About half an hour later, Ling Xiao felt his mental and physical states return to their peak.
He slowly opened his eyes, glanced at the twenty Tianmai Pills in the porcelain bottle, and casually popped one into his mouth.
Though he believed he could handle swallowing all twenty at once, his cautious nature preferred a gradual approach.
Taking them one by one would make absorption easier.
…
In the Holy City, at Yuehua Sect’s residence, a hazy mist enveloped the area.
Ordinary warriors sensed nothing unusual about it.
Only Sikong Zun, the Tianwang Sect leader with Yin-Yang Realm cultivation, and the Holy Emperor faintly perceived the mist’s fearsome nature.
It severed the space from the outside world.
“Is that Yuehua Sect kid breaking through?” Sikong Zun asked, frowning.
“Perhaps, but even if he reaches the Heaven-Human Realm, a mere First Heaven warrior can’t threaten our plans,” the Holy Emperor said calmly.
“True. Holy Son Mingkong reached First Heaven three months ago, unbeknownst to others. She’s more than enough to deal with him,” Sikong Zun replied.
The Holy Son, Ji Mingkong, was already a Heaven-Human Realm warrior when she went to Yuehua Sect to seek justice for Chen Nanxing.
A special treasure from Sikong Zun had concealed her strength.
That’s why Ji Mingkong dared to bet against Ling Xiao.
She didn’t believe Ling Xiao could reach the Heaven-Human Realm so quickly.
In Ling Xiao’s room, auspicious energy swirled ceaselessly.
He swallowed another Tianmai Pill, the tenth, its wondrous fragrance filling the room, tantalising.
As the tenth pill dissolved in his stomach, a warm sensation spread, transforming into pure, abundant energy that surged through his body.
Ling Xiao’s body trembled.
“It’s time to break through,” he said calmly, his hands moving swiftly to channel the energy.
His initially heaving chest steadied, becoming rhythmic and calm.
His True Essence Power, like a divine dragon, seized the pill’s refined energy, rapidly assimilating it.
The small room’s atmosphere grew turbulent.
Despite sealed windows and doors, a fierce wind whipped up, composed of pure energy.
Trapped by the barrier, the energy couldn’t escape and was fully absorbed by Ling Xiao.
True Essence Power, Tianyuan Power, and the pill’s energy clashed, each vying for dominance.
Ling Xiao’s brow furrowed slightly as the chaotic battle within caused visceral pain, like his organs were being torn apart.
Fortunately, his body, tempered since the Martial Vein Realm, had robust organs and meridians.
His newly formed Tianmai prototype was as resilient as that of a Heaven-Human Realm warrior.
Though painful, it caused no harm.
After a fierce struggle, the initially weaker Tianyuan Power gained the upper hand, enveloping and absorbing the True Essence and pill energy.
Ling Xiao’s Tianyuan Power grew visibly, a sight that both amazed and worried Lady Yue in the sky.
She was astonished at how quickly he progressed, already reaching the Complete Stage Tianmai Warrior level.
But she worried about the strain such rapid growth placed on his body.
As the refining continued and the pill’s energy waned, Ling Xiao swallowed another Tianmai Pill, boosting the energy again.
To absorb it, his Tianyuan Power had to strengthen further.
By the fifteenth pill, nearly seventy percent of his energy was Tianyuan Power, far exceeding his expectations.
With stronger Tianyuan Power, absorbing the pill’s energy became harder.
So, Ling Xiao swallowed the final five pills at once.
The surge in energy nearly overwhelmed his Tianyuan Power, forcing it to fight back fiercely.
“He’s already at the Breakthrough Stage Tianmai Warrior level. How is he so fast? Ling Xiao, you can’t let this energy keep rising, or your body will burst,” Lady Yue warned urgently through a mental transmission.
Her voice warmed Ling Xiao’s heart, nearly fainting from pain.
Having his beloved by his side in this critical moment meant he’d have no regrets, even if he died.
But he couldn’t die yet.
“Don’t worry, Sister Yue. I’ll use this chance to break through to the Heaven-Human Realm and fully form my Tianmai,” he replied.
Ling Xiao wasn’t reckless. He’d prepared for this when he swallowed the five pills.
The Tianmai Warrior stage was a transitional phase for accumulating energy for the Heaven-Human Realm.
The breakthrough would be smooth, not abrupt, posing no burden to his body, already accustomed to Tianyuan Power.
“You bold kid. Break through with confidence. With me here, you won’t die,” Lady Yue said, nodding firmly, giving him full assurance.
“Thank you, Sister Yue,” Ling Xiao replied, taking a deep breath and forming a strange hand seal, resembling a blooming lotus.
It was a special seal for cultivation, aimed at elevating his realm.
Only by advancing his inner technique could his cultivation break through smoothly, as they were intertwined.
Though he’d never broken through from the Ordinary to the Heaven-Human Realm, his martial soul clone had rehearsed it hundreds of times in the Mountain River World. He knew every potential issue and danger intimately.
Thus, his breakthrough was seamless, devoid of hesitation or nerves, as proficient as a Heaven-Human Realm warrior attempting it again.
As a six-petaled lotus formed between his hands, his Tianmai began to take the shape of a lotus, its petals and roots merging with his meridians, creating a perfect cycle.
“Quick, use your power to fully convert the remaining True Essence and pill energy into Tianyuan Power. If you fail, those Tianmai Pills will be wasted, and your cultivation will drop back to Half-Step Venerable,” Lady Yue warned, her experience guiding him at this critical moment.
