Chapter 144 Half-step Into The Nature Level (Part Two)


    However, Zen was still at the marrow refining level. Although he was also capable of pouring life energy


    into a weapon, the energy would dissipate and lose its effects once the weapon left his hand.


    But now, the purple-ck nature-level life energy hadn''t disappeared after it was separated from Zen''s


    body.


    ''Have I reached a level higher than the marrow refining level?'' wondered Zen.


    Before entering Hell Mountain, Zen had been able to estimate that he had reached the peak of the


    marrow refining level.


    On the previous day when he battled Vale on Hell Mountain, Zen''s body had been severely battered by


    Vale''s lotuses. Under their assault, Zen found that it was almost impossible to bear the heavy pressure.


    At that time, he had been fighting for his life, and so, Zen hadn''t paid much attention to changes in his


    body. However, in retrospect, Zen remembered feeling a great surge of warm currents inside his body.


    As in all other situations, the currents refreshed his physical form.


    Had impurities beenpletely cleared away from his marrow at that moment?


    Since Zen had been focusing on defending against Vale, he hadn''t noticed that all the impurities in his


    marrow had been refined and purified. Now, as Zen felt the warm stream of currents inside his body, he


    concluded that it was highly likely that all impurities had been removed from his marrow.


    At this thought, Zen examined his body carefully. Once he confirmed his theory, a smile grew on Zen''s


    face. In the heat of the battle with Vale, his marrow had been iparably purified, and so Zen had


    upgraded to a cultivator half-step into the nature level.


    Five levels of body refining were the foundations for practicing and mastering martial arts.


    Only when a person''s physical form was free from impurities could he be a nature creature.


    However, reaching the half-step into the nature level was different from entering into the nature level


    because of the difference between life energy and life vitality. A person couldn''t be a nature


    creature before his life energy was converted into life vitality.


    Although Zen didn''t aplish his goal of freeing Yan from Hell Mountain, he had unexpectedly


    reached the half-step into the nature level, which was a great achievement for him. After this revtion,


    Zen spent the whole day consolidating the skills he had mastered and exploring how to exude life


    energy.


    He didn''t leave his room for almost three days!


    During this period, outer disciples continued to busy themselves with cultivation as usual at Drizzle


    Peak.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    However gifted disciples might be, people who joined Cloud Sect were required to be unyielding. They


    also knew that they should never get infatuated with the outside world. The practice of martial arts also


    taught them that God helped those who helped themselves.


    However, Zen was a special and extraordinary disciple of Cloud Sect. Other disciples'' eyes gleamed


    with a strong sense of admiration when they met Zen. Within Cloud Sect, a considerable number of


    outer disciples treated Zen as their role model. Just as Zen tried to cultivate diligently, these outer


    disciples also made unremitting efforts to cultivate themselves.


    "Zen, it is time for us to get our refining pills today. Are you going to take them?" As Zen just stepped


    out of his room, Nory and Sean who had been headed to his room stopped and asked.


    The refining pills were being distributed today?


    Zen was dazed. He had been so preupied with the cultivation that he had forgotten about this.


    Naturally, disciples of Cloud Sect enjoyed benefits such as refining pills and elixirs, which were


    distributed to them every month. The type and quantity of such supplies were dependent on the level


    and status of disciples.


    Zen nodded. As a member of Cloud Sect, he thought he deserved the supplies reserved for disciples.


    And so, he walked toward one side of Drizzle Peak with Nory and Sean.


    As usual, Nory began to share some of the gossips he had heard while they were walking.


    "Zen, you have been engrossed in your cultivation and haven''t stepped out of your room. Have you


    ever heard what happened on Hell Mountain?" Although Nory joined Cloud Sectter than Sean, he


    was now more informative than Sean.


    Zen pretended as if he didn''t know and responded in feigned surprise, "Huh? What urred on Hell


    Mountain?"


    "Ooh, you''ve missed it. Several days ago, a disciple at the Illuminating Soul Realm presented his


    mighty power on Hell Mountain. It was a fairly sensational spectacle. In his show of power, a light


    column leading to the sky was visible even from Drizzle Peak!" While Nory was describing the


    spectacle, he was so excited that spittle flew from his mouth. Nory spoke with such enthusiasm that it


    seemed as if he had been present that day on Hell Mountain.


    Zen was astonished to hear Nory''s descriptions. He had been under the impression that cultivators in


    Hell Mountain couldn''t mingle with other people freely. He had never expected that the whole of Cloud


    Sect would learn of what transpired between him and Vale. But Zen felt relieved and lucky as he could


    judge from Nory''s tone that his friend didn''t know the names of the people who had been on Hell


    Mountain.


    "A top refiner at the Illuminating Soul Realm is really awesome!" Zen nodded approvingly. He looked as


    though he strongly wished to have witnessed the scene.


    Only after seeing Zen''s expression that Sean interrupted and said, "Top figures at the Illuminating Soul


    Realm are often seen during our annualrge-scale challenges at Cloud Sect in spite of their usually


    rare presence. It is strange that the top figure at the Illuminating Soul Realm battled an outer disciple


    who was only at the marrow refining level..."


    "Huh?" Zen questioned in feigned astonishment, "That is incredible."


    "I think that is impossible!" Sean responded while shaking his head. Afterward, he added, "That was


    going too far. Do you know what the Illuminating Soul Realm is? A man at the Illuminating Soul Realm


    can kill a refiner at the marrow refining level only by the overbearing power exuded from the


    combustion of life vitality. The differences in the power of such refiners are like that of an ant and an


    elephant."


    "You can''t say that for sure! Zen is an exception. He defeated a nature creature even though he was


    only at the marrow refining level." Apparently, Nory was blindly optimistic about his belief that the weak


    could defeat the strong.


    However, Sean, who had been at Cloud Sect for a longer period, understood how huge the gaps were


    between realms, and so he continued, "Nory, perhaps you don''t quite understand the Illuminating Soul


    Realm. As far as we know, the Burning Sky Empire has a vast territory and possesses abundant


    resources. Its poption is asrge as hundreds of millions, but how many of them can reach the


    Illuminating Soul Realm? The gap between the Illuminating Soul Realm and nature level is far wider


    than you expect. I suggest that you shouldn''t take this rumor that seriously."


    "Unlike you, I believe that miracles happen..."


    "Do you mean that something like an ant eating an elephant would happen?"


    The two of them argued with each other about the issue all the way. They didn''t stop until they arrived


    at the other side of Drizzle Peak and got their refining pills.