In the Xiao Family's Training Ground, a clap of thunder shifted everyone's gaze from the Xiao Family's prized jewel to the dark, oppressive sky outside, where silver flashes occasionally streaked through The Void!
In the face of such abnormal weather, beauty was no longer captivating.
Of course, although these young members of the Xiao Family all felt that thunder in winter was unusual, due to their limited knowledge, none of them knew why. Even if they were curious, no one could figure out what was going on!
But there was one person among them who frowned, her beautiful eyes filled with Doubt.
Xun'er came from the Gu Clan, so her experience was naturally incomparable to that of these native Xiao Family members. She quietly channeled the power of the Golden Emperor Sky Burning Flame to look at The Void, but the next moment, her face turned pale with shock.
The Golden Emperor Sky Burning Flame, which had always been invincible, actually dispersed the moment she looked up at The Void. After that, no matter how she tried to channel it, it just retreated into her Dantian!
That was the Golden Emperor Sky Burning Flame, ranked fourth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking! It could even ignite The Void. When did it become so afraid that it didn't even dare to look at its fuel and firewood?
Even though her Strength meant she couldn't fully unleash its power, it was still a Heavenly Flame. Its Origin was there. When would it ever be this afraid of an unknown object?
She suppressed the surging Dou Qi and the shock in her heart, becoming even more curious about the secret behind the winter thunder. Then, she no longer tried to activate the Golden Emperor Sky Burning Flame, just staring blankly at the flashing silver light!
But without the boost from the Heavenly Flame, she was just a Dou Spirit, not much different from the other Xiao Family members. She couldn't figure out anything either.
However, she still knew the principle that abnormal events must have Ulterior Motives behind them. She quietly kept this matter in mind...
This winter thunder wasn't just heard by the Xiao Family; the entire Wutan City became lively because of its appearance. Almost everyone in Wutan City was attracted by this Phenomenon and fell into discussion.
Some believed it was the birth of a Divine Pill, because although they hadn't seen high-level Pills undergoing tribulation, they had heard of it;
Others thought it was the emergence of ancient Ruins from who knows when, which caused the winter thunder to explode. Then, filled with longing, they began to explore;
Some also believed it was the aftershock caused by strong cultivators Exchange Blows. To avoid being caught in it, they were not only not curious but also felt a sense of reverence and distance, preparing to leave Wutan City...
There were many different opinions, but in fact, no one knew why this abnormal phenomenon occurred, except for Ye Yunsheng, who was also in The Void.
She hadn't expected that as soon as Zhao Li emerged from the Ethereal State that had lasted for four months, he would cause such a huge commotion.
A Dou Sheng is very strong, but that strength comes from their ability to utilize the Power of Heaven and Earth to a certain extent. When their opponents are below the Dou Sheng level, they are almost instantly killed. But if they Exchange Blows with opponents of the same level, it ultimately depends on their own capabilities, returning to the most fundamental Cultivation Level, Cultivation Technique, and Dou Technique.
In other words, without the blessing of the Power of Heaven and Earth, there is actually no essential difference between a Dou Sheng, a Dou Venerate, or even a Dou Sect.
A Dou Sheng is very strong, but they can only act in accordance with the heavens. They need to be close enough to Heaven and Earth to mobilize sufficient power. But now, Zhao Li had forcefully broken this rule!
Zhao Li didn't know he had caused such a huge commotion. At this moment, he was feeling the changes within himself.
His current situation was a bit strange. If you said he had improved, he had indeed broken through, and his progress was not small. But as for how much his Combat Power had increased after the breakthrough, it was actually not much different from before – his control over the Origin of Heaven and Earth was still ninety percent!
"Phew, I did it!"
Although his Combat Power hadn't increased much, Zhao Li was still very happy. Although it was still mobilizing ninety percent of the Origin of Heaven and Earth, it was enough on the Dou Qi Continent. Unless the First Emperor was alive, even if other Dou Di were alive, they would at most reach this level.
Moreover, what made him happy wasn't the Combat Power, but the transformation of the root of his power.
Before this Contention for Dao Confluence, the foundation of Zhao Li's Cultivation was that Golden Core. If there hadn't been the Contention for Dao Confluence, he wouldn't have noticed anything wrong, after all, the Golden Core was a part of himself, no different from him.
But this time, after gaining some insights and letting it evolve further, Zhao Li realized he was wrong. When the Golden Core was under Imprisonment, he himself was not as strong as he had imagined. In fact, in his perception, he himself was even weaker than that Golden Core!
This made Zhao Li feel absurd, but also enlightened. His Cultivation seemed to have gone astray, just like the sword cultivators in those novels he had read before. Some cultivated the sword, and with one strike, they were unmatched in the world, but without the sword, they seemed to lose their ability to fight; while some cultivated themselves, and after succeeding, they became the sword, and even grass, wood, bamboo, and stone could be invincible in the world!
Zhao Li didn't think his previous path was wrong, because before this Dao Confluence, he had always cultivated this way. But since he discovered the problem, he naturally had to try to solve it. And another main reason that made him so resolute was that he was at a disadvantage in the 'Dao Confluence' Contention. If he didn't change, he would inevitably be assimilated and become nourishment to complete and strengthen the Origin of Heaven and Earth!
These past few months, he had only done three things: Core Shattering, Core Transformation, and Heaven Opening!
Core Shattering, as the name suggests, he shattered the Golden Core that he had cultivated for a hundred years!
Since everything started because of it, it would also end because of it. Zhao Li was unwilling to sit idly by as Time passed, so he used the power of the Golden Core to merge with the power of the Origin of Heaven and Earth, both internally and externally, shattering the Golden Core he had cultivated for a hundred years!
Core Transformation, since the Golden Core was shattered, his Cultivation Realm still needed a place of reliance, and there was no one more suitable than himself. He was a 'Golden Core'!
When he discovered the absurd phenomenon that after cultivating for over a hundred years, he was actually weaker than the Golden Core that had evolved from the fruits of his Cultivation, he knew that he had been putting the cart before the horse – the Dao fruit should have condensed because of his own strength, not because he became strong by condensing the Dao fruit!
After thinking of this, he naturally would no longer rely on external objects for his power, even if that external object was originally a part of himself. Therefore, what had originally started as a virtual Qi Cyclone, and eventually cultivated into a real and flawless Golden Core, once again transformed into a virtual concept.
As for Heaven Opening, this was a last resort. Zhao Li shattered the Golden Core, which also angered the Origin of Heaven and Earth. After all, to it, that was the雏形 of the Plane Embryo. With it, the entire Heaven and Earth could be considered complete and could grow and develop like a person!
Even though the Golden Core that Zhao Li cultivated was just its雏形, it was still a kind of hope. But Zhao Li destroyed that hope. Thus, it attacked Zhao Li, who was undergoing Core Transformation. By refining Zhao Li, it could still grow!
This was exactly what Zhao Li wanted. The original intention of his Core Shattering was to stop contending with it so that he could focus his mind on absorbing the Origin to strengthen himself. After the core was shattered, he no longer needed to worry about the Golden Core being taken away, so he naturally focused all his efforts on comprehending the Origin.
Thus, their mutual refining began, and this time, it lasted for a full three months!
The Origin of Heaven and Earth instinctively wanted to grow and expand, to refine Zhao Li and strengthen itself. And refining is mutual; while it was refining Zhao Li, Zhao Li was also absorbing the Origin to strengthen himself!
It was like a piece of iron in Fire, either it turns into molten iron or it is refined into steel!
Fortunately, as Zhao Li frantically absorbed the Origin and grew, the Origin of Heaven and Earth found it increasingly difficult to refine him, until he was almost at the same level as it!
That thunderclap just now was Zhao Li's first counterattack!
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