489: Chapter 489 He broke through already? Are you kidding me?

Xiao Nianyin took a deep breath, suppressing the distracting thoughts in her heart.

Now was not the time to think about such things.

She had to act as a Protector and ensure Xu Ruyu's safety.

She had to be completely focused and could not afford the slightest distraction.

Just then, she sensed a massive wave of energy coming from behind her.

That fluctuation did not emanate from within Xu Ruyu, but from the air itself.

The surrounding air began to flow, moving faster and faster, eventually forming a massive vortex that spiraled frantically with Xu Ruyu at its center.

Xiao Nianyin spun around suddenly and witnessed a scene she would never forget for the rest of her life.

Above Xu Ruyu's head, a huge vortex was forming.

The vortex was dozens of zhang in diameter, rotating slowly and continuously drawing in the surrounding air.

In the air, countless tiny specks of light began to appear, dancing like fireflies before being sucked into the vortex and flooding into Xu Ruyu's body.

The specks of light grew more numerous and dense, eventually forming streams of light that converged from all directions and merged into Xu Ruyu's body.

Xu Ruyu's body began to glow.

The light was soft and warm, like the rising morning sun or a hearth fire in winter.

The light flowed over the surface of his body, from the top of his head to the soles of his feet, from his arms to his fingertips, enveloping him completely in a silver-white radiance.

Xiao Nianyin stared, dumbstruck.

She had lived for hundreds of years and had witnessed countless Cultivator Breakthroughs.

Golden Core breaking through to Nascent Soul, Nascent Soul to Soul Transformation, Soul Transformation to Void Refining—every Breakthrough was accompanied by earth-shattering phenomena.

Thunder roared, winds and clouds changed color, and the world itself trembled.

The Heavenly Tribulation would descend, thousands of lightning bolts would strike from above, and those Undergoing Tribulation faced a nine-in-ten chance of death.

She had experienced those Breakthroughs herself, and each time it was like walking through the gates of hell.

But Xu Ruyu's Breakthrough was completely different.

There was no thunder, no winds and clouds, and no world-shaking phenomena.

There was only the flowing air, the dancing specks of light, and an indescribable sense of tranquility and peace.

This tranquility did not feel like a Breakthrough; it felt more like a person quietly breathing and sensing the world.

This peace did not feel like enduring a Heavenly Tribulation; it felt like a child sleeping soundly in their mother's arms.

Yet the intensity of that energy fluctuation far exceeded any Breakthrough she had ever seen.

That massive energy was as vast as the ocean and as deep as the starry sky, making even her, a Half-step Saint Realm Cultivator, feel a palpitation of the heart.

She could sense that every single speck of light pouring into Xu Ruyu's body contained pure energy, and there were billions of such specks.

Xu Ruyu's aura began to climb.

Qi Refinement Stage, thirty-eighth level.

Xiao Nianyin held her breath.

She knew that for every level Xu Ruyu added to his Qi Refinement Stage, his strength was equivalent to ascending a minor Realm.

Thirty-ninth level.

Fortieth level.

Forty-first level.

Forty-second level.

The speed at which his aura climbed grew faster and faster, like a wild horse breaking its reins, like a bursting flood, unstoppable.

Forty-third level.

Forty-fourth level.

Forty-fifth level.

Xiao Nianyin's pupils constricted sharply.

She remembered Xu Ruyu saying that his Cultivation was obscured by the Heavenly Dao; on the surface, he was only at the Qi Refinement Stage, but in reality, he was already equivalent to the Early Saint Realm.

At this moment, his Qi Refinement Stage level was constantly increasing, which meant his strength was also constantly rising.

Forty-sixth level.

Forty-seventh level.

Forty-eighth level.

Forty-ninth level.

The aura finally stabilized.

Xu Ruyu opened his eyes, and a flash of silver-white light darted through them.

The light vanished in an instant, and his eyes returned to their normal color.

A faint smile played on his face, and he looked relaxed and satisfied, as if he hadn't just undergone a Breakthrough, but had simply taken a nap.

Xiao Nianyin stood where she was, silent for a long time.

She looked at Xu Ruyu, her eyes filled with disbelief.

She had lived for hundreds of years, seen countless Geniuses and countless Prodigies, but she had never seen a Breakthrough like this.

No Heavenly Tribulation, no phenomena, only the air flowing and the specks of light dancing.

How could this be a Breakthrough? This was clearly child's play!

Yet, the change in that aura was real.

Xu Ruyu's aura was several times stronger than before.

That strength was not an accumulation of quantity, but a leap in quality.

If he had been a sharp sword before, he was now a towering mountain—steady, heavy, and unshakable.

"You..." Xiao Nianyin finally found her voice, which trembled slightly. "You... just like that? You've broken through?"

Xu Ruyu stood up and stretched his muscles and bones.

He twisted his neck, swung his arms, and kicked his legs, producing "crack, crack" sounds.

His movements were casual, just like someone who had just woken up and was stretching.

"Yeah," he said with a laugh, revealing a set of white teeth. "I told you it would be quick. How about that? I didn't lie to you, did I?"

Xiao Nianyin opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but she didn't know what to say.

Her mind was a mess, with countless thoughts surging, but none could take shape.

"You..." She took a deep breath, trying hard to calm herself down. "What Realm are you at now?"

Xu Ruyu thought for a moment, held up four fingers, then nine fingers, and then said, "Qi Refinement Stage, forty-ninth level.

If you convert it, it's roughly equivalent to the Peak of the Mid-Stage Saint Realm.

If I go a little further, I'll be able to reach the Late Stage Saint Realm."

Peak of the Mid-Stage Saint Realm.