Now, my roots were twice as strong, and my origin was ten times stronger!
Across the entire Prehistoric World, my roots could probably rank among the best!
"If I could do this a few more times, maybe my roots could even transform into... Chaos Godfiend roots!"
Xuandan's heart jolted as he thought of an astonishing possibility.
His unique nature meant that he could use the world as a furnace and continually improve his roots.
Perhaps one day, he could surpass the limits of the Prehistoric World and reach the level of a Chaos Godfiend!
Meanwhile, during the thousands of years Xuandan spent in seclusion,
the other Three Sects disciples were also making frantic preparations for the Three Sects Grand Competition.
San Xiao spent their days discussing the Dao, while the Seven Attendant Immortals would spar whenever they had nothing else to do.
The Chan Sect disciples visited one another, learning from each other's strengths to make up for their own shortcomings.
None of them wanted to bring shame upon their sect at the Three Sects Grand Competition.
Quite a few disciples shared that sentiment.
The most notable among them were Xuan Du of the Ren Sect, Guang Chengzi of the Chan Sect, and Duobao of the Interception Sect.
Xuan Du considered himself the eldest disciple of the Xuan Sect, and felt he should set an example for his junior brothers.
Guang Chengzi didn't want to bring shame upon his master, and was convinced that his talents were second to none.
Duobao, driven by the rebellious Sword Dao in his heart, walked his own path and challenged his fellow disciples to sword duels.
Yet cultivation was like rowing upstream: if one didn't advance, one fell behind. The path was fraught with difficulty.
In his cave dwelling, Guang Chengzi wore a troubled expression.
"I'm clearly just one step away from breaking through to Taiyi Golden Immortal. Why can't I grasp that final insight?"
Duobao, also in seclusion, looked equally troubled.
"I've already glimpsed the path to Great Luo through my sword challenges, and I've caught a glimpse of Taiyi. But there's so little time. I'm afraid even ten thousand years won't be enough to put this insight into practice!"
Even with Sages teaching and guiding them,
insight was never something one could achieve overnight.
At the same time, they both recalled how their opponent had fought with everything he had while they were breaking through the encirclement of the Strange Beasts.
Guang Chengzi smiled helplessly and shook his head.
"Junior Brother Duobao's Sword Dao can cleave through the nine heavens. Without a breakthrough to Taiyi, I'd be hard-pressed to defeat him."
Duobao sighed softly, unwillingness in his eyes.
"Senior Brother Guang Chengzi keeps his cards close to his chest and has so many hidden moves. Without reaching Taiyi, I wouldn't be confident facing him."
As though struck by a sudden flash of inspiration, the two of them looked up at the same time and turned toward the same place.
Eight Sceneries Palace, Xuan Dan's Mansion.
With Xuandan's pills to help them, they could surely break through to Taiyi this time!
But then they remembered the side effects of his pills...
The Balding Breakthrough Pill; the Two Saints of the West Arrive at Kunlun!
Cultivation knew no seasons, and the Prehistoric World kept no count of the years.
A thousand years had passed since the Three Sects disciples returned to the mountain.
Dark clouds gathered in the sky, and the roar of thunder sounded again and again.
Xuandan formed a hand seal, his gaze fixed on the Nine Dragon Cauldron.
The Blazing Heaven Fiery Flame suddenly vanished. The furnace opened, and the fragrance of pills spread through the air.
Heavenly Thunder surged down and was absorbed by the pills, refining away the last traces of impurities.
The crystalline pill took shape and landed in Xuandan's hand.
This pill formula was called the Breakthrough Pill. He had obtained it earlier as a system critical-hit reward. It could help someone break through to the next cultivation realm and make it easier to overcome bottlenecks.
At the same time, the system's voice suddenly rang in his mind.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host on refining a Breakthrough Pill. Its medicinal effects have increased tenfold. Side effect: baldness (lasts five thousand years)!]
The pill's tribulation had caused quite a stir, drawing many Kunlun Mountain disciples to stop and watch.
The two most fervent gazes came from Guang Chengzi and Duobao.
Hope showed in Guang Chengzi's eyes, but he was still conflicted.
Images of Huanglong turning into a Loli kept flashing through his mind.
Yet as he caught the rich fragrance of pills wafting from Xuandan's direction, his gaze finally hardened, and he clenched both fists.
"Forget it, forget it. Breaking through to Taiyi Golden Immortal comes at a price."
With that, he put on an expression of grim resolve, concealed his figure and aura, fashioned a unique black robe, and set off under cover of night.
Duobao, who had also noticed Xuandan emerging from seclusion, rose to his feet immediately.
"Face is so utterly worthless in the face of strength."
"With Junior Brother's pills to help me, I'll surely break through to Taiyi."
"Once I do, I'll take first place at the Three Sects Grand Competition. Let's see who dares to criticize me then!"
With that, Duobao concealed his figure and aura, fashioned a black robe of his own, and set off under cover of night.
The two mysterious figures happened to meet outside the entrance to Xuandan's cave dwelling.
Duobao stared at the black-robed figure before him, momentarily stunned. At the same time, he couldn't help but marvel.
"Great minds think alike. I wonder which fellow disciple this is."
He reached out with his divine sense, intending to identify the other person.
But when he realized his divine sense had been blocked, he was taken aback.
Guang Chengzi had done the same, and was equally astonished.
Both of them silently marveled inwardly.
Good thing they'd prepared ahead of time and fashioned black robes that could block divine sense.
If someone else saw them, wouldn't the whole of Kunlun Mountain hear about it?
They remained at an impasse for a long while, until Duobao finally lost patience and asked in a disguised voice,
"Which fellow disciple might you be? What brings you here so late at night?"
Sweat beaded on Guang Chengzi's forehead as he altered his voice and replied,
"I'm a close friend of Junior Brother Xuandan. I saw that he'd come out of seclusion, so I came to visit."
"What a coincidence. So did I."
"..."
The words fell flat, and there was no taking them back.
The two continued to stand there in awkward silence.
Bang!!!
The entrance to Xuan Dan's Mansion suddenly swung open.
After being in seclusion for so long, Xuandan wanted to come out under cover of night and take in some fresh air.
He looked up, intending to step outside, but froze on the spot.
He looked the two black-clad figures up and down, and an absurd thought suddenly came to mind.
Wait, had Kunlun Mountain been robbed?
Xuandan ventured a question.
"Are you two playing some kind of new game?"
Duobao was still the first to lose his composure. He laughed repeatedly to cover up his earlier awkwardness.
At that moment, Guang Chengzi hurriedly moved closer.
"Good grief... I wonder which junior brother came up with this trick."
"Good thing I came too, or you'd have beaten me to it!"
He hurried forward as well, pitching his voice high.
"Junior Brother, don't mind it. It's nothing important."
Duobao shot Guang Chengzi a meaningful look.
The Three Sects Grand Competition hadn't even begun, and the two of them were already on their guard against each other.
Xuandan was escorted back to his cave dwelling by the two senior brothers, still at a loss.
"What exactly do you two mean?"
He'd opened the door and found two black-clad figures waiting outside. The sight had been so startling that his mind still hadn't caught up.
It wasn't until Guang Chengzi and Duobao spoke together with smiles that he understood.
"I'd like to trade a treasure for one of your pills, Junior Brother. What do you say?"
Xuandan grinned and drew out the word with a playful, rising cry.
"If you two are interested, I'd be happy to agree."
With that, he handed them the Breakthrough Pill he had just refined.
"This pill is called the Breakthrough Pill. After you take it, it can help you break through your current cultivation realm and overcome your bottlenecks. How many would you two like? Just say the word!"
Before you continue