I Pick up a Lost Godhood

Chapter 381: Chapter 364: Bottomless Pit

He could only let Sanmao rush in. After a round of cultivation, most of the Spiritual Liquid in the Dragon Transformation Pool had been absorbed. The pool was refilled once a day, providing enough for about one ancient hour of use. A human’s absorption capacity was limited, so that was as much as they could take in. A Spirit Beast, however, could absorb every last drop of the Spiritual Liquid’s power. He watched as Sanmao thrashed about wildly in the Dragon Transformation Pool, paddling like a dog.

The most important thing to be gained here was preparing for one’s Holy Statue and Life Artifact.

The Cultivation Technique for preparing the Holy Statue was called the Heart Trace Skill. It was a method to form a potential Holy Statue based on one’s own constitution, serving as a catalyst.

The Cultivation Technique for preparing the Life Artifact was called the Artifact Refining Heart Method. Its main purpose was to form a pseudo-artifact in one’s Sea of Heart, with the hope that it would become real the moment one reached Minor Perfection.

Both of these Cultivation Techniques could increase the rate of success to some extent. However, whether one could successfully manifest their results by the forty-ninth layer depended on individual strength.

Wang Meng first practiced the Artifact Refining Heart Method. A so-called Life Artifact was a Lifebound Magical Artifact nourished by one’s Sea of Fate. It could be summoned and dismissed at will and possessed astonishing power. This was an advantage Human Cultivators had over the Demon Race. There was only one chance; to miss it would be an incredible pity.

Wang Meng had studied Artifact Refining back at the Holy Hall, but that involved refining ores. This time, the refining would take place within his own Sea of Heart.

The first step of the Artifact Refining Heart Method was to determine what kind of Life Artifact one truly needed by looking deep into their heart. There was an issue, however: if the imagined Life Artifact was incompatible with one’s constitution, it simply could not be formed.

Of course, Wang Meng himself wanted to refine a flying sword. He had loved swords since he was a child and had also been influenced by Moo Shan. But now, Wang Meng could no longer be considered a rookie on the path of Cultivation; he better understood how to find what was truly suitable for himself.

It might be a sword, or it might be something else entirely.

In the following days, Wang Meng immersed himself in the Artifact Refining Heart Method. This Heart Technique also seemed to fill his Sea of Fate with vitality, with an effect similar to the Nourishing Essence Technique. Of course, the more important goal was to form a pseudo-artifact, commonly known as an Artifact Soul. Creating an Artifact Soul meant he was already halfway to success. Each day, new Spiritual Liquid was infused into the Dragon Transformation Pool, just barely enough for Wang Meng to complete one Circulation. Of course, once Wang Meng was done, the rest was for Sanmao. Sanmao would absorb all the remaining Spiritual Liquid. The amount a human could take in was limited; Wang Meng used about seventy percent, leaving the other thirty percent for Sanmao. A Spiritual Object like Sanmao would wring every last bit of essence from the Spiritual Liquid, leaving behind only pure water.

As he cultivated the Artifact Soul, Wang Meng experienced his own Sea of Fate for the first time.

Thirty-five Life Marks were etched within his Sea of Fate, concealing Celestial Secrets. This was the very source of a human’s power. Wang Meng’s Sea of Fate was vast and surging, filled with vigorous life force. Upon reaching Minor Perfection, his Life Marks would hit the major milestone of Fifty Layers. This would form the first complete circuit, allowing his power to connect directly to the Celestial Court and birth a miracle of strength.

Wang Meng greatly looked forward to that moment. Although he didn’t know what this breakthrough would mean for his Five Elements Body and his Godhood, Master Wang had no path of retreat, nor would he ever back down. As he always said, he didn’t seek eternal life, but a life lived gloriously. Having reached his limit in terms of Skill Techniques, he knew it was the critical moment to break through to the next Life Mark Level.

Skill Techniques and Magic had their limits. At this level, practicing them to a certain point was sufficient. Any further refinement was just splitting hairs—like losing a watermelon to pick up a sesame seed. Once he ascended to the Fifty Layers, it would be a completely different realm with a new way of doing things. A solid foundation was all that mattered.

It wasn’t just Wang Meng; every one of the selected Cultivators was in a similar situation. Most were between the Thirty-Fifth and forty-fifth layer.

For those above the forty-fifth layer, the preparation time was a bit short. Cultivators in this range were ideal. They could experience the changes in their Sea of Fate and Sea of Heart as their Life Mark Level rose and finally attempt a breakthrough at the forty-ninth layer.

It had to be said, the Extreme Dao Alliance had spared no effort. In the Star Alliance Academy, many disciples would suppress their advancement at the Thirtieth Layer. But once they hit the fortieth layer, they would try every possible method to advance further. At this level, the more powerful one’s Elemental Power, the better. However, advancing at this stage was quite difficult. Without the support of considerable resources, a Cultivator had to rely on their own accumulation, which could take year after year, wasting a great deal of time.

A Five Elements Body like Wang Meng’s was undoubtedly a massive resource drain. The Holy Hall couldn’t provide him with sufficient resources. This Spiritual Liquid was good, of course... but it was far from enough to meet the demands of his Five Elements Body. Even if they gave him one of the Dragon Transformation Pools meant for those with Holy Statue potential, it was uncertain if it would be enough, let alone this relatively diluted Spiritual Liquid.

But for Wang Meng, something was better than nothing. Some circumstances were just out of his control. ’Who can I blame? People just look down on the Five Elements Body.’ What he *could* do was seize this opportunity for himself.

When Wang Meng emerged from his Sea of Heart, he saw Sanmao sneaking in and immediately fixed the little creature with a glare.

"Sanmao, where have you been!"

Sanmao froze as if caught red-handed. Its fur immediately stood on end, and it frantically waved its paws.

Wang Meng beckoned. "Come here."

Sanmao wiggled its rear and sauntered over, putting on an act. Wang Meng could tell something was off at a glance. The little guy’s face was all flushed.

"Spill it. What were you up to? Don’t even think about trying to fool me. Your master practically invented fooling people."

Sanmao wriggled its little rear, its eyes darting about. Having spent so much time with Wang Meng, the little guy had become quite the sly creature. But it knew it couldn’t hide this, so it explained what happened with a series of gestures and chirps. It was clear that Sanmao was incredibly excited, and it even shot Wang Meng a look of disdain.

Master Wang was speechless. ’This little rascal is really making the rounds, huh? It decided my Spiritual Liquid wasn’t good enough, so it went and found Mingren.’

Even with the masks and partitioned areas, Wang Meng hadn’t contacted Mingren or Ma Tian’Er. He never expected the little guy to find them on its own.

’It seems the masks are no match for Sanmao’s Spiritual Attribute.’

Seeing that Wang Meng wasn’t angry, Sanmao began to jump and gesture excitedly again. It described how much better things were at Mingren’s place. The Spiritual Liquid there was milky white and more than ten times as concentrated as his. Jumping in was pure bliss, a paradise on earth.

Seeing the blissful look in Sanmao’s half-closed eyes, Wang Meng couldn’t resist giving it a light kick. "You little rascal, already abandoning the poor for the rich!"

Sanmao rubbed its behind and giggled foolishly, its expression seeming to ask, ’Master, can I go again?’

Wang Meng shook his head. "Don’t disturb Mingren’s cultivation. That Spiritual Liquid is very important for him, too."

Sanmao nodded reluctantly. Cultivation required focus, and its visits would certainly be a distraction for Mingren.

Regardless of his own situation, it would be a huge boon for the Holy Hall if Mingren could succeed. Mingren’s Holy Light Demon Collapse Body also gave Wang Meng a great deal of motivation. ’I have to hurry and catch up!’

It felt great to have a powerful companion.

Wang Meng was in a good mood. He enjoyed this kind of chase, this rivalry.

The three Elders were somewhat dumbfounded. ’What on earth is this kid trying to do???’

Great hopes had been placed on Mingren’s Holy Light Demon Collapse Body. They had gone to great, flawless lengths to keep his arrival a secret. But after arriving, he had been acting rather leisurely.

"Do you think we should warn Wang Meng not to let his Spirit Beast run around and disturb the others?"

"Forget it. It looks like he’s already reined in his Spirit Beast. Should we have the Dragon Hall’s Elders urge Mingren along?"

"I’m afraid this isn’t something that can be rushed. It’s been several hundred years since a Holy Light Demon Collapse Body has appeared. Although we don’t know if he can succeed, it’s best we don’t interfere. We should let nature take its course."

"Alright. So far, six people are already starting to show signs of a breakthrough."

"Let’s look forward to it. If even one of them manages to form a Holy Statue, all of this will have been worth it!"

The three Elders were filled with anticipation. The struggle between the Extreme Dao Alliance and the Star Alliance could last for a hundred, or even several hundred, years. The Extreme Dao Alliance especially needed to secure its footing right now, and these future pillars of strength were undoubtedly the key. That was why they were nurturing them at any cost. This Spiritual Liquid was a priceless treasure even to the Ancestral Masters. This was truly a grand investment.

For Wang Meng, cultivation was a challenge and a way of life. For Sanmao, it was pure torture. To keep Sanmao from running wild, and especially to prevent it from bothering Mingren and Ma Tian’Er, Wang Meng began to force it to cultivate.

However, when Wang Meng entered his Sea of Heart to cultivate, Sanmao was free to do as it pleased. And having had a taste of the good life, how could it possibly stay put?

Wang Meng’s progress was not going smoothly. Practicing his Cultivation Technique in the Spiritual Liquid did indeed result in more growth than before. While other Cultivators’ Life Mark Levels were likely rising steadily, Wang Meng was merely accumulating power. This was the nature of the Five Elements Body; its improvement came in bursts, seemingly every five or ten layers—always in multiples of five. With the help of the Spiritual Liquid, Wang Meng could feel his Elemental Power increasing rapidly, but he still had no clue how to reach the Fourth Stage. This, however, was within Master Wang’s expectations. But when it came to the Artifact Soul, he was completely stumped. Perhaps it was just as the Celestial Secret Sect Elder had said: both the Holy Statue and the Artifact Soul were catalysts for some latent potential within the Five Elements. Being strong in all Five Elements was equivalent to amplifying the difficulty. Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth—an Artifact Soul of a different attribute would have different abilities. But all of his Five Elements were strong. His Fire Element was perhaps slightly stronger, but... so what?

As for the Holy Statue, the Heart Trace Skill was meant to stimulate the power of one’s Sea of Heart to create a brand. This was said to be the power of the soul itself. The Holy Statue was an ability that far surpassed ordinary Elemental Power, making it the most terrifying kind of strength. Those who possessed a Holy Statue could even receive another boost upon reaching Great Perfection, at which point its power would become limitless.

Wang Meng had always been incredibly confident in his Sea of Heart. After all, it was nourished by Godhood, and his own Heart Spirit was very powerful. But after learning about the Heart Trace Skill, his heart sank.

The Heart Trace Skill was used to form an image of the Holy Statue at the very core of one’s Sea of Heart. Only after this image took shape could it possibly condense into a Holy Statue Ability upon reaching Minor Perfection.

Of course, no one could form it all at once; this Shadow of the Holy Statue had to be built up gradually. The problem was... damn it, whose Sea of Heart could possibly be more crowded than his?

Occupying the core were the Godhood and the Heaven and Earth Spirit Locking Array, neither of which he could afford to mess with. And slightly above them was the Pentagram Array that represented his very origin.

Wang Meng was helpless. ’Which one of these "big shots" is going to make some room for me to cultivate a Shadow of the Holy Statue?’

It was, without a doubt, a fruitless endeavor. It was clearly his own Sea of Heart, yet it housed three unmovable titans. He couldn’t budge any of them. Or rather, they simply ignored him completely.

The only way Wang Meng could vent his frustration was to continuously hone his Sword Technique with Moo Shan. A one-trick pony wouldn’t get him far in this world. But right now, Wang Meng relished this process of striving for perfection. When it came to his Sword Technique, he was never afraid of a thousand refinements.