Both Breakthroughs! True Force Takes Shape!

Chen Yan looked up at the sky beyond the window. At some point, the sun had already set, and night had shrouded the land.

Even Facai, who had been out roaming wild, had returned at some unknown time and was lazily curled up on a branch, basking in the moonlight.

With a lift of his sleeve, Chen Yan stored the Talisman Brush, cinnabar, Yellow Paper, and Guangong Statue into his Sleeve Universe. Then he turned and stepped out of the bedroom into the small courtyard.

Up in the tree, Facai pricked up its ears at the sound. Seeing that it was the young man, it let out a lazy cry:

"Meow~"

"You wild cat, never home all day, yet you still know how to come back."

Chen Yan laughed as he scolded it, earning a string of disdainful looks from Facai.

When you need me, you call me Lord Facai. When you do not, I am a wild cat.

Heh, men.

Chen Yan did not know what was going through Facai's mind. Arriving in the courtyard, he saw that the night was still young.

Now that the All-Encompassing Great Tonic Soup had arrived, he had no intention of delaying any longer. He would begin now!

He took out a large wooden barrel and poured the freshly boiled water into it. Then he opened the brocade case containing the All-Encompassing Great Tonic Soup and placed one-tenth of the medicinal ingredients into the water.

Very quickly, as the herbs dissolved, the clear, transparent hot water gradually turned pitch-black. Clouds of steaming vapor rose up, carrying a rich medicinal fragrance that spread in every direction.

With just one breath, Chen Yan felt refreshed and invigorated. Even the blood in his body seemed to begin faintly boiling.

His eyes lit up. Unable to wait, Chen Yan stripped off his Daoist robe and jumped naked into the barrel.

"Hiss! So hot!"

The moment he entered the medicinal bath, Chen Yan sucked in a sharp breath from the scalding heat.

Given Chen Yan's physique, even boiling water should not have made him react like this.

Yet after the All-Encompassing Great Tonic Soup had been added, though the water temperature had clearly not changed, Chen Yan inexplicably felt a searing, scorching heat surging in from all directions.

And the longer Chen Yan soaked in the All-Encompassing Great Tonic Soup, the more intense that sensation became.

It was as though the rivers and seas had overturned within him, as if a blazing sun had risen from inside his body. A terrifyingly powerful heat instantly swept through him, scorching Chen Yan's blood, meridians, bones...

At that moment.

Chen Yan's skin gradually reddened, as though something were about to burst through the shell of his body.

Then his blood qi trembled, and a gleam flickered over his flesh.

It was as if an invisible barrier stood in the way. No matter how fiercely that scorching force crashed against it, it could not break through the obstruction.

This repeated several times.

At last, the searing force settled down, and Chen Yan's blood qi finally returned to calm.

Without a doubt, that invisible barrier was the bottleneck to reaching the True Force Realm. Chen Yan was not surprised that he had failed to break through in one attempt.

This was only the first time. There were still nine more to come.

Moreover, although he had not broken through this time and was still in the Third Blood Qi Realm—

Chen Yan could clearly feel that the power of his blood qi had become more condensed and more vigorous.

Clearly, the All-Encompassing Great Tonic Soup was taking effect.

Chen Yan believed that once his blood qi had condensed to the utmost limit, it would be time for a qualitative transformation.

And that day would not be far off.

Thus, for the next ten days, Chen Yan did not step beyond his front door, devoting himself wholeheartedly to improving his strength at home.

In the mornings, he practiced saber techniques. In the afternoons, he practiced drawing talismans. At night, he pored over the Daoist Canon to broaden his knowledge and cultivate both body and mind.

When hungry, he ate premium five grains to cultivate the Five Grains Qi Nourishment Record. When sleepy, he cultivated the Shang Qing Xuan Jing Qi Induction Art, circulated a full heavenly cycle, then soaked for another hour in the All-Encompassing Great Tonic Soup, washing away the fatigue from his body.

It could be said that these ten days had been full and busy.

But all of it was worthwhile. After ten days of bitter cultivation, change finally arrived on the last day.

In the small courtyard, Chen Yan sat cross-legged in the wooden barrel, eyes observing nose, nose observing mouth, mouth observing heart. His entire being entered an ethereal state.

The medicinal bath in the barrel was absorbed at a visible rate, while Chen Yan's breathing became steady. Every breath was exceptionally long and deep.

Even more miraculously, faint white streams of air curled around his ears and nose, circulating with his breaths. Even every muscle in Chen Yan's body rose and fell along with his breathing.

As the saying went: externally train sinews, bones, and skin; internally train a single breath of qi.

That breath of qi referred to True Force, which some also called true qi.

A person had limbs, skin and membranes, internal organs, sinews and bones, as well as countless minute places invisible to the eye. Blood replacement meant continuously purifying the blood's concentration and bringing the power of the blood to every part of the body.

Once the power of one's blood had been tempered to the extreme, one could begin unifying blood qi and condensing True Force.

And this was precisely the step Chen Yan was taking now.

Exhale!

Inhale!

A powerful suction force arose within Chen Yan's body, crazily devouring the medicinal potency in the bath like a Taotie.

Then, the absorbed medicinal power vanished at astonishing speed, transforming into surging blood qi that roared and churned through him.

At this point, Chen Yan gradually lost all stray thoughts. He was hazy, neither asleep nor awake, aware only of the blazing blood rolling endlessly through his body.

Suddenly—

His body shook.

A faint sheen seemed to flow over the surface of his skin.

In an instant, Chen Yan's blood qi swelled to its absolute limit. The overflowing blood qi relentlessly pressed against his meridians, as though countless ants were tearing and biting at him. Even Chen Yan's face twisted with pain at that moment.

But he still endured!

"Splash!"

Chen Yan seemed to be soaking in molten lava. His body turned crimson, even boiling the water in the wooden barrel!

Great clouds of steam rose and dispersed, blanketing the entire courtyard.

Up on the branch, Facai was dumbstruck by the sight, its round cat eyes wide open.

And within the barrel, Chen Yan's transformation continued.

As Chen Yan's breathing and qi circulation reached their crucial point, the streams of air that circulated and coiled around his ears and nose began circulating through his body as well. Like rushing streams, they ultimately gathered in his dantian, hazy as mist!

At that very moment—

The full, boiling blood qi began to contract in reverse, condense, and devour!

One drop!

Two drops!

An entirely new power emerged!

This power differed from the blazing heat of blood qi, and from the pure, profound strength of Essence Magic Power. It was a brand-new force, gentler and more enduring.

Like a pool of clear spring water, it rested quietly within his dantian, distinctly separate from Magic Power.

All the meridians he had opened instantly linked together at this moment.

More and more blood qi condensed, transforming into True Force and flowing into his dantian. At the same time, even Chen Yan's Magic Power grew stronger alongside it!

Time gradually passed. When the final strand of blood qi had finished condensing—

Within Chen Yan's dantian, two streams flowed in clear distinction while winding around each other, gurgling onward.

In an instant, the young man opened his eyes. A faint, soul-shaking glint flashed through them and vanished.

"Finally... I broke through!"

Unconcealable joy and excitement appeared on Chen Yan's face.

After ten days of bitter cultivation without a single day of slackness, he had finally cultivated True Force on the last day!

"Splash—"

He leaped out of the water and donned his Daoist robe.

The next moment, a young Daoist with sword-like brows, starry eyes, and a handsome, spirited bearing emerged into the world!

Looking at his personal panel again, sure enough, it had undergone entirely new changes!

Name: Chen Yan

Realm: True Force Realm (Early Stage), Essence Cultivation (Middle Stage)

Cultivation Methods: Blood Fiend Saber Technique (Peak Perfection), Dragon Step (Hall Entrance), Five Grains Qi Nourishment Record (First Layer), Shang Qing Xuan Jing Qi Induction Art (First Layer)

Spells: Tai Wei Eight Sceneries Record (Beginner), Spirit Striking (First Grade), Earth Fiend: Pot Heaven (Minor Accomplishment)

Items: Fish Dragon Saber, Evil-Slaying Talisman, Eight Sceneries Talisman, Black Brocade Flying Fish Robe

Merit: 304 points

Both martial arts and cultivation had broken through!

Good news! Good news!!! The editor said the revival was successful! Thank you all, honored readers, for your tremendous support!!!

But this is only the beginning! Next Tuesday will be the critical day, deciding whether I can advance to the next round!

I beg all honored readers to spend two minutes each day reading the latest chapter! Lotus Root offers heartfelt thanks!!!