Ascending to Godhood: I Can Foresee All Futures

Chapter 261: Chapter 155: Sword Intent

Madam Yang would not be denied, stepping forward to seize the moment.

For a moment, outside the chamber, the cold wind howled and whimpered.

.....

The next few days were calm and uneventful.

Because the news of his return had been suppressed, Chen Sheng’s reappearance caused no stir. In fact, fewer than ten people knew he was on Changshan Mountain.

And during these few days, Chen Sheng enjoyed a rare period of relaxation.

Back in Ning’an Prefecture, Chen Sheng was either wiping out a family, on his way to wipe out a family, or training relentlessly within the Jingwu Bureau; he had no leisure time to speak of.

But now that his Cultivation had nearly reached the peak of the Earth Fiend realm, he could advance no further for the time being. There was no longer a need for relentless, secluded training.

So, naturally, his pace of life slowed down.

Madam Yang clearly knew Chen Sheng wouldn’t be staying for long, so she used every trick she had to "spar" with him.

It had to be said, the Madam Yang of today was a far cry from her former self.

A few months ago, she had been a complete novice.

But a few months later, she was proficient in a variety of techniques, making Chen Sheng secretly marvel at her skill during their "spars." He had even considered taking her with him to the Prefecture City.

After some thought, however, Chen Sheng dismissed the idea.

’This is not the time for me to indulge in pleasures.’

Even in the Prefecture City, he couldn’t allow himself to become too engrossed in the fairer sex.

So, he made a new pact with Madam Yang.

When the time was right for her to form a Spirit Seed and break through to the Innate Realm, he would bring her to Ning’an.

Madam Yang was overjoyed at this. Although breaking through to the Innate Realm was difficult, she now had a clear goal. And with Chen Sheng’s unending supply of resources...

She was confident that one day, she would succeed.

The only shame was that even with his help, Madam Yang hadn’t broken through to the Marrow Transformation Realm. She clearly needed more time to build her foundation.

Aside from his "spars" with Madam Yang, Chen Sheng hadn’t forgotten Sun Yuzhi.

She had set aside her official duties to accompany him to Changshan Mountain, a gesture Chen Sheng would not forget. He carved out some time to take her sightseeing.

But Sun Yuzhi had no interest in such things.

She even wished Chen Sheng would hurry up, pay his respects to his parents, and return to the Prefecture City.

After all, she had a mountain of official duties that couldn’t be delayed for too long.

Chen Sheng couldn’t very well explain his true reasons, so to distract her, he began asking for her guidance on matters of cultivation.

Sun Yuzhi was, after all, the Vice Governor of the Jingwu Bureau and a powerhouse in the Mystic Realm—and not a simple early-stage one at that. Her knowledge and cultivation experience were a massive opportunity for him.

And for some reason, Sun Yuzhi answered all of Chen Sheng’s questions without reservation, even giving him specific pointers on the key to breaking through to the Profound Gang Realm.

Chen Sheng benefited immensely from her advice.

But Chen Sheng’s greatest gains were in the domain of Sword Skill.

The Basic Knife Technique he had developed on his own had long since surpassed the scope of mere Basic Sword Skills. For Chen Sheng, it was an absolute asset.

Especially with its Sword Skills that had achieved an almost primal simplicity, he was nearly invincible in any fight, so long as the gap in their Cultivation wasn’t too great.

The problem was, as Chen Sheng continued to advance in his cultivation...

...he had discovered a significant issue.

The progress of his Basic Knife Technique was just too slow!

It wasn’t as simple as just practicing anymore. Now, even if he practiced with his blade for half a day, he could barely make any progress. It was as if he had hit a bottleneck.

Before, Chen Sheng hadn’t understood what was happening.

But after observing Chen Sheng’s Sword Skill, Sun Yuzhi provided an answer that gave him pause.

Mental Realm!

Sun Yuzhi told Chen Sheng that in terms of pure technique, his Sword Skill had already reached a state of perfection. And because he had developed it himself, it was a perfect fit for him.

The reason his progress felt increasingly stagnant...

...was that he had hit a bottleneck.

If he could break through this bottleneck, his skill could very well transform into a Mental Realm. This was a concept Chen Sheng knew little about, having paid it scant attention in his daily training.

Naturally, he had to ask Sun Yuzhi for guidance.

Sun Yuzhi mulled it over for a long moment before speaking.

"The so-called Mental Realm is an esoteric concept. It depends primarily on one’s comprehension. But once the transformation occurs, every single one of your slashes and stances will reach a new level, causing a massive increase in your power."

"But this bottleneck isn’t easy to overcome. Forget about the Innate Realm; even among those in the Mystic Realm, very few can grasp a Mental Realm unless they reach the late stages."

Here, Sun Yuzhi paused for a moment.

"If you were to grasp a Mental Realm while still in the Innate Realm, and then break through to the Profound Gang Realm, you would be considered invincible below the Mystic Realm within Ning’an Prefecture, even as a novice Profound Gang expert."

’Invincible below the Mystic Realm!’

Chen Sheng grew pensive at her words. After a moment of contemplation, he looked at Sun Yuzhi and asked:

"How does one achieve this transformation?"

"I can’t help you there. The transformation depends primarily on your own comprehension. However, I once heard a Sword Dao Grandmaster mention a shortcut. If you feel your Sword Skill is stagnating and you can’t make any progress, you can try cultivating other Sword Skills to supplement it. You might achieve a breakthrough that way."

"Mastery through a different path?"

Chen Sheng asked with a frown.

"Precisely."

Sun Yuzhi nodded, then added:

"Additionally, if you could somehow obtain an Enlightenment Treasure, that would be greatly beneficial for the transformation. But that kind of top-tier treasure... forget the Jingwu Bureau, you’d be hard-pressed to find one in the entire Ning’an Prefecture."

"Among the other Ten Heroes in Ning’an Prefecture, has anyone comprehended a Mental Realm?"

"I’ve never heard of anyone who has, but..."

At this, a flicker of hesitation crossed Sun Yuzhi’s eyes.

"I’ve heard that Zhang Daoming of Qingfeng Temple has unparalleled comprehension and is a natural Spirit Body. He might have a chance of grasping a Mental Realm before he reaches the Mystic Realm. But the man is a recluse who rarely shows his face, let alone makes a move."

"Even the Jingwu Bureau has very little information on him, so I wouldn’t dare make any definitive judgment."

"You just said that few people can grasp a Mental Realm before reaching the late Mystic Realm. Does that mean it becomes easy to grasp once you reach that stage?"

Chen Sheng asked, his curiosity growing.

"Not necessarily. However, if one can open the Spirit Platform, ignite the Divine Fire, and give birth to a Divine Sense, it is indeed a great boon for grasping a Mental Realm. But as for grasping it..."

"...it’s still a case of the sooner, the better. There are significant advantages to grasping a Mental Realm before your Divine Sense is born."

"Then have you broken through to the late Mystic Realm, Vice Envoy?"

Chen Sheng pressed on.

The question was a bit forward. Chen Sheng had blurted it out and was about to retract it, but Sun Yuzhi simply shook her head.

"I’m just a step away."

"Then have you grasped a Mental Realm?"

Seeing that Sun Yuzhi didn’t seem to mind, Chen Sheng asked out of curiosity.

"Of course I have. I grasped it long ago," Sun Yuzhi said, a trace of unconcealable pride in her eyes. "However, my Mental Realm is different from what you need. If you were to try and comprehend it, it would only hinder you more."

To have reached the peak of the mid-Mystic Realm and grasped a Mental Realm in her thirties, her aptitude could only be described as extraordinary.

She might have been a half-step behind where Chen Sheng was at his age.

But cultivation grew exponentially more difficult in the later stages. The vast majority of Innate Martial Masters remained trapped below the Mystic Realm for their entire lives.

This was precisely why having even one expert from the Mystic Realm was enough to support a top-tier faction. And if a faction had more than three such experts...

...it could be called a paramount power.

Each of the six paramount powers in Ning’an Prefecture had at least three experts from the Mystic Realm holding the fort.

At this, Sun Yuzhi glanced at Chen Sheng.

"Frankly, to encounter the bottleneck to a Mental Realm at your age and Cultivation is already remarkable. When the time is right, you will likely cross that threshold. Don’t be impatient."

Chen Sheng smiled and nodded, saying nothing more.

’With the progress panel and the Celestial Book of Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Evil, I’m really not in a hurry,’ he thought. Glancing at the time, Chen Sheng figured their meeting time was approaching. He then extended an invitation:

"The weather is lovely today. How about I accompany you for a stroll along the Qinglin River, Vice Envoy?"

"You certainly are in a leisurely mood."

Sun Yuzhi’s brow furrowed.

"I mainly wish to spend a little more time alone with you, Vice Envoy. And perhaps ask for more guidance on my cultivation."

Through their deepening interactions, Chen Sheng had figured out exactly what made her tick.

Sun Yuzhi let out a soft huff and shot Chen Sheng a sidelong glance.

"Let’s go."

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