Chapter 054: Yellow Rank Master

In the Blue Ice World, the cultivation realms are divided into Human, Yellow, Mysterious, Earth, and Heaven. The Human stage marks entry, the Yellow stage is for foundation building, the Mysterious stage is the Golden Core, Earth is the Nascent Soul, and as for the masters of the Heavenly stage, they are called Heavenly Emperors!

On the path of cultivation, the first step is to draw spiritual energy into the body, commonly referred to as the Qi Refining period. Entering this stage is considered the initiation phase.

The Qi Refining period is separated into nine levels, corresponding to the early, middle, and late phases of the Human stage. Only upon entering this stage can one channel the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, refining it into the body. Through the transformation of cultivation techniques, spiritual energy is converted into spiritual power usable for oneself, strengthening the body and fortifying one’s roots and bones.

As for the quality and intensity of this transformation—its offensive and defensive capabilities—these are directly tied to individual physique and the quality of one's techniques. Thus, when large sects recruit disciples, they pay close attention to innate talent and physical constitution. Only those with talent out of ten thousand become candidates for focused cultivation; the rest are relegated to ordinary disciples.

Here, the notion of “the early bird catches the worm” is somewhat misguided. For those whose roots are poor and whose talent is lacking, no matter how hard they strive, achieving greatness compared to the gifted is as hard as reaching the heavens.

Lin Zhan’s physical body was rather ordinary. Had it not been for the tremendous support of the Nine-Star Chart after his transmigration, he might have remained insignificant among the masses, perhaps even perished several times over.

Yet now, after sustaining serious injuries and being repaired and transformed by the Nine-Star Chart—washed clean and reborn—he has become a promising cultivator with a unique Star Physique.

With a solid foundation laid, his future depends upon his tempering and fortune.

Assessing his current realm, Lin Zhan found himself at the peak of the Human stage, a hair’s breadth from the Yellow stage. Yet, his dantian and sea of Qi were already well-formed, placing him at the verge of foundation building.

Once he crossed into the Yellow stage and completed true foundation building, he would gain new abilities—such as voice transmission across great distances, spiritual sense, and heightened perceptions.

However, as Lin Zhan perused the Blue Ice World’s records and compared them to his own cultivation, he found many aspects beyond common logic. Yet, being an outsider himself was already an anomaly, so he did not dwell on this.

At the Mysterious stage, the Golden Core is formed. At this level, the sea of spiritual energy wondrously condenses into a core, causing spiritual power to multiply dozens of times. There is a saying, “When the Golden Core forms, all else withers.” A Golden Core Sovereign commands awe, standing unrivaled in a region.

Moving mountains and filling seas, traversing the void, controlling objects and creating avatars—these abilities make a Golden Core Sovereign seem like a god in the eyes of ordinary people.

Yun Mobei, Ning Wanqing, and Ding Zhennan are all Golden Core Sovereigns, while Han Yuntian, the head of Blazing Flame Peak, has reached the late Mysterious stage, at the pinnacle of the Ninth Grade Golden Core—a king among kings.

Yet, at such heights, these masters are highly discreet about their true realm, never flaunting their progress. Until they cross swords, no one can truly gauge their strength.

As for Earth-level Venerables and Heavenly Emperors, the books offer little annotation. They are existences to be revered for a lifetime.

“Earth Venerable, Heavenly Emperor!” Lin Zhan’s eyes blazed as he gazed into the distance.

I want to become a Heavenly Emperor! He roared inwardly. Only absolute control, unrivaled and peerless, is the safest realm for me, Lin Zhan!

Only with such absolute power will no one dare to bully my brothers, nor threaten my Yun Yin!

As Lin Zhan’s longing surged, the Nine-Star Chart burned hot. The cluster of golden light, formed by tiny golden dragons at his dantian, underwent a monumental transformation. More dragons joined, finally merging into a dazzling golden lake!

Golden waves danced upon the lake, meteors streaking, lights flickering—a spectacle of seven colors.

Suddenly, Lin Zhan’s body shuddered. His senses seemed to open into a new world: the icy landscape, the growth of ice stalactites, the solidification of ice rocks, the movement of air within the cave—all became clear to his ears and eyes.

Within a hundred-foot radius, every movement was as if surveyed in person, nothing escaping his notice.

Yellow stage achieved! Spiritual sense awakened!

Now, Lin Zhan could clearly view the state within his body: robust meridians, sturdy blood vessels, and especially the vast golden spiritual sea within him—it sent his heart surging.

Time to test the upgraded power of the Fiery Fist. Facing a massive block of ice, he punched. The centuries-old ice shattered instantly into thousands of pieces, shards flying in all directions—some even embedded like arrows into the ice walls, leaving deep pits.

He then drew forth his ink-black heavy sword and casually slashed. The ice stalactite split in two, the break as smooth as a mirror.

“Hahaha, I’m a Yellow stage expert now!”

Lin Zhan’s boast is hardly unjustified. From the moment he set out on this path, he understood that the Yellow stage was for experts, a level that usually took years to attain.

Now, within a few short months, he had advanced into the Yellow stage—surely the feat of a genius. No wonder he was overjoyed.

If he were to encounter those Liang family Yellow stage cultivators who once besieged Yun Yin in the Northern Forest, Lin Zhan could now defeat them single-handedly, sparing Yun Yin from paying such a price.

Seizing this momentum, he began to cultivate the Chaotic Form Disguise Technique gifted by Yun Yin.

This was a technique cultivable from the mid-Human stage. Now, in the early Yellow stage, Lin Zhan found it even easier to master.

Within an hour, his initial mastery of the Chaotic Form Disguise was complete.

With a flicker, his figure transformed into a kindly, wrinkled elder, his face lined with the marks of time.

Another flicker, and he became a burly, unkempt middle-aged man with a full beard.

The next moment, he was a blend of Taoist and monk, robed yet holding a golden alms bowl.

After playing with his new ability, Lin Zhan understood that, given his current cultivation, maintaining another form depended on his spiritual power and could not be sustained indefinitely.

To alter his appearance at will, he would need to perfect the technique, but it sufficed for now.

The Chaotic Form Disguise also allowed him to conceal his cultivation realm, shifting his aura to appear as a lower-level cultivator or even an ordinary mortal without effort.

He could improve this disguise technique gradually; sometimes, haste would only bring trouble, like overeating and suffering the consequences.

Having just attained the Yellow stage, Lin Zhan needed to consolidate his power swiftly. And only through combat can one best stabilize and test their cultivation.

He resolved to head immediately for the Northern Forest, to seek opponents in battle—be they human or wild beast!

But to his surprise, trouble found him as soon as he set out.

The ruthless steward, Cao Jin, had dispatched a large force searching for Cheng Zhi and Wei Tielong, as well as the servant known as Eleven from the Daisy Hall.

Cao Jin had long assumed something befell Cheng Zhi and Wei Tielong, who had yet to return, though he did not suspect Eleven.

How could a lowly servant kill Yellow stage cultivators? That was unthinkable. The main reason to find Eleven was to uncover the truth behind Cheng and Wei’s deaths.

Cao Jin, besides being a steward of the Servants’ Hall, was also the nephew of Cao Ming, the head of Blazing Flame Peak’s Disciplinary Hall. Thus, he commanded a retinue of Yellow stage cultivators, making him a tyrant on the peak.

As for Han Yuntian, head of Blazing Flame Peak, he naturally turned a blind eye to such matters. He preferred to avoid unnecessary disputes with the Disciplinary Hall, and regarded such competition as part of the balance, intervening only if things went too far. That was his disposition—except when it came to the Ice Beauty, his reverse scale, for whom he would act decisively.

Cao Jin’s tyranny was well-known among the Servants’ Hall, and this time his target was Lin Zhan, previously known as Eleven.

Everyone knew the Daisy Hall had been disbanded, and Eleven, from Team C, was now its sole survivor. Some gossips speculated how long it would take for Cao Jin to catch this little fish that slipped through the net.

Before heading to the Northern Forest, Lin Zhan went to Blazing Flame Lake to investigate the site where Yun Yin had been struck down.

The passage had been broken through, causing a terrifying “tsunami,” and then mysteriously sealed again. Its return to calm was uncanny.

Upon arrival, Lin Zhan found the area in turmoil, several groups scouring the place.

He dared not extend his spiritual sense too far, withdrawing it before being detected and masking his presence.

Yet he overheard enough to learn they were searching for Cheng and Wei, and hunting him as well.

“Heh, sooner or later I’ll settle accounts with Cao Jin. Why not collect a little interest now?” Lin Zhan’s interest and fighting spirit were piqued.

Cao Jin’s search party comprised eight teams, each led by four Yellow stage cultivators with several Human stage subordinates—a considerable force.

For each group’s four Yellow stage cultivators, this was also a test: competition between teams and within them was fierce.

Cao Jin had promised several Disciplinary Hall positions, making his subordinates wild with energy. They howled their determination to capture Lin Zhan.

Four Yellow stage experts were not to be underestimated. Lin Zhan devised a plan: with the enemy in the open and himself in the shadows, he would play a little game.

Since they sought Eleven, he would show himself and see how they reacted.

Lin Zhan chose as his first target a team far from the center.

“Damn it, after so many days, we haven’t found even a ghost.”

“Relax, the other teams haven’t found anyone either.”

“Hell, if I find that so-called Eleven, I’ll skin him alive.”

“Old Huang, why bother with such a lowly servant? If it were me, I’d wash him clean first, then—”

A chill ran through the group; the last speaker was known for his peculiar tastes.

“Well, I hear you’re looking for me?”

Their rest was abruptly disturbed by a burst of laughter. They turned to see a sunny-faced youth in servant’s robes stepping out from behind an ice boulder.