That greatly eased the pressure on Li Yunjing.
The peerless treasure deep within his mind had sensed something. A few wisps of power spilled out, helping him expand his sea of consciousness.
As his sea of consciousness grew, it made room for more spiritual energy, both inside and outside his body.
At last, Li Yunjing's body returned to normal. The excruciating sensation that he was about to explode was gone.
Li Yunjing gradually calmed down. The cultivation formula in the Divine Firmament Jade Records continued to circulate, ceaselessly absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, refining and transforming it into magical power.
A full eight hours passed before the Spirit Gathering Array finally slowed its absorption of spiritual energy.
The concentration of spiritual energy in Li Yunjing's room also began to drop.
The effects of the Qi Replenishing Pill he had swallowed had long since worn off.
As he devoted himself entirely to cultivation, a series of crackling sounds suddenly came from his body.
A vast aura slowly radiated from Li Yunjing.
For a moment, in and around the courtyard where he lived, even the birds beat their wings and tumbled from the trees.
The lush woods had been filled with the rising and falling chirps of all kinds of insects.
But when Li Yunjing's aura suddenly erupted, the insects sensed a tremendous threat and fell silent one after another...
It was not until dawn the next day, when the sky was just beginning to lighten, that Li Yunjing finally awoke.
When he opened his eyes again, he was in high spirits, and the joy of having survived a calamity showed on his face.
"I never expected to miscalculate this time. I underestimated the spiritual energy produced by combining the Spirit Gathering Array with a Qi Replenishing Pill!"
Li Yunjing murmured to himself, "Fortunately, at the critical moment, my sea of consciousness expanded again, allowing it to contain more magical power. That's what saved me!"
At the thought, delight filled Li Yunjing's face.
Not only had he survived the calamity, he had even used the tide of spiritual energy to break through to the third layer of the Qi Refining Realm in one fell swoop.
After advancing to the third layer of the Qi Refining Realm, Li Yunjing cultivated much faster. His internal organs had also grown incredibly strong, providing his body with an unending supply of energy.
His strength had increased by leaps and bounds, too.
When he swept his divine sense outward, he could already see everything within five li. With a focused scan, nothing small or faint within one li could escape his notice.
He could hear the faint chirps of tiny mosquitoes in the courtyard outside his residence as clearly as if they were beside him, and see them down to the finest detail!
His sense of touch and smell had grown just as powerful.
His sea of consciousness had expanded threefold, too, allowing him to hold more knowledge. His wisdom had grown even more profound and unfathomable, and even Li Yunjing's gaze had become deep and mysterious.
At the same time, his body brimmed with strength, and his magical power was incredibly potent. The Flying Flame Technique, Azure Wood Art, Clear Spirit Art, Falling Rock Technique, and Cold Star Sword Art could all unleash far greater power than before.
It had now been twenty-one days since Li Yunjing joined the Divine Firmament Dao Sect. In that time, he had advanced from the first layer of the Qi Refining Realm to the third.
His rate of progress was truly astonishing.
Of course, besides his talent and comprehension, he also owed it to the resources purchased with those 2,500 contribution points.
In the cultivation world, 2,500 contribution points were worth almost 3,000 Spirit Stones!
Even the direct descendants of cultivation lineages did not have the means to spend 3,000 Spirit Stones in twenty-one days!
This was practically strength piled up with resources!
Li Yunjing slowly straightened up and reined in his aura. The fierce presence vanished, drawn back into his body.
As usual, he seemed harmless, without the slightest trace of ferocity.
With Li Yunjing's oppressive aura gone, the trembling birds and insects in and around the courtyard began calling out again, and life returned.
Clang!
Li Yunjing pushed open the door and stood in the courtyard, breathing in the fresh morning air with a contented expression.
After a long stretch, he looked around in the hazy dawn. He could even make out how many feathers each bird had.
He could even pick up the faint sound of ants crawling with pinpoint accuracy.
His eyes and ears were sharper than before. The cultivation of the third layer of the Qi Refining Realm had further unlocked his body's potential.
The feeling was incredible!
Even without "that," the thrill of his body evolving was intense.
Cultivation was addictive!
For seven days straight, Li Yunjing never left his courtyard.
Taking advantage of his recent breakthrough, he continued studying spell cultivation. His understanding of spell practice deepened, and he brought all five minor spells to the highest level.
That level was comparable to what an Outer Disciple could achieve only after more than ten years of cultivation.
In any case, he had Qi Replenishing Pills to provide his body with the energy it needed, so there was no fear of going hungry.
During those seven days, besides meditating to refine his Qi and cultivating spells, Li Yunjing practiced martial arts in the courtyard each day, stretching his limbs and loosening his muscles.
He familiarized himself with the changes in his body.
Only after he had fully mastered every change in his body did Li Yunjing emerge from seclusion.
"Hey! Brother Li, why haven't you come out at all these past few days?"
The moment Li Yunjing emerged, Ma Xingyuan appeared.
"Fatty, why are you keeping an eye on me every day?"
Li Yunjing was puzzled. Was this guy a dog or something? He had only just come out, and Ma Xingyuan had already popped up from who knew where.
"Heh heh!"
Ma Xingyuan scratched his head, his face wreathed in smiles.
"What's going on? Need something?"
Li Yunjing was a little confused.
"In two days, our assignment on Qiongze Peak will be finished! Brother Li, where are you going next? Take me with you!"
Only then did Ma Xingyuan explain why he had come.
"Oh! It's already been a month since I came to the Divine Firmament Dao Sect!"
Li Yunjing finally realized. He had been so focused on cultivation during his recent seclusion that he had not kept track of the time.
After all, he was a special case on Qiongze Peak. He did not have to work, yet could collect contribution points for free.
"That's right! That's right!"
Ma Xingyuan nodded repeatedly. He was afraid Li Yunjing would soar away without him.
"I don't know either! I'll take things as they come."
Li Yunjing shook his head slightly. He really had no idea where he would be assigned next.
The whole thing about him being the young master of some lineage was just other people's guesswork. He had never admitted to it.
Naturally, Li Yunjing had no connections in the sect, so he had no say in where he would be assigned.
As for Yu Yunyi?
Before you continue