Only one month remained before his agreed-upon match with Su Qingyan.
Lin Yue felt that his cultivation had nearly stabilized, so he decided to refine the last small fragment of the Three-Leaf Golden Ganoderma. He hoped to break through to Mid-stage High-level Chaos before the match.
He chose to refine the herb beside the Innate Spirit Spring, where the energy was purest and would help him absorb the life force within it.
After sitting cross-legged, Lin Yue took out the fragment and placed it in his palm. It had lost its former golden sheen and grown somewhat shriveled, but he could still sense the faint life force it contained.
He took a deep breath and circulated the Chaos Cultivation Technique, following the method he had worked out before. Rather than absorb the life force at once, he first guided it to meld with his Chaos Energy.
A wisp of pale golden energy seeped from the fragment and flowed slowly along the meridians in his palm. Lin Yue carefully controlled it, allowing it to gradually permeate his Chaos Energy.
At first, the two energies still repelled each other. The pale golden life force was gentle, while his Chaos Energy was far more turbulent. But Lin Yue didn't rush. He patiently guided them, as if harmonizing water and fire, letting them slowly adapt to one another.
The process was slow and mentally taxing. Lin Yue focused completely, not daring to let his attention waver. Fine beads of sweat gradually appeared on his forehead.
Time passed little by little. When roughly thirty percent of the fragment's life force had melded with his Chaos Energy, Lin Yue suddenly felt the vortex in his dantian tremble faintly, as if something were about to break through.
Am I about to break through? Lin Yue was delighted, but quickly regained his composure. He knew that the more critical the moment, the steadier he had to be—or all his efforts could come to nothing.
He continued guiding the merged energy, slowly pouring it into his dantian. After absorbing it, the pale golden vortex began to turn, spinning faster and faster as its color gradually deepened from pale gold to dark gold.
As the last wisp of life force flowed into his dantian, the vortex reached its peak speed. It abruptly stopped, then gave a deep hum and began to contract and condense.
Lin Yue could clearly feel the energy in his dantian becoming purer and more concentrated than before, its power seemingly rising to a new level.
"I did it!" Lin Yue opened his eyes, a glint flashing in them. He could feel that his cultivation had firmly reached Mid-stage High-level Chaos!
He clenched his fist, and Chaos Energy gathered at his fingertips, forming an orb more concentrated and profound than before. Faint streaks of light even seemed to flicker across its surface as it radiated powerful energy.
The Chaos Little Light Orb should be able to match Su Qingyan's flames now, right? Lin Yue thought.
He tried forming two orbs at once and found it much easier than before. Their speed and accuracy had also improved considerably. To his delight, he could even infuse a small amount of life force into the orbs. It was an unexpected benefit of refining the Three-Leaf Golden Ganoderma: though the life force was slight, it gave the orbs a mild healing effect.
"My offense has improved, and I've gained a support ability too. Not bad." Lin Yue nodded in satisfaction.
He stood and stretched, feeling strength coursing through his body. The life force from the spirit herb had also strengthened his physique, allowing him to withstand the impact of more violent Chaos Energy.
"That gives me a better chance against Su Qingyan." Lin Yue looked toward the distant Chaos Airflow, a confident smile on his face.
When he returned to the cave, Lin Yue told Pangu about his breakthrough.
Pangu slowly opened his eyes and surveyed him before giving a faint nod. "Mm. Your foundation is fairly solid." The simple remark warmed Lin Yue's heart. He knew this was rare praise from Pangu.
"I have you to thank for your guidance, Senior, as well as the help of the Three-Leaf Golden Ganoderma," Lin Yue said sincerely.
Pangu waved a hand and said no more, closing his eyes again. But Lin Yue sensed that the aura around his senior had softened a little, as if he, too, were pleased by Lin Yue's progress.
In the days that followed, Lin Yue didn't let up in his cultivation. After reaching Mid-stage High-level Chaos, he found it much easier to control his energy. He began trying to combine the Chaos Little Light Orb with his movement techniques, developing a more practical fighting style.
He would first use his movement technique to circle around an "enemy"—usually a huge boulder—then suddenly form an orb and attack, aiming to catch it off guard. At times, he formed several orbs at once and attacked from different angles, leaving his "enemy" unable to defend against them all.
He also kept studying the attack and defense trajectory diagram Pangu had drawn, incorporating its techniques into his fighting style. Gradually, Lin Yue's combat style became more and more flexible, combining the overwhelming force of Chaos Energy with exquisite technique.
A month passed in the blink of an eye. Only three days remained before his agreed-upon match with Su Qingyan.
Standing outside the cave, Lin Yue looked toward the familiar rocky valley in the distance and took a deep breath. He could feel that he was in peak condition. His cultivation and fighting style were both far stronger than they had been three months ago.
"Su Qingyan, I hope you haven't been slacking off these past three months." Lin Yue's lips curled into an eager smile. "I don't want to win too easily."
He turned and went back into the cave, planning to rest for a few days and conserve his strength for the match three days later. He knew it would be more than a contest of strength; it would also test the results of his three months of cultivation.
Meanwhile, deep in the Chaos, a red figure stood beside a volcano, flames burning around her even hotter than they had three months ago. Feeling the surging energy within her, Su Qingyan's eyes flashed with a sharp glint. "Lin Yue, I won't lose to you."
A new contest was about to begin in the rocky valley that had witnessed their rivalry and cooperation.
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