Three months later, inside the Earth Fire Furnace Chamber.
Lü Yang trembled as he slowly rose to his feet.
No—calling it "standing" was barely accurate. He was floating, for Lü Yang no longer possessed flesh or bones. His entire form had transformed into a crimson Blood Shadow.
"I've succeeded!"
The featureless Blood Shadow quivered amid radiant light, its distorted voice ringing out: "Eighty-one days… and finally, it is complete!"
In the next breath, the Blood Shadow began to contract. The shed skin lying on the ground flew upward and wrapped around him as though being "worn." The pallid skin filled with color, blood suffusing the surface; shrunken limbs swelled with vitality. Within moments, a fully restored Lü Yang stood once more in the chamber.
At first glance, he looked no different than before.
Yet compared to three months earlier, Lü Yang's Qi capacity had grown astonishingly vast. His Qi had condensed so densely that it faintly formed the shape of a Qi Seed.
Seventh Layer of Qi Refining—Late-phase.
Perhaps the grueling torment of cultivating pushed him past limits. In that crucible of pain, he had unexpectedly broken through the bottleneck of his Cultivation.
Fortunately, this occurred before the technique were fully completed. Had the breakthrough come afterward, it would have been useless—his Cultivation would have been permanently locked at the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining.
"But this is enough…"
Lü Yang murmured. With the Centome, he had never confined himself to a single lifetime. His true pursuit lay in how high he could rise in the next.
"Let's test its power."
The moment the thought formed, a magnificent Sword Pill emerged at his brow. Lü Yang's body transformed into blood light, merging seamlessly with the Sword Pill.
"Boom!"
Outside Crafting Peak, the earth shook violently. The bustling crowds staggered, several disciples even falling to the ground.
"What happened?"
"Earth Dragon Turning Over…? Impossible! With so many Perfected Persons suppressing the Lay Line, how could something like that occur?"
Disciples exchanged bewildered looks. Those with higher Cultivation sensed something amiss and instinctively turned toward a distant direction. Shock gradually surfaced in their eyes.
"Look!"
"That's…"
Their gazes converged.
A blinding rainbow shot out from a furnace chamber, soaring into the sky in an instant. The Cloud Sea churned wildly in its wake.
Clang! Clang!
Sword cries rang across the heavens. Scarlet radiance flooded Crafting Peak, dyeing the world red as natural Qi roared into towering waves.
Within that cascading tide of Qi, most disciples found themselves unable to breathe, nearly suffocating.
"Such momentum… Late-phase of Qi Refining?"
A disciple spoke with raw envy: "He's already shaped a Qi Seed. Only one more step of nurturing remains before Perfection—then Foundation Establishment will be within reach…"
"I wonder which senior brother broke through?"
"I've seen Late-phase disciples before, but none with Qi Pressure like this. That arc of Sword Light must be an extraordinary artifact…"
Meanwhile, high above the Cloud Sea—
Lü Yang existed as a Blood Shadow, his Qi fused with the Sword Light. His Spiritual Sense radiated in all directions, illuminating everything within tens of miles as clearly as the lines on his own palm.
"Late-phase of Qi Refining—Qi sinking into the Dantian, transforming into a Qi Seed, triggering the evolution of Spiritual Essence. Had I still possessed a physical body,my skin and bones would be impervious to blade and spear, and Qi multiplied many times over. Unfortunately, only my Spiritual Sense remains…"
He was still contemplating this when his expression suddenly changed.
"Who's there?"
Before the words fell, a sword moved with his will. The blood-red Sword Light tore open the Cloud Sea, revealing a young and handsome figure.
"Senior Brother, don't attack! Don't attack!"
The youth shouted urgently, but Lü Yang did not hesitate. His Sword Light swept upward, and in response, the newcomer flung a small flag into the air.
In an instant, the flag unfurled into a pair of banner gates.
The youth lunged into one gate. Lü Yang's split Sword Light followed—only for the youth to emerge from the other gate, snatch the banners back into flag form, and narrowly escape.
Lü Yang's brow lifted slightly. His split Sword Light had vanished—diverted somewhere unknown.
"Interesting…"
He smiled. The Sword Pill at his brow rang like rolling thunder and suddenly blossomed into dozens—then hundreds—of Sword Lights, flaring like a peacock's tail.
Seeing this, the proud young man's expression collapsed. He frantically raised the small flag as a shield and shouted:
"Senior Brother, please—this humble one is Xiao Shiye! I only came to introduce myself! I mean no harm—please stay your Abilities!"
"Xiao Shiye?"
Lü Yang paused. The Sword Lights, a heartbeat away from striking, froze midair, reflecting the young man's sweat-drenched face.
The secretly chosen pawn?
The next moment, Lü Yang dispersed the Sword Light and descended in human form before Xiao Shiye, laughing aloud:
"Junior brother, don't misunderstand—it was just a jest!"
Xiao Shiye wiped cold sweat from his brow, certain the other man had been entirely serious. Still, he forced a bright smile and spoke with great respect:
"Senior Brother is truly unparalleled. I am in awe. This small token—please accept it."
He offered the small flag in his hand.
"How could I accept such a gift…"
Even as Lü Yang spoke modestly, he reached out and took it. Only then did he notice the golden thread embroidered upon it.
"'Escape Flag,' is it?"
Xiao Shiye explained eagerly:
"I purchased it in a mundane antique shop before entering the sect. I thought little of it at the time—only after joining the sect did I realize it was a Marvelous Treasure. The flag has two sides. When activated, it manifests into the Life and Death banner gates. Within the same realm, entering through the Death gate and exiting from the Life gate guarantees survival—no matter how dire the situation."
Hearing this, Lü Yang's facial muscles twitched uncontrollably.
Such powerful artifact… bought casually in a mortal antique shop before even entering Stain Sect?
He could hardly believe it.
His Spiritual Sense stirred, gathering at his eyes. At Late-phase Qi Refining, Spiritual Sense expanded in strength and could be used for many wondrous purposes. Lü Yang now employed one: the Qi Observation Technique.
What he saw nearly made him gasp aloud.
Xiao Shiye's entire being—cloak, boots, robe, headpiece, belt—every item gleamed with Mythical radiance.
In quality, they were likely on par with Lü Yang's Sword Pill.
Even with Lü Yang's current mental discipline, he could not stop a ripple of jealousy. After all, the artifact he had spent months and vast expense crafting was merely one among many shining pieces hanging casually on Xiao Shiye's body.
Such fortune…
If Lü Yang had previously suspected Xiao Shiye's victory in the Merit Pool was rigged, he now reconsidered.
Perhaps the boy truly was blessed by the heavens.
With luck that abundant, simply staying close to him could lead to countless opportunities. And conveniently—Xiao Shiye's Cultivation wasn't high. Easy to take advantage of.
This Xiao Shiye… might be quite the valuable talent.