264: Chapter 264: Preparing for a Breakthrough

The outskirts of the ruins.

On the grayish-black wasteland, Xiao Ran and Li Changsheng took advantage of their early arrival to quickly scavenge the area.

However, the good things on the outskirts were truly limited.

Xiao Ran climbed out of a cave, patted the dust off his body, and held a Jade Slip in his hand.

Sending his Divine Sense inside, he found it contained a Medium Grade Earth Rank Cultivation Technique, which was as useless as chicken ribs to him.

He sighed and put the Jade Slip into his Storage Ring.

A mosquito's leg is still meat; selling it to the Sect's Scripture Pavilion back home would still fetch some Spirit Stones.

Li Changsheng flew over from another direction, his expression also not looking very good.

"I've finished searching my side too. I only found two bottles of Nascent Soul Stage Medicinal Pills and a broken Low Grade Earth Rank sword."

The two looked at each other, both seeing the helplessness in the other's eyes.

"There's too little on the outskirts; it's simply not enough to look at."

Xiao Ran squatted on a rock and pulled a flask from his robe.

The liquor entered his throat, pungent with a hint of bitterness, much like his current mood.

Li Changsheng also leaned against a giant rock, arms crossed, gazing toward the golden light piercing the sky in the depths of the ruins.

There, the Body Integration Stage big shots were fighting over Mahayana Stage opportunities.

Void Refining Stage experts were exploring deeper in, while Soul Transformation Stage Cultivators were on the outskirts.

Although they were at the Peak Soul Transformation Stage, what they scavenged on the outskirts was just trash that others didn't want.

"We need to break through."

Li Changsheng suddenly said.

Xiao Ran looked at him.

"At the Peak Soul Transformation Stage, we can only pick up scraps on the outskirts; in the inner regions, we wouldn't even be able to protect our lives."

"If we want to get the truly good things, we must break through to the Void Refinement Stage."

Xiao Ran was silent for a moment, then nodded.

He had wanted to break through for a long time.

He had already stayed at the Peak Soul Transformation Stage for a full month and had absorbed quite a bit of tayin essence; he was only one step away from the Void Refinement Stage.

What he lacked was not accumulation, but a safe place and a quiet time.

"You're right, let's find a place to break through."

Xiao Ran stood up, put away his wine flask, and scanned the surrounding terrain.

"But we can't break through together. Two people breaking through at the same time creates too much of a commotion, which could easily attract the attention of the Yao Race and other factions."

"Separate, and find our own places."

Li Changsheng nodded.

"After the Breakthrough, we'll meet at the entrance to the inner ruins."

The two looked at each other, then went their separate ways.

Two streaks of light, one gray and one cyan, flew off in different directions.

The direction Xiao Ran chose was the southeast.

To the southeast was a collapsed mountain peak, and beneath it lay a massive cave.

He had seen that cave during his previous search; the entrance was blocked by rubble, and the inside was pitch black, emitting a decaying aura.

He hadn't entered then because there were clear traces of a Formation outside the cave.

It was a Restriction set by ancient Cultivators; although it was damaged, forcing an entry would take time.

He hadn't wanted to waste time, so he didn't go in.

Thinking about it now, that cave was actually a good place for secluded cultivation.

He landed before the collapsed peak, where the rubble was piled like a small hill.

Xiao Ran released his Yellow Spring Army, and over six hundred corpses moved the rubble in unison, clearing a path to the cave.

The passage was long and winding, with the rock walls on both sides covered in moss and vines.

A damp, musty smell permeated the air, mixed with an indescribable sour, rotten scent.

After walking for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the view suddenly opened up.

The interior of the cave was much larger than it appeared from the outside, spanning a full hundred feet.

The floor consisted of smooth stone slabs with dried bloodstains on them, left behind from who knows how many years ago.

Deep within the cave was a stone platform, and sitting cross-legged upon it was a withered skeleton.

The skeleton's robes had already rotted away, but the frame was perfectly preserved, with a faint spiritual light flowing over the bones.

From the looks of it, this person had been at least a Void Refinement Stage Cultivator during their life.

Xiao Ran walked up to the skeleton and cupped his hands.

"Senior, I'll be borrowing your place for a bit. Pardon the intrusion."

With a thought, the Yellow Spring Army formed a Formation at the cave entrance, with over six hundred corpses blocking the way tightly.

Xiao Ran then set up several more Restrictions around the cave.

These were Undead Restrictions learned from the Yellow Springs Legacy; though not top-tier, they were enough to isolate his aura and provide warning of external enemies.

With everything prepared, Xiao Ran sat cross-legged on the stone platform, closing his eyes to regulate his breathing.

The Guixu Vortex in his Dantian rotated slowly as taiyin essence surged out from his Dantian, flowing through his Meridians to his entire body.

His cultivation had already reached the limit of the Peak Soul Transformation Stage, and the spiritual energy in his Dantian was as thick as liquid.

With every rotation of the Guixu Vortex, the spiritual energy grew a fraction denser.

That invisible Bottleneck was like an iron wall, standing between Soul Transformation and Void Refining.

Xiao Ran took a deep breath, sank his Divine Sense into his Dantian, and began to charge at that Bottleneck.

...

On the other side.

The direction Li Changsheng chose was the northwest.

To the northwest was a dense forest of withered trees, and within the forest was a natural stone pit with a clear spring at the bottom.

The spring water was ice-cold, emitting a faint lunar radiance.

That was the taiyin essence left behind after the Moon Secret Realm shattered; it had condensed into liquid form, a hundred times denser than the taiyin essence in the air.

Li Changsheng landed before that withered forest; the woods were deathly silent.

There was no sound of insects or birds, only the rustling of the wind blowing through the dead branches.

He stepped into the forest, the dead leaves beneath his feet making a crisp cracking sound.

After walking for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, a stone pit appeared ahead.

The pit wasn't large, about three zhang in diameter and one zhang deep.

At the bottom was a clear spring, its water transparent to the very base.

The water's surface reflected that crimson sun in the sky, but the reflection was silver-white—eerie yet beautiful.

The spring water emitted a faint lunar radiance, and a cold, clear aura permeated the air.

Li Changsheng took a deep breath, feeling his Divine Soul tremble.

"A good place," he praised.

He took out the Moon Fairy jade pendant from his robe and suspended it above the stone pit.

The pendant lit up with a soft silver-white light, forming a barrier that enveloped the entire stone pit.

This was a Restriction left by Moon Fairy, capable of isolating his aura and resisting external enemies.

He removed his outer robe and stepped into the stone pit.

The spring water reached his knees, bone-chillingly cold.

However, his Innate Dao Embryo automatically operated, neutralizing the chill.

Li Changsheng sat cross-legged in the spring water, which reached just above his waist.

He closed his eyes and began to regulate his breathing.

In his Dantian, his Innate Dao Embryo resonated with Heaven and Earth.

His cultivation had also reached the limit of the Peak Soul Transformation Stage, just one step away from breaking through to Void Refining.

The taiyin essence in the spring water surged continuously into his body, flowing through his Meridians and gathering in his Dantian.

As time passed, Li Changsheng's aura began to rise slowly.

...

At this time.

In the deepest part of the ruins, that golden light piercing the sky was a massive palace.

The palace was entirely golden, emitting an ancient and majestic aura.

The palace doors were tightly shut, and carved upon them was a massive mural.

A person holding a long sword was fighting a Nine-Headed Giant Serpent.

That person's Sword Intent was incredibly sharp; even after ten thousand years, it still made City Lord Li Qingge feel a sense of dread.

The nine-headed serpent's Demonic Qi was also terrifyingly abnormal; even though it was just a painting, it caused Clan Leader Shi Tianba's mane to bristle involuntarily.

"This is... Li Qinglian?"