Chapter 504: Chapter 286: Prologue

BANG!

CRACK!

The ferocious Fist Strength shattered the Protective Gang Yuan and slammed heavily into the Ghost Tower Master’s chest. Amidst the sickening sound of cracking bones, blood mixed with fragments of his internal organs gushed from his mouth.

His clothes exploded outward as his sturdy chest caved in. The terrifying Force bent his body, embedding him deep into the ground.

The surrounding soil churned, rippling like the surface of water.

The blinding brilliance dissipated, and the surging Gang Yuan subsided.

Embedded in the earth, the Ghost Tower Master’s eyes had lost their light, his aura rapidly weakening. He opened his mouth, trying to speak, but could only spit out mouthfuls of blood.

Xu Yang reached out, plucking him from the ground. The man’s body collapsed, as limp as a heap of mud.

A few breaths later, Xu Yang had stripped him of his silver banknotes, and the man’s last breath had faded.

The Ghost Tower Master was dead!

Xu Yang strode over, picked up the fallen Spiritual Soldier, and looked toward Cyan Yang City. He suppressed the urge to storm the Ghost Tower and retrieve his Spirit Iron.

The Ghost Tower’s Shopkeeper was also a Celestial Essence Martial Artist. Without using his Gang Yuan, Xu Yang knew he couldn’t defeat him quickly.

The city was home to Celestial Essence Martial Artists from the major families, and the Purple Sun Sect always had some stationed in Cyan Yang City. If anyone intervened, he would be exposed.

At that point, never mind Han Yingjie and Jiang Wang; he couldn’t afford to provoke the powers behind the Ghost Tower. Killing the Ghost Tower Master had more or less settled the score from the ambush anyway.

’Besides, the Ghost Tower isn’t going anywhere. As long as it doesn’t leave Cyan Yang City, I can always come back and crush it when I’m stronger.’

Taking a detour and concealing his aura, Xu Yang returned to the Purple Sun Sect.

Meanwhile, in Cyan Yang City, the Ghost Tower’s Shopkeeper waited with bated breath for his master to return with the Spirit Medicine.

One hour passed.

Then two.

By nightfall, the master he was waiting for had still not appeared.

’The Master is dead!’

Without a moment’s hesitation, the Shopkeeper acted decisively. He gathered the Ghost Tower’s valuable assets for a quick relocation, simultaneously sending a message to inform the power backing them.

The next day, treasure hunters in the Yunling Mountain Range stumbled upon a battlefield scorched to black earth. They found the Ghost Tower Master’s body and brought it back. Only then did the major powers of Cyan Yang City learn that after giving chase the previous day, the Ghost Tower Master had been killed in the Yunling Mountain Range.

Cyan Yang City was immediately in an uproar. The Ghost Tower’s reputation plummeted. When people rushed to the building to deliver the news, they found it completely deserted.

...

Purple Sun Sect.

The sun was high in the sky when Xu Yang finally emerged from his courtyard.

The Li Fire Peak disciples’ residential area was much livelier than usual, filled with unfamiliar faces from other peaks.

They had all heard about Lu Ren successfully forging a Spiritual Soldier and had come to offer congratulations and build connections. Many were the head disciples of various peak Elders, or even the head disciples of the Peak Masters.

When Xu Yang arrived at the dining hall, he found people still buzzing about Lu Ren forging a Spiritual Soldier. The stir it caused was arguably even greater than if Lu Ren himself had broken through to the Celestial Essence Realm.

In the past several decades at the Purple Sun Sect, there had been quite a few disciples who reached the Celestial Essence Realm within two years of entering the Inner Sect. But forging a Spiritual Soldier in that same timeframe? Lu Ren was the absolute first.

Some were even speculating that Lu Ren might become the future Peak Master of Li Fire Peak.

Lu Ren was not in the dining hall, but Xiong Kun, who was always trailing him, was. He wore a sour expression as he listened to everyone heap praise on Lu Ren.

He had once looked down on both Xu Yang and Lu Ren; their reputations in the Outer Sect had been nothing compared to his. Now that both had surpassed him, the bitterness in his heart was palpable.

"Junior Brother Xu, when do you plan to begin your secluded cultivation? I’ll arrange for a Guardian for you," Gao Lin said, striding over.

Breaking through to the Celestial Essence Realm wasn’t a quick process; it typically took one to two months. Even with the powerful Physique of a Marrow Cleansing Martial Artist, one couldn’t go for that long without food.

Even if the body could endure, the hunger would affect one’s concentration for the breakthrough.

Therefore, anyone attempting a breakthrough to the Celestial Essence Realm in seclusion needed a Guardian to deliver meals.

"I’ve adjusted my state and plan to begin my seclusion today," Xu Yang replied with a smile.

WHOOSH!

His words sent the dining hall into an uproar. All eyes turned to him, filled with a mixture of shock and envy.

Following in the footsteps of Li Chuyang and Jiang Fan, Xu Yang was now also entering seclusion to break through to the Celestial Essence Realm. Within the morning, the news had spread throughout the Purple Sun Sect.

"He’s already attempting his breakthrough to the Celestial Essence Realm?"

Lu Ren, who had been in high spirits receiving congratulations for forging his Spiritual Soldier, was completely stunned when he heard the news.

’I don’t get it. I’ve been desperately trying to catch up, so how is the gap between me and Xu Yang getting even wider?’

’I haven’t even reached Marrow Cleansing Great Success, and he’s already trying for the Celestial Essence Realm.’

In an instant, all the joy from forging the Spiritual Soldier evaporated. He threw everyone out. Though he had planned to wait a few days before entering seclusion for Marrow Cleansing Great Success, he began at once.

In his meditation chamber, Xu Yang had several boxes laid out before him. They were filled with Spirit Medicines—fourteen stalks in all.

However, Xu Yang first picked up the Wind Spirit Liquid. It was rich in Spiritual Qi and could increase the success rate of breaking through to the Celestial Essence Realm by twenty percent.

He had no intention of saving it for Xu Qing.

’Xu Qing hasn’t even reached Minor Achievement in Marrow Cleansing yet. By the time she’s ready for her own breakthrough, I’m confident I can get her something even better, maybe even a Celestial Spirit Pill.’

’A twenty-percent boost might be huge for most people, but for her, it won’t be enough.’

’Even with her talent enhanced by the Eight Treasure Lotus Seeds, Xu Qing will probably struggle to reach the Celestial Essence Realm without even better aids.’

He uncapped the vial and downed the Wind Spirit Liquid in a single gulp.

Instantly, a massive surge of Spiritual Qi erupted within him, sweeping through every limb and bone.

The Li Fire Technique roared to life, rapidly refining the Spiritual Qi and causing his Gang Yuan to swell.

An unknown amount of time passed. When Xu Yang opened his eyes again, he felt a significant increase in his Cultivation.

[Li Fire Technique First Layer (6044/10000)]

He looked at the panel and saw that his Li Fire Technique’s progress had increased by nearly eight hundred. Two drops of Wind Spirit Liquid were roughly equivalent to three months of arduous cultivation.

"Junior Brother Xu, your meal is here!"

Zhu Yuan’s voice called from outside. A moment later, a hidden compartment in the chamber wall slid open, and a steaming meal was passed through.

The person Gao Lin had assigned as Xu Yang’s Guardian was indeed Zhu Yuan.

Xu Yang was taken aback. He hadn’t realized an entire night had already passed.

"Many thanks, Senior Brother Zhu."

Xu Yang walked over, took the meal, and began to eat. When he was finished, he passed the empty dishes back through the compartment.

He did not immediately resume refining Spirit Medicines to improve his Cultivation.

’This seclusion is just an excuse. My training must proceed one step at a time.’

He began cultivating the Bright King Unmoving Body, using Imagery Body Refining. A jade-colored light glowed in the dim chamber.

After finishing his cultivation of the Bright King Unmoving Body, he moved on to comprehending the Black Tortoise Mountain-Suppressing Fist, followed by the Eight Ferocious Hidden Dragon Strength and the Canglang Sword Technique. At night, he would cultivate the Blood Prison Heart Blade Scripture.

The cycle repeated, day after day, as Xu Yang remained in seclusion.

At the same time, as if Xu Yang’s announcement had raised the curtain for the Secondary Dragon Ascension, Lu Ren also entered seclusion, declaring he would push for the Great Success Realm of Marrow Cleansing.

In reality, anyone in the know understood that by only attempting Marrow Cleansing Great Success now, it would be impossible for him to break through to the Celestial Essence Realm within the year—unless he had the kind of background that Jiang Fan and Li Chuyang possessed.

This meant that among the current Ten Heroes Disciples, Lu Ren had already lost his chance for the Secondary Dragon Ascension. The same was true for Han Feng.

As for geniuses like Xiong Kun and Xie Zhan, their chances for a Secondary Dragon Ascension had been forfeit the moment they were knocked off the Ten Heroes List.

Next was Sun Tao. He also announced he was entering seclusion to attempt the Celestial Essence Realm. When that news got out, it made countless jaws drop.

Compared to Xu Yang, Sun Tao had been practically invisible in the Outer Sect. During the grand competition, he hadn’t placed in the top twenty, let alone the top three.

But after entering the Inner Sect, he had emerged as a dark horse, defying all expectations. Now, he was attempting his breakthrough to the Celestial Essence Realm alongside geniuses like Xu Yang, Li Chuyang, and Jiang Fan, as if he were their equal.

To put it in perspective, even Du Chuan had yet to begin his attempt.

In terms of resources and background, Du Chuan might have been a step below Li Chuyang and Jiang Fan, but he was certainly far above Sun Tao and Xu Yang. And yet, he was now falling behind them.

...

On Medicine King Peak, inside a training chamber in the Peak Master’s Hall, Qi Tai’s tightly shut eyes suddenly snapped open.

The next moment, the door to the training chamber opposite his slowly opened, and Qi Xuancheng emerged. His aura was unstable and his face was deathly pale.

He had failed. Again.

The backlash this time was even more severe than the last. Many of his meridians had ruptured, his head throbbed as if it would split, and his Heart Spirit was wounded.

"You let your fear get the better of you again," Qi Tai said, his voice flat and indifferent, as if he’d expected nothing less.

"Your grandson has failed you," Qi Xuancheng said, lowering his head in shame.

He had already opened the Gate of Heaven and Earth and could draw in the Power of Heaven and Earth to temper his body. But when it was time to face that power directly, he had faltered. He was terrified that the immense pressure would crush him to death, and so the foot he had taken forward, he had forcibly pulled back.

"A month ago, Zhang Hanzhou successfully broke through to the Celestial Essence Realm."

Qi Tai offered neither encouragement nor blame, simply stating the fact of Zhang Hanzhou’s breakthrough.

Qi Xuancheng was completely stunned. "How could he have succeeded?"

His first reaction was disbelief.

’Our talent levels are about the same. How could he succeed where I failed?’

Anger finally broke through Qi Tai’s placid expression. "You worthless fool! Do you dare question my words? Your talent is comparable to Zhang Hanzhou’s. Instead of wondering *why* he succeeded, you’re standing here doubting that he did?

"It seems my protection all these years has been your ruin. You have ambition, but you lack the courage to risk everything in a single gamble. That is the root of your failure."

Qi Xuancheng lowered his head in shame.

His entire cultivation journey had been paved for him; he never had to worry about resources, nor had he ever fought in a true life-or-death battle. When faced with a genuine crisis, he simply lacked the courage to risk it all.

"Li Chuyang, Jiang Fan, Xu Yang, and now Sun Tao have all begun their breakthroughs to the Celestial Essence Realm," Qi Tai said. "You’ve already been left behind by Zhang Hanzhou. Do you intend to be left behind by them, too?"

A look of utter disbelief crossed Qi Xuancheng’s face.

’When Xu Yang and the others were only at Marrow Cleansing Great Success, I was already at Marrow Cleansing Perfection. And now... they’re already attempting to break through to Celestial Essence?’

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