The Guardian Spirit looked at Great Emperor Huo Li and nodded slightly. "A solid foundation, with strength to spare. This one's future achievements will be no less than those few from years past."
Then came Ye Kong.
He usually kept a low profile, but when he cultivated, he had a stubborn, ruthless drive. His resolve was tough as he advanced one step at a time.
In the seventh month, he condensed the seed. In the eighth, he broke through to the Sixth Layer. In the ninth, he reached the Ninth Layer...
On the final day of the ninth month, veins bulged on Ye Kong's forehead, and the silver light around him rippled violently.
At last, under the Guardian Spirit's gaze, a four-foot silver sapling struggled into shape within his Wheel Sea.
The sapling had only three branches, each bearing just two leaves, but it had formed.
He had barely broken through to the Twelfth Layer.
"His resolve is tenacious, his will like iron."
The Guardian Spirit gave his assessment. "If he survives, he will surely become someone of great consequence."
Apart from those four, everyone else progressed much more slowly.
Palace Mistress Lingxin, Yue Canglan, and Li Qingyao did not reach the Tenth Layer until the tenth month. Afterward, they hit a bottleneck and could scarcely advance another inch.
The Myna bird belonged to the Demon Race, while the Chaos Heart-Devouring Worm belonged to the Insect Race. Their bodies differed from those of the Human Race, making it difficult for them to cultivate a Human Race art in the first place. After eleven months of bitter cultivation, both stopped at the Ninth Layer.
The Clones of the Nether Prison Immortal King and the Black Phoenix Immortal King had incomplete souls, which limited their understanding of the Laws. It took them