Preparing to Breakthrough!

Zhou Xuan looked at Zhou Ye, who was kowtowing on the ground, his expression calm, yet his heart was perfectly clear.

This was the exact effect he wanted.

Helping Zhou Ye improve his Spirit Root directly would certainly garner temporary gratitude, but such a sudden, heaven-sent favor often made people lose their sense of perspective.

It was far better to do it this way: bestowing benefits bit by bit, using tangible resources to tether the other person's hope and loyalty firmly to himself.

A visible, reachable carrot was far more effective at making a donkey pull the millstone than some ethereal, empty promise.

"Get up, don't let anyone see you."

Zhou Xuan said indifferently.

"Keep the items safe, use them sparingly, and don't eat them all at once. Remember, a man is innocent, but his treasure makes him guilty."

"Yes! I understand!"

Zhou Ye scrambled up from the ground, hurriedly stuffing the bag of Spirit Rice into his robes and clutching it tightly against his chest, as if it were a priceless treasure.

He bowed deeply to Zhou Xuan once more, the fanaticism and worship in his eyes reaching an extreme.

"Brother Xuan, you rest, I'll head back now!"

With that, he left cautiously, looking back every few steps.

Watching Zhou Ye's disappearing back, Zhou Xuan turned and returned to his thatched hut.

Without a moment's hesitation, he propped the dilapidated wooden door shut from the inside and wedged a few stones into the gaps.

Even after doing all this, he still felt uneasy, so he moved his mind and sent a command through their spiritual link to the Bloodthirsty Thorn planted in the corner by the door.

"Little Flower, keep watch for me. If anyone approaches, alert me immediately."

Rooted in the soil, Little Flower's vines swayed slightly, looking lazy, yet it sent back a clear, affirmative intent.

With this most loyal sentry in place, Zhou Xuan finally felt completely at ease.

He sat cross-legged on the ground and opened the storage bag containing the Spirit Rice he had fully transformed through Enlightenment.

Looking at the grains of rice before him, which radiated an alluring spiritual aura, a raging fire ignited in Zhou Xuan's eyes.

The threat of Liu Ruyan, the pressure of the sect tournament, the longing for longevity.

Every emotion, at this moment, transformed into infinite motivation!

Without a shred of hesitation, he untied the bag, reached in, grabbed a large handful of the crystal-clear Spirit Rice, and shoved it into his mouth without a second glance!

"Crunch, crunch..."

He chewed vigorously.

The next second!

BOOM!

An unprecedented, massive, yet gentle surge of pure spiritual energy erupted from his mouth like a burst dam!

The warm current flowed down his throat, instantly rushing into his dantian before surging toward his limbs and bones, scouring every inch of his meridians and every piece of flesh!

Comforting! Although this Spirit Rice wasn't as potent as Spirit Stones, there was simply so much of it.

An indescribable sense of relief made every pore on his body open up!

Zhou Xuan immediately closed his eyes, sank his consciousness into his body, and frantically circulated the introductory Qi Guiding Art, guiding this massive energy to begin battering against that impenetrable barrier of his cultivation realm!

The moment that large handful of Spirit Rice was crushed in his mouth, a surge of spiritual energy, far more massive and pure than Zhou Xuan had imagined, exploded within his mouth like a volcano being detonated.

It wasn't a trickling stream, nor was it a rushing river; it was a bursting ocean!

The violent torrent of energy didn't even have time to be buffered by his throat.

It transformed directly into a wave of the purest spiritual energy, violently rushing toward his limbs, his internal organs, and every corner of his body!

"Ugh!"

Zhou Xuan let out a muffled groan, feeling as if his body were a balloon being instantly inflated.

A tearing, agonizing pain intertwined strangely with an extreme sense of pleasure, causing his muscles to spasm uncontrollably.

He dared not be the least bit negligent, immediately guarding his mind and pushing the Qi Guiding Art—which he knew by heart—to its absolute limit!

If the Qi Guiding Art was a small irrigation ditch, then the spiritual energy within him right now was a catastrophic flood capable of submerging the entire continent!

Guide it?

That was impossible!

The only thing he could do was use every ounce of his strength to barely maintain the ditch so it wouldn't be completely washed away by this terrifying flood.

He let the massive energy rampage through his body, frantically scouring and tempering his flesh, bones, and meridians!

His skin turned scorching hot and bright red, with wisps of white steam even evaporating from his pores; he looked like a small volcano on the verge of eruption.

Amidst this extreme tug-of-war between pain and pleasure, Zhou Xuan's consciousness became clearer than ever before.

He could clearly see that after the massive surge of spiritual energy had ravaged his body, it finally returned like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, launching its most violent assault against the position of his dantian!

There, an invisible yet indestructible barrier stood.

It separated the mortal from the immortal, a chasm that martial artists in the Body Tempering Realm could never cross in their entire lives!

Boom, boom, boom!

The torrent of spiritual energy slammed against that barrier again and again, emitting waves of thunderous roars.

The barrier remained as solid as before, showing not the slightest sign of wavering.

Zhou Xuan hardened his heart, grabbed another handful of Spirit Rice, shoved it into his mouth regardless of the consequences, and chewed frantically!

More spiritual energy, an even more surging torrent, joined the ranks of the assault!

His body trembled, and tiny beads of blood even began to seep from his seven orifices. This was a sign that his body had reached its limit.

But he could not stop!

Liu Ruyan's cold, resolute gaze and that threat were like a poisonous thorn, deeply embedded in the depths of his soul, driving him and squeezing him dry!

He had no way back!

Just as he prepared to swallow the third handful of Spirit Rice to make one final attempt, his mind suddenly and without warning fell into an extremely profound state.

Everything around him vanished.

The thatched hut, the sacks, and even his own body became blurred and indistinct.

His consciousness seemed to detach from his physical form, floating in an endless void.

A grand voice resonated as if from all directions, and yet also from the depths of his own heart.

"What kind of path do you wish to walk?"

Zhou Xuan was slightly startled.

He knew this was the Heart Inquiry, a hurdle encountered only by the rare few with exceptional talent or profound destiny when stepping into the Qi Refining Realm!

Spirit Sword Pavilion, one of the ten great holy lands of the Heavenly Profound Continent, ranked ninth.

This was a sect dominated entirely by sword cultivators.

Relying on peerless swordsmanship, despite their weak foundation, they had carved out a bloody path to rank among the holy lands.

In the Spirit Sword Pavilion, the sword was everything!

Sword cultivators possessed combat power far exceeding their peers and possessed indomitable wills; with a sword in hand, one could sever mountains and rivers, and shatter the firmament!

Becoming a sword cultivator seemed like the natural choice.

A peerless immortal sword, sharp beyond compare and shimmering with endless cold light, slowly condensed into form within his consciousness.

It represented ultimate offense, represented moving forward without hesitation, and represented cutting down all injustices in the world and severing every obstacle in his path!

As long as he grasped it, he would be able to obtain powerful strength!