Chapter Ten: Fourth Level of Spiritual Awareness

Sand Beasts were naturally adept at burrowing into the earth, but the Sand Thunder Bats proved just as cunning. When they unleashed their lightning attacks, they formed a web of electricity so dense that the Sand Beast had no chance to flee. Trapped within this electric net, the Sand Beast darted about frantically, searching for an opening through which to escape. Yet, how could it be so simple? The net, woven from the lightning of hundreds of Sand Thunder Bats, was impenetrable. Though the Sand Beast’s body was strong, it clearly dreaded the electric web, not daring to touch it directly. In such circumstances, its chances of survival were slim.

The electric net tightened with every passing moment, drawing ever closer to sealing the Sand Beast’s fate. Realizing that hiding was futile, the creature ceased its futile attempts at evasion. At that moment, it noticed Yang Xiao in the distance. Its eyes met his, filled with a silent plea for help.

Initially, Yang Xiao had no intention of meddling. He was here simply to collect some of the Sand Thunder Bats’ lightning; whether the Sand Beast lived or died was none of his concern. Why risk himself for something that brought no benefit?

Yet, when he met the helpless gaze of the Sand Beast—such a lovable spirit creature—Yang Xiao felt a measure of goodwill for it. After all, he was here to deal with the Sand Thunder Bats anyway; why not rescue the Sand Beast while he was at it? With this thought, Yang Xiao struck swiftly, sending a palm toward the electric net surrounding the Sand Beast.

The net, unable to withstand such force, split open a gap. Some of the arcs of electricity even traveled along Yang Xiao’s arm, flowing into the lightning mark in his sea of consciousness. The mark absorbed the energy, glowing a little brighter, its stored power significantly enhanced.

Freed from its prison, the Sand Beast was overjoyed. Its eyes spun slyly before it glanced back at Yang Xiao with deep gratitude, then disappeared in a flash beneath the sands.

The Sand Beast’s burrowing skills were truly remarkable. With a few swift movements of its short wings, it vanished without a trace in the blink of an eye.

With the Sand Beast gone, the Sand Thunder Bats immediately turned their fury on Yang Xiao. He had deprived them of their prey, and their rage was palpable as they attacked him in force.

Though Yang Xiao’s body was already honed to great strength, he dared not face such a barrage head-on. Dodging nimbly, he absorbed the lightning that struck at him.

Fortunately, his agility was superb. As long as he avoided the brunt of the attacks, his body could withstand the rest. As he absorbed more and more of their lightning, the mark in his sea of consciousness grew ever clearer. With a wave of his hand, he could now release a portion of the stored lightning as a massive arc of electricity—far more powerful than any he had absorbed so far.

Once he had drawn in almost all the lightning from the hundreds of attacking bats, Yang Xiao began to retaliate in earnest. After all, surrounded by so many foes, escape would not be easy without fighting back.

After slaying over a hundred of the Sand Thunder Bats, the remainder realized the threat Yang Xiao posed and swiftly dispersed, fleeing in all directions.

Seeing the bats scatter, Yang Xiao did not give chase. His strength and spiritual energy were now greatly depleted, and he needed to find a place to recover.

Withdrawing some distance from the desert, Yang Xiao found a quiet spot to meditate and rest for a full day, restoring his strength and spiritual energy before continuing his cultivation.

Unconsciously, another month slipped by during his cultivation. Yang Xiao’s body grew stronger, his spiritual energy vastly improved. He successfully advanced to the fourth level of the Spirit Sense Realm, entering its mid-stage. At this point, he could employ several basic spells—such as Ice Condensation and Fire Condensation—drawing elemental ice or fire from the air. These spells far surpassed simple palm or fist techniques in combat effectiveness.

Of course, every spell had to be paired with a suitable cultivation technique to unleash its full potential. Otherwise, their power would be greatly diminished. For example, while every cultivator at the fourth level of the Spirit Sense Realm could condense ice or fire from the air, without the corresponding technique, the conjured elements would be little more than decorations. They might work against low-level cultivators, but against peers, they were useless. Cultivators at this level could form a defensive shield around themselves, easily blocking such attacks.

It was precisely because true power required both cultivation technique and spell that these techniques were so vital to cultivators. A good technique could multiply one’s progress, conferring a decisive advantage in magical duels.

In the Wanren Mountains, the Giant Spirit Sect reigned supreme, but within the wider Xiuxian world of the Yao Kingdom, it was merely a minor sect—let alone on the vast Sacred King Continent. In such a small sect, there were only two techniques available: the Swift Wind Palm and the Fiery Thunder Fist. Only disciples suited to these techniques could progress rapidly, while those who were not—such as Yang Xiao—progressed slowly. This was why, despite his efforts, Yang Xiao’s cultivation had always lagged behind—these techniques did not suit him. His natural affinity was for metal-based techniques, which the Giant Spirit Sect did not possess. No matter how hard he tried, he was always a step behind.

Every cultivator possessed a potential suited to certain techniques—this was their unique spiritual root. Only by practicing the technique aligned with their spiritual root could they achieve rapid progress; otherwise, advancement would be sluggish.

Larger sects would test their disciples’ spiritual roots in advance, assigning techniques based on their attributes to maximize their potential. The Giant Spirit Sect, with only two techniques, naturally failed to accommodate those like Yang Xiao with a metal attribute spiritual root, stifling their cultivation potential.

The Ninefold Golden Body technique was precisely a metal-based cultivation method, perfectly suited to Yang Xiao. As he practiced it, his progress leapt forward at a stunning pace.

In his past life, Yang Xiao had not understood these principles at first, but now, he was keenly aware.

Sensing his own cultivation rising, Yang Xiao could not help but feel delighted. He summoned lightning into his palm—a ball of thunderous light—one of the Giant Spirit Sect’s two signature skills: the Thunder Gathering Fist. However, the lightning he conjured paled in comparison to what he could summon from the lightning mark in his sea of consciousness. In actual combat, he would certainly choose the latter, as it could threaten even opponents of a higher realm. Crossing boundaries in battle was no longer impossible for him.