Perfect World: Dream of the Immortal Era

An elderly man stood before Gencun, clad in a loose-fitting, azure Daoist robe. His white hair and beard framed a kind countenance, and an antiquated wooden hairpin adorned his head.

Despite resembling a human in stature and appearance, Gencun sensed his non-human origin. A subtle vertical crease at the elder's brow hinted at a closed third eye.

“Senior, I have several queries I can't quite grasp...”

Without hesitation, Gencun voiced his uncertainties.

Although the underlying principles converge ultimately, the laws between the Primordial Ancient Realm and this foreign domain differed significantly. No matter how high Gencun's comprehension, his understanding of the Dao lagged behind that of a half-step Supreme.

Listening to his concerns, the elder patiently clarified, approaching explanations from multiple angles to aid Gencun's understanding. Gencun nodded repeatedly in acknowledgment, gaining substantial insights.

Suddenly, the other two among the trio of half-step Supremes summoned a warrior—a native of this alien realm, confined to the War God Academy's black imprisonment for an unforgivable crime.

Used as a living demonstration by the academy elder, his fate rested in the balance, reliant entirely on fortune.

“Listen well as Friend Chanon explains how beings might recognize the limits of their potential. For newcomers like yourselves, embarking on the path of cultivation, this is invaluable knowledge.”

Turning to Gencun, the elder in the azure robe advised, “Especially you, Gencun. Buried within you is immense potential, rivaling the young nobles of the Imperial Tribe. Should you harness it, your future achievements could establish a new royal lineage.” With a nod, Gencun focused intently on the two half-step Supremes, listening closely.

The first half-step Supreme spoke, “A being's potential limit varies, unique to each. Only by relentlessly breaching and unlocking your corporeal treasures can you begin to discern where your limits lie. Observe.”

From his hand, ancestral techniques enveloped the summoned warrior.

“Ah!”

The warrior cried out, as his bones cracked and splintered ceaselessly.

The terror in his eyes reflected his realization that death loomed near.

The half-step Supreme’s voice pierced through, urging him to resist with all his might.

Upon hearing this, the warrior gritted his teeth, growling low as vitality unprecedented surged from his wounds.

Yet, the half-step Supreme deemed it insufficient, intensifying his efforts.

“Splash!”

Grotesque bursts of blood sprang from the warrior's body, his flesh ravaged, bones shattered beyond recognition—a gruesome sight indeed.

Barely clinging to life, the warrior seemed on the verge of becoming mere pulp.

Then, beckoning the observing students to gather, the half-step Supreme extended his hand, from which luminous rays cascaded upon the warrior, rendering his flesh nearly translucent.

“Look quickly, over there, divine power is surging forth; flesh and laws resonate, giving rise to vitality, self-repairing.”

“This is the initial sign of unlocking one's potential.”

The academy students watched earnestly, encircling the warrior, pointing and discussing from time to time.

Gencun also stepped forward, gazing impassively ahead while faint whimpers from the warrior filled his ears.

Not long after, the warrior succumbed, failing to revive; the final burst of potential was merely a last flicker of life.

“Did you see? When a being approaches death's door, some mysterious potentials within their bodies accelerate in release. This is what we call a great opportunity between life and death.”

“Did you notice? The more severe his wounds, the greater the potential released.” The half-step Supreme paused, then continued.

“In other words, to fully unleash the hidden potentials within the body, one needs to frequently hover on the brink of life and death, constantly engaging in battles.”

Many academy students nodded repeatedly.

Gencun deeply understood the foreign realm's roughness and martial nature. The cultivation path of the primal ancient realm emphasized harmony between heaven and man, symbiosis between humans and Tao seeds, and resonance with the grand cosmos. In contrast, here in the foreign realm, more attention was paid to the release of physical potential, requiring continuous battles to deeply excavate the body's potential.

“Any more questions?”

The three half-step Supremes asked.

Some students clustered around, posing further inquiries.

Gencun sought out the old man in the green robe, voiced his prepared requests.

The old man nodded in agreement. “Yes, your request will be addressed promptly. The Four-Armed Clan, at their strongest, only approached the strength of prestigious clans, and their methods can hardly be considered powerful.

Given your talents, cultivating the Four-Armed Clan's methods would truly be a waste.

Currently, the academy has several immortal ancient scriptures in its collection. However, using these scriptures requires permission from the immortals.

As for cultivation resources, besides the Dragon Vein cave dwellings, the most refined essence will soon be distributed, substantially enhancing your cultivation speed.

Even more extraordinary sources, as well as ancient pills, rare herbs, etc., you'll have to strive for yourself.”

“Thank you, senior. Gencun understands.”

He was not surprised by the old man's response.

Half an hour later, the sermon at the Daoist Palace concluded; the students were informed that their next destination was the Armory Hall.

Returning to his cave dwelling, Gencun sat cross-legged on a meditation mat, idly playing with a stone token in his right hand. This was the identity token issued to the academy students by the War God Academy, ready for use once infused with a drop of essence blood.

Students could employ various means to earn points, which could then be exchanged for desired items in the War God Academy's treasure vault.

In this realm, one can exchange the points from their identity token for scriptures, celestial treasures, and an array of resources.

Gencun showed no hesitation. He bit the tip of his tongue, spitting a drop of blood essence, which dripped into the token.

Immediately, the stone token glowed, displaying all sorts of information about Gencun.

After examining it a bit longer, he carefully put the token away, then sat in meditation, continuing to absorb energy to replenish the reservoirs within his flesh.

His potential was vast, with reservoirs deep beyond measure. Yet, the laws of the Four-Armed Clan greatly limited his cultivation speed.

No one knew how much time had passed before Gencun ceased his cultivation. Calculating the time, he realized it was time to head to the Weapon Hall.

Just as he was about to leave his cave dwelling, the old man in the green robe paid an unexpected visit.

“Senior!”

Gencun greeted with a bow.

The old man in the green robe smiled kindly and walked in.

“The requests you made earlier, I've reported them to the Immortal.”

“Take a look at this.”

With that, he tossed Gencun an ancient ring, simple yet engraved with intricate patterns exuding an immortal aura.

Clearly, the ring was crafted by an Immortal.

Inside were various resources: vast stores of essence, rare sources, divine sources, all piled high like small mountains. There were even pieces of Immortal Source the size of basins, of remarkable value, alongside myriad mystical herbs, vibrant and fragrant.

Most stunning of all, atop a platform sat a scripture forged from mysterious bone, radiating an immortal presence.

Gencun couldn't help but take this scripture in hand, inspecting it closely.

His origins were extraordinary, the son of an Immortal King, wielding celestial laws. Yet here, in this foreign domain, he had nothing, forced to carve out a path by himself. To him now, an ancient immortal scripture was invaluable, capable of instantly propelling him to new heights.

“The Ancient Scripture of Gumo.”

Gencun softly uttered the name of the immortal scripture, gently stroking the mysterious bone book.

“Remember the Immortal who presided over the selection previously? His name is Gumo, and this scripture is his creation, an ancient immortal text.”

“Lord Gumo greatly appreciates you. Upon hearing your need for scripture and cultivation resources, he personally bestowed this ring to you, signifying a certain attitude.

This isn't granted by the academy itself. At War God Academy, regardless of your talents, you must attain resources through your own efforts.”

"The resources within the ancient ring were given directly by Lord Gumo, considered personal."

"I understand now," Gencun replied promptly. "Thank you, Lord Gumo, for this precious scripture."

"Alright, I won’t disturb you any longer. My visit was solely to deliver this ancient ring for Lord Gumo; there’s nothing else."

"With the resources in this ring, I believe you will rise swiftly and become a pillar of the War God Academy. I await that day."

"By the way, if you encounter any difficulties or uncertainties in your cultivation, feel free to seek me out," said the old man in the green robe.

Gencun nodded in agreement, expressed his gratitude with a few words, and then followed the man to leave the cave abode.

"Conveniently, you should head to the Weapon Hall now; let’s go together," the old man suggested, summoning a light to swiftly carry Gencun away. In the blink of an eye, they reached the Weapon Hall.

Just like the Grand Dao Palace, the Weapon Hall was lined with a thousand meditation seats, all perfectly arrayed for the academy’s students.

Gencun parted ways with the old man, found a meditation seat, and sat quietly, awaiting the gathering.

In no time, all one thousand students assembled and the esteemed Supreme arrived to lecture them.

He sat cross-legged on the high platform and began to speak of the mysteries between weapons and cultivators.

"Weapons are the extension of a cultivator’s great path, vital and not to be neglected…"

His words stirred the Dao, myriad phenomena manifested as the students listened intently, enthralled. Those who had already chosen their weapon spirits reflected anew on their path, while those without found new direction.

As the lecture concluded, the Supreme left them with a final piece of advice: "Weapons must align with the spirit’s path, the spirit’s nature; choose wisely and do not rush."

With that, he vanished from the Weapon Hall.

In the following moments, several Half-step Supremes appeared to assist students in comprehending the path of weapons, guiding them towards suitable choices.

Gencun also followed the Supreme’s method to sense the right weapon.

The Weapon Pool vibrated, calling several weapons to resonate with Gencun; among them were swords, halberds, and towers…

After much contemplation, Gencun chose not to decide immediately. As the Supreme advised, he would choose wisely and patiently.

Leaving the Weapon Hall, Gencun declined an invitation from an Eight-Armed Youth and returned alone to his cave abode.

He sat upon a meditation mat and opened the eternal bone tome—the Ancient Scripture of Gumo.

Ancient characters, unique to the immortal realm, came into view, detailing a powerful evolutionary path.

This was exactly what Gencun needed most at the moment.

He stared at it, utterly captivated, memorizing those mysterious, immortal ancient characters.

Eventually, Gencun decisively dissipated his accumulated powers, erasing the traces of slightly modified techniques from the Four-Armed Clan.

Subsequently, he began to cultivate the Ancient Gumo Scripture.

The method for cultivating the Qi Consumption Realm flowed through his mind, leaving no room for hesitation.

He retrieved a large block of Origin from his ancient ring and placed it before his chest.

"Buzz!"

The power of the immortal scripture was far superior to that of the Four-Armed Clan's practices, immediately unleashing vast waves of energy.

The massive block of Origin before Gencun appeared to melt swiftly like a sheet of ice, releasing streams of essence that surged like roaring rivers.

These essences entered through Gencun's various apertures, coursing through his body, spreading through his blood to every part of his being.

His cultivation level climbed steadily, quickly surpassing the total progression of over a month.

And it continued to surge upward.

Before long, the gigantic Origin block was completely consumed.

With a flick of thought, Gencun summoned more mountain-sized blocks from the ancient ring, piling them in front of him.

If someone else were present, they would surely be astonished by the scene—a mountain of Origin blocks spilling starlike essences, all absorbed into Gencun's body, as if he were a bottomless pit.

His potential was immense, placing him amongst the very elite, even among the Imperial Tribe cultivators, with a reservoir deep enough to be terrifying.

Even at the initial realm of the Foreign System—Qi Consumption, the resources required were astonishingly large.

In a blink, a day passed, and Gencun's abode was enveloped in dense mist, composed entirely of essence, thick enough to condense into droplets.

Within the mist, Gencun’s potential blossomed, his blood and flesh storage fully saturated.

After expending a significant amount of Origin, he successfully reached the pinnacle of the Qi Consumption Realm.

Without much hesitation, Gencun chose to break through.

Although it was his first time reaching the Qi Consumption Realm's peak, he had accumulated enough depth beforehand, only that his cultivation speed was too slow to keep pace.

"Boom!"

A thunderous sound exploded, and every inch of Gencun's flesh turned crystalline, as radiant as the stars.

In an instant, all the potential within his flesh exploded simultaneously, shattering his constraints and stepping into a brand-new domain.

"Gurgle!"

His blood boiled with the sound of bubbling, like hot water coming to a boil.

Countless blood particles trembled, releasing divine power, surging throughout Gencun's body.

He sensed the sheer strength of this new realm, his entire body’s blood boiling, divine power flowing endlessly, far surpassing the Qi Consumption Realm.

"The Boiling Blood Realm."

Gencun mused to himself, calculating the time left until the designated journey to the Temple of Power as informed by the half-step Supreme. Realizing there was ample time remaining, he decided to seize this opportunity.

He retrieved a modest amount of divine resources, intending to use them to accelerate his cultivation process.