In the underground stone chamber, beside the spirit pool of profound yin jade marrow, Han Li sat cross-legged with his eyes tightly shut. His aura churned violently like a volcano about to erupt. A small piece of netherworld lingzhi melted in his mouth, becoming a raging torrent of pure profound yin fiend qi that surged into every limb and bone; the jade marrow spirit liquid, meanwhile, was like sweet rain, supplying an endless stream of pure spiritual power and a cooling sensation that nourished his soul. These two energies, utterly different in nature yet both cold and yin, converged, collided, and fused within him, frantically refined by the Profound Fiend Asura Art.
Breaking through the barrier to late Foundation Establishment was far more difficult than he had imagined. Within his dantian, his liquid Profound Fiend Power had been compressed to its limit. The profound fiend true core at its center trembled violently, humming under an unbearable burden as though it might collapse at any moment. Tearing pain coursed through his meridians. More terrifying still, as vast quantities of fiend qi poured in, an icy, savage will filled with the desire to slaughter battered his sea of consciousness like a tide! This was the fiend qi backlash and Heart Demon Tribulation that inevitably accompanied deeper cultivation of the Profound Fiend Asura Art!
Han Li's face alternated between flushed red and ashen blue. Veins bulged on his forehead, and his body trembled slightly, clearly enduring immense agony. Had he not lived two lives, possessed divine sense far beyond others at his level, and had the Spirit-Nurturing Stone protecting him, his mind would likely have fallen long ago, plunging him into cultivation deviation.
At this critical moment, the Slaughter System, which had remained silent in his mind for so long, finally sounded another clear, urgent notification. It was no longer an icy mechanical voice, but carried an unprecedented liveliness and precision:
[Warning! Host's energy intake overloaded. Meridian strain has reached the critical threshold! Heart Demon Tribulation intensity exceeds projections!] [Activating emergency assistance mode! Energy guidance protocol activated! Heart demon resistance protocol loading!] [Beginning energy guidance: optimizing the circulation route of the Profound Fiend Asura Art, constructing temporary high-efficiency refinement channels... Guidance in progress... 10%... 30%...]
With the system's notifications, Han Li felt as though a pair of invisible hands were sorting and guiding the two raging energies within him. The fiend qi that had been rampaging wildly was forcibly channeled along more efficient, safer meridian routes, greatly reducing the strain on his meridians. His refinement efficiency soared!
[Generating heart demon resistance barrier: constructing a mental defense based on the purity of the host's killing intent and the steadfastness of his Dao heart... Filtering negative emotions... Isolating murderous impulses...]
At the same time, a cooling sensation spread from the depths of his sea of consciousness. Like a sturdy dam, it held back the savage fiendish thoughts trying to erode his reason. Although heart demon illusions still flickered before his eyes and all manner of negative emotions continued to arise, they could no longer shake his steadfast Dao heart.
Han Li's heart settled. The system had indeed played a vital role at the crucial moment! No longer dividing his attention to resist the pressures within and without, he sank his entire mind into his dantian. Guiding the vast energy optimized by the system, he launched his final assault against that formidable bottleneck!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Within his dantian, it was as though heaven and earth were being split apart at creation. Under the influx of endless energy, cracks spread across the surface of the profound fiend true core, only to be continually repaired and solidified by the nourishment of the jade marrow spirit liquid! Its size expanded and contracted, its radiance flickering unpredictably!
[Energy guidance 70%... Bottleneck barrier loosening! Recommendation: concentrate all divine sense to strike the Shanzhong and Shenque acupoints and connect the Heaven and Earth Bridge!]
The system had delivered the most crucial advice! Inspiration struck Han Li, and he immediately marshaled all his divine sense, shaping it into two invisible swords that stabbed fiercely toward the two vital acupoints within his body!
Pop! Pop!
It felt as though something had been pierced, and an indescribable sense of ease flowed through his entire body! An invisible bridge seemed to have formed between his dantian and his sea of consciousness, allowing energy to circulate without the slightest obstruction! The profound fiend true core shuddered violently. Every crack sealed in an instant, and its size shrank by thirty percent, yet it became even denser and more profound. Dark red patterns flowed endlessly across its surface as though they had come alive!
Late Foundation Establishment-achieved!
A vast spiritual pressure, several times stronger than at the middle stage, erupted from Han Li's body, sending dust flying throughout the stone chamber! Within the dark spiritual power swirling around him, that strand of sharp sword intent became increasingly distinct, gaining greater weight and depth.
[Ding! Host has successfully advanced to late Foundation Establishment! Foundation stable. Spiritual power purity increased by 35%. Divine sense strength increased by 20%.] [Hidden achievement "Fiend Core Soul Condensation" completed: profound fiend true core quality improved. Control over fiend qi greatly enhanced. Rewards: Slaughter Points +5000, special state "Fiend Soul Protection" (greatly increases resistance to soul attacks for a short duration).] [Profound Fiend Asura Art proficiency greatly increased. New ability unlocked: preliminary Fiend Shadow Clone (consume a large quantity of fiend qi to condense a phantom clone possessing thirty percent of the original body's strength, lasting ten breaths).]
The system's notifications sounded one after another, reporting the gains from this breakthrough in detail.
Han Li slowly opened his eyes, brilliant light flashing within them. His left eye was black as eternal night, while a scarlet gleam flickered in his right. A complex aura mingling sharpness, depth, and savage menace spread outward, making the heart tremble. As he felt the powerful spiritual energy surging through him like mighty rivers and the profound fiend true core beating as forcefully as a heart, soaring pride filled his chest!
Late Foundation Establishment! I finally reached this realm! With my current strength and all my other methods, I could put up a fight even against a cultivator at the peak of Foundation Establishment! With a sneak attack, I might even kill one!
His gaze swept over the system interface, and he was particularly pleased with the Fiend Shadow Clone ability. It was undoubtedly an extremely powerful trump card for either saving his life or launching a surprise attack.
"Congratulations." A cool voice sounded beside him. Nangong Wan had risen to her feet at some point and was watching Han Li with a trace of wonder she could scarcely conceal in her beautiful eyes. Having guarded him throughout, she had naturally sensed both the astonishing force of his breakthrough and the mysterious energy fluctuations when the system intervened (though she knew nothing of the system's existence, she could sense the anomaly). This young man's potential had once again exceeded her expectations.
"Thank you for guarding me, Martial Aunt!" Han Li restrained his aura and bowed respectfully. Without the pill Nangong Wan had given him and her protection, he could never have broken through so smoothly; he might even have perished in the Heart Demon Tribulation. He would remember this debt.
Nangong Wan nodded slightly. Her gaze swept over the pool of jade marrow spirit liquid, which had dimmed somewhat, and she said, "Now that you've broken through, you shouldn't linger here. The jade marrow's fluctuations may already have drawn attention outside. The final struggle in the Forbidden Land's core region is about to begin. Take care of yourself."
With that, her figure flickered, becoming a streak of white light that vanished through the cave entrance.
Han Li understood what Nangong Wan meant. He quickly erased the traces left in the stone chamber, then carefully collected most of the remaining jade marrow spirit liquid from the pool, leaving only a thin layer to conceal its aura.
Then he stepped out of the underground cavern. Sensing the increasingly tense, murderous atmosphere outside, his lips curved into an icy smile.
I've reached Foundation Establishment Late Stage, and I have even more trump cards! It's time to meet the "heaven's chosen" from all the factions in the Forbidden Land's core!
The Black Fiend Cult, the Feng Family, the Shadow Killer Sect... and any hidden agents the Netherworld Cult might have here... Your nightmare begins now!
His figure flickered. Like a god of slaughter in the dark of night, he raced toward the deepest reaches of the Forbidden Land, where the final opportunity and slaughter awaited together!
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