Failed Breakthrough

In addition to the four hundred points left from activating a new simulated life, he had ninety remaining.

In the past month, Jiang Yuan had encountered two strange occurrences.

He gained sixty points.

Now, Jiang Yuan had one hundred and fifty points available.

However, they were temporarily useless.

Over the past month, Jiang Yuan had used one Martial Arts Enlightenment Card to upgrade his Spirit Snake Movement Technique from Minor Accomplishment to Major Accomplishment.

Jiang Yuan's shortcomings in movement techniques were completely resolved.

As for the other two cards, Jiang Yuan attempted to promote his Tiger Roar Saber Technique, but it was unsuccessful. It seemed that promoting martial arts from Major Accomplishment Perfection to Sublime Mastery required more than two Martial Arts Enlightenment Cards.

However, his comprehension of saber techniques had greatly increased, and he felt as if he were faintly touching that barrier.

Currently, Jiang Yuan's mastered martial arts include: Minor Accomplishment Door Breaking Saber, Major Accomplishment Ten Directions Fist, Major Accomplishment Savage Ox Fist, Major Accomplishment Spirit Snake Movement Technique, Major Accomplishment Finger Flicking Art, Major Accomplishment Tiger Roar Saber Technique, Sublime Mastery Phoenix Cry Sword Technique, Major Accomplishment Dragon's Roar Spear Technique.

And one Thousand Absolute Electric Sword learned from Beichuan Wan.

Many of these were martial arts that could only reach Major Accomplishment after reaching the Hua Jin realm and gaining further control over one's body. Jiang Yuan had achieved Major Accomplishment in them while still in the Blood Qi realm.

Even his sword techniques had cultivated "intent."

If people knew, they would likely be astonished.

For a martial art to reach the realm of Sublime Mastery, it not only had many requirements for the martial art itself but even greater requirements for the martial artist.

Even Hua Jin experts rarely reached Sublime Mastery.

Even with Martial Arts Enlightenment Cards, Jiang Yuan would need more than two, which was quite costly.

However, Jiang Yuan had a shortcut: the [Martial Emperor's Sword Talisman]. It was through the talisman's energy that Jiang Yuan could achieve Sublime Mastery in his sword techniques.

[Target Sword Technique: Thousand Absolute Electric Sword] [Current Realm: Minor Accomplishment] [Energy Required for Next Realm: 30%]

Information from the Sword Talisman appeared in his mind. Jiang Yuan sighed slightly, lamenting that the energy was still insufficient.

Originally, after comprehending the Phoenix Cry Sword Technique, Jiang Yuan had only 78.5 energy left. This time, just to complete it, it consumed 18.5 energy, and upgrading the beginner-level Thousand Absolute Electric Sword to Minor Accomplishment consumed 15 energy.

This was equivalent to the energy required to bring the Phoenix Cry Sword Technique to Major Accomplishment.

Jiang Yuan also knew that Beichuan Wan's Thousand Absolute Electric Sword was not at Major Accomplishment but at Minor Accomplishment. Yet, even the Minor Accomplishment Thousand Absolute Electric Sword could contend with Jiang Yuan's Major Accomplishment Phoenix Cry Sword Technique, even narrowly forcing out Jiang Yuan's sword intent.

This sword technique was truly remarkable.

However, while the sword technique was remarkable, it also consumed a lot of energy from the Sword Talisman. Jiang Yuan now only had 45 energy left in his Sword Talisman.

The next stage to Major Accomplishment required 30% of the energy, and the defensive function also required 30% of the energy. It was simply not enough.

Jiang Yuan ultimately chose to save the energy for the defensive function, as it was his strongest trump card.

That was all for his martial arts.

As for his cultivation...

Jiang Yuan felt his vast Qi and Blood.

He was only a sliver away from reaching a point where he could no longer advance. At that point, he would have to break through the Hua Jin Heavenly Gate to surpass human limits.

However...

Jiang Yuan looked at the Sin Heart required to activate [Past Life Simulation], and his brow furrowed.

Sin Heart... what exactly was it? Jiang Yuan had gone out on missions this past month with the intention of finding a Sin Heart, but whether in books or by asking around everywhere, there was no news of the Sin Heart at all.

This gave Jiang Yuan a headache.

The simulator was undoubtedly the fastest method for Jiang Yuan to increase his strength.

But now, the simulator could not temporarily activate the Fourth Life, which made Jiang Yuan somewhat depressed.

Jiang Yuan shook his head. Without the simulator, he could still cultivate. He would proceed and search as he went.

He picked up a piece of processed meat from the side and put it directly into his mouth.

This was high-grade exotic beast meat, a cultivation resource that Jiang Yuan had spent a fortune on.

The exotic beast meat entered his mouth, was chewed by Jiang Yuan's developed jaw muscles, and swallowed. In his stomach, it was continuously digested, and then Qi and Blood flowed from his stomach to all parts of his body.

Jiang Yuan sat cross-legged on the ground, cultivating quietly, his body's muscles slowly expanding and contracting, Qi and Blood dissipating outwards. Jiang Yuan's aura was long and vast, like an ancient behemoth.

His Qi and Blood slowly strengthened...

*

*

*

Three figures slowly rose into the air, their bodies emitting tendril-like, viscous bloody energy that struck out into the surrounding void.

The vast power seemed capable of shattering the void.

Behind the three figures were scattered figures in black robes.

"Zhenyuan Escort Agency is on a mission, please leave if you have nothing to do."

A calm voice carried with it a divine might.

The three figures stood in a triangular formation.

Leading them was a thin, scholarly middle-aged man with a mustache. Behind him stood a burly man like a giant bear, and a dashing middle-aged man who looked like a heroic uncle.

All three of them possessed powerful Blood Qi cultivation.

They were the three head escorts of the Zhenyuan Escort Agency.

If anyone were present, they wouldn't just be shocked by the might of the three Blood Qi masters, but by the fact that the three head escorts were working together to escort this mission.

What exactly was being escorted... No, who was behind them?

"Leave them, and the three of you can go!"

Facing them were two Blood Qi masters with equally powerful Qi and Blood, and dozens of Hua Jin Martial Artists.

It was clearly a major force on the move.

"Hm? Interesting, do you truly not know what the Zhenyuan Escort Agency, which has stood for so long, relies on, Wen?"

"Or do you think our strength has declined?"

"Hahahaha! Boring, so boring. Don't delay my drinking!"

The three spoke one after another, each with a different tone. As their voices faded, the dashing middle-aged man unleashed waves of blood-red energy.

The entire sky was instantly filled.

Within the blood-red waves, three streams of light continuously flipped. The two Blood Qi masters tried to move but were suddenly frozen.

"What..." The pupils of the two Blood Qi masters dilated. The disbelief on their faces was instantly swallowed by the blood-red waves.

Including the hundreds of Hua Jin Martial Artists behind them, they were all instantly submerged without a sound.

The next moment, the blood-red waves receded, flowing back into the acupoints of the last man.

The enemies from before had vanished.

"Suifeng, you've lost control recently. You can't make a move next," Wen Zhao, who was at the front, said calmly, his expression unperturbed, but his tone was unquestionable.

"Hahaha, no problem. With my two elder brothers here, it won't be difficult even if I don't act."

Zhang Suifeng, the dashing middle-aged man, chuckled and brought his wine gourd to his lips.

"Qingtian, the road ahead will depend on you and me..."

"With me here, what is there to fear in this vast world?" Beichuan Qingtian laughed heartily and suddenly looked towards the forest.

With a grab, a giant blood-red hand emerged from the void and snatched a lizard-like beast, thirty feet tall, from the forest.

The beast fell to the ground in confusion, shaking the earth slightly. However, it dared not show any disrespect and prostrated itself on the ground tremblingly.

"Let's use this beast as our mount... It's sufficient as a temporary means of transport."

"Wen Zhao, it's been a month, what about Haiyuan City..."

"I've set up blood puppets."

"Good."

"Hahahaha, come, come, let's drink!"

"..."

*

*

*

Qi and Blood surged, charging fiercely towards that barrier.

Qi and Blood, several times larger than that of an ordinary person, flowed within Jiang Yuan's body.

Jiang Yuan's robust physique completely supported the vast and immense Qi and Blood.

Jiang Yuan skillfully drove his Qi and Blood towards the barrier.

He was clearly attempting to break through the Hua Jin Heavenly Gate.

Jiang Yuan sat cross-legged on the ground, his clothes already torn to shreds. His granite-like muscles bulged, and Jiang Yuan had transformed into a burly man.

He bore some resemblance to Beichuan Qingtian.

At this moment, Jiang Yuan's brow was tightly furrowed, as if he was encountering some difficulty in breaking through the Hua Jin Heavenly Gate.

As the Qi and Blood flowed, Jiang Yuan's physical body emitted immense heat, causing the surrounding wooden floor to char slightly.

"How is this possible! I was fully prepared, why..."

"My Qi and Blood are immense, I have the blessings of four cultivation talent bonuses, an understanding of Jin Li, and the experience of breaking through Hua Jin in my first life, how could this happen..."

"I failed..."

These thoughts flashed through Jiang Yuan's mind. His Qi and Blood surged, his face flushed red, and a mouthful of scorching hot blood spurted from his mouth.

A long-lost sense of weakness appeared