Free Web NovelChapter 119: Effortless Freedom
Caelum stepped out of the meditation chamber.
The attendant had been waiting outside the entire time. The moment he emerged, the man bowed respectfully.
"Heir Apparent."
Caelum asked, "How long was I in seclusion?"
"A little over half a year."
Half a year to reach Ascendant Realm Layer 180. The pace was indeed much slower than it had been in the Initiate and Awakened Realms.
He stopped beside a pond, his mind calm and free of distractions.
After a long silence, he spoke again.
"Any news from outside?"
The attendant thought for a moment.
"Several months ago, violet qi appeared across the eastern horizon. Rumors say a Dao Physique has been born."
"Three months ago, an ancient tomb emerged. It supposedly contained an Immortal Legacy. A young wandering Ascendant obtained it and later joined the Cosmos Sword Sect."
"What is his name?"
"Torin."
The attendant continued.
"One month ago, the Saintess of Moonveil Court returned after years of training in the mortal world. After inheriting the Court’s lineage, her Lunar Physique reached completion. She is now known as Lady Moonveil."
A Dao Physique.
A Lunar Physique.
Immortal Legacies appearing one after another.
Caelum murmured, "The Imperial Calamity..."
The emergence of various Divine Physiques and Immortal Legacies marked the beginning of a great age.
It was also a sign that the Imperial Calamity was approaching its peak.
The stronger the geniuses who ascended to immortality became, the greater the upheaval that would follow.
When heaven moves to kill, stars shift from their courses.
When earth moves to kill, dragons and serpents rise from the land.
When man moves to kill, heaven and earth are overturned.
When yang reaches its peak, yin is born.
When yin reaches its peak, yang returns.
Such was the law of the Dao. No one could stop it.
After prosperity reached its utmost limit, decline inevitably followed.
The Imperial Calamity existed because of that universal principle.
Just as it had during the age of the Ancient Celestial Court.
"Heir Apparent, may I ask a question?"
"Go ahead."
The attendant looked puzzled.
"The great age has only just begun. Opportunities and fortunes are appearing everywhere. Even setting those aside, Skyspire Order possesses resources beyond compare."
"So why do you never compete with the other prodigies?"
The path of cultivation discouraged isolation.
Without experience.
Without trials.
Without facing worthy opponents.
How could one gain enlightenment?
Cultivating like this would surely lead to bottlenecks eventually.
A breeze swept across the pond, sending ripples through the water.
Caelum replied, "If they wish to compete, let them. My path is a long one. It isn’t measured by a single day or a single year."
He meant every word.
Unless he reached the point where he could destroy an entire great world with a casual gesture, he would never ascend.
He had no interest in fighting over temporary glory.
Time was on his side.
At Ascendant Realm Layer 180, his strength already rivaled that of a late Paragon Realm cultivator.
Ordinary Ascendants lived for five hundred years.
Caelum’s lifespan, however, already matched that of a Paragon Realm Ascendant.
Twenty thousand years.
And as his realm continued to rise, so too would his lifespan. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
Perhaps one day he would live as long as heaven and earth themselves.
Perhaps he would even surpass them.
He truly wasn’t in a hurry.
Besides, he possessed the Secret of Transcendence.
Advancing his realm required nothing but time.
There were no bottlenecks for him to fear.
The attendant finally understood.
Their Heir Apparent possessed an unusually detached and natural temperament.
After only a brief conversation, Caelum returned to the meditation chamber.
"Do not allow anyone to disturb my cultivation."
"Understood."
No matter what happened throughout Celestial Arc Realm, Caelum remained unmoved.
He immersed himself completely in cultivation.
His realm rose at a staggering pace, unhindered by the slightest obstacle.
[Cultivation Increased]
[Realm: Ascendant Layer 190]
...
[Cultivation Increased]
[Realm: Ascendant Layer 205]
...
[Cultivation Increased]
[Realm: Ascendant Layer 225]
...
Another year passed.
The secret realm of Skyspire Order did not enjoy eternal spring.
Before anyone realized it, the world had turned white beneath falling snow.
Then suddenly—
Boom!
Boundless Vital Essence erupted outward, sweeping up endless curtains of snow.
Moments later, it all withdrew back into his body.
[Cultivation Increased]
[Realm: Ascendant Realm Layer 360]
[Ascendant Realm Complete]
[Achievement Unlocked: State of Effortless Freedom]
Rumble!
A terrifying heavenly pressure carrying the intent of destruction descended silently.
Thunderclouds gathered above Skyreach Monastery, crackling with lightning.
The disturbance immediately caught the attention of nearby disciples.
Most of them were hardly surprised.
"The tribulation’s back again."
"It’s probably coming from Skyreach Monastery."
"Looks like the Heir Apparent broke through again."
This time, Caelum did not even leave his chamber.
A vast ocean of Vital Essence surged into the sky, smashing straight through the tribulation clouds and dispersing them by brute force.
The clouds vanished instantly.
"Was that really a tribulation cloud?"
"Yeah. It’s gone now."
After watching for a moment, the disciples lost interest and returned to their own cultivation.
With the tribulation passed, Caelum finally stepped into the Soulbound Realm.
[Cultivation Increased]
[Realm: Soulbound Layer 1]
The moment he entered Soulbound Layer 1, his strength soared once more.
Because he cultivated the Worldbreaker Physique Art, his physical body alone now rivaled that of a mid Immortal Realm cultivator.
Neither Martial Arts nor Mystic Arts nor divine techniques below the Immortal Realm could damage him in the slightest.
Each level within the Immortal Realm represented an enormous leap.
Every advance was difficult.
Every breakthrough invited heavenly tribulation.
One misstep could end in complete annihilation.
Even with his tremendous growth, Caelum currently possessed only the power of a mid Immortal Realm cultivator.
Of course, that was without counting Bladeleaf.
That little plant had grown even more terrifying after more than a year of nourishment.
Claiming it could cut stars from the heavens was no exaggeration.
As for the Celestial Grade saber, it had long since fallen out of use.
"The State of Effortless Freedom."
Upon reaching the absolute limit of Ascendant Realm Layer 360, this divine ability had naturally formed within him, just as the Worldbreaker Physique and Primordial Flow had before it.
Caelum completely relaxed his mind.
He allowed the energy within him to flow freely.
Under the State of Effortless Freedom, the Worldbreaker Physique Art and the Secret of Transcendence began operating on their own through an incredibly subtle mechanism.
He no longer needed to consciously guide his cultivation.
From this day forward, he was cultivating every moment of every day.
There was no longer any need for deliberate seclusion.
Even so, the State of Effortless Freedom could only advance his cultivation realm.
Special techniques still required personal effort.
For example, now that his Vital Essence had reached completion, the next step in the Worldbreaker Physique Art had become essential.
Opening the hidden treasures of the human body.
This was a core component of its body refinement path.
Within every person existed countless hidden acupoints and sealed gateways.
Their power was difficult to perceive and even harder to unleash.
These were known as the body’s hidden mysteries.
Or simply, hidden treasures.
Once awakened, they granted extraordinary divine abilities and elevated the physical body to unimaginable heights.
Before opening those hidden treasures, however, Caelum had one more task to complete.
He activated the Worldbreaker Physique Art.
In an instant, his Vital Essence surged wildly.
It merged with the spiritual energy flowing through his body.
His soul, mind, and consciousness sank into the torrent and fused completely with his flesh and blood.
Essence. freёweɓnovel.com
Energy.
Spirit.
All became one.
From this moment onward, rebirth from a single drop of blood became one of Caelum’s innate divine abilities.
His soul and body had merged into a single existence.
The body was the soul.
The soul was the body.
No one would ever be able to attack his soul directly again.
And possession techniques would have no effect on him whatsoever.
