The instant the One-Qi Chaos Tower entered his Qi Sea, a stream of pure spiritual energy, utterly different from ordinary spiritual energy between heaven and earth, flowed back out from within the tower!
Like a warm, bubbling spring, it quietly poured into Mu Chen's Qi Sea, which had already reached its bottleneck...
This spiritual energy was not particularly vast, yet it carried an indescribable sense of weight and antiquity.
It seemed to originate from the primordial chaos before heaven and earth had opened, sharing the same source as Mu Chen's constitution and blending with it like milk with water!
Mu Chen's mind stirred.
Nourished and battered by this chaos spiritual energy of the same origin, the barrier between the Heaven Fusion Realm and the Heaven Transformation Realm began to show faint but unmistakable signs of loosening.
His chance to break through had arrived!
Without the slightest hesitation, he completely stilled his mind and cast aside all distracting thoughts.
He did not deliberately guide his energy or force it against the barrier.
Instead, he followed the natural flow of spiritual energy within his body, his mind entering a state of empty clarity as he achieved a mysterious harmony with the world around him.
Within his Qi Sea, waves surged.
Vast spiritual energy swirled as though stirred by an invisible hand, forming an enormous vortex. At its center, his Divine Soul sat quietly cross-legged.
At that moment, Mu Chen's Divine Soul radiated a gentle, brilliant glow, as though he had been formed from the purest light.
Across the Divine Soul's body, a halo flickered and surged like breathing. As it expanded and contracted, a peculiar fluctuation faintly emanated from him.
Tempered by the Chaos Divine Mill Contemplation Method, Mu Chen's Divine Soul power far surpassed his cultivation realm, and now he wielded it with effortless ease!
His Divine Soul slowly opened his eyes and gazed quietly at the dome of the Qi Sea-the invisible barrier between his physical body and the world.
Rumble...
Outside the meditation chamber, a low rumble suddenly sounded in the previously clear sky, and heaven and earth changed color!
Above Mu Chen's courtyard, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth converged!
Inside the meditation chamber, Mu Chen's body trembled slightly.
The light across his Divine Soul's body blazed to its utmost intensity, illuminating his tiny form until he resembled a transparent figure of light!
Surging spiritual energy lifted his Divine Soul toward the dome, drawing him closer to the barrier separating him from the true world!
At that moment, the forces within and without resonated in a wondrous harmony.
His Divine Soul passed completely beyond the confines of his Qi Sea and touched the boundary of his physical body!
At the location of Mu Chen's Qi Sea, a bright yet gentle point of light suddenly shone. Pure and translucent, it was the manifestation of his Divine Soul's essence.
Following a profound, mysterious path, the light rose from his lower abdomen, passed through his chest and internal organs, traveled through his neck, and finally reached the crown of his head!
It was as though Mu Chen's body had become transparent, a stream of light running upward through its central axis.
Hum...
The air inside the meditation chamber vibrated with a low tremor.
The next instant-
Whoosh!
A clear beam of light, condensed until it was almost tangible, shot unhindered from the crown of Mu Chen's head!
His Divine Soul left his body, merging into heaven and earth!
The Heaven Transformation Realm-attained!
Inside the meditation chamber, the dust settled.
The clear pillar of light that had linked heaven and earth vanished without a trace. Mu Chen sat cross-legged on the couch with his eyes closed, his aura harmonious and restrained, as though he had become more closely connected to the world around him.
His Divine Soul returned to his place and sat quietly in the Qi Sea, light flowing across his tiny body. He looked increasingly solid and translucent, the composure belonging to Mu Chen becoming ever clearer in his features.
Heaven Transformation meant that the Divine Soul transcended the cage of the physical body, allowing him to merge into heaven and earth, perceive all things, and even draw upon the world's power to nullify harm.
Though this realm seemed only a single step above the Heaven Fusion Realm, it was in truth a qualitative leap in the use of spiritual energy.
Mu Chen opened his eyes, divine radiance shining brightly within them before withdrawing and leaving them calm once more.
At last, he could no longer suppress a long cry. It burst from his chest, clear as a dragon's roar yet deep as rolling thunder.
Rolling waves of sound reverberated through the meditation chamber, making the window frames rattle faintly, then pierced through the roof and echoed over the courtyard and the more distant reaches of the Mu Estate.
The cry brimmed with unrestrained exhilaration!
As his long cry gradually faded, Mu Chen rose to his feet and walked out of the meditation chamber.
The simple act of standing left him feeling light and vigorous, as though he had cast off some invisible shackle.
With every movement, his spiritual energy flowed more nimbly and freely. Wherever his thoughts went, his energy followed.
His perception of the spiritual energy drifting between heaven and earth had also grown sharper and deeper. Without his deliberately circulating a cultivation method, the surrounding spiritual energy seemed drawn to him, gathering of its own accord in fine strands and slowly nourishing every limb and bone.
"That feels amazing!"
"What feels so amazing?" a girl's sharp voice rang out.
After a gentle knock, the courtyard gate was pushed open, revealing a tall, slender figure outside.
Her robes were black as ink, fitting snugly against the girl's graceful curves. Her jet-black hair was tied into a ponytail that swayed lightly behind her shoulders as she moved.
She had a lovely face, bright eyes, and long legs that were straight and slender.
A trace of surprise flashed through Mu Chen's eyes before turning into a genuine smile. "Qian'er?"
Tang Qian'er stepped into the courtyard and closed the gate behind her, her gaze sweeping over Mu Chen.
"I heard that long cry perfectly clearly from two courtyards away. I thought some Spirit Beast had barged in, but it turned out to be you!"
Her voice carried familiar teasing as she walked over to the stone table in the courtyard and sat down naturally. Propping her chin on one hand, she looked at Mu Chen with a hint of reproach in her eyes.
"You didn't even tell me you'd come back. If I hadn't heard from Master Mo and my father, I wouldn't have known you were hiding away in this courtyard cultivating."
Mu Chen sat opposite her and smiled. "I only returned a few days ago. I was planning to finish dealing with the Northern Spiritual Alliance's affairs before going to the academy to share the good news with you. I didn't expect you to come first."
"Then I suppose you have a little conscience left." Tang Qian'er gave a soft huff. The faint reproach in her eyes eased somewhat, giving way to curiosity. "The Spirit Road... was it tough?"
She asked casually, but her gaze studied Mu Chen closely.
The young man still wore those simple black clothes, but some of the youthful immaturity he had possessed when he left home had faded from his features, replaced by an indefinable composure.
He sat there with a peaceful aura, yet Tang Qian'er could vaguely sense that beneath that peace lurked something that made her heart tremble.
He had won the Spirit Crown and attained the Heaven Fusion Realm. She could not imagine how much hardship Mu Chen must have endured!
"It wasn't too bad." Mu Chen smiled and told her a little about the Spirit Road, the people he had met, and the things that had happened. He had not suffered in the slightest; all the suffering had fallen on the other youths.
"How have you been lately, Qian'er? How's your cultivation coming along?" Mu Chen asked.
"I'm nowhere near as monstrous as you." Tang Qian'er pursed her lips but did not hide anything. "I'm only at the late stage of the Spirit Movement Realm. Father says I'm quite talented, but compared to you, the Spirit Road's champion, I'm miles behind."
There was no jealousy in her voice, only candid happiness for Mu Chen and a trace of dissatisfaction with her own progress.
Tang Qian'er and Mu Chen had known each other since childhood. Their fathers were close friends, and the two of them could be considered playmates who had grown up together.
As children, they had often gotten into mischief together and been scolded together, forming a very close bond.
Now, it seemed that even after a year on the Spirit Road, their friendship had not faded in the slightest!
"That girl named Luo Li... you made her sound so beautiful. I'd really like to meet her..."
Tang Qian'er sighed, then suddenly spoke.
Mu Chen had found someone he liked. I should be happy for him, so why did my heart suddenly ache a little?
Before you continue