NOVEL NEXT CHAPTER 323
Chapter 323: Three Layers of Divinity
One day in the Void Space equated to just one minute in real-time.
This effect was no different from attaching a rocket booster to Lu Ming, propelling him directly into the sky.
As for the new body forging technique, the Spirit Refinement Technique, it further enhanced Lu Ming’s efficiency in gaining attribute points.
Although the entry-level Spirit Refinement Technique provided only 10 points per cycle, compared to the 50 points of the Refinement Realm Flame Body Forging Technique and 100 points of the Divine Level, it was clear which one he needed to focus on.
As Lu Ming assumed the starting stance of the Spirit Refinement Technique, he immediately sensed a massive influx of Origin Power flowing into his body from the outside world.
Driven by this power, Lu Ming felt an unprecedented ease in cultivating the Spirit Refinement Technique.
Body forging techniques were analogous to weightlifting for ordinary people. They focused on resistance training, but instead of dumbbells or barbells, they utilized one’s own muscle strength. As a result, many of the movements in body forging were awkward—like trying to twist one’s thigh using one’s arm.
However, the defining trait of the Spirit Refinement Technique was that the higher the concentration of Origin Power, the faster one could cultivate.
At this moment, as he cultivated the Spirit Refinement Technique in the Boshi Tower, Lu Ming encountered no resistance. The immense flow of Origin Power acted as a pusher, propelling him through each awkward movement with speed and efficiency.
In just three minutes—three minutes in the Void Realm—Lu Ming had completed one full cycle of the Spirit Refinement Technique.
A large influx of insights flooded Lu Ming’s mind. With his eyes closed, he processed and absorbed them.
When he reopened his attribute panel, he noticed that his three main attributes had increased by 20 points—10 from the basic technique and another 10 due to the Flame Body Forging Technique's efficiency-doubling effect.
As for his proficiency, it had already surpassed the entry-level threshold.
—Spirit Refinement Technique (Proficient) (0/1,000)
Each cycle now provided 20 points to all three-dimensional attributes and 20 free attribute points.
Coupled with the Divine level effect of the Flame Body Forging Technique, one cycle now equaled 40 points in all attributes.
With a quick calculation, Lu Ming resumed the opening stance of the Spirit Refinement Technique
.Another three minutes later, the cycle was complete.
He opened his attribute panel again and observed the updated proficiency.
—Spirit Refinement Technique (Proficient) (200/1,000)
Ordinarily, practicing a body forging technique once would provide 1 proficiency point. However, with the aid of the Four Treasures and the special effects of the Divine Level, Lu Ming now gained a staggering 200 proficiency points per cycle.
Additionally, the time required for one cycle had decreased from the original half-hour to just three minutes.
Moreover, these three minutes were within the Void Realm, meaning that in the outside world, only a blink of an eye had passed.
As Jiu Han had predicted, Lu Ming’s strength had reached its peak.
Fifteen minutes later, inside the Void Space, Lu Ming’s Spirit Refinement Technique advanced again.
—Spirit Refinement Technique (Master) (0/10,000)
Each cycle now provided 50 points to all three-dimensional attributes and 50 free attribute points. This speed was already comparable to the Flame Body Forging Technique at the Intricate level, with the actual effects still doubled.
No further words were needed—he continued training.
Two and a half hours later, in the Void Space, the Spirit Refinement Technique advanced once more.
—Spirit Refinement Technique (Perfect) (0/100,000)
Each cycle now provided 100 points to all three-dimensional attributes and 100 free attribute points.
“Keep going!” Lu Ming urged himself.
After a quick estimation, he realized that he would likely not need an entire day in the outside world before he switched to another body forging technique.
He glanced at his attribute panel, focusing on the Divine Origin Points column. His eyebrows rose in surprise.
“It has increased so much… Of course, my cultivation speed has accelerated significantly, so the rate of Divine Origin extraction has also increased.”
The numbers on the Divine Origin Points column had risen from the original 43 to the current 96.
As Lu Ming’s Spirit Refinement Technique reached the Perfect level, the situation on Jiu Han’s side reached a critical juncture.
At this point, Lu Ming’s efficiency in extracting Divine Origin had already surpassed Qing Jue’s self-recovery ability.
Traces of Divine Origin were continuously siphoned away by Lu Ming, the black hole. When Qing Jue’s self-recovery could no longer keep pace, Lu Ming began drawing from Qing Jue’s Divine Origin reserve.
Jiu Han’s eyes, glowing with golden light, remained fixed on Qing Jue.
Peering into Qing Jue’s body, Jiu Han could clearly see the lychee-sized divinity in Qing Jue’s mind.
With each attribute gained by Lu Ming, the divinity rotated, extracting a trace of divine essence before quickly recovering. However, at this point, Lu Ming’s absorption rate had surpassed the divinity’s self-recovery speed.
The divinity had begun to diminish.
It was akin to peeling an onion—layer after layer of Divine Origin was stripped away from the lychee-sized divinity, turning into strands and threads that poured into Lu Ming’s bottomless abyss.
Despite this seemingly ordinary process, Jiu Han’s expression remained deeply focused and serious.
Eventually, Qing Jue’s divinity shrank to half its original size. The divinity abruptly ceased its rotation.
Seeing this, Jiu Han’s eyes narrowed. After a long pause, he exhaled deeply.
“Silent state.”
Qing Jue’s divinity had shrunk from the size of a lychee to that of a cherry.
At the same time, the divinity no longer rotated or separated, nor did it produce any Divine Origin. Naturally, Lu Ming could no longer absorb Divine Origin.
“Silent state,” Jiu Han muttered again, clarifying Qing Jue’s current condition.
This was the silent state of divinity.
Experts of the Divine Realm wield control over the Divine Origin; however, one might just as effectively reverse the statement: those who master the Divine Origin have ascended to the Divine Realm.
The foundation of Divine Origin lies in the divinity.
Divinity functions as the generator of Divine Origin. It is through the presence of divinity that a being of the Divine Realm can self-generate, self-recover, and wield Divine Origin at will.
Typically, a divine persona is composed of three layers.
The outermost layer consists of scattered Divine Origin—analogous to the fragrance emitted by a fruit.
When engaging in battles with opponents below the Divine Spirit Realm or performing routine actions, this portion of Divine Origin is entirely sufficient.
The middle layer, meanwhile, represents the flesh of the fruit.
In Qing Jue’s case, the transformation of the divinity from the size of a lychee to that of a cherry symbolizes the peeled flesh, or the middle layer.
This middle layer embodies the essence of a god’s power, crucial in battles against opponents of equal strength. The reserves within this layer determine the outcome of such conflicts.
Once the middle layer is depleted, the divinity enters a silent state, exposing the innermost layer—the core of the fruit.
The innermost layer, also known as the divinity core, is a gift bestowed by the Supreme God upon ascension via the Heaven Ascension Stairs.
However, even gods are unable to access the power of the inner core.
The power that gods can wield is restricted to the middle and outer layers.
When the Divine Origin within the middle and outer layers is fully expended, and the inner core is exposed, the divinity enters a silent state.
In this silent state, the god also enters a period of dormancy, requiring substantial time to replenish the depleted layers and restore the divinity’s full potency.
This is the fundamental logic underlying divine power.
A god’s strength is wholly dependent on their divinity.
And the divinity, in turn, depends upon the Supreme God.
As Jiu Han had remarked, “The manor owner and the gardener…”
End of Chapter 323