Lei Jing did not hold out much hope for the Eighth Change in the Fish-dragon Realm.
Even those Half-Saint families who could reach the Seventh Change in the Fish-dragon Realm could be regarded as rare. To reach the Eighth Change in the Fish-dragon Realm was even more difficult.
It was the first time that he tried to practice the Eighth Change in the Fish-dragon Realm. According to his estimation, there was only a maximum of a 20% chance that he could succeed.
However, when he saw the black spinel that Zhang Ruochen had taken out, his eyes were wide open and his lips quivered as he said, “How strong the Spiritual Qi of water nature is. Is this a Spirit Treasure of Origin of water nature?”
“Yes. This is a Spirit Treasure of Origin of water nature, the Black Glazed Spinel. Please accept it, my dear Master, because this is a little token of my regards as a disciple,” said Zhang Ruochen.
It was enough for Lei Jing to practice the Treasured Body of the Water Spirit with so much Spirit Treasure of Origin of water nature, saving him 10 years of penance.
Not to even mention the Eighth Change in the Fish-dragon Realm, the Blunt Holy Meridian, but he could even have the opportunity to reach the Ninth Change in the Fish-dragon Realm, the Glazed Treasured Body, within 10 years.
Half-Saint was expected.
Lei Jing also admired the things that the Half-Saints regarded as treasures.
With his own disciple, no formalities were needed. Lei Jing did not make any pretense as he took the Black Glazed Spinel and turned away. He secluded himself for refining and began to strike for the Eighth Change in the Fish-dragon Realm.
Zhang Ruochen wanted to give Lei Jing the Purple Cloud-patterned Eaglewood, but when he saw Lei Jing leaving, he put it away, thinking that he might give it to him later.
The relationship between Zhang Ruochen and Lei Jing was not so much like a teacher and a student as it was a teacher and a friend.
“First, heal the injury and then strike for the Medium State of the Heaven Realm.”
Zhang Ruochen told Blackie and asked him to help teach the monster ape and Greedy Rabbit Guoguo, hoping they could achieve a higher level.
Later, he returned to the room and entered the internal space of the Time and Space Spinel and began to practice.
After six days, not only had Zhang Ruochen’s injury healed, but he also absorbed the Half-Saint’s Light from the Qi Sea.
After absorbing the Half-Saint’s Light, Zhang Ruochen’s Martial Soul had reached the Fifth Change in the Fish-dragon Realm.
Moreover, his cultivation had also grown, infinitely approaching the Medium State of the Heaven Realm.
Over the next six days, Zhang Ruochen’s Martial Soul constantly absorbed the Half-Saint’s Light. With the help of that energy, he finally succeeded to the Medium State of the Heaven Realm.
In the moment of breaking through the realm, Zhang Ruochen took out over 1,000 Spiritual Spinels and sucked Spiritual Qi into his body, causing the Vital Essence in the Qi Sea to become stronger.
At this time, Zhang Ruochen’s Martial Soul had approached the Sixth Change in the Fish-dragon Realm.
However, the rate of absorbing the Half-Saint’s Light became slower and slower. It seemed that it had been suppressed by some kind of power and had reached a critical point.
“It should be that the Martial Soul is too strong while the realm of Martial Arts is too low. I have reached the strongest state of the realm of the Martial Soul. Only when the realm breaks out again can the Martial Soul continue to absorb the Half-Saint’s Light.”
Zhang Ruochen’s problems were similar to those of Blood Spirit Queen.
Blood Spirit Queen could not completely absorb the Half-Saint’s Light because her body was not strong enough.
She could only continue to suck blood and strengthen her body, so that she could continue to blend the Half-Saint’s Light.
Even so, her ability to improve her strength was still alarmingly fast.
Of course, Zhang Ruochen was not discouraged at all. For the Medium State of the Heaven Realm, he could lift up the Martial Soul to the same level as that of the Sixth Change in the Fish-dragon Realm. It was even more unlikely that other warriors in the Medium State of the Heaven Realm could exceed this limit.
In the same realm, his Martial Soul was the strongest.
“To take advantage of the power of the Martial Soul, I should be able to face up to a Monk who is in the Second Change in the Fish-dragon Realm.”
Zhang Ruochen was able to kill Master Shenhai in the Second Change in the Fish-dragon Realm in the Five Elements Primitive World because he had the Holy Sword and joined forces with the monster ape. Finally, he used space forces to kill him.
Now, even if Zhang Ruchen did not use the Holy Sword and space forces, he would surely be a match for Master Shenhai.
“Since I have reached the Medium State of the Heaven Realm, I can also continue to refine the Black Glazed Spinel and strive to the Treasured Body of the Water Spirit in one stroke. As long as I succeed, my strength will certainly be able to go further.”
To cultivate to the Treasured Body of the Water Spirit, one needed to absorb 5 kilograms of Black Glazed Spinel.
Zhang Ruochen had absorbed 3.25 kilograms.
Zhang Ruochen took out a piece of Black Glazed Spinel that weighed about 500 grams and placed it between his hands, mobilizing his Genuine Qi and transporting it to the Meridians of his hands and spewing it out of his palm.
“Snap!”
At the clash of Genuine Qi, the Black Glazed Spinel broke into a grain of powder.
The Genuine Qi was like bubbles, wrapping around the powder of the Black Glazed Spinel and flowing back into the pores and into the body’s Meridians.
Following the Genuine Qi’s flow, the Black Glazed Spinel melted into Zhang Ruochen’s bones, blood, muscles, and internal organs, and continued to improve Zhang Ruochen’s physical quality.
In a flash, the Black Glazed Spinel was completely absorbed.
Every 500 grams of refining was equivalent to the achievement of one year’s practice.
Zhang Ruochen felt that his cultivation had grown a lot, and the Vital Essence in the Qi Sea had become more profound.
“Go on.”
And then, Zhang Ruochen once again refined 1 kilogram of Black Glazed Spinel, finally, closing in on the limits of the body.
“I have absorbed more than 4.75 kilograms of Black Glazed Spinel, but I have not yet been able to cultivate to the Treasured Body of the Water Spirit.”
Zhang Ruochen could clearly perceive the Spiritual Qi of water nature. He could even see that a small droplet of water had leaped into the air.
However, the Spiritual Qi of water nature was not controlled by him at all and did not actively fly to him.
Thus, it was evident that he had not really cultivated himself into the Treasured Body of the Water Spirit.
“Continue to refine.”
This time, Zhang Ruochen took out a Black Glazed Spinel that was the size of a pigeon egg, about 100 grams.
Just as the Black Glazed Spinel was being absorbed into his body, Zhang Ruochen felt abnormally uncomfortable as the body almost reached saturation—even if it absorbed 50 grams, it would suffer tremendous pain.
“Is it necessary to wait until I reach the Final State of the Heaven Realm in order to cultivate the Treasured Body of the Water Spirit? No, I must succeed. In the Medium State of the Heaven Realm, I will practice cultivation into a Treasured Body of the Water Spirit.”
Zhang Ruochen clenched his teeth and drove his Genuine Qi.
There were drops of sweat on his body and his clothes were completely soaked.
After spending an entire half day, he finally absorbed the 100 grams of Black Glazed Spinel, but he still did not cultivate himself into a Treasured Body of the Water Spirit.
At this point, Zhang Ruochen had refined 4.85 kilograms of Black Glazed Spinel.
No one knew how much Black Glazed Spinel needed to be refined in order to cultivate into a Treasured Body of the Water Spirit. Zhang Ruochen could only estimate roughly 5 kilograms. It might be 4.9 kilograms, or it might be 5.1 kilograms.
It seemed that it was only a small difference, but it was most important.
Many people might not cultivate into a Treasured Body of the Water Spirit in their lifetime just because of 50 grams.
Zhang Ruochen did not give up and he once again took out a 100 grams of Black Glazed Spinel and continued to refine it.
“Bam!”
Just as he began absorbing, Zhang Ruochen felt a great pain. It came from the depths of his bone marrow, spreading out from his internal organs and coming out from his mind.
His body seemed like it was being broken by the power of the Black Glazed Spinel, and his blood was constantly pouring out. His bones, which sounded “squeaky”, might have been crushed at any time.
But at the same time, the Power of Origin of the Black Glazed Spinel slowly blended into the body of Zhang Ruochen.
Only by experiencing the toughest hardships can one rise above the ordinary.
Even though his skin was cracked and his blood stained his body, Zhang Ruochen still did not give up and still insisted. If you don’t push yourself to the limit, how can you know that you can’t do it?