Stepping onto the Seventh Floor!

Time slipped quietly by amid cultivation.

Inside the Seventh Floor of the Symbol Master Tower, Luo Heng sat cross-legged within a faint golden glow.

Eighteen Myriad Techniques Spirit Needles swam around him like fish, swallowing every bolt of Spiritual Thunder that occasionally struck.

Within his Niwan Palace, every rotation of the Myriad Law Seal devoured and refined massive amounts of pure Spiritual Power, while the seal itself became increasingly solid.

The Great Devouring Art not only devoured the spiritual pressure within the tower, but also continuously tempered the foundations he had accumulated.

The bottleneck at the peak of the Late Earthen Yuan Stage had become as fragile as thin ice under such extreme pressure.

Yet Luo Heng was in no hurry to break through. He could feel that the system had prepared something for him...

"System, perform a check-in."

On the morning of his seventh day on the Seventh Floor, Luo Heng murmured inwardly.

Over the past seven days, most of his daily check-in rewards had been talisman materials or ordinary pills. They were useful, but not what he needed most.

But today, he had an inexplicable premonition.

[Ding! Daily Check-in successful! Obtained: Ninth-Grade Yang Essence Qi · Jie Kong Yan (one wisp)]

[Jie Kong Yan: An ultimate existence among Ninth-Grade Yang Essence Qi, born where spatial rifts and heavenly fire intertwine. It possesses the dual properties of "shattering" and "purification." After refinement, it can temper Primal Energy, burn away impurities, and forge an ultimate Yang Essence Body.]

The corners of Luo Heng's lips rose. Just as expected, the system was still incredibly reliable.

Ninth-Grade Yang Essence Qi!

It was an ultimate existence on the same level as the Ninth-Grade Yin-Sha Qi · Mysterious Nether Water he had absorbed before.

Yin-Sha and Yang Essence, one yin and one yang, were originally the two great foundations of martial cultivation.

When ordinary martial artists broke through to the Earthen Yuan Stage, absorbing Third- or Fourth-Grade Yin-Sha Qi was already considered decent. When breaking through to the Heaven Yuan Realm, finding Fifth- or Sixth-Grade Yang Essence Qi was a great opportunity.

Yet he had obtained Ninth-Grade Yin-Sha Qi and Ninth-Grade Yang Essence Qi in succession. Others could not even imagine it. He truly had the system to thank; otherwise, he could only have sought out Sixth- or Seventh-Grade varieties.

"The Mysterious Nether Water is extremely cold, while Jie Kong Yan is extremely fierce. One yin and one yang, one cold and one hot—they restrain and complement each other perfectly."

Luo Heng thought to himself that with this wisp of Jie Kong Yan, there was no longer any obstacle to his breakthrough into the Heaven Yuan Realm!

Moreover, if he used Ninth-Grade Yang Essence Qi as his foundation to break through, the quality of his Primal Energy, his physical strength, and his future potential would all reach an unimaginable level!

After breaking through, his combat power would likely be far greater than before!

"It's time."

Without the slightest hesitation, Luo Heng willed it, and that wisp of Jie Kong Yan emerged from the System Space.

It was an almost transparent flame, only the size of a thumb. Yet within it, countless tiny spatial rifts seemed to appear and vanish, radiating a heart-palpitating heat and a peculiar aura of "shattering."

The instant it appeared, the dense spiritual pressure of the Seventh Floor was slightly pushed aside, while the surrounding temperature soared sharply.

Luo Heng opened his mouth and directly inhaled the wisp of Jie Kong Yan into his body!

"Boom!"

It felt as though a volcano had erupted within him!

The instant Jie Kong Yan entered his body, its violently extreme Yang Essence power pierced through his meridians and surged into his limbs!

Pain!

It was even more violent and domineering than the bone-piercing cold he had endured when absorbing the Mysterious Nether Water!

Luo Heng's skin instantly turned crimson, and fine beads of blood quickly seeped from his pores.

His body seemed about to burn from the inside out!

But Luo Heng clenched his teeth. Having lived two lives, he had long learned how to endure. This time, he had to succeed as well!

"Great Devouring Art, devour it for me!"

At his dantian, the black vortex spun madly at its limit!

This time, it had to do more than devour external power—it also had to coordinate the two ultimate energies within him.

The extreme cold power of the Mysterious Nether Water was drawn from the depths of his Primal Energy mass, turning into an icy blue current that met the scorching flames of Jie Kong Yan within his meridians.

"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle—!"

The clash between ice and fire erupted within his body!

Every collision brought tearing pain, but at the same time, it produced a wondrous tempering effect.

His meridians, bones, organs, flesh, and blood... under the alternating tempering of extreme cold and extreme heat, impurities were burned away, resilience was enhanced, and strength grew frantically!

At times, Luo Heng's body was covered in frost; at others, transparent flames ignited over it. Ice and fire intertwined in an endless cycle.

Within his Niwan Palace, the Myriad Law Seal sensed this power as well. It emitted a gentle golden light, protecting Luo Heng's soul while analyzing with all its might the mysteries of Jie Kong Yan and Mysterious Nether Water merging together.

Time seemed to slow.

Every second felt as long as a year.

Yet Luo Heng's heart grew calmer and calmer. He could "see" the mass of Primal Energy within him continuously compressing, solidifying, and transforming amid the fusion of ice and fire.

The icy blue mass that had originally been the size of a fist was now changing toward a deeper, more restrained form.

The violet-gold patterns on its surface began to merge with the transparent flame patterns of Jie Kong Yan, becoming intricate dark gold markings.

Who knew how much time passed.

When the last trace of Jie Kong Yan's power within him was completely refined and perfectly fused with the Mysterious Nether Water—

"Crack!"

It seemed as though some barrier within Luo Heng's body had shattered.

A crisp cracking sound followed immediately after!

Then, an immense and boundless aura surged skyward from his body!

The aura was so powerful that it temporarily broke through the spiritual pressure of the Symbol Master Tower's Seventh Floor, forming a visible energy vortex inside the tower!

"Buzz!"

Outside the Symbol Master Tower, at the position corresponding to the Seventh Floor, the light representing Luo Heng suddenly erupted with dazzling golden-red radiance!

The glow was so intense that it even shone through the tower itself and appeared in the surrounding space!

"W-What is happening?!"

"Why did the light on the Seventh Floor suddenly become so bright?"

"This aura fluctuation... I feel like the tower is shaking!"

The disciples before the Symbol Master Tower cried out in alarm and retreated one after another.

Master Yan's expression changed drastically. He shot to his feet, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"This is... a sign of a breakthrough? And a breakthrough into the Heaven Yuan Realm! But this aura... how can it be so terrifying?!"

As a Four-Mark Rune Master and a Core Formation Realm expert, his perception of aura far surpassed that of ordinary people.

The aura coming from within the tower was only at the initial Heaven Yuan Realm, yet its might left even him, a Great Perfection of the Core Formation Realm expert, utterly incredulous!

Zi Yue was even more stunned, her lips slightly parted, her cold and beautiful face filled with shock.

She could sense that the aura emitted by the youth in the tower had already far surpassed that of an ordinary Early Heaven Yuan Realm cultivator. It was even... no weaker than a Late Heaven Yuan Realm cultivator!

"What exactly... did he experience inside the tower?"

Inside the tower, on the Seventh Floor.

The energy vortex slowly subsided.

Luo Heng opened his eyes.

In that instant, dark gold flames and icy blue glints flashed through his eyes, only to immediately return to calm.

He stood and stretched his body. Crackling sounds came from within him, and every inch of his flesh was filled with explosive power.

His skin was lustrous as jade, with faint dark gold patterns flowing across it. They were the marks left behind by the perfect fusion of the Mysterious Nether Water and Jie Kong Yan.

At his dantian, the original mass of Primal Energy had vanished. In its place was a dark gold Yuan Core Phantom the size of a longan, round and pill-like!

That was right, a Yuan Core Phantom!

When ordinary martial artists broke through to the Heaven Yuan Realm, it was merely a transition where Primal Energy transformed from gas into liquid. It had no fixed shape, and the core was the harmonious fusion of yin and yang.

Luo Heng's was more solid, but he was still far from actually condensing a Yuan Core.

Only by stepping into the Core Formation Realm could one truly condense a Yuan Core.

Yet at the moment Luo Heng broke through to the Heaven Yuan Realm, relying on the ultimate tempering of Ninth-Grade yin and yang energies and the heaven-defying effects of the Great Devouring Art, he had actually condensed a Yuan Core Phantom ahead of time!

This represented that the quality, density, and potential of his Primal Energy had already reached an unimaginable level!

"This feeling... is pretty good."

Luo Heng clenched his fist, and the air exploded in his grip.

He could clearly feel that his current strength was more than ten times greater than before the breakthrough!

The quality of his Primal Energy had undergone a qualitative leap as well, possessing both the extreme cold corrosion of the Mysterious Nether Water and the burning purification of Jie Kong Yan.

"Blood Wolf Gang... Yue Shan..."

A cold glint flashed through Luo Heng's eyes. If he faced Yue Feng again now, he could crush him with a single finger!

But Yue Shan... at the Great Perfection of the Core Formation Realm, would still require some time.

"No rush. Once I completely stabilize my realm and cultivate several martial arts to a higher level, even a Great Perfection of the Core Formation Realm cultivator may not be beyond my ability to fight. But what I want is to eradicate them completely!"

Luo Heng restrained his aura, and that terrifying pressure slowly receded.

He still looked like nothing more than a handsome, refined youth.

It was time to leave.

This time, he had spent seven days inside the Symbol Master Tower.

The outside world had probably been discussing him endlessly already. As for the auction seven days ago... Luo Heng shook his head. If he had missed an opportunity, then he had missed it. There was nothing to regret.

On the path of cultivation, one's own strength was always what mattered most.

He walked toward the lower floors. This time, the spiritual pressure and lightning of the Seventh Floor felt no more threatening to him than a gentle breeze.

He might not have been unable to go up to the Eighth Floor, but there was no need to draw that much attention. He was a very shy and reserved person, after all.

Besides, although this place tested Spiritual Power, his Spiritual Power had increased alongside his Primal Energy!

Very soon, he descended from the Seventh Floor, passing through the Sixth Floor, the Fifth Floor... until he finally exited the Symbol Master Tower.

The instant the tower doors opened, sunlight spilled in.

Outside the tower stood a dense crowd, all eager to witness the miracle!

Master Yan, Zi Yue, Han Chong, the Symbol Master Association disciples, and even informants from other forces who had rushed over upon hearing the news were all there.

Every gaze focused on the youth in green robes who walked out of the tower.

When they sensed Luo Heng's aura, restrained to the extreme yet faintly heart-palpitating, the entire crowd fell silent.

"H-Heaven Yuan Realm?! He really is in the Heaven Yuan Realm!" someone said with a trembling voice.

"A sixteen-year-old Heaven Yuan Realm cultivator?! How is that possible?!"

"And this aura... why does it feel so much stronger than an ordinary Heaven Yuan Realm cultivator?"

Master Yan took a deep breath and stepped forward. He looked at Luo Heng with a complicated expression before slowly saying, "Little Friend Luo, congratulations."

Those brief words contained far too many emotions—shock, gratification, excitement, and expectation...

Luo Heng smiled faintly and cupped his hands. "Thank you, Master Yan. This junior merely had a fortunate breakthrough."

"Fortunate?" Master Yan shook his head with a bitter smile and continued, "If this counts as fortune, then ninety-nine percent of the martial artists in the world should be ashamed enough to kill themselves."

Zi Yue stepped forward. Her cold eyes held barely concealed shock as she softly said, "Young Master Luo, congratulations on your breakthrough."

Her voice was much gentler than usual. When dealing with someone more talented and handsome than herself, she was still quite easy to talk to.

Luo Heng looked at her, nodded, and said, "Thank you, Miss Zi Yue."

At that moment, Han Chong squeezed forward as well and said excitedly, "Brother Luo, this time you've truly... soared into the heavens! A sixteen-year-old Heaven Yuan Realm cultivator and a Two-Seal Symbol Master—once this news spreads, the entire Tiandu Prefecture will be shaken!"

Luo Heng nodded and smiled, saying nothing more. Such fame was of little consequence to him.

His gaze swept across the crowd, and he spotted quite a few unfamiliar faces. Some had flickering eyes, clearly harboring ulterior motives.

But he did not care.

Strength was the best talisman.

"Little Friend Luo, while you were in seclusion, Zi Yue already explained matters to the Myriad Gold Merchant Guild on your behalf. You need not worry about the auction. Manager Xuan Su said that at the next auction, she would personally reserve the finest private room for you," Master Yan said.

Luo Heng looked at Zi Yue, surprise flashing through his eyes. Then he sincerely thanked her, "Thank you for taking the trouble, Miss Zi Yue."

Zi Yue shook her head slightly. "It was nothing."

Master Yan continued, "Now that you have broken through to the Heaven Yuan Realm, according to the rules of the Symbol Master Association, the monthly resource allocation for core disciples will double. From now on, you may enter the Symbol Master Tower whenever you wish."

As soon as those words were spoken, gasps rang out all around.

Enter whenever he wished?!

Even Zi Yue did not possess such authority!

But no one objected.

A sixteen-year-old Heaven Yuan Realm cultivator, someone who had cleared the Seventh Floor of the Symbol Master Tower—such a genius deserved every preferential treatment.

Luo Heng cupped his hands. "Thank you, Master Yan."

He did not refuse. The Symbol Master Tower was exceptionally effective at tempering his Spiritual Power, and such high-pressure conditions were of enormous help to him.

"You should return first and stabilize your realm. Remember not to pursue speed recklessly," Master Yan instructed.

Luo Heng nodded in acknowledgment.

Under the gazes of the crowd—some reverent, some envious, some complicated—Luo Heng returned to his Bamboo House.

He closed the door, shutting out the noise outside.

He sat cross-legged and quietly began to sense the changes after his breakthrough.

He had reached the Heaven Yuan Realm. The embryonic form of a Yuan Core had appeared, the quality of his Primal Energy had leaped forward, and his physical strength had increased greatly.

More importantly, as his cultivation broke through, the Great Devouring Art had advanced considerably as well, making its devouring and refinement efficiency even higher.

"Next, it's time to properly cultivate a few martial arts."

Luo Heng's expression did not change as he thought to himself.

The third realm of the Flowing Cloud and Soaring Goose Steps, "Flowing Cloud and Soaring Goose," had only just reached minor success. He still needed to train it diligently.

The sixth move of the Tiangang Thunderclap Fist, "Tiangang Thunder Prison," possessed power comparable to a mastered Eighth-Grade martial art, but it was also extremely difficult to cultivate. He had only just begun.

There was also his self-created Soaring Dragon Steps. Though it was only Third-Grade, it suited him best. If he could deduce it to a higher level, it might not be inferior to a Ninth-Grade movement technique.

"Let's continue deducing the Soaring Dragon Steps..."

Meanwhile, news of "Luo Heng, the Symbol Master Association's newly risen genius, breaking through to the Heaven Yuan Realm at sixteen and clearing the Seventh Floor of the Symbol Master Tower" swept through all of Flame City like a storm!

The news even spread toward other cities!

The various factions all had their own thoughts.

Within the Blood Wolf Gang, Yue Feng's face darkened after hearing the news, gloomy enough to drip water. The teacup in his hand was crushed to powder.

"Heaven Yuan Realm... How could it be this fast?!"

A powerful sense of unease and jealousy surged in his heart. How was this possible?!

At the Myriad Gold Merchant Guild, Xuan Su's beautiful eyes gleamed repeatedly after hearing her subordinate's report.

"A sixteen-year-old in the Heaven Yuan Realm... Elder Xia, perhaps we should reassess our relationship with this Young Master Luo."

She spoke to the elderly man beside her.

The old man slowly nodded, a sharp light flickering in his eyes.

City Lord's Mansion, study.

Flame City's City Lord, Zi Yue's father—the expert at Small Success of the Form Creation Stage—stroked his beard thoughtfully upon hearing the news his daughter had brought back.

"This boy... is no ordinary man."