Chapter 32: Breakthrough, Mid-Stage of the Zhìwēi Realm

"Why do you dislike that man so much? Did he offend you?"

"No, I just simply can't stand him as a person."

"..."

Qinglan said, "Let's not talk about that. I smell a faint scent of earth-mushroom flowers; let's go take a look."

The two arrived at a strange patch of marshland. While the surrounding area was covered in wild grass, this particular spot was a quagmire, appearing completely out of place with the rest of the landscape.

Qinglan gestured with her delicate hand. "It matches your affinity; you go."

Yuedong paused, then rubbed his eyes to get a better look. A pale brown plant was rooted in the mud, blending so perfectly with the environment that it was difficult to discern.

He nodded and stepped into the marsh. Instantly, the muddy soil and cold water were awakened, rippling violently and spreading outward. The ground beneath his feet turned unnervingly soft, and an irresistible, immense suction force suddenly took hold.

Yuedong’s expression shifted. He quickly formed hand seals, and six glowing spirit marks traced paths through the air. A thick, earthy-yellow aura surged from his palms, pulsing like the heartbeat of the earth itself, rapidly condensing into quicksand that spread across the marsh like rushing rivers.

His mastery of quicksand was far beyond what it had once been; he could manipulate its form at will. He attempted to use the heaviness of earth to subdue the fluidity of water, hoping to stabilize the sinking formation.

However, things went awry. As soon as the quicksand touched the water, it was like a clay ox entering the sea—it was swallowed up instantly. Not only did it fail to stabilize his footing, but it actually accelerated his descent.

His expression grew grave. Should he reveal his true cultivation level? Yet, he felt a spark of inspiration flash through his mind—something vital, but he couldn't quite grasp it.

Qinglan, watching from the side, took in every subtle change. Her expression turned anxious, and she murmured, "If only there were a formation to isolate heaven and earth..."

This seemingly casual remark struck Yuedong like a bolt of lightning, clearing the chaos in his mind. He suddenly knew what to do!

Yuedong flicked his left hand, spreading the remaining quicksand into the air to form a hazy, sandy veil. Simultaneously, his right hand rotated slowly, his fingertips flicking to release streams of crisp, clear light that intertwined and condensed into a spirit-binding formation.

Now, three distinct formations clashed against one another, throwing the spiritual energy of the entire marsh into disarray. But he wasn't finished. With both hands, he slowly brought them together, and the previously isolated sandstorm and the spirit-binding light were drawn together by an invisible force, their boundaries blurring.

The quicksand was dismantled by an unseen hand, transforming into a myriad of fine grains. Each grain danced in the air, eventually aligning in a specific trajectory to fuse perfectly with the circular outline of the spirit-binding formation.

In that moment, a spirit-binding formation encased in quicksand appeared, immediately suppressing the rampaging suction force of the marsh.

Beneath Yuedong's feet, the stubborn, muddy structure collapsed under the impact of this power. His legs were freed, emerging back into the light.

He strolled across the marsh, and with a casual wave, the earth-mushroom flower swayed gently and fell into his hand. The marshland slowly dried up, revealing rugged, hard stone beneath.

As the quicksand and the clear light dissipated, Yuedong stepped out and handed the flower to Qinglan. He smiled, but before he could speak, a violent surge of spiritual energy erupted within him.

Yuedong froze, then immediately understood. Meeting Qinglan's inquisitive gaze, he said, "I'm about to break through."

Upon hearing this, Qinglan was pleased for him. A flash of green light passed, and her spiritual energy permeated the surroundings, causing the wild grass to grow wildly, instantly concealing them from view. She was acting as his protector.

Yuedong sat cross-legged and formed seals, lifting the seal on his cultivation. Nine spirit marks drifted around him, stirring ripples of dense earth-aspected spiritual energy that shook incessantly.

He began his breakthrough.

...

In the Hall of Ten Thousand Laws on Thousand-Array Mountain, the Ninth Elder, Nanming, leaned lazily against a mirror. His gaze pierced through the surface, landing on You Qing and his party as they broke through formations.

This group was reckless, blunt, and entirely devoid of method. He found it terribly dull and propped his chin on one hand. "There is simply no aesthetic to how these people break formations."

Beside him, the burly and blood-red Fourth Elder, Chimei, glared with his tiger-like eyes and retorted bluntly, "Breaking formations is about effectiveness! Who needs those flowery aesthetics? If you can break it, that is the hard truth!"

Nanming sighed plaintively, "The Third Senior Brother is presiding over this trial, and he’s clearly enjoying himself. He and the Sect Master designed this trial so that he could have a group of unpaid laborers harvest the overgrown spirit herbs in his Qingxiao Herb Garden, while we just have to watch..."

The Sixth Elder, Luo Qinghe, nodded in immediate agreement. "Exactly, exactly."

The Second Elder, Yuntian Ce, remained calm, his gaze deep as he spoke slowly, "Among these young people, that You Qing is in the late stage of the first realm before thirty. That's not bad."

The Fifth Elder, Yaoyu, listened quietly before speaking, her voice as clear as a spring: "There is another girl who is even better."

Nanming looked up curiously. "Oh? Who?"

She did not speak again.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, the image in the Dharma Mirror shook violently, instantly drawing the attention of all five elders.

The Sixth Elder, Luo Qinghe, being younger, had never seen the mirror shake before and panicked. "What’s happening? What’s going on?"

"Quiet!"

"This movement... is someone breaking through a realm?"

"No, a breakthrough in the first realm wouldn't cause such a disturbance."

"Unless... someone was hiding their cultivation..."

The group nodded in agreement with this assessment. The scene within the mirror shifted like flowing water, eventually locking onto a withered, cracked stretch of marshland.

The Ninth Elder, Nanming, exclaimed in surprise, "Eh? That marsh formation is one of the three hardest in this trial, how did it end up in such a state?"

The Second Elder’s expression turned serious. His gaze moved past the overgrown wild grass to catch two figures that had suddenly appeared—Qinglan, who was standing guard, and Yuedong, who was breaking through.

"This boy... is breaking through to the middle stage of the Zhiwei Realm!"

"Hmm?"

"Oh?"

"Whoa!"

For a cultivator, awakening their spiritual root and completing the body-tempering process before the age of ten marks the entry into the Qiling Realm. This initial realm usually requires decades of refinement, and it is normal to break into the Zhiwei Realm after the age of a hundred.

The sect's trial, with a thirty-year age limit, had already set a high wall to filter for geniuses; the barrier was by no means low.

But... the middle stage of the Zhiwei Realm before the age of thirty—what did that signify?