Chapter 98

In Duhai County, the rumors about the Asura youth grew more intense.

"Rumor has it that after the Asura left Guanlei Temple, two Spirit Refinement Martial Ancestors chased after him."

"Weren't those two Martial Ancestors saying that a Martial Ancestor named Hang Xiangchen intercepted and killed the Asura?"

"It seems the Asura managed to escape, and Martial Ancestor Hang Xiangchen's body was never found!"

"Is a Sixth Rank Innate so powerful?"

"What do you know? It's said that the Asura practices Eighth Rank martial arts, wields a Heaven Rank battle sword, and possesses various high-level treasures. He might be a genius from a major force."

Any rumor, once spread, tends to become more exaggerated.

None of these rumors have been confirmed, but when people talk about them, they seem real, as if they fear others won't believe them.

However, some of these rumors do contain a bit of truth. Luo Xiu indeed practices the Eighth Rank Soul Condensation Mystical Art, and the battle sword in his hand is indeed a Heaven Rank, and even a mid-Heaven Rank.

Hang Xiangchen, a Martial Ancestor, unleashed a full-power strike with his sword, which severely injured Luo Xiu, even with his high-level battle body.

Luo Xiu deliberately endured that strike.

Firstly, to make Hang Xiangchen relax and become complacent, allowing Luo Xiu to seize the opportunity to activate the Profound Heaven Transformation and strike with a thunderous sword to kill his opponent.

Secondly, to trigger the Undying Divine Ability.

However, this time, the injuries were not as severe as when he was pursued by the Purple-Scaled Unicorn Python, and they did not reach the point of near-death. The Undying Divine Ability was not triggered, and his cultivation did not improve at all.

This left Luo Xiu, who spent three days recovering from his injuries, speechless. The strike was in vain.

However, this attempt also made him realize that to trigger the Undying Divine Ability, he needed to be in a state of near-death, using his strong will to survive and endure the injuries without dying. Only then would the Undying Divine Ability be triggered.

The benefits of triggering the divine ability are self-evident, but it is a matter of life and death. One misstep, and he could really die!

"I have already grasped a hint of the雏形 of sword intent; what I lack is the power of divine consciousness!"

The fusion of killing intent and sword techniques allowed Luo Xiu to keenly seize the opportunity.

After healing his injuries, he hid in the Guanlei Mountains and focused on cultivating the Soul Condensation Mystical Art.

This is an Eighth Rank soul cultivation technique, far more precious than the Vajra Dominant Body Technique and the Netherworld Profound Luo Technique.

Time quietly passed, and Luo Xiu, immersed in cultivation, did not realize that his 15th birthday had already passed.

He spent a full three months in seclusion in the Guanlei Mountains!

Firstly, his cultivation improved from the Sixth Rank Innate to the Eighth Rank Innate, and the essence stones in his storage ring were mostly consumed. He had to leave some for backup, and the remaining essence stones were not enough to help him break through to the Ninth Rank.

Luo Xiu believed that it would not be long before he reached the Ninth Rank Innate. Once he reached the Ninth Rank Great Martial Master realm, he would face the challenge of breaking through to the Spirit Refinement stage.

In the entire Tianwu Kingdom, Spirit Refinement Martial Ancestors are rare. While the Innate realm is relatively easy to cultivate, breaking through to the Spirit Refinement stage is extremely difficult.

Innate Martial Masters are abundant, but Spirit Refinement Martial Ancestors are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. Each one is a pillar of strength in major forces, holding high positions and great power.

Many martial cultivators are stuck at the Ninth Rank Innate or half-step Spirit Refinement, unable to break through.

Luo Xiu chose a secluded place deep in the Guanlei Mountains for his seclusion.

After three months, his cultivation reached the Eighth Rank Innate, and his cultivation of the Soul Condensation Mystical Art made his soul perception stronger, almost reaching the point of forming divine consciousness.

To break through to the Spirit Refinement stage, the first step is to form divine consciousness, which would make him a half-step Spirit Refinement.

The second and most difficult step is to condense innate true qi into true essence.

Condensing true essence requires a large amount of precious resources, such as elixirs or heavenly treasures.

Even a force like the Thunder Martial Sect finds it difficult to cultivate a Spirit Refinement Martial Ancestor.

Luo Xiu also practices the Vajra Dominant Body Technique, and the resources needed for his cultivation are astronomical.

Without a major force as a backing, obtaining the resources needed for cultivation is undoubtedly very difficult.

The higher the level of cultivation resources, the rarer they are, which is why martial cultivators often fight over resources.

If one does not compete for the resources, they will only pass by, while others advance and one remains stagnant.

The strong are respected, and the weak are eliminated. This is reality.

Luo Xiu changed his appearance using the Vajra Dominant Body Technique and walked out of the Guanlei Mountains.

His physical body has already been cultivated into a high-level battle body, and changing his appearance by altering his bones and muscles is a simple technique that does not require elixirs.

However, this disguise can be seen through by someone with stronger soul perception.

With Luo Xiu's current soul perception, only a Spirit Refinement Martial Ancestor's divine consciousness can see through it.

Under normal circumstances, no Spirit Refinement Martial Ancestor would use their divine consciousness to spy on others' true appearances.

Thus, Luo Xiu walked into the city without any suspicion or questioning.

Many people wear black robes, so who would think that the famous Black Robe Asura is him?

Arriving at the Hunter's Guild branch in Zuoxing City, Luo Xiu used the teleportation array to reach Duhai County City.

Calculating the time, he was already 15 years old. According to the Hunter's Guild rules,天才 members must undergo an annual talent evaluation.

Only the major branches have the authority to conduct the evaluation; ordinary branches do not.

Traveling a thousand miles to Yunlong County City for an evaluation is not worth it, so Luo Xiu came to the guild branch in Duhai County City.

Embedding the Hunter's Guild emblem at the mechanism, the stone door of the internal members' exclusive passage opened, and Luo Xiu stepped inside.

An old man walked up, "Young Master Luo, this way, please."

In Luo Xiu's perception, the old man was a First Rank Spirit Refinement. Despite the pride of a Spirit Refinement Martial Ancestor, his attitude towards Luo Xiu was somewhat respectful.

However, Luo Xiu did not pay much attention. Given the Hunter's Guild's intelligence capabilities, they likely already knew what he did at Guanlei Temple under the name Asura.

His strength is comparable to an ordinary Spirit Refinement, and the key is that he is young and has unlimited potential, naturally earning respect.

Moreover, he is a Yellow Rank Intermediate天才 member, equivalent to a mid-Spirit Refinement Martial Ancestor within the Hunter's Guild.

Leading Luo Xiu to a secret room, the old man smiled and asked, "Young Master Luo, are you here for the annual evaluation?"

"Yes," Luo Xiu nodded.

"According to your information, you are rated as Yellow Rank Intermediate, and you are 15 years old. Your cultivation must reach the Third Rank Innate."

As he spoke, the old man took out a crystal ball and placed it on the table. "Please, Young Master Luo, input your true qi into the crystal ball to determine your cultivation level."

Luo Xiu was not concerned about the procedure and walked up, placing his palm on the crystal ball.

As true qi was input, a dark light shone. Luo Xiu concealed the essence of his life and death true qi, only using the death attribute Netherworld true qi.

The crystal ball first flashed three times, indicating that Luo Xiu had reached the Innate realm.

Then, it flashed eight more times, indicating that he was at the Eighth Rank Innate.

"Eight Rank Innate?"

The old man's expression changed slightly. He naturally knew that Luo Xiu was the Asura, but according to the information, three months ago, he was still at the Sixth Rank Innate. To reach the Eighth Rank so quickly?

However, these matters involve Luo Xiu's personal privacy, and the old man did not ask, as it would violate the rules.

Everyone has their secrets, and while some are big and some are small, probing into others' secrets is taboo.

"15 years old, Eighth Rank Innate. Young Master Luo can be upgraded to Yellow Rank Advanced, but the authority to upgrade the evaluation is determined by the guild president." the old man said.

"Please wait a moment, Young Master Luo." The old man bowed and went to notify the branch president of Duhai County City.

A moment later, a man with slightly silver temples entered the room.

This man, dressed in a green robe, was named Shen Yuannan, the leader of the Hunter's Guild in Duhai County.

Behind him was a girl, about 15 or 16 years old.

"Are you the genius that Wen Qianhong recruited?" Shen Yuannan narrowed his eyes and stared at Luo Xiu.

"Junior Luo Xiu greets Senior." Luo Xiu bowed.

President Wen Qianhong had once told him that Shen Yuannan's cultivation was Fifth Rank Martial King, slightly stronger than Wen Qianhong.

The head of the Thunder Martial Sect, Lei Weilong, was known as the strongest in Duhai County but was only at the Fourth Rank Martial King level.

The title of the strongest was only on the surface.

"Young man, you are quite polite, not arrogant or conceited." Shen Yuannan's face showed a smile, seemingly quite satisfied with Luo Xiu.

However, his smile instantly disappeared, and the vast aura of a Martial King spread out, like a mountain pressing down on Luo Xiu.

Caught off guard, Luo Xiu took a half-step back.

"Boom!"

Blood-red killing intent erupted, and Luo Xiu also released his aura, like a sea of corpses and blood, filled with overwhelming killing intent.

However, compared to Shen Yuannan's Martial King aura, his aura was far inferior, and his body was forced to retreat continuously.

Under this powerful pressure, Luo Xiu's killing intent was continuously compressed and refined, making his heart pound.

Killing intent, though blood-red, is still an intangible substance. If it could be gathered and refined, could it become a sword?

Thinking of this, Luo Xiu closed his eyes. Despite the pressure, his killing intent became more refined, faintly emitting a sharp and piercing aura.

Just as Luo Xiu was about to gather his killing intent into a sword to break through the pressure, Shen Yuannan suddenly withdrew his aura, leaving Luo Xiu feeling like he had punched into thin air.

"Hehe, you have already grasped the雏形 of martial intent. If you can condense killing intent into a sword, once you reach the Spirit Refinement stage and possess divine consciousness, you will master martial intent, specifically the killing sword martial intent!" Shen Yuannan smiled.

"Thank you, Senior, for your guidance."

Luo Xiu bowed in gratitude. Sword intent is a type of martial intent. If he could integrate killing intent, sword techniques, and divine consciousness into martial intent, it would be the killing sword martial intent.

As for Shen Yuannan's martial intent, it gave a heavy, mountain-like feeling, extremely oppressive, known as the mountain martial intent.

Tianfeng Martial Lord Yan Yue'er's martial intent contained raging flames, known as the flame martial intent.

"Your enlightenment is your own. I merely provided a little help." Shen Yuannan smiled. "I am somewhat envious of Wen Qianhong. Our Duhai County does not have a genius to match you."

Upon hearing this, the girl who came with Shen Yuannan frowned slightly, seemingly disagreeing with his statement.