The differential in the flow of time had its uses. Immersed in the second layer of the dream state, Lin Fei began to meticulously study his world laws. Having recently plundered three additional world laws, his internal laws were now rich and dense. Utilizing these laws for combat required research and practice to unleash their full potential.
In this second layer of the dream state, Lin Fei could simulate his own laws without fear of depletion or self-harm, a risk-free environment for experimentation. Any insights gained could be immediately applied in reality, progressively enhancing his overall strength.
Lin Fei understood his current situation well. He could barely survive a second Thunder Tribulation and possibly endure two additional bolts of thunder to plunder one more world law without much issue. However, attempting to plunder three laws would be incredibly challenging, nearly impossible.
Lin Fei also realized the significance of the robustness of his laws. It was not only crucial for his strength but also pivotal for achieving the status of a grand Martial God and, most importantly, becoming a Martial Ancestor.
A Martial Ancestor, akin to a true immortal, does not just integrate with a complete Dao but masters it. True immortals merge with a complete Dao, becoming immortal and eternal, existing as long as the Dao persists. Similarly, a Martial Ancestor, who controls a complete Dao, remains undying as long as the Dao endures.
Achieving mastery over a complete Dao is far more challenging than integrating with it, which is why there are fewer Martial Ancestors than true immortals. Many Martial Gods focus solely on surviving Thunder Tribulations, not realizing that this stage is not just a challenge but also an opportunity.
During the Martial Gods phase, plundering sufficient laws to build a profound foundation is crucial only then can one gradually construct the basis of a Dao and harbor even a slight hope of mastering a complete Dao. Otherwise, progressing routinely through tribulations may only lead to the limit of becoming a True Monarch.
In the methodical progression of tribulation, becoming a True Monarch was already the pinnacle. The aspiration to become a Martial Ancestor was nearly an impossibility, a common knowledge in the path of cultivation, no secret to many.
Indeed, some even kept meticulous records of such matters. To achieve the status of Martial Ancestor, one had to seize more than three laws during each heavenly tribulation, sometimes even as many as ten!
The Divine Realm was no stranger to astonishingly talented individuals. Lin Fei's capture of three laws in a single heavenly tribulation was a marvel to ordinary Martial Gods.
However, for those determined to ascend as Martial Ancestors, this feat was merely meeting the bare minimum. Of course, those who aspired to become Martial Ancestors found their cultivation progressing at a painstakingly slow pace at the Martial Gods stage. This was because their ambitions extended beyond merely surviving tribulations.
After all, the strength of a martial artist was finite, comprised of physical prowess and laws. With no external aids permitted during tribulations, what else could be done? They could only refine their bodies, strengthening them to stand a chance at seizing more laws.
Thus, Lin Fei had not yet considered facing his second heavenly tribulation, for he was not confident in his ability to seize three laws or withstand the third heavenly thunder.
"Refining the body is too challenging," he lamented. "Improving laws is even more improbable. I can only develop some techniques to utilize the laws a bit better, which helps increase my strength, but not by much."
What about the Saber World, then?
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
Lin Fei pondered over his Saber World, which had not seen improvement for a long time. The Saber World had reached its limit, but its integration with the world's laws seemed like a novel direction. If he could merge the Saber World with the world's laws, thus greatly enhancing its power, his second heavenly tribulation might just be within reach. However, this required repeated experimentation.
"The integration of Saber World and the world's laws can, in fact, draw inspiration from the Minor Worlds," he thought. "Take the Minor Worlds as a model. I have already created the Particle World, also based on the Minor Worlds. The Saber World, combined with the world's laws, could essentially be considered a Minor World. However, this Minor World is too weak; it needs further expansion to counter or consume the heavenly thunder.
Currently, my world's laws are abundant enough to support the expansion of the Saber World. But the Saber World has expanded to its limit, restricting the enhancement of the Minor World's power. If the Saber World could continue expanding, it might just withstand the third heavenly thunder!"
In the second layer of his dreamscape, Lin Fei experimented with one method after another, thinking outside the box in his quest to expand the Saber World. Remarkably, he stumbled upon a solution. His Saber World, born from the evolution of saber intent, was a manifestation of a martial artist's conviction, transitioning from the ethereal to the tangible.
Thus, the optimal way to expand the Saber World was to devour the Saber Worlds of other saber wielders. In other words, when other saber cultivators evolved their Saber Worlds, Lin Fei could use his own Saber World, augmented with the laws of the world, to forcibly assimilate them!
The experiments within the second layer of the dreamscape proved that this was feasible. He could indeed devour other Saber Worlds to enlarge his own. However, Saber Worlds were rare; typically, only a Martial King could evolve one. Although there were many Martial Kings, few wasted time on evolving Saber Worlds. Most were focused on achieving the status of Martial Gods.
Who would devote time to evolving a Saber World? Saber intent, saber force, Saber Domain, Saber World - to evolve these, one must be a true devotee of the saber. In reality, how many were passionately dedicated to the saber? Nonetheless, this was a viable method, and Lin Fei etched it into his memory. Should he encounter another Saber World, he would definitely vie for it!
Besides the enhancement of the Saber World, physical strength could also be improved. This was the method most Martial Gods relied on to survive heavenly tribulations. There were numerous ways to enhance physical strength.
Lin Fei's creation of the Particle World was also a means to bolster his physique. However, other Martial Gods, lacking the world's laws, could not create worlds. But they had their methods, too: they fought for Minor Worlds, plundering their essences to forcibly strengthen their bodies. This was an arduous task, as once the essence of a Minor World was seized, the world was on the brink of collapse, tantamount to the destruction of an entire Minor World.
Moreover, typical Martial Gods were incapable of annihilating an entire Minor World. In fact, such an attempt could provoke a violent backlash from the world itself, leading to its collapse and the simultaneous downfall of the Martial Gods involved. This was the risk they took for potential reward.
Usually, several Martial Gods had to collaborate to break a particularly weak Minor World. Worlds like the Ancient Continent were far beyond their reach, impenetrable even to true immortals, let alone Martial Gods. Most Martial Gods resorted to this method, plundering the essence of Minor Worlds.
Despite the difficulty and risk of perishing, it offered them a glimmer of hope. Similarly, the powerhouses of the Immortal Dao undergoing Deity Transformation also plundered essences, aiding in their comprehension of spatial laws, uncovering the secrets of space, and advancing towards the state of True Monarch.
However, Minor Worlds were the foundational bases of many forces and could not be destroyed recklessly. For instance, the Ancient Covenant occupied many such worlds and prohibited any destruction. Martial Gods and Deity Transformation beings born in these Minor Worlds, having ascended to the Divine Realm, naturally forbade others from ravaging their homelands.
Thus, the only option was to vie for ownerless Minor Worlds, increasing the intensity of competition. The emergence of an unclaimed Minor World often resulted in the fall of several Martial Gods, while Deity Transformation entities suffered countless losses of incarnations, enduring heavy casualties.
"Whether in the Ancient Continent or the Divine Realm," Lin Fei reflected, "the path of martial arts demands one thing for advancement - struggle."
With this realization, his resolve grew firmer. He knew he must seek out Saber Worlds and contend for the essence of Minor Worlds. Otherwise, what hope did he have of achieving the status of Martial Ancestor or realizing the Great Dao?
The path of the Great Dao, after all, was one of relentless struggle.