That was right. Ling Tian's strength had improved noticeably, and so had Chi Xue and the others'. Their secret arts, in particular, had improved considerably through their exchanges with Xiao Yaozi and the others, including Externalized Small World. This gave Ling Tian even more confidence that he could defeat the Lord of the Universe in the future. Especially since, despite their having cultivated for so long, only a thousand years had passed in the outside world—meaning they still had plenty of time to train.
"Heh, Ling Tian, you've finally broken through to the thirty-third Heaven of Near-Saint, and the most important thing is that only a thousand years have passed outside," Poxiong said, brimming with excitement. "At this rate, you should be able to reach at least the thirty-fifth Heaven of Near-Saint before the deadline the Lord of the Universe gave you. With your aptitude, once you reach that level, even if you can't break through to Sainthood outright, you'll at least be infinitely close. That should be enough to withstand the Lord of the Universe's suppression."
"Exactly. And with time, your mastery of Externalized Small World will surely far surpass what it is now, giving you an even better chance of resisting the Lord of the Universe's cosmic suppression," Chang Xiangsi chimed in. "As long as you can withstand that suppression, you'll have a chance to use Devouring the Starry Sky again and again. Heh, each time you use that secret art, you'll devour part of the universe, weakening the Lord of the Universe and easing the pressure he puts on you. By the time you return to the God Realm, even if you can't use Devouring the Starry Sky without pause, you should at least be able to use it eighty or a hundred times. Given how much