Nebula Stabilized, Void-Piercing Realm Arrives

Inside the Cultivation Room at Thunder Mountain Residence, a purple nebula slowly revolved as Qin Yu sat cross-legged. The pale purple mist swirling around him had grown thinner, yet more condensed, each wisp containing pure stellar power and true energy. After more than a month of dedicated cultivation, he had thoroughly stabilized his Stellar Transformations cultivation at the first realm, Nebula Early Stage, equivalent to the Golden Core Early Stage of an ordinary cultivator.

Qin Yu slowly opened his eyes. A glimmer of lustrous purple light flashed in them before receding. The nebular mist around him flowed back into his body, returning to the nebula vortex in his dantian. He clenched his fist, and a sense of power far surpassing what he had possessed before his tribulation welled up within him. The nebula vortex in his dantian revolved smoothly, and with each cycle, he could clearly feel the stellar power merging with his true energy. His body had also grown stronger under the constant tempering of stellar power.

"Nebula Early Stage. It really is extraordinary." Qin Yu marveled inwardly. A wisp of purple true energy curled around his fingertip, nimble and condensed. "Master was right. The starting point of Stellar Transformations is extremely high. An ordinary Golden Core Early Stage cultivator would never be my match."

He knew full well that his strength had already surpassed that of cultivators at the same stage. With his Nebula Early Stage cultivation, the formidable body he had tempered through the Three Heaven-Reaching Charts, and the High-Grade Spirit Artifact in his possession, he could hold his own against an ordinary Golden Core Mid Stage cultivator. If he fully unleashed the High-Grade Spirit Artifact, he could even challenge Golden Core Late Stage experts. Among the younger generation of the Hidden Dragon Continent, he was already at the very top.

Just as Qin Yu was quietly assessing his strength, a faint stir came from beside him. He turned and saw Xiao Hei slowly open his eagle eyes. They were no longer as guileless as before; now they held a spark of intelligence and clarity. The power of thunder and fire intertwined with wind-attribute spiritual energy around him, and his aura had stabilized at Golden Core Early Stage, on par with Qin Yu.

Before Qin Yu could speak, a clear, childish voice rang directly in his mind. "Master, I feel much better. I'm stronger now, too!"

Qin Yu shuddered, his eyes filled with delight. "Xiao Hei? Was that you speaking? Can you... communicate through spiritual sense?"

"Hehe, yes, yes!" Xiao Hei's voice sounded in Qin Yu's mind again, brimming with excitement. "When I woke up, I realized I could speak directly inside your head. I can even sense Master's presence!"

Nearby, Yun Ce remained seated cross-legged with his eyes closed, his aura steady. He seemed to be deep in cultivation and had not been disturbed by their spiritual communication. Qin Yu understood. Xiao Hei had survived the Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation and awakened his innate thunder-and-fire ability. After spending this time recovering, he must have awakened his spiritual sense as well, allowing him to communicate that way. He had yet to reach the stage of taking human form, though.

"That's wonderful, Xiao Hei!" Qin Yu said happily, gently stroking his feathers. "Now that you can communicate through spiritual sense, it'll be much easier for us to talk. Don't call me Master—we're brothers. Just call me big brother. By the way, now that you have spiritual sense, why don't you choose a name for yourself?"

Xiao Hei tilted his head, seeming to ponder the question. A moment later, his excited voice rang in Qin Yu's mind. "A name? Let me think... I'm covered in black feathers, so how about Black Feather? Big brother, what do you think?"

"Black Feather?" Qin Yu's eyes lit up, and he nodded with a smile. "That's a good name! It suits your appearance and goes well with mine. From now on, you'll be Black Feather!"

"Wonderful! I have a name! My name is Black Feather!" Black Feather flapped his wings excitedly, stirring up a breeze with his enormous wings. Then he rubbed his head against Qin Yu's shoulder and communicated through spiritual sense. "Big brother, let's spar and see which of us is stronger!"

Qin Yu laughed. "Sure, but don't use your full strength. We don't want to damage the Cultivation Room."

As he spoke, Qin Yu sent a stream of pale purple true energy toward Xiao Hei, holding back most of its force. Xiao Hei's eyes flashed with intelligence. He beat his wings and dodged, then spat a wisp of faint thunder and fire toward Qin Yu's true energy. The two of them and the bird began playfully sparring in the Cultivation Room, laughter ringing through their spiritual communication. They kept their strength in check, careful not to disturb Yun Ce nearby.

After a little while, Qin Yu was the first to stop. He looked toward Yun Ce and sent a quiet message to Black Feather. "That's enough. Master's still cultivating. Let's not disturb him."

Black Feather immediately drew in his aura and obediently settled down nearby. He gazed at Yun Ce and sent Qin Yu a message through spiritual sense. "Master seems to be concentrating hard. Let's stay here with him."

Qin Yu nodded and sat cross-legged as well, quietly guarding Yun Ce while stabilizing his own cultivation. The Cultivation Room grew quiet once more, disturbed only by the faint sound of the nebula vortex turning in Qin Yu's dantian and Black Feather's steady breathing.

But just then, Yun Ce, who had been sitting with his eyes closed and his aura steady, suddenly trembled. A formidable, indescribable pressure quietly welled up from within him, like a sleeping behemoth waking, and swept over the entire Cultivation Room.

Qin Yu and Black Feather's expressions changed. They instinctively rose to their feet and stared gravely at Yun Ce. The pressure was far beyond their current realms. Even the slightest trace of it made their hearts quiver and their breathing grow labored.

"What's happening to Master?" Black Feather's voice reached Qin Yu, tinged with anxiety.

Qin Yu shook his head, his eyes full of confusion and awe. "I don't know, but Master's aura is strange. It seems like... he's breaking through!"

Just as Qin Yu finished speaking, a cold, mechanical voice that only Yun Ce could hear suddenly rang in his mind:

Ding! The Child of Destiny of this world, Qin Yu, has reached the Golden Core Realm (Nebula Early Stage), triggering the system's core rule—Destiny Linkage. The host's cultivation will be returned, and the host will always remain two major realms above his disciple.

Ding! Rule activated. Beginning to raise the host's cultivation...

Ding! Upgrade successful! Host's current realm: Void-Piercing Realm Early Stage!

Ding! The Six-Nine Heavenly Tribulation of this world has been blocked for the host. The host does not need to undergo a tribulation!

Ding! The Child of Destiny, Qin Yu, has successfully cultivated Stellar Transformations and completed the core inheritance mission. System reward triggered!

Ding! Reward issued: Supreme cultivation art, Hongmeng Stellar Art! The host may view it in the System Space!

A series of system notifications rang out in Yun Ce's mind. His tightly closed eyes snapped open, and a brilliant golden light flashed in them before receding. The pressure around him surged, then slowly subsided until it was steady once more. Yet the aura of one who stood above all things had become even more pronounced.

Feeling the surging power within him, Yun Ce was overcome with excitement. The bottleneck of the Nascent Soul Stage that had troubled him for so long had finally broken, and he had advanced directly to Void-Piercing Realm Early Stage!

The Void-Piercing Realm stood above the Golden Core and Nascent Soul realms. Across the entire Hidden Dragon Continent and even the outer reaches of the Great Wilderness, it was a top-tier realm, one that made its cultivators nearly invincible!

He had remained at the Nascent Soul Stage for years. With his own talent alone, he had long since reached a standstill. Without the system's rule, and without Qin Yu successfully embarking on the path of Stellar Transformations and advancing to the Golden Core Realm, he might never have reached the Void-Piercing Realm in his lifetime.

At the same time, the complete contents of the supreme cultivation art, Hongmeng Stellar Art, appeared in his mind. Its mysteries far surpassed those of any art he had ever cultivated, even surpassing Lei Wei's Stellar Transformations. It was practically defiant of heaven. According to the art, he might even have the chance to become a Controller of Hongmeng, like Hongmeng, Linley, and Qin Yu! What an incredible stroke of fortune! Yun Ce was overcome with immense joy.

After an unknown length of time.

Yun Ce slowly rose to his feet. His aura was steady, yet he radiated an invisible pressure. He looked at Qin Yu and Black Feather, a faint smile appearing on his usually composed face. It held satisfaction, delight, and certainty about the future.

Qin Yu and Black Feather hurried over. Qin Yu bowed respectfully, his voice filled with excitement. "Master, did you... break through?"

Black Feather spoke through spiritual sense, his voice full of awe. "Master, your power is so strong! You're much stronger than before!"

Yun Ce smiled and nodded. He gently waved a hand, enveloping Qin Yu and Black Feather in a soft force that eased their discomfort beneath his pressure. His voice was warm, yet carried the composure of a powerful cultivator. "That's right. I just broke through to Void-Piercing Realm Early Stage."

"Void-Piercing Realm Early Stage?!" Qin Yu shuddered, his eyes filled with shock. "Master, you actually broke through to the Void-Piercing Realm?!"

He did not know exactly how powerful the Void-Piercing Realm was, but he knew it surpassed the Nascent Soul Stage by far. Across the Hidden Dragon Continent, its cultivators were among the strongest. Master had been at the Nascent Soul Stage before, yet now he had broken through directly to the Void-Piercing Realm. The speed of his advancement was simply astonishing!

Yun Ce smiled faintly and did not explain the system's existence. He only said, "I have you to thank for this. Seeing you successfully cultivate Stellar Transformations and reach the Nebula Realm gave me some insights. I was able to seize the opportunity, break through my bottleneck, and enter the Void-Piercing Realm."

He knew that Qin Yu was the Child of Destiny and the key to his own breakthroughs. From now on, as long as Qin Yu steadily advanced, Yun Ce would rise alongside him and always remain two major realms above him. This was a rare, heaven-sent opportunity.

Black Feather said excitedly, "Master is amazing! With you around, we'll never have to fear any demonic beasts or enemies again!"

Yun Ce smiled and looked from Qin Yu to Black Feather, his tone turning serious. "Yu'er, Xiao Hei, you've both reached Golden Core Early Stage, and your strength has grown considerably. Thunder Mountain Residence is a fine place, but it's still a sheltered environment. Once you've spent a little more time consolidating your realms, we'll leave Thunder Mountain Residence and head deeper into the Great Wilderness to continue our training, so you can grow quickly through real combat."

A look of anticipation flashed in Qin Yu's eyes. He nodded firmly. "Understood, Master! I'll make sure to consolidate my realm and live up to your expectations!"

Black Feather nodded repeatedly and sent a message through spiritual sense. "Yes! We're going to explore the depths of the Great Wilderness. I'm going to get stronger!"

Sunlight streamed through the window of the Cultivation Room, falling upon the two men and one bird. Qin Yu had stabilized at Nebula Early Stage, Black Feather had awakened his spiritual sense and grown much stronger, and Yun Ce had advanced to Void-Piercing Realm Early Stage, becoming a top-tier expert. All three had gained something from their secluded cultivation. And the depths of the Great Wilderness that awaited them would bring new trials and challenges.