Imperial Scepter

Having acquired enough fire-attribute mystical items, Gao Chun plunged back into relentless, day-and-night arduous training.

Whenever he felt tired from immersing himself in the essence of fire, he would turn to the training ground.

He used martial arts as a guide to continuously release the profound energy within his dantian.

Once the profound energy is exhausted, one can then circulate the cultivation technique to absorb profound energy and re-condense it into pure profound energy.

This cycle of "release-absorption-condensation" can also help one comprehend the artistic conception, but it is not as efficient as directly using cultivation techniques to refine mystical objects to comprehend the artistic conception.

On the training ground, he often encountered underage (under sixteen years old) cultivators, while adult cultivators mostly formed teams to hunt down mystical beasts and earn cultivation resources.

Many of them were classmates from the former Fan Tong class.

As fellow Bronze Realm One-Star cultivators, their reunion naturally included some friendly sparring and competition.

With his mastery of the three profound energies of red, yellow, and purple, along with his agile fighting skills, Gao Chun has never been defeated.

It was through these competitions that he truly glimpsed the profound mystery of the Dao Seed.

He discovered that his classmates' paths were all monochromatic.

The honest and simple-minded Li Tieniu is a pure green Daoist, and he can only use light green auxiliary Xuan power.

This kind of profound energy attached to his fists and feet has neither lethality nor speed; he can only become a pure support-type profound practitioner.

The agile Bai Xiaowu is a pure purple Dao Seed.

Her pale purple assassin's energy granted her extreme speed and agility. With the energy concentrated at the soles of her feet, her figure moved elusively like a ghost, making her a natural-born assassin.

Those with pure yellow Dao Seeds possess pale yellow defensive Xuan Power, making them incredibly defensive, practically mobile tanks.

Those with pure red Dao Seeds possess pale red attacking Xuan Power, their offensive is fierce and powerful, making them warriors who charge into battle.

Those with pure blue Dao Seeds possess light blue Xuan Power that is extremely sticky and adept at controlling and binding.

Each competition and each vivid example deepened Gao Chun's understanding of the Dao Seed.

It was only at this point that Gao Chun truly understood the significance and influence of the Dao Seed on a Xuan practitioner.

Therefore, after returning home, he went to his study and read a professional book called "The True Meaning of the Dao".

A passage on the title page exploded in his mind like a thunderclap.

"The color of the Dao Seed not only affects the compatibility of techniques, but also determines the fundamental structure of the Xuan practitioners. Green is support, red is warrior, yellow is tank, blue is control, and purple is assassin. This is the initial imprint bestowed by the laws of heaven and earth..."

The truth hidden between the lines stirred his emotions.

After obtaining his father Gao Changhe's consent, he consulted the records of the Xuanzhe Daoist lineage in Gaojia Village.

Upon seeing this, he gasped in shock.

Of the ninety-nine Bronze Realm cultivators in the entire village, apart from himself and his nephew Gao Chengzhi, not a single one possessed a Tricolor Dao Seed.

Those who possess dual-colored Dao Seeds are extremely rare. Among underage Xuan practitioners, there are only two: Li Daoqiu and Wang Hu. Among adult Xuan practitioners, there are only five, all of whom have already reached the ninth star of the Bronze Realm.

The rest of the people are all of the same color.

This shattered Gao Chun's original way of thinking and cognition.

He always believed that while two-colored and three-colored Daoist seeds were rare, they were not exactly unheard of.

Only now do I realize how shallow my previous understanding was.

Shocked, he continued to seek confirmation from his father.

The following are the original words of my father, Gao Changhe.

"In the entire Qingyang Town, there are very few known practitioners of the Three-Colored Dao Seed. Among minors, there is only one each from the neighboring Liu Family Village and the Pan Family, one of the five great clans. Among adult Xuan practitioners, there are no more than ten in public."

"As for those who possess the four types of Dao Seeds, apart from those who are hiding them, there are none in the open."

These words struck Gao Chunxin like a heavy hammer, leaving him stunned in place for a long time.

Qingyang Town is vast, with tens of thousands of cultivators, but only a dozen or so who possess the Three-Colored Dao Seeds...

Gao Chun gasped in shock.

It was only at this moment that he truly understood the rarity of multi-colored Dao Seeds and the preciousness of his own five-colored Dao Seed.

After that, he practiced even more diligently.

He knew full well that his five-colored Dao Seeds were both an opportunity and a responsibility. He absolutely could not let this good fortune slip away; he had to seize it firmly.

Day after day, time slipped away quietly in the tedious yet exhilarating practice.

Month after month, time quietly settles in the repetitive yet steadfast process of self-cultivation.

Four months have passed in the blink of an eye, and Gao Chun is now nine and a half years old.

One afternoon.

Gao Chun, who was in his room comprehending the essence of fire, suddenly felt a booming sound resounding from his dantian.

His body was enveloped in surging flames, and his mastery of fire was completely perfected.

Boom boom boom...

The dantian, originally the size of a bowl, expanded rapidly...

Gao Chun has successfully advanced to the second star of the Bronze Realm!

A bright smile spread across his face, his lips curled up high, and the joy in his heart was like a surging tide, unstoppable.

Dad said it would take him at least a year to advance to Bronze II, humph! He only took half a year! Now he has to show off properly.

He dashed into the courtyard, hands on his hips, and excitedly shouted to his father, "Dad! I've been promoted to two stars!"

Old Man Gao was sitting on a stone bench grinding black iron when he heard this, his hand suddenly stopped, and he looked up at Gao Chun, his eyes devoid of any smile, only filled with undisguised shock: "Six months? And he went from one star to two stars?"

This was twice as fast as he had expected! Even though his son possessed the Five-Colored Dao Seed, he had thought it would take at least a year.

"It seems we underestimated the incredible power of the Five-Colored Dao Seeds," Gao Changhe thought to himself.

Seeing his son's smug and boastful expression, he deliberately put on a stern face and said in a deep voice, "What are you yelling about? It's just advancing to the second star. In the cultivation world, a second-star Bronze Realm cultivator is nothing but a nobody. What's there to be proud of?"

"Remember, one should be humble and modest; this level of self-cultivation is not worth flaunting."

Seeing Gao Chun's head drooping and the excitement on his face instantly vanish, he softened his tone, half praising and half advising: "I never expected you could advance to the second star in half a year. This is all due to the heaven-defying nature of the Five-Colored Dao Seed."

"Your nephew Gao Chengzhi is a four-color Dao Seed. It took him a full year and a half to advance from one star to two stars. If word of your speed were to get out, it would surely cause a huge uproar."

"Do you still remember what I said to you on the day your Dao seed was born?"

Although Gao Chun was a little unhappy, he knew that his father was doing it for his own good, and that every word he said made sense. He quickly suppressed his excitement and obediently replied, "I understand, Father."

Seeing how sensible his son was, Gao Changhe was very satisfied and did not continue to lecture him. Although he was only nine years old, he had already become a Xuanzhe, so he should be allowed to learn to think for himself.

But all the necessary instructions must be given without exception.

He said in a deep voice, "You are not allowed to go out for the next six months."

These words were like a bucket of cold water, chilling Gao Chun to the bone. Her face fell instantly, her lips pursed, and she was filled with disappointment.

After advancing to the second star, his cultivation level was on par with his nephew Gao Chengzhi and childhood friend Li Daoqiu. He originally planned to go to the training ground for a competition, and if he won, he could regain the title of "Number One Young Genius".

Now, all the plans have fallen through.

Gao Changhe noticed the disappointment in his eyes, but didn't budge an inch. He said in a deep voice, "Your advancement speed is too fast. It's inevitable that someone with ulterior motives will notice something amiss. Once the secret of the Five-Colored Dao Seed is leaked..."

"Not only you, but the entire Gaojia Village will be wiped out, do you understand?"

Gao Chun clenched her little fists, her cheeks puffed out like she had a piece of candy in her mouth, and pouted as she reluctantly asked, "Then...when can I go to the training ground?"

"Your nephew Chengzhi advanced to the second star in a year and a half," Old Man Gao said in an unquestionable tone. "You only tell others that you are a three-color Dao Seed, but your advancement speed must match his. It's too conspicuous; the secret will be exposed sooner or later."

Although Gao Chun understood the implications, a nine-and-a-half-year-old child with a strong competitive spirit could not be easily suppressed.

His displeasure was written all over his face; his lips were so pouting you could hang an oil bottle on them, and his head drooped.

Seeing his appearance, Gao Changhe's eyes softened a bit. He reached out and ruffled his messy hair, his tone gentler: "Don't look so down."

"To reward you for this progress, your father will cover all the attribute-related mystical items you need to comprehend the third realm of intent."

These words instantly brightened Gao Chun's eyes, and the corners of his mouth softened slightly. He immediately leaned over and tugged at his father's sleeve, acting coquettishly, with a hint of bargaining in his tone.

"Dad's the best! I'll be ten in six months. After my birthday, can you let me go to the training ground for just a little bit?"

Old Man Gao was helpless as he was being pulled, and after a moment of surprise, he laughed and scolded, "You little rascal, you always remember your birthday."

Gao Chun tilted her little face up, pouting confidently, "I get presents on my birthday! I love birthdays!"

Gao Changhe deliberately put on a stern face and tapped his forehead with his finger to tease him: "You're quite the opportunist, accepting gifts from others... but you always pay back more, even double, for their birthdays."

"The more you take, the more you lose, and you still like it?"

Gao Chun shook his sleeve, humming nonchalantly, "What's the big deal! Dad, you're the village chief!"

"I don't care about the price of the gift; I care about the sentiment it represents."

"People give me gifts because they value and like me... I love that feeling!"

Looking into his son's clear and bright eyes, Old Man Gao couldn't help but smile.

If you say this kid is greedy, he does have a bit of childish cunning; if you say he doesn't value relationships, his purity is absolutely genuine.

Sigh, he's still just a nine-year-old child. He's impulsive and acts on a whim. His values ​​aren't fully formed yet, so he needs proper guidance.

He suppressed his smile and solemnly instructed, "Stay home obediently during this period, be confined for six months, and do not move around without permission."

Gao Chun's elation vanished instantly, and he hung his head dejectedly, replying softly, "Okay, Dad... I got it, I promise I won't give myself away."

Thus, Gao Chun had no choice but to resume his arduous training day and night.

He was focused on comprehending the essence of the wind.

He chose the wind attribute as his third artistic conception for the same reason he chose the lightning attribute: he preferred speed-based spells.

In the cultivation world, lightning-attribute speed spells are the most numerous, second only to wind-attribute spells.

Time flowed quietly through the arduous practice, day after day, month after month, without ever stopping.

When he felt tired from cultivation, he would stroll into his study, either to read cultivation classics to supplement his knowledge, or occasionally to read a few storybooks to relieve boredom and have some fun.

During this period, his childhood friend Huang Xiaoming also developed a dual-colored Dao Seed, becoming the third young Xuanzhe in Gaojia Village to possess a dual-colored Dao Seed.

Gao Chun also prepared a generous gift and entrusted his nephew Gao Chengzhi to deliver it to offer his congratulations.

During this period, my sister, brother-in-law, and Uncle Li Quan all visited our home.

They were all insightful people who had already noticed that Gao Chun had advanced to the second level of Bronze, but they wisely refrained from asking any questions.

Time flies, and a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

Gao Chun is already ten and a half years old. Some of the childishness has faded from his eyes and brows, replaced by a more mature and composed demeanor that comes from years of cultivation.

But now, his brows were furrowed, and he murmured with a troubled expression, "The third realm of understanding is so difficult to grasp!"

It took a whole year to finally reach the pinnacle of the Wind Realm.

To achieve perfection, it will probably take another month or two.

"It will be another month or two before I can go out..." He sighed softly, feeling that this period of time was endless.

A hint of annoyance welled up in her heart, and she even felt a faint "dislike" for her father.

They had clearly agreed that the confinement would be lifted after his tenth birthday, but later they changed their minds and insisted on waiting until he advanced to Bronze Three Star before letting him go.

Sigh, being confined to this tiny courtyard is really stifling.

Gao Chun gazed at the passing shadows in the wind outside the courtyard, his eyes filled with longing: he really wanted to go out and see the world.