation or experienced side effects.”
“I’m going to begin practicing the Chaos Spell too!”
As many in the audience were preparing to embark on the journey of cultivating the Chaos Spell, someone uncovered an astonishing piece of data!
“Take a look at the Scanner’s readout!”
“After Jiang Que’s breakthrough to Spirit Release Stage Level 1, his repair gene count has unexpectedly doubled. Could this mean his lifespan has also doubled?”
“Based on Jiang Que’s repair gene data, even without any illnesses and living in a germ-free environment, his lifespan would be roughly equivalent to the average lifespan of the Human Race, which is around 120 years.”
“This is because the cellular division limit in his body is capped at 120 years. Beyond that, most cells would cease to divide, signaling the end of his natural lifespan.”
“But now, with the doubling of his repair gene count, the limit of his cellular division could potentially double as well.”
“This suggests that his maximum lifespan could extend from 120 years to an astonishing 240 years!”