Breath Concealment Technique; Beyond Body Tempering Ninth Layer

"Phew..." Lu Nan opened his eyes, sensing the surging power within his body.

A delighted expression appeared on his face. "I've finally reached the Body Tempering Ninth Layer!!"

He looked up at the fruit still remaining on the tree and, without hesitation, got up and picked another four.

"I might as well break through to the Qi Condensation stage in one go!!"

Staring at the crimson peaches before him, Lu Nan murmured to himself before picking one up and taking a bite.

Before long, all four peaches had gone into his stomach.

Yet after refining all the power within his body, he had not entered the Qi Condensation stage as expected.

This left Lu Nan deeply puzzled, and he hurriedly examined himself carefully.

"Hmm? It only rose by less than a tenth?"

The result left him laughing bitterly. "Low talent really is troublesome!!"

Still, he only sighed over it briefly before looking up at the peaches remaining on the tree.

After pondering for a moment, he rose and picked them all, piling them one by one beside himself.

"Although this peach tree is only of ordinary quality, after being nourished by the Mysterious Space,

its effects are already no less than those of a thirty-year spiritual medicine. I refuse to believe that after refining all of these,

I still won't be able to advance to the Qi Condensation stage."

A fierce glint flashed in Lu Nan's eyes as he grabbed a peach and began devouring it.

The moment he finished one, he immediately refined it. The instant he finished refining it, he continued with the next.

He repeated this process, and who knew how much time passed.

"Burp... I finally finished them!!"

Looking at the pile of peach pits before him, a trace of lingering fear flashed through Lu Nan's eyes.

More than thirty peaches—this was the first time in both his past and present lives that he had eaten so many.

If not for his resolve to charge into the Qi Condensation stage, he feared he would have given up long ago.

Yet when he sensed the abundant power within his body, Lu Nan was still overjoyed.

At that moment, he could feel that the power within him was already nearing its critical point.

Once he refined the spiritual qi from the final peach, he would surely break through to the Qi Condensation stage.

The thought made Lu Nan's heart burn, and he hurriedly sat down cross-legged.

He circulated the Qi Condensation Art, rapidly refining the spiritual qi within his body.

"Crack..." Time flew by in an instant when, suddenly, a cracking sound rang out.

"I finally broke through!!!!" Lu Nan abruptly opened his eyes, ecstatic.

Sensing the immense power within his body, he felt as though he could now take on ten of his former selves.

"So this is the Qi Condensation stage???"

As he spoke, he hurriedly inspected his dantian. According to the Qi Condensation Art,

the condensation of spiritual power within one's dantian was the mark of entering the Qi Condensation stage.

Yet when his consciousness sank inward and he saw his empty dantian,

Lu Nan was instantly dumbfounded. "No! What does this mean??

Where's my spiritual power? Didn't I break through??

Could that just now have been an illusion??"

But he was certain that he had broken through. After all, the power he possessed now was undeniably real.

Yet there was no spiritual power in his dantian. Could it be that he was still in the Body Tempering realm??

But didn't the book say that the Body Tempering realm only had nine layers??

Filled with anxiety, Lu Nan immediately began a thorough examination of himself.

After a long while, he looked at the crimson radiance surrounding his body,

as well as the Blood-colored Calf wandering back and forth above it, as though it were alive.

Lu Nan was utterly stunned. He was now certain that his breakthrough had been for nothing.

He really had broken through earlier, but he had not broken through to the Qi Condensation stage.

Instead, he had broken through and produced this thing before his eyes. After repeatedly confirming it,

he was certain that these two things were products of his breakthrough.

Lu Nan knew about the blood-colored radiance. It was the manifestation of vital energy and blood.

That also meant that his physical body was incredibly powerful now, though he did not know exactly how powerful.

But as for this Blood-colored Calf, he was completely at a loss.

With his current knowledge, he had no idea what it was.

Nor did he know how to use it. He only knew that it appeared whenever he circulated his vital energy and blood with all his strength.

After appearing, the Blood-colored Calf would only wander around the blood-energy barrier.

"Sigh!! Forget it, forget it!!

For now, this Blood-colored Calf does me no harm.

I'll just let it be!!!"

Having found no solution after a long time, Lu Nan could only draw the Blood-colored Calf back into his body.

After sitting quietly for a short while, he rose and walked toward the Spiritual Herb Field.

Looking at the flourishing spiritual plants, each one growing so pleasingly,

a smile appeared on his face. "In a little while, they should be usable!!!"

"Then I can trade them for resources!!"

His earlier foul mood was swept away. After observing them carefully once more, he left the Mysterious Space.

In an empty room within the Book Collection Pavilion, a figure suddenly appeared.

Lu Nan looked around and discovered that it was still nighttime.

He could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to walk toward the bed,

he suddenly felt the ground vanish beneath his foot, and he nearly fell flat on his face.

Fortunately, he was now at least an expert of the Body Tempering Ninth Layer, and he quickly steadied himself.

But he did not dare move carelessly. Lowering his head, he looked at his left foot, which had sunk deep into the floor.

Lu Nan fell into thought, then carefully tried to pull his foot free.

He lightly took a small step forward, only for his foot to sink into the floor again.

It was not as deep as before, however. Seeing this, understanding dawned on him.

"Looks like my strength increased too quickly, and I can't control the power in my body!"

"Sigh! Looks like I won't be sleeping tonight!!!!" A long sigh echoed out.

Lu Nan then began trying to control his strength...

A ray of morning sunlight shone into a pockmarked, rather dilapidated room.

Looking at the room without a single intact spot, a complicated look appeared in Lu Nan's eyes.

"But fortunately, I can finally control my strength!"

He looked at the orange-yellow sunlight on the floor and quickly rose to straighten his clothes.

"Time to open the Book Collection Pavilion..."

"Creak..."

"I'll figure out something about this floor later!!"

After glancing at the pitted floor, he closed the door and headed for the Book Collection Pavilion.

Fortunately, there was still no one in the Book Collection Pavilion today, which made Lu Nan breathe a sigh of relief.

Following his usual routine, he quickly made a round of inspection and took care of whatever needed tending.

Then, as usual, Lu Nan picked up a book and began reading.

Without realizing it, another day passed. Night arrived as scheduled.

Closing the book, the corners of Lu Nan's mouth lifted.

"Who would have thought there was actually a cultivation method hidden among these books!!!"

Recalling the contents of the cultivation method in his mind, Lu Nan's eyes shone as he looked toward the many bookshelves.

"How many more secrets are hidden in here???

Breath Concealment Technique?? It came at just the right time!!!"

His cultivation had risen rapidly. In less than half a year, he had reached the Body Tempering Ninth Layer.

For others, this might have been nothing, but Lu Nan possessed a Low-grade Spiritual Root.

He was practically the worst existence in the entire sect. According to the normal pace,

someone with a Low-grade Spiritual Root would need at least a year to reach the Body Tempering Ninth Layer.

In other words, barring any surprises, after one year, those with Low-grade Spiritual Roots

would either leave the sect or become Servant Disciples.

But most would choose to become Servant Disciples, because only by remaining in the sect would they have a chance to rise higher.

Returning to the secular world might bring wealth and honor for a lifetime, but that would be the limit.

After returning the book to its original place, Lu Nan went to his work post and quietly waited for the moment he could get off duty.