Earthly Fiend Realm

Shi Lan wasted no precious time and soon returned to the stone chamber.

The energy from the phoenix blood she had absorbed was nearly spent. Her cultivation advanced much more slowly now, but the rich spiritual energy surrounding her remained, and she was still rapidly pressing toward the peak of the ninth level of the Xiantian Realm.

As she circulated her energy through one cycle after another, her Xiantian True Qi grew increasingly vigorous. It flowed through the Twelve Primary Meridians before finally gathering in her dantian. As her True Qi grew, Shi Lan gradually felt a fullness in her lower abdomen.

Soon, the Xiantian True Qi contained in her meridians reached a critical point. They could no longer bear any more. Shi Lan had reached the limit of the ninth level of the Xiantian Realm and could advance no further.

Shi Lan stopped absorbing spiritual energy and guided the increasingly heavy True Qi within her through another cycle, directing it toward the Yangxi acupoint in the palm of her left hand.

The acupoint lay in utter stillness, like a great gate that completely separated the world within it from the world beyond.

Shi Lan's True Qi flowed slowly toward the Yangxi acupoint, but did not strike the gate. It swept past in an instant, its speed increasing slightly, and continued through another cycle.

After more than ten cycles, the True Qi in Shi Lan's body surged like a great river roaring and rushing forward, as if it had come to a rolling boil.

When her True Qi reached the Yangxi acupoint once more, it no longer swept past. Instead, like an enraged flood dragon, it slammed into the gate with all its might.

Crack!

A clear snap echoed through the stone chamber. The gate to the acupoint shook violently,