As dawn broke through the window lattice, it cast dappled light on the brocade quilt. When Yu Tianheng opened his eyes, birds were already chirping outside the window. The violent energy that had been lingering in his chest for so long vanished without a trace, leaving only an unprecedented sense of ease.
Dugu Yan beside him was still fast asleep, her long hair spread out on the pillow like a handful of ink-splashed silk.
Her brows furrowed slightly, perhaps she was still worried about him in her dream, but a faint smile played on her lips. Yu Tianheng gazed at her quietly, and the bloody memories of the Slaughter City receded like the tide before this peaceful sleeping face.
He slowed his breathing, carefully turned to the side, and placed a very light kiss on her smooth forehead, like a feather falling on a flower petal.
She murmured softly in her sleep, snuggled closer to him, and unconsciously grabbed his sleeve with her little hand.
Yu Tianheng's heart softened at this subtle movement. He gently pried open her fingers and tucked the blanket around her. When he got up, his movements were as light as a breeze. His black robe was carefully hung on the screen. The plain-colored casual clothes he had changed into last night made his brows and eyes look relaxed—the scarlet in his eyes had faded, replaced by a sense of composure.
As he stepped into the outer room, the morning light was just beginning to spill over the stone steps of the courtyard. The old steward was already waiting under the eaves, and upon seeing him come out, he quickly bowed in greeting.
Yu Tianheng waved his hand, his gaze sweeping towards the greenhouse, a smile unconsciously playing on his lips, "Have the kitchen prepare some bird's nest porridge for Madam to eat when she wakes up."
As he finished speaking, he glanced back at the door to the inner room, where his lost and found treasure still lay sleeping—the most comforting thing in the world to his soul.
After indulging in a life of pleasure for several days, Yu Tianheng finally began his cultivation.
Yu Tianheng arrived at the basement of the Earl, his place of seclusion for cultivation. He locked the door behind him, completely shutting out the noise from the outside world.
Then he sat cross-legged on the futon, fumbled in his robes for a moment, and took out a bead the size of a pigeon egg—it was the inner core of the Ten Headed Fierce Yang Serpent, its entire body shimmering with a molten gold-like luster. Even after being stored for many days, one could still feel the surging, violent fire elemental energy within it.
This was obtained by Yu Tianheng after he killed the ancient Ferocious Beast Ten Headed Fierce Yang Serpent, on the Hell Road in the Slaughter City.
This inner core contains immense power; if one can refine it, one's cultivation will surely increase greatly.
Taking a deep breath, Yu Tianheng closed his eyes, and the Nine Heavens Divine Lightning Prison Suppression Scripture slowly circulated within his body. Pale purple lightning Entanglement around his fingertips as he cautiously probed towards the inner core.
As the cultivation technique circulated, the fire-attribute energy in the inner core surged into the meridians like magma, bringing a burning sensation wherever it passed. Yu Tianheng attempted to channel this power into his dantian to break through the long-standing barrier of the Martial Saint.
However, half an hour later, the barrier at the dantian remained unmoved, while the fire-attribute energy within the body became increasingly turbulent, almost breaking through the constraints of the meridians.
Yu Tianheng suddenly opened his eyes, a trace of solemnity flashing in them—the power of his inner core alone was not enough to support his breakthrough.
Without hesitation, he took out two other items from his backpack: a heart still bearing dark red blood streaks, and a glass bottle containing the purest essence blood of the Ten Headed Fierce Yang Serpent, viscous as molten iron and radiating a chilling pressure.
"This is the only way." Yu Tianheng murmured, pressing his heart to his palm and uncorking the glass bottle. An even more domineering and ferocious aura instantly spread out. He no longer suppressed the surging bloodlust within him and instead activated a demonic technique— the Blood Demon Skill.
Pale purple lightning and crimson energy suddenly intertwined, forming a strange vortex. The heart slowly melted in the palm of the hand, and the essence blood seeped into the body along the lines of the fingertips, colliding violently with the power of the previously unrefined inner core.
Three forces surged through his meridians, causing his bones to crack under the strain, yet he steadfastly maintained a clear mind.
After an unknown amount of time, a soft "crack" sound came from his dantian, and the seemingly indestructible barrier finally showed a crack. Yu Tianheng suddenly opened his eyes, purple lightning dancing wildly in them, and gathered all his power into a single point, slamming it fiercely into the crack!
"Break!"
A low shout echoed through the quiet room, and a dazzling pillar of light suddenly erupted from his body, shooting straight into the sky through the cracks in the doors and windows, dyeing the morning mist of Suotuo City golden purple. Within the pillar of light, a huge purple lightning dragon could be vaguely seen coiling and roaring, its terrifying Bloodline Power spreading out like a tsunami, even causing the guards on the distant city walls to kneel in shock.
Yu Tianheng slowly finished his practice. The inner core, heart, and essence in his palm had all dissipated, but an unprecedentedly powerful force surged within his body. He raised his hand and touched his dantian, where the aura was calm and vast—he had achieved the Martial Saint Realm.
Outside the quiet room came the old butler's alarmed inquiry. He raised his voice and said, "It's nothing, no need to panic." His voice carried the firmness of someone who had broken through, but could not hide the joy of being reborn.
Upon learning this, the butler said nothing and left.
After everyone left, Yu Tianheng began to examine himself. He was surprised to find that while his Martial Dao realm was breaking through to the Martial Saint level, his Soul Power Level was also advancing further under the impact of this power, successfully breaking through to level 70 Soul Power.
The Seventh Soul Ring can be acquired at any time.
However, ordinary Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring could no longer satisfy Yu Tianheng; the only ones that caught his eye were Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring.
However, now is not the right time to go hunting in the Star Dou Great Forest; we need to wait.
So Yu Tianheng continued his cultivation.
Six months later, Dugu Yan's Soul Power broke through to level 60. Yu Tianheng accompanied her to Sunset Forest to hunt suitable Soul Beast. With Yu Tianheng's help, Dugu Yan successfully killed a Mandala Snake with 40,000 years of cultivation, absorbed its Soul Ring, and then successfully broke through to the Six-Ring Soul Emperor. Afterwards, the two went to the villa located in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to visit Dugu Bo.
Deep within the Sunset Forest, in a valley shrouded in miasma, a secluded villa is enveloped in an impenetrable, purplish-black poisonous fog.
Amidst the swirling poisonous fog, one could vaguely see an old man sitting cross-legged on a stone bed inside the mansion—it was none other than Dugu Bo. He had made a brief appearance in Suotuo City, stayed for a while, and then returned to his separate mansion located at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well for ascetic cultivation.
The environment here is perfect for him to cultivate the Hundred Poisons Mysterious Skill.
With the help of the cultivation technique, Dugu Bo's strength progressed rapidly. In just a few years, he broke through two levels of Soul Power, reaching level 94, and is now breaking through the bottleneck of level 95.
Inside the secret chamber, Dugu Bo's eyes were closed, and his Hundred Poisons Mysterious Skill was operating at its peak. Countless tiny colored light spots were peeling off the poisonous creatures from all directions and flowing into his body like a swarm of bees returning to their nest.
On the ground, dozens of corpses of highly venomous Soul Beast of various shapes and sizes lay shriveled like dry firewood. The air was filled with a pungent, sweet stench, and even the space itself seemed to be slightly distorted by the corrosive effects of the toxins. Dugu Bo frowned, veins bulging on his forehead, and his Soul Power surged like boiling magma, crashing against the barrier that had stood for so many years.