Earth Immortal Dao Fruit

Danger! Opportunity!

These two thoughts clashed violently within Li Su's spiritual sense.

The energy contained in the Earth Vein Spiritual Milk was pure and terrifying, far exceeding the limits he could currently control. Absorbing it rashly would be like courting death by fire.

But the giant beast's chaotic will happened to be suppressed by it. If he could seize this opportunity to completely annihilate it, he would not only resolve the crisis of his body exploding but also clear the greatest obstacle to fully absorbing the vast, temporarily stored energy!

Bet or not?

The system's warning continued to ring sharply. The icy energy transmitted through the bamboo roots had already begun forming black frost crystals on the root surface, with a tendency to spread upward!

There was no time to hesitate!

"System! Full assistance! Prioritize guiding the Spiritual Milk energy to annihilate the chaotic will! For the bamboo body's endurance... drop to the minimum safety line!" Li Su almost roared out the command.

He chose to trust the system's regulation ability, and even more, he believed in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

[Command confirmed. Adjusting energy guidance... 99% of Earth Vein Spiritual Milk energy directed toward 'Temporarily Stored Chaotic Will'... 1% of energy used to strengthen bamboo body foundation and spiritual sense... Activating overload protection...]

Hum!

That bone-chilling torrent of energy, cold enough to freeze the soul, split into two streams—one large, one small—under the system's precise guidance.

The small stream merged into the bamboo body's spiritual sense, bringing needle-pricking pain and an extremely slow strengthening;

The large stream, like a river from the Nine Heavens pouring down, crashed into the temporarily stored mass of chaotic will, filled with savage roars!

"ROAR--!!!"

It was as if billions of ferocious beasts were wailing in despair and agony deep within the soul!

That stubborn mass of chaotic will, which had constantly tried to erode Li Su's spiritual sense, melted and scattered at an unprecedented speed under the wash of this supremely yin, supremely cold, and utterly pure Earth Vein Spiritual Milk, like snow under the scorching sun!

The feeling was like forcibly scraping out a deep-seated poison clinging to the marrow—agonizing, yet carrying a liberating relief!

[Chaotic will annihilation progress: 35%... 52%... 71%...]

The progress bar jumped wildly!

At the same time, that 1% of Spiritual Milk energy continued to pour in.

Li Su's bamboo body trembled violently. The mysterious black patterns on its surface shone to their extreme, even emitting a strained "creaking" sound.

Between the bamboo joints, fine, pitch-black impurities began to seep out—the dregs forcibly refined and expelled.

The pain remained, but the direction was now clear.

Li Su held tight to a sliver of clarity in his spiritual platform, fully cooperating with the system to guide this violent process.

After an unknown amount of time, when the flow of Earth Vein Spiritual Milk gradually weakened—

[Ding! Chaotic will has been completely annihilated!]

[Temporarily stored energy converted into pure, ownerless origin essence—safe to absorb!]

[Warning: Earth Vein Spiritual Milk infusion about to stop. Bamboo body is at critical injury point. Immediate energy replenishment required for repair!]

Now!

"System! Absorb the origin essence! Repair myself! Break through to the next realm!" Li Su didn't hesitate.

That vast energy, stored for who knows how long and originating from the terrifying giant beast, was now as docile as a lamb and as pure as crystal. Under the system's guidance, it surged mightily into Li Su's bamboo body and spiritual sense!

Warmth! Comfort!

Completely different from all the pain before, this was the ultimate bliss of a life-level leap!

The five-zhang ink bamboo grew visibly taller! Six zhang... seven zhang... eight zhang!

The bamboo body became deeper. A warm, jade-like luster faintly showed through the ink-colored body. The mysterious black patterns on the surface grew more complex and profound, as if containing the principles of heaven and earth.

The bamboo leaves grew wildly. The cold light at their edges turned inward, becoming even sharper. With a gentle sway, they naturally drew in the surrounding Sha Qi, then tamed it, transforming it into a faint black halo encircling the bamboo body.

His spiritual sense expanded at an unprecedented, frenzied rate! His perception range, originally one hundred fifty zhang, exploded outward!

Two hundred zhang... three hundred zhang... five hundred zhang! Everything within range was clearer than ever before!

He could even "see" the wriggling of microorganisms deep in the soil, "hear" the faint sounds of Sha Qi particles colliding, and vaguely sense the flow of energy within the bodies of several powerful beasts farther away!

A profound, mysterious understanding welled up in his heart.

His control over himself, his comprehension of energy, and his perception of this heaven and earth were all undergoing a qualitative leap!

Some invisible barrier, under the impact of the vast origin essence, burst open with a roar!

[Ding! Congratulations, host! Successfully advanced to the Earth Immortal realm!]

[Roots and origin upgraded: Nine-Section Soul-Devouring Bamboo (Mid-Grade Acquired Spiritual Root)]

[Spiritual sense transformed into divine sense! Can initially draw upon the power of heaven and earth!]

[Acquired divine ability: Soul-Devouring Dark Light (Basic)]

[Evolution Points are full. Begin evolution?]

He'd made it! Earth Immortal!

A wave of immense joy washed over Li Su's consciousness. He had finally taken that crucial step, truly stepping onto the threshold of cultivation!

From then on, he shed the mortal coil, his immortal body first taking form!

Though merely the lowest tier of Earth Immortal, on this Primordial World teeming with ferocious beasts, he finally possessed a sliver of self-preservation, no longer a mere ant trampled underfoot.

More importantly, the elevation of his foundation meant a surge in potential! The birth of his divine sense meant his perception and ability to influence the world were utterly transformed! He had even awakened a divine ability!

And Evolution Points were finally fully accumulated!

"Not evolving yet!"

Li Su suppressed the urge to evolve immediately. Having just broken through to Earth Immortal, his realm needed stabilization, and the newly gained power required familiarization.

Rushing into evolution risked an unstable foundation. He needed some time to digest this immense harvest.

His divine sense swept over himself.

The Eight-Zhang Ink Bamboo stood tall by a sea of corpses and mountains of bones, its body wreathed in a faint black halo, exuding an aura that was deep, mysterious, and dangerous.

It clashed with the deathly stillness and brutality of its surroundings, yet somehow blended in strangely.

Finally, he was no longer that bamboo fated only to passively endure.

His divine sense spread outward, taking in everything within five hundred zhang.

He could clearly see the Earth Essence Stone coiled at the roots of that Purple-Black Strange Plant, the Evil Energy Centipede deep in a crevice twitching its hundred legs in slumber, and farther off, several powerful beasts roaring and confronting each other over territory...

The world had become clearer, and also more dangerous.

An Earth Immortal, on this ancient land, was still insignificant. But in Li Su's heart, hope brimmed.

He slowly restrained his aura, concealing the fluctuations of his recent breakthrough as much as possible.

The eight-zhang bamboo body swayed slightly, beginning to actively yet cautiously absorb the surrounding evil energy and remnant souls, stabilizing his early Earth Immortal realm while familiarizing himself with his newborn divine sense and that ability called "Soul-Devouring Dark Light."

The road ahead was still long, but the heavenly gate had already been pried open a crack.