In the quiet secret chamber, Gu He sat cross-legged atop the Bodhi Meditation Cushion at its center. Under the cushion's calming aura, he quietly absorbed the energy of the outside world and refined it. When someone immersed themselves wholly in a single task, the concept of time became blurred.
Gu He devoted himself completely to cultivation. After a full month, the Eighth-grade pills containing Nine-Colored Pill Lightning in his Ring began to dwindle, and he finally felt his strength reach a bottleneck. Other than breaking through, his cultivation could not improve by even the slightest bit.
Knowing that he had reached the very peak of One-star Dou Sheng, Gu He became even more focused. He continued consuming pills and refining the natural energy he absorbed from the outside world. Even though only a small portion of that energy was absorbed by his body's cells while the rest could not be absorbed, he did not mind. It merely reduced the Devouring Flame's efficiency in refining the pills.
As he continuously used this energy to scour his meridians and body cells, more than half a month passed. Gu He could sense that his body had become noticeably stronger than it had been half a month ago.
Once he sensed that his physical strength was about sufficient, Gu He instantly increased the rate at which he refined the pills within his body, while also speeding up his absorption of external energy. In an instant, he gathered an immense amount of pure energy and launched an assault against that all-too-familiar barrier to the second star.
"Boom!"
A sound like a violent collision rang out in Gu He's mind. It was as though a bomb had exploded inside his head, leaving his entire mind buzzing.
Gu He knew this was the natural reaction brought about