Dao Equaling the Heavens
Chapter 226 - 161 Divine Tree Friendship Fee Credited

Chapter 226: Chapter 161 Divine Tree Friendship Fee Credited

A bull’s horn was burning, and the barefooted Gu Wen squatted next to it, the slightly pungent smell making him frown.

"Although you can’t smell it anymore, we still can."

"It does seem to have a scent."

Chi Yu Zi approached a little, inhaled the black smoke, and then couldn’t help but start coughing.

"You see, I react to the smoke, so it’s not like I’ve completely lost my senses."

Coughing is a function of the lungs, not the sense of smell.

Gu Wen did not shatter Chi Yu Zi’s beautiful illusion, he just nodded slightly in agreement, accompanying her until the horn was fully burned, and then he began his meditation.

[Consume Earth Core Crystal, requires a hundred-year accumulation of Heavenly Marrow for the Eighth-Transition Golden Core, Golden Core flawlessness at thirty percent.]

The Earth Core Crystal only brought his Golden Core to half the standard strength. According to the rules, it would take at least a month to cultivate using the spiritual sword, and using Angri True Fire would take half a month.

But now, outside there was the threat of the Jianmu avatar, and the Vine Demon Saint Heir who was eagerly watching, while inside, there was the issue of Chi Yu Zi facing the loss of her senses.

He currently had Fourth Level Yuqing Daoji, and in fact, his combat power could reach the Twelve Level under the cumulative effects of various top Cultivation Techniques and dharma forms, and even burst forth to the Thirteen Level when at full strength.

He simply couldn’t beat the Vine Demon; it had at least the strength of the Sixteenth Level. On the offensive, it should be considered around the Fifteenth Heaven, or possibly even lower.

Once detached from his original realm for an over-level challenge, it no longer became about filling every gap. In the pursuit of crossing levels, it inevitably meant being extremely outstanding in some aspect. Gu Wen’s leap across levels was entirely due to his fierce attacks.

He did not need to consider consumption or defense, because if the enemy were dead, there would be no pressure to defend.

Chi Yu Zi’s rise across two levels showed her outstanding aspects in defense and mana reserves.

The Vine Demon likely had defenses and some kind of Divine Skill that devoured Qi and blood, which just happened to counter Chi Yu Zi’s high-defense, high-blood type, whereas Gu Wen’s explosive power countered the Vine Demon’s attrition-based battling.

Combat is not a matter of subtracting face-to-face, but how to kill the opponent.

If a regular Cultivator’s comparison is a bucket, then crossing levels to kill the enemy is like a steel spear—a specialization in one aspect that’s enough to penetrate the bucket.

One needs to burst forth with the strength of the Sixteenth Level in a single attack, and that doesn’t guarantee a kill with one sword swing.

Gu Wen pondered, suddenly feeling a bit of a headache.

The Nine Revolutions Golden Pill could take him from an equal contest across three levels to invincibility, and further on to a match across four levels, but against top geniuses, discounts would be necessary.

A Fourteenth Level burst, still two levels short of killing the Vine Demon.

Perhaps he would have to rely on Chi Yu Zi to bridge the gap, she could hold it back, and he could strike a few more swords.

This was the only method Gu Wen could come up with, the damage wasn’t enough, so the teammate would make up the difference, and there was also bringing Jun Yan back.

’If the Golden Core isn’t flawless, could I break through? Even if I can’t break through, would it speed up the refinement to flawlessness?’

Gu Wen suddenly had an epiphany; he remembered that when he first practiced Yuqing Sword Skill, it also required the condensing of Sword Intent.

He needed the same now, it’s just that True Sword Dao wasn’t easy to come by; it naturally and gradually condensed the Sword Intent.

With a thought, he infused a hundred years of Heavenly Marrow, pushing his Seventh Transition Golden Core towards the Eighth Transition.

Fate Diagram dropped a stream of fire meteorites, like countless meteors striking the Golden Core, causing violent vibrations.

The realm that was impossible to advance was being forcibly propelled forward, a blurred ring of light emerged, and ultimately maintained for a moment before breaking.

Not fulfilled, flawed.

[Eight-Transition Golden Core, Golden Core flawlessness at thirty percent.]

[Two hundred years of Heavenly Marrow.]

A stream of insights surfaced, and Gu Wen advanced further in refining the spiritual sword, achieving fulfillment in ten days.

Ten days wasn’t long, tomorrow the friends from the Divine Tree would also arrive.

He still had two hundred years of Heavenly Marrow in his pocket, he could first refine other Cultivation Techniques to increase his strength.

Gu Wen contemplated, then turned his attention to other Cultivation Techniques.

Inspecting his Qi Sea, various Cultivation Techniques were neatly categorized, among them True Sword Dao, Yuqing Daoji, and Nine Revolutions Golden Pill—the three great Immortal Skills shone the brightest, followed by the Flame Dharma, the best match with himself.

Gu Wen actually wanted to pick up Flame Skill, as it was a Cultivation Technique he created himself, and had the basics of condensing Divine Skills. But the Immortal Skills were too powerful, and Heavenly Marrow was not very abundant, so it was completely neglected.

Unfortunately, True Sword Dao already had taken its place, its sole use was to catch enemies off guard, using the least consumption for less damage.

Compared to the Immortal Sword’s crippling or deadly attacks, Flame Spear seemed very weak, its only advantage being its smaller consumption.

[Flame Spear, Flame brings clarity, righteous slaughter, Divine Skills unfathomable, can give Sword Dao similar paths, requires ten years of Heavenly Marrow.]

Gu Wen showed surprise; he hadn’t expected that spear skills could be improved through swordsmanship?

The biggest defect of Flame Spear was its weak foundation, resulting in almost no direction for improvement, and now it seemed it could be complemented through True Sword Dao.

’Ten years of Heavenly Marrow is more cost-effective than a hundred years for the Taiyin Order.’

With a thought, in one breath, ten years of Heavenly Marrow caused a change in Flame Spear.

A flaming dragon surged, dragon roars shaking the heavens, and within its breath, a bit of Sword Dao essence was added. The spear skill did not enhance as expected but directly branched into a new path.

Gu Wen realized in his heart, Flame Spear wasn’t just a spear technique, but a killing method Cultivation Technique.

Since it was a method of killing, it could take any form.

[Flame (Spear, Sword), Sword Dao Third Realm’s Sword Intent requires twenty years of Heavenly Marrow.]

Due to Gu Wen’s proficiency in True Sword Dao, he jumped directly to the Sword Intent stage, not needing to start from scratch.

Twenty years of Heavenly Marrow were infused, and Flame Sword Intent was formed.

[Flame Sword at the Fifth Level, Sword God realm, requires forty years of Heavenly Marrow for fulfillment.]

Forty years of Heavenly Marrow further infused, Flame Sword God was achieved.

[Flame Sword at the Sixth Level, Dharma Form Realm, requires eighty years of Heavenly Marrow.]