Breakthrough

The glow of Spiritual Energy around her entire body slowly receded, and Murong Xue appeared before everyone, radiant and spirited. The weakness brought on by the poison had vanished without a trace.

"Congratulations on successfully breaking through, Big Sister Murong!" Wang Beichen said with a grin from the side. He had thought he would have to take over after Murong Xue was poisoned, but Zhu Dachang had successfully saved her. With Murong Xue breaking through as well, it was truly a double blessing.

Murong Xue's red lips parted slightly. As they opened and closed, her first words slipped out.

"It smells so good!"

Everyone froze. With a blur, Murong Xue appeared beside Zeng Fan, her eyes fixed tightly on the snake meat in his hands, filled with longing.

"Does reaching the Spirit Gathering Realm make people able to eat this much?" Zeng Fan was a little puzzled, but seeing the look in Murong Xue's eyes, he naturally could not refuse her. He sprinkled on some seasoning, and under the scorching heat, an even richer fragrance burst forth.

"Careful, it's hot," Zeng Fan said softly with a smile as he handed it to Murong Xue.

Murong Xue gave Zeng Fan a sweet smile. Then Spiritual Energy surged through both her hands. Though her stomach was ravenous, she still held the snake meat and chewed it in small bites. Some grease stained her red lips, making them look moist and gleaming.

After finishing a large piece of snake meat, the girl patted her stomach and let out a satisfied sigh. When she noticed the four people staring at her, her face flushed slightly.

"I don't know what happened either. After breaking through, my stomach suddenly became incredibly hungry. I've been wanting to eat something nonstop."

Zhu Dachang smiled when he heard this. "Junior Sister, there's no need to worry. Everyone is like this after breaking through. Once we reach the Spirit Gathering Realm, our bodies will be tempered by Spiritual Energy once again. Our bodies become even stronger than they were in the Body Tempering Realm, but they also consume more energy, so naturally we feel hungry and need to eat to relieve it."

Everyone suddenly understood. Yuan Jin sensed the aura around Murong Xue and said in surprise, "You've only just broken through, so why does your aura already feel stronger than that Demonic Beast we're eating?"

"That's because Junior Sister Murong Xue isn't at Minor Accomplishment in the Spirit Gathering Realm. Her talent truly is astonishing. Using the Spiritual Energy from this Demonic Crystal, she broke straight through to Major Accomplishment in the Spirit Gathering Realm, crossing two minor realms in one step. It's truly incredible!" Zhu Dachang sighed from the side. Such cultivation talent was genuinely rare.

"Major Accomplishment in the Spirit Gathering Realm!" Zeng Fan also looked at Murong Xue in surprise. He had no doubts about Murong Xue's breakthrough; he simply had not expected her to surge forward in one breath and break straight through to Major Accomplishment in the Spirit Gathering Realm.

"It was all thanks to Senior Brother's Demonic Crystal. Only because of it did I have enough Spiritual Energy to break through continuously." Murong Xue inclined herself slightly toward him. If Zhu Dachang had not taken out that Demonic Crystal, then even if Zeng Fan and the others had brought out Spirit Stones, they probably could only have barely broken through to the Spirit Gathering Realm.

"You had accumulated enough yourself. The Demonic Crystal merely added flowers to brocade." Zhu Dachang waved his hand casually. As he spoke, a squad of disciples appeared atop the city wall. It turned out that the shift change had arrived.

Zhu Dachang bade everyone farewell. As a disciple of the Spirit Gathering Realm, he was also responsible for rescue work this time and could not rest together with Zeng Fan and the others.

Only after watching his massive figure slowly disappear into the distance atop the city wall did Zeng Fan and the others descend from it.

When his feet touched the soft earth beneath the inner wall, Zeng Fan finally let out a slight breath. The day's experiences had been a wild ride of rises and falls. Even someone with his resilient temperament could not avoid feeling tired.

Scanning the area below the wall, Zeng Fan's gaze grew heavy. After a full day, quite a few of the disciples who had gone up onto the wall with him had been injured, and some had even suffered severe injuries with missing limbs. After asking the other disciples, he learned that more than a dozen disciples had died today. The few of them exchanged glances, their eyes filled with relief. If Zhu Dachang had not arrived in time, at the very least Wang Beichen would have ended up severely injured.

Next came rest and rotation. Since Murong Xue had broken through to the Spirit Gathering Realm, she would have to go to the area where Spirit Gathering Realm disciples intercepted Demonic Beasts. Only Yuan Jin, Zeng Fan, and Wang Beichen remained to guard the city with Wang An.

Three days later, beneath the blazing sun, an intense battle was taking place atop the Datong Dynasty's city wall.

Zeng Fan thrust the spear in his hand fiercely into the head of a Demonic Beast. Accompanied by a painful howl, the Demonic Beast's enormous corpse crashed to the ground. A hint of excitement flickered in Zeng Fan's eyes. After several days of slaughter, he had also gained a trace more Killing Intent. Judging by his estimation, the Demonic Beast he had just killed had been at Minor Accomplishment in Body Tempering Blood. Killing it across a realm proved that he had made considerable progress during this period.

In another battle circle, Wang Beichen was surrounding and killing another Demonic Beast together with Yuan Jin. Seeing their increasingly fierce attacks and the Demonic Beast's somewhat frantic movements, Zeng Fan understood that this Demonic Beast had already begun its countdown to death.

"I already have twenty Demonic Beast corpses on hand. If I pool some together with Wang Beichen and Yuan Jin, I'll be able to exchange for that Body Tempering Pill and use it to break through." Zeng Fan pondered inwardly. After Murong Xue left, the pressure on the three of them to defend suddenly increased, and the frequency of the Demonic Beasts' attacks on the city also rose sharply. However, this was highly beneficial for tempering the three of them. Even Wang Beichen, the youngest of them, now carried a faintly cold air.

In order to break through, Zeng Fan had gone so far as to withstand the pressure and challenge Demonic Beasts of higher realms, seeking an opportunity. However, he always seemed to be missing that final feeling.

While rotating down to rest beneath the city wall, he vaguely heard the disciples discussing how the people above had already planned to organize a counterattack. They could not keep letting the Demonic Beasts attack the city. Without a breakthrough, their current cultivation was still too weak, and entering the Demonic Beasts' territory might put their lives at risk.

As Zeng Fan was deep in thought, a dying cry entered his ears. He turned his head and saw that Wang Beichen and Yuan Jin had already dealt with the Demonic Beast.

"The replacement team should be arriving soon." It was time to exchange for the Body Tempering Pill. Seeing Yuan Jin and Wang Beichen approaching, Zeng Fan said to Yuan Jin, "I'm still short ten Demonic Beasts. Help me make up the difference."

"When the replacement team arrives, I'll go with you to the military supplies office to exchange for it." Yuan Jin nodded at Zeng Fan, fresh red Demonic Beast blood still staining his body.

"I won't go, then. You two can go. I need to get a good rest." Wang Beichen stretched lazily, looking somewhat listless. With Murong Xue gone and the high-intensity battles of the past few days, even Wang Beichen was starting to run out of steam.

"Yuan Jin and I will go. Get a good rest and prepare for the counterattack ahead." Zeng Fan nodded. They were only exchanging for one Body Tempering Pill; there was no need for everyone to go.

When Wang Beichen heard "counterattack," his face fell, and he complained, "Those few Foundation Establishment cultivators really have nothing better to do. Driving them back would be enough. Why launch a counterattack too? Don't they think there's already enough trouble?"

Zeng Fan and Yuan Jin exchanged glances. Yuan Jin shrugged without speaking. Only Wang Beichen could complain so recklessly about those Foundation Establishment cultivators. They could not do the same.

The shift change began. Zeng Fan and the others returned beneath the inner wall. Wang Beichen and Wang An went back to their resting area first, while Zeng Fan headed to the military supplies office with Yuan Jin.

Although it was called the military supplies office, it was actually just a somewhat larger tent. A large flag stood at the tent entrance, with the three characters "Military Supplies Office" written on it.

Many disciples were entering and leaving the military supplies office. Quite a few wore delighted expressions, clearly having obtained what they wanted. Yuan Jin was chatting with Zeng Fan, but when his eyes turned toward the entrance, his expression suddenly became icy.

Seeing something off in Yuan Jin's expression, Zeng Fan looked toward the entrance of the military supplies office. His smile slowly froze as a chill flashed through his eyes. What a narrow road for enemies to meet on. Three people stood at the entrance with their arms folded, sneering at the two of them. They were none other than Zhou Bao and the other two whom they had clashed with before.

Zhou Bao and the other two stood right at the entrance of the military supplies office without moving, simply watching the pair with cold smiles. As the two sides stared coldly at each other, the disciples nearby also noticed that something was wrong and turned their gazes over one after another.

"Let's go over." Yuan Jin let out a cold laugh and strode toward the three men. Zeng Fan followed closely behind. He wanted to see what Zhou Bao was planning. Even if they fought now, he was not afraid.

When they slowly reached Zhou Bao, Yuan Jin looked ahead and said coldly, "A good dog doesn't block the road. You really don't even know how to be dogs properly!"

"What did you say?" The cold smile originally on Zhou Bao's face transformed into fury, and Spiritual Energy began to stir around him.

"You want to fight?" Spiritual Energy also began surging around Yuan Jin. After several days of slaughter, Yuan Jin was having trouble suppressing his temper. The two were about to erupt into a full-blown fight right there.

"Fighting is forbidden in the military supplies office. Violators will be executed on the spot." A cold voice came from somewhere, carrying a trace of Killing Intent.

Hearing this voice, both sides snorted coldly. Zhou Bao led the other two away, then said coldly with his back to Yuan Jin, "Be careful during the counterattack. Don't end up dying out there."

A flash of killing intent crossed Yuan Jin's eyes. Zeng Fan patted him on the shoulder and spoke calmly.

"You're the ones who should be careful."

At these words, a mocking curve rose at the corner of Zhou Bao's mouth, but he did not speak again. He left with the other two.

Zeng Fan looked at Yuan Jin. Yuan Jin had his eyes closed, his chest rising and falling rapidly. As time passed, he slowly exhaled a breath and finally calmed down. However, Zeng Fan knew that the moment an opportunity appeared, this calm would instantly transform into thunderous fury.

"I'm fine now. Let's go in." Yuan Jin nodded at Zeng Fan, having already reined in all his emotions. His face had returned to its usual calm.

"There will be an opportunity." Zeng Fan looked at Yuan Jin and spoke softly.

They entered the military supplies office. Exchanging for the Body Tempering Pill went without any trouble. The officer in charge of the exchange merely glanced at Zeng Fan and the others curiously, then handed the Body Tempering Pill over readily after verifying the number. After all, thirty Demonic Beast corpses were no small matter for Body Tempering Realm disciples.

Back at their lodgings, Zeng Fan sat cross-legged on the bed and meditated quietly for a while. Only after his mind and body had reached their best current state did he take out the Body Tempering Pill and swallow it in one gulp.

The breakthrough... had begun.