Boom!

Crack!

The deafening thunder shattered the tranquil heaven and earth.

The giant bowl burst apart, splintered into a thousand pieces.

Violent waves erupted, tearing it asunder in one stroke, countless fragments surged outwards like tattered rags, colliding in all directions.

Boom!

Beneath the vast sky, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi within a thousand li suddenly surged like a torrential flood.

In the blink of an eye, it gathered above, turning into a vast, dense cloud mass.

Shi Haoting’s hair stood on end: "Is he about to break through?"

"Damn, there’s so many people!"

Shi Haoting recoiled in terror.

He saw a figure soar into the sky, howling at the heavens.

Like a dragon flying high, the aura was tyrannical and unmatched, shaking the heavens and earth.

It was Xu Yang.

His aura pierced through the clouds; in a trance he glimpsed the boundless and majestic source of the Spirit River!

Countless Spiritual Qi swarmed from all around, and the Five Elements essence within his body, yet unrefined, was rapidly absorbed.

The Divine Cauldron roared, black fire surged.

"Break!"

This time, there was no suspense.

The black fire was unstoppable, bursting through the central courtyard straight into the divine palace!

In an instant.

The divine palace was enveloped and permeated completely by the inky Spirit Fire, casting strange and startling shadows of black flame.

Xu Yang’s whole body shook, his consciousness stabbed with pain, and at once was engulfed by the Heaven-Burning Divine Fire, merging into one.

As the divine palace ignited with firelight,

Xu Yang’s consciousness expanded, crossed a certain shackle, and ascended directly to the Celestial Tier!

The distance to the Spirit River drew suddenly near from a place unimaginably far away.

As if it was right at hand!

Xu Yang’s mind surged, touching the Spirit River.

Buzz! 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

He seemed to enter a vast world, indescribably mysterious.

It felt as if every inch of his being was sublimating, leaping forward!

"Spirit intent, spirit mark..." Xu Yang muttered under his breath.

The Heaven-locking Seal slowly floated up from his heart.

Whoosh!

Above him, chains suddenly materialized.

Intertwining, these chains clanked noisily.

Gradually.

The chains merged, finally transforming into a phantom spirit mark a foot and a half long, hovering above him.

Shi Haoting’s pupils contracted: "A spirit mark—a foot and a half! What’s the origin of this spirit mark? Just a foot and a half, and yet it gives me enough pressure to feel like at least three feet!"

Meanwhile, everyone below was breaking through with intense fervor.

First Meng Ziqiu, then Zhang Lingqiao, Zhang Yuanshan, Bai Song, Liou Yunfeng...

More than ten people, their auras shot skyward, piercing the heavens and clouds.

Astounding waves converged like an apocalyptic storm, terrifying to the extreme.

At a glance, eight people had broken through to the True Lord level!

The others, though not yet True Lords, had gained tremendous strength, their aura overwhelming, just one step away!

"Goodness! And so many at once—most of them broke through." Shi Haoting’s scalp tingled.

Though True Lords are plenty in the Spirit Realm, it’s not as if they grow everywhere like cabbages.

"Whatever the cost, I must obtain him!" Shi Haoting drew a deep breath, licking his lips, his gaze at Xu Yang as if he were staring at an invaluable treasure mountain.

At a certain moment.

Xu Yang descended from the sky, exhaling a deep, turbid breath.

He felt his hundred bones and his flesh flawless, his tendons and bones glowing with spiritual brilliance!

This world, was entirely within his perception!

Every motion, every thought, as though he commanded heaven and earth, shaking mountain and river!

"So this is a True Lord."

Xu Yang narrowed his eyes, kindled his Minghuo.

By the firelight, even this world seemed to turn illusory in his gaze.

Where the Minghuo illuminates—all is my domain!

"Who?"

Xu Yang suddenly turned, catching sight of Shi Haoting not far away and froze.

Why is he here?

"Mr. Xu."

When he saw he was discovered, Shi Haoting shouted loudly and hurried over.

"Congratulations, Mr. Xu!"

Approaching, Shi Haoting excitedly cupped his fists in salute.

Xu Yang raised an eyebrow, thinking, why is this guy more excited than me?

As if he was the one who broke through.

"Sir..."

Recalling Shi Haoting’s earlier transmission of warning, Xu Yang couldn’t quite figure him out for a moment.

Shi Haoting’s mind raced, quickly said, "Mr. Xu, this isn’t a good place to talk. The spirit bowl is broken—Xiao Ming will notice, and may hurry over any moment."

"But rest assured, Mr. Xu. I, and the Battle King Clan, hold no ill intent towards you or Daqian!"

Xu Yang gave Shi Haoting a deep look and nodded slightly.

Soon.

After Meng Ziqiu and the others finished breaking through.

The group swiftly departed.

Not long after they left—

The void split open, and a figure flashed like lightning.

It was Xiao Ming!

He gazed at the scattered fragments on the ground, his face clouded, eyes brimming with an unmistakable shock.

"How is this possible?"

"Not even two months—and he could break the spirit bowl?"

The impossible had truly unfolded before his eyes.

Killing intent surged in Xiao Ming’s eyes.

He could feel a trace of threat.

"To have cultivated this far in Daqian—if he advances further in the Spirit Realm..."

"Xu Yang? You must die, or my position in the Five Elements Celestial Realm will be shaken!"

Especially thinking of that soon-to-be-opened place, Xiao Ming’s murderous intent thickened.

...

In a manor in Cyan Profound City.

"With such complicated energies within the city, even if Xiao Ming tracks, he won’t easily find us."

Shi Haoting finished speaking, only to find Xu Yang and the others staring at him warily.

A group of True Lords—he couldn’t help but feel his scalp crawl!

Shi Haoting gave an awkward smile, then straightened solemnly: "Mr. Xu, my Battle King Clan followed the Daqian Emperor thousands of years ago."

"Later, when it was clear the Daqian Emperor was doomed, we had no choice but to betray. No, not betray exactly, just stopped helping. I don’t know all the details, but as I’ve heard, by then the emperor was beset on all sides."

"To preserve the Battle King Clan, there was no other option!"

Hearing this, Xu Yang’s eyes were filled with shock.

"That’s not entirely trustworthy!" Jian Chuan transmitted a warning, his face dark.

Xu Yang nodded slightly.

Shi Haoting continued, "These things aren’t secret in the Spirit Realm, and easy to check."

"You, Mr. Xu, have differences with Daqian and won’t go to Cangyue Mountain; you need a foundation and foothold."

"My Battle King Clan is wholly sincere!"

"If you’re willing to join, Mr. Xu... I’d even marry Yu to you, no problem." Shi Haoting clenched his fists as he spoke.

Xu Yang twitched at the corner of his mouth, shaking his head: "Why should I pick the Battle King Clan?"

Shi Haoting grinned: "Only I warned Mr. Xu, and I mean no harm!"

That’s true enough!

"Also, it’s about the key to the Spirit River’s decline!"

"Oh?"

Xu Yang’s eyes sharpened, fixing on Shi Haoting.

Shi Haoting spoke gravely: "The decline of the Spirit River—the demise of the Spirit Realm—is no secret among the powers."

"A thousand years ago, all the powers joined hands here, and after several Celestial Human Realm experts fell, they found a place!"

"Perhaps, there’s a slim chance at survival!"

"But access is limited—each power must compete for quotas!"

"My Battle King Clan is one of the four great ancestral houses, but we have no Celestial Human. Even Shi Hu and Stone Jade together, we only rank seventh among the seven top powers!"

"So, the Battle King Clan needs you, Mr. Xu!"

Shi Haoting finished in one breath, anxiously watching Xu Yang.

Xu Yang’s expression changed again and again. Meeting the gazes of those around him, his mind gradually made up.

He smiled lightly: "I have eleven True Lords here, two Tier Seven Alchemists, and I can make super-grade pills!"

"This is my teacher, known as the Pill Emperor in Daqian—before losing his body, he refined Tier Eight pills!"

"Let me see the sincerity of your Battle King Clan!"

"What?"

Shi Haoting exclaimed, looking at the group as if he’d seen a ghost, so shocked his scalp tingled.