24: It’s just right to borrow your energy to build a foundation!

Rumble—!

The energy for the third round of Demon Suppression Baptism arrived!

This time, it wasn't a gradual increase like before; it was as if the Heavenly River had burst its banks, unleashing a torrent of violent energy that had been held back for an unknown duration! The commotion made the entire Baptism Altar hum and the ground tremble.

"Ah!"

"Help—!"

"I can't hold on! I can't hold on!"

Screams, wails, and desperate cries instantly erupted in unison.

The entire Land of Baptism, at this moment, truly became a human purgatory where energy raged unchecked.

The young people who had barely managed to hold on earlier were as fragile as paper in the face of this tangible energy flood.

Their protective spiritual lights popped one after another like soap bubbles.

Many were instantly struck, bleeding from all seven orifices, their bones fractured, and they collapsed into unconsciousness.

The light of life-saving jade talismans constantly lit up, and one figure after another was swept away by a gentle force, escaping this terrifying trial.

Even those top Geniuses who stood in the front, originally full of vigor, now wore solemn expressions, fully circulating their Cultivation Techniques, their bodies swaying precariously under the onslaught of the violent energy, clearly enduring immense pressure.

The number of people in the Land of Baptism sharply decreased.

In the corner where Li Dong was located, the intensity of the energy's rampage reached a terrifying level.

Chaotic and conflicting energies of various attributes converged, collided, and exploded here, forming an energy vortex that was more than ten times more dangerous than other places.

This is it!

Li Dong's heart suddenly leaped.

His experience points within him were already full, and his Body Tempering Realm Foundation was more solid than ever before, just a hair's breadth away from the barrier named "Foundation Establishment"!

He had originally planned to use the most violent energy impact of this third round to break through the pass in one go and step into a new Realm!

However, just as he was about to mobilize all his Qi and blood and guide the long-accumulated pure energy to assault the Bottleneck—

An unexpected change occurred!

An indescribably vast, chaotic torrent of energy, filled with pure destructive intent, erupted without warning from a hidden node on the Altar!

This energy was more than ten times more violent than the normal baptismal energy around it!

It carried a chilling, malicious aura, like an enraged venomous Dragon, twisting space and emitting a piercing roar, hurtling directly towards Li Dong's position—no, precisely towards the vital spot in Li Dong's chest!

Its speed was incredibly fast! Its power was enough to instantly tear apart an ordinary Foundation Establishment Stage - Early Phase Cultivator!

This was definitely not normal baptismal energy!

Within this torrent, there was a clear and unmistakable sense of targeting, and an undisguised malice—it was clearly meant to kill him!

This was a man-made, deadly attack! It utilized the Altar's own energy, then intensified and guided it through some means, turning it into a lethal move, hidden at the edge of the rules, capable of killing!

On the high platform.

Zhao Zhen's perpetually gloomy face finally twisted uncontrollably, revealing a hint of viciousness and a smug, sinister smile.

It worked!

He had indeed tampered with it. Relying on his partial control over the Altar as the deputy host, coupled with some undetectable catalysts he had secretly arranged beforehand, he seized the moment of the third round's energy eruption, when the entire area was most chaotic, and decisively detonated a chaotic energy node near Li Dong's area!

He wanted to create such a seemingly "accidental" energy rampage, an "accident" capable of completely crushing Li Dong, leaving no trace!

He refused to believe that under an impact of this intensity, specifically targeting a vital spot, Li Dong could still survive! Even if he didn't die, he would definitely be severely injured and on the verge of death, completely crippled!

"Zhao Zhen! How dare you?!"

Zhang Wu, who was nearby, noticed the abnormality of that energy almost immediately.

That destructive power, far exceeding normal limits, and its clear directedness, made him instantly understand what was happening!

He was furious, turning to glare at Zhao Zhen and rebuking him, his voice filled with unbelievable anger.

But he also knew in his heart that it was too late to say anything now. That torrent of energy had already shot out like an arrow from a bowstring, too fast, too close, with no time to stop it!

Zhang Wu could only watch helplessly as the destructive energy surged towards Li Dong, his heart filled with anxiety, yet powerless. He could only hope that Li Dong could create a miracle, or... crush his life-saving jade talisman.

Life and death hung in the balance!

Facing this sudden, deadly blow, Li Dong did not panic; instead, his half-closed eyes blazed with a terrifying, cold light.

Run? Hide?

Useless! This energy had already locked onto him!

Moreover, when had he, Li Dong, ever needed to run?!

"Good timing!"

Instead of retreating, Li Dong straightened his back, and the Qi and blood within him erupted with a roar!

He did not choose to crush the jade talisman to save his life, nor did he choose to use the resources accumulated by the System for pure defense.

He was going to make a bolder, crazier decision!

His Cultivation Technique was pushed to its limit!

All his muscles, bones, and Meridians hummed!

At the same time, his powerful Mental Energy surged out like a tide, no longer carefully "hunting" as before, but transforming into the core of a massive vortex!

More importantly, the massive amount of pure energy accumulated within him, converted from slain spirituality fragments, as well as the spirituality fragments that seemed to have gone dormant after being absorbed by the System, were all mobilized by Li Dong at this moment, without reservation!

What was he going to do?

He was going to use his own body as a battlefield and directly confront this deadly torrent!

No, not just confront it!

He was going to devour it!

He was going to use this "great gift" sent by Zhao Zhen as the final spark, the fiercest stepping stone, for his assault on the Foundation Establishment Realm!

"System alert! Detecting super-high-intensity lethal energy attack! Targeting Host's vital points! Recommend immediately activating highest-level defense or consuming all points to exchange for 'Absolute Protection' or choosing teleportation to escape!"

The System's warning sounded urgently in his mind, carrying an unprecedented sense of crisis.

But Li Dong ignored it!

Retreat? Why retreat?!

Consume resources for defense? Too wasteful!

He, Li Dong, insisted on carving out a path to survival in desperation! He insisted on turning this certain death situation into a ladder to ascend to the heavens!

"Merge for me!!!"

Li Dong let out a low roar, his voice almost drowned out by the violent energy's shriek.

He actively met the destructive energy torrent!

Boom—!!!

It was as if two meteorites collided head-on!

Unimaginable agony instantly swept through Li Dong's entire body! That chaotic energy, carrying a violent will to tear everything apart, surged madly into his body, impacting his Meridians, crushing his bones, and destroying his internal organs!

Pfft!

Li Dong violently spat out a large mouthful of blood, which even contained fragments of his internal organs. His body surface was instantly covered with dense bloodstains, and he became a blood-soaked man, his bones emitting a grating, teeth-aching groan, as if he would completely fall apart the next second.

Pain!

Heart-piercing, bone-chilling pain!

But Li Dong's will, at this moment, condensed to its peak!

He endured the pain of his body being torn apart, frantically circulating the Heavenly Pill Rifting Demon Seal, while simultaneously mobilizing his Mental Energy, attempting to guide and decompose this violent power.

However, this power was too strong, too chaotic! With his Body Tempering Great Perfection strength, even with the addition of his Cultivation Technique and Mental Energy, he could only barely slow down the speed of his body's collapse!

The Foundation Establishment Bottleneck, that sturdy barrier, began to vibrate violently under this terrifying pressure from both inside and out, yet it remained firm.

Could it be... that he was really going to fail?

Just as Li Dong felt his consciousness beginning to blur and his body approaching its limit—

Another anomaly occurred!

Those spirituality fragments that he had absorbed into his body and that had been continuously converted and stored by the System, at this moment, as if stimulated to an extreme degree, suddenly erupted with an unimaginable vitality full of life!

Buzz buzz buzz... countless tiny points of light lit up from various parts of Li Dong's body. They were no longer in the passive absorption state as before, but actively fused with the pure energy that had been initially decomposed by the Heavenly Pill Rifting Demon Seal but was still violent!

A majestic, vibrant new power, like a volcanic eruption, burst forth within Li Dong's body!

This power, on one hand, was like the gentlest rain, rapidly repairing Li Dong's nearly shattered body, nourishing his damaged Meridians and internal organs.

On the other hand, it transformed into the fiercest battering ram, carrying the initially subdued foreign energy torrent, as well as all of Li Dong's accumulated power, and slammed violently into that indestructible Foundation Establishment barrier!

Crack—!!!

A crisp roar, like the shattering of glazed glass, came not from the outside, but from the deepest part of Li Dong's body, from the level of his Soul, resounding forth!

That shackles that had plagued countless Body Tempering Realm Cultivators, representing the boundary between the mortal and the extraordinary—

It broke!

Foundation Establishment! Success!

A much more condensed and powerful aura, far exceeding the Body Tempering Realm, suddenly erupted from Li Dong's body! His body, under the cleansing of the new power, recovered at a visible speed, becoming even tougher, faintly emitting a jade-like luster.

At the same time, the deadly torrent that had surged into his body, a result of Zhao Zhen's treachery, lost its last ability to resist the moment Li Dong broke through to Foundation Establishment and his power level leaped.

It was completely disintegrated and crushed by Li Dong's newly born Foundation Establishment power, and then... like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, it was completely absorbed and transformed by the Heavenly Pill Rifting Demon Seal and those active spirituality fragments!

Not only did it fail to kill Li Dong, but it became the most crucial "nourishment" for his Foundation Establishment Breakthrough!

But that wasn't all!

While thoroughly refining this energy, Li Dong, relying on the powerful control brought by his recent Breakthrough, actually managed to forcefully intercept and reverse-control a part of the most violent and chaotic energy!

This portion of energy was re-condensed by him using the special techniques of the Heavenly Pill Rifting Demon Seal, like a boomerang steeped in potent poison, suddenly detaching from his body!

It did not dissipate into the surrounding baptismal energy, but instead, carrying the chaotic and violent aura of the Baptism Altar, and a trace of Li Dong's newly Breakthrough power with a mark of destruction, it cut through the sky, emitting a sharp whistle—

Its target was none other than Zhao Zhen, who was still on the high platform with a sinister and smug smile on his face!

"Deputy Host Zhao, this little 'gift' is a token of my disrespect, returning it to you!"

Li Dong's voice, slightly hoarse yet chillingly cold, clearly reached Zhao Zhen's ears.