Ling Xiao didn’t respond to Yue Nü because he had no time to reply.
But he received her reminder.
Success was the only option, failure was not allowed!
This was his sole belief now.
The lotus began to form, becoming more vivid, as if it had always grown within his body.
A surge of energy poured in, frantically transforming the remaining energy into Tianyuan force.
Driven by his soul force, everything initially went smoothly.
The petals of wind, rain, thunder, lightning, and mist took shape quickly.
However, the sixth petal, being a newly comprehended celestial force, was extremely difficult to form.
“Hurry, decide the attribute of the sixth petal, or it’ll be too late!” Yue Nü urged.
In the sky, a bright sun illuminated the entire holy city. Despite the room’s protective barriers, sunlight still streamed in.
Seeing the rays of light, a smile appeared on Ling Xiao’s face.
“That’s it, the celestial force of the sun!”
The sun represented clear skies, the sunlight needed for all things to grow, and also intense heat and destruction.
Once decided, forming the sixth petal became much simpler.
Ling Xiao’s soul force was incredibly strong. While forming the sun’s celestial force, he could use his soul force to vividly create a scene of a blazing sun shining on the earth, aiding his comprehension.
When the sixth petal fully formed, Ling Xiao’s celestial veins were essentially set.
He broke through to the sixth level.
“It’s not enough! The barrier to the Celestial Realm is too tough; you must break it!” Yue Nü urged.
Ling Xiao could feel that his power had fully met the requirements for the First Heaven Realm, but a barrier blocked his path to it.
“At this point, nothing will stop my advancement!” Ling Xiao snorted coldly. The image of an ancient hell dragon appeared behind him. All his soul force merged into a destructive will, crashing toward the barrier.
Clang!
Clang, clang!
Boom!
The terrifying soul force, combined with the all-destroying will, overcame even the toughest barrier.
A deafening roar erupted within his body as the thick barrier collapsed completely. His power surged forth, and Ling Xiao’s cultivation entered an entirely new realm.
Thud.
Ling Xiao lay flat on the ground, exhausted but also because it was over.
His chest heaved rapidly as he panted, yet his face beamed with the joy of a victor.
“Haha!”
“Haha, haha!”
“Hahahaha!”
His wild laughter grew louder.
It held bitterness, excitement, and a sense of relief.
He tossed a recovery pill into his mouth. After a while, feeling his body recover to a certain level, he propped himself up on his weary arms and sat up.
His soul force examined his body internally.
This was something even ordinary realm warriors could do, though clarity varied with soul force strength.
His soul force searched his chest.
There, a six-petaled lotus, almost transparent, perfectly fused with his body.
This lotus was his celestial vein, the core for generating and storing Tianyuan force.
Though much smaller than his previous nine martial veins, perhaps only a tenth of their size, its energy intensity was ten times greater!
Tianyuan force and true yuan force differed by just one word, but their essence was worlds apart.
Tianyuan force’s strength far surpassed true yuan force.
Guided by his soul force, Tianyuan force circulated through his meridians. Initially, it felt slightly awkward, but soon it flowed naturally, needing no guidance, continuing seamlessly.
Ling Xiao slowly opened his eyes. In his ink-black pupils, two strange lotuses appeared, lingering for a long time.
“Is this the Celestial Realm’s cultivation?”
Ling Xiao found it incredible.
He had only aimed to reach the breakthrough stage of celestial vein warriors.
But by a twist of fate, he shattered the major barrier and stepped into the ranks of Celestial Realm warriors.
This was a leap to a new level, entirely different from before. His entire being, from head to toe, seemed to have transformed in temperament.
“Indeed, this is the Celestial Realm. You did it!” Yue Nü said with a smile. “You’re a madman, turning the most dangerous situation into a breakthrough.”
Ling Xiao grinned. “Sister Yue Nü, do you like me even more now? I’m getting closer to you.”
During this time, Yue Nü’s cultivation hadn’t advanced much, so the gap between their strengths was narrowing.
Though he was glad Yue Nü could protect him, as a man, he couldn’t always rely on a woman. He wanted to break through to her level soon and protect her with his own strength.
“Good, I’m looking forward to it,” Yue Nü said with a sweet smile.
In the two days before the Martial Arts Festival finals, Ling Xiao stayed at his residence to consolidate his cultivation.
A breakthrough to a new realm wasn’t easy to stabilise, requiring exponentially more time.
But he didn’t find it tedious. After converting all his primal energy to Tianyuan force, the power of all his techniques increased tenfold or more, which was simply terrifying.
Against anyone below celestial vein warriors, he could kill instantly with one move, leaving them no chance.
On the day of the Martial Arts Festival finals, Ling Xiao emerged from seclusion.
“Brother Ling, you’re finally out! We were worried you’d miss the finals!” Leng Hao’s anxious face greeted him as he stepped out of the room.
“The finals are set for noon. There’s still time. Have the sect members already gone?” Ling Xiao noticed the residence seemed empty.
“Yes, they said there’s a game to test attack strength before the finals. They wanted to see the excitement, so they left me here to wait for you.”
Leng Hao looked eager, still a child who loved lively events.
Ling Xiao enjoyed excitement too, so after tidying up, he headed to the finals venue with Leng Hao.
Before finals, there were usually small games, like testing attack strength or power.
Not mandatory, just something warriors found fun and tried out.
When they arrived near the finals venue, they saw a huge pillar outside the entrance, surrounded by a crowd with constant chatter.
