Chapter 271 – Gold Talent Ancient Shaman Physique, the Qualitative Leap from Spiritual Energy to Immortal Power! [Mass Update, Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Chapter 271 – Gold Talent Ancient Shaman Physique, the Qualitative Leap from Spiritual Energy to Immortal Power! [Mass Update, Seeking Monthly Tickets~]

“A gold talent… Ancient Shaman Physique!?”

Su Xing drew a deep breath, wild joy flashing through his eyes.

“This seems to be a body-tempering type talent! Could it be the superior version of Strength to Uproot Mountains?”

Su Xing thought of the various sacred bodies and divine physiques across the Three Thousand Worlds—for instance, Fairy Ziling’s Mystic Yin Sacred Body, or even his own Heavenly Thunder Physique that he had formed after the fact…

And this newly drawn talent physique seemed to be related to the ancient Wu Clan?

“Amazing! I’ve finally drawn a cultivation-oriented talent!”

Su Xing hurriedly looked at the new talent’s description.

【Ancient Shaman Physique】: Gold talent. You possess the bloodline of the ancient Wu Clan, with body-tempering aptitude that far surpasses ordinary people—exceedingly rare in all the world. In the primordial era, there existed powerful beings known as Wu. The Wu Clan was favored by the Heavenly Dao, born with Innate Divine Power. Their bloodline differed from all other races, making them natural-born body-tempering cultivators of the highest order.

“Hmm? This talent…”

Su Xing raised an eyebrow. Legend had it that the ancient Wu Clan stood several meters tall even as infants…

“After obtaining this talent, I won’t turn into some monstrous giant, will I?”

Su Xing was somewhat worried. If he truly became a giant, that would be far too conspicuous and could easily expose his identity.

“But this body-tempering talent definitely surpasses Strength to Uproot Mountains! Let me see what happens first…”

Su Xing’s gaze turned to the simulation panel.

【In your spirit field grotto-heaven, you became aware that you were in a simulation.】

【You hurriedly examined your body and discovered that your physical appearance hadn’t changed in the slightest…】

【At the same time, you sensed a new power brewing within your body.】

【It felt as though you possessed inexhaustible strength. Your qi and blood became more abundant. You felt your skin growing tougher and more resistant to injury…】

【Perhaps there were deeper changes you had yet to discover, but the existing improvements already filled you with immense delight.】

【After studying your new talent for a while, you disguised your appearance and concealed your aura before going to meet Lu Yuanwu.】

【This transaction proceeded without incident…】

【Ten days later, you prepared to visit the Luotian Sect instance to search for ancient texts related to the Wu Clan…】

“Phew, thankfully I didn’t turn into some strange giant…”

In the Real World, Su Xing breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this, then silently recited:

“Activate immersive simulation, duration twenty-four hours!”

【Ding…】

As the simulation’s chime faded, Su Xing appeared in the main hall of the Luotian Sect.

Wuge’s voice reached his ears: “Good disciple, go to the rear mountain and invite your Senior Brother Shennong to attend the meeting…”

“Yes, Master!”

Su Xing followed the familiar quest routine, then returned to the main hall.

Looking at his master Wuge before him, Su Xing hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back.

At that moment, Wuge said, “Xiaochuan, is there something else on your mind?”

Su Xing seized the opportunity and asked, “Master… I’d like to inquire about matters concerning the ancient Wu Clan…”

Upon hearing this, a flash of something peculiar crossed Wuge’s eyes. He then let out a sigh and said:

“Ah, so be it… It’s time I told you these things. Come with me to the rear hall.”

Wuge beckoned to Su Xing, and the two entered the secluded rear hall.

Wuge casually set up a sealing barrier, then transmitted his voice directly to Su Xing:

“Xiaochuan, I see that your cultivation has already reached the Tribulation Crossing stage… You should be close to passing the Physical Body Trial, yes?”

“You were extraordinary even as a child—an atavistic reversion in your bloodline. That trace of Wu Clan blood within you is likely on the verge of awakening…”

Su Xing was inwardly shocked.

Could it really be such a coincidence?

Did Luo Xiaochuan actually have a history connected to the Wu Clan?

Or was it… the instance mechanism allowing Su Xing’s newly obtained physique talent to be woven seamlessly into the narrative?

Su Xing listened with a calm expression, betraying nothing, while Wuge spoke at length:

“Our Luotian Sect once shared a certain connection with the Wu Clan of high antiquity…”

“Due to certain special circumstances, some disciples within the sect carry a faint trace of Wu Clan bloodline…”

“The three great lineage surnames of the Luotian Sect—Wu, Luo, and Lo—have intermarried for several cosmic cycles now…”

“And your Wu Clan bloodline was inherited from your father, the previous Luotian Sect Master.”

“Because so many ages have passed, the Wu Clan bloodline in one’s body has thinned to the point where awakening is nearly impossible. However, some individuals experience a bloodline mutation that allows awakening. It seems you are one of them…”

Su Xing was deeply moved by what he heard, and at the same time understood why the Luotian Sect possessed the ancient Wu Clan’s body-forging technique—the Great Wu Body Forging Method!

And Wuge’s surname—could it mean he too was a descendant of the Wu Clan bloodline?

But Su Xing still had some curiosity, so he asked:

“Master, what is the difference between the Wu Clan of high antiquity and the Wu Clan of the primordial era?”

Su Xing clearly remembered that the talent he had obtained was the Ancient Shaman Physique—referencing the primordial era, not high antiquity… The two were quite different!

Wuge explained:

“The primordial era—that was dozens of cosmic cycles ago… Back then, the human race had only just been born!”

“At that time, the Wu Clan was already one of the most powerful races between heaven and earth, and it was the era of their greatest prosperity!”

“Legend has it that the Twelve Ancestral Shamans each possessed strength approaching that of a half-saint… They waged a great war against the Demon race, and both sides suffered devastating losses…”

After a pause, Wuge continued:

“By high antiquity, the Wu Clan had already fallen into decline, their bloodline far weaker than before…”

“If you’re interested, you may go to the Scripture Pavilion and consult the relevant ancient texts. There are quite a few records preserved there…”

Seeing that Wuge was reluctant to say more, Su Xing nodded and prepared to head to the Scripture Pavilion.

Moments later, in the Scripture Pavilion, Su Xing opened a volume titled 《Encyclopedia of Races in High Antiquity》!

This ancient text contained introductions to the Wu Clan and other races that existed between heaven and earth during high antiquity.

Su Xing read at extraordinary speed, scanning ten lines at a glance, yet still found it thoroughly fascinating.

After a short while, he closed the ancient text, having gained a general understanding of the so-called Wu Clan bloodline.

In the primordial era, the Wu Clan was indeed the most powerful race in existence. Moreover, legend held that the mightiest among the Wu Clan possessed strength rivaling that of a Saint!

But due to the great war against the Demon race, as well as some unknown catastrophe, the Wu Clan’s power was drastically diminished…

In those times, the Wu Clan truly were the chosen ones of heaven. Even the weakest among them possessed strength comparable to the Tribulation Crossing stage…

After the primordial decline, the Wu Clan’s numbers and bloodline purity both began to plummet rapidly…

This meant that by high antiquity, the strongest of the Wu Clan possessed only Grand Luo Golden Immortal-level strength.

And the weakest of the Wu Clan were even inferior to cultivators at the Divine Power realm…

After the erosion of several cosmic cycles and countless ages, the Wu Clan—due to their dwindling numbers and difficulty in reproducing—began to intermarry with the human race.

This resulted in some humans carrying Wu Clan bloodline. A rare few among these mixed-blood humans possessed the possibility of atavistic reversion…

And several cosmic cycles ago, during the era of the Luotian Sect’s founding patriarch, the sect had once been on good terms with a certain Wu Clan tribe.

At that time, the three great clans of the Luotian Sect began intermarrying, gaining a portion of Wu Clan bloodline as well as Wu Clan heritage…

To this day, the Wu Clan had vanished from the world entirely, yet their bloodline and legacy remained.

Interestingly, in this ancient text, Su Xing also caught glimpses of “foreign race invasions”!

This indicated that even in high antiquity, the foreign races had already begun their incursions into the Three Thousand Worlds!

“So it seems the Wu Clan and the Luotian Sect share deep ties indeed!”

“But since my talent is the Ancient Shaman Physique—referencing the primordial era—doesn’t that mean my bloodline is likely even stronger than the Wu Clan of high antiquity!”

Su Xing’s heart surged with excitement.

If that were truly the case, it meant he would face no obstacles in passing the Physical Body Trial, and cultivating the Great Wu Body Forging Method would yield twice the results with half the effort!

“Tsk tsk… It seems that after achieving an immortal physique, it’ll be time to properly train in the Great Wu Body Forging Method!”

So Su Xing thought to himself.

In the time that followed, Su Xing continued as usual, studying the Dao of Puppetry under Ghost Granny in the Scripture Pavilion.

Before long, the immersive simulation ended…

Su Xing returned to the Real World and nodded with satisfaction.

“Not bad. My Dao of Puppetry has improved somewhat… And the Ancient Shaman Physique along with that secret history have been quite enlightening!”

Su Xing gave a slight nod. As for how effective the Ancient Shaman Physique truly was, that would only become clear once he began cultivating the Great Wu Body Forging Method…

His gaze returned to the simulation panel.

【After leaving the Luotian Sect instance, you gained much from your visit.】

【Some time later, you joined the Advent Cult through Luo Shuying.】

【In the period that followed, you began accumulating and stockpiling spirit liquid.】

【In the blink of an eye, seven years passed…】

【In the seventh year, you killed the leader of the Transhuman Faction and took their place.】

【In the eighth year, you killed Protector Dragon, eliminating a lurking threat…】

【In the eleventh year, Blood Three descended upon Earth. You offered up the innate Fusang tree branch and obtained a passage permit.】

【After Blood Three departed, you made a trip to the Age of Immortals and Martial Arts instance and placed the spirit vein dragon in your grotto-heaven blessed land.】

【Your spirit liquid production speed increased. Each year, you produced approximately 800,000 drops of low-grade spirit liquid and 80,000 drops of mid-grade spirit liquid.】

【Although you already possessed 1,600,000 drops of high-grade spirit liquid, several million drops of mid-grade spirit liquid, and tens of millions of drops of low-grade spirit liquid, you did not know where your upper limit lay.】

【Therefore, accumulating more spirit liquid resources would give you greater potential after your breakthrough…】

【And so, another five years passed.】

【In the sixteenth year, you made a trip to the Beast Taming World, where you killed all Legendary and Emperor-level foreign race members in that realm.】

【For the next decade and more, you continued as always, accumulating spirit liquid resources day after day, waiting only for the final moment of breakthrough.】

In the Real World, Su Xing nodded slightly upon seeing this.

“For the Spiritual Power Trial breakthrough, naturally the more resources prepared, the better!”

“Currently I can produce several hundred thousand extra drops of spirit liquid per year. While it’s not a lot, every bit adds to my chances…”

Su Xing had once heard that some Human Immortal Realm cultivators possessed such vast immortal power within their bodies that it was several times greater than cultivators at the same level.

They could possess, at the early stage of the Human Immortal Realm, the immortal power that an ordinary mid-stage Human Immortal Realm cultivator would have!

This was all because they had built a solid foundation when passing the Spiritual Power Trial!

A solid foundation meant staying one step ahead at every subsequent step!

The sea of spiritual energy within Su Xing’s body was already several times that of cultivators at the same level, so the resources he required should logically be several times—even ten times—greater!

Only then, after reaching the Immortal realm, could he ensure suppression of those at the same level, and even fight opponents above his own!

For this purpose, spending more time in preparation was something Su Xing was naturally willing to do.

His gaze returned to the simulation panel.

【In the twenty-eighth year, the Demon Saint descended upon Demon-Sealing Pass.】

【You employed your tried-and-true strategy, engaging it in battle each year while holding back your true strength to buy time…】

【In the blink of an eye, five years passed!】

【In the thirty-third year, the Demon Saint retreated, and you had accumulated another small sum of spirit liquid.】

【You knew that after the Demon Saint’s departure, Earth would be safe for at least seven or eight years to come.】

【Therefore, this was the most opportune moment for a breakthrough!】

【So you hesitated no longer. You announced your seclusion to the outside world and entered the spirit field grotto-heaven, preparing to break through the Spiritual Power Trial…】

【Within the spirit field grotto-heaven, you sat with your five centers facing the sky and began circulating the spiritual energy within your body.】

【The breakthrough of the Spiritual Power Trial was exceedingly simple and brutal — it was nothing more than continuous compression, using quantitative change to trigger qualitative change, ceaselessly converting spiritual energy into immortal power.】

【This seclusion lasted one full month.】

【One month later, the once brimming sea of spiritual energy had gradually dried up, and at the very bottom of that sea, the first wisp of immortal power was finally born!】

【The instant the immortal power was born, your sea of spiritual energy underwent an earth-shattering transformation!】

【Like the rising and falling of tides, like seas turning to mulberry fields, the original sea of spiritual energy collapsed and shifted at an extreme speed…】

【After merely a few hours, the once vast sea of spiritual energy had completely dried up, and in its interior, a slender stream roughly the width of a thumb had formed, flowing like a trickling brook…】

【Though the quantity had decreased enormously, what flowed through this stream was no longer spiritual energy — it was immortal power!】

【The transparent, formless immortal power seemed to possess a spirit of its own, flowing freely and naturally.】

【At this moment, you slowly opened your eyes, a flash of pleasant surprise crossing your face.】

【The first stage of the Spiritual Power Trial — you had completed it successfully!】

【Converting all the boundless spiritual energy within your body into immortal power!】

【Ordinary cultivators, when birthing their first wisp of immortal power, typically produced only a hair-thin strand… but you were different!】

【Your vast sea of spiritual energy gave you a foundation far surpassing cultivators of the same realm… the first wisp of immortal power you birthed was far more robust!】

【And immediately following that came the second step of the Spiritual Power Trial!】

【Growing the immortal power within your body as much as possible!】

【And so, your tri-element mutated Heavenly Spirit Root spun wildly, and the seventh-tier micro spirit-gathering formation unleashed its full power in this moment!】

【Your speed of absorbing spiritual qi even surpassed that of an ordinary Super Spirit Root!】

【With a thought, you drew a hundred drops of high-grade spirit liquid into your abdomen, rapidly converting them into spiritual energy through your spirit root!】

【This was the peculiar state possessed by cultivators who were crossing the Spiritual Power Trial!】

【Spiritual energy and immortal power coexisting within the body…】

【Because at this moment you had not yet fully passed this trial, you could not directly convert spiritual qi into immortal power. Instead, you needed to first convert it into spiritual energy, then continuously compress it until it ultimately formed immortal power!】

【This process was lengthy, and simultaneously, it consumed an enormous amount of resources!】

【A hundred drops of high-grade spirit liquid was equivalent to ten thousand drops of low-grade spirit liquid… and far easier to absorb!】

【In mere moments, you had converted all the spiritual qi contained in these spirit liquids into spiritual energy.】

【You did not pause. More and more spiritual energy was drawn into your body, filling the now-depleted sea of spiritual energy…】

【And at the center of the sea of spiritual energy, that slender stream of immortal power remained distinctly separate from the spiritual energy, like the Wei and Jing rivers flowing side by side without mixing…】

【All the spiritual energy seemed to recognize a superior being, instinctively flowing around it.】

【A hundred drops, a thousand drops, ten thousand drops…】

【Over ten thousand drops of high-grade spirit liquid were absorbed into your sea of spiritual energy.】

【The depleted sea of spiritual energy was refilled in a mere half day.】

【Then, you began the tedious process of compressing and converting spiritual energy into immortal power once more…】

【Because the immortal power had already been successfully pioneered and you had prior experience, your efficiency improved by several times over…】

【Ten days later, another wisp of immortal power joined the stream, and the slender flow of immortal power expanded by an imperceptible amount.】

【But this change filled your heart with joy, and you continued striving to convert more immortal power…】

【And so, one year passed…】

【Year Thirty-Four. The stream of immortal power, once only thumb-width, had grown to the thickness of an infant’s arm…】

【The amount of immortal power within your body had increased several times over in just one year.】

【And the cost was four hundred thousand drops of high-grade spirit liquid!】

【At this point, you had already met the minimum requirements of the Spiritual Power Trial. A stream of immortal power the width of a forearm symbolized the weakest of immortals.】

【Let alone Human Immortal Realm cultivators — this level of immortal power would rank merely average to below-average even among Loose Immortals, barely sufficient to execute a few immortal techniques…】

【You were naturally unwilling to settle for this, so you continued absorbing spirit liquid, filling the sea of spiritual energy, and converting it into immortal power.】

【As your upper limit of immortal power continued to rise, your speed of converting immortal power grew ever faster…】

【And so, another year passed.】

【Year Thirty-Five. The stream of immortal power, once the thickness of an infant’s arm, expanded further, growing to the width of a wrist…】

【And the cost was five hundred thousand drops of high-grade spirit liquid!】

【A wrist-width stream of immortal power was already equivalent to the finest among Loose Immortals. With further improvement, it could reach Human Immortal Realm standards!】

【And so, you continued expanding the stream of immortal power…】

【Year Thirty-Six. You expended five hundred thousand drops of high-grade spirit liquid.】

【This year, your stream of immortal power expanded to one cun in width, reaching the minimum level of a Human Immortal Realm cultivator!】

【Year Thirty-Seven. You expended two hundred thousand drops of high-grade spirit liquid and three million drops of mid-grade spirit liquid.】

【The stream of immortal power expanded to three cun in width…】

【Three cun of immortal power was what a Human Immortal Realm cultivator who had just completed their tribulation would possess.】

【Though merely three cun wide, each wisp of immortal power could be as light as a goose feather or as heavy as ten thousand jun.】

【A single wisp of immortal power could extend a mortal’s lifespan or cure a hundred earthly ailments!】

【On offense, it could strike and kill with power several times that of spiritual energy… On defense, it could prolong life, allowing one to endure alongside heaven and earth…】

【Such was immortal power!】

【…】

【Year Thirty-Eight. You expended all remaining mid-grade spirit liquid, and the stream of immortal power grew to the thickness of a bucket…】

【At this point, the stream of immortal power at the center of your sea of spiritual energy was a full three chi wide, stretching endlessly, with immortal qi rising like clouds and mist above the sea of spiritual energy.】

【Your heart surged with joy, for reaching this level meant you had already achieved genius-tier status among those at the Immortal realm.】

【The depth of your spiritual power was nearly equivalent to a second or third-level Human Immortal Realm cultivator!】

【And at this point, you still had over seventy million drops of low-grade spirit liquid remaining — more than enough to continue…】

【So you hesitated no longer and continued using spirit liquid to expand the stream of immortal power.】

【And so, another year passed.】

【As the stream of immortal power within your body continued to expand, you also began to feel a trace of a bottleneck.】

【Before reaching the Immortal realm, immortal power naturally could not grow without limit…】

【When you had expended thirty million drops of low-grade spirit liquid, the stream of immortal power grew to five chi in width.】

【When you had expended sixty million drops of low-grade spirit liquid, it reached six chi in width…】

【When you had expended seventy million drops of low-grade spirit liquid, it had only grown to six chi and one cun…】

【And by the end, the stream of immortal power within your body had barely changed at all.】

【You let out a sigh, knowing that this stream of immortal power at six chi and one cun was the limit of your Tribulation Crossing stage…】

【At this point, the depth of your immortal power was nearly comparable to a cultivator at the Peak of the third level of the Human Immortal Realm!】

【Just as you were preparing to proceed to the final stage of the Spiritual Power Trial, the spirit vein dragon came to your side…】

【The spirit dragon examined you curiously, and after a long internal struggle, a mouthful of pure immortal qi burst forth from its mouth…】

【You could sense that this wisp of immortal qi was the spirit vein dragon’s very origin — once used, it would diminish and be nearly impossible to replenish!】

【And this incomparably precious mouthful of immortal qi entered your body, merging into your sea of spiritual energy… becoming part of your immortal power!】

【Boom!】

【In mere moments, the immortal power that had been six chi and one cun underwent a tremendous surge!】

【Six chi and one cun… seven chi!】

【Eight chi… nine chi… nine chi and nine cun!】

【In just a brief instant, the stream of immortal power within your body had transformed from a “small ditch” six chi and one cun wide into a brook one zhang in width!】

【Your heart was instantly flooded with ecstasy. Immortal power spanning roughly a zhang meant that the immortal power within your body had reached the mid-stage of the Human Immortal Realm!】

【And you were merely at the Tribulation Crossing stage, yet already possessed such deep and abundant spiritual power!】

【So you hesitated no longer and proceeded to the final step of the Spiritual Power Trial — Immortal-Spiritual Inversion!】

【After the Immortal-Spiritual Inversion, any spiritual qi you absorbed henceforth would be automatically filtered, compressed, and converted into pure immortal qi… ultimately transforming into immortal power within your body!】

【The three steps of the Spiritual Power Trial — birthing immortal power, growing immortal power, and Immortal-Spiritual Inversion — their order could not be rearranged…】

【You guarded your consciousness, and the sea of spiritual energy within your body rapidly collapsed…】

【Several hours later, the sea of spiritual energy had vanished entirely, replaced by that brook roughly a zhang in length.】

【What flowed within the brook was noble immortal power!】

【Congratulations — you have broken through the Spiritual Power Trial of the Five Trials of Becoming Immortal!】

In the Real World, Su Xing’s face broke into wild elation as he read this.

“Good heavens — this is merely at the Tribulation Crossing stage, and the depth of immortal power is already comparable to the fourth level of the Human Immortal Realm…”

“Once I fully reach the Human Immortal Realm, wouldn’t that be equivalent to the spiritual power of a fifth or sixth-level Human Immortal?”

“Mid-stage Human Immortal Realm… with immortal power rivaling late-stage Human Immortal Realm?!”

Su Xing was thrilled beyond measure.

The difference between early-stage and mid-stage Human Immortal Realm was not to be underestimated.

The gap was even greater than the difference between early-stage Mahayana and late-stage Mahayana!

To illustrate: among ordinary immortals, it took two early-stage Human Immortal Realm cultivators working together to barely fight an mid-stage Human Immortal Realm cultivator to a standstill!

After reaching immortality, every single realm — even a minor sub-realm — was an abyss!

Because each minor breakthrough typically represented millennia of bitter cultivation and thousands of years of accumulated spiritual power!

“Tsk tsk, the spirit vein dragon truly is a supreme treasure of heaven and earth!”

“Once the potential is fixed, it’s nearly impossible to improve further… The solidity of my foundation at the Tribulation Crossing stage is probably something only core disciples of great sects like the Azure Cloud Sect could rival, right?”

Su Xing couldn’t help but grin.

There was also a saying that all advancement before the Immortal realm was laying the foundation — forging one’s innate root.

Su Xing’s innate root at this point was likely one in a million, even among Human Immortal Realm cultivators!

And if one’s reserves were insufficient and the Spiritual Power Trial breakthrough was imperfect, that constituted an innate deficiency.

If one wanted to make up for it after reaching immortality, ordinary heavenly materials and earthly treasures simply wouldn’t suffice.

Perhaps the supreme spirit fruits listed on the “Heaven, Earth, and Man” three rankings possessed the ability to mend innate deficiencies…

But obtaining them? Near impossible even across ten thousand years!

“Year Thirty-Nine of the simulation, the Spiritual Power Trial has been broken through, and the goal has been achieved ahead of schedule!”

“So for the remainder of the simulation… it’s time to head to the Three Thousand Worlds!”

Su Xing murmured to himself.

He still had lingering questions from his previous simulations.

First was investigating the Mystic Yin Sacred Body — this could be pursued at the Celestial Secrets Pavilion.

Second was obtaining the coordinates of the Advent Cult’s hidden strongholds, which would be useful for selling intelligence and one day sweeping them all out in one fell swoop!

With these thoughts in mind, Su Xing turned his gaze to the simulation panel.

【After breaking through the Spiritual Power Trial, you prepared to head to the Three Thousand Worlds.】

【You stepped onto the Slaughter Battlefield, walking toward Red Moon’s direction…】

【You passed through the World Gate and arrived at that strange and wondrous space…】

(Two chapters totaling twelve thousand five hundred characters presented here. And while we’re at it — monthly votes, please~)