Chapter 194: One Step Further
The Origin Energy Temple above him continued to pour Origin Energy down onto him like a waterfall.
Su Chen’s first Lotus Platform gradually began to solidify under the torrential downpour of Origin Energy.
However, when the Whitetower Teleportation inscriptions were completed, Su Chen quickly discovered that his Lotus Platform was different from most peoples’.
Normally, Lotus Platforms were about the size of a single fist due to the immense compression of Origin Energy.
However, Su Chen’s Lotus Platform was almost as big as a head.
Su Chen didn’t know if this was due to his Origin Energy not being condensed enough or if it was because his Origin Energy was much denser than most other peoples’ because of the Immaculate Cultivation Technique.
As a result of his Lotus Platform’s larger size, Su Chen discovered that, after inscribing the Whitetower Teleportation, he could still inscribe yet another Natural Origin Skill.
He was delighted.
Normally, most people would choose to make their strongest Origin Skills their Natural Origin Skills. However, Su Chen was not the same as most people. He wasn’t able to inscribe his most powerful technique, the Primordial Blood Incarnation, onto a Lotus Platform, and his second strongest, the Flaming Phoenix Theurgy Art, was built on the foundation of his consciousness power and didn’t need to be inscribed on a Lotus Platform. As such, he considered the matter briefly for a moment before deciding to inscribe Shi Kaihuang’s Sumeru Void.
Shi Kaihuang’s Sumeru Void was also a spatial-type Origin Skill. It sealed a designated space-time area, restricting the opponent’s movements. However, Su Chen’s mastery of this Origin Skill was not very deep, so he rarely used it in battle. Inscribing it on his Lotus Platform would save him hours of time that he would otherwise have to spend cultivating it.
More complex inscriptions stretched across the surface of the Lotus Platform. Once the Lotus Platform was completed, the Sumeru Void Inscription would also be complete.
However, the Lotus Platform still was not finished even though it now had two Natural Origin Skills inscribed on it.
Next, Su Chen needed to cast a Soul Imprint on his Lotus Platform.
To do so, he needed to infuse his soul into the Lotus Platform, nourishing and expanding it greatly while simultaneously increasing his own consciousness power.
When a human’s cultivation reached this point, their consciousness power would increase significantly because of this. The Soul Imprint also would bestow some semblance of consciousness to the Lotus Platform itself, causing it to act and move as if it were alive.
When Su Chen infused his consciousness into the Lotus Platform, it began to rumble loudly, generating a resounding hum, and then petals suddenly appeared out of nowhere, floating down idyllically.
Those petals were formed from Origin Energy. Su Chen’s consciousness touched them, affecting the way that they fell.
Thankfully, he was alone in a sealed templed. Otherwise, if anyone from the outside were to see this scene, they might be shocked to the point of their jaws falling off.
Normally, Soul Imprints would only cause the Lotus Platform to move slightly or glow faintly, demonstrating that it was now “alive.” Su Chen’s Lotus Platform, however, flickered and swayed noticeably, causing flowers to fall from the sky as it glowed with a blazing brilliance as they began to bloom. If it weren’t for the fact that Su Chen was carefully controlling it, the Lotus Platform might have split into four or five smaller ones. A miniature humanoid figure that was the spitting image of Su Chen could be seen sitting cross-legged in the center of the blooming Lotus Flower.
No Light Shaking Realm cultivator had ever been able to achieve something like this.
It was actually a Divine Throne Lotus Platform!
At this moment, the Origin Energy Temple glowed with a resplendent light as the lotus flower blossomed. Su Chen’s consciousness had been firmly imprinted inside, and his consciousness also seemed to suddenly burst with power. He knew that the Lotus Platform’s nourishment was causing his consciousness energy to grow.
However, at this point in time he couldn’t care less about any of that. Instead, he focused all of his attention on perfecting completing the last step of forming a Lotus Platform.
Chains formed out of Origin Energy and infused with consciousness power began to spiral out from the center of the Lotus Platform, stretching towards an yet-unknown location.
This was the final bridge that needed to be built in order to ensure a perfect connection between man and lotus.
However, these chains were unsurprisingly also different from most other peoples’.
Most people’s chains were somewhat white and ethereal. The number of chains that could appear often varied, but it was impossibly rare for there to be more than six or seven.
In Su Chen’s case, however, eighteen golden chains immediately sprang forth; each chain was covered in profound inscriptions and exuded an ancient aura as they stretched towards the void.
The construction of this bridge was the final requirement necessary for Light Shaking Realm cultivators to control the power of nature.
After reaching this point, the foundation of the Light Shaking Realm was basically already established. Apart from creating Natural Origin Skills, the most important part of advancing to the Light Shaking Realm was the ability to borrow the power of the heavens and the earth.
The amount of power that could be borrowed depended precisely on this bridge.
Su Chen relentlessly willed the golden chains to enter deep into the depths of the void.
This kind of entrance was created at a deeper level than just physical. It felt as if the chains were entering a foreign dimension separate from reality, yet their movements still caused the flow of energy within Su Chen’s body to boil.
Su Chen’s Lotus Platform was shaking at this point, radiating with intense light.
After an unknown period of time, the eighteen golden chains finally stabilized, meaning that a bridge had been established between the void containing the profound principles of the universe and Su Chen’s Origin Sea. They began to gradually fade away before disappearing into nothingness. Even though it was impossible to see the chains anymore, the connection between the two had been fully established.
The Lotus Platform then slowly descended as it melded into Su Chen’s body.
Boom!
A radiant column of light blazed forth from Su Chen’s body, indicating that he had successfully and wholly entered the Light Shaking Realm.
Whew!
Su Chen opened his eyes and let out a long sigh.
He had finally succeeded.
Su Chen knew that, from this day onwards, he had created another doorway along the path of humanity’s cultivation.
Even though the use of this doorway was extremely restricted, Su Chen was confident that he could resolve this limiting issue in the near future and make the technique universally available for all cultivators.
Upon seeing that he still had some time left and that Origin Energy was still pouring down from the ceiling of the Origin Temple, Su Chen decided to begin cultivating the Ravager race’s hereditary technique to convert the excess Origin Energy into lifeforce.
The Ravagers possessed an innately different physique from the other races. Having researched them for so long, Su Chen had naturally developed some methods to replicate the secrets behind their physique. He had to first ingest a medicine before spreading its medicinal effects through the rest of his body. As the Origin Energy rained down on him, the aura of his lifeforce began to gradually change.
He still looked like a Ravager, but now it wasn’t just his outward appearance that matched it. Even the flesh right beneath his skin was beginning to take on Ravager-like physical characteristics.
This was due to his lifeforce changing on a fundamental level, which allowed Su Chen to possess some of the unique characteristics that belonged to the Ravager race.
Only through this method would he be able to convert the Origin Energy he was absorbing into physical power, giving him a powerful, vigorous lifeforce.
However, this was not enough. Next, Su Chen was going to reverse the operation of the Origin Energy Temple by forcefully converting Origin Energy into physical strength.
This was something that perhaps only Su Chen, who had managed to decode the Origin Energy Temple’s Origin Formations, could do.
At the same time, he could only do this after reaching the Light Shaking Realm.
The Lotus Platform he had formed only moments earlier flew out of his body, and started circling above his head.
All of the Origin Energy washed down onto the Lotus Platform, entering Su Chen’s body.
At the same time, Su Chen’s half-Ravager-like physical makeup came into effect as he converted the Origin Energy trickling into his body into physical power.
Even though Su Chen’s conversion rate was far too low in comparison to a normal Ravager, the frightening amount of Origin Energy coming from the Origin Energy Temple allowed Su Chen to maintain the rate at which he converted the Origin Energy into lifeforce. As such, Su Chen’s physique grew stronger at a breakneck pace.
If any Ravager was to see this, their minds would definitely be blown.
So the Origin Energy Temple could actually be used not to increase a person’s Origin Energy stores but rather to improve their physique. Was that really possible?
Su Chen’s physical condition was already quite good due to his cultivation of the Flowing Wind Body technique, but quite good was merely quite good. It was at a common level given his status in the human race, but there were many other cultivators who specialized in close-quarter combat that were stronger than him.
However, at this moment, the torrent of Origin Energy combined with the Ravager race’s ability to convert it into lifeforce caused his lifeforce to increase by leaps and bounds, and an aura of deep vitality began to emanate from him. His muscles began to bulge as his skin darkened. His figure was still as unassuming as before, but now every cell was filled with a shocking amount of power.
Boom!
Su Chen unleashed a punch into the sky, causing an explosion of sound to tear through the temple.
That had just been from pure strength.
There was absolutely no Origin Energy infused into that strike. The physical strength Su Chen could unleash was simply shocking.
If he were to combine this physical strength with Origin Energy, the amount of power he could explode with was going to be nearly unfathomable.
This was the power that had belonged solely to the Ravager Temple Warriors, but now Su Chen also possessed it.
However, the Temple Warriors were much worse than Su Chen in terms of being able to effectively utilize Origin Energy. One could easily imagine what kind of terrifying power Su Chen would be unable to unleash in the near future.
It was about time to leave.
Su Chen could sense that his body was nearing its limits.
He wasn’t an actual Ravager, so a period of such rapid growth had quickly pushed him to his limits. Even though these limits weren’t unbreakable, Su Chen didn’t have the time to push through them right at this moment.
Time was almost up anyways.
The Origin Energy raining down on him from the ceiling began to lighten up, and the operation of the Origin Energy Temple slowly came to a halt.
Su Chen sighed and stood up from the pool, put on his clothes, and quietly waited for the door to the temple to open.
This trip to the Origin Energy Temple had benefited him significantly. Not only had he been able to break through to the Light Shaking Realm at this crucial juncture, but his physical prowess had also increased by a significant amount. As a result of all these improvements, his combat ability had also soared.
He was already able to fight with low-tier Light Shaking Realm cultivators before ascending. Now, his physique had been upgraded significantly, and fighting with Light Shaking Realm cultivators with six or seven Lotus Platforms wasn’t a problem. If he was given some more time to become accustomed to all the changes his body had gone through, he might actually be able to fight with a Spirit Burning Realm cultivator.
As the seconds trickled by, the flow of Origin Energy gradually stopped, and the doors to the temple finally opened.
Su Chen stood up and walked out of the Origin Energy Temple.
Unexpectedly, he was greeted by a large horde of Ravagers heading towards him.
Unlike the guards of the Origin Energy Temple, these Ravagers were outfitted with elite equipment and were incredibly disciplined. They advanced in an orderly fashion.
This was extremely rare for the reckless, undisciplined, and unruly Ravagers.
These Ravagers were equipped with armor made from the hides of Demonic Beasts and wielded blades rather than the usual axes or hammers. They wore horn-shaped helmets on their heads, and each one of them was tall and sturdy, exuding an imposing aura.
They were the Iron and Blood Imperial Guards!
This thought immediately surfaced in Su Chen’s mind.
Having lived in Gullan Castle for this period of time, Su Chen had already developed a rough understanding of the Ravager military hierarchy.
These guards were the Inferno Tribe’s most elite soldiers!
Why would the Ravager Emperor’s personal guards appear in a place like this?
Had his cover been blown?
Had Danba sold him out?
All kinds of possibilities flashed through Su Chen’s mind.
Just as he was trying to guess what was going on, the large group of Iron and Blood Imperial Guards separated into two files, forming a passageway between them.
A red silk carpet then spread itself all the way to the front door of the Origin Energy Temple.
A few Ravagers stepped out from the crowd.
The one at the very front wore a crown on his head. A blood-red mantle was draped around his shoulders, and he held a magnificent scepter in his hand, upon which a gem had been inlaid. The gem was obviously a Demonic Emperor’s Origin Crystal.
However, compared to the one that Su Chen possessed, this Origin Crystal was not completely intact. As such, its glow was dimmer and its color fainter.
Even so, it still glowed with an enchanting light.
However, that enchanting light simply could not compare to the body of the scepter.
The body of the scepter had been fashioned out of a bone.
That bone was a fiery-red color. It emitted no light, but a single glance was enough to recognize that this bone embodied an endless number of profound mysteries, and anyone who saw it would immediately be sent into a daze.
It was an Origin Bone.