Chapter 90: The End of the Road

Chapter 90: Chapter 90: The End of the Road

In the bamboo grove, Liu Chen purified the last thing he could see, something he decided to call a "Ghost Soul" for the time being.

As the last "Ghost Soul" dissipated, Liu Chen’s vision changed. This was a rare occurrence for the Soul Crossing Technique. He had always practiced this Magic without a real target, as it was impossible for there to be any Ghost Souls on Purple Bamboo Peak for him to practice on.

The first images to surface in Liu Chen’s mind were the Ghost Souls Qiulan had described in her teachings on the Soul Crossing Technique—some humanoid, others the Demon Beasts she had mentioned, and now, individual bamboo leaves. This vision confirmed his speculation: the so-called "Ghost Souls" were indeed related to the bamboo leaves. In fact, it seemed they were the ghost souls *of* the bamboo leaves.

But Liu Chen felt this name wasn’t quite right, though he didn’t know a better term. Within the various Ghost Souls in his mind, Spiritual Veins began to appear. At the end of these Spiritual Veins, Liu Chen once again saw their source—or what Cultivators commonly called the foundation.

This was the source that allowed Cultivators to practice their arts and Spirit Plants to contain Spiritual Qi, and it was the very essence that the Soul Crossing Technique was able to influence.

As the images in his mind coalesced, everything clicked into place. Liu Chen finally understood. The purpose of the Soul Crossing Technique was to accelerate the return of a being’s source to Heaven and Earth—a process that was supposed to happen naturally after death.

Once the source of a being’s existence vanished, the Ghost Soul born from it would naturally disappear. In other words, for something to become a Ghost Soul—or worse, develop into an Evil Cultivator—meant that the process of its source returning to Heaven and Earth had gone wrong.

This was the true essence of the Soul Crossing Technique.

[Soul Crossing Technique: Perfection, 0/10000]

Liu Chen slowly opened his eyes. When he looked at the bamboo grove again, he could see even more "Ghost Souls." Or rather, now that he understood their true nature, he preferred to call them "True Spirits." The True Spirits of humans and animals were whole and indivisible. This was likely why magic that regenerated severed limbs was possible—because the True Spirit itself remained unharmed.

The True Spirits of plants, however, could be divided. The purified bamboo leaves were the best proof of this.

The Soul Crossing Technique was not originally meant to affect the True Spirits of plants. But Liu Chen had stumbled upon purifying the spirits of the bamboo leaves, and so, the ability to guide the spirits of all living things became the unique path his Soul Crossing Technique now followed.

’Ghost Souls and True Spirits aren’t the same. A True Spirit is the foundation that sustains a Ghost Soul. These dead plants on Purple Bamboo Peak only have their True Spirits remaining. Even without me, they would have dissipated back into Heaven and Earth in three to five days at most.’

Liu Chen narrowed his eyes. Although he had gained a glimpse into the nature of "True Spirits," he had no intention of delving deeper into the Soul Crossing Technique for now.

Aside from the Solid Spirit Technique, all the other Magic Liu Chen had mastered had reached the Perfection stage. However, the date was now August 28th.

If all went according to plan, he would be able to push the Purple Bamboo Scripture Body Tempering Chapter to its own unique level tonight. In terms of Realms, this meant he would have reached the absolute limit of the Body Tempering Peak.

Stepping onto one’s own Peak Path was what it meant to enter the Body Tempering Peak. And tonight, Liu Chen would walk to the very end of the path he had forged. If this state needed a precise name, it would probably be called the Great Perfection of the Body Tempering Peak.

With only three days left until the Inner Sect Disciple trial, Liu Chen decided not to continue steadily improving the Magic he had already brought to Perfection. Instead, he would devote all his time to a single Magic. Even if he couldn’t cultivate it to a unique level, it would serve as an extra layer of security for the trial.

The Magic Liu Chen chose was the Body Protection Technique.

Nightfall arrived quickly. Liu Chen sat in the Bamboo Garden and began his final Body Tempering session of the day—and perhaps, the final Body Tempering session of his life.

The moment Liu Chen began to circulate his Cultivation Technique, twelve emerald-green bamboo leaves materialized around him, and a strange fluctuation rippled outward.

As this fluctuation swept across the entire back of the mountain, Mo Xuan, who had been drinking tea in the Bamboo Garden, abruptly shot to his feet.

"Even taking another step on the Peak Path shouldn’t cause such a huge commotion."

Bai Qiulan pointed a finger, and the Ink-Colored Jade Bracelet on her wrist flew high above the bamboo grove. Before anyone could notice the commotion on the back of the mountain, the bracelet completely sealed it off.

"I’m afraid this isn’t just taking another step forward. He’s reached the very end."

Mo Xuan shook his head. He desperately wanted to go and see what was happening, but he ultimately chose to sit back down. Since Liu Chen had already begun his breakthrough, there was no point in him going over.

With a basic Body Tempering Technique, he could have gone over and stopped it if something went wrong. But on the Peak Path Liu Chen had forged for himself, his presence would be useless and could even negatively affect him.

"I’ve never heard of the Peak Path having an end."

Bai Qiulan couldn’t help but look at him. Simply setting foot on the Peak Path was enough to be recognized as a prodigy. Even taking a single step on it would make a person roughly five times stronger than a cultivator at the Body Tempering Late Stage.

"It’s not the end of the Peak Path, but the end of the Body Tempering Realm. To be more precise, it’s *Liu Chen’s* limit within the Body Tempering Realm. Everyone’s Talent is different, so the limit each person can reach in any given Realm is also different.

After today, there might be others in the Body Tempering Realm stronger than Liu Chen, but he will have reached the absolute limit of what his body can achieve in this Realm. This means that in every Realm to come, he will be qualified to pursue its ultimate limit.

Those prodigies who have an Innate advantage, if they fail to reach the limit of the Body Tempering Realm, will forever lose the right to pursue the limits of future Realms. Furthermore, the Peak Path, which was initially wide for them due to their Innate advantage, will gradually narrow if they fail to reach this limit, until one day, in some future Realm, they lose the right to set foot on the Peak Path at all."

Mo Xuan’s expression was anything but calm. Before sensing the fluctuation radiating from Liu Chen, he had only ever read of such things in ancient texts—and not in the annals of Ancient Immortals, but in the biographies of prodigies.

In all the records he had read, every Cultivator capable of reaching the end of the Peak Path in one Realm had ultimately failed in another. To this day, the Cultivation Realm had never seen a single Cultivator who had walked this path to its conclusion in every single Realm.

"Are you saying that by reaching this limit, Liu Chen can erase the gap between himself and those other prodigies?"

Bai Qiulan still didn’t fully grasp it. She had abandoned the Peak Path herself back when she was in the Qi Refining Realm. If Mo Xuan hadn’t mentioned it now, she would never have known the Peak Path even had a limit. In fact, probably no one in the entire Cultivation Realm of the Great Xia Dynasty knew of this.

"I don’t know. But I’ve read some speculation in the ancient texts. The books say that everyone’s Talent is the same; it’s just that the amount of Talent each person can express is different. The Peak Path is the key to gradually unlocking all of one’s Talent, and reaching the end of the Peak Path in each Realm means unlocking all the Talent available to you in that Realm."

Mo Xuan’s breath quickened. His father had once told him that the contents of those ancient texts were just for fun, that it was all fake. But Liu Chen’s breakthrough right now was proving that the ancient records might actually be true.

The only reason no one could prove it was because no one had ever actually achieved it.

"Are you sure you want to let Liu Chen participate in the trial?"

Bai Qiulan turned her head toward Liu Chen’s location. She didn’t know exactly what reaching the end of the Peak Path meant, but she was certain of one thing: no one in the trial would be a match for him.