Breakthrough

He slowly sat down cross-legged, formed a hand seal, and gently closed his eyes, adjusting his breathing to immerse his mind into his Dantian.

At this moment, the world seemed to become silent and still, with only the rhythm of his breath audible.

As his consciousness sank into his body, he clearly perceived the primordial True Qi in his Dantian, like a deep, still lake, rippling slightly and emitting soft waves of spiritual energy.

With the stimulation of his thoughts, the True Qi flowed slowly, like the mist on a river surface being dispersed by the morning sun as dawn breaks, gradually becoming diffused and spreading to his limbs and bones.

He circulated his cultivation technique, and his internal acupoints were lit up one by one. His vital energy surged like a river, flowing through his meridians and scouring the unblocked barriers.

However—

How could the Ninth Rank realm be easily broken?

His meridians were like long-rusted chains, stubbornly blocking the flow of True Qi.

Chu Ning tasted blood on his tongue, and every inch of his meridians felt as if it were being pierced by ice picks.

In a daze, he "saw" his Dantian's sea of Qi churning like boiling water. It wasn't True Qi, but a Lightning Flood Dragon bound by iron chains.

The crisp sound of chains breaking exploded in his sea of consciousness. The flood dragon raised its head and let out a long roar, spewing out cold lightning mixed with ice crystals that surged straight up his spine to the crown of his head.

Outside the window, the snow accumulated on the eaves collapsed with a roar, as if resonating with him.

Time flowed by in the stillness.

The morning sunlight streamed through the window lattice, casting mottled shadows on his profile. Yet, he remained completely still, like a sculpture, immersed in his cultivation.

Outside the door, a servant from Marquis Wu's Estate gently knocked.

"Young Master Chu, the meal is ready."

Silence from within the room.

The servant waited for a moment, but receiving no response, he gently placed the food box by the door and quietly retreated.

At this moment, Chu Ning inside the room was completely unaware; his mind was immersed in a more intense cultivation battle.

It was noon, and the sun was scorching. The meal outside had long since gone cold.

Meanwhile, the True Qi within his body was surging to its limit.

Suddenly—

A sharp pain!

A critical acupoint suddenly erupted with intense pain, like steel needles piercing his bones!

Chu Ning's face contorted slightly, and cold sweat trickled down his temples. He gritted his teeth, refusing to let his True Qi scatter. His will was like a rock, steadfastly enduring the impact.

Night fell, and the stars shone brightly outside the window.

His entire body's acupoints vibrated faintly, and his True Qi churned like a furious tide, impacting the final bottleneck of the Ninth Rank!

"Buzz—!"

His meridians vibrated, his acupoints resonated, and a surge of majestic True Qi erupted in his Dantian like a raging river hitting a dam, attempting to break free from its restraints!

However, that layer of restraint was like a bronze wall, unyielding.

The next instant—

Backlash!

A monstrous backlash surged forth instantly, as if thousands of steel needles were piercing his internal organs. The pain made Chu Ning tremble slightly, and sweat soaked through his clothes.

At this moment, he was on the verge of life and death. If he couldn't break through, his True Qi would scatter, resulting in severe injuries at best, or a reversal of his meridians and qi deviation at worst!

Outside the door, the servant came to deliver food again. Seeing that yesterday's food box was still untouched, he frowned slightly, a hint of confusion in his heart.

"What exactly is Young Master Chu doing? Could it be... he's in seclusion for cultivation?"

He dared not act rashly, so he placed another box of new food and retreated, his steps lighter than usual, as if afraid of disturbing the person in the room.

As dawn broke, the first rays of morning light entered the room, and dust motes danced in the air. The room remained silent.

The servant came to deliver food for the fifth time. Seeing four untouched food boxes already placed by the door, he couldn't help but mutter in a low voice, "It's been two days and two nights. Has he really not eaten anything?"

But just then.

"Boom!!"

A vast and unparalleled aura suddenly erupted from the room. Violent spiritual energy surged out, creating an invisible wave of wind that even made the food boxes by the door tremble slightly!

Inside the room, Chu Ning suddenly opened his eyes. In the depths of his pupils, lightning seemed to flash.

In this instant, his five senses were sharper than ever before. He could even hear the servant's slightly rapid breathing outside the door, feel the subtle floating of dust in the air, and even his skin seemed to detect the faint wood grain texture on the roof beams.

Ninth Rank, finally broken through!

He slowly stood up. The True Qi within his body surged endlessly, his meridians were filled with energy as vast as the sea, and his entire body was cleansed by this powerful spiritual energy. His aura had undergone a complete transformation.

Outside the door, the servant was about to knock.

"Young Master Chu, you..."

"Creak—"

The door was slowly pushed open, and Chu Ning stepped out. His robes fluttered slightly, his gaze sharp as a blade, and his entire demeanor was utterly different from his usual self.

He brought the food box into the room, but he didn't start eating. Instead, he closed his eyes, concentrated, and sank his consciousness, preparing to pay the price for the Sky-Rending Shadow Flight Technique.

He knew very well that if he could advance further through this, stepping into the Upper Ninth Rank, he would be invincible in the Azure Cloud Arena battle!

With this thought, Chu Ning slowly exhaled, his consciousness sinking into the Chaos Divine Order...

In the void, a vast river of stars flowed slowly, endless starlight intertwining, illuminating his figure.

Chu Ning did not hesitate, and said in a deep voice, "Repay!"

In the darkness, an ancient and cold voice echoed:

[Killed a Ninth Rank martial artist, repayment successful!]

[Initiating next advance effect!]

In an instant, the starry sky trembled, and an indescribably terrifying power descended, as if the entire world was crushing down on him.

—Tear!

A terrifying rift appeared in the void, as if to split Chu Ning's soul in two.

His consciousness was torn apart, pain surging like waves, as if countless blades were carving into his soul, the agony of blood and fire instantly filling his world.

His body trembled slightly in reality, veins bulging on his forehead, sweat pouring out frantically, but he remained as steady as a rock, allowing the terrifying power to devour his spirit and essence.

"Is that all?" Chu Ning gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with a maddening determination.

However, as if the Chaos Divine Order had heard his provocation, the tearing force suddenly surged!

Boom!

His sea of consciousness was instantly engulfed by monstrous waves, countless illusory runes appearing from the depths of the star river, each rune like a branding iron, fiercely imprinted upon his soul.

Chu Ning's consciousness trembled violently, the pain almost making him lose his mind.

His body jolted violently in reality, his robes fluttering without wind, and the ground beneath his feet cracked inch by inch!

The feeling of his soul being forcibly torn apart was far more profound than physical pain. His flesh trembled, his meridians resonated, as if his entire body was enduring divine punishment.

But he still did not flinch!

His consciousness tightly grasped the tearing force, guiding it, and drawing this terrifying energy into his body bit by bit.

"Ah!!!"

He let out a low roar, forcefully circulating his cultivation technique. The True Qi in his dantian surged like a tidal wave, gradually devouring and refining the tearing force.

Chu Ning gritted his teeth and endured, his eyes bloodshot, veins bulging on his forehead!

He knew that if he could endure this, he would be reborn!

Time seemed to pass for millennia, and Chu Ning finally felt the tearing pain begin to weaken, eventually transforming into an extremely pure stream of energy, completely absorbed by his physique, meridians, and dantian.

Boom!

In an instant, his aura surged, and as the True Qi circulated, it carried sharp sounds of air being torn apart.

His entire presence became even more powerful than when he broke through to the Ninth Rank.

However, when he opened his eyes, he felt...

Middle Ninth Rank.

Chu Ning raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"A step short?"

He pondered for a moment, then a smile appeared on his face.