37: Collective Breakthrough and the Closure of the Ancient Ruins

Inside the cave, the corpses of the two White Jade Pythons still held a lingering warmth, while the eyes of The core five people from D-7 Courtyard were all focused on the thin layer of jade marrow spirit milk in the stone mortar, which emitted a dreamlike halo.

Shedding one's mortal body and exchanging one's bones! This was an Opportunity that all low-level Cultivators dreamed of!

"Brothers, we shouldn't stay here for long. We must absorb this spirit milk as quickly as possible to increase our strength!" Wen Youyi suppressed his excitement and analyzed calmly. "Chen Jian and his group are likely still searching outside; we must seize this window of time."

He carefully divided the jade marrow spirit milk in the stone mortar into five equal portions, with each person receiving about three or four drops. Although it wasn't much, the pure energy contained within was enough to cause a qualitative change in them.

"Absorb it right here within the Star Domain!" Wen Youyi deployed a pale silver light shield to seal the cave entrance, creating the safest environment with the purest Spiritual Qi. "The energy of the spirit milk is massive, and the process might be painful. Everyone, be sure to guard your minds, follow the Inner Network to circulate and guide the medicinal power, and look out for each other!"

The core five people sat cross-legged in a circle, placing their hands on each other's shoulders once again to push the Inner Network to its limit, then unhesitatingly swallowed their portions of the jade marrow spirit milk.

When the spirit milk entered their stomachs, it initially felt like drinking from a sweet spring, cool and refreshing. But after just a few breaths, a surge of energy as vast as a tsunami erupted!

"Ugh!"

Zhao Iron Pillar was the first to let out a muffled groan. His bronze-colored skin instantly turned bright red, and his veins bulged as if countless small mice were scurrying under his skin! The massive energy rampaged through his strong but coarse Meridians, bringing a tearing, intense pain.

Wang Wu, Senior Brother Li, and Senior Brother Zhang also had distorted faces and were trembling all over, clearly enduring immense pain. Their Aptitude was not much better than Zhao Iron Pillar's, and their Meridians were similarly narrow and fragile. At this moment, they felt like riverbeds being forcibly widened, causing unbearable agony.

Wen Youyi was also suffering, but his powerful Mental Energy and the stable starlight emitted by the star core fragment in his Sea of Consciousness allowed him to remain clear-headed. Enduring the pain of his swelling Meridians, he fully operated the Inner Network, guiding the spiritual power of the five people to form a larger and more complex cycle. Like a mutual-aid network, it shared everyone's pressure, guiding the violent medicinal power to wash through their respective Meridians, temper their flesh and blood, and nourish their Divine Souls.

Pain and transformation coexisted!

Under the protection of the Star Domain and the mutual assistance of the Inner Network, The core five people stubbornly endured this initial surge. As time passed, the sharp pain gradually turned into a numb itchiness, followed by an indescribable sense of comfort.

They could clearly see through "internal vision" that their Meridians were becoming wider and tougher through the process of breaking and reshaping. The Qi Sea in their Dantians was expanding frantically, and their spiritual power was becoming more pure and condensed! Impurities in their flesh were expelled from their bodies, forming a layer of grayish-black filth. Their Divine Souls grew stronger under the nourishment of the spirit milk, and their perception became increasingly sharp.

This was a comprehensive, transformative upgrade!

After an unknown amount of time, when the last bit of the spirit milk's medicinal power was completely absorbed, The core five people opened their eyes almost simultaneously!

A sharp light flickered in their eyes, and their auras were worlds apart from before!

Zhao Iron Pillar stood up abruptly, feeling the surging, powerful strength within him that was several times greater than before. He couldn't help but throw a punch at the nearby rock wall!

"Boom!"

Without using any spiritual power, purely through the strength of his flesh, he actually left a clear fist print on the hard rock wall!

"Qi Refining Third Layer! I've broken through to the Qi Refining Third Layer! And I feel like my strength has increased several times over!" Zhao Iron Pillar roared with excitement.

Wang Wu, Senior Brother Li, and Senior Brother Zhang also sensed their own conditions, and each of them showed wild joy!

"Qi Refining Third Layer Peak! I'm only one step away from breaking through to the fourth layer!"

"Me too! My spiritual power is so much thicker than before!"

"The range my Divine Sense can probe has also more than doubled!"

As for Wen Youyi, he felt the pure, ceaseless spiritual power flowing like a small stream within him, along with a Dantian Qi Sea that had expanded several times and a Divine Soul that had nearly doubled in strength. A satisfied smile appeared on his face.

Qi Refining Fourth Layer!

With the help of the jade marrow spirit milk and the mutual aid of the Inner Network, he successfully broke through to the Qi Refining Fourth Layer! Moreover, his Foundation was laid incredibly solidly, and the purity of his spiritual power far exceeded those of the same level!

More importantly, he felt that his control over the Star Domain and the Inner Network had also reached a new level. Now, maintaining the Domain would be easier, and its range might even be expanded.

A single dose of spirit milk had caused a world-shaking change in the entire team's strength! From the original bottom of the Outer Sect, they had jumped to become the best among the Outer Sect Disciples! Although their cultivation wasn't yet at the top, combined with their unique Star Domain and teamwork, they were strong enough to contend with any Late Stage Qi Refining team!

"Haha! Let's see if that Chen Jian dares to be arrogant now! I can flatten him with one punch!" Zhao Iron Pillar's confidence was bursting.

Wen Youyi smiled and was about to speak when suddenly, the entire Ancient Ruins space shook violently! An invisible, grand repulsive force came from all directions!

At the same time, the Ancient Ruins qualification tokens in everyone's possession flew out automatically, hovering in the air and emitting a strong teleportation light!

"The Ancient Ruins are closing!" Wang Wu cried out.

The one-month time limit was up; the exit was about to open, and all survivors would be forced to teleport out!

Wen Youyi's expression turned solemn. He quickly hid the star core fragment close to his body (the Domain retracted accordingly) and barked, "Quick! Pack up and get ready to leave!"

They quickly gathered all the valuable Materials from the two White Jade Pythons (python skin, single horns, snake galls). These were all good Materials for Artifact Refining and Alchemy.

The light grew brighter and brighter, and the repulsive force of the space became stronger.

"Brothers," Wen Youyi said in a deep voice, looking at the four companions who had experienced life and death and grown together by his side. "Once we're out, the situation will change, and our enemies will be in the dark while we are in the open. Remember, hide your true strength! Until we are strong enough, the Star Domain and the star core fragment are our biggest trump cards and must never be exposed!"

"Understood!" The four nodded solemnly.

In the next moment, an intense white light swallowed everything!

The sensation of the world spinning returned once again.

When The core five people felt solid ground beneath their feet and once again sensed the (relatively) fresh air and normal Spiritual Qi of the outside world, they had already returned to the edge of the crater at the entrance of the Ancient Ruins.

White lights flickered continuously around them as Cultivators were teleported out one by one. Some were happy, some were sad, and some would remain in that broken land forever.

Wen Youyi scanned the area and soon saw Chen Jian, whose face was livid as he led his defeated remnants, as well as the Five Elements Courtyard and Lin Feng, whose deep auras made it impossible to tell their emotions.

Their gazes also instantly locked onto Wen Youyi's group of five. Especially when they sensed their significantly strengthened auras, they showed surprise, suspicion, and undisguised killing intent!

Wen Youyi met those gazes calmly, sneering in his heart.

The journey to the Ancient Ruins was over, but the real storm was just beginning.

He led Zhao Iron Pillar and the other three, ignoring those malicious stares, and walked with his head held high toward the Qingxuan Sect's jade boat.

The era belonging to D-7 Courtyard was about to arrive!

(End of Chapter)