The barrier at the Early Golden Immortal realm was as fragile as a sheet of paper before this force. It was easily swept aside and shaken, showing faint signs of breaking through.
"This... is the Nine Revolutions Chaos Divine Art?"
Zhao Gongming slowly opened his eyes. Feeling the complete transformation within his body, he was swept by a tempest of emotion.
At last, he understood. This was the greatest support he would have in the future to secure his footing and defy fate! Compared with this art, what was the Supreme Purity Immortal Method? It was like a firefly competing with the bright moon!
He glanced at the system panel. He had 800 Primordial Points remaining. He didn't use them, instead deciding to save them for emergencies.
His top priority was to familiarize himself with his new art as soon as possible and fully master his surging power.
Just as he had perfected the art, three familiar, beloved auras appeared outside his cave.
With a thought, Zhao Gongming dispelled the cave's wards and rose to greet his visitors.
Three peerlessly beautiful female immortals approached together, graceful and imbued with immortal charm. They were his three junior sisters: Yunxiao, Qiongxiao, and Bixiao.
"Greetings, junior sisters." Zhao Gongming smiled sincerely and cupped his hands in salute.
"Senior Brother!" Bixiao was the liveliest of the three. Seeing Zhao Gongming emerge from seclusion, she ran over with a cheerful grin. "We heard that you displayed your might a few days ago and defeated Senior Brother Xiong Shan with a single move. Today, we sensed a powerful fluctuation of energy in your cave, so we came to see you. Did you... break through again?"
Qiongxiao also studied Zhao Gongming with curiosity, her beautiful eyes full of surprise.
Only Yunxiao, whose cultivation was the highest, furrowed her delicate brows. She could see more than the others. Though Zhao Gongming's aura was restrained, the occasional trace of Daoist resonance that escaped him stirred an inexplicable sense of unease in her. It was an aura far more ancient and profound than the Supreme Purity Immortal Method.
"My meager cultivation is nothing worth mentioning, junior sisters." Zhao Gongming welcomed them inside and seated them as honored guests, then personally poured them immortal tea. "May I ask what brings you here today?"
Yunxiao lifted her teacup and took a small sip. Her cool gaze settled on Zhao Gongming. "Senior Brother, we sisters came first to congratulate you, and also... because we're curious. I've never seen anyone improve as quickly as you. Did you happen upon some great opportunity?"
Meeting the sincere gazes of the San Xiao, Zhao Gongming felt a warmth in his heart. He naturally couldn't reveal the secret of the system. After a moment's thought, he offered a half-truth. "To be honest, junior sister, I went out to explore a few days ago and was fortunate enough to stumble into a secret realm left behind by an Ancient God-Demon. I found a fragmentary body-refinement art there, and was lucky enough to make some progress."
He attributed the art he had created to an ancient opportunity—the best and most common explanation in the Primordial World.
"So that's what happened!" Bixiao clapped her hands in realization and laughed. "I knew it! Senior Brother must be a man of great fortune!"
Yunxiao, however, was thoughtful. She knew that a fragmentary art could never bring about such a tremendous transformation; Zhao Gongming must have a deeper secret. But she was clever, and seeing that he was reluctant to say more, she didn't press him. Instead, she changed the subject and began discussing cultivation insights with him.
Grateful for Yunxiao's consideration, Zhao Gongming also wanted to build a good relationship with his junior sisters. He casually shared some basic insights into the Great Dao from the Nine Revolutions Chaos Divine Art, disguising them in terms of the Supreme Purity Immortal Method.
Though those insights were only the tip of the iceberg, their lofty concepts and unconventional perspectives left the San Xiao utterly absorbed. Yunxiao, in particular, was at the Late Golden Immortal realm. Several bottlenecks that had troubled her for years showed faint signs of loosening.
After their discussion, the San Xiao admired Zhao Gongming immensely. They, too, shared their cultivation experiences without reservation, along with their views on the current state of the Primordial World.
As they talked, Zhao Gongming's relationship with the San Xiao grew warmer and closer. Looking at his three junior sisters, chatting and laughing before him, he silently vowed that when the Great Tribulation of Investiture of the Gods came, he would protect them no matter what and never let them meet the same fate as in the original story—perishing and being imprisoned beneath Qilin Cliff!
As they prepared to leave, Yunxiao took a smooth, lustrous white jade pendant from her sleeve and handed it to Zhao Gongming.
Cloud patterns swirled across the pendant, and immortal light shimmered within it.
"Senior Brother, I made this Yunxiao Pendant using my own vital mana. Keep it on you. If you encounter danger, activate it, and it can block a full-force strike from a Late Golden Immortal." Yunxiao spoke solemnly. "You may possess great abilities, Senior Brother, but the Primordial World is perilous. You must still be careful."
Zhao Gongming's heart stirred as he accepted the pendant, feeling a warm current pass through him.
It wasn't merely a protective treasure; it was a token of Yunxiao's heartfelt concern.
"Thank you for your kindness, junior sister. I'll remember this." He put the pendant away with care and bowed deeply to the San Xiao.
After seeing the San Xiao off, Zhao Gongming turned and headed back into his cave. The smooth jade pendant rested in his palm, seeming to retain Yunxiao's warmth and a faint, delicate fragrance. He was moved. In the cold, ruthless Primordial World, the sincere care of his fellow disciples was a rare source of comfort on the road ahead.
He wore the Yunxiao Pendant close to his body. Its wisps of immortal power mingled with his own, bringing him a sense of security.
Back in his meditation room, Zhao Gongming sat cross-legged but didn't immediately attempt a breakthrough. First, he calmed his mind and repeatedly contemplated the insights he had gained from discussing the Dao with the San Xiao, as well as the many mysteries of the first revolution of the Nine Revolutions Chaos Divine Art, letting them settle in his heart.
The path of cultivation required both exertion and rest. A moment of enlightenment could be worth more than endless hard cultivation.
He sat quietly like this for over a month. His aura grew ever more restrained, like a rough stone of chaos—plain and unadorned, no longer displaying the sharpness he had shown when he first perfected the art.
He had completely tamed his surging power, making it part of himself and as easy to command as his own limbs.
Then, one day, as the first ray of purple dawn light came from the east and pierced the wards of Luofu Cave, falling upon him, Zhao Gongming's tightly shut eyes snapped open!
A flash of chaotic light passed through his eyes, like the first Divine Light at the dawn of World Creation.
"The time has come!"
He murmured softly, but his voice carried an unshakable resolve.
His cultivation at the Peak Early Golden Immortal realm had been honed to flawless perfection. There was no room for further improvement. It was time to knock on the gate to a higher realm!
With a thought, he swept his sleeve, sending dozens of spirit stones and immortal jade pieces shimmering with various colors flying out. As if alive, they landed with perfect precision in the corners of the meditation room.
Then he formed hand seals and murmured an incantation, sending rune after rune of condensed mana into the spirit stones.
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