Over the next month, Gulanxiu went on a frenzied hunt for Cosmic Level Chaos Beasts. Nearly every day, hundreds of Chaos True Spirits were absorbed by the withered seed.
As the seed gradually filled out, Gulanxiu could make out what kind it was from its appearance.
It was a jade-green seed, much like a lotus seed. Wisps of spiritual light flowed across its surface, and vigorous life force rippled around it, giving it an extraordinarily mysterious appearance.
It had yet to affect Gulanxiu in any way, but judging from the seed's appearance, he felt it was almost ready...
On a vast, desolate grassland, Gulanxiu was locked in a fierce battle with a male lion covered in scales and bearing a pair of wings.
The lion roared furiously, but for some reason, no other Chaos Beasts came to watch.
What rotten luck! Gulanxiu thought. He couldn't believe he'd run into a Domain Lord-level Chaos Beast in an area meant for Cosmic-level ones.
To cultivate geniuses, Chaos City divided the Chaos Beasts into three areas. The Cosmic-level area held only Cosmic-level Chaos Beasts.
But there were always exceptions. As Cosmic-level Chaos Beasts fought among themselves, a few lucky ones would break through their limits and advance to Domain Lord level.
Usually, Chaos City would patrol the area from time to time and move any Chaos Beast that had broken through its limits to the region corresponding to its new level.
So it was rare to encounter a high-level Chaos Beast in the Cosmic-level area.
Yet today, Gulanxiu had run into one.
He'd been hunting Chaos Beasts as usual when he used the Laser Cannon aboard his spaceship to wipe out a pride of lions. He had just stepped outside to absorb their Chaos True Spirits when a Domain Lord-level male lion suddenly sprang out and attacked him furiously.
Fortunately, the lion was proud and hadn't tried to ambush him. If it had caught him off guard, Gulanxiu might not have escaped unscathed.
Even so, Gulanxiu felt under immense pressure. The two were a whole level apart, and the lion was no slouch when it came to using Laws. For a while, they fought to a standstill.
But Gulanxiu didn't dare keep fighting the lion indefinitely. This was Chaos Beast territory, and if more came to its aid, he wouldn't be able to handle them so easily.
The lion was as strong as Gulanxiu, though, and once the fight began, he had no chance to get back inside his spaceship. He had to find a way to drive the lion off or kill it.
With that in mind, Gulanxiu swung his Great Axe even more furiously, sending blow after blow that warped space toward the lion.
The lion roared and repeatedly used its claws to deflect Gulanxiu's Great Axe. Golden light shimmered across its claws.
A moment later, delight flashed in Gulanxiu's eyes. He'd noticed that his Cosmic Level 8 cultivation seemed to be on the verge of a breakthrough.
He had reached Cosmic Level 8 several years ago. Since arriving in Chaos City, he hadn't cultivated deliberately, but the abundant cosmic energy there had steadily improved his cultivation just through passive absorption. He was now only one step away from Cosmic Level 9.
In fact, if not for his low bloodline level, which had left him facing bottlenecks at every minor stage after reaching Star Level, he would have broken through long ago.
How could he not be thrilled when signs of a breakthrough appeared at this critical moment?
Even an advance of just one minor stage could roughly double his basic energy. In a life-or-death battle, being even ten percent stronger was usually enough to decide the outcome. Gulanxiu was evenly matched with the lion, so once he advanced, he could easily overpower it and do whatever he wanted with it!
With that thought, Gulanxiu swung his axe with ever-increasing ease. Every blow carried immense force, and before long, the lion could barely lift its head under the onslaught.
The aura around Gulanxiu grew stronger and stronger. Sensing danger, the lion turned to flee.
If this had happened at the start of the fight, Gulanxiu might have let it go. The lion had only just advanced to Domain Lord level, but it was still a tough opponent.
But Gulanxiu was at the height of his momentum and on the verge of a breakthrough. He wasn't about to let it escape.
Gulanxiu raised his Great Axe high. The imposing aura radiating from him suddenly contracted, concentrating on the blade as he locked onto the lion.
Fear and shock flashed in the lion's eyes. With a whimper, it lay down on the ground. Among animals, this gesture signified submission. The overlord-level Chaos Beast that had broken through to Domain Lord level in the Cosmic-level area had yielded in the face of death.
But its submission didn't make Gulanxiu hesitate for even a moment. To him, the only purpose of a Chaos Beast was to become a Chaos True Spirit and be absorbed by the lotus seed.
Gulanxiu gave a low shout. "Break through!" He brought his Great Axe crashing down!
The instant the axe fell, Gulanxiu heard a sharp crack. His internal energy surged, doubling in an instant, and his blow came down on the lion with an overwhelming aura.
With a thunderous boom, the lion, which had seemed invincible only moments before, vanished. In its place remained a Chaos True Spirit, far more solid than the ones the lotus seed had absorbed before.
Gulanxiu hurried forward and seized the Domain Lord-level Chaos True Spirit. Before it could fully sink into his body, he rushed into his spaceship and piloted it away.
He had no choice! The commotion had been enormous, and the spaceship was running low on energy. This was no place to linger. He'd better return to the city and refuel first!
Inside the spaceship, the moment the Domain Lord-level Chaos True Spirit sank into the lotus seed, a bright green light flared across it, and Gulanxiu felt a sense of completeness well up inside him.
The lotus seed in his Sea of Consciousness spun rapidly, sending wisps of green mist drifting through it. Gulanxiu felt as though his soul had been cleansed, and everything suddenly seemed much clearer.
The Laws that had once seemed as fleeting as flowers reflected in a mirror or the moon's reflection on water during cultivation now lay clearly before him.
It was like watching a video whose resolution instantly jumped from 480p to 720p. Gulanxiu also faintly sensed that his thoughts were moving much faster.
But that wasn't all. Once the green energy had filled his Sea of Consciousness, it broke through its confines and flowed toward his physical body.
Gulanxiu felt a warm current travel through his entire body, making the cells within him more resilient.
"That feels so good!" Gulanxiu exclaimed, looking thoroughly blissful as he slowly closed his eyes. He looked like a man who had just satisfied his desires and entered a state of post-orgasmic bliss, his entire body limp and languid!
Three days later, the green energy that had been transforming Gulanxiu finally ran out. He slowly opened his eyes and felt the changes in his body, a smile spreading across his face.
"My basic strength has increased fivefold, but I'm still at Cosmic Level 9! Does that mean I have five times the genes of an ordinary life-form?" Gulanxiu thought to himself.
"And that green energy improved my comprehension, too. I can now comprehend the Laws several times faster than before. If that's the case, I might really be able to give this path to becoming a powerhouse a try!"...
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