173: Chapter 173 Breaking Through to True Martial Realm

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

On the morning of the third day, just as the horizon began to whiten, Ye Tian finished his meditation and walked out of the courtyard.

He had changed into a clean set of azure robes; his injuries were mostly healed, his Aura was steady, and his eyes were clear.

Following the location Elder Zhao Wuji had provided beforehand, he arrived at the entrance of a valley on the edge of the inner Sect area.

The place was shrouded in mist, and the Spiritual Qi was several times denser than in the Outer Sect. At the valley entrance, a powerful Restriction light screen flowed, and two Inner Sect Deacons with deep Auras stood guard solemnly; it was clearly a restricted area.

When Ye Tian arrived, he found that Lei Zhen and Luo Qiushui were already waiting there.

Lei Zhen was still in his purple robes, standing with his hands behind his back. His Aura was as heavy as a mountain, a sharp light flickered in his eyes as he blinked, and his cultivation had become even more unfathomable.

Luo Qiushui was dressed in white, as cold and aloof as ever. She stood quietly to the side, seemingly merging with the surrounding mist, her Aura ethereal and hard to gauge.

"Senior Brother Lei, Senior Sister Luo."

Ye Tian took a few steps forward and cupped his hands in greeting.

Facing these two top prodigies of the Outer Sect, he maintained the respect they were due.

Lei Zhen turned his head to look at Ye Tian, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes as he nodded slightly. "Junior Brother Ye."

His words were concise, yet without a hint of arrogance.

Luo Qiushui also just gave a cold nod in response, saying nothing more.

As her gaze swept over Ye Tian, it seemed to linger on him for a split second. Deep in her eyes, there was a trace of scrutiny that was extremely difficult to detect, which then quickly returned to being as calm as an ancient well.

Ye Tian didn't mind this, knowing well that this was just how their personalities were.

He stood quietly to the side, waiting patiently.

There was not much communication between the three, and the atmosphere was somewhat silent.

Before long, a majestic figure quietly appeared at the valley entrance; it was indeed the Outer Sect Elder Zhao Wuji.

His gaze swept over the three of them, and a look of satisfaction appeared in his eyes. "The time has come. Follow me."

With that, he flicked his sleeve, and a token shot into the Restriction light screen.

Ripples spread across the light screen, revealing a passage.

Zhao Wuji stepped in first, with Ye Tian and the other two following closely behind.

As soon as they stepped into the valley, dense Spiritual Qi rushed toward them, almost condensing into a physical substance!

The valley wasn't large; in the center was a pool about ten zhang square.

The pool water displayed a dreamlike seven-colored glaze, flowing slowly and emitting a dense, rising seven-colored radiance!

The surface of the pool was as smooth as a mirror, yet it seemed bottomless.

Most strangely, a foot above the water, a thin, nearly transparent layer of glazed-colored flames hovered, burning silently but emitting a strange ripple that tempered the Divine Soul.

It was exactly that rare "Glazed Pure Heart Flame"!

The entire valley was silent, save for the faint sound of the pool water flowing slowly.

An atmosphere that involuntarily calmed the mind permeated the surroundings.

This was the Liuli Xuan Sect's cultivation Holy Land—the Liuxin Pool!

"Hiss... Such dense Spiritual Qi! This pool water..."

Ye Tian was secretly shocked; he could feel that the purity of the Spiritual Qi here was over a hundred times that of the outside world!

Furthermore, it contained a peculiar vitality and purifying power.

The Glazed Pure Heart Flame made his Divine Sense clear and instantly dispelled all distracting thoughts.

A burning light also erupted in Lei Zhen's eyes; he was clearly extremely satisfied with this place.

A ripple also flashed through Luo Qiushui's cold eyes.

Elder Zhao Wuji said solemnly, "This place is the Liuxin Pool.

The spirit liquid in the pool is the gathered essence of the earth veins over ten thousand years, containing endless vitality and Spiritual Qi. The Glazed Pure Heart Flame above can temper the Divine Soul.

Cultivating here for one day is comparable to months of hard cultivation outside!

The three of you must cherish this Opportunity and strike at your Bottlenecks with all your might. Do not fail the high expectations of the Sect!"

He looked at the three of them, his gaze finally lingering on Ye Tian for a moment as he said meaningfully, "During your cultivation, you must not interfere with each other; absorb according to your own abilities.

How much fortune you can obtain depends on your own Foundations and fate.

Now, enter the pool!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Lei Zhen acted first. With a flash of his figure, he landed in the pool, sat cross-legged near the center, closed his eyes to concentrate, and instantly entered a cultivation state. The pores all over his body opened as he began to absorb the spirit liquid from the pool!

Purple-gold True Yuan light radiated from his body, with the faint sound of thunder booming; his Aura was astonishing.

Luo Qiushui was not to be outdone either. She slid into the pool and sat down in a slightly off-center spot where the Spiritual Qi was still dense.

As she operated her Cultivation Technique, a hazy watery light appeared around her, reflecting off the glazed pool water. Although her method of absorbing the spirit liquid was not as overbearing as Lei Zhen's, it was more continuous and delicate, and her efficiency was not low.

Ye Tian took a deep breath, suppressed the excitement in his heart, and also stepped into the pool.

The pool water was slightly cool; the moment it touched his skin, the majestic spirit liquid surged into his body through his pores as if it were alive!

He didn't dare to be careless and immediately sat cross-legged on the other side, near Lei Zhen, fully operating the Star Qi Induction Art!

"Boom!"

Once the technique was activated, the chaos bead within his Dantian emitted a devouring force!

Combined with his initially forged Five Elements Sword Body, his absorption speed of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi reached a terrifying level!

In an instant, with him as the center, the pool water actually formed a small whirlpool!

A massive amount of seven-colored spirit liquid surged frantically into his body at a speed far exceeding that of Lei Zhen and Luo Qiushui!

It even drew a wisp from the layer of Glazed Pure Heart Flame above, which wrapped around his body and seeped into his Sea of Consciousness!

This scene caused Elder Zhao Wuji, who was standing guard nearby, to narrow his eyes as a flash of uncontrollable shock crossed them. "This boy... his absorption speed is actually this terrifying?

It far exceeds Lei Zhen's!

What... what kind of Physique and Cultivation Technique is this?"

Lei Zhen and Luo Qiushui also sensed it almost simultaneously. They opened their eyes in surprise to glance at Ye Tian, and especially upon feeling that terrifying speed of Spiritual Qi convergence, a trace of disbelief flashed through both of their eyes. They then quickly closed them again, focusing even more intensely on their cultivation.

Now was not the time for calculations; in the face of an Opportunity, it was every person for themselves!

On the first day, Ye Tian was completely focused, guiding the spirit liquid as it surged through his Meridians.

The spirit liquid not only contained terrifying Spiritual Qi but also a gentle force of vitality, nourishing the internal injuries left over from his previous battles and widening and strengthening his Meridians.

The Glazed Pure Heart Flame burned his Divine Sense, removing distracting thoughts and making his mind clearer and more tranquil than ever before.

His cultivation, which had been stable at the Middle Stage of the tenth level of Ningyuan, was now rising rapidly like a rocket!

Middle Stage Peak... Late Stage... Late Stage Peak...

"Crack!"

His Aura suddenly surged, and five-colored radiance flowed around his body!

Peak of the tenth level of Ningyuan!

One day's work was comparable to several years of hard cultivation for an ordinary person!

Luo Qiushui's Aura also became increasingly ethereal and sharp, with Sword Intent faintly appearing. She had reached the ultimate limit of the tenth level of Ningyuan, only a hair's breadth away from the Half-step True Martial realm, but she only had one day.

After her time was up, she didn't leave. Instead, she stepped out of the spirit pool and sat to the side to consolidate her cultivation while keeping an eye on Lei Zhen and Ye Tian's cultivation status.

On the second day, Ye Tian continued his frantic absorption.

After his cultivation reached the tenth level Peak, the speed of his improvement slowed slightly, but it was still astonishing.

He began to use more of the spirit liquid and the energy from that wisp of Heart-Purifying Flame to temper his True Yuan and consolidate his Foundation. At the same time, he guided part of the energy to nourish his nascent Five Elements Sword Intent seed and attempted to break through the barrier to the True Martial Realm!

His True Yuan was compressed and purified over and over again, becoming more condensed and heavy, carrying a faint five-colored luster.

His Dantian Qi Sea continued to expand, and the True Yuan lake gradually showed a tendency to transform into a True Yuan whirlpool!

This was the precursor to condensing a "true martial core"!

His Aura continued to accumulate above the Peak, getting closer and closer to a certain critical point!

He had already touched that barrier!

Half-step True Martial realm!

Meanwhile, a strong purple-gold light suddenly erupted from Lei Zhen's body, and an Aura far more majestic than the Ningyuan Realm, carrying a hint of Martial Intent, soared into the sky!

He snapped his eyes open, lightning flickering within them!

He had successfully broken through to the True Martial Realm!

One step faster than Ye Tian!

He had a deep Foundation and had long been at Half-step True Martial; this time, his accumulation paid off, and the Breakthrough came naturally!

After watching Ye Tian frantically absorb Spiritual Qi for a night, Lei Zhen slowly walked out of the pool and also chose a spot to sit cross-legged. Finally, Ye Tian was the only one left in the pool.

On the third day, when Ye Tian's time was almost up, he pushed his absorption efficiency to the limit. The chaos bead resonated with the Five Elements Sword Body, and the speed at which he devoured the spirit liquid showed no signs of slowing down!

He submerged his entire mind into his body, guiding the vast energy to strike at the True Martial barrier again and again!

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Thunderous booms echoed continuously within his body!

The barrier shook violently, and cracks began to appear!

Just as the three-day time limit was about to expire...

"Break for me!"

Ye Tian let out a roar in his heart!

He turned all the energy accumulated over the three days into one final strike and slammed it fiercely against the barrier!

"Boom!"

The solid barrier shattered at the impact!

In an instant, a dazzling five-colored radiance erupted from all over Ye Tian's body!

A majestic Aura, far more vast than the Ningyuan Realm and carrying a hint of the world's laws, exploded forth!

The True Yuan lake in his Dantian completely vanished, transforming into a True Yuan whirlpool emitting five-colored light; the prototype of a true martial core had been formed!

First Heavenly Layer of the True Martial Realm!

Lei Zhen looked at Ye Tian, the Battle Intent in his eyes growing even stronger, as if he couldn't wait to test Ye Tian's strength after reaching the True Martial Realm.

A flash of regret crossed Luo Qiushui's cold face, but she quickly regained her composure and bowed to Elder Zhao Wuji, who was nodding slightly.

Elder Zhao Wuji looked at the powerful Auras of Ye Tian and Lei Zhen, as well as Luo Qiushui, who was only half a step away from the True Martial Realm, and an irrepressible smile of relief appeared on his face. "Good! Good! Good!"

"In three days, two have stepped into the True Martial Realm, and one has reached the ultimate limit of the tenth level of Ningyuan!"

"None of you have failed the Sect's expectations!"

The three of them looked at each other, all seeing a surge of Battle Intent in one another's eyes!