Within the underground palace of Mount Ba Ling's Ancient Tomb, Yan Kuan floated naked in midair, his hands forming cultivation seals, his expression as peaceful and detached as an old monk in meditation.
His skin glowed crystalline red. With Purple Zhi Fire Spirit Balm smeared over his body, visible wisps of fiery energy continuously gathered from all around and poured into him without end. It was as though an enormous fireball had appeared atop the Ancient Tomb, constantly drawing in light and heat.
No one knew how long this tranquil atmosphere lasted before an exceedingly faint yet strange sound suddenly rang out, like a drum being pounded beside one's ear. Upon closer listening, the sound was coming from Yan Kuan.
Not long after that strange, muffled sound appeared, Yan Kuan's body, motionless as dead wood, suddenly trembled. An unusual flush rose to his face.
This change came from within. The external phenomena were merely consequences of the changes in his body. Most noticeably, the speed at which he absorbed fiery energy increased by another great margin.
Under an incomparably powerful suction force, nearly half the Solar Trueflame power from the Immortal Flame Burial Ground was drawn over. The fiery energy circling his body, which had originally entered Yan Kuan one strand at a time, now surged into him like wild horses breaking free of their reins.
Yan Kuan's body instantly turned an intensely brilliant red, like a block of heated iron radiating scorching firelight. Roaring flames continuously poured toward him, forming a fiery tornado.
Yan Kuan's body seemed to have become a bottomless abyss. No matter how immense the incoming energy was, he accepted all of it without exception.
This astonishing phenomenon continued for a long time. Only when crisp cracks of bones sounded did Yan Kuan slowly open his eyes.
His tightly shut eyes gradually opened, and golden flames strangely rose within them, coiling through his black pupils and dyeing them brilliant gold. After a while, he let out a long breath, and only then did the fiery glow gradually fade.
As the flames receded, Yan Kuan's black eyes appeared even deeper than before. His body moved, descending to the ground, and he draped himself in a black robe to cover his body. "Peak Great Battle Master. Only one step from Dou Ling, with cultivation comparable to the third level of the Dao Palace Realm.
"Right now, I may look like an utterly ordinary Wheel Sea Realm cultivator, but if anyone truly harbors ill intent, I'll definitely give them a big surprise. And as I focus on cultivating the Wheel Sea Secret Realm, my Sea of Bitterness phenomenon is about to awaken as well."
Yan Kuan was extremely satisfied with his current state. His cultivation progress over these few short months had been far faster than all his previous years combined.
Yet this rapid progress had not damaged his foundation. The alchemy system of the Battle Qi Continent was exceptionally well-developed. By combining various pills, one could maximize the effects of medicinal ingredients without harming one's foundation.
Of course, the expenses involved were enormous as well. The resources Yan Kuan had acquired through several trades, along with those he had looted from the Jiujiang Dragon-Bird treasury, had been almost entirely exhausted over these past few months. If he wanted to improve his strength this quickly in the future, he would only need even more resources.
"There's still nearly twenty years until the Nine Dragons Pulling a Coffin arrives. What a headache!"
Yan Kuan increasingly felt how barren the cultivation environment of the Ancestral Star had become, with all kinds of resources in short supply. He specialized in a single secret realm while combining it with the Doupo system, so the cultivation resources he currently required were not especially precious. For now, he had no need for things like Lesser Medicine Kings; he simply needed large quantities.
These cultivation resources useful for the Wheel Sea Realm and Dao Palace Realm were actually easy to trade for on ancient stars like the Big Dipper or Ziwei. Yan Kuan could easily exchange his alchemy skills for the resources he needed, and as long as he was careful during transactions, he would not attract attention.
But here on the Ancestral Star, even if he could refine pills, he could not trade for much in the way of resources. The various factions of the cultivation world were likewise short on resources, and any large-scale transaction would easily draw unwanted attention.
"When the boat reaches the bridge, it will go straight. I can think of another way to deal with resources later. For now, I should master more methods for fighting enemies and accept the karma of the Ancient Tomb."
Having made up his mind, Yan Kuan walked outward along the lonely, chilly White Jade Platform steps. On the way, several bat beasts came to offer themselves up. Naturally, he accepted them all without hesitation and stored them away as materials, making a contribution to controlling the bat population.
"Clang, clang..."
Bursts of clanging sword sound came from ahead. Yan Kuan slowed his pace slightly and arrived before the Sword Sharpening Stone that contained supreme Sword Intent.
The first time he had entered this Ancient Tomb's underground palace, Yan Kuan had only just opened his Sea of Bitterness. He had needed to tread carefully around everything within the tomb. Merely glancing at this Sword Sharpening Stone had left him badly injured, and only with the protection of the Trigram Treasure Box had he barely managed to reach the depths of the Ancient Tomb.
But now, his sole cultivation of the Wheel Sea Secret Realm made him comparable to a mid-stage Dao Palace Realm cultivator. Even if he stood before the Sword Sharpening Stone and reached out to touch it, he need not fear injury.
"Great Sage Chisongzi's Sword Dao Legacy really does make me look forward to it."
Yan Kuan walked step by step toward the Sword Sharpening Stone. The clanging sword sound became increasingly sharp, as though countless demonic sounds were drilling into his mind. Strands of sword qi battered his body, making him feel boundless pain.
But none of these hardships could halt Yan Kuan's footsteps. He resolutely arrived before the Sword Sharpening Stone, and a faint mark appeared within the fiery light pattern between his brows. It was the spiritual imprint of Grand Sage Red Pine that he had previously obtained from that set of Chime Bells.
Yan Kuan raised his right palm and firmly pressed it against the Sword Sharpening Stone. Resplendent Empyrean Flame rose up and spread across the entire stone, while the Great Saint's spiritual imprint between his brows shone with incomparably dazzling radiance.
Countless scenes instantly appeared in Yan Kuan's mind. A mountain soaring into the clouds came into view, so steep that even birds could not find purchase upon it. Rising and falling sheerly, it resembled a heavenly sword thrust into the earth.
A sharp killing intent swept forth, slashing at the soul and making one's flesh feel as though it would split apart and one's bones would break. Sword qi was at its peak here, ringing with metallic clamor as though ten million heavenly swords were crying out together, resounding between heaven and earth.
Yan Kuan's consciousness drew near. The sword cries rang out with metallic clamor, as though ten million heavenly swords were crying out together, resounding between heaven and earth. His consciousness shot straight toward the depths of the mountain, because something there was drawing him in.
A hundred thousand heavenly swords cried out in unison. Sword qi split the clouds, sword radiance blanketed heaven and earth, and severed the Void of ancient and modern times. At the mountain's absolute peak lay a Sword Lake, limpid and translucent, emitting countless threads of sword light as though an unparalleled Immortal Sword were buried within.
This was the Immortal Sword Sky Pool, the place where Great Sage Chisongzi washed his sword. The figure Yan Kuan had been pursuing sat beside the sword pool, holding an ordinary-looking Bronze Sword against the Sword Sharpening Stone and carefully honing its edge, occasionally dipping the blade into the pool to wash it.
Yan Kuan's consciousness drew near, and this ancient Great Saint seemed to turn around by coincidence. It was as though the two had crossed time and space to meet each other's eyes. Chisongzi slightly opened his mouth and uttered a single word. "Sword!"
At that moment, an Eternal Light burst forth, dazzling and brilliant. In that instant, nothing else existed. There was only that single ray of sword light. The sun, moon, and stars in the sky seemed insignificant, dim and devoid of luster. Yan Kuan's consciousness, too, sank into Chaos once more.
Before you continue