Gao Wu insists on cultivating immortality.

Chapter 261 Xuanwu Divine Qi Curse

Breathing is a passive instinct of the human body and does not require conscious control.

For martial artists, controlling their breathing is the first step in cultivation and its foundation.

It begins with breathing and gradually deepens, all the way to the level of source energy.

Gao Wu is very good at controlling his breathing; even when he falls asleep, he can instinctively control his breathing through a secret technique.

Unbeknownst to him, his breathing had become one with his mental consciousness.

Inside the Pantheon, Gao Wu suddenly discovered that this instinct would actually cause him mental pressure, making him suffer from suffocating pain.

He couldn't help but think of his first time cultivating in the Dragon Abyss, which was 300 meters deep. Han Yujun suddenly attacked him, disrupting his source energy and aura circulation, almost causing him to suffocate.

It was on that occasion that he comprehended the internal breathing technique of "Hidden Dragon, Do Not Use."

Following Hai Wuji to learn the Heavenly Dragon Secret Sword, he made further progress in the Hidden Dragon Technique. He also received the Dragon Form Fist inheritance from Qin Jiuyue, which enhanced his understanding of the Hidden Dragon Technique.

With the Qilin Divine Hero Mantra reaching its perfect state, he and Song Mingyue engaged in spiritual dual cultivation and comprehended the true meaning of Yin and Yang in the Candle Dragon Transformation. The Nine Forms of the Heavenly Dragon Secret Sword also reached a higher level.

At this stage, the "Hidden Dragon, Do Not Use" technique has reached its pinnacle. As long as there is sufficient internal energy, it can convert this energy into internal respiration to meet the energy needs of the body's organs, allowing for extended periods without breathing oxygen.

Even with his Yin spirit outside, Gao Wu was still able to calmly consider the source of the suffocation in a critical moment.

Clearly, he felt suffocated not because of the lack of air, nor because there was any real air in his mental world.

The root cause of the suffocation lies in the immense pressure brought by the endless seawater, which is transmitted from the mental level to the physical body.

Gao Wu could sense the vastness and immensity of the sea, making Venus's divine power seem so shallow in comparison.

Both Poseidon and Venus can manifest the power of the Sanctuary through the Pantheon, and both are at the same level of power, but Poseidon's power is ten times that of Venus.

He originally had no concept of the strength of an eighth-level saint, and even when his teacher said that Venus could not withstand ten swords, he still had no clear idea.

Through the actions of Poseidon and Venus, he clearly perceived the difference between the saints.

No wonder the teacher said Poseidon was very strong; he truly is powerful!

As Gao Wu suffocated and nearly died, he was still able to express his feelings through the Yin God. At this moment, his consciousness seemed to be split in two by the Pantheon, one half suffering and the other watching the show.

Under normal circumstances, Gao Wu should have used his Yin Spirit to detach his consciousness and sever his connection with the Pantheon long ago.

However, due to the Golden Apple, Gao Wu is in a very special state of excitement, and suddenly has a different understanding of source power, spirit, and the world.

With Venus and Poseidon taking action one after another, the changes in the power of the Sanctuary were also indirectly demonstrated to him.

With his abilities, he wouldn't normally be qualified to witness the power of the Holy Domain. It was only because of the Pantheon as an intermediary that the Holy Domain power of the two level-eight Saints could only be released in small amounts, just within his tolerance range.

In particular, Poseidon's sacred domain, as vast as the sea and as deep as an abyss, with its source energy changes being magnificent and vast yet profound and dignified, truly moved Gao Wu.

In reality, it's not that Poseidon's Sanctuary has any complex or obscure changes; it's just that the power of his Sanctuary is so vast and boundless that even if it were openly displayed, you couldn't see its end.

At this level of sacred realm, it already possesses some of the majesty of natural celestial phenomena.

While the Heavenly Dragon Secret Sword boasts numerous wondrous transformations, it falls short in grandeur compared to other martial arts techniques. In terms of sheer magnificence, only the Candle Dragon Transformation of the Dragon Image Fist can rival it.

As Gao Wu thought of the Candle Dragon Transformation, a sudden inspiration struck him, and the Book of Immeasurable Merit automatically appeared, its pages slowly turning to the page containing the Xuanwu Divine Qi Mantra.

Knowing that he had activated the Xuanwu Divine Qi Curse, he immediately used his Yin Spirit to withdraw his consciousness back to his body and severed all connections with the Pantheon.

Inside the Pantheon, Venus let out a soft exclamation. Gao Wu just ran away like that? The imprint she left on Gao Wu's mind was thus destroyed.

The question is, how did Gao Wu escape?

Poseidon's Sea Emperor's Sacred Domain is so vast that even a minor high-level martial artist like Hai Wuji would not be able to escape easily once trapped there.

Venus looked at Poseidon: "What's going on?"

A strange light flashed in Poseidon's deep blue eyes, hidden in the shadows of the throne. He calmly said, "There are always things in this world that are beyond our control. A small accident is not worth worrying about."

"You just go find Qin Jiuyue and Wei Qiankun, we'll speed things up here. The day we find the Sea Emperor's Trident will be the end of the Alliance..." Poseidon said, and his figure faded away.

Venus looked somewhat unwillingly towards the center of the hall; she had almost caught Gao Wu just now. She had a feeling that this young man harbored a great secret…

Gao Wu was immersed in the tremendous changes in his spiritual world. Millions of black octagonal runes danced and combined in his spiritual world, quickly transforming into a heavy giant tortoise and a nimble black snake.

The tortoise and snake intertwined, the giant tortoise as deep as the sea, the long snake as swirling as waves.

The divine image of a tortoise and snake intertwined rises into the sky, both steady and majestic, yet also agile and profound...

"Ren and Gui in the Northern Darkness, the True King of the Black Tortoise. Refining Qi into罡 (Gang), his divine power is unparalleled..."

The profound meanings of the Xuanwu Divine Qi Mantra were naturally imprinted into Gao Wu's spiritual world, allowing him to understand the power of the Xuanwu Divine Qi Mantra.

This divine incantation is mainly used to enhance physical strength and can also strengthen the body both internally and externally.

However, his physical foundation is too strong now, so the beginner-level Xuanwu Divine Qi Spell has no effect on him.

Gao Wu immediately invested 110 million two million merits to directly elevate the Xuanwu Divine Qi Mantra to its perfect state.

The immense merit immediately transformed into boundless spiritual power, and the intertwined tortoise and snake divine image decomposed into countless black octagonal runes, penetrating deep into Gao Wu's body.

He already possessed four divine runes within his body, but the four runes were scattered and did not interfere with each other.

The black octagonal rune penetrated deep into the body and immediately connected with the other four runes, forming a whole.

From Gao Wu's perspective, the Xuanwu Divine Qi Incantation is like the last piece of a puzzle, which, together with the other four divine incantations, forms a perfect circle.

Thousands upon thousands of Xuanwu Divine Mantras, combined with thousands upon thousands of other Four Gates Divine Mantras, form countless rings, tightly binding every part of the body, from bones to blood vessels, organs, muscles, tendons, and so on.

At this point, Gao Wu suddenly realized that the Five Divine Incantations were actually one entity, and that they could be naturally combined together when all five were gathered.

Of course, this also means that all five of his divine spells have at least reached the state of perfection.

The Xuanwu Divine Mantra spontaneously activated, driving countless Five Elements Divine Mantras to rotate together, strengthening his body at an extremely subtle level.

During the strengthening process, the five divine spells will naturally coordinate their powers to achieve a balance...

Song Mingyue, who was sitting by the bedside, sensed the tremendous changes in Gao Wu through her spiritual perception.

Her black and white twin serpent divine forms were naturally activated. She already had extensive experience with this, knowing that high martial arts could trigger innate abilities.

Through their spiritual connection, Song Mingyue even saw the divine image of a tortoise and a snake intertwined. The giant tortoise was profound, and the long snake was agile; the divine imagery resonated perfectly with her own Xuanming.

The black and white snakes, attracted by the intertwined image of the tortoise and snake, naturally merged into it.

In a daze, Song Mingyue felt as if she had become the spirit snake coiled around the giant tortoise, her boundless source energy transformed into a deep and vast Xuanming Sea, allowing her and Gao Wu to roam freely...

The two previously shared a spiritual connection, mainly by honing their spiritual strength and refining their martial arts will.

At this moment, Gao Wu had elevated the Xuanwu Divine Mantra to its perfect state, and the Xuanwu Divine Image and Song Mingyue's Xuanming Heavenly Serpent had truly established a source power level of harmony.

Song Mingyue had just consumed the Golden Apple and awakened the higher-level Yin-Yang Twin Serpent Transformation of the Xuanming Heavenly Serpent. The corresponding six acupoints had already generated source energy reactions.

However, this level of source power cultivation requires step-by-step training. Between sensing acupoints and condensing acupoints, it is necessary to continuously temper the source power and stabilize the foundation.

Through the resonance of the divine image, the medicinal effects of the Golden Apple stored in Song Mingyue's body were fully activated, and the six acupoints naturally condensed and took shape under the guidance of the Xuanwu divine image.

Hai Wuji had been keeping a close eye on Gao Wu's movements. He didn't care about privacy; when it came to Gao Wu's life, he had no reason to hold back.

Besides, Gao Wu and Song Mingyue wouldn't be so clueless as to pull any tricks during this time.

The changes within Gao Wu's body were very subtle. Hai Wuji vaguely sensed them, but was not certain.

Once Song Mingyue's body formed acupoints and her source energy changed so significantly, it was impossible to hide it from Hai Wuji.

Hai Wuji immediately realized that Gao Wu had come up with another trick! This kid's supernatural talents keep coming, and he can improve them so easily, it's truly amazing!

He noticed that Gao Wu and Song Mingyue were both in stable mental states and their bodies were showing positive changes, so he knew they were both alright. He was relieved.

As for what special abilities he might awaken, and what changes that would bring to Gao Wu, he truly couldn't understand.

Martial arts can be practiced by everyone. Over the past hundred years, through the efforts of countless people, martial arts has become a complete and scientific system.

People with superpowers are one in ten thousand, and each person's superpower is different. Research on superpowers has always remained at a relatively superficial level.

He possessed spatial abilities, but even after reaching the Saint Realm, he still hadn't figured out the essence of spatial abilities, let alone how they were awakened.

Hai Wuji also gave up his research on superpowers because such abilities cannot be copied, learned, or passed down; they rely entirely on personal awakening and have too many uncertainties.

Moreover, superpowers are actually far less powerful than martial arts, less stable, and lack the variety of martial arts.

Superpowers are too singular in nature; only when combined with martial arts can they truly unleash their power.

When Hai Wuji first saw Gao Wu's fire-controlling ability, he didn't think much of it. He just thought that Gao Wu's body was resilient and that he could try using medicine to treat him.

If a stable method for using this medicine can be established, it can be promoted immediately. In the future, Gao Wu can become the founder of the Medicine-Making Sect, benefiting countless martial artists!
Over the course of several months, Hai Wuji discovered that Gao Wu possessed one supernatural ability after another, and that he could freely modify his body. If he hadn't witnessed it with his own eyes, he truly wouldn't have believed that such a monstrous ability existed in the world…

Seeing that the kid had upgraded his superpower again, Hai Wuji was relieved but also very curious about how he had done it.

If Gao Wu weren't his personal disciple, he really would have liked to slice this kid up and see what his composition was...

The next morning at six o'clock, Gao Wu opened his eyes and saw that the bedside was empty; Xiao Song had left sometime earlier.

In a daze, he remembered that Xiao Song's black and white snakes were intertwined... This kind of spiritual connection, when he thought about it, was a bit... well... actually, it was still quite proper!
Gao Wu immediately confirmed through mental sensing that Xiao Song was refining his source power next door. Why was his source power suddenly so much stronger?
Xiao Song is such a good comrade! We learn, live, and progress together! The two of them are a match made in heaven!
Gao Wu was in a very good mood. The last Xuanwu Divine Qi Incantation had awakened, completing the final piece.

The five divine spells naturally combined into one, and although he didn't know what specific benefits they brought, he felt that it was exceptionally harmonious and comfortable, which was undoubtedly a good change.

Upon opening the Book of Boundless Merit, one sees that one's power has increased by seven points, bringing the total to 25 points.

Statistically, this is equivalent to a 17-fold increase in strength. However, this doesn't mean a direct 17-fold increase in punching power.

Because it's impossible for an individual's entire strength to be effectively converted into punching power; no powerful martial artist can do that. Only intangible forces like source energy can be converted efficiently.

Gao Wu did not throw a punch to test his strength; for his current power, the room was as fragile as a bubble.

In other words, only when agility, strength, innate talent, and spirit are all in balance can one prevent the power that suddenly increases seventeenfold from going out of control.

He clenched his fist, and for a moment he even had a powerful feeling that he could smash through a planet. Of course, it was just a feeling.

Having reached his level of cultivation, he was already able to make a relatively accurate assessment of his own strength.

His current raw physical punching power can reach 100,000 kilograms. That's significantly stronger than the punching power he generates with three times the source energy. If he uses the Xuanwu Divine Qi Mantra to unleash its tenth level, raising his power to thirty points, and with the added boost of the White Tiger Divine Weapon Mantra, he should be able to destroy a level seven opponent with a single punch, right?

He wasn't sure about this; the human body is too fragile, and there are limits to pure physical strength. Very few people would choose the path of specifically tempering their bodies.

Pure physical strength relies on the mechanical energy of muscles and bones to be converted into kinetic energy through contraction. It is conceivable that the human body has very limited muscle mass, and the kinetic energy that can be released is extremely limited.

Only those enormous beasts that are tens of meters tall can release hundreds or thousands of tons of kinetic energy at will using their bodies.

A strength of 25 points should already be at the limit of human potential. Even Master Hai Wuji's body cannot reach that level!
Kilograms are actually a unit of mass and are not suitable for describing punching power. A more accurate description of his punching power would be 100,000 kilograms of force.

The energy released by a single punch is terrifying. It's completely different from the work done by a crane weighing thousands of tons... the two cannot be compared.

Gao Wu felt that the biggest improvement in strength was in physical resilience; for him now, "as solid as diamond" was an objective description.

Only an extremely powerful body can unleash such terrifying power. The two are strongly correlated and directly proportional.

Only at this stage can the advantage of 30 points in physique be truly brought into play, and speed also increases along with strength. Including spirit and innate potential, they also improve along with it.

Gao Wu could clearly feel that he had become stronger, and his overall strength had increased at least three times.

If I encounter opponents like Ars and Yero again, I can crush them without even having to unleash my full power.

If one can truly integrate strength with fist and sword techniques, one's combat power can be further enhanced.

The five divine incantations, when combined into one, should have undergone even higher-level transformations. Perhaps the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Incantation was too powerful, disrupting the balance of the five incantations.

Gao Wu was also a little troubled when he thought about this. He would need to accumulate 4 billion merits, and even if he killed Venus, it would probably still be far from enough!
Thinking of Venus and Poseidon, Gao Wu calmed down. Compared to an eighth-level saint, his progress was nothing.

Not to mention the Pantheon, the sacred domains of just two level-eight saints are already extremely powerful.

He had no intention of asking his master to help him get revenge. Given the current situation, Hai Wuji could not easily take action.

He's mostly unharmed, so we can't let this cause a major conflict between the Alliance and the Federation. He can settle this score himself. I'm sure it won't be long.

Gao Wu was very confident about this. What he wanted to do was to kill as many demonic sect experts and alien beasts as possible.

He pondered to himself, "I'm going to the Hall of Ten Thousand Souls in a few days. I wonder if there are any good things inside? Even if there aren't any good things, merit points will do..."

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(End of this chapter)