The Chaos True Spirit merged seamlessly into Han Jue's soul, causing subtle transformations that clarified his understanding of spatial laws. The change was modest but tangible, a slight enhancement to his natural affinity with the fundamental structure of space itself.
However, the improvement wasn't dramatic enough to warrant continued hunting.
After briefly testing his refined comprehension and verifying his enhanced combat capabilities against the lion Chaos Beast, Han Jue decided to return to Primal Chaos City. Grinding for Chaos True Spirits would yield diminishing returns compared to dedicated cultivation and monument study.
After successfully passing the sixth level of the Tongtian Bridge, Han Jue had earned six additional opportunities to comprehend the Chaos Monument, along with a substantial reward of 63,000 points, multiplied tenfold due to Primal Chaos City's special training period bonus.
Combined with his remaining reserves, he now possessed a total of 163,000 points, a fortune by most standards, though barely sufficient for the purchases he had in mind.
Han Jue planned to invest these points in acquiring a body-refining secret technique.
Physical fitness represented the Six Eyes bloodline's most glaring weakness.
The Six Eyes' innate secrets focused almost entirely on law comprehension, with [Analysis] providing unprecedented advantages in understanding cosmic principles. However, this specialization created a significant gap between the Six Eyes bloodline and other peak bloodlines in terms of raw physical power and divine body strength.
Each of the twelve peak bloodlines among the Star Beast races possessed incredibly powerful physiques that dominated their respective levels. Few beings could match their natural physical advantages without exceptional training or unique circumstances.
Han Jue's current physical fitness, while impressive for humanity thanks to his tenfold genetic level, paled in comparison to Star Beasts or even some of the human race's Domain Lord-level bloodlines that prioritized physical cultivation. In pure body strength, he might not even match their baseline capabilities.
The first three volumes of Ice Peak Prologue contained 4,152 distinct punch variations, 3,789 kick techniques, and thousands of different close-combat methods. The sheer breadth and depth of the martial knowledge was staggering.
To properly master these sophisticated close-combat techniques, one required exceptional physical fitness as a foundation. Without the body to execute them properly, even perfect technique comprehension would prove useless in actual combat.
Ice Peak Prologue did include a body-refining technique, arguably one of the top three within the human race, personally created by the Lord of Ice Peak himself. Unfortunately, this particular method required World Master level or higher to practice effectively. Han Jue, currently at Universe level, couldn't yet access its benefits.
He needed an alternative more suited to his current cultivation stage.
"Rimuru, search for body-refining techniques within my point budget," Han Jue instructed, settling into his manor's meditation chamber.
"Understood," Rimuru replied, his slime form rippling with concentration as he began sorting through the Virtual Universe Company's extensive treasury catalog.
The company's repositories held countless treasures and secret techniques accumulated over millions of epochs. Finding the optimal choice among such abundance required careful analysis.
After a thorough search spanning numerous categories and filtering options, Rimuru finally compiled a shortlist of viable candidates.
"Flame Soul Body Refining Method" (Complete set) Worth 120,000 points (84,000 after 30% Primal Secret Realm discount)
"Ten Thousand Void Shadow Body" (First five volumes) Worth 135,000 points (94,500 after 30% Primal Secret Realm discount)
"Heaven's End Ice Derivative" (First three volumes) Worth 156,500 points (109,550 after 30% Primal Secret Realm discount)
"Wait, this Heaven's End Ice Derivative?" Han Jue's eyes lit up with recognition as he examined the technique's description more carefully.
The title page of this secret method explicitly stated that cultivators who had consumed the Heaven's End Ice Crystal Fruit would achieve optimal results! The technique had been specifically designed to synergize with that particular treasure's unique properties.
"Excellent find!" Rimuru said with obvious satisfaction, his form practically glowing with pride at his discovery.
"I just confirmed that the Heaven's End Ice Crystal Fruit is named after a special plant cultivated in a secret dimensional realm by an Immortal-level pharmacist known as the Heaven's End King," Rimuru explained, displaying additional information. "The Heaven's End Ice Derivative technique was created by this same Heaven's End King as a companion method to maximize the fruit's benefits."
"The complete Heaven's End Ice Derivative requires 600,000 points for all five volumes, far beyond your current means. However, the first three volumes alone provide substantial benefits."
Rimuru continued his briefing with characteristic thoroughness. "In addition to the Heaven's End Ice Crystal Fruit, the Heaven's End King also cultivated many supplementary plants, including the Heaven's End Ice Derivative Fruit specifically designed to assist with this body-refining method."
"A single Heaven's End Ice Derivative Fruit costs 1,000 points before discount. Beyond slightly improving alignment with the Origin Law of Water, its primary purpose is accelerating cultivation progress through the Heaven's End Ice Derivative technique. The fruits work by tempering the body with extreme cold, fundamentally strengthening cellular structure."
"This technique, when cultivated to completion across all five volumes, can achieve a maximum physical amplification of 8 times," Rimuru explained. "Remember, every 100-fold increase in basic strength translates to a 1-fold physical amplification, this represents one of the fundamental requirements for advancing to the Immortal realm."
His tone grew more enthusiastic. "The first three volumes alone can increase body amplitude by 4 times! Combined with the Heaven's End Ice Derivative Fruits, the technique tempers your body with extreme cold, dramatically improving physical fitness while granting substantial resistance to both fire and ice-based attacks. The defensive applications are considerable."
"Perfect, this is exactly what I need!" Han Jue made his decision immediately, his analytical mind recognizing the technique's superior compatibility with his existing abilities.
Since this secret method aligned so perfectly with his cultivation path and the treasures he'd already consumed, there was no reason to hesitate further. The synergy with his water and space law comprehension made it the obvious choice.
After purchasing Heaven's End Ice Derivative, Han Jue searched the treasury catalog for the supplementary Heaven's End Ice Derivative Fruits. After applying his Primal Secret Realm discount, he purchased eight fruits at 700 points each to support his initial cultivation period.
His point balance evaporated in moments. Over 160,000 points vanished, leaving only a meager 900 remaining, barely enough for minor purchases or emergency needs.
With his points nearly depleted, Han Jue submitted an application to the Virtual Universe Company for the optimal cultivation plan for his Star-Eating Grass, noting that Venerable Lingji would cover all associated costs. The administrative approval came through almost immediately, testament to his elevated status as the Lord of Ice Peak's personal disciple.
Now came the real work: intensive cultivation.
The Virtual Universe Company's logistics proved exceptionally efficient.
Within three days of placing his order, a secure container materialized at Han Jue's manor entrance. A company courier handed over the sealed package with a respectful bow before departing without unnecessary conversation.
Taking the reinforced box from the delivery staff, Han Jue eagerly returned to his private chambers and carefully opened the sealed container.
"Hiss!"
The moment he lifted the lid, a piercing chill flooded outward, dropping the ambient temperature by dozens of degrees in an instant. Frost crystals formed on nearby surfaces, and even the air seemed to crystallize.
Inside the container lay eight peach-shaped fruits, each one crystal-clear and seemingly carved from translucent ice. They emitted waves of chilling white vapor that rolled over the container's edges like morning mist. Just looking at them made Han Jue feel cold deep in his bones.
Heaven's End Ice Derivative Fruits!
Han Jue had already thoroughly learned and memorized the complete contents of the Heaven's End Ice Derivative manual through the Virtual Universe, so he didn't need to consult any physical documentation. Every technique, every cultivation stage, every potential pitfall, all of it was firmly embedded in his perfect memory.
"I wonder if these eight fruits will be sufficient to reach the first stage of the Ice Derivative Body?" Han Jue murmured thoughtfully, examining the treasures with his Six Eyes ability.
The first stage of the Ice Derivative Body represented a 1-fold physical amplification. Achieving this milestone at Universe level would constitute a dramatic improvement to Han Jue's overall combat effectiveness, considering his current power multiplication was only around 70-fold. The difference would be immediately noticeable in actual combat.
Without further hesitation, he retrieved one of the Heaven's End Ice Derivative Fruits from the container, carefully sealing the rest to preserve their potency. Then, steeling himself for what he knew would be an uncomfortable experience, he bit into the fruit without ceremony.
The moment his teeth made contact, he felt bone-penetrating cold flood through his entire being.
The texture of the Heaven's End Ice Derivative Fruit proved completely different from the Heaven's End Ice Crystal Fruit he'd consumed years ago during his initial cultivation. This fruit possessed a consistency similar to dense, frozen gelatin, seemingly solid and chewy at first contact, but the moment he actually bit down, it dissolved instantly in his mouth. The substance transformed into impossibly cold liquid that flowed directly into his body like mercury through his meridians.
"Haaah!" Han Jue gasped involuntarily, his breath forming crystalline clouds.
The lingering potency of this Heaven's End Ice Derivative Fruit proved immense!
Even being trapped naked in a glacial cave couldn't adequately describe the sensation. It felt as though his very soul had been frozen solid, preserved in temporal ice. Even his enhanced physical perceptions slowed to an almost unbearable sluggishness, his thoughts struggling through frozen syrup.
Frost began forming on his skin, his hair stiffening with ice crystals, his eyelashes freezing together. The cold penetrated so deeply it seemed to reach past flesh and bone to touch something more fundamental.
Han Jue, suppressing the overwhelming discomfort through sheer willpower, immediately assumed a cross-legged meditation posture on the chamber floor. He began executing the precise techniques detailed in the Heaven's End Ice Derivative manual, his movements mechanical but determined.
He carefully guided the medicinal power of the Heaven's End Ice Derivative Fruit coursing through his body, methodically channeling it through his meridians. The technique required him to blend the fruit's essence with his Force energy and telekinesis simultaneously, then systematically infuse this combined power into every single cell, reaching into the deepest layers of his physical structure.
The Heaven's End Ice Derivative Fruit's medicinal potency was absorbed at a steady rate, neither too fast nor too slow, the perfect pace for maximum efficiency without waste.
Han Jue could clearly perceive his body undergoing fundamental transformation at the cellular level. Individual cells strengthened, their membranes growing more resilient, their internal structures reorganizing into more efficient configurations. The changes were minute but cumulative, building toward a threshold that would mark his advancement.
After the medicinal power gradually integrated completely into his body over several hours of intense cultivation, Han Jue finally stood, his muscles tingling with newfound vitality. He began practicing the various punches and kicks documented in the Ice Peak Prologue, testing his enhanced capabilities.
"Hah!"
Each punch carried terrifying power that made the air itself crack audibly. Each kick generated compressed wind blades that scored the reinforced training room walls. His movements felt smoother, more natural, as though his body had always been meant to move this way.
As he delved deeper into these sophisticated close-combat techniques, Han Jue's understanding of force generation methods improved dramatically. The theory he'd memorized transformed into practical application, muscle memory forming through repetition.
He estimated that it wouldn't be long, perhaps after consuming two or three more fruits, before he would fully master optimal physical power generation techniques. Achieving a 100-fold strength increase would mark his transition into true combat mastery at Universe level.
The foundation was laid. Now came the patient work of building upon it.
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