Advancing the Kui Bull Spirit Essence, Refining in Seclusion

Time passed, little by little.

Brilliant azure flames gradually spilled from the essence blood.

Roar!

A Kui Bull's roar suddenly rang out.

Lin Tian froze, looking toward the essence blood.

There, within the essence blood.

At some unknown point, a phantom Kui Bull had appeared and was roaring incessantly.

Its savage, primordial presence made Lin Tian's heart pound violently.

Buzzz!

A humming sound resounded.

The azure light of the Advancement Jade Talisman was finally absorbed entirely by the essence blood.

"The Advancement Jade Talisman's effect has ended. The Kui Bull essence blood has advanced into Kui Bull spirit essence!"

The Extreme Realm's majestic voice resounded throughout the room.

Lin Tian was stunned at first.

Then a slight smile involuntarily curled his lips.

If Kui Bull essence blood was a treasure.

Then Kui Bull spirit essence was a supreme treasure.

A drop of Kui Bull spirit essence was worth hundreds, even thousands of times as much as Kui Bull essence blood.

When someone absorbed enough essence blood from a ferocious beast.

They could awaken that beast's Dharma manifestation.

But absorbing a single drop of spirit essence.

Would definitely awaken its Dharma manifestation.

Moreover, its quality would far surpass that of essence blood!

At this thought, Lin Tian could not help growing apprehensive.

Crackle.

Before him, the mass of spirit essence floated in the air, as though it had come alive.

Within the azure blood.

The phantom Kui Bull seemed to tower between heaven and earth, lightning coursing around its body.

Lin Tian took a deep breath and lightly touched the spirit essence with his fingertip.

Instantly, a tingling numbness spread throughout his body.

Wisps of azure power intertwined like streams, climbing onto Lin Tian's finger.

Then up his arm, until they reached every part of his body.

Then.

They seeped throughout his body.

Crack!

Thunder instantly resounded all around Lin Tian.

Within his mind, it boomed like great bells.

Throughout his body, through every limb and bone.

Countless particles were engulfed in lightning from the inside out.

Boom!

Inside the room.

All the force floated upward because of the magnetic field.

Howling and sweeping about.

It formed a small tornado around Lin Tian.

Countless bolts of lightning spilled from Lin Tian's body, then burrowed back inside.

Like countless blades, they constantly sliced every inch of his skin.

Pain!

Agonizing pain assailed him from every direction.

Lin Tian sat cross-legged on the floor, his expression growing increasingly savage.

"Heh-heh."

He bared his teeth, the clothes on his body tearing to shreds in an instant.

Every hair on his body stood erect like a needle.

Crackle!

Lightning serpents tore at him, making Lin Tian feel as though his internal organs were being ripped apart.

"If you've got what it takes... make it hurt more."

Lin Tian spoke bitterly, blood seeping from his gums.

Sizzle.

His skin split, and countless impurities hidden within his body drifted out as particles.

Crackle.

Tiny azure bolts of lightning spilled from the cracks in his skin.

It made Lin Tian look as though a blue web of electricity had ignited all around him.

This was an immense transformation.

A drop of Kui Bull essence blood was purifying Lin Tian's entire body.

Then a terrifying ancient presence began merging into Lin Tian's flesh.

"Why... does this feel like nothing but a tickle!"

Lin Tian grinned savagely, the myriad agonies leaving his mind somewhat muddled.

In his previous life, he had been a mercenary.

He had once been captured by the enemy.

The interrogation that time had been etched into Lin Tian's very bones.

But compared with this.

That had been child's play.

No punishment hurt as much as devouring Kui Bull essence blood.

Time flowed by, little by little.

Above the lake.

Xihe and the Azure Emperor had actually intended to leave long ago.

But without consulting each other, both had chosen to stay a little longer.

Two incense sticks' worth of time had passed since Ziwei returned.

Zhenwu had yet to appear.

"I'll be leaving first. Azure Emperor, tell me more about the Su Clan of Willow Capital later. I'll reward you generously."

Xihe spoke softly to the Azure Emperor.

Then she vanished from above the lake.

The Azure Emperor nodded, then said to Ziwei with a smile:

"You should head back soon too. I suspect Zhenwu chose not to return here and went straight home."

Ziwei froze and was about to say something.

Only to see that the Azure Emperor had already left too.

Beneath his mask, Ziwei frowned.

"No way, no way. He didn't really go down there, did he?"

He actually felt a little guilty.

When the second Kui Bull appeared, he had panicked.

So he had slipped away without warning Zhenwu.

Now Zhenwu had not returned.

He had kept trying to contact Zhenwu through his mask earlier, but there had been no reply at all.

He could not help worrying a little.

"Forget it. I'll wait a little longer."

"Who told you to carry me through a run?"

Ziwei murmured, sitting cross-legged on the lake's surface and beginning to cultivate.

Meanwhile.

Inside the private room.

Lin Tian's cultivation had settled into stillness.

His body seemed to have grown accustomed to the agony.

Countless cracks appeared in his skin, which then began peeling away.

It revealed a layer of fairer skin.

Blue light suffused his entire body.

His blood Qi slowly condensed, becoming like mercury.

"Your physique is growing stronger. Unwilling to fall behind, your sword has increased its toughness by ten percent."

The familiar voice sounded in Lin Tian's mind.

The Heavenly Sword slowly floated before Lin Tian.

As though it, too, were cultivating.

With his eyes closed, Lin Tian heard those words.

He began to understand the words spoken when he first chose the Heavenly Sword.

You and your sword level up together.

The Heavenly Sword was a part of Lin Tian.

Naturally, both would level up at the same pace.

And as time slowly passed.

In the middle of the room, the last grain of golden sand slowly drained from the half-person-high hourglass.

The next moment.

The scenery around Lin Tian darkened.

He returned to his room in Blood Town.

Crackle.

The flashing lightning and rumbling thunder instantly woke Ling Qiuzi and Qingcheng in the next room.

"Big sister, what's that sound?"

Qingcheng was sleeping in the same bed as Ling Qiuzi.

A little frightened, she hugged Ling Qiuzi.

"Don't worry. Young Master Lin is cultivating."

Ling Qiuzi affectionately stroked Qingcheng's little face.

She had once seen the sword light Lin Tian unleashed while cultivating.

That sharp, murderous feeling remained in Qingcheng's heart, impossible to forget.

"Big brother seems to cultivate every night. Doesn't he get tired?"

Qingcheng raised her head. By the moonlight outside the window, she could faintly make out Ling Qiuzi's graceful jawline.

Ling Qiuzi fell silent for a moment and tucked the corner of Qingcheng's blanket in.

Ever since the first outbreak of pill poison.

Ling Qiuzi had found cultivation increasingly difficult.

So after only a few days, she had given up.

Her heart had gradually accepted despair as well.

Once, after joining the Joyous Immortal Sect.

Ling Qiuzi had also seen fellow disciples who worked extremely hard at cultivating.

But someone like Lin Tian.

Was something Ling Qiuzi rarely saw.

Laziness was in the nature of all living beings.

Not only mortals-even immortal cultivators found it difficult to cast laziness aside.

But after spending more than ten days with Lin Tian.

Ling Qiuzi realized that he had gone beyond diligence.

Lin Tian treated cultivation as though it were instinct.

"Big brother works too hard. Is cultivating really that fun?"

Qingcheng muttered softly.

Ling Qiuzi sighed softly and said:

"There will always be people in this world who fight desperately to live."

She did not know how to explain it to Qingcheng.

Soon.

The first rays of dawn appeared.

Ling Qiuzi walked out of her room.

She felt a little guilty for lingering in bed for a while tonight.

She cast her beautiful eyes over.

Yet she found that the door to Lin Tian's room was still tightly shut.

She was a little surprised.

Usually, at this hour, Lin Tian would have already gotten up and washed.

"I'll be in secluded cultivation for the next few days. Do not let anyone disturb me."

Lin Tian's clear voice rang out from inside the room.

Ling Qiuzi paused briefly in surprise, then dipped in a bow and said:

"Rest assured, young master."