NOVEL NEXT Chapter 14: Breakthroughs
“Senior Brother, are you aware that the Huāngyāo Secret Realm, one of the three great secret realms of the Tài Sù Holy Land, is set to open in one month?”
Chu Xiu, sipping his tea, shook his head. He had been focused on his cultivation recently and hadn’t paid much attention to other matters.
He had heard of the Huāngyāo Secret Realm, of course. It was said to be the evolved small world of a Quasi-Demon Emperor. .
Legend had it that ten thousand years ago, the Crow Quasi-Demon Emperor, a powerful demon cultivator, had somehow offended the Tai Su Emperor. The Tai Su Emperor, sitting in meditation atop Tai Su Peak, had casually reached out across the vast distance and obliterated the Crow Quasi-Demon Emperor with a single strike, right in the heart of the Demon Emperor City. And as if that weren’t enough, she had also snatched the Crow Quasi-Demon Emperor’s small world.
With the Quasi-Demon Emperor’s death, his small world began to collapse. But the Tai Su Emperor, with a display of unparalleled power, had stabilized it using 99,999 seals and formations, transforming it into what is now known as the Huāngyāo Secret Realm within the Tài Sù Holy Land.
Due to these seals and formations, cultivators entering the secret realm would have their cultivation levels suppressed to the peak of the Divine Bridge realm, regardless of their original strength. Even a Saint King realm overlord would be affected by this suppression.
Such was the power of an Emperor, their methods absolute and unyielding.
“The Huāngyāo Secret Realm is filled with countless opportunities,” Chu Xiaoran continued, “but entry is restricted. Only 2000 disciples are allowed to enter: 300 from the Sea of Qi realm and 1700 from the Divine Bridge realm.”
“Obtaining entry is simple: climb the Tai Su Divine Pagoda. The top 300 on the Sea of Qi Monument and the top 1700 on the Divine Bridge Monument gain entry.”
“Senior Brother Chu Xiu, your physical strength and swordsmanship are unparalleled among your peers. Surely, if you were to climb the pagoda, you would easily secure a spot within the top 300.”
“And what I’d like to request of you…”
…
Half an hour later, Chu Xiu, aboard his flying ship, departed from Jùbǎo Peak.
…
Outside the bedchamber of the Peak Master’s Hall on Yúnxiá Peak, several female inner disciples, tasked with attending to Qi Meng Die’s daily needs, whispered among themselves.
“It’s strange… the Peak Master has developed a taste for mortal food lately.”
“Yes, and sour foods, especially.”
“Have you noticed? Her complexion… it’s radiant! She looks even more beautiful than before, like a celestial flower in full bloom.”
“Could it be… could it be that mortal food…”
Their voices trailed off as they walked away.
Inside the bedchamber, Qi Meng Die reclined on a jade divan, her slender figure draped in silken robes, her skin as white as snow.
She held a bright red plum between her delicate fingers, her eyes flickering with a mix of amusement and annoyance.
‘I’ve been too lenient with those girls… they’ve forgotten their place…’
‘They dare to gossip about me now…’
She popped the juicy plum into her mouth, her brow furrowing slightly as she thought of Chu Xiu’s infuriatingly handsome face.
A wave of frustration washed over her. She wondered when this… arrangement… with her rebellious disciple would finally end.
‘My body has been feeling strange lately…’
‘Could I… could I be ill?’
Fairy Meng Die, her mind filled with worry, rose from the divan.
Barefoot, she walked towards a bookshelf and opened a hidden compartment, revealing a small straw doll.
The doll bore a striking resemblance to Chu Xiu.
Qi Meng Die, her teeth gritted, picked up a silver needle and viciously stabbed it into the doll’s groin.
The act of symbolic vengeance seemed to calm her troubled heart.
A smug smile flickered across her lips as she returned the doll to its hiding place.
…
Chu Xiu, observing this scene through his divine sense, couldn’t help but curse under his breath.
‘That crazy woman… she’s asking for it…’
He calmed his mind, sat down in a meditative posture, and closed his eyes.
“System, show me my status.”
[Host: Chu Xiu]
[Realm: Sea of Qi Fourth Layer]
[Special Physique: Archaic Saint Body]
[Aptitude: 917 (Heaven Grade) – 31x cultivation speed]
[Sword Intent: Heavenly Slaughter Sword Intent]
[Cultivation Technique: Dao Scripture – Foundation Establishment Chapter]
[Breakthrough Points: 642]
[Fate Value: -18 (Black) – Killing those with high Fate Value allows you to absorb their fate for your own use.]
[Overall Combat Strength: 25x that of ordinary cultivators at the same realm.]
“Time to exchange those pills for breakthrough points.”
[Ding! Consuming 200,000 Second-grade Qi Replenishing Pills – obtaining 10,000,000 breakthrough points.]
[Ding! Consuming 10,000 Fourth-grade True Essence Replenishing Pills – obtaining 5,000,000 breakthrough points.]
[Hehe… Host, please select one of the following options for breakthrough: Technique, Sword Intent, Sword Skill (Max Level), Movement Technique (Max Level).]
“Technique,” Chu Xiu decided. Cultivation realm was the foundation of everything.
[Detecting that the Host possesses the Archaic Saint Body and is cultivating the Dao Scripture. Due to the Host’s cultivation of the Foundation Establishment Ten Layers Extreme Realm, breakthrough difficulty is significantly increased. Each minor cycle requires one year and consumes 1000 breakthrough points.]
[Year 1: You cultivate in seclusion within your cave dwelling on Yúnxiá Peak. Due to your dual cultivation with your master, your aptitude has significantly increased, and you easily break through to the Sea of Qi Fifth Layer.]
[Year 2: You cultivate in seclusion within your cave dwelling on Yúnxiá Peak. Due to your dual cultivation with your master, your aptitude has significantly increased, and you easily break through to the Sea of Qi Sixth Layer.]
[Year 3: You cultivate in seclusion within your cave dwelling on Yúnxiá Peak. Due to your dual cultivation with your master, your aptitude has significantly increased, and you easily break through to the Sea of Qi Seventh Layer.]
[Year 5: You cultivate in seclusion within your cave dwelling on Yúnxiá Peak. Due to your dual cultivation with your master, your aptitude has significantly increased, and you easily break through to the Sea of Qi Ninth Layer.]
[Year 6: You continue to cultivate, sensing the threshold of the Sea of Qi Extreme Realm. You cease your cultivation to focus on breaking through to the Extreme Realm.]
[Total breakthrough points consumed: 6000]
[Remaining breakthrough points: 14,994,000]
Boom!
A torrent of insights from the Dao Scripture flooded his mind. The surrounding spiritual energy, like a river bursting its banks, surged into his body, circulating through his meridians before converging within his golden Sea of Qi.
His black hair danced around him, his aura growing stronger with each passing moment.
As his cultivation reached the Ninth Layer of the Sea of Qi, his Sea of Qi began to expand rapidly, surpassing the limits of ordinary cultivators. 45 times larger… 50 times… 55… 70… 80… 99…
The expansion abruptly stopped at 99 times its normal size, as if held back by some unseen force, some fundamental law of the universe preventing it from growing any further.
Chu Xiu examined his internal world, his Sea of Qi vastly different from before.
The golden lake had transformed into a vast ocean… but the golden seawater within… it seemed a little… shallow.
He opened his eyes, realizing he could no longer absorb any spiritual energy from his surroundings. His rapid breakthroughs had drained the spiritual energy within a radius of several miles, creating a vacuum.
If anyone had witnessed this, they would have been utterly astonished. This was the Tài Sù Holy Land, a place renowned for its abundant spiritual energy. And his cave dwelling, located on Yúnxiá Peak, enjoyed even higher concentrations of spiritual energy than those of ordinary direct disciples.
Yet, it hadn’t been enough.
Chu Xiu retrieved several pouches filled with high-grade spirit stones, placing them around him. He circulated the Dao Scripture, drawing upon the energy contained within the stones, replenishing his depleted Sea of Qi.
“System,” he commanded, “what are the requirements for breaking through to the Tenth Layer Extreme Realm of the Sea of Qi?”
…