Improved One Breath Luminescence

Ming Ren stepped back into the clearing where he had faced the assassins, leaving Xu Tian to tend to the ailing villagers. The Great Doctor's expertise was unquestionable, and Ming Ren felt no need to intervene. Instead, his focus shifted inwards, towards the challenges that lay ahead.

'Mount Ironclaw awaits,' he thought, his eyes gleaming with determination. 'I must become stronger.'

The potential of external spiritual energy and its myriad applications beckoned him, igniting a thirst for greater power even before he had formally entered the Spirit Sea Realm. He sensed the possibility of creating new arts and recognized the need to enhance his cultivation law.

'I can already create new arts, even without formally stepping into the Spirit Sea Realm,' he mused. 'But first, I must refine my cultivation law.'

Cultivation laws were the bedrock of a cultivator's journey, dictating the boundaries of their potential. Without a suitable law, progress would be stunted, and even possessing a heavenly-grade cultivation law at the Body Tempering Realm required a compatible law in the Spirit Sea Realm to avoid stagnation and bottlenecks.

Switching to a different law was a complex and dangerous endeavor. Cultivation laws often mirrored the individual who created or practiced them to the extreme, taking into account factors such as bloodline, principles, true elements, and rare energies. In the Body Tempering Realm, these factors were relatively straightforward, but as cultivation progressed and arts became more intricate, incompatible laws could lead to Qi deviation and hidden dangers.

'The Spirit Sea Realm is similar to the Body Tempering Realm in many ways,' Ming Ren pondered, 'but there are key differences to consider. First, Qi gathering.'

He settled into a lotus position and began to circulate the One Breath Luminescence Law. 'With a complete spirit sea, the amount of spiritual energy I can absorb and process has already increased significantly,' he observed. 'I am likely on par with someone at the early middle stage of the Spirit Sea Realm in terms of the amount of spiritual energy within my inner sea.'

'To further enhance my Qi gathering speed…' Ming Ren pondered, 'since I lack true elements or rare energies for now, I must focus on my bloodline. Having assimilated Senior Jana's True Wood bloodline, I can modify the law to facilitate faster absorption of wood elements.'

Contemplating the Spirit Sea Realm, his mind was a whirlwind of potential improvements. Breathing through the One Breath Luminescence Law, he rewrote its rules, weaving in the mysteries of the wood element present within his bloodline. This modification would not only enhance his overall Qi gathering but also grant him a significant advantage when absorbing wood Qi specifically.

'As I suspected, achieving perfect-grade merits without true elements, rare energies, or principles is no easy feat,' he acknowledged. 'But that matters little. I can refine it further later. Reaching Spirit Sea-grade potential while still in the Body Tempering Realm is remarkable enough.'

Qi gathering became middle grade in the Spirit Sea Realm, rising to high grade while absorbing wood Qi. He continued his cultivation, his focus shifting to the flow of Qi within his body. 'My understanding of the body was already advanced, and not much has changed since then,' he observed. 'Qi distribution is even faster now that my spirit sea is complete.'

With perfect-grade Qi distribution already mastered, he moved on to the next challenge: converting internal spiritual energy into external spiritual energy. He drew in the Qi of Heaven and Earth, absorbing it into his inner sea and transforming it into internal spiritual energy that nourished every corner of his being.

However, the transition proved difficult. As he directed the energy outwards, it lost potency, precision, and quality. 'This is the biggest limitation for Spirit Sea cultivators without a true Spirit Sea Realm law,' he realized. 'It's more efficient for them to use internal energy rather than external spiritual energy. As expected of Sister Shufen, she had already mastered a Spirit Sea cultivation law back then.'

He recalled the vision of Yun Shufen battling the cultivators from the Silver Clan, wielding the formidable power of her Spirit Sea art. Such mastery would be impossible without a suitable cultivation law.

Spirit Sea cultivation laws were notoriously difficult to comprehend, even for peak Spirit Sea cultivators. They were far more complex than Body Tempering Realm laws, and failure to grasp their intricacies was not uncommon.

'I will begin with simple conversion rules,' Ming Ren decided, opting for a straightforward approach. He wrote a basic rule for external spiritual energy conversion and circulated the revised cultivation law. As he sent the energy outwards, the loss of power and precision was significantly reduced, with most of the quality retained.

'This is a good start,' he thought. 'Now, I will add rules for each element.'

He then focused on his elemental control. The spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth held the potential to become any element. Just as the flame commander of Bluecloud City had used regular spiritual energy to ignite fire-based runes, cultivators could generate elemental Qi directly by converting the spiritual energy within their spirit sea.

Certain laws and arts provided specific rules for achieving this, differing for each element and technique. By mastering these rules, cultivators could become adept at manipulating elemental Qi.

Yun Shufen's Royal Sword Art, for example, manifested Wind Qi as her weapon, further empowered by her innate True Element of Wind. With complete mastery over wind spiritual energy, she would transcend the need for techniques to convert spiritual energy into Wind Qi entirely.

True elements bestowed upon cultivators an innate understanding of manipulating their associated element's Qi, enhancing their power and affinity. While Yun Shufen's proficiency was impressive, Ming Ren's comprehension surpassed even hers. His guidance had enabled Lin Dong, despite his lack of natural talent, to utilize elemental Qi effectively in a short span of time.

However, such a deep understanding of spiritual energy and its elemental intricacies typically demanded centuries, if not millennia, of dedicated practice for ordinary cultivators. This was why most cultivators focused on honing their strengths within their specific element. For instance, a cultivator with the True Element of Fire would naturally prioritize mastering fire-related techniques, even though they could theoretically learn water element techniques as well.

Yun Shufen's grasp of these principles was already beyond the reach of most cultivators, but Ming Ren's knowledge was truly exceptional, making him a monster under the Heavens.

Within the Bright Scripture, Ming Ren's insatiable thirst for knowledge had led him to experiment with every aspect of cultivation. This hunger resurfaced as he meticulously penned rules for every known element within his cultivation law. 

Hours bled into the night as he wrote with fervor, his mind a whirlwind of possibilities…

Finally, he paused, slapping his forehead in realization. 'Am I going mad?' he thought. 'What is the point of including every single rule in a cultivation law when I won't even need them? I already possess this knowledge. This law would be impossible for anyone else to learn! How long would it take them to master it?'

With a clearer mind, he refined the energy conversion aspect of his law to a high grade, acknowledging the limitations imposed by his lack of true elements and rare energies. Perfection, he knew, would have to wait.

'Only with the aid of true elements and rare energies can it reach perfection grade,' he mused. 'When I find my own elements and energies, I will know where to focus my efforts.'

He circulated the One Breath Luminescence Law once more, conjuring flames that danced in the air before transforming into a swirling whirlwind, then flowing water, and finally, ice. 'The last time, the metal Qi wave caught me off guard,' he thought, 'but now I can defend myself against it.'

The final aspect of his training focused on body strengthening. Unlike the Body Tempering Realm, where the physical body was the primary focus, the Spirit Sea Realm emphasized reinforcing the spirit sea and refining the quality and control of one's Qi.

While body tempering remained a continuous process, Spirit Sea Realm cultivators had a choice: to direct their spiritual energy towards fortifying their physical form or to channel it into their inner sea, enhancing their sensitivity and refining the quality of their stored Qi.

However, the prevailing wisdom dictated that strengthening the inner sea was the superior choice. Body cultivation was notoriously painful, and ultimately, possessing powerful Qi could overcome any physical defenses.

'I will use rare energies and true elements in the future to further temper my body,' Ming Ren decided. 'For now, I will adjust the amount of spiritual energy required, reinforcing my inner sea and meridians. The cost will be immense, but it will lay the groundwork for a near-flawless foundation.'

He knew that he had embarked on a challenging path, but he also recognized the immense potential it held. His body strengthening potential had reached a high grade, and he knew that perfection was attainable with the aid of true elements and rare energies.

With the One Breath Luminescence Law refined to the best of his abilities, Ming Ren settled into a lotus position, drawing in the Qi of Heaven and Earth. A visible ripple disturbed the air as his inner sea absorbed, purified, and stored the spiritual energy with efficiency.

Satisfied with his progress, he performed the Clear Sky Fist, the force behind it significantly amplified. The improved Qi gathering speed, perfect Qi distribution, and enhanced spiritual energy conversion had elevated his cultivation law to a remarkable level. 

The One Breath Luminescence, once a mere earth-grade Body Tempering Realm law, had ascended to the heavenly rank.

[One Breath Luminescence (Spirit Sea Realm), Heaven Rank]

Though not yet perfect, a heaven-rank cultivation law was a treasure coveted by any power on the continent.

Ming Ren gazed at the dawning sky, another night of dedicated cultivation behind him. 'Spirit Sea laws are truly on another level,' he mused. 'It took far longer than I anticipated. I must find a way to send Lin Dong and Lin Qiang improved laws when I have the opportunity...'

His thoughts briefly drifted to the Forest Clan and his resolve to transform them into a protective force for Lin Qiang. 

A wave of satisfaction washed over Ming Ren as he reflected upon his accomplishments. The refinement of his cultivation law had been a resounding success, laying the groundwork for further advancements. However, he knew that a powerful foundation was merely the first step on his journey. 

He needed stronger arts.