【Boom!】The apertures vibrated violently, and a thunderous sound echoed from Nie Kong’s abdomen. A vast surge of spiritual power poured back from the "Four Spiritual God Apertures" into his meridians! This was Nie Kong’s countless attempt to assault that invisible barrier within the apertures, only to fail again.

He had sensed the appearance of this barrier half a month ago, and the feeling that a breakthrough was imminent grew stronger each day. Yet, though this invisible barrier seemed ready to shatter with a single impact, it stubbornly refused to dissipate. The Spirit Transformation Realm was clearly within reach, a mere step away, but that short distance felt like an impassable chasm.

It was the very definition of being close enough to touch, yet infinitely far away. 【Whoosh!】Suddenly, Nie Kong shot up like a sailfish breaking the surface. Moments later, he had regulated his breathing and plunged back into the depths of the cold current.

Resuming his cross-legged posture, Nie Kong remained perfectly still, letting the frigid current surge around him. 【Spiritual Sense?】Slowly closing his eyes, those two words flashed across Nie Kong’s mind once more. Spiritual Sense, one might say, was the hallmark of a Spirit Transformation Master.

By merging one’s consciousness into the spiritual power, Spiritual Sense could be achieved. At this stage, one’s perceptive abilities would far surpass those of the Spirit Fusion Realm. However, despite spending a great deal of time pondering it, Nie Kong still found no discernible clue.

This was precisely why his cultivation had been stuck at that final small hurdle. As Nie Kong understood it, Spiritual Sense was something akin to the spiritual or mental essence. After Spirit Transformation came Spirit Control, and what did a Spirit Control Master control?

Spiritual Sense! The ability to wield Spiritual Sense to attack enemies was a technique reserved for the stages after achieving Spirit Control. 【Perhaps I am still too eager!】Sensing the "Four Spiritual God Apertures" dyed a verdant green by the vitality within, Nie Kong changed his thoughts.

He settled his mind and continued circulating the "Spring and Autumn Life Cultivation Art." This time, it was purely about cultivation; Nie Kong did not stir the spiritual power within his body to forcefully impact that invisible barrier again. 【Hush!】The green vitality surged forth tempestuously, pouring into Nie Kong’s body in wave after wave, like the tide. The vital energy in this cold current seemed inexhaustible.

After cultivating for so long, the vitality remained as rich as when he began, showing no sign of weakening. The vital energy absorbed into his body no longer merged with the spiritual power, which had already reached saturation; instead, it condensed entirely into a liquid form. However, once the "Four Spiritual God Apertures" turned completely emerald green, they stopped absorbing the liquid vitality.

It accumulated more and more within Nie Kong's apertures. Up to this point, three of the four apertures were completely filled with liquid vitality, leaving only the small aperture formed by the attribute-less spiritual power. Since the first aperture filled with liquid vitality, Nie Kong had a faint feeling that some unexpected change might occur once all four Spiritual God Apertures were filled.

As the subsequent two apertures became inundated with liquid vitality, this feeling in Nie Kong grew increasingly intense. Now, as more and more liquid vitality condensed in the small aperture, Nie Kong felt a mixture of anticipation and apprehension. Although he sensed a change was likely once the apertures were fully charged, he had no idea whether that change would ultimately be good or bad for him!

The fourth aperture was significantly smaller. After about half an hour, it was close to reaching its maximum capacity. 【The last bit!】Taking the opportunity to surface for a breath, Nie Kong felt an involuntary nervousness when he settled back into his meditative position at the riverbed.

If he stopped absorbing vitality now and managed to break through to the Spirit Transformation Realm, he could integrate this liquid vitality into his spiritual power, and the change he foresaw might never materialize. However, after only a slight hesitation, Nie Kong made his decision. Gritting his teeth, he fiercely continued circulating the spiritual art; the vital energy surged madly from the surroundings into his body.

Four or five minutes later, the fourth aperture was finally filled with liquid vitality... Ding dong! Like the heavens collapsing and the earth cracking, a tremendous roar echoed through the Senluo Ancient Cave.

The inner city disciples on the riverbank, dozens of them resisting the spiritual force, were all startled awake. Several inner city disciples foraging for Spirit Illusion Stones in the cold current were shaken to their core and scrambled back onto the bank in haste. Everyone stared, dumbfounded, their ears ringing.

The water surface on either side of the cold current seemed relatively calm, but the central flow moved as if possessed. Waves surged high, and waves of emerald green crested downstream, looking capable of shattering any obstacle in their path. Most incredibly, accompanying this surge were massive swathes of green mist.

In an instant, downstream, these gathered into a colossal green fog, its brilliant verdancy illuminating the already greenish cold current until it shone with an eerie, glistening light. 【...】【What is wrong with this cold current? Why is it going berserk out of nowhere?】 【Wood Spiritual Power Element!

What intensely rich Wood Spiritual Power Element! It looks even denser than the spiritual energy on the first layer of the Spirit Cultivation Illusionary Realm!】 【Nie Kong! Nie Kong seems to be right there!】 【Did he cause this commotion?

What in the blazes is that bastard doing? He made me choke on several mouthfuls of water! If I hadn't swum fast enough, I might have frozen to death in the river!】 【...】After the initial shock, the inner city disciples on the bank recovered, their faces filled with disbelief, murmurs of amazement pouring from their mouths.

At this moment, the great noise within the Senluo Ancient Cave seemed to shake the entire inner city. The disciples who had been busy exchanged stunned glances. "Oh my, Great Grandfather, is the Senluo Ancient Cave collapsing?" In a secluded courtyard in the western part of the inner city, the little loli Gu Yao muttered curiously while placating the small spirit beasts that were shrieking in fright.

"How could the Senluo Ancient Cave collapse?" Gu Changgong let out a soft laugh, closing his eyes as if sensing something. A moment later, his eyes snapped open. Two balls of brilliant crimson light burst forth from his dark pupils: "Girl, cultivate diligently at home; Great Grandfather is stepping out for a moment." Before the little loli Gu Yi could reply, Gu Changgong's imposing figure dissolved into the void, vanishing without a trace instantly...

"Hm?" In a bright stone chamber deep beneath the inner city, a soft sigh issued from within a dust-caked stone sculpture. Immediately, the eyes of the sculpture slowly opened, as if a long-sealed door had suddenly swung ajar, causing dust on its eyelashes and eyelids to shower down. Its gaze turned somewhat sluggishly toward the stone door beside it, etched with dense, winding lines.

Every part of the sculpture’s body seemed to begin moving. 【Hngk... Crack!】 The thick layer of accumulated dust on the sculpture's surface cracked apart, accompanied by a grating, screeching sound that echoed incessantly.

In an instant, the dust began to flow like water, continuously cascading toward the ground. After a while, the "Kaka-cha" sound abruptly stopped, and the stone sculpture was left spotlessly clean. This was not a sculpture, but a living old man, clad in cyan robes, his body withered, his face a tapestry of wrinkles resembling dried orange peel.

"...How... long... has...

it... been...?" The shriveled lips moved slightly, a low hum emanating from the old man's throat. "Who...

has... activated... the...

{Yin... Ruins... Spirit...

Vein}..." The voice was agonizingly slow, each syllable dragging out for more than ten seconds of lingering sound. Almost simultaneously, surprised gasps sounded from multiple locations within the inner city... Senluo Ancient Cave.

At the bottom center of the cold current, Nie Kong’s body trembled, his face contorted, green veins bulging on his forehead. His entire body emitted a faint, ghastly green luminescence. 【Hoo!

Hoo...】Nie Kong’s breathing grew heavy. Intense pain, like the sharp teeth of a saw, ceaselessly ripped at Nie Kong’s nerves. At this moment, every single cell in his body seemed to spasm in agony.

Since the fourth aperture was filled with liquid vitality, Nie Kong had been tormented by this indescribable, searing pain. He had anticipated a change in the "Four Spiritual God Apertures," but the actual manifestation was far more bizarre than he had estimated. The moment the fourth aperture reached its limit, the liquid vitality in the other three masses seemed to be strongly attracted, desperately rushing toward the center.

This nature of convergence was entirely different from the flow of spiritual power. Within the "Four Spiritual God Apertures," there was spiritual power in each. Normally, with just a thought, the spiritual power from one aperture could flow freely into another without the slightest obstruction.

But this liquid vitality behaved as if it intended to destroy the aperture walls, forcing the four apertures into a liquid-on-liquid compression that caused violent explosions and roaring sounds within the Spiritual God Apertures. 【Aiya-yai!】The little fellow, floating and swaying in the Yaochi Aperture, its stems and roots rustling loudly, cried out with alarm mixed with worry. It occasionally released a ball of its innate medicinal power, which burst across various parts of Nie Kong’s body.

While the little fellow’s innate medicinal power was indeed a potent substance, it was no panacea; the torment Nie Kong was enduring now was pain caused by the spirit acting upon the flesh, rendering the medicinal power almost ineffective. 【Boom!】Following another violent explosion, the Four Spiritual God Apertures audaciously shattered. The four masses of liquid vitality finally succeeded in connecting, and the exploded aperture walls dissolved, speck by speck, into the liquid vitality, as if they had never existed.

【Hah...】The moment the apertures shattered, the bone-deep agony abruptly vanished. Nie Kong felt a sudden lightness, and his battered, hazy consciousness instantly cleared. He let out a long breath of relief.

However, the anomaly within the apertures made Nie Kong frown deeply. The "Four Spiritual God Apertures"... were gone?

Without the Spiritual God Apertures, he couldn't use spiritual power. If that were the case, had he reverted to being an ordinary person? Nie Kong’s thoughts raced, but he did not panic, because he noticed that the massive amounts of vitality and the small traces of Wood Spiritual Power Element surrounding him had not dissipated.

If he had truly become an ordinary person, they should have scattered long ago. As he thought this, Nie Kong attempted to circulate the "Spring and Autumn Life Cultivation Art." 【Whoosh!】A hurricane seemed to sweep over the large mass of liquid vitality, causing it to slowly begin spinning. In just a moment, a small vortex formed in the center of the liquid vitality.

The vitality surrounding Nie Kong and the spiritual power flowing through his meridians began to converge ceaselessly into that vortex...