He sat on the bed, fully focused as he ran the brand-new cultivation technique through his meridians, over and over again, guiding the pitiful trace of vital energy in his dantian along this new route...

Meanwhile, the scattered spiritual energy between heaven and earth began to slowly gather here, converging around Ethan Brooks, trickling into his body and entering his dantian...

Inside the bead, the newly absorbed Celestial Crystal Essence continued to emit pure spiritual energy, and as the energy spread, this space became increasingly solid...

Ethan Brooks sat like this for an entire night!

Ethan Brooks remembered very clearly that when he was running this new cultivation route for the 1,999th cycle, suddenly, with a “whoosh,” it felt as if even his soul trembled in that instant. All the acupoints in his body opened at once, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth surged madly into his body.

His dantian received the massive influx of spiritual energy from the world, and at the same time, a faint, icy power appeared, as if an extremely tough thread entered Ethan Brooks’s meridians!

This was the first strand of innate spiritual power, fused from the bead and the Celestial Crystal Essence!

If ordinary spiritual energy entering the dantian would condense into regular threads, then this strand of innate spiritual power was like heavenly silkworm silk that could lift a thousand pounds!

This was the so-called divide between the mortal and the immortal!

A world of difference!

As Ethan Brooks continued to run the Purple Qi from the East Divine Art with total abandon, a sticky, black, foul-smelling layer of filth began to ooze from his skin...

Ethan Brooks remained motionless, seemingly unaware that his body was gradually becoming filthy, his heart filled with an inexplicable excitement!

This very state was the most coveted by all cultivators in the early stages of their practice—

Cleansing the muscles and purging the marrow!

This was truly the first step on the great path of cultivation; with ordinary techniques, one would have to reach the innate realm or higher to achieve such an effect, completely shedding the mortal body and transforming into a Daoist physique.

Unexpectedly, the Purple Qi from the East Divine Art began this cleansing process right at the very start!

He really had struck gold this time.

Perhaps, as the opening of the technique claimed, the Purple Qi from the East Divine Art was indeed the very first technique since the dawn of time, and not just empty words!

...

The next morning, before dawn, Ethan Brooks hurriedly rushed out the door and with a splash, jumped straight into the fish pond outside.

In the pond, several-foot-long carp were startled by this unexpected visitor and darted about in panic.

There was no helping it—Ethan Brooks had just awakened from his meditation, only to be shocked to find that his body had become a cesspit, reeking beyond belief!

Who knew how much filth had accumulated in the body of the former wastrel; now, it had all been expelled, forming a thick layer on his skin...

Ethan Brooks even felt as if his eyelids were glued shut by the grime...

A casual rub with his hand produced a large, tangible clump. Another rub, and out came a long strip, as thick as a finger and over a foot long... Anyone who didn’t know better would think Mr. Brooks had caught a small catfish in his own fish pond...

The stench was so strong that it carried on the wind, making anyone who smelled it gag with nausea.

The smell was simply too much. A guard came over, pinching his nose and frowning to investigate, only to be scolded away by Ethan Brooks: “Can’t you see this young master is bathing? What are you doing here?”

The guard fled in panic, still pinching his nose.

Damn, I know you’re bathing, but first, isn’t it a bit early to bathe before dawn? Second, anyone who knows you is bathing, but anyone who doesn’t would think you’re cleaning out a public toilet...

The Ye family’s fish pond was very large, extremely large.

But when Ethan Brooks climbed out of the pond and looked back, he saw that all the big fish in the pond, without exception, were floating belly-up on the surface, mouths gaping as they desperately gulped at the fresh air above...

If those fish could talk, they would surely weep before they could even speak: Holy crap... it’s too stinky... there’s no way to live...

Chapter 9: The Strange Bead, the Strange Egg

Ethan Brooks leisurely put on his clothes, feeling light all over. The so-called number one divine art since the dawn of time—the Purple Qi from the East Divine Art—had finally been mastered!

He tried running his cultivation with an ordinary technique, gathering spiritual energy in his palm, and immediately a faint yellow glow appeared.

“First grade of the Earth Origin Realm!”

Ethan Brooks let out a long breath—what a pleasant surprise!

Ethan Brooks already knew that this secular world was different from the Azure Cloud Heaven Domain of his previous life; in the Azure Cloud Heaven Domain, cultivation started from the Spirit Origin Realm. In his previous life, he had reached the peak of the Dao Origin Realm, which was the highest level in the Azure Cloud Heaven Domain.

But in this secular world, cultivation started from the Human Origin Realm.

Human Origin Realm, Earth Origin Realm, Heaven Origin Realm. In the secular world, there were only these three major levels. Above the Heaven Origin Realm was the Spirit Origin Realm of the Azure Cloud Heaven Domain.

Nine grades of the Human Origin Path, the road of heroes. Nine mountains of the Earth Origin, each one harder than the last; nine layers of Heaven Origin, each step a new heaven!

“First grade of Human Origin stands in the mortal world; fifth grade can break into the gates of wealth and honor; transcend life and death on the path of the jianghu, and only at the ninth grade does one stand above all others!”