156: Kunpeng Breakthrough

At the foot of the Xu Jin Sword Vein.

Clang—

A bloody gash bloomed on his chest, and a True Disciple grunted, flying backward.

"Thank you, Senior Brother, for showing mercy..."

Liu Sheng's Flying Sword plunged into the ground, sparking, and slid for hundreds of feet before he stopped himself.

Gu Changsheng nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping around, causing several True Disciples to instantly change their expressions, fearing they would be chosen.

Didn't they see how someone like Yan Xing was now suffering from soul injuries, with his Comprehension Ability and foundation damaged? Half a year ago, he was beaten like a dead dog and successively stripped of his True Disciple position.

What's the point of risking their lives for a vague Sword Vein Revered Master?

"Senior Brother's cultivation is profound; he should rightfully be the Revered Master of this Sword Vein."

"That's right. Besides Senior Brother Li, there is no other candidate in our Shu Mountain."

"Excellent. Excellent."

The True Disciples all echoed in agreement.

Gu Changsheng nodded and said, "Since all of you Junior Brothers are so supportive, I shall take on the role of this Sword Vein Revered Master."

He ascended the steps, Sword Qi brushing past him, yet unable to harm him in the slightest. Instead, it continuously merged into his body, tempering his physique and transforming into Profound Cave power.

Upon reaching the mountainside, the Sword Qi was as dense as a raging fire.

Ordinary Inner Sect Disciples would find it difficult to move an inch.

Once their Qi was exhausted, they would be knocked down the mountain.

Gu Changsheng felt only a gentle breeze on his face, his steps steady.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he reached the summit.

Void Realm golden light swirled, and an ancient, simple green stone tablet appeared before him.

"Xu Jin..."

Gu Changsheng traced the stone tablet, murmuring the characters carved on the Sword Tablet.

Black Qi surged in, desperately refining it.

"So, the eight Sword Vein Mountains each have eight Sword Tablets, all of which are Spirit Treasures. When fused into one, they are comparable to a Dao Weapon.

Shu Mountain truly has impressive methods..."

At the same time, an inexplicable Sword Essence surged from the Sword Tablet, accelerating the operation of his cultivation method.

The speed was twice that of meditating and cultivating.

"No wonder these True Disciples fight to the death to contend for the Sword Vein Revered Master position.

Just the acceleration of cultivation by one fold, saving hundreds of years of arduous cultivation, is enough to drive people mad.

Not to mention, being within the Sword Vein's range also grants special combat power enhancements."

Gu Changsheng pondered for a moment.

It typically takes about two hundred years for an ordinary Dongxuan Realm Cultivator to advance to the Middle Stage of the Dongxuan Realm.

This is under circumstances with no Bottleneck at all.

For his supreme Nascent Soul, his magical power is ten times that of his peers, and the accumulation required is also ten times that of his peers.

To advance to the Middle Stage of the Dongxuan Realm, it would take at least two thousand years.

However, with the Sword Vein's power as an enhancement, it would shorten a thousand years of arduous cultivation out of thin air.

If coupled with the nine-pattern Spirit Pill to accelerate cultivation, advancing to the Middle Stage might not even take five hundred years.

"Presumably, other Sword Veins have similar effects. I wonder how fast cultivation would be if all eight tablets were combined, cultivating with the Dao Tablet..."

"However, what I have now is sufficient..."

...Time flew by, and twenty years passed in a blink of an eye.

Immortal Cave.

Within the light cover of the azure Formation.

A ten-foot-tall, pitch-black ape exploded.

The essence blood from its heart converged and fused, forming a blood bead the size of a finger, floating in the Void Realm.

Inside, Evil Qi faintly swirled, and the battle roars of Strange Beasts emanated.

Gu Changsheng waved his hand, and the blood bead floated onto his palm, a hint of joy in his eyes.

"After thirty years, I finally cultivated the Witch Race Bloodline externally..."

The Witch Race Priest Bloodline is incredibly rare.

Even with Ya Dan's heart blood extracted every six months, it was still not enough.

Especially as Gu Changsheng's soul foundation grew, strengthening his soul became increasingly difficult.

Originally, absorbing one strange spirit could strengthen his soul by a trace.

Now, he needed to devour ten to perceive even a slight change in his soul.

Unfortunately, the Human Race's method of transplanting the Witch Race Bloodline without depletion has yet to be found.

Gu Changsheng casually struck the blood bead into the body of a Witch Race Refined Corpse beside him. A strange spirit appeared in his palm, absorbed into his hand, and numerous Strange Beasts were born in his Soul Sea.

Eight-armed human-faced spiders, strange Kunpeng, thousand-legged turtle-backed strange insects... countless Strange Beasts churned in his Soul Sea.

Clang—

A dark Sword Glow slashed out, illuminating the Soul Sea.

The Strange Beasts scattered, transforming into pure Soul Power that merged into the Soul Sea.

However, aside from the Soul Power, a wisp of gray mist hovered above the Soul Sea, filled with intense resentment and hatred, like a maggot in the bone, difficult to remove.

Gu Changsheng frowned slightly: "Indeed, the strange spirit's method of strengthening the soul has drawbacks.

Even after killing the Strange Beasts, a trace of their dying resentment will remain in the Soul Sea, polluting it..."

When killing one Strange Beast and absorbing its Soul Power, that trace of resentment was almost imperceptible.

But as the number increased, that wisp of gray resentment gradually merged, forming an indescribable tumor.

"Among all methods to soothe and purify the soul, Forgetfulness River is paramount.

It's time to find a way to retrieve this Spirit Treasure."

Gu Changsheng's eyes flickered, and a map of Forgetfulness River's location appeared in his mind.

However, the journey was long, and he had once divined that retrieving Forgetfulness River required a special opportunity, which was why he had not yet set off.

Xu Jin Sword Vein Mountain.

Bang, bang, bang—

A petite girl in a black close-fitting outfit punched and kicked, sending a group of Shu Mountain Disciples scrambling, clutching their heads, covered in bumps.

"Senior Sister, be gentle. Don't ruin my face... I, Le Xiaoyao, still rely on this handsome face to make a living."

Among the crowd, a roguish Shu Mountain Disciple, even with one eye bruised, didn't forget to joke, exuding a rascally aura.

"Alright, Xiao Lezi, I see you're asking for a beating again.

Take this!"

Qian Ya feigned anger, raising her fist high.

Soon, the air echoed with the screams of the crowd.

After stretching her muscles, Qian Ya tiptoed back to her Immortal Cave, where a figure appeared behind her.

"Qian Ya."

One sentence startled Qian Ya, who quickly turned around and forced a smile: "Revered Master..."

Ten years ago, Gu Changsheng released Qian Ya from the Immortal Cave World and personally tutored her.

On the other hand, it was also convenient for him to secretly study the Supreme Bone.

Who would have thought that one day Qian Ya would run out of the Immortal Cave and play around with the newly recruited Shu Mountain Disciples?

Fortunately, with a Magic Treasure that concealed her aura, her Witch Race Bloodline was not exposed.

As a last resort, Gu Changsheng stepped forward and publicly announced that Qian Ya was his Great Disciple.

Qian Ya was indeed exceptionally talented, especially in the Dao of the Sword Physique.

She surpassed all the Shu Mountain Cultivators.

Ten years had passed in a flash.

"Your cultivation is too weak. Do you know what would happen if you were exposed?"

Gu Changsheng's voice was cold, repeating a familiar admonition.

Qian Ya's small face wrinkled, and she skillfully recited: "Once my identity as an alien race and my hidden Supreme Bone are discovered, it will certainly attract the covetousness of others.

They will dig out my Supreme Bone, refine my Bloodline, and make my life worse than death."

"It's good that you know.

This time, I'll punish you by not allowing you to leave for a month, and you must reflect on your mistakes facing the wall."

"Yes..." Qian Ya said with a long, drawn-out, mournful face.

Just then.

From the depths of the Immortal Cave, a vast aura emanated.

Screech—

A shriek echoed, like a primordial beast, shaking the Void Realm and causing ripples.

Fortunately, Gu Changsheng quickly cast a magic spell to stabilize the Formation, otherwise the Formation would have been broken.

A moment later.

A figure walked out, his face identical to Gu Changsheng's, his entire body boiling with Demonic Qi.

This was the Kunpeng Avatar, who had just broken through to the Dongxuan Realm.

"Main body..."

"Finally broke through... worthy of being a Demon Saint Bloodline."

Gu Changsheng murmured, then his gaze sharpened, he calculated with his fingers, and a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes.

"The Forgetfulness River is dry, the blood moon appears, and Yellow Springs reveals itself... I need you to quickly go to the far west and retrieve the Forgetfulness River for me."

"Alright."

...Somewhere in the far west.

A beautiful woman in white closed her eyes, her aura surging like waves.

Suddenly, her beautiful eyes opened, and a phantom of Yellow Springs appeared in her pupils.

Her aura, like a breached river, surged and broke through to the Dongxuan Realm.

Xuan Xin smiled slightly, stretching her body: "Is this the Dongxuan Realm...?"

Suddenly, a wisp of a ghost shot out from her shoulder, transforming into a ferocious evil spirit and attacking.

"Hehehe, Xuan Xin, I, Granny, have raised you for many years; it's time for you to repay me..."

"Crack... crunch."

The Profound Yellow Sword Qi sliced through, and the evil spirit was cut in two, its soul Qi continuously dissipating, and a look of astonishment appeared on its ferocious face.

Xuan Xin's eyes showed a hint of mockery: "Did you think I never noticed your existence...? 'That one' from Yellow Springs Mountain."

"You..." The evil spirit's phantom revealed a female figure, terrifyingly ferocious.

"Now I have broken through to the Dongxuan Realm.

I no longer need you at all..."

Boom—

The Yellow Springs Underworld Lotus bloomed, and hundreds of Sword Qi shot out, causing the evil spirit's phantom to dissipate, transforming into a dense mist that surged into Xuan Xin's mind.

A few residual fragments merged into her mind.

After a long while, Xuan Xin opened her eyes, her aura subtly changed, but a smile played on her lips, "Forgetfulness River..."