Sage of Humanity
Chapter 80 All Different

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Cultivation Techniques are classified into Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow. Yellow Rank Techniques can only advance a cultivator to Spirit Stream Level 3, Profound Rank to Level 6, and Earth Rank to Level 9.

There are only nine levels within the Spirit Stream Realm. Logically speaking, an Earth Rank Technique should suffice to cultivate to Great Perfection within it.

In reality, this is not the case. An Earth Rank Technique can only enable a cultivator to open up to the 180th orifice, but there are as many as 360 orifices within the human body.

After opening the 180th orifice, if one wants to unlock more spiritual orifices, they must switch to cultivating a Heaven Rank Technique.

A cultivator who had opened the 180th orifice with an Earth Rank Technique and reached Spirit Stream Level 9, after switching to a Heaven Rank Technique, would be able to open the 181st orifice. However, switching techniques would cause their realm to slip by several levels, as within the divisions of Heaven Rank Techniques, 180 orifices are only considered to be at Spirit Stream Level 6.

In summary, the number of spiritual orifices a cultivator has opened is not the standard for judging the level of their cultivation. The number of Minor Circumambulation cycles within the body is what matters.

Just because cultivators have opened the same number of orifices does not mean they possess the same cultivation level.

In the sole transmission of teachings he received, the sect master once mentioned the differences in Cultivation Techniques to Lu Ye, which is why he remembers these things.

This Luo Ji, who appears to be only at the Spirit Stream Level 2, must have at least opened over fifty orifices! This is because the spirit force fluctuations when he casts spells are much stronger than those of Lu Ye.

With Heaven Rank Techniques, opening eighteen orifices constitutes Level 1, and only upon opening forty-five orifices does one reach Level 2!

Upon realizing this, Lu Ye immediately understood that Luo Ji was the strongest opponent he had encountered so far.

Keep in mind that under an Earth-class technique, opening forty-five orifices is the standard for Spirit Stream Level 4. In other words, Luo Ji, with only Level 2 cultivation from a Heaven Rank Technique, is actually between Level 4 and Level 5 of ordinary cultivators. Moreover, with his expertise in magic and spells, facing a regular Level 5 cultivator would not put him at a disadvantage.

This is the profound background of a top sect's disciple.

From a young age, they determine their future path, and then continue to delve into and explore this path, tempering their bodies. When they reach the appropriate age, they begin their cultivation without rushing to increase their cultivation level, for each level they ascend requires opening two to three times more orifices than ordinary cultivators.

Such individuals can often fight across two or three minor levels when their own cultivation level is not high. Even when their cultivation level increases, defeating enemies above their level is par for the course.

Such individuals, once they grow up, are all Overlord-level powerhouses!

Lu Ye had the honor of encountering a future Overlord…

The instant exchange ended with his complete defeat. The moment Luo Ji appeared, he had charged forward, but after several spells from the opponent, he was forced back to his original position.

As a combat cultivator like him facing a magic cultivator, closing the distance for close combat is the key. However, it was clear that getting close to Luo Ji was not an easy task.

"Which sect's brute are you from?" Luo Ji did not pursue his advantage because he was confident of winning. It's not that he underestimated Lu Ye, but the environment here did not suit a combat cultivator like Lu Ye and instead would enhance the threat of his magic and spells. In the early stage of cultivation, the ability to cast spells can offer a significant advantage.

The narrowness of this passage left Lu Ye with no room to maneuver.

Lu Ye had clearly realized this. Retreating through the exit behind him would be the right move, but he did not plan to do so.

He had a faint feeling that if he retreated now, the next time he saw Luo Ji, he probably wouldn't have the courage to confront him directly. From this guy's first sentence, one could infer that he came specifically for Lu Ye.

There was no escaping!

Thus, there was only one option left—fight!

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The opponent's foundation was impressive, but didn't he have one too? At the end of the day, the small-scale magic and spells that Luo Ji was currently using could be blocked by his Defense Spirit Runes.

His right hand gripping the knife tightened, and Lu Ye's body leaned slightly forward, his center of gravity lowered, adopting the stance of a cheetah ready to pounce on its prey.

He took a deep breath, and the spirit force within the three Minor Circumambulation systems in his body started to surge and roar. In the next instant, he fiercely sprung forward, and the rocks beneath his feet scattered in all directions.

"Scorching White!" Luo Ji bellowed.

Having been tricked by it once before, and with his eyes still stinging from the experience, Lu Ye immediately squinted his eyes and raised his left hand to block his face upon hearing Luo Ji's shout.

However, no blinding light erupted; instead, an ice spike filled with chill attacked him, accompanied by Luo Ji's mocking laughter: "Fooled you!"

Damn it! Lu Ye flew into a rage, finally understanding why that guy always shouted before releasing a spell: it was all to set the stage for this moment of deceit.

Raising his knife, he slashed, shattering the ice spike, but right after that, more and more ice spikes came flying at him, the whooshing sound incessant.

The opponent seemed to be releasing magic and spells without any need for rest, and had Lu Ye not seen it with his own eyes, he would have almost suspected that the guy had secretly activated an ice-type Spirit Talisman.

Amidst the clinking and clattering sounds, Lu Ye's sword danced in his hand, smashing each ice spike to pieces. Those he couldn't shatter in time, he could only defend against with the Protection Runes, advancing arduously. Due to the large amount of ice fragments being created, even the tunnel began to grow cold.

It took more than a dozen breaths of time for Lu Ye to move forward just three steps! One ice spike after another zoomed over, each carrying tremendous impact and hindering his advance.

From behind Luo Ji, against the cave wall, Yiyi's little head suddenly popped out, but before she could act, Luo Ji, as if he had eyes on the back of his head, suddenly turned around, at the same time pointing a finger, a Golden Arc Slash flying straight towards Yiyi.

Yiyi screamed, quickly retracting her head.

"Roar!" Amber roared, thinking that Yiyi had been hurt.

This roar was clearly different from others. When it sounded, Lu Ye felt as if his head had been hit by a small hammer. Luo Ji, on the other hand, staggered a step, muttering in surprise, "An exotic beast?"

He had seen Amber before but hadn't paid much attention to it until now, realizing that this majestic White Tiger seemed to have some special capabilities.

He couldn't afford to ponder on it any longer because while he was distracted by Amber's roar, Lu Ye had already seized the opportunity to rush forward.

Luo Ji roared, "Scorching White!"

Having been tricked once, would Lu Ye fall for it again? He barely squinted, disregarding everything as he charged forward.

Crackling...

The shattered ice around him suddenly enveloped where Lu Ye stood, rapidly solidifying, as if intending to freeze him within it.

In this critical moment, Lu Ye had no choice but to retreat. Only after regaining his footing had a massive block of ice formed between him and Luo Ji. Had he not retreated quickly enough, this ice block would have surely enveloped him, and with Luo Ji's methods, Lu Ye would have been done for.

"Phew..." Seeing that Lu Ye was obstructed by the ice block, Luo Ji breathed a sigh of relief.

This battle had been more intense than he had anticipated. Originally, when the Nine Stars Sect had asked him to deal with Lu Ye, he thought it would be an easy task. Even if the opponent came from a top-notch power, his strength was there for all to see—a cultivator at the Spirit Stream Level 3, cultivating a common technique, who Luo Ji didn't think much of.

But after actually clashing with him, he realized that this Level 3 cultivator was... somewhat different from the Level 3 cultivators he had encountered in the past.

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