Chapter 28: Cultivation Beyond the Grandmaster Realm

After a night of revelry, Lin Heng awoke from his hangover feeling refreshed, as if all the pressures weighing on him had vanished. His heart was already prepared to ascend to even higher realms.

The spirit wine was exquisite; it was Lin Heng’s first time drinking it, and he had indulged a bit too much.

At this moment, he circulated his qi and blood to dispel the lingering intoxication within his body.

Afterward, with the assistance of a maid, he took a bath and then made his way to the main hall of the Cloud Sword Palace, where he found his master, Xiao Rang, intending to discuss the cultivation methods of the Grandmaster realm.

“You’ve risen quite early, my disciple. Now that you have reached the Grandmaster level, what are your plans moving forward?” Xiao Rang smiled upon seeing Lin Heng.

“You’ve just broken through to Grandmaster; you will need several months to consolidate your cultivation. Once the Grandmaster celebration concludes, your realm should be completely stable. Then, how about venturing down the mountain for a journey?”

Lin Heng had ascended the mountain at five years old, and nearly nine years had passed without descending. Given the curiosity young people harbor for the world, it was only natural he would wish to explore beyond the mountain.

With Lin Heng’s current cultivation and a few experts from the sect accompanying him, his safety in the martial world would be assured.

Satisfying one’s curiosity and settling the restless mind is essential before one can remain peacefully guarding the sect’s gates.

Xiao Rang himself had come up through similar experiences in his youth and understood this well.

“Master, I wish to continue my cultivation. I came today to seek your guidance on the path ahead,” Lin Heng replied, showing no intention of descending the mountain.

Though young in appearance, Lin Heng was a second incarnation who had already experienced the secular world; ordinary sights held little appeal for him.

What captivated him now most was cultivation itself!

Had it not been for Xiao Rang explaining cultivation only up to the Grandmaster level, Lin Heng might have continued training on his own by now.

“Very well,” Xiao Rang nodded with satisfaction upon seeing the sincerity in Lin Heng’s expression.

Truly a natural seed of cultivation, his character was impeccable.

With that, Xiao Rang began explaining the cultivation path of the Grandmaster realm: “Heng’er, you already know that the Grandmaster realm focuses primarily on the realm of perception. Tell me, what is the realm of perception?”

This question was not difficult; Lin Heng had already gained some insight through past practice.

Without hesitation, he answered, “The realm of perception is the warrior’s realization and understanding of the universe, nature, and the myriad phenomena of the mundane world, forming an obsession in the heart. By condensing and sublimating this obsession, one can elevate one’s spiritual power to the extent of influencing material reality through an intangible spirit.”

“Intervening in the laws of nature with a mere thought—that is the foundation of the Grandmaster realm.”

Xiao Rang nodded in approval. Smiling, he continued, “When a warrior reaches the twenty-seventh level of the Master realm, their physique, breath, and spirit have all been cultivated to the utmost extreme, a point beyond which no further progress can be made. To advance further, one must cultivate the realm of perception.”

“By comprehending this realm, one elevates their mind and spirit, commanding and gathering purer and more abundant energy from heaven and earth.”

“Through this baptism, one can break through their limits, allowing the body to grow stronger, refining the breath, and thereby nourishing an even mightier spirit with more powerful qi and blood—qualifying one to comprehend an even grander realm of perception.”

“Breaking through from Master to Grandmaster is where the realm of perception first takes effect.”

“From then on, with each sublimation of this realm, the cultivation advances another level; this constitutes the entire cultivation process of the Grandmaster realm.”

“In the records of our Cloud Sword Palace, the founder Ling Yun, who greatly expanded our sect, underwent seven such sublimations, reaching the seventh level of the Grandmaster realm. Five centuries ago, he was the supreme martial artist in the world.”

“Though not yet at the level of regarding Grandmasters as insignificant, his combat power far surpassed ordinary Grandmasters. No one in the martial world could match him, and he was called the Supreme Grandmaster by martial heroes everywhere.”

Upon hearing Xiao Rang’s words, Lin Heng’s heart became clear.

When a warrior reaches the twenty-seventh level of the Master realm, their essence, qi, and spirit have reached the limits of normal human capacity—an impassable boundary.

Henceforth, every effort to become stronger requires breaking through one’s own limits, and the key to this breakthrough is the realm of perception.

The first such breakthrough, from Master to Grandmaster, is the warrior’s initial transcendence of their own limits.

“Master, which level of the Grandmaster realm have you attained? How many sublimations are required to reach the Celestial realm?” Lin Heng inquired.

Xiao Rang’s cultivation had long returned to simplicity and purity, and he rarely displayed any aura, appearing as an ordinary old man.

Unless he exerted himself fully, even Lin Heng could not discern his true cultivation level.

“Fourth level of Grandmaster,” Xiao Rang first answered regarding his cultivation.

He had broken through to Grandmaster at fifty-eight and was now one hundred and ten years old.

Fifty-two years had passed, during which he had undergone three sublimations—a pace neither too fast nor too slow.

Before his time comes, he might still advance several more levels, and it was uncertain whether he would reach the realm of Ling Yun, the founder.

After a pause, Xiao Rang answered Lin Heng’s next question:

“As for how many sublimations are needed to reach the Celestial realm, I do not know. It might be nine times or more. After all, in our Cloud Sword Palace, no one has attained the Celestial realm, and such legendary experts have not appeared in the martial world for many years.”

“Ancient texts describe a figure named the ‘Pure Yang Sword Saint,’ an invincible master who transcended the Grandmaster realm and reached the Celestial realm, considered akin to an immortal on earth. After many years of diligent cultivation, he attained the realm of Daylight Ascension.”

“In the end, with a single sword, he cleaved open the celestial gate and shattered the void, departing from this world.”

“When one day you can regard all the Grandmasters of the world as insignificant, perhaps you will have reached the Celestial realm. Whether the shattering of the void is true or not, who can say?”

Lin Heng fell silent for a moment.

After the seventh level of Grandmaster, the path forward would be a matter of personal exploration. Hopefully, he could reach the Celestial realm within his lifetime.

He did not dwell too much on this. No matter the outcome, the cultivation itself was the priority.

The ultimate height he might reach would be for the future to decide; if this attempt failed, he could always start anew.

After allowing Lin Heng some time to digest this information, Xiao Rang continued, “Now, come with me.”

He rose and led Lin Heng deeper into the main hall of the Cloud Sword Palace, entering a secret passage concealed behind a mechanism.

The two descended along the passage’s steps, guided by the faint glow of luminous pearls, gradually approaching the heart of the Cloud Sword Palace mountain.

At last, they arrived at a vast underground chamber.

The space was filled with bookshelves containing numerous volumes, as well as many sealed stone chambers.

Pointing to the shelves, Xiao Rang spoke to Lin Heng, “This is a hidden library of our Cloud Sword Palace, where we store not only our sect’s martial arts but also many secret manuals collected from other sects across the martial world.”

“In addition, the profound insights and speculations on the realm of perception from the sect’s greatest masters throughout history are also preserved here.”

“Since you do not wish to venture outside and want to continue your cultivation, you should spend more time here in this underground sanctuary.”