Degrade from Nobility to a Humble Slave novel Chapter 144

However, Zen was still at the marrow refining level. Although he was also capable of pouring life energy into a weapon, the energy would dissipate and lose its effects once the weapon left his hand.

But now, the purple-black nature-level life energy hadn't disappeared after it was separated from Zen's body.

'Have I reached a level higher than the marrow refining level?' wondered Zen.

Before entering Hell Mountain, Zen had been able to estimate that he had reached the peak of the marrow refining level.

On the previous day when he battled Vale on Hell Mountain, Zen's body had been severely battered by Vale's lotuses. Under their assault, Zen found that it was almost impossible to bear the heavy pressure. At that time, he had been fighting for his life, and so, Zen hadn't paid much attention to changes in his body. However, in retrospect, Zen remembered feeling a great surge of warm currents inside his body. As in all other situations, the currents refreshed his physical form.

Had impurities been completely cleared away from his marrow at that moment?

Since Zen had been focusing on defending against Vale, he hadn't noticed that all the impurities in his marrow had been refined and purified. Now, as Zen felt the warm stream of currents inside his body, he concluded that it was highly likely that all impurities had been removed from his marrow.

At this thought, Zen examined his body carefully. Once he confirmed his theory, a smile grew on Zen's face. In the heat of the battle with Vale, his marrow had been incomparably purified, and so Zen had upgraded to a cultivator half-step into the nature level.

Five levels of body refining were the foundations for practicing and mastering martial arts.

Only when a person's physical form was free from impurities could he become a nature creature.

However, reaching the half-step into the nature level was different from entering into the nature level because of the difference between life energy and life vitality. A person couldn't become a nature creature before his life energy was converted into life vitality.

Although Zen didn't accomplish his goal of freeing Yan from Hell Mountain, he had unexpectedly reached the half-step into the nature level, which was a great achievement for him. After this revelation, Zen spent the whole day consolidating the skills he had mastered and exploring how to exude life energy.

He didn't leave his room for almost three days!

During this period, outer disciples continued to busy themselves with cultivation as usual at Drizzle Peak.

However gifted disciples might be, people who joined Cloud Sect were required to be unyielding. They also knew that they should never get infatuated with the outside world. The practice of martial arts also taught them that God helped those who helped themselves.

However, Zen was a special and extraordinary disciple of Cloud Sect. Other disciples' eyes gleamed with a strong sense of admiration when they met Zen. Within Cloud Sect, a considerable number of outer disciples treated Zen as their role model. Just as Zen tried to cultivate diligently, these outer disciples also made unremitting efforts to cultivate themselves.

"Zen, it is time for us to get our refining pills today. Are you going to take them?" As Zen just stepped out of his room, Nory and Sean who had been headed to his room stopped and asked.

The refining pills were being distributed today?

Zen was dazed. He had been so preoccupied with the cultivation that he had forgotten about this.

Naturally, disciples of Cloud Sect enjoyed benefits such as refining pills and elixirs, which were distributed to them every month. The type and quantity of such supplies were dependent on the level and status of disciples.

Zen nodded. As a member of Cloud Sect, he thought he deserved the supplies reserved for disciples. And so, he walked toward one side of Drizzle Peak with Nory and Sean.

As usual, Nory began to share some of the gossips he had heard while they were walking.

"Zen, you have been engrossed in your cultivation and haven't stepped out of your room. Have you ever heard what happened on Hell Mountain?" Although Nory joined Cloud Sect later than Sean, he was now more informative than Sean.

Zen pretended as if he didn't know and responded in feigned surprise, "Huh? What occurred on Hell Mountain?"

"Ooh, you've missed it. Several days ago, a disciple at the Illuminating Soul Realm presented his mighty power on Hell Mountain. It was a fairly sensational spectacle. In his show of power, a light column leading to the sky was visible even from Drizzle Peak!" While Nory was describing the spectacle, he was so excited that spittle flew from his mouth. Nory spoke with such enthusiasm that it seemed as if he had been present that day on Hell Mountain.

Zen was astonished to hear Nory's descriptions. He had been under the impression that cultivators in Hell Mountain couldn't mingle with other people freely. He had never expected that the whole of Cloud Sect would learn of what transpired between him and Vale. But Zen felt relieved and lucky as he could judge from Nory's tone that his friend didn't know the names of the people who had been on Hell Mountain.

"A top refiner at the Illuminating Soul Realm is really awesome!" Zen nodded approvingly. He looked as though he strongly wished to have witnessed the scene.

Only after seeing Zen's expression that Sean interrupted and said, "Top figures at the Illuminating Soul Realm are often seen during our annual large-scale challenges at Cloud Sect in spite of their usually rare presence. It is strange that the top figure at the Illuminating Soul Realm battled an outer disciple who was only at the marrow refining level..."

"Huh?" Zen questioned in feigned astonishment, "That is incredible."

"I think that is impossible!" Sean responded while shaking his head. Afterward, he added, "That was going too far. Do you know what the Illuminating Soul Realm is? A man at the Illuminating Soul Realm can kill a refiner at the marrow refining level only by the overbearing power exuded from the combustion of life vitality. The differences in the power of such refiners are like that of an ant and an elephant."

"You can't say that for sure! Zen is an exception. He defeated a nature creature even though he was only at the marrow refining level." Apparently, Nory was blindly optimistic about his belief that the weak could defeat the strong.

However, Sean, who had been at Cloud Sect for a longer period, understood how huge the gaps were between realms, and so he continued, "Nory, perhaps you don't quite understand the Illuminating Soul Realm. As far as we know, the Burning Sky Empire has a vast territory and possesses abundant resources. Its population is as large as hundreds of millions, but how many of them can reach the Illuminating Soul Realm? The gap between the Illuminating Soul Realm and nature level is far wider than you expect. I suggest that you shouldn't take this rumor that seriously."

"Unlike you, I believe that miracles happen..."

"Do you mean that something like an ant eating an elephant would happen?"

The two of them argued with each other about the issue all the way. They didn't stop until they arrived at the other side of Drizzle Peak and got their refining pills.