Castle of Black Iron

The Purgatory Samsara Method was a top-secret method, which was pushed by the chakra of the major secret skill that the knight was cultivating.

Due to the difference in the level of cultivation methods, the Purgatory Samsara Method had different effects. From a certain perspective, Purgatory Samsara Method was completely a powerful auxiliary secret skill, which also verified an early speculation of Zhang Tie——In the far-ancient times, humans had various auxiliary equipment and methods to accelerate the formation of their chakras.

As the secret methods for fighters to promote to knights were classified into 7 levels, the effects of the Purgatory Samsara Method were also classified into 7 levels.

There were 50 universal laws while 49 of which were derivatives, the rest one fit humans. 7 multiplied by 7 was 49, which was the necessary condition for forming seven-strength fruits. Nevertheless, the base of Purgatory Samsara was 7. It seemed that there was a mysterious connection between the Purgatory Samsara and the seven-strength fruits. They might follow universal laws.

Being pushed by a baron-level chakra, the Purgatory Samsara could help the knight absorb 1/7 of the elements of the opponent's chakra.

Being pushed by a viscount-level chakra, the Purgatory Samsara could help the knight absorb 3/7 of the elements of the opponent's chakra.

Being pushed by a count-level chakra, the Purgatory Samsara could help the knight absorb 4/7 of the elements of the opponent's chakra.

Being pushed by a marquis-level chakra, the Purgatory Samsara could help the knight absorb 5/7 of the elements of the opponent's chakra.

Being pushed by a prince-level chakra, the Purgatory Samsara could help the knight absorb 6/7 of the element of the opponent's chakra.

Being pushed by an emperor-level chakra, the Purgatory Samsara could help the knight absorb all the elements of the opponent's chakra.

Zhao Yuan thought that Zhang Tie was cultivating a viscount-level "Five-elements Ground-look Sutra"; actually, Zhang Tie was cultivating an emperor-level "King Roc Sutra". Therefore, as for Zhang Tie, it was the "King Roc Sutra" that pushed the Purgatory Samsara. With the terrifying power of an emperor-level secret method, all the earth elements in the earth chakra of that ox-head demon knight which had not been formed were absorbed by Zhang Tie.

When Zhang Tie was rapidly digesting this achievement, the dragon scales on the knight's crystal plate of Cui Li were lit one after another...

The 31st, the 32nd, the 33rd, the 34th, the 35th, the 36th...

When the 36th dragon scale was lit, an unexpected change occurred...

A golden feather-shaped seed rune of "King Roc Sutra" flew out of the center of the chakra in Zhang Tie's chest. Hovering above Zhang Tie's head, it started to radiate brilliant luster. Zhang Tie then slowly rose up cross-legged and hovered in the air in the cultivation room...

This seed rune was a bit different than the former seed rune of the "King Roc Sutra" before he formed the chakra. Under the golden light of the seed rune, all of Zhang Tie's surging points started to resonate and radiate luster together with his qi sea. The runes flew out of the surging points and flew around Zhang Tie like almost 1,000 golden fireflies...

After that, Zhang Tie released his battle qi from all of his surging points. Closely after that, the spiritual energy in his mind sea spilled out of his forehead. Four elements in the elements realm then appeared out of nowhere and poured into those firefly-shaped runes, making them more brilliant. The battle qi then intertwined with those mysterious runes and gradually formed a golden, huge shell being covered with mysterious grains around Zhang Tie...

The entire cultivation room became quiet at once, except the mysterious lusters which flashed by the surface of that huge egg floating in the air from time to time...

...

After over 10 hours, with a muffled thunder in the huge egg, more cracks started to appear on the surface of the huge egg as if something was going to be hatched. Finally, with a thunder, the mysterious eggshell was completely shattered while releasing numerous golden light spots, causing a brilliant, golden light rain in the entire cultivation room in a split second...

...

Zhang Tie opened his eyes while being cross-legged in the air. The moment he put down his feet, he had stood on the ground with a confused look...

Zhang Tie didn't know what happened just now at all.

About 3-5% of the total earth elements of the demon knight had not been absorbed.

Zhang Tie felt that he had lit another 5-6 dragon scales. At that moment, Zhang Tie was in ecstasy. All of a sudden, he felt that the first and the second chakra which had not been formed rocked at the same time while releasing a strong luster, sending Zhang Tie into an absolute, empty chaotic state physically and mentally...

Zhang Tie didn't know what happened to him just now. He just felt being in an empty, chaotic state while all of his surging points were exchanging energy with something else. It seemed that he had opened one deeper level of his surging points.

After that...

He didn't know how long had passed when all the surging points rocked. Closely after that, a thunder occurred in the chaos along with a light. Then, the sky and the ground were divided while everything became clearer. Zhang Tie finally woke up.

He found that he was floating in the air.

After sensing his body, Zhang Tie widely opened his mouth. He felt wholly new as this body was utterly different than that before he entered the cultivation room.

Zhang Tie attempted to make some movements and control his battle qi but he felt evidently different than before.

He could feel an overall increase of 10% in the capacity and power of battle qi, physical strength, reaction speed, defensive and anti-strike ability, even the surging spiritual energy in his mind sea.

It meant that his battle strength had increased by 10%, which was a new stage and progress for a knight; especially the incremental part of spiritual energy was even much more than the total spiritual energy of a common black iron knight.

After taking a free walk in the cultivation room, Zhang Tie felt so light that he almost floated in the air.

'Why?'

Zhang Tie was both shocked and confused.

Before he fully accepted the surprise brought by the Purgatory Samsara Method pushed by the "King Roc Sutra", Zhang Tie welcomed another surprise.

All of a sudden, something occurred to Zhang Tie's mind. Zhang Tie took out the Cui Li's crystal plate and found 36 dragon scales had been lit.

'36 scales were 1/10 of the total 360 scales required to form a chakra.'

'Does it mean that the sudden change just now was caused by the "King Roc Sutra" after forming 1/10 of the earth chakra?'

'Wait, 36 scales...'

Something occurred to Zhang Tie's mind once again.

A few years ago, when Zhang Tie had promoted to a knight in Waii Subcontinent and received the knight's crystal plate, he thought that the power of black iron knights was divided by the number of scales that they had lit. Later on, as he deepened his understanding of knights, he knew more secrets about them.

The scale was the most objective unit of measurement that represented the cultivation base and progress of a knight. However, in the knights' world, especially in Taixia Country, the center of the human world, each knights' level was further divided into ranks. It was too general to regard 360 scales as a realm. If each scale was taken as a realm, it was too sophisticated, which sometimes could not reflect the genuine battle strength of knights who cultivated different secret methods. Therefore, they needed a more objective and easier division standard to measure ranks.

Actually, each level of the knights, black iron knight, earth knight, even shadow or heavenly knight could be divided into 9 small ranks, which were called "changes", 36 scales were called 1 change; 360 scales were called 10 changes. After 9 changes, when one lit 36 more scales, one would completely form a new chakra and promote to the next level of the knight.

Take black iron knight as an instance, the progress from 0 to 35 scales was the consolidation period.

When one lit 36-71 scales, one was called 1 change black iron knight.

When one lit 72-107 scales, one was called 2 changes black iron knight.

...

When one lit 324-359 scales, one was called 9 changes black iron knight, which was also called great perfection stage of a black iron knight and was the last stage for a black iron knight to promote to a higher level.

After lighting the 360th scale, of course, the black iron knight would advance to the next level as he had formed a new chakra.

'36 scales, I've just lit 36 scales...'

'Change——wasn't I "changing" just now?'

Being shocked immediately, Zhang Tie figured out something at once, 'Is the standard of "change" based on the emperor-level classic?'

According to the viscount-level classic "Five-elements Ground-look Sutra", Zhang Tie remembered that after lighting each 1/4 of a chakra, one would gain a chance to strengthen one's five-elements battle qi; it was also mentioned in the marquis-level classic "Fire Dragon Sutra" that, after lighting each 1/6 of a chakra, one would gain a chance to strengthen one's overall strength. '1/4 of a chakra match 90 scales while 1/6 of a chakra match 60 scales; however, I could strengthen my battle strength only after lighting 36 scales. Does it mean that one could strength one's overall strength 10 times if one cultivates an emperor-level secret method? Additionally, do people strengthen their overall strength at different times due to different levels of secret methods?'

Take viscount-level secret methods as an instance, only after one promoted to 2 changes black iron knight could one strengthen one's overall strength. Similarly, those who cultivated baron-level secret methods could only gain 3 chances to strengthen their overall strength at each level...

...

After throwing a glance at the clock hanging on the wall of the cultivation room, Zhang Tie found that one day had passed. It was already 6 pm. After remembering that he had to meet Gong Ziyao and Zhou Shufan in the Iron-blood Tower two hours later, Zhang Tie recovered his composure for a short while before leaving his knight's tower...