Preparing to Break Through to the Innate Realm

Mu Bai drew in a sharp breath. He had never imagined that breaking through to the Innate Realm could be so dangerous.

"You have already reached the Houtian Limit and cultivated an Innate Cultivation Method like the Star Picking Art. Added to the Spiritual Power Xing'er mentioned you had already comprehended, breaking through to the Innate Realm should come as naturally as water flowing into a channel. But remember—never be greedy for quick success!"

"This disciple will remember Master's teachings." Mu Bai answered solemnly.

"From now on, you need not come here every day." The Grand Elder suddenly said, "Return to your residence and focus on cultivating the qi vortex. Remember, the instant you feel your true qi slipping out of control, stop immediately!"

Mu Bai froze. "Master will not personally guide this disciple through the breakthrough?"

The Grand Elder shook his head. "Forming a qi vortex requires absolute silence, free from any outside disturbance. Besides..." A rare smile appeared on his face. "With your comprehension, I believe you can handle it."

As he spoke, the Grand Elder took a small jade bottle from his robes. "Inside is a Mysterious Origin Heart Protection Pill. If you truly encounter danger, taking it will ensure your dantian does not shatter. But I hope you will not need it."

Mu Bai accepted it with both hands, deeply moved.

The pill sounded extraordinarily precious, yet Master had given it to him without the slightest hesitation.

"Go." The Grand Elder waved a hand. "I shall await the good news of your reaching the Innate Realm."

Mu Bai gave a deep bow, then turned and headed down the mountain.

Halfway down, he could not help looking back. The Grand Elder was still standing where he had been, his white hair drifting in the morning breeze as his deep gaze rested upon Mu Bai.

The road down the mountain felt longer than usual. As Mu Bai walked, he pondered the Grand Elder's teachings, and before he knew it, he had reached the Langya Family's core area.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Mu!"

"Has Senior Brother Mu finished cultivating for the day?"

"Would Senior Brother Mu have time to offer a few pointers?"

The Langya Family disciples he met along the way all bowed in greeting, their respectful manner tinged with envy.

Half a month ago, their eyes had still been full of doubt when they looked at him. Now, he had become someone they could only look up to.

"Mu Bai!"

A familiar voice called out as Langya Xing hurried over from a narrow path.

The young man who had brought him into the Langya Family now looked even healthier. The divine light in his eyes was restrained, clearly showing that his cultivation had improved as well.

"I heard you've already gotten started with the Star Picking Art?" Langya Xing threw an arm around Mu Bai's shoulders, his voice brimming with excitement. "That's incredible! It's one of our Langya Family's three great clan-defending cultivation methods—it's even superior to the Pure Lotus Heart Sutra I cultivate!"

Mu Bai smiled. "Just luck. By the way, I heard the Family Head awarded you Great Merit?"

Unconcealed delight appeared on Langya Xing's face. "Yes! It's all thanks to you. I can now enter the second floor of the Scripture Repository to choose a martial skill." He lowered his voice. "Father said the Grand Elder personally gave the order."

Mu Bai's heart stirred.

It seemed Master truly regarded Langya Xing differently. Perhaps there was some reason behind it.

The two chatted as they walked, soon arriving at Mu Bai's new residence—a secluded, independent courtyard, far more spacious than the place he had shared with Langya Xing before.

The family had specially arranged it after he became the Grand Elder's disciple.

"I won't disturb your cultivation any longer." Langya Xing took his leave considerately. "Once you break through to the Innate Realm, we'll celebrate properly!"

After seeing Langya Xing off, Mu Bai closed the courtyard gate. At last, he could settle down and focus on the matter of his breakthrough.

Sitting cross-legged, Mu Bai began making serious preparations.

He first took out the Mysterious Origin Heart Protection Pill and examined it carefully. The pill was the size of a longan, emerald green throughout, with cloud-like pill patterns on its surface. It emitted a faint medicinal fragrance; merely catching a whiff of it made one's spirits rise.

"This is something that could save my life." Mu Bai carefully placed it within easy reach.

Next, he began recalling the key points on circulating true qi from the Star Picking Art, as well as the method of forming a qi vortex that the Grand Elder had explained.

According to his understanding, breaking through to the Innate Realm was mainly divided into three steps:

First, compress all the true qi in the dantian to the absolute limit;

Second, drive the compressed true qi into high-speed rotation;

Third, maintain that rotation until a stable qi vortex formed.

It sounded simple, but every step was fraught with danger.

Over-compression would damage the dantian, losing control during rotation would tear apart the meridians, and maintaining the process required even more precise control and lasting endurance.

"In the novels from my past life, protagonists broke through as easily as eating and drinking. Only now that it's my turn do I realize how dangerous it is." Mu Bai laughed self-mockingly.

Yet he was not afraid.

As an online fiction author in his past life, what he excelled at most was analyzing all manner of cultivation systems. Coupled with his talent for comprehension in this life, he was confident he could succeed.

Night fell. Mu Bai did not rush to begin. Instead, he first meditated and regulated his breathing, bringing himself to his peak condition.

At the Forbidden Land in the back mountain, inside the thatched hut.

Rather than meditating as usual, the Grand Elder stood before the window, his gaze seemingly piercing through layer after layer of obstacles to settle upon the small courtyard where Mu Bai was.

"Two layers of the Star Picking Art in half a month..." he murmured. "With such talent, could it be that my Langya Family is truly about to produce a powerhouse of foundational stature?"

A trace of anticipation flashed through the Grand Elder's eyes.

If Mu Bai could truly grow, the Langya Family might really rise to an even higher level!

The Langya Family was now on the verge of facing an enormous crisis, one known only to the patriarch and the elders.

The reason the Langya Family could rank among the Eight Great Families—even placing fifth among them—was entirely due to the Grand Elder alone.

Yet what was worrying was that beneath the Grand Elder, the Langya Family's strength had already suffered a severe generational gap.

As time passed, the Grand Elder's final days were gradually drawing near.

At present, he had only a little over a hundred years of life left.

Once the Grand Elder passed away, if the Langya Family failed to find a suitable successor, the clan would instantly lose its standing among the Eight Great Families and plunge straight to the bottom.

This was undoubtedly an exceptionally grim situation. The Langya Family would face hardships unlike anything it had encountered before.

The other families might also seize the opportunity to attack the Langya Family and seize their resources and territory.

If that happened, the Langya Family would very likely suffer a catastrophic blow, perhaps even face the misfortune of clan extermination.

"Little fellow, your master will guard your path," the Grand Elder promised softly, his voice fading into the night wind.

Meanwhile, Mu Bai had already entered a state of deep meditation. True qi surged through his body like a rushing river, making the final preparations for the breakthrough to come.

Tomorrow, he would challenge the Xiantian realm!