Breaking Through, the Grand Elder, and the Nine-Lived Cat Demon!

What was the Divine Bridge Realm?

It meant using a vast quantity of Spiritual Qi to condense a Divine Bridge within the body, leading straight to the Dragon Gate!

Generally speaking, a cultivator in the Divine Bridge Realm would condense nine Divine Bridges within their body, one for each level. Only then could they advance to the Dragon Gate Realm!

And in the process of condensing Divine Bridges, they could comprehend divine abilities!

In theory, one Divine Bridge could yield one divine ability!

But that was difficult!

Many cultivators reached the ninth level of the Divine Bridge Realm without comprehending a single divine ability!

That was because these were innate divine abilities, perfectly suited to their owners and far stronger than divine abilities learned later.

Huang Zongyuan was said to have comprehended two on his own. That might sound like few, but many people with a King Physique might not even comprehend one!

In other words, Huang Zongyuan's talent really was formidable!

And at this moment.

Li Daochen was about to reach the Divine Bridge Realm as well.

Invisible Heaven and Earth Shackles slowly gathered around him.

Having experienced it once before, Li Daochen didn't panic in the slightest. Besides, he had built up a solid foundation this time, and he was determined to break through.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

The Spiritual Qi in his body surged ceaselessly like a raging river in flood.

As it gathered, the embryonic form of a Divine Bridge took shape, while he steadily broke free of the Heaven and Earth Shackles.

"Heaven and earth have limits, and so they also limit all living beings! But the human body is full of mysteries, and has no limits at all!" Li Daochen's eyes shone with a sharp light. As he drew breath, yin-yang Dragon Qi surged toward him from all directions.

His breakthrough caused such a huge commotion that it drew quite a few gazes.

"After a month, he's finally breaking through!"

"But why is the commotion so huge? He's even caused some strange phenomena!"

"I've seen plenty of people break through, but this is definitely the most outrageous!"

The disciples were all stunned.

But the next moment.

Hiss!

Yin-yang Dragon Qi swept in from all directions, completely enveloping Li Daochen and hiding what was happening inside from view.

At some unknown point.

A woman appeared before Li Daochen.

She wore an extremely loose, pale yellow dress, but even that couldn't conceal her fine figure. Her chest was full, and her slender waist could be encircled with both hands, revealing strikingly exaggerated curves.

The woman was also radiant and dignified, her long hair swept into a coiffure adorned with a golden hairpin, making her look even more stately.

She was like an empress in a mortal imperial court, her every movement noble, yet she carried an even greater dignity than an emperor.

Li Daochen sensed her presence, but he didn't open his eyes, concentrating on his breakthrough.

He knew who she was and had a feeling she would come.

Yun Qingshui's master, Yun Wanyi, the Yellow Dragon Sect's grand elder, Li Daochen thought silently.

Yun Wanyi stared at Li Daochen in surprise and delight.

"I didn't expect him to be able to touch the Heaven and Earth Shackles," Yun Wanyi murmured. Her delicate hand pinched at empty air, and, in a manner profound and unfathomable, she actually caught hold of an invisible Heaven and Earth Shackle and pulled it away from Li Daochen.

Then.

Yun Wanyi opened her mouth and sucked it in, swallowing it.

Li Daochen's heart trembled.

This was an act that defied heaven to an extreme. The slightest mistake could bring down heavenly punishment!

Still wanting more, Yun Wanyi pulled away another. But she stopped there, taking no more as she quietly watched Li Daochen break through.

Li Daochen secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He had been afraid Yun Wanyi's greed would know no bounds and she would bring down heavenly punishment, sending both of them to their deaths...

This was undoubtedly dangerous, but Li Daochen hadn't stopped her. Instead, he thought it was well worth it.

That was because Yun Wanyi belonged to the Nine-Lived Cat Demon clan!

This clan defied heaven to an extreme, being born with nine lives! As long as they had a single breath left, they could be saved!

And most importantly, they could lend their lives to save others!

In his previous life, Yang Chen had once been beaten nearly to death. Yun Qingshui had begged Yun Wanyi desperately, and Yun Wanyi had saved his life!

If he won Yun Wanyi's favor, and with his good relationship with Yun Qingshui, surely Yun Wanyi wouldn't stand by and watch him die if disaster befell him later?

But he needed to keep winning more of her favor. What he had now was nowhere near enough!

Every life a Nine-Lived Cat Demon used up cost a thousand years of lifespan. Nine-Lived Cat Demons lived a long time, supposedly nine thousand years, but nobody would be willing to part with a thousand years at a time.

And by swallowing the Heaven and Earth Shackles this time, Yun Wanyi was actually borrowing the power of heaven and earth to suppress her Nine-Lived Cat Demon bloodline and keep it from running wild.

After all, it defied heaven too much, and came with many restrictions and dangers.

Li Daochen didn't know much about it, but it seemed the bloodline would grow restless every so often and needed an external force to suppress it.

The Heaven and Earth Shackles could seal even something as intangible as a cultivation realm, so naturally they were excellent for sealing a bloodline.

It's a pity I don't dare take more, for fear of triggering heavenly punishment. Otherwise, I could have endured the next time my bloodline ran wild, Yun Wanyi thought silently, growing more astonished.

Those who could reach the Heaven and Earth Shackles were vanishingly rare. She had only met two in her entire life.

Yun Wanyi did recognize Li Daochen. After all, her silly disciple chattered all day about having gained a brother; it was hard not to remember him.

But she hadn't expected Li Daochen to present her with such a great gift.

Time passed. Li Daochen's breakthrough was alarming but passed without mishap, and he soon reached the Divine Bridge Realm. His presence erupted in an instant, only to be withdrawn the next, seamless and terrifying, released and reined in at will!

His foundation was so strong, and his own strength so far exceeded his realm, that he skipped the process of adapting to it entirely.

"What terrifying talent." Even Yun Wanyi was taken aback.

Just then, Li Daochen opened his eyes.

"Don't be alarmed. I'm Yun Qingshui's master. The presence of your breakthrough drew me here," Yun Wanyi said directly.

"Elder!" Li Daochen called out, hesitation in his eyes. "When I was breaking through..."

"You truly are exceptionally gifted to have come into contact with the Heaven and Earth Shackles. They're useful to me, so I borrowed two. It won't affect you," Yun Wanyi said truthfully.

"Amazing, Elder!" Li Daochen praised her, then continued, "Qingshui and I hit it off as soon as we met. Since you're her master, I naturally ought to treat you as my master too."

No more pretending!

He just wanted to get on good terms with her!

Being master and disciple would be best. If not, becoming friends would be fine too...

Yun Wanyi chuckled. "You little slick-tongue."

Then, without bringing up the subject at all, Yun Wanyi said, "Since you've broken through, I'll be going."

"Since the Heaven and Earth Shackles are useful to you, Elder, perhaps you could come collect some more when I break through to the Dragon Gate Realm," Li Daochen said.

"You're confident, at least." Yun Wanyi paused, then smiled. "If you really can do it, I'll give you a fortune when the time comes."

A single smile brought forth a hundred charms, each with a grace of its own.

With that.

Yun Wanyi walked away with a catlike step.

Li Daochen watched her, thinking that she really was a cat, all right. The resemblance was uncanny.

Soon.

Li Daochen shook his head, suppressing his stray thoughts.

Next, he needed to fully condense his Divine Bridge and comprehend divine abilities!

A sharp light appeared in Li Daochen's eyes.

With a thousand years of cultivation experience from his previous life and the Emperor Sword in his possession in this one, if he couldn't comprehend more than five innate divine abilities, he, Li Daochen, might as well go eat shit!

Meanwhile.

The great elder stood silently at the foot of Dragon Mountain.

"He's broken through!" he murmured.

Taking a month to break through wasn't fast!

But the commotion was far too great!

The great elder could faintly sense an unusual disturbance in heaven and earth. This was no ordinary breakthrough!

Huang Zongyuan was confident, and the great elder believed in him too.

But.

The great elder had already lost one son and didn't want to lose another.

So he kept a constant watch on Li Daochen!

If Li Daochen proved too monstrous, he would kill him ahead of time, even if it cost him his old life.

There was no hope left for his own cultivation in this lifetime; all his hopes rested on his son!

Huang Zongyu was dead, and Huang Zongyuan was the only one he had left to pin his hopes on.

Huang Zongyuan feared nothing, but he didn't dare gamble!

"I hope you don't prove too dazzling. That way, you can live a few more days." The great elder looked up at Dragon Mountain, killing intent flickering in his eyes.