Chapter 110: Chaos Body
After the meal, Xiang Yu felt refreshed and ready to discover what would emerge from merging the ten elemental tempering scriptures. He hoped it wasn’t another divine ability, although it would be powerful, it was practically useless considering the cost.
To ensure his safety, he immersed himself in the spirit spring, knowing it would accelerate his recovery if anything went wrong during the process.
Settling comfortably in the spring, he mentally selected all ten tempering scriptures—fire, water, wood, earth, metal, lightning, ice, wind, dark, and light—and pressed the fusion button within his system interface. The moment he initiated the fusion, an intense sensation washed over his entire body. He couldn’t discern whether it was scorching heat or biting cold; the contradictory sensations blended together as his body began to transform.
The feeling was somewhat similar to when he had acquired the Transcendent Dao Physique, though this process wasn’t as excruciating. Pain still rippled through him, but it remained within tolerable limits. The peculiar sensation continued for nearly an hour, with waves of discomfort rising and falling unpredictably until finally subsiding.
When the transformation completed, Xiang Yu immediately summoned his system interface to examine the results. As always, the system didn’t disappoint:
[Physique: Transcendent Dao Body: Level 1 (110/1,000,000); Chaos Body: Level 1 (10/10,000)]
His eyes widened in surprise. He had gained another physique. Though this was unexpected, he still thought that it was better than acquiring another divine ability. In his estimation, a physique offered greater versatility and permanent benefits compared to a single ability.
Information about this new acquisition flowed directly into his mind, revealing its nature and capabilities. The Chaos Body ranked among the top ten of the three thousand dao physiques. While Xiang Yu wasn’t familiar with this classification system, he instinctively understood its significance. For the Chaos Body to rank within the top ten indicated its extraordinary value.
According to the knowledge that materialized in his thoughts, the Chaos Body allowed its possessor to control various energies and refine their physical form with them, eventually conferring immunity to all energies along with numerous other benefits. At his current rudimentary level, the Chaos Body merely enhanced his energy recovery rate, boosted his physical strength, and—Xiang Yu blinked twice to ensure he wasn’t misreading—granted immunity to elemental damage from the five primary elements.
This last benefit stunned him. Most cultivators relied heavily on the five primary elements; being immune to their effects represented a tremendous advantage. He reminded himself that this didn’t equate to invincibility. The immunity only negated the elemental properties—he wouldn’t burn when struck by fire, but would still suffer physical damage if that fire carried kinetic force or enhanced a weapon.
Nevertheless, the implications were significant. If he advanced this physique further to include immunity to lightning—an element that relied primarily on its electrical properties to inflict damage—his defensive capabilities would become truly formidable.
A question suddenly nagged at him: why did the Chaos Body seem even more impressive than the Transcendent Dao Body? The Chaos Body ranked among the top ten of the three thousand dao bodies, but he recalled no such distinction mentioned for the Transcendent Dao Physique when he first acquired it.
Was the Transcendent Dao Physique not classified among the dao bodies? Or perhaps it simply didn’t rank in the top ten? This seemed implausible given that the experience requirement for the Transcendent Dao Body was nearly a hundred times greater than that of the Chaos Body.
Upon further reflection, Xiang Yu noticed that the Transcendent Dao Physique already incorporated some features of the Chaos Body, such as the ability to refine various energy types, along with additional capabilities beyond that. Then understanding dawned on him—the Transcendent Dao Physique transcended the dao itself, placing it outside the classification of the three thousand dao bodies entirely. It likely incorporated aspects from numerous dao bodies, making it truly exceptional.
He had indeed struck cultivation gold with his original physique. But this realization prompted another thought: if the Transcendent Dao Body eventually encompassed all features of other dao bodies, wouldn’t he have eventually unlocked the Chaos Body’s capabilities anyway? It seemed wasteful to possess two physiques with overlapping functions. Maybe a divine ability would have been more beneficial after all.
Resigning himself to his current circumstances, Xiang Yu decided to view this development positively—he had simply gained early access to abilities he would have eventually acquired.
"Wait! I just remembered something," Xiang Yu thought suddenly, calling up his status screen again. A smile spread across his face as he discovered an additional change. "Scratch that, it’s actually more impressive than I thought."
[Spiritual Root: Medium-Grade Omni-Element (10/2000)]
...
The Azure Cloud Sword Sect was situated in a modest region within the eastern continent of a small mortal world. Despite the region’s limited size, it wasn’t the only power present. Three sects dominated this territory: the Azure Cloud Sword Sect, the Iron Spirit Mountain, and the Lotus Jade Palace. These three forces maintained a delicate balance of power, keeping each other in check through an unspoken agreement.
Though they projected an image of harmony, the reality was far more tenuous. The confined region had insufficient resources to sustain all three sects comfortably, yet expanding beyond their current boundaries wasn’t an option. The surrounding territories were controlled by even more formidable powers that none of the three sects dared to challenge.
When word spread that one of the sects had suffered a significant setback and weakened considerably, the other sects immediately sensed opportunity. After years of stagnation, they finally saw a chance to expand their influence and secure additional resources.
At Iron Spirit Mountain, Sect Master Zhao Tiangang sat imposingly upon his seat. Standing nearly seven feet tall with a massive frame rippling with well-defined muscles, he deliberately remained shirtless, claiming clothes "suffocated" his impressive physique. His broad face twisted into a malevolent smile as he addressed the messenger before him.
"The Azure Cloud Sword Sect has been reinforcing their defenses?" he inquired, his deep voice resonating through the hall.
When the messenger confirmed with a nervous nod, the sect master erupted into thunderous laughter that shook the very foundations of the hall. The poor messenger visibly trembled, fearing the ceiling might collapse from the vibrations.
"They’re really struggling to hide their weakness. Don’t they know that the more you try to hide it, the more obvious it is" Zhao Tiangang declared between booming laughs. After composing himself slightly, he continued, "What was the other information?"
"The new sect master’s inauguration," the messenger replied, his voice barely audible in comparison to his master’s.
"A new sect master? It’s not even been three days!" Zhao exclaimed, his eyes widening with amusement. After a moment of contemplation, his expression turned calculating. "I’ll also go and see this so-called new sect master."
Meanwhile, at the Lotus Jade Palace, a striking woman reclined in a luxurious bathhouse, steam rising around her elegant form. A messenger bird flew through an open window, and she gracefully caught it mid-flight without disturbing the tranquil water. She removed the small scroll tied to its leg before releasing the bird back to the skies.
As her eyes scanned the contents of the message, a cold smile formed on her perfect lips. "Guo Shantian! When you rejected me back then, did you think this would happen to you?" she said, her voice dripping with both satisfaction and lingering bitterness.
She rose from the bath, water cascading down her flawless skin as she reached for her silken robes. "On account of our previous relationship, I might allow you to wash my feet when I take over your little sect," she declared to the empty room, her laughter echoing off the marble walls.
...
Author’s Corner:
A/N - Turns out Elder Guo was just like me back in the day.
What do you guys think of the fusion result. I didn’t feel like waiting that long to finally give bro a spiritual root upgrade.