Thunderfire Hall, inner courtyard.
As the setting sun dipped below the horizon, the straight-backed youth stood with a focused expression. Firelight flowed over his right palm, transforming into a chi-long blazing blade of light. He concentrated entirely on compressing the flames, shaping them into a razor-sharp edge.
With a swift turn, the fiery blade slashed down toward a nearby stone pillar.
The scorching blade energy sliced through the air, leaving a pitch-black, half-finger-deep slash mark on the stone pillar, the searing heat within the groove lingering long after the strike.
Joy flickered in Lu Ming's eyes. After a full day of diligent practice, his Flame Blade had completely stabilized at the Initial Success stage. The fiery blade was scorching hot, its sharp edge growing increasingly prominent.
“Good!”
An old, hearty laugh suddenly rang out. Lu Ming looked up to see his grandfather Lu Jin, his father Lu Qingyan, and his second uncle Lu Jinglei standing at the courtyard entrance, all watching him with smiles on their faces.
“Grandfather.”
Lu Ming dispersed the firelight on his right palm and smiled at the three of them.
“Good boy! When your father told me you cultivated the Flame Blade to Initial Success in just one shichen today, I didn't quite believe it. But seeing it just now, the fiery edge is sharp and condensed without scattering. Heh, a Sub-Heaven-grade Divine Ability Bone is truly extraordinary!” Lu Jinglei slapped a heavy palm onto Lu Ming's shoulder, his expression filled with pleasant surprise and excitement.
Lu Jin's usually stern, aging face also softened with a smile. He nodded in gratification. “As expected of our Lu family's Divine Ability Child.”
“It's only a Lower Divine Ability,” Lu Ming said with a smile. He felt this was perfectly normal and nothing to boast about.
“Back then, it took your father and second uncle half a month to cultivate the Flame Blade to Initial Success. Even Zhang Yue, under my personal guidance, took four days to reach Initial Success. They truly cannot compare to you.”
“However, a Lower Divine Ability is indeed just the beginning of divine abilities. Grandfather is very pleased that you can remain humble and steady.” Lu Jin's voice was warm, his eyes filled with deep satisfaction as he looked at Lu Ming.
“With the talent you've shown, you will likely reach the Great Success stage with the Flame Blade in less than two months. Once a divine ability reaches Great Success, it will aid the speed of your bone refinement.”
Most divine abilities in the world had three realms of mastery: Initial Success, Great Success, and Great Perfection.
When cultivating a divine ability, the technique would draw in the primordial energy of heaven and earth, which would temper one's Divine Ability Bone. The higher the grade and mastery of the divine ability, the stronger this tempering effect would be.
Generally speaking, if one could cultivate a divine ability to Great Success during the Bone Refining Realm, their bone refinement speed would be superior to others.
Therefore, for divine ability practitioners who had entered the Bone Refining Realm, cultivating divine abilities was the most important task.
This was not only a manifestation of combat strength but also the primary method to raise one's cultivation realm.
Furthermore, the more divine abilities one mastered and the higher their grades, the stronger the bone-tempering effect would be.
Thus, the heritage of divine abilities was the standard for measuring the foundation of a Divine Ability Hall.
“Our Thunderfire Hall possesses five divine abilities in total. Among them are two Lower Divine Abilities: the Flame Blade and the Lesser Lightning Flash. You have already mastered the former, while the latter is a speed-type divine ability.”
“Our Mid Divine Abilities are Palm Lightning and Golden Liquid Fire.”
“Our Upper Divine Ability is called the Thunderfire Whip. It is the very foundation that allows our Thunderfire Hall to stand firm in Qingyuan Ward. However, this divine ability is extremely difficult to cultivate. Only a Grand Divine Ability Practitioner who has entered the Dharma Inscription Realm can master it.”
Hearing Lu Jin slowly explain the Thunderfire Hall's foundation, Lu Ming could not help but feel a sense of yearning. He could not wait to master all five divine abilities and experience their power.
“What grade of divine ability lies above an Upper Divine Ability?” Lu Ming suddenly asked out of curiosity.
Lu Jin stroked his gray beard and said with some emotion, “Naturally, it is the Grandmaster Divine Ability, which is exclusive to Divine Ability Grandmasters. Only some Grade 5 Divine Ability Halls guarded by a Divine Ability Grandmaster possess a complete heritage of Grandmaster Divine Abilities.”
Lu Ming blinked and whispered, “Grandfather, our Lu family was once quite prosperous. Did we really not leave behind any Grandmaster Divine Abilities?”
According to what Lu Jin and the others had said before, the Lu family must have been extraordinary during its peak. With such a foundation, even if they ultimately collapsed and fled, they should have been able to pass down some top-tier divine abilities, right? Why was the strongest divine ability in the family now only an Upper Divine Ability?
Lu Jin fell silent for a few breaths, a dark expression flashing across his aging face. “I once learned from the clan's secret records that the Lu family indeed possessed a heritage of top-tier divine abilities. In terms of grade, they even surpassed Grandmaster Divine Abilities. However, our ancestors later discovered that these top-tier divine abilities originally belonging to the Lu family had been locked by some unseen force in the dark. Once cultivated, they would bring about total annihilation. Thus, our ancestors could only seal away and forget those divine abilities, not daring to pass them down.”
Lu Ming's expression could not help but change, and his voice turned low. “Is it the mastermind who plotted against our Lu family?”
The entity that had destroyed the Lu family was truly vicious. Not only did they use the Spirit-Sealing Curse to choke off the Lu family's bloodline talent, but they had even locked away the Lu family's top-tier divine ability heritages.
How ruthless and determined was this desire to completely eradicate them?
“In truth, the divine abilities of our Thunderfire Hall today can also be considered to have originated from the Lu family. However, they have undergone numerous castrations and no longer possess their former power. If you grow strong enough in the future, you might have the chance to reveal their true forms,” Lu Jin said.
“Oh?” Surprise flickered in Lu Ming's eyes. He clearly had not expected that the divine abilities of their Thunderfire Hall held such secrets.
Lu Jin did not dwell on this suffocatingly heavy topic. Shifting the conversation, he said, “Since I've told you about the grades of divine abilities, I might as well tell you about the realms of cultivation along the Path of Divine Abilities.”
“You must already know the first four realms of the Path of Divine Abilities.”
Having grown up in the Thunderfire Hall since childhood, Lu Ming was naturally familiar with the first four realms of the Path of Divine Abilities: the First Realm Divine Ability Practitioner, the Second Realm Grand Divine Ability Practitioner, the Third Realm Divine Ability Master, and the Fourth Realm Divine Ability Grandmaster.
Very simple and straightforward.
The First Realm was his current level, which was divided into the Qi Refining Realm and the Bone Refining Realm. Once one completed three bone refinements, the Divine Ability Bone in their body would undergo a transformation. At that point, their realm would enter the Second Realm, allowing them to be called a Grand Divine Ability Practitioner.
However, as for the specific cultivation method of the Second Realm, Lu Ming did not know much in detail.
“When you enter the Second Realm, the Divine Ability Bone in your body will have already completed its transformation. What you cultivate in this realm are the Divine Ability Dharma Inscriptions, which is why it is also known as the Dharma Inscription Realm,” Lu Jin explained with an old laugh.
“Divine Ability Dharma Inscriptions?” Lu Ming's eyes flickered.
“The so-called Divine Ability Dharma Inscription is the foundation and heritage of cultivating divine abilities. When the divine abilities you cultivate combine with the primordial energy of heaven and earth to constantly temper and resonate with your Divine Ability Bone, a miraculous inscription will gradually be engraved onto the bone. This inscription is the Divine Ability Dharma Inscription.”
“A Divine Ability Dharma Inscription contains your own comprehension of divine abilities, and it can deepen your communication and affinity with the primordial energy of heaven and earth.”
“At the same time, the Divine Ability Dharma Inscriptions represent your foundation.”
“The more Divine Ability Dharma Inscriptions you cultivate during the Dharma Inscription Realm, the stronger your foundation. Only then can you forge a higher-grade Divine Ability Foundation when you enter the Third Realm in the future,” Lu Jin guided patiently.
“As for the Third Realm, that is the Divine Ability Master. Only by entering this realm can one truly be considered an influential figure, having officially crossed the threshold of the Path of Divine Abilities.”
“This realm has a highly distinct hallmark.”
Lu Ming quickly said, “I know! I think I've heard Dad talk about it. He often mumbles about it with envy... Is it the Divine Ability Feather Robe?”
Lu Qingyan shot him an annoyed glare but did not refute him.
A smile appeared on Lu Jin's aging face, and he asked gently, “Would you like to see it?”
Lu Ming nodded repeatedly, his eyes full of curiosity.
Lu Jin waved his hand to signal the three of them to step back. Then, he took a step backward. The moment his foot landed, an exceptionally terrifying pressure of primordial energy swept out from the old man's thin body like a tempest.
The primordial energy of heaven and earth was instantly drawn in, transforming into streams of light that surged into his body.
Boom!
In Lu Ming's eyes, Lu Jin's body seemed to have transformed into a blazing sun of thunder and fire. Violent thunder and fire collided and leaped with absolute fury. The oncoming heat and violence almost gave him a sense of suffocation.
The heavy pressure of primordial energy bore down on him like a mountain.
From within the brilliant thunder and fire, Lu Jin's figure slowly stepped forward.
Lu Ming's pupils shrank abruptly.
Reflected in his eyes was Lu Jin's figure, and draped over his body was a magnificent feather robe woven from brilliant thunder and fire, cascading downward.
The Thunderfire Feather Robe slowly drifted as if it possessed a life of its own. Numerous profound and obscure Dharma Inscriptions could be seen upon the robe, like dancing sprites of thunder and fire, constantly absorbing and exhaling the primordial energy of heaven and earth.
At the same time, an object appeared in Lu Jin's hand. It was an iron whip that seemed to be woven from thunder and fire. The whip had nine sections, resembling an iron mace, with each section engraved with thunderfire runes. As the thunder and fire collided, they continuously let out soul-shaking rumbles.
It was the signature divine ability of their Thunderfire Hall—the Thunderfire Whip!
As the Thunderfire Feather Robe covered his body, Lu Jin's feet actually rose slowly into the air, as if he were stepping on empty space, standing several zhang above the small courtyard.
“So powerful.”
Looking at Lu Jin, who was covered by the Thunderfire Feather Robe and looked as imposing as a thunderfire divine general, Lu Ming could not help but mutter.
“Impressive, right? No wonder your father is always thinking about it.” Second Uncle Lu Jinglei also looked up, with unvarnished envy and yearning on his face.
“With the Divine Ability Feather Robe draped over oneself, all evils are repelled and all techniques are broken. It not only possesses the miraculous effect of protecting the body but also allows one to fly through the sky and burrow through the earth. It can be said that only by entering the rank of Divine Ability Master and donning the Divine Ability Feather Robe does one truly count as an influential figure,” Lu Qingyan sighed and said.
Hearing this, Lu Ming's eyes filled with envy. Just by donning this Divine Ability Feather Robe, one could actually fly directly through the sky?
The Divine Ability Master was truly the first major watershed on the Path of Divine Abilities.
At this moment, Lu Jin also gradually restrained his primordial energy. The Thunderfire Feather Robe on his body gradually dimmed and eventually dissipated completely.
He descended and smiled at the envious youth. “Little Ming, there is no need to be envious. With your talent, becoming a Divine Ability Master is only a matter of time. You will walk much further than Grandfather in the future. There will definitely be a place for you among the Divine Ability Grandmasters, or even beyond.”
“Grandfather, if a Divine Ability Master is already this extraordinary, then what kind of sight must a Divine Ability Grandmaster be?” Lu Ming asked with curiosity and yearning.
“A Divine Ability Grandmaster...”
Mentioning this realm, even Lu Jin felt a trace of awe. He said, “As the saying goes, 'Masters weave feather robes, Grandmasters cast law nets.'
“They are powerful figures truly capable of guarding an entire region. As for how strong they are, the world often uses two sentences to describe them.”
“Which two sentences?”
Lu Jin paused for a moment, then spoke slowly with a complex emotion.
“The net of law is vast and sparse, yet nothing slips through.”
“Within the net of law, all are but flies and insects.”
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