Start from a baby to become a Taoist

Chapter 440 The Opportunity for Transformation!
448, a turning point!

He needs time to settle, to digest, and to integrate these insights and information into his own path and his own practice.

His cultivation steadily improved through this process of reflection and enlightenment.

He's just one step away from reaching the mid-stage of the Dao Inquiry realm!
But Yu Kong was not in a hurry to break through; he vaguely felt that his path seemed to be lacking something.

He needs a catalyst, a catalyst that will allow him to truly transform!
And the ancient land of the Heavenly Meteor Battlefield, filled with death and opportunity, may hold the very opportunity he needs.

Meanwhile, in various corners of the Southern Starry Universe, some unknown changes are also quietly taking place.

Deep within the forbidden area of ​​a powerful sect, a Nascent Soul ancestor who had been in seclusion for thousands of years suddenly opened his eyes, a strange gray light flashing within them.

He muttered to himself, "The time is almost here."

In a bustling cultivation city.

A rogue cultivator who usually behaved strangely suddenly became taciturn, and his eyes became empty and cold.

He began collecting some strange and unusual materials, seemingly preparing for something.

Similar events are constantly unfolding all over the universe.

Those entities that have been "seeded" are like activated chess pieces, beginning to move according to a predetermined trajectory.

Their strength is increasing.

Their actions became more secretive.

They are scattered in every corner of the universe.

Like a large net that is slowly tightening, waiting for the moment to explode completely!

The vast majority of living beings are completely unaware of this. They continue to struggle and strive for survival, for cultivation, and for various desires.

Little did they know, a dark storm capable of upending the entire universe was just around the corner!
The gears of fate have already begun to turn.

However, the sound of rotation was drowned out by the vastness and clamor of the universe.

……

"Senior Sister Qinghan." In a valley filled with spiritual energy, a girl in a white dress was gazing blankly at the distant horizon.

She was Xu Qinghan, and quite some time had passed since the destruction of the Kaoshan Sect.

After experiencing initial grief and confusion, she was rescued by a passing hermit and brought to this secluded paradise.

That expert seemed to have some connection with the Kao Shan Sect and took good care of Xu Qinghan.

Not only did he heal her injuries, but he also taught her advanced martial arts techniques and carefully guided her in her cultivation.

Xu Qinghan was already exceptionally talented, and the shock of her sect's destruction, coupled with her worries about the missing Xu Ran and the uncertain fate of Yu Kong, only exacerbated her situation.

Transform grief and anger into motivation, and make rapid progress in your spiritual practice.

Now, he has already faintly touched the threshold of the Nascent Soul stage.

Such speed is enough to make any genius blush with shame.

But a shadow always loomed over Xu Qinghan's heart.

The truth behind the destruction of the Kaoshan Sect was like a thorn, deeply embedded in her heart.

She couldn't believe that Xu Ran, who was usually mysterious but always gentle, could be the culprit behind the sect's destruction; there must be some hidden story behind it!
And then there's Yu Kong, the boy who always silently protected her, who pushed her away at the last moment to face the terrifying enemy alone.

Is he still alive?
Where are you now?

When the night is quiet, these questions will flood her mind like a tide, making her toss and turn and unable to sleep.

"Master said my mind is in turmoil and I need to calm down." Xu Qinghan sighed softly.

She knew her master was right; the most taboo thing on the path of cultivation was being impatient and having too many obsessions, which could easily breed inner demons.

But some things, how can you just let go of them?

"Senior Brother Xu Ran."

"Royal in the sky."

"You must all stay safe."

The girl clasped her hands together and silently prayed towards the distance.

His eyes sparkled with worry and anticipation.

She believed that they would meet again someday.

One day all the mysteries will be solved.

At that time, no matter what the truth is, no matter what the future holds, she will face it bravely!

In the darkness and nothingness, a huge gray shadow writhes, and on that "face" composed of countless twisted faces, the empty eye sockets gleam with an eerie light.

It seemed to show a slight interest in the resistance displayed by the "seeds" on the withered star, but only a slight one.

Throughout its long existence, it has witnessed countless acts of resistance, all of which eventually vanished like drops of water merging into the ocean.

However, after that terrifying will descended and completely crushed the boy's last struggle, a barely perceptible whisper seemed to come from within the shadows.

"The container is ready."

"Initiate calibration."

In an instant, deep within the core of the withered star, the boy who had lost himself was completely enveloped in gray light, as if he had been pulled away from his spot by some invisible force.

The blood pool boiled even more violently, and the array shone brightly, but the body vanished into thin air without leaving any trace.

He, or rather "it," was sent to a deeper, more secret space.

A testing ground tailor-made for "seeds".

……

Xu Ran felt a flash of gray light before his eyes, and the next moment, he found himself in a strange space.

There is no sky, no earth, only a cold, pure gray expanse.

The space itself seemed to be composed of some kind of solidified energy, heavy and oppressive.

The surroundings were completely silent, as if even time had lost its meaning here.

He stood on a flat, gray "ground," his body ramrod straight, his eyes vacant.

The gray mark between his brows emitted a faint glow, blending into the grayness of the space.

He wasn't seeing with his own eyes, but rather with a higher-dimensional perspective, belonging to that "great being," examining everything around him.

This space is the fourth space.

What are the first three spaces?
do not know.

Those memories may be sealed away by a higher power, or they may simply be unimportant.

The important thing is that he, this controlled "container," has come here.

The moment he "stood still," a figure appeared out of thin air at the other end of the gray space.

It was a bald, humanoid creature.

His skin was a color between bronze and rock, and his muscles were bulging and his lines were smooth, as if he had been carefully sculpted by the most perfect creator.

He was not wearing any clothes or decorations; he exuded only a pure, primal sense of power.

His face was blurry, with no clear features, but one could feel a powerful pressure emanating from him.

The moment the bald creature appeared, it shot towards Xu Ran like an arrow released from a bow, with an unparalleled momentum!
No nonsense, no probing, just the most ferocious attack!
boom!
A straight punch carrying terrifying power tore through the gray space, and the air groaned in agony as it was overwhelmed.

Xu Ran's body reacted instinctively under the control of the gray mark.

He raised his hand to block, but his movements seemed somewhat clumsy, as if his body wasn't fully adapted to this level of confrontation. Bang!
With a loud bang, Xu Ran was blasted away by the punch, plowing a long, deep trench in the gray ground.

A sharp pain shot through his arm, and his bones seemed to tremble.

But there was no fluctuation in his eyes, and the gray mark between his brows only flashed with a faint light, as if it had recorded all the data of this attack.

At the same time, a cold, mechanical voice echoed throughout the space, directly penetrating the depths of Xu Ran's "consciousness":
[The Fourth Dimension Trial: Learning and Transcendence.]

Your opponent is the embodiment of the most exquisite skill in this space.

You must learn his moves in battle and defeat him within seven days using the moves he taught you.

Each successful defeat of him will grant you a trial reward.

The more times you defeat him within seven days, the greater the final reward.

【The trial begins.】

As soon as the sound faded, the bald creature charged forward again, faster and with more ferocious punches!

Xu Ran slowly stood up, and the gray light between his brows intensified slightly.

Instead of avoiding him, he went to meet him.

The first trial was fist techniques.

The bald creature's fist technique is ancient and wild, each punch containing the power to split mountains and shatter rocks, yet also carrying a certain elusive rhythm.

His fists seemed to be able to find the weak points in space, and every attack was perfectly timed, leaving no room for evasion.

Under the control of the gray mark, Xu Ran began the analysis.

A massive amount of combat data flooded into his "consciousness," analyzing his opponent's punching angles, power, speed, weight shifts, and even the way energy circulated within his body.

In their first encounter, he was completely outmatched.

The bald creature's fists rained down on him, and he could only barely block them. His body was constantly being knocked away, and each collision brought him excruciating pain.

His skin began to crack and bleed, but it was quickly stopped by a cold energy, barely keeping him from collapsing.

Fight, study, fight, study.

This is the rhythm of the trial. Each time you are knocked down, the gray mark will conduct a deeper analysis of the battle just fought, extracting the essence of your opponent's fighting style.

Then, in the next confrontation, Xu Ran's body will try to imitate and utilize it.

He began to try to block his opponent's attacks, from initially being completely ineffective to being able to deflect a small portion of the force.

He began to try to fight back, from initially being weak and powerless, to being able to barely touch his opponent's body.

The bald creature seemed to have no emotions; it simply faithfully carried out the rules of the trial.

When Xu Ran's body begins to mimic its boxing style, its attacks slow down slightly, as if it is "teaching".

But if Xu Ran shows any weakness, it will not hesitate to launch a fatal attack.

Time flows through the gray space, without day or night, only eternal oppression.

Xu Ran's body became covered in wounds from being knocked down and getting back up again and again.

But at the same time, his movements became increasingly fluid, increasingly resembling those of the bald creature.

The gray mark between his eyebrows was like a top-notch learning machine, absorbing the secrets of the martial arts at an incredible speed.

"This is... the Mountain-Crushing Fist?"

At one point, a vague piece of information even surfaced in Xu Ran's "consciousness".

This style of boxing seems to have been called "Crushing Mountain Fist" in an extremely ancient era.

It is not merely a technique for exerting force, but also contains a sense of the collapse of all things.

[Analysis completion rate: 30%]

[Analysis completion rate: 50%]

[Analysis completion rate: 70%]

As the resolution improved, Xu Ran's body became more and more proficient in using the Mountain-Crushing Fist.

He began to be able to predict the bald creature's attack trajectory and began to be able to use the Mountain-Crushing Fist technique to counter the Mountain-Crushing Fist.

For the first time, the bald creature showed a "confused" expression.

It seemed not to understand why the "container" in front of it could master its skills so quickly.

Its attacks became more varied and cunning, attempting to break Xu Ran's imitation.

But the gray mark learns faster!

It not only learned the basics of the Mountain-Crushing Fist, but even began to make minor optimizations in its imitation to make it more suitable for this body.

"I see. The essence of the Mountain-Crushing Fist lies in the instantaneous burst of shock power combined with breathing and muscle coordination, which can amplify the power several times."

Under the control of the gray markings, Xu Ran's body attempted this layering technique.

On his first attempt, his own arm nearly exploded. But the mark quickly adjusted its parameters, and his body adapted accordingly.

boom!
In another clash, Xu Ran's straight punch collided with the bald creature's fist.

This time, the sound was no longer a simple collision, but was accompanied by a subtle vibration.

The bald-headed creature took half a step back!
This is the first time since the trial began that it has been forced to retreat in terms of power!

Its blurry face seemed to flash with disbelief.

In a corner of the gray space, some semi-transparent phantoms float.

They are the remnant souls of "seeds" who failed in this fourth space trial, imprisoned by the laws of space, destined to be bystanders for eternity.

At this moment, these remnant souls erupted in silent screams.

"He actually managed to surpass them through imitation?"

"That's impossible! Baldy is the embodiment of the rules; his boxing technique is perfect!"

"No, his boxing style isn't perfect; it merely conforms to the standards of this space. But this new 'seed'—his learning ability surpasses the standards!"

"That's too fast! He mastered the Mountain-Crushing Fist in just a few hours and even optimized its application!"

Awe, fear, and despair spread among the remaining souls.

They had struggled and tried to resist, but ultimately failed and were swallowed up by the space.

But this empty shell before them displayed a talent they had never seen before.

On the battlefield, Xu Ran's body was already able to skillfully use various moves of the Mountain-Crushing Fist.

His fists carried terrifying power capable of shattering mountains, and each strike caused the space to tremble.

The bald creature's attacks began to slow down; its moves seemed to move in slow motion in front of Xu Ran.

Xu Ran could easily predict, easily block, and easily counterattack with a stronger Mountain-Crushing Fist.

It can't win.

No matter how it changes its moves or increases its power, Xu Ran can learn and surpass it in an instant.

Finally, on the fifth day after the trial began, Xu Ran delivered a devastating straight punch, carrying terrifying shockwave power, to the bald creature's chest.

boom!
The bald creature let out a silent wail, its body disintegrating like dust and dissipating into the gray space.

[Trial complete, number of defeats: 1]

[Reward: Fragment of the True Meaning of the Mountain-Crushing Fist (Beginner Level)]

(End of this chapter)