Chapter Twenty-Two: Breakthrough

After returning to the Nether River Ravine with his senior brother, Xiao Nuotian went straight to his own cave dwelling to digest the gains from his recent battle. Before settling down, however, he found a spot not far from his own abode and built a cave dwelling for his maid. He left all other matters to his senior brother, on the sole condition that at every future barbecue, each person would have to offer him an extra fish. Faced with such a simple threat, Yang Fantian and Meng Feiyun could only agree—after all, it was better than having him return and cause chaos in the ravine as he had done before.

The first battle of his life had given Nuotian a clear sense of his own strength. While he was indeed formidable, he did not think himself invincible. He knew that the cultivation method he practiced was perhaps the most powerful ever, and combined with his extraordinary constitution, his achievements seemed only natural.

Yet when he faced Cang Meng, he felt immense pressure; if it came to a fight, he would surely be defeated within five moves. The true strength of the Central Meridian Realm was not something he could challenge at his current level. If he wanted to compete in the selection for the Earth Dragon Hall two years from now, relying solely on his present ability, he would likely be swept aside quickly. According to his senior brother, at least thirty people from the four halls could participate, not to mention other elite disciples with astonishing talent. Even making it into the top hundred would be a slim chance; to claim the championship, he would need far greater power.

However, one thing was now certain to Nuotian: cultivating the Way of the Dragon was his best path forward. In the previous battles, he had nearly exhausted his energy reserves five times, especially against Chen Tian, where he had given his all to secure victory. Fortunately, his body was exceptional—his Nether Battle Physique truly was formidable.

The vital energy of heaven and earth gradually seeped into Nuotian’s body, flowing through his meridians and gathering in his dantian. The energy within became increasingly dense, showing signs of condensing from vapor to liquid. When the sea of energy in his dantian fully transformed into liquid for the first time, it would be his opportunity to break through to the next level.

So Nuotian sat in his cave dwelling for three days. Even with his extraordinary constitution, he had to follow the same gradual process as others; there were no shortcuts to condensing energy into liquid.

For three days, Nuotian focused all his attention inward, immersing his consciousness in his dantian. The energy within had already formed a vast sea, a sign of his remarkable progress. Every cultivator at the peak of the Human Hero Realm must condense energy into liquid before attempting to break through and awaken the spirit within. If they failed, the liquid energy would dissipate, and they would have to accumulate it anew for the next attempt.

Cultivation depended as much on chance and timing as on effort, especially at the moment of breakthrough. Some, no matter how well prepared, would fail, while others might succeed unexpectedly despite scant preparation. This was why cultivators spent so much time preparing for a breakthrough: failure often left a shadow in the heart, a so-called inner demon of the martial path.

Yet there were those who, after a dozen failures, would rise again and succeed, though their cultivation journey would be all the more arduous.

Nuotian gazed at the sea of energy in his dantian, filled with confidence. Anyone with such reserves would feel the same. The key to breakthrough lay in the quantity of energy; if it was sufficient, one could even attempt the process multiple times during a single session.

He slowly guided the liquid energy through his meridians. This initial circulation took the better part of an hour, during which the meridians were thoroughly washed and stretched, preparing them for the greater strength the liquid energy would soon bring. After this, half of the dantian’s energy was spent. Though Nuotian’s body could naturally draw in more energy from his surroundings, without focused effort, it could not condense into liquid to replenish what was lost.

For most cultivators, this first step would consume almost all their reserves, making the leap from the Human Hero Realm to the Spirit Core Realm difficult. Only with external help could some cross this barrier, but those who aspired to supreme power would never rely on such means; true potential came from one’s own body.

Many prodigies, highly regarded at the outset, squandered their potential by repeatedly relying on external aids to break through obstacles. In the end, their talent faded, and they became mediocre.

The second step in advancing from the Human Hero Realm to the Spirit Core Realm was to infuse the liquid energy into the marrow. Humans have seven levels of cultivation, each corresponding to the awakening of one of the seven spirits, all located within the body. The spirit core resides in the marrow. By guiding the liquid energy into the marrow and awakening the spirit core, one could achieve breakthrough.

Nuotian proceeded with great caution, channeling the energy along a fixed path into his marrow. Unbeknownst to him, his skin began to exude dark impurities— the accumulated dross every human acquires from birth. These impurities, deeply embedded in the marrow, would hinder one’s vitality in the future.

Breaking through to the Spirit Core Realm was the first cleansing of the bone marrow, which explained why cultivators’ lifespans increased after this stage.

As his bone marrow became enveloped in liquid energy, an overwhelming, familiar sensation arose, as if life itself was calling out, awakening his truest self at that very moment.

His entire marrow shone with a golden light, and a mysterious mark of life gradually integrated into Nuotian’s mind. He threw his head back and howled, as if welcoming his own rebirth.

Hearing the sound from the cave, Yang Fantian and Meng Feiyun, grilling fish outside, smiled knowingly. “As expected of our junior brother—he succeeded on the first try. Looks like his strength has grown considerably.”

Qin Yixin, tending to the fish on the spit, did so willingly. The two senior brothers had always looked after her; a few days before, they’d not only provided her with daily necessities but also found her a high-level cultivation method she never dreamed of obtaining. As they told her, “Since you’re our junior brother’s maid, you shouldn’t be too weak yourself.”

Hearing the shout from her young master, Qin Yixin felt heartfelt joy—her young master had broken through. He was already so strong in the Human Hero Realm; now that he had reached the Spirit Core Realm, how powerful would he become?

Nuotian examined his body and found himself brimming with strength. This breakthrough was not just a leap in realm, but an all-encompassing transformation. His power, refined by the breakthrough, had reached new heights. It seemed his mastery of the Way of the Dragon had also deepened. According to legend, the Way of the Dragon had eighteen stages, though it was not fixed—after the eighteenth, further progress might be possible. Now, Nuotian felt he had entered the second stage; such advancement in his cultivation method was an unexpected delight, promising even greater power for his Heavenly Dragon Combat Art.

Yet this was not what he desired most. Recalling Chen Tian’s manifestation of the Dragon Elephant, Nuotian grew excited. At the Spirit Core Realm, one could awaken their spirit core and, in turn, forge their own martial soul.

Activating the Way of the Dragon, a dragon’s shadow gradually appeared behind him: carp whiskers, ox nose, horse face, tiger eyes, ox ears, deer antlers, serpent body, eagle claws, fish scales, lion’s mane, and wolf’s mouth. At a glance, anyone would recognize it as the true form of the Divine Dragon, one of the Four Sacred Beasts.

The dragon’s shadow roamed around the cave, but Nuotian was not surprised. He had long been connected to the Divine Dragon, so forging a true dragon martial soul was only natural.

Condensing the martial soul in the Spirit Core Realm was always the first step after a breakthrough; only then could one’s power truly advance. The nature of the martial soul depended greatly on one’s cultivation method and, at times, on external aid. Many would merge the essence of a powerful beast into themselves, hoping to acquire its martial soul. Yet the martial souls of the Four Sacred Beasts were exceedingly rare throughout history; merely imitating their methods seldom led to success. Nuotian succeeded largely because his cultivation was the true Dragon Clan’s secret art, and his meridians had been transformed by the Azure Dragon.

Watching the dragon shadow circle around him, Nuotian summoned it with his spirit. The enormous eyes of the dragon fixed on him before slowly merging into his brow. He gradually withdrew his consciousness into his spiritual world, where a mighty dragon now coiled, fusing with the very fabric of his soul. At this stage, the martial soul could not yet display its full might; only after complete fusion could it reach its peak, which was the direct direction of cultivation in the Spirit Core Realm: to refine the spirit core, one must first forge the true soul.

Nuotian opened his eyes, within which a dragon shadow flashed and vanished. Rising, he glanced around and strode outside.

But the moment he stepped out, he was infuriated by what he saw: his maid was being ordered about by those two, forced to grill fish for them. Even though things were as they were, he would not forget—she was his maid.