"Why are you still here?"

Stone Jade looked at Shi Haoting in puzzlement.

"You all can leave if you want, what’s it got to do with me?" Shi Haoting said with a pout.

"What, you think he can still get out?" Stone Jade glanced at the distant Five Elements Heaven-Trapping Bowl.

"He can’t get out."

Shi Haoting spread his hands and said, "I’m fine anyway. If I go back, I’ll just have a bunch of old geezers nagging me to do this or that. I’d rather chill here."

"Oh, right."

"What?"

Stone Jade’s eyes flashed with confusion.

"I have a feeling."

"A feeling, huh."

Shi Haoting narrowed his eyes and said softly, "That guy’s not simple. Maybe he really can break free!"

Stone Jade was stunned, then shook his head slightly. "Maybe he can escape, but how long would that take? And that’s only if he has enough resources and powerful spiritual objects. Otherwise, once his strength runs dry, he’s got no hope!"

Shi Haoting waved his hand impatiently, "Go on, hurry up and leave. Stop bothering me."

"Suit yourself, then. But when Shi Hu comes out of retreat, he’ll definitely drag you back."

Mentioning Shi Hu, Shi Haoting shrank his neck. That big brute was never gentle with his hands.

Dammit!

Cursing to himself, Shi Haoting simply stopped caring.

Might as well enjoy a few peaceful days.

Inside the Five Elements Heaven-Trapping Bowl.

Xu Yang had no idea that the Martial Artists from the War King aristocratic clan who’d wanted to recruit him had already left, leaving only Shi Haoting observing from the shadows.

With the endless burning, the dome above grew more and more disturbed.

That area was starting to sink inward.

But according to Xu Yang’s estimation, it would take at least another month or so to tear it open.

The problem was, the power inside the tripod couldn’t last that long!

"This is a big problem now."

Xu Yang showed a wry smile.

He saw hope, only for another issue to arise!

Without a source of power, this is all pointless!

In the blink of an eye, more than half a month passed.

The Purest Essence Qi inside the tripod had reached rock bottom!

On this day.

Gu Jun walked over, watching Xu Yang: "Kid, do you still remember the Spirit Elixirs Can Sutian gave you?"

Xu Yang was stunned and cried out, "Master, you mean the Spirit Elixirs for refining the Heaven and Earth Nurturing Elixir?"

"That’s right!"

"Those Spirit Elixirs are enough to boost a True Lord Martial Artist significantly—the energy from refining them will be more than enough!"

"But..." Xu Yang’s face looked troubled.

Those were meant to help Gu Jun restore his body.

Gu Jun smiled. "Kid, look at the situation we’re in. What good are they if we can’t get out? Those elixirs are rare, but once we get to the Spirit Realm, it’s really only the Earth Spirit Milk that’s hard to find; the rest can be obtained after we leave."

Xu Yang’s expression shifted several times and he nodded silently.

Honestly, he hadn’t thought of that before.

The power in those elixirs was enough to last him half a year and still have leftovers!

After all, they were for refining Tier Eight pills!

Gu Jun was right!

The most important thing now was getting out.

Once outside, what Spirit Elixir can’t be found?

At this thought, Xu Yang hesitated no more, his spirits soaring!

A month and a half!

In the deadly quiet bowl, a crisp and pleasant shattering sound suddenly rang out.

Crack!

Snap!

Everyone instinctively looked up at the same time.

They saw that the area above, burned by the Heaven-Burning Divine Fire, rippled violently, the center caved in, cracks webbing out all over.

"It broke! There’s a crack!"

"Fantastic."

"Hahahaha, finally there’s hope of getting out."

Staring at the ever-deepening crack, everyone couldn’t help but laugh excitedly.

Xu Yang locked his gaze on the fissure, then poured forth surging power.

The Heaven-Burning Divine Fire flared up suddenly!

Whoosh!

Threads of black fire ripped fiercely into the crack, tunneling in.

As the endless black flames poured into the dome, they spread at a breakneck pace.

The multicolored dome seemed suddenly deprived of equilibrium, shaking violently, blackness overtaking it.

"What terrifying Five Elements essence!"

Xu Yang’s eyes shone with amazement and wild joy inside.

This was a resource on par with rare spiritual objects of heaven and earth.

Instantly, he willed it into action.

The Celestial Refining Divine Tripod shot up with a "boom," sealing the crack.

Black fire surged unimpeded, roaring in.

While the Heaven-Burning Divine Fire corroded, the Celestial Refining Divine Tripod devoured the Five Elements essence.

With the appearance of a crack, the bowl was like having a breach opened from inside.

The Five Elements lost balance, the fabricated internal world crumbling along with it.

Next, as long as the Heaven-Burning Divine Fire kept eroding, the dome would be shattered before long.

Seven days later.

The once multicolored dome was completely covered in black fire.

If you didn’t look carefully, you couldn’t even see the faintest trace of color!

The crack kept widening.

The Divine Tripod was now filled with astonishing Five Elements essence.

Xu Yang didn’t even have time to refine it.

Then, in a certain instant—

Xu Yang formed a hand seal and unleashed his full power.

"Break!"

In a flash!

The space inside the bowl rocked fiercely, on the verge of collapse.

The dome above seemed struck by lightning, black fire flickering, shadows swirling like phantoms.

Crack!

Bang bang bang!!

Cracks multiplied and spread at a speed visible to the naked eye.

A torrent of Five Elements essence poured down from above.

Even the Celestial Refining Divine Tripod couldn’t devour it all.

Xu Yang shouted, "Quick, devour the Five Elements essence! Once this bowl breaks, it’s time for a breakthrough!"

The essence inside the bowl was overwhelming.

Xu Yang had a feeling that after breaking out, at least half the people present would break through their current realms.

All thanks to Xiao Ming!

Everyone excitedly activated their cultivation techniques, greedily absorbing the raining Five Elements essence.

Then, at some point—

The dome seemed to have reached its limit.

BOOM-CRACK!

With a deafening explosion—

The dome shattered!

Amid the surging black divine fire, brilliant colored spirit light burst forth.

Xu Yang’s eyes burned with heat. He focused, controlling the Divine Tripod to devour, while he himself leapt up, running his cultivation technique to absorb.

A torrent of Five Elements essence flooded the space below, enveloping everyone present.

Everyone was nearly delirious with joy, never expecting to encounter such an opportunity.

Half an hour later—

Xu Yang’s body swelled, barely containing his abundant internal power.

He trembled, slowly looking up at the bowl wall, now thin with the dome gone.

"Only absolute power can break it?"

"Now is the time!"

Xu Yang grinned, silently thankful for Xiao Ming, and the Asura Blood Saber appeared out of thin air.

He curled his hand tightly around the hilt and unleashed his full might.

"Slash!"

BOOM!

The blade struck the spiritual bowl wall.

Crack!

Cracks formed instantly.

Then came a second slash, a third, a fourth...

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!!

Outside world.

Shi Haoting, cultivating in silence, suddenly opened his eyes and looked over.

One glance, and his eyes nearly popped out!

The spiritual bowl now looked like a giant egg, shaking violently, covered in cracks, as if something was about to break out from inside.

"Holy shit!"

"What the hell is going on?"

"Did that bowl get bitten through?"

"Damn, how long has it been? Just over a month? Not even two months!"

Shi Haoting gasped, shot to his feet, and raced lightning-fast to the bowl’s side, staring dumbfounded at the gigantic, violently shaking, rapidly cracking spiritual bowl, his mind blank.

"Is that kid even human?"

"Stone Jade, and all you old bastards, you’re a bunch of idiots!"

"You all seriously underestimated this guy."

Shi Haoting trembled with excitement. He knew all too well what this scene meant.