Transcending Mortality, a 16-Year-Old Planetary Level

Light Source Planet, New Era Year 51, Civilization Temple.

As the supreme Sacred Land of the civilization, the temple is constructed entirely from a crystalline material that flows with a pale golden shimmer, making it both magnificent and solemn.

Inside the vast main hall, only two figures sat cross-legged facing each other—one old, one young—both standing around two meters tall.

"Yu Duan, this is the Secret Transmission of Entering Sainthood. Only those at the peak of the ninth level may attempt to cultivate it."

The old man's voice was deep and his expression stern. The vertical pupil in the center of his forehead, which possessed four-color vision, opened slightly to gaze at the handsome youth opposite him.

"Once you fail, even if you are lucky enough to survive, you will be left with internal injuries that are difficult to heal."

Yu Duan is the youngest Body Refining Path ninth-level peak master in the history of Light Source Planet.

Calculated by the physiological age of the Light Source Planet people, he has just left the childhood stage.

The people of Light Source Planet resemble the humans of Yu Duan's past life on Earth, possessing black hair and black eyes.

The biggest difference between the two, besides the generally taller stature of the Light Source Planet people, is the vertical pupil in the center of their foreheads. Similar to an eagle's vision, it possesses high dynamic range and high light sensitivity, but static vision is poor, so the vertical pupil is usually kept closed.

"Master Zhen Li, I am ready."

Yu Duan, dressed in pale golden battle armor, looked solemn as he took the silver box from the old man; inside lay the method for entering sainthood.

The old man, known as Master Zhen Li, looked at the determined Yu Duan and nodded approvingly: "There are some situations you need to know."

"In the Light Source World, there are over a thousand ninth-level masters, and over a hundred at the ninth-level peak. Every ninth-level peak master has been taught the method of entering sainthood, but only three have succeeded. Once you fail, you will be left with internal injuries, making it as difficult as ascending to heaven to break through again."

"Therefore, once you begin the ascent to sainthood, you must not have the slightest hesitation, or you will surely fail."

Master Zhen Li, as the first Heavenly Saint to ascend to sainthood in the Light Source World, spoke from absolute experience.

Yu Duan looked solemn and bowed slightly to Master Zhen Li: "This junior will surely keep Master's teachings in mind."

Master Zhen Li nodded, said no more, and personally escorted Yu Duan into the secluded cultivation chamber.

Immediately, Master Zhen Li stood guard outside the chamber, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"Yu Duan, I hope you can successfully promote to Planetary Level and not let the race down," Master Zhen Li whispered.

The Heavenly Saint in the eyes of the Light Source civilization became the Planetary Level in Master Zhen Li's words.

In the first year of the New Era, Master Zhen Li ascended to sainthood, swept away alien races, unified the Light Source World, and shaped a new generation.

It was from that time that this master learned the truth of the starry sky, and since then, he has never dared to slacken, enlightening the civilization and passing down technology.

Now, 51 years later, Master Zhen Li has cultivated two Heavenly Saints, which is to say, two Planetary Level beings.

Yu Duan is the third genius he believes has the talent to break through to Planetary Level, and also the one with the highest talent.

If calculated by the cosmic civilization's time unit, the 'cosmic year', Yu Duan has just turned 16.

Inside the quiet room, Yu Duan sat on a cushion similar to a prayer mat, his expression serious as he read the Secret Transmission of Entering Sainthood.

"Whether it is the Spirit Refining Path or the Body Refining Path, the ninth-level peak is the limit of life. To break the limit, one must seek life within death..."

The Secret Transmission of Entering Sainthood is explained in great detail, and the principle is not difficult.

It is to stimulate the body and bloodline to create a false signal of impending death, then squeeze out potential to break the limit.

Life can only unleash its greatest potential when facing the threat of death.

To this day, Yu Duan still remembers a rumor from his past life of uncertain truth. A man who didn't usually exercise was tricked abroad, but under a life-and-death crisis, he ran frantically for half a day and successfully escaped.

"No wonder failing the breakthrough leaves physical damage; this method of entering sainthood is inherently extreme."

Yu Duan took a deep breath, sealed the secret scroll back into the silver box, and then attempted the breakthrough. He assumed a strange posture, held his breath, and stirred the dormant energy within his body.

Suddenly, Yu Duan felt a heat flow seemingly generated from his lower abdomen.

Signals of death and fear were born, spreading along his meridians and limbs, and the energy dormant in every cell began to boil.

Under the fear of death, Yu Duan's whole body trembled violently.

This was not Yu Duan's subjective consciousness fearing or retreating, but the most fundamental instinct of life screaming and struggling, ordering him to stop this "suicidal" act immediately!

"Overcome the fear; everything is false. The will must be firm, moving forward without hesitation!"

Yu Duan could still remember Master Zhen Li's stern instructions.

Whether one can successfully ascend to sainthood depends on one key point: overcoming the fear of bloodline instinct and using the will to suppress the palpitations of the heart.

"Not enough, be more intense!"

"Whatever doesn't kill me will only make me stronger!"

The genes within Yu Duan seemed to be roaring. His entire body was shivering violently, and cold sweat poured out, soaking him through.

At this moment, Yu Duan's perception of the passage of time completely disappeared, and his will was completely immersed in the confrontation with that life instinct.

He did not know how much time had passed, but after crossing a certain limit, the energy dormant in his limbs sublimated to the extreme, and then suddenly converged toward his lower abdomen, the dantian.

"Boom!"

An energy sea was born, and the endless energy turned into a boiling ocean, beginning to contract rapidly, gradually forming a dense, huge liquid sphere.

According to the explanation in the Secret Transmission of Entering Sainthood, the ascent to sainthood had begun.

But this was only the beginning; next, Yu Duan's will would be tested. Amidst the primal fear of his life instincts, he had to endure all of this while precisely controlling the compression of the liquid sphere formed by the condensing energy.

"Bang—Boom!"

The massive liquid sphere pulsed, expanding and contracting at a fixed frequency.

Every cycle of expansion and contraction emitted an invisible rhythm that swept through Yu Duan's entire body, transforming into tangible, excruciating pain, as if ten thousand ants were gnawing at his flesh and blood.

Yet at the same time, each contraction following an expansion made the liquid sphere denser than the one before.

From a liquid state to a gelatinous one... cycling repeatedly, endless and ceaseless.

Until, after eighty-one consecutive expansions and contractions, accompanied by the final sudden collapse of the liquid sphere, it seemed to break the boundary between liquid and solid!

"Hum!"

The massive liquid sphere vanished completely, replaced by a brilliant crystalline sphere!

It was composed of countless tiny, pale-white hexagonal crystals, resembling a miniature star shrunk countless times, its surface wreathed in dreamy, magnificent white light mist.

"Rumble!"

The moment this brilliant crystal sphere was born, a vast, pure, and transcendent white energy surged out from within like a torrent. In just a breath, it spread from Yu Duan's dantian to his limbs and bones.

At this moment, every cell in Yu Duan's body—his bones, marrow, meridians, skin, and internal organs—was greedily absorbing this newfound power, undergoing a earth-shattering transformation.

Outside the quiet room.

Master Zhen Li, who had been keeping watch, suddenly opened his eyes, and the vertical pupil between his brows erupted with a brilliant bolt of lightning.

He clearly sensed that Yu Duan's long-dormant aura had suddenly soared in this instant. It was like a sleeping volcano erupting, with the intensity of the fluctuations directly doubling!

"It's done!"

"Good, good, good. He is truly worthy of being the most gifted individual in the history of our civilization."

The wrinkles on Master Zhen Li's face smoothed out, his eyes filled with irrepressible ecstasy. He reached out and tapped the crystal bracer on his right arm repeatedly, sending two streams of invisible information into the void to notify the other two Celestials.

Light Source Planet had given birth to its fourth Planetary Level powerhouse, and one who was only sixteen years old at that!

The new book is a tender sprout, I ask for everyone's care.