Maintaining the Fourth Earth Bodhisattva Statue, Lu Ren slowly sat cross-legged, looking up at the sky, he could vaguely feel that there was a winding path there.

This path was extremely winding, extending out from the Inner Realm, like an anchor, a kind of anchoring to a certain place.

Where does it lead?

If the anchor is in that direction, what will happen if one leaves their Inner Realm to go there?

At that time, Ksitigarbha once mentioned that Shakyamuni went to an unfathomable place within the Inner Realm, and returned looking grave, without uttering a word.

Even Subodhi and Ksitigarbha only entered the Inner Realm but did not perceive traces of this path.

Does that mean I'm exploring the path of ancient sages?

Ancient sages...

Ha!

Lu Ren couldn't help but let out a light laugh, glancing at Kong Qiu still in a fierce struggle.

If these ancient sages are like Kong Qiu and Subodhi, there's nothing much to say.

"Ding, you discovered that the Inner Realm seems to have a connection to a certain place, your Spiritual Proficiency has increased."

Subodhi, who had remained silent, showed a slightly excited expression upon seeing Lu Ren glaring at a void in the Inner Realm without stopping.

"What are you looking at?"

Lu Ren turned his head to look at the excited Subodhi, feeling a bit surprised.

"Do you know what I'm looking at?"

Subodhi: "Shakyamuni once told me that within the Inner Realm there is a heavenly path, leading to an unfathomable place, where True Buddha exists."

True Buddha?

Lu Ren did not quite believe this ghostly tale.

But he had no choice but to take it in.

He was a bit hesitant, very much wanting to get some useful information from Subodhi, who was hiding something deep, absolutely holding a big secret, yet feared being led astray by the other.

Contradiction...

After a while, Lu Ren slowly said, "For cultivators like you focusing on spirit and mind, after reaching Bright Awakening, you settle your mind and will in meditation, and cultivate in the Inner Realm, right?"

Subodhi nodded: "Of course."

"Then how much have you explored the Inner Realm?"

Subodhi looked at Lu Ren surprised for a rare moment, considering from his interaction with Lu Ren, the other was someone who wouldn't believe a word from him.

Such people are the hardest to deal with.

It's rare now that he actually asked out of his own initiative.

Subodhi didn't reveal any of his psychological activities, he pondered slightly, "In the Inner Realm, the things everyone sees and the paths they find are different. But all roads lead to the same goal, everyone proceeds for one common objective."

"What's the objective?"

"Is there a limit to cultivation, is immortality truly achievable, is our existence real, how high is the sky, how vast is the earth, what's beyond the heavens, and within our bodies, how many mysteries are buried, why as humans, beings of all things with spirit, do only we innately have wisdom."

Subodhi slowly unfolded the questions carried by humanity since ancient times, after possessing a cultivation system.

His expression slightly excited, full of yearning.

"Fellow seeker, do you know how many sages pursued these, striving to seek truth."

He looked beyond the Inner Realm, as if gazing towards Kunlun.

"I really want to understand, is this place truly the Immortal Realm."

Immortal Realm.

Lu Ren fell silent, but did not say much, here the material resources were extremely abundant, the Endless Wilderness could completely nurture Bright Awakening Martial Path cultivators, and support their continuous advancement.

In comparison, this place truly counts as the Immortal Realm.

Lu Ren felt somewhat surprised at Subodhi's words: "You've lived for over a thousand years, isn't that considered immortality?"

Subodhi smiled bitterly, slightly shook his head: "Ksitigarbha as well, and I too, just to awaken recently, have endured extreme suffering, the method used is hard for most to accept, constantly dwelling in unending hell."

"Keeping your consciousness clear?"

Subodhi slightly shook his head: "Though most times are muddled, there must be an absolute spark of consciousness that cannot be obscured, else lose the true self forever."

He hesitated a bit, yet still said: "To this day, I don't know if Ksitigarbha is still Ksitigarbha."

This touches the realm of philosophical inquiry.

Thinking again, those who delve deeply into spiritual will to this extent are indeed philosophers.

Lu Ren did not ask about the method, truthfully if he were to hibernate now, to preserve his body's longevity and spirit without dispersing, he has a way.

With his current terrifying control over his body, at the cellular level, he can definitely hibernate longer than Subodhi, Kong Qiu, and the like.

"Is there a limit?"

Subodhi shook his head slightly upon hearing, "I don't know, even Shakyamuni didn't provide a concrete answer."

He looked up towards where Lu Ren previously gazed, his eyes revealing reminiscence.

"Actually, you're more suited for spiritual transcendence."

He said quietly, "In the end, the spirit can exert unimaginable power on the real world, overturning mountains and seas, turning earth into steel, dividing rivers into land, all coming effortlessly.

However, this process may be quite long, but compared to a martial artist focused on physical cultivation, we have more free time to explore."

"More free time?"

"It's the wisdom of thought, rapidly flowing in the inner realm, enabling you to continuously validate your steps and thus gain enough foundation to advance."

He turned his head towards Lu Ren.

"Do you know what the next realm after Bright Awakening is?"

"The next realm after Bright Awakening?"

Lu Ren was stunned for a moment; no one had ever told him what the next stage after Bright Awakening was. Everyone kept exploring within the realm of Bright Awakening as if it were endless.

To think there is a next stage beyond Bright Awakening.

Upon hearing these words, Lu Ren's mind was shaken.

In a moment of reflection, Lu Ren thought about the levels of physique and spirit in his attribute panel, tier one, first tier, then how many levels are there in tier one.

If he broke the limit and upgraded, would tier two be the next realm after Bright Awakening?

Seeing Lu Ren's stunned expression, a faint smile appeared on Subodhi's face, it seemed he had finally been impressed by him.

"The next realm is called Path Determination."

Subodhi's expression was full of longing as he slowly spoke.

"Until the path ahead, the heart remains unafraid."

Bright Awakening is merely exploring one's own path, divine and clear, aware and proceeding.

Path Determination is perceiving the path, walking forward, the ultimate direction of progress, moving forward without retreat.

Therefore, this realm is about determining the direction of one's path forward, even if the way ahead is a dead end, one must press forward, putting oneself in a situation of death to be reborn, perhaps breaking through the southern wall to reach the ultimate.

Lu Ren looked deeply at Subodhi, hesitated for a moment, then slowly spoke: "In the future, I may find an opportunity to let you out, but we need to agree to three conditions, and let me plant a restriction in your sea of consciousness."

Subodhi's gaze was bright; he agreed without the slightest hesitation.

"Good!"

Just to be able to leave, Subodhi would even call Lu Ren dad, only by leaving can one have the chance to attain the path.

As for the restriction planted, it's easy, within the Ten Lands Great Accomplishment Golden Body Bodhisattva Path, there are methods of planting divine seeds linked to the vast magnetic fields of heaven and earth, allowing one to kill at a thousand-mile distance with a single thought.

In the Ten Lands Great Accomplishment Golden Body Bodhisattva Path, the sections on spiritual and mental cultivation are substantial, it's a true skill of simultaneous cultivation of spirit and body.

According to Subodhi, it is extremely moderate, balancing both ends, but ultimately neglecting both.

Whether Lu Ren is sincere in saying this or not, Subodhi can only believe. His life is now firmly in Lu Ren's hands.

Lu Ren slowly opened his eyes, the head he threw just now fell to the ground, rolled a few times, then stopped.

In reality, it took less than a few seconds, but he stayed in meditation for about half an hour.

Super sensing thoughts?

In Lu Ren's contemplation, he casually kicked out a large pit, drew out the high-frequency vibrating sword, directly shattered Kong Qiu's body, and buried it.

Ten Earth Knot, seal.

Due to the skill level upgrade of the Ten Lands, he was like the Fourth Earth Bodhisattva Statue, completely formed, even a faint halo from the magnetic field self-formed behind his head.

The golden patterns on his body were more solidified, Buddhist characters and talismans appeared on his body.

Up to this point, his life magnetic field rose by over thirty percent due to the formation of Buddhist symbols on his body.

And the structure of his body was undergoing some strange changes.

"Ding, you killed Kong Qiu, you have great insights into Spring and Autumn, the skill Spring and Autumn consecutively leveled up, currently refined, with additional attributes [Dominating Body First Rank, Triple Body Strengthening, Giant Strength Third Rank, Unyielding First Rank]."

"Ding, you successfully killed a Bright Awakening Realm martial artist, you gained 2 skill points, your physique and spiritual proficiency have been significantly enhanced."

Under the system's alert, relatively, it was Lu Ren's body undergoing dramatic transformation, a metamorphosis meant to be gradual over a long period now concentrated into this moment under the system's assistance.

Just regaining human form, he uncontrollably expanded again, reverting to the Fourth Earth Bodhisattva Statue.

At this moment, his body was increasingly resilient, the muscles and bones under the system-derived warm stream spreading to every limb and bone were undergoing a frenzied transformation.

His muscle tissue was changing, starting from the fundamental gene cell structure, making fine adjustments, originally smooth muscle fibers now began three strands intertwined together, then alternated like a spiral, twisting into a new muscle rope.

This change was extremely painful, akin to tearing apart the originally fixed muscle fibers and then kneading three strands together, the process was truly toe-curling to hear.

Originally there were two atria, now even they were changing, rapidly generating two more atria, the blood vessels widened to provide sufficient oxygenation for body functions, then regenerating a blood vessel extending to limbs and bones, ensuring high-load explosive energy.

His internal organs were undergoing mutation.

It was like someone had thrust a stick into his intestines and stirred frantically; Lu Ren, who was hardly sweating before, now was soaked in sweat.

Painful.

Logically speaking, there shouldn't be such drastic changes.

Wait a second...

Could it be that, under the system's judgment, the Dominating Body from Spring and Autumn has been incorporated into the Fourth Earth Bodhisattva Statue?

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