Impacting Perfection

There were only three days left until the Inner Sect Preliminary Assessment.

The door to Room C was tightly shut, sealing off all the noise from outside. Shen Hao sat cross-legged on the simple wooden bed, his eyes slightly closed, a faint halo of Spiritual Energy swirling around him. After this period of arduous cultivation, his cultivation base had already touched the peak of Late Qi Refining Third Layer. The lake of Spiritual Energy within his Sea of Qi churned endlessly, so dense it nearly overflowed—only a single step away from Perfected Qi Refining Third Layer.

And with his footwork and sword technique fully integrated, his combat ability had also been greatly enhanced.

That day, after finishing his weeding and pest-removal duties in the Medicine Garden, Shen Hao returned to his quarters early. He knew it was time to break through to Perfected Qi Refining Third Layer.

Shen Hao took a deep breath, pulled a cloth bundle from his chest, and carefully took out ten Low-grade Spirit Stones. These stones were savings he had scrimped and saved for a long time. He laid the stones neatly beside the Companion Jade Pendant in his palm, then activated the mental method of the Spirit Devouring Art.

In an instant, the Spirit Devouring Vortex in his dantian spun wildly, emitting a powerful suction force. The pale white light on the spirit stones dimmed rapidly as streams of pure, refined Spiritual Energy surged out like a bursting dam. After being purified by the Companion Jade Pendant, they flowed through his already tempered, tough, and wide Meridians, pouring continuously into his Sea of Qi.

Shen Hao could clearly feel the water level of the Spiritual Energy lake in his Sea of Qi rising steadily. The lake surface shimmered, the spiritual light growing denser, and the concentration of Spiritual Energy kept increasing.

After about half an hour, Shen Hao felt his Sea of Qi swelling as if it might burst. Every limb and bone was filled with Spiritual Energy, a vast power surging through his body.

"Almost there." Shen Hao's mind stirred, and he stopped Devouring Spirit Stones.

He took a deep breath, formed hand seals, and guided all the Spiritual Energy in his Sea of Qi into a surging wave, slamming it fiercely against the barrier to Perfected Qi Refining Third Layer.

Boom!

A dull sound exploded within his body, his Meridians trembling slightly. But the barrier, like transparent glass, remained unmoved, indestructible.

Shen Hao had expected this. The barrier to Perfected Qi Refining Third Layer was far tougher than any minor realm he had broken through before. Gritting his teeth, he didn't lose heart. He mobilized his Spiritual Energy again and launched a second assault.

Once, twice, three times...

He didn't know how long passed. When nearly half his Spiritual Energy was consumed, fine sweat beaded on his forehead, and his body began to tremble slightly, he finally heard a faint, almost inaudible crack in his ears.

Joy surged in his heart. He quickly focused his mind inward and saw that a tiny crack had appeared on the solid barrier.

"Just a little more!" Shen Hao's spirits lifted. He drove all his remaining Spiritual Energy, turning it into wave after wave that relentlessly battered the crack.

The crack grew larger and deeper, spreading like a spiderweb.

Finally, under another violent impact, the barrier shattered with a crash.

Dense Spiritual Energy, like a bursting flood, rushed into the deeper layers of his Meridians. The lake in his Sea of Qi instantly expanded by a full circle, the concentration of Spiritual Energy increasing several times over. The spiritual light on the lake flickered unsteadily, the energy so thick it nearly liquefied.

Shen Hao slowly opened his eyes, a glint of sharp light flashing within them. He clenched his fist, a solid power surging from his palm. His control over Spiritual Energy had also become much more effortless.

"Perfected Qi Refining Third Layer—finally broken through!"

He let out a long breath of turbid air, a thrilled smile spreading across his face.

There were only three days left until the Inner Sect Preliminary Assessment. His cultivation base had finally broken through to Perfected Qi Refining Third Layer. This meant that in the upcoming cultivation test, he now had enough confidence to compete for a spot among the top one hundred Inner Sect Disciples.