Lu Yuan sat down, placing a Great Soul Stone between his brows to begin absorbing the divine soul within. A single soul crystal was quite beneficial to him currently, but a Great Soul Stone offered little advantage. In a short while, the Great Soul Stone snapped and shattered, yet the increase in his own soul power was negligible.

Immediately, he placed another Great Soul Stone between his brows. After a moment, this one also exploded, but the resulting soul enhancement was minuscule.

What a nuisance.

Lu Yuan shrugged. This method was truly slow.

Right, besides this, there was another way to absorb soul power, one he had discovered in the library of Master Changchun in the Longevity Stage. It involved arranging the soul stones according to the layout of a small formation, utilizing a special talisman; this way, the soul essence could flow continuously into his body.

However, this formation required a minimum of one hundred soul stones at a time.

Such an expenditure was once unthinkable.

Yet, he had never imagined acquiring such a quantity of soul stones this time, allowing him the luxury of indulging in the hundred-stone method.

He immediately began executing the technique recorded in the book, setting up the special talisman and positioning one hundred soul stones around him. Boundless light converged from the hundred soul stones onto the specialized talisman nestled between his brows. This influx of soul power was clearly immense, far surpassing anything before.

Lu Yuan felt an endless surge of exhilaration. Using one hundred soul stones at once provided a massive boost to his soul power—this was satisfying progress.

Moments later, just as Lu Yuan was deeply engrossed in absorption, snap, the hundred soul stones were rendered useless.

Alright, one more round. Lu Yuan flicked his hand, producing another hundred soul stones. Such lavish spending was likely unaffordable for any Immortal Sect in Jin State; he was fortunate to possess them. As Lu Yuan utilized soul stones so extravagantly, the other ten cultivators were also employing theirs to enhance their capabilities.

Occasionally glancing over during their breaks, the other ten were astonished when they saw Lu Yuan casually summon a hundred soul stones at once. What a grand gesture!

Lu Yuan raised his hand again, summoning another hundred soul stones.

The other ten continued their cultivation using their soul stones.

After an indeterminate time, Yan Bei opened his eyes. He had used roughly half the soul stones allotted to him and felt a certain level of advancement, though he had temporarily stalled. Looking around, he saw the other nine cultivators had also awakened from their meditation; clearly, they had all finished their training. Everyone looked vigorous, with occasional flashes of divine light flickering between their opening and closing eyes—a result of increased soul power slightly leaking outward.

Yan Bei then noticed Lu Yuan was still deep in seclusion. Truly extravagant, using one hundred stones per instance and not yet exhausting his supply. Yan Bei and the other ten cultivators couldn't help but feel disheartened by the comparison; their respective quantities of soul stones were vastly inferior. They settled on one side each to stand guard for Ji Bei.

Lu Yuan continued to refine and absorb the power of the soul stones, his absorption seemingly endless.

In his mind, the soul power grew denser and more concentrated. It was no longer transparent and ethereal but had begun to crystallize into tangible forms, condensed beyond measure. After refining this way for a long time, Lu Yuan felt that the soul power within his mind had reached its absolute limit.

Simultaneously, the magical energy provided by one Beast-rank Spirit Form and seventy-three Giant Spirit Beasts throughout his body also peaked.

Having reached the limit, he had to press onward.

Pushing towards a higher level!

Charge!

Lu Yuan began absorbing soul power again, drawing in magical energy once more. His mind and body were already packed solid; now, absorbing more felt like squeezing yet more into an already full vessel. Fortunately, Lu Yuan’s soul power was not overly aggressive, and his magical energy tended toward softness, making the sensation less agonizing.

Time passed in obscurity until, with a resounding boom within both his mind and body, it seemed his consciousness experienced a sudden vast expansion, and his physical form felt as if it had momentarily enlarged.

More soul power flooded into his consciousness, and more magical energy filled his body.

This barrier was entirely different from those before.

After breaking through, Lu Yuan vaguely sensed an profound mystery within his mind, as if it were about to connect with the heavens and earth. His body felt the same way, an indistinct sense that he could link with the cosmos and the surrounding stars. This sensation was indescribable yet undeniably present, vanishing instantly if he hesitated even slightly.

Finally, he had reached the Tenth Level of Longevity!

Lu Yuan knew instantly what this was: the Tenth Level of Longevity.

The Great Perfection of the Tenth Level of Longevity—this stage was dedicated to laying the foundation for charging into the Great Dao Realm, requiring immense magical power and vast soul reserves for accumulation. Furthermore, sometimes one could faintly perceive the power of the Great Dao; this feeling was miraculous, suggesting that if one could connect with the world, one could grasp a power far superior to what they held now.

Lu Yuan now felt a greater yearning for the Great Dao Realm.

The Great Dao Realm—when would he reach it?

“Congratulations, fellow Daoist, on your further comprehension of the Great Dao,” Yan Bei said, cupping his hands. With his sharp insight and his own position at the Tenth Level of Longevity, he could not fail to recognize that the phenomenon he observed followed Lu Yuan’s breakthrough to this stage.

“It is still a long way from the Great Dao Realm,” Lu Yuan replied with a shrug, speaking nothing but the truth. Everyone understood the difficulty of reaching the Great Dao. The saying, "Once one attains the Great Dao, one instantly becomes a titan," was not spoken in jest. But how difficult it was to become a Great Dao Realm expert was something the cultivators of Jin State, especially Sword Immortals, understood deeply.

“By the way, does fellow Daoist have any interest in joining us to hunt Sea Beasts?” Yan Bei invited. This individual, Lu Yuan, was clearly skilled, worthy of partnership. The tide of beasts had only recently receded, leaving many powerful sea creatures yet to withdraw from the surface. Hunting them offered tremendous benefits.

If they missed this window, and these powerful beasts retreated into the deep ocean, Yan Bei and the others, no matter how brave, would not dare pursue them into those remote waters. Rumor had it that in the deep ocean, monstrous creatures like the Black Water King Snake were merely low-ranking minions. The Sea Beast Kings dwelling there often spanned hundreds, even thousands of feet long. Figures in the Great Dao Realm might enter such waters alive, only to emerge dead.

Lu Yuan was indeed interested in hunting sea beasts with them, but checking the time, a month had already passed since they left the South Sea Sword Master’s Cave Abode. This meant only half a month remained before he had to shatter Xuan Huazi. Time was too tight, so he had to decline.

“Perhaps we can cooperate another time,” Lu Yuan said after a few polite courtesies.

After bidding farewell to Yan Bei and the others, Lu Yuan flew into the sky. He hadn't traveled long when he spotted a Dragon Whale surfacing and spouting water on the sea below. Eh, wasn't this the same Dragon Whale he had ridden before? Without hesitation, he swooped down and settled once more atop the creature's head.

The Dragon Whale felt its life—no, its whale-life—was miserable. It had been swimming peacefully when Lu Yuan captured it as a mount. After finally being released, it hadn't enjoyed its freedom for long before falling back into Lu Yuan's clutches. Such a whale-life brought tears to its eyes.

Seeing the Dragon Whale’s wretched expression, Lu Yuan couldn't help but chuckle. He tossed some lower-grade spirit stones its way: “If you serve as my mount, I certainly won't mistreat you; I’ll give you some spirit stones.” Lu Yuan was generally generous in his dealings, and this act finally eased the misery of the distressed Dragon Whale.

The night sky was like black velvet, scattered with twinkling stars resembling jewels upon the fabric.

The Milky Way stretched like a silver ribbon, extending to the horizon before plunging into the distant ocean.

The nighttime tide rhythmically surged, soft and soothing. The waves made a faint sound, softly singing to the accompaniment of the wind.

The ocean at night was exceptionally quiet.

Splash!

A Dragon Whale burst from the sea, shattering the stillness.

And seated on the creature’s head was a young man in green robes, clearly intoxicated, laughing aloud as he tilted his neck back: “A pot of wine amid the flowers, drinking alone with no companion near. I raise my cup to invite the bright moon, and with my shadow, I make three. Since the moon cannot drink, my shadow is content to keep me company. For now, I shall keep the moon and my shadow company, enjoying pleasure while I may…”

The current situation truly felt like raising a cup to the moon, drinking in the company of two shadows.

“Dragon Whale, Dragon Whale, though you possess some intelligence, you ultimately fail to grasp the marvels of wine. Otherwise, we could share a drink,” Lu Yuan roared, filled with boundless, untamed freedom.

For the remaining half-month, Lu Yuan journeyed toward the Cave Abode, though without haste. He rested one day for every day he traveled, occasionally sipping Sea Monkey Wine. If he encountered any Sea Beasts at the Tenth Level of Longevity, he would seal them. With this stop-and-go pace, the number of sealed Tenth-Level Sea Beasts he possessed grew to fifteen, four more than the original eleven.

Now, the Cave Abode was visible ahead. Lu Yuan casually sent the Dragon Whale off with a handful of spirit stones, then used the secret passage to re-enter the dwelling. Inside, he found his puppets safe and sound. Moreover, the Profound Nether Extreme Ice he had originally created had been transformed into the true Profound Nether Extreme Ice; it turned out the original substance was invasive, and his creation had essentially evolved into the genuine article over time.

Looking around, nothing had changed, especially the few mechanisms he deliberately left active to monitor for subtle disturbances—there were no flaws. It seemed Xuan Huazi truly had not detected his absence. Lu Yuan swiftly swapped places with his puppet, returning to the state of being encased within the Profound Nether Extreme Ice.

Now, he would simply wait for the final moment to arrive.

He, too, would create a miracle!

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