Stepping into the Divine Bridge

Jiang Yun found an explanation for the Blood Origin Fruit in the Dao Venerable Alchemy Chapter.

Its original form was merely a common Spirit-Eating Fruit. However, if it was splashed with the blood of a great demon and grew by absorbing the essence of that blood, it became a Blood Origin Fruit.

It contained dense blood-origin essence and could serve as a supplementary ingredient for refining a One-Turn Golden Core.

Using a great demon's blood essence directly was also possible, but its quality and taste were poor, so the Dao Venerable did not recommend it.

Jiang Yun did not have such conditions, so he planned to try using the flesh and blood of the Little Crocodile he had obtained on Yinghuo as a substitute.

Afterward, the four of them returned to Jade Cauldron Paradise with Xiao Nannan.

Xiao Nannan's condition was rather peculiar. Though she was the Dao Fruit of a Great Emperor, she possessed the body of a mortal.

She could not miss any of her three daily meals. Xia Weier volunteered to take care of Xiao Nannan's food, clothing, lodging, and daily needs.

After bringing Xiao Nannan back, the houses in the courtyard seemed even more insufficient.

For the time being, Xiao Nannan squeezed into a room with Xia Weier and Little Dingdang. Xiao Nannan was obedient and sensible, so she did not mind.

Cultivators did not distinguish between day and night. Jiang Shuanglan resolved to settle the household matters properly.

For the price of two bottles of Hundred-Grass Liquid, she hired several people to build four rooms, labor and materials included.

The purchasing power of Hundred-Grass Liquid remained remarkably strong.

When Xia Weier heard the price, she felt it was too high and said she could build the rooms herself. Naturally, Jiang Shuanglan would not let her build houses.

With the housing matter settled, Jiang Yun no longer needed to worry about such things.

In his spare time, he teased Xiao Nannan and Little Dingdang, then followed Xia Weier in becoming a medicinal farmer and opening up herb fields.

At night, he did what should be done at night.

Most of his time was spent cultivating and studying the method for refining the One-Turn Golden Core.

More than two months passed like this, and Jiang Yun's cultivation reached a critical moment.

His flesh seemed to develop a strange rhythm, while his bones trembled faintly. An endless stream of blood regenerated alongside that peculiar energy, and Jiang Yun's body seemed to undergo constant transformation.

Within the Sea of Bitterness, waves surged into the sky, essence gushed forth, and clouds of radiance filled the heavens. The Source Pearl also underwent mysterious changes along with that strange rhythm.

His Sea of Bitterness had expanded greatly compared with two months ago.

This transformation continued for some time.

Only when a section of heaven-and-earth Divine Veins condensed within his Sea of Reincarnation did Jiang Yun's cultivation finally reach the Divine Bridge Realm.

Jiang Yun sat cross-legged indoors and opened his eyes. A divine gleam shot from them, like lightning illuminating an empty room, a most extraordinary sight.

Feeling the power he had gained upon reaching the Divine Bridge, Jiang Yun was deeply gratified. All that Divine Spring Fluid had not been drunk for nothing.

He now possessed at least some ability to protect himself in the Yan Kingdom. Most elders within the Yan Kingdom's Heavenly Caves were only at this realm.

Jiang Yun used several minor techniques from the Dao Scripture to conceal the aura of his Divine Bridge breakthrough.

It was not yet time to announce his breakthrough to the outside world.

His cultivation speed could be fast, but not too fast.

Jiang Yun casually opened the panel.

[Panel]

Realm: Divine Bridge cultivator

Physique: Divine Physique 24.93% (Sacred Physique 1.93%)

Bloodline: Hengyu Bloodline (1%)

Cultivation Techniques: "Dao Scripture," "Solar Scripture," "Nine Secrets: Zhe"

Reflection Points: 1

Source Space: 150*150*150

Dao Companion: Jiang Shuanglan (Hengyu Bloodline 3.25%, Divine Physique 10.29%) Favorability: 92

Marks: 0

Descendant Bonus: None

He still had one unused Reflection Point, and Jiang Yun had not decided what to choose.

He planned to choose later. Even if he obtained scriptures or secret arts, his strength could not improve immediately.

As Jiang Shuanglan's favorability rose above ninety, the marks Jiang Yun gained from each dual cultivation session had reached four points.

Over the past three months, as Jiang Yun's physique improved, Jiang Shuanglan could no longer endure five dual cultivation sessions a day.

They could only manage three or four times a day, earning just 1,350 marks.

After his Divine Physique exceeded twenty percent, Jiang Yun's Mortal Physique disappeared and became a Divine Physique.

However, his Divine Physique was incomplete; it was a defective Divine Physique.

Jiang Yun's Sea of Bitterness had originally been dark green. Now, its color was gradually growing lighter and developing toward azure.

His physique strengthened every day, and his cultivation grew faster by the day. The feeling was simply wonderful.

Jiang Yun became increasingly unwilling to go outside.

He pushed open the door and walked out. Today, Jiang Yun was especially happy.

"Big Brother, who are you? Why are you here?"

In the courtyard, the pink-cheeked and adorable Xiao Nannan looked at Jiang Yun and asked in confusion.

"Nannan, did you forget Brother Jiang Yun again? I'm so sad."

Wearing a sorrowful expression, Jiang Yun teased Xiao Nannan, looking utterly heartbroken.

"Sorry, Big Brother Jiang Yun. Nannan is too useless."

Seeing Xiao Nannan lower her head in grievance, looking as though she was about to cry, Jiang Yun hurriedly picked her up and coaxed her.

During this time, Xiao Nannan had been very well cared for.

However, she frequently forgot things from just a few days earlier. Jiang Yun had been forgotten more than twenty times already and had grown used to it.

He teased her like this every time and had accumulated ample experience in coaxing Xiao Nannan.

He still lacked the ability to store memories inside ancient jade.

However, aside from breaking through this time, he had also made an exquisite manual for Xiao Nannan.

He named this manual, which resembled an ornament, "Nannan's Record Manual."

It contained some precautions, along with drawings of the few of them.

He had Xiao Nannan look at it often and wear it around her neck.

Nannan could enter content herself, making it like a miniature phone.

In truth, Jiang Yun had simply modified it based on a phone.

Xiao Nannan clutched Nannan's Record Manual so fondly that she could not bear to put it down, then happily kissed Jiang Yun.

Jiang Yun was completely stunned by the sudden intimacy and did not quite dare move.

When he saw that nothing bad happened, Jiang Yun stopped minding it. He carried Xiao Nannan around the courtyard.

Though Jiang Yun and Jiang Shuanglan did not manage the courtyard much, Xia Weier liked it very much.

She kept the courtyard in perfect order, planting strange flowers and exotic grasses throughout it. Walking through the courtyard was refreshing and delightful.

Jiang Yun had also tied up four swings in the courtyard and made some small toys so Xiao Nannan would not be bored.

Jiang Shuanglan was still cultivating diligently in her room, while Little Dingdang was outside inspecting the herb fields with Xia Weier.

The three of them had calculated that Xiao Nannan would likely forget things again in the next few days, so they had not brought her out.

Otherwise, it would be troublesome if she got lost, so they left her in the courtyard.

When Xiao Nannan was normal, she still liked following them outside and seriously doing whatever she could.

After handing Xiao Nannan over to Xia Weier and Little Dingdang, Jiang Yun left the valley and headed for the place in Jade Cauldron Paradise where disciples traded goods.

Jiang Yun had spent all his savings earlier in Yan Capital, but over the past two months the sect had distributed another sixty bottles of Hundred-Grass Liquid. He bought some simple medicinal ingredients and six spiritual herbs.

He also traded the Azure Gold Shield previously given by the patriarch for a pill furnace. Though it counted as a spiritual treasure pill furnace, it was only the lowest grade.

With this pill furnace, Jiang Yun planned to refine Hundred-Grass Liquid first to get some practice.

Once he became proficient, he would try refining the One-Turn Golden Core. The materials were precious and could not be wasted.