Author's Note: You can skip this chapter without the slightest guilt. Seriously. It exists mainly to introduce the glorious Yun Che in my fanfic. Most of it is "inspired" (read: shamelessly copied) from the original story, and its only purpose is to situate you in the timeline and set the stage for the next volume. That's right: the next volume officially begins now… or rather, right after you finish reading this note.
Unfortunately, I need this chapter for the madness I'm preparing. The next arc will feature the epic meeting between Ren Zu and Xia Qingyue, and I'm diving deep into the original material to deliver something truly high-quality. So bear with me. Or skip it. Skipping works too.
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While the villain moved his pieces from within the shadows, each step meticulously calculated to bend fate to his own design....
In another place, in another space.
Yun Che, whom everyone believed had perished within the Primordial Profound Ark, had not actually died… Instead, the current him was more awake than he had ever been before.
The instant the Primordial Profound Ark vanished above the skies of Divine Phoenix City, an incomparably violent spatial turbulence continued to rage. It instantly made his body feel as though it were being stabbed and sliced by countless metal blades. Even he, who possessed an extremely strong will, roared out in pain.
Space was frantically shattering, twisting, and tearing apart—so was his body.
In the blink of an eye, his body became completely unrecognizable, reduced to a mess of flesh and blood. The terrifying tearing force that enveloped his entire body made every bone feel as though it were being wrenched apart.
The sensation of approaching death had never been so vivid. Yet, driven by the instinct to survive, Yun Che forcibly unleashed all of his profound energy and willpower, releasing the "Sealing Cloud Locking Sun" barrier.
Ch… ch… ch…
The powerful barrier created by "Sealing Cloud Locking Sun" allowed Yun Che to momentarily calm himself. However, the barrier was still being violently twisted and damaged by the spatial turbulence and could completely collapse at any moment.
At that moment, Jasmine's grave voice rang beside Yun Che's ears.
"You had better listen carefully! The Primordial Profound Ark is currently in the midst of spatial transference. No one knows how long this state will last—it may very well take dozens, or even hundreds of years. During this process, the Primordial Profound Ark will be filled with spatial turbulence at every moment. Within such enduring spatial turbulence, even a high-level Overlord would not last long before being torn to pieces."
"But you still have a sliver of hope to survive! Because you possess the Dragon God's body—your body, especially your bones, cannot be completely destroyed so easily. The most important factor is that you possess the [Great Way of the Buddha]! Though spatial turbulence is terrifying, the natural energy contained within it is several times denser than in ordinary environments! If you wish to live, then circulate the [Great Way of the Buddha] with all your strength, absorb as much of the natural energy within the turbulence as you possibly can, and use it to restore your body and recover your profound energy!"
"If your rate of recovery can match—or even surpass—the rate at which you are being damaged, you will be able to survive! This is your only hope!"
Jasmine's voice instantly jolted Yun Che, who had already been silently awaiting death, causing his eyes to snap wide open… Everything in his line of sight had already twisted completely, and within the warped space, his own flesh and blood floated about. The willpower that had originally sunk into despair experienced an incomparably intense awakening due to his survival instinct. With a roar, he gathered all of his concentration and madly circulated the [Great Way of the Buddha].
The [Great Way of the Buddha], also known as the Forbidden Heavenly Tome, was a divine profound art. It originated from a True God of the Primordial Era, originally known as the Wrathful God.
Cultivating the [Great Way of the Buddha] allowed one to advance toward the legendary Saint Body.
The primary difference between the [Great Way of the Buddha] and the Evil God's profound arts that he also practiced lay in their nature: the Evil God's arts existed within the profound veins and did not require traditional cultivation, whereas the [Great Way of the Buddha] acted upon the entire physical body—blood, meridians, muscles, skin, even hair—having no direct relation to the profound veins or profound strength. Its foundation lay in the power of the soul and comprehension of nature, not in combat.
A golden vortex appeared above Yun Che's head. The vortex slowly began to spin, then spun faster and faster. Finally, the clear image of a small golden pagoda emerged. Within the turbulent space, that golden pagoda showed not the slightest trace of distortion.
The golden pagoda slowly rose above Yun Che's head and then began absorbing the surrounding natural energy at an intense rate… In the very first instant, Yun Che's eyes filled with joy, for what Jasmine had said was true. The natural energy carried within the spatial turbulence was far denser than he had ever imagined. Under the absorption of the [Great Way of the Buddha], it was like a great river pouring into his body.
In an instant, as though reignited, the breath of life within Yun Che's body became an intense, boundless flame. At a speed visible to the naked eye, the gravely wounded parts of his body began to heal at an astonishing rate. Yun Che's wounds were incomparably severe—not a single spot on his entire body was unharmed. Yet, with the continuous circulation of the [Great Way of the Buddha], though his body endured unbearable pain every second, every second it also recovered at an extreme speed… Gradually, ten breaths passed, a hundred breaths passed… one hour passed… two hours… six hours… one full day…
Yun Che was still covered in blood from head to toe, yet from the beginning, his wounds had not continued to worsen. As for Yun Che himself, he was clearly still alive… Within this Primordial Profound Ark, where natural energy flourished to a terrifying degree, the astonishing restorative power brought by the [Great Way of the Buddha] had essentially matched the damage inflicted by the turbulence! This allowed him to survive for an entire day within the Primordial Profound Ark that was filled with dreadful spatial turbulence!
And the number of times his body had been torn apart, restored, torn apart again, and restored once more in that single day… was so high it could scarcely be counted. His profound energy had also been heavily depleted and greatly restored in order to maintain his life force throughout the entire process… In this cycle of terrifyingly high frequency, both his body and profound energy were being refined in an inconceivable manner…
…
"Hmph, not bad. You're actually still alive."
Though Jasmine's voice was as indifferent as ever, deep in her heart she felt immense relief.
Yun Che's face was completely covered in blood; even his expression could no longer be seen. Above his head, a golden pagoda slowly spun without cease, tirelessly absorbing the energy of heaven and earth… and Yun Che would not allow it to rest, for if it did, within a few breaths he would be torn to pieces by the spatial turbulence.
In the recent past, many people had, for various reasons, been unable to leave the Primordial Profound Ark. Among them were Overlords and even Monarchs. Even the strongest Overlords could not withstand more than three hundred breaths when exerting their full power. A Monarch could endure only ten days before being torn apart. Resisting spatial turbulence for a short time posed no problem for Overlords and Monarchs, but even the strongest among them could not endure this disaster-level storm forever.
Yet Yun Che, whose strength was far inferior to an Overlord, had forcibly survived… even if it was merely surviving in incomparable pain and misery.
Yun Che had practically ground his teeth to dust. It was as though he existed within a purgatory filled with thorns—the spatial turbulence tore and twisted every part of his body. If it were anyone with weaker willpower, even if they could endure to the end, they would rather die to escape such torture.
Time continued to flow within this purgatory-like spatial storm, only Yun Che had long since lost all sense of time… Under the violent suppression of his willpower against pain and torment, he was completely unaware that an entire month had already passed.
During that entire month, the freezing of his consciousness, the rotation of the pagoda, and the release of profound energy had not stopped for even half a breath. If someone told him he had survived under such circumstances for a whole month without dying, even he himself would not believe it.
In the month that passed, his blood had been continuously agitated and then regenerated; his skin and flesh disintegrated and then regenerated; his profound strength continuously consumed and recovered… The frequency at which his body was refined during that month far surpassed the combined total of both his lifetimes.
An exquisite figure clad in red stood facing Yun Che. For the past month, Jasmine had not returned to the Sky Poison Pearl; instead, she silently observed every tiny change in Yun Che. When he had survived to the tenth day, she was already sufficiently shocked, believing he could no longer endure—yet Yun Che's limits once again exceeded her expectations. Yun Che's willpower was incomparably tenacious… and to top it off, he had been granted the Dragon God's soul!
Yun Che himself was unaware of his changes, but Jasmine could see them clearly. As time passed, Yun Che's resilience grew—whether it was the rate at which his protective profound energy was released or the speed at which the pagoda spun, both continued to weaken, yet the spatial turbulence showed no signs of abating… Still, Yun Che maintained his state and did not die, achieving a balance between impending damage and regeneration.
This was why his physical strength, along with the density of his profound strength, was undergoing explosive growth throughout the entire process.
"In just one month, the density of his profound strength has increased by no less than three times. The continuous destruction and regeneration of his body stimulated the Dragon God's marrow, causing the density of Dragon God blood within his lineage to become more concentrated, while the Dragon God aura emanating from his body has nearly doubled in strength… This is even more exaggerated than I expected."
Jasmine gazed at Yun Che and murmured to herself. Subconsciously, she gave a faint smile and whispered, "It seems my choice really wasn't wrong."
Yet even with the existence of the Dragon God's soul, within this single month, Yun Che's limits had been completely pushed to the brink.
Yun Che's body began to tremble violently; the rotation of the pagoda above his head grew slower and slower. Finally, the golden radiance of the pagoda dimmed, as though it might vanish at any moment.
Jasmine's eyebrows twitched. In a serious voice that carried the tone and attitude of a master, she said, "Yun Che, listen carefully. This is a test of your willpower. If you don't want to die, you had better give it everything you've got and push forward. If you can survive for one year, there is a chance your body will grow accustomed to the spatial turbulence here and no longer be affected by it. At that point, your physical resilience will rival that of a Monarch! Few people in the entire Profound Sky Continent will be able to harm you! But if you cannot endure, you will die!"
Jasmine's voice rang clearly in Yun Che's ears. His wavering willpower strengthened slightly under the stimulation of her words; the pagoda above his head flickered faintly once more, emitting golden radiance. After a brief moment, he spoke in a hoarse, indistinct voice: "One… year…"
Jasmine replied coldly, "Enduring one year under such circumstances seems impossible for you. Yet among the strongest people I know—including my elder brother—every one of them endured trials a thousand times harsher and crueler than this, trials you cannot even imagine! And the reason the strong are strong is precisely because they can endure what ordinary people cannot. They can achieve with their willpower what ordinary people believe to be impossible!"
"If you choose not to give your all simply because it is 'impossible,' 'hopeless,' or 'unbearably painful,' then not only will you never become truly strong—you will die here! You will have no future!"
Jasmine's words struck his heart like hammers, violently stirring Yun Che's mind and awakening his stubborn nature and pride. With a stifled roar, he instantly opened the eyes that had been forcibly shut for an entire month—his eyes were shockingly blood-red.
The strength that had been nearly exhausted surged forth intensely once more. The pagoda released a fierce golden radiance, absorbing the energy of heaven and earth with great intensity, allowing his thoroughly damaged body to rapidly enter a state of regeneration.
Yun Che's condition caused Jasmine's eyes to soften immediately. Yet she knew this was merely a temporary peak spurred by her words and that he would very soon reach the verge of collapse once again—and this collapse would be even more severe. Given Yun Che's own foundation and strength, enduring to this point was already an incredible miracle. To endure in this manner for an entire year would be harder than ascending to the heavens… Yet what Jasmine was awaiting was an opportunity that might appear.
At that moment, Yun Che suddenly felt the profound energy he was releasing with all his might abruptly cut off—he completely lost control of the profound energy within his profound veins. It surged chaotically; even the profound energy in his body was no longer rushing outward but was instead being pulled back into his profound veins as though something were drawing it in. All the profound energy within his profound veins froze, forming a massive cyclone that spun with incomparable violence.
Yun Che's mind was violently shaken: "This is…"
Bang!!
The chaotic cyclone suddenly exploded. At the same time, a blue-red radiance like a resplendent star shone from within Yun Che's profound veins. Immediately afterward, waves of incomparably thick profound aura erupted from the depths of his profound veins, rushing toward every tendon in his body like a flood. His profound veins began to rapidly expand, his meridians contracting and expanding under the excess profound aura as though dancing with excitement.
The profound aura of the Earth Profound Realm would appear as a cloudy white, yet at this moment, Yun Che's was actually a field of dense, pure white! Like flowing white broth, its density was many times greater than before. The protective profound energy on the exterior of his body also expanded and strengthened several times over! This caused the damage and pressure borne by Yun Che's body to abruptly plummet; the speed at which his body recovered immediately surpassed the speed at which it was being damaged.
The blue-red radiance within his profound veins reflected one another, growing even brighter. Yun Che, who had been utterly exhausted with his consciousness on the verge of collapse, was now incomparably clear-headed, as though reborn. He felt his profound veins, profound aura, body, and consciousness transform as immense joy overflowed from his heart. With every breath, his perception of the entire world had distinctly changed—even the surrounding spatial turbulence no longer felt the slightest bit frightening.
Breakthrough!!
A breakthrough from the Earth Profound Realm to the Sky Profound Realm! Within this nightmarish spatial disaster, refined under such a terrifying hell, in a mere month, Yun Che's profound strength had advanced from the Earth Profound Realm to officially enter the Sky Profound Realm!
Yun Che quickly calmed his ecstatic state of mind and fully focused on resisting the spatial turbulence. Having advanced an entire realm, he had completely recovered both his profound energy and mental strength. At his peak condition, what had barely been resistible with the [Great Way of the Buddha] in the Earth Profound Realm could now be described as relaxed. The bloodstains on his body gradually diminished, slowly revealing his face and body… In the end, the moment bloodstains and wounds appeared, they vanished just as quickly.
Though throughout the entire process Yun Che continued to endure what felt like being hacked into tens of thousands of pieces with every breath—requiring his utmost concentration—it could not compare to before.
"Not bad, it came a little earlier than I expected." Jasmine murmured. Subconsciously, her lips curved into a strange smile. "It seems it's time to increase the difficulty a little!"
Jasmine raised her soft, snow-white palm and grasped at the void. A spatial rift dozens of meters long appeared before her. After an ordinary spatial rift formed, it would normally disappear quickly, yet this one showed no signs of shrinking, let alone vanishing. Jasmine's figure flashed as she stepped into the rift, and then it abruptly disappeared.
Yun Che, who was fully focused on resisting the spatial turbulence, noticed none of this. Jasmine had also prevented him from perceiving it.
In the next instant, Jasmine's figure appeared in another location. The surroundings flickered between layers of darkness and chaotic colors. This was an opening in space—also known as a spatial tunnel! Ordinary people could not comprehend such a thing, much less enter it.
Before Jasmine stood the incomparably massive Primordial Profound Ark. It was sailing through this mysterious spatial tunnel, direction unknown. Jasmine's gaze locked onto the Primordial Profound Ark. She raised her hand, and with her palm, a scarlet glow flashed before she lightly tapped the ark.
Compared to the Primordial Profound Ark, Jasmine's body was as small as a grain of sand in the depths of the ocean.
Yet the instant her palm touched the Primordial Profound Ark, the entire ark was instantly enveloped in scarlet light. Under an indescribably immense force, its traveling speed abruptly increased… and the spatial turbulence within intensified dramatically.
"This is much better."
Jasmine's small hand flashed once more, and another spatial rift appeared before her. Just as she was about to enter, a demonic voice suddenly rang out from all directions: "Kekekeke… a human actually dares enter this king's domain—and a little doll at that! Keke… It has been tens of thousands of years since this king last tasted human flesh."
Jasmine slowly turned. Her appearance remained excessively young and delicate, and with unmatched indifference she said, "Universe Devouring Beast?"
The Universe Devouring Beast existed within spatial rifts, feeding on space itself and occasionally devouring living creatures that traveled between such spaces. It was an extremely high-level primordial profound beast, exceedingly rare in number…
"To be able to survive in this place, it seems this little girl's strength is at least at the Divine Sovereign level. But this is our domain—obediently become our food!!"
Another low, terrifying voice rang out… Following that, two pairs of distorted black eyes emerged from the intertwining darkness and colors of the realm.
Two Universe Devouring Beasts!
Throughout the entire Primordial Chaos Dimension, the number of Universe Devouring Beasts did not exceed thirty. Even if one traveled through space millions of times, they might never encounter one. But to encounter one meant great misfortune. This was an inter-dimensional space where releasing profound energy was extremely difficult. Unless one was ridiculously strong, the only option upon meeting a Universe Devouring Beast was to flee with all one's might. However, a Universe Devouring Beast's ability to control and interfere with spatial properties far surpassed that of others; it could easily sever its target's escape route, leaving nowhere to run. Thus, even if the victim was not devoured, they would be swallowed and destroyed by the collapsing spatial tunnel.
Encountering two Universe Devouring Beasts at once—a situation where even the word "doomed" would be inadequate.
Facing these two feared spatial demons, Jasmine did not choose to flee. Instead, her face grew cold. She sealed the spatial distortion and spoke icily, "You two… are courting death?!"
"We… courting death? Hahahahahaha! Not once has anyone dared speak to this king in such a manner… Ah, I see—you are actually a pitiful spirit without a physical body. No wonder you can survive in this realm for so long."
"Pitiful spirit." Those two words caused Jasmine's star-like eyes to sink and instantly turn crimson. Terrifying killing intent burst from her entire body, so intense that even the spatial storm seemed to pause for a moment. "You… are courting death!"
Jasmine extended a finger, and a dazzling beam of scarlet light shot from its tip. The intensity of that light rivaled the combined radiance of thousands of stars. Instantly, the surroundings fell completely silent… The entire space warped into a rapidly expanding black hole that devoured everything.
The Universe Devouring Beasts halted their advance toward Jasmine and stared at the scarlet light that caused even space itself to tremble. Two pairs of distorted, savage, terrifying eyes began to waver, revealing shock and deep fear. A trembling voice cried out, "Star… Star… Star God… Heavenly Slaughter Star God!"
"Impossible… The Heavenly Slaughter Star God was clearly poisoned by the absolute God-Slaying Poison said to guarantee death and fell four years ago. This is impossible…"
"It seems you both know quite a bit!" Jasmine's star-like eyes grew even colder, and the killing intent she released became so dense it could pierce both body and soul. "Since that is the case, it only means you deserve death even more!"
"Heaven… ly… Path!!"
As her voice fell, her finger drew a gesture in the air. Instantly, a scarlet line stretched across this strange realm, seemingly dividing it in two.
The moment that scarlet line passed beneath one of the Universe Devouring Beasts, it instantly sliced between its terrified eyes. In the next moment, both eyes split in half and dissipated, while a black shadow completely melted away within this bizarre dimensional rift. That Universe Devouring Beast, which had existed for millions of years, died without even uttering a scream.
"Lord Heavenly Slaughter Star God… Mercy… Please spare me!!"
The other Universe Devouring Beast retreated in terror. Earlier, it had still suspected the scarlet light was a bluff, for it knew the person capable of using that ability had been eliminated, never to appear again. But now, after witnessing its companion obliterated within their own domain in a single breath, it was terrified into insanity. With a strange cry, it fled at maximum speed into the depths of the dimensional sea, vanishing without a trace.
During that brief pause, the Universe Devouring Beast had already escaped far into the dimensional sea, leaving no trace.
After residing within the Sky Poison Pearl for over two years and using no profound energy, more than a third of the absolute God-Slaying Poison within Jasmine's body had been cleansed, and the amount of power she could wield far exceeded the past. However, she had not yet reached a state where she could act recklessly. She immediately ceased pursuit, stiffened her body, rapidly suppressed the poison that had risen again, and looked once more toward the Primordial Profound Ark.
She had forcibly pushed the Primordial Profound Ark, intensifying the spatial storm within, yet she could not determine whether Yun Che could endure the strengthened storm. If he could not and she was not by his side, the chances of both of them dying would increase dramatically.
After a brief internal struggle, her concern for Yun Che prevailed. She gave up the pursuit, opened a dimensional rift leading directly back into the Primordial Profound Ark, and stepped inside. Before entering, a voice that could freeze a person's soul spread through this peculiar realm, defying its law that denied the transmission of sound.
"If you dare spread news that this princess is still alive, this princess will definitely exterminate your entire Universe Devouring Beast species!"
…
"Ugh… ah… ahhhhh…"
After advancing to the Sky Profound Realm, Yun Che had managed to stabilize himself within the spatial turbulence. But this relief did not last long—he suddenly felt the turbulence grow even more ferocious. It was as though gentle ocean waves had abruptly transformed into monstrous tsunami surges. In the span of a few breaths, his body was once again drenched in blood.
Yun Che clenched his teeth once more in stubborn defiance, and stifled groans of extreme pain leaked from his mouth. He circulated all the profound energy in his body, and the golden pagoda floating above his head began spinning rapidly. The exhaustion and recovery of profound energy, along with the subsequent damage and regeneration of his body… proceeded at a speed and frequency many times greater than before, reaching a point too horrifying to imagine.
If Yun Che's profound energy had not undergone a massive breakthrough, even with his Dragon God physique and the [Great Way of the Buddha] aiding him, he would not have lasted more than thirty breaths within this spatial storm.
As Jasmine monitored Yun Che's changing condition, her delicate, jade-like features showed no expression. In the blink of an eye, fourteen hours passed, and Yun Che's body began to tremble and convulse. The horrifying spatial turbulence had torn open his chest multiple times, nearly destroying his internal organs and nearly severing his throat on several occasions… Jasmine knew Yun Che had reached a critical point. Her eyes flashed, and a colorless light shone from her hand.
Instantly, the surrounding space seemed to solidify. Following that, the spatial turbulence visibly gentled, its intensity gradually decreasing to the level of fourteen hours prior.
As the hurricane battering him subsided into a strong wind, Yun Che—who had maintained a rigid posture within the spatial storm—abruptly collapsed to the ground. As his body rapidly replenished blood, he lay there gasping for air. After a time, with great difficulty, he reassumed a sitting posture. Without making a single unnecessary movement, he focused intensely, and the wounds on his body began to heal.
Though the spatial turbulence had weakened considerably, Yun Che's absorption of natural energy had only slowed slightly. In the gentler turbulence, it took him one hour to roughly heal seventy percent of his injuries. Even while his profound energy protected him, it still recovered to half capacity.
Yun Che opened his eyes. His gaze continuously scanned the distorting space, and he saw Jasmine staring expressionlessly at him. He took a deep breath and spoke through clenched teeth: "What… just happened? Why did the spatial turbulence suddenly become so terrifying?"
Jasmine replied maliciously, "The Primordial Profound Ark has always been like this—such fluctuations are perfectly normal. But don't celebrate yet, because another spatial turbulence of that magnitude will definitely occur again… In fact, it may be even more terrifying than the last and last even longer. Don't forget that the Primordial Profound Ark only appears above the Profound Sky Continent once every three hundred years. If it didn't need to stop and appear in other locations, why would it take a full three hundred years to return? And while it travels through space for the next three hundred years, all kinds of spatial turbulence can occur! Your moment of relief will not last long. If you don't want to die, hurry and concentrate so you can recover your physical strength and profound energy."
During the month inside the Primordial Profound Ark, every second had been hell for Yun Che. Relaxing even slightly would cause his body to be torn apart. At the same time, the state of the spatial turbulence was equivalent to purgatory for any living being in the Profound Sky Continent. Yet for Yun Che, who had endured spatial turbulence many times greater, this felt like a perfect paradise. As he resisted the turbulence, he began to observe his surroundings… Though the spatial storm was terrifying beyond compare, the walls and floor of this place showed not the slightest damage—not even the tiniest scratch could be seen. The durability of this place was undoubtedly extraordinarily terrifying.
Even if Yun Che could endure the spatial turbulence here, the surrounding walls would prove another insurmountable barrier.
Every brick and stone in this place had withstood countless years of spatial storms, yet not even the smallest scratch could be found… Even if he could survive these spatial storms, how could he destroy this stone gate to escape?
This thought flashed through Yun Che's mind, but he immediately suppressed it and focused his entire mind. He seized the opportunity to recover his physical strength and profound energy while he still could resist the spatial turbulence… He would not be discouraged so easily, nor fall into despair. Otherwise, how could he have endured until now in this hellish place? As long as he continued breathing—even if he had to endure something far beyond the limits of ordinary humans—his will would never waver.
Moreover, now was not the time to think of a way to escape, but to put all his effort into surviving here. As Jasmine had said… little by little, he would acclimate his body to the spatial turbulence!
The calm of the spatial turbulence did not last long. Two hours later, it began to rage once more, and in an instant it was as though countless gods of death roared toward Yun Che, ruthlessly slashing their cruel scythes to cut his body in half. Yun Che's eyes widened, and with a furious roar he released the profound energy within his profound veins to its utmost limit. At the same time, the [Great Way of the Buddha] began spinning at its highest level as well.
He did not know when this ordeal would end…
And in the end, he might even die here… But he would never surrender his will or his body to death!
…
This time, Yun Che endured for fourteen and a half hours.
Yun Che, who had been in a state of complete concentration to resist the spatial storm, did not notice the change in how long he could endure. But Jasmine had calculated it precisely; though only thirty minutes longer, it was enough to show that both his body and profound strength had undergone a remarkable number of subtle changes after being refined by the previous fourteen hours of storm.
When Yun Che once again reached his limit, the spatial storm weakened once more.
Yun Che, who had one foot in the grave, collapsed to the ground and desperately gasped for air. Then he used forty percent of his concentration to resist the calmer spatial storm and sixty percent to recover his profound strength and heal his wounds. Once he had recovered sufficiently, the spatial turbulence would rage again…
On the third attempt, Yun Che endured for fifteen hours!
On the fourth, sixteen hours…
Time flowed within this inescapable confined space and endless spatial catastrophe. During this period, Yun Che did not battle anyone, yet every breath he took was more dangerous and life-threatening than any fight. His body slowly grew more resilient with each regeneration. He had no time to train his profound strength, yet it underwent astonishing explosive growth, becoming stronger and stronger as he released and recovered profound energy at a terrifying frequency.
Eight months later, Yun Che's profound strength had advanced straight to the fifth level of the Sky Profound Realm… rising one level every two months! We are talking about the Sky Profound Realm! Going from level one to level five in the Sky Profound Realm was harder than going from the early Elementary Profound Realm to the peak of the Earth Profound Realm. This meant his rate of improvement over these eight months surpassed even the rate during the three and a half years since receiving the Evil God's profound veins.
Such a rate of improvement was enough to endlessly astonish and confound the greatest experts of the Profound Sky Continent.
At the same time, because Yun Che spent most of his time releasing profound energy at maximum output, even though his profound strength level rose at a ferocious pace, it was especially stable and condensed. At no point did his profound strength show any of the lightness or instability that normally accompanied rapid increases.
"This time he actually endured for five full days." Jasmine murmured softly to herself. Her eyes had clearly recorded every change in Yun Che.
At that moment, Yun Che had once again reached the limit of what he could endure.
As his profound strength and regenerative ability substantially weakened, Yun Che's body began to distort violently. A cracking sound rang out—his bones began to fracture under the spatial storm's power, and his meridians began to rupture…
"It seems this is enough." Jasmine extended her hand, intending to cut off a large portion of the spatial storm. At that moment, Yun Che suddenly let out a roar of anger; dissatisfaction and pain poured from his mouth. His supposedly exhausted profound strength and spirit began to surge fiercely as he tenaciously resisted the spatial storm's assault on his body. Consequently, Jasmine's movement slowed. She watched as Yun Che's body began to emit a hazy profound light and murmured, "He's going to break through again… Hm! That's not right!"
"ROOOOAR!!!!"
A low, awe-inspiring dragon cry resounded from Yun Che's body, causing the surrounding space to tremble. As the dragon cry echoed, an azure dragon shadow appeared behind Yun Che. The dragon shadow rapidly expanded, lasting five full breaths before gradually fading. At the same time, Jasmine could sense the presence of the Primordial Azure Dragon within Yun Che's body—a presence that seemed to have entered the vastness of death itself.
Crack… Crack… Crack…
The clear, crisp sound of bones shifting came from Yun Che's body. However, this was not the sound of bones breaking, but of bones slowly regenerating. Even his flesh began to regenerate, though his spirit remained weak, teetering on the brink… Yet in this exhausted and strained spiritual state, he tenaciously withstood the spatial storm's impact.
"His Dragon God bloodline has reached a concentration of one thousandth!" Jasmine said in an astonished voice. She understood far better than Yun Che what it meant to possess one thousandth of the Dragon God's bloodline. Under normal circumstances, within the body of a lower-realm mortal, it would take many years for the meager amount of Dragon God marrow in Yun Che's body to produce even a single drop of Dragon God blood. But within this Primordial Profound Ark, after his body underwent countless rebirths while simultaneously stimulating the Dragon God marrow—combined with the nourishment from the heaven and earth energy provided by the [Great Way of the Buddha]—all of this had increased the concentration of Yun Che's Dragon God blood by nearly twenty times in just one year!
The current Yun Che, even without releasing the slightest profound energy, already possessed a physique fortified to the point where he could withstand any attack from a low-level Throne without suffering significant injury.
"It seems he can endure a little longer." Jasmine lowered her hand. With eyes rippling with scarlet light, she continued to observe Yun Che, watching every change occurring within him.
Initially, she had planned to make Yun Che powerful solely to reconstruct her own body. But as Yun Che's strength grew little by little—at a rate far exceeding her initial calculations—an unconscious desire formed in her heart. The desire to see just how far this human could go before she left him… And that desire continued to grow stronger and stronger.
Only she herself had yet to realize it.
Time continued to flow, and reluctantly, eighteen full months had passed since Yun Che entered the Primordial Profound Ark.
And Yun Che had survived within the ceaseless spatial storm for eighteen entire months.
The sounds of spatial explosions were deafening, yet both Jasmine and Yun Che had long grown accustomed to the noise. The other thing they had grown accustomed to was each other's presence. The reason Yun Che had been able to endure all the way through this terrifying and life-threatening place was because he was not alone. Because while Jasmine continually reprimanded and warned him… she also accompanied and supported him. Even after encountering such a disaster, there was still someone facing it together with him—someone who time and again pulled him from confusion and hesitation, pointing him in the right direction.
As for Jasmine, in the several years that had passed, only Yun Che had been by her side. Though her appearance had not changed since the day she met Yun Che, in terms of age she had grown from thirteen to eighteen. More than a quarter of her life had been spent solely with Yun Che, with many more years still to come…
And because it had become habit, and because people tend to overlook what they are accustomed to, neither of them had ever entertained the thought: if one day they had to part ways… what would that be like…
…
"Fifteen days have passed." Jasmine teased as she observed Yun Che's current state after what could be called yet another inexplicable breakthrough.
Yun Che had endured a full fifteen days before his situation once again became critical. Just as Jasmine was about to block the spatial storm, the entire space began to tremble violently, and a colossal roar resounded from all directions. This situation persisted for ten full breaths. The new change caused Jasmine's brows to knit. She was about to release her aura to investigate what was happening with the Primordial Profound Ark when suddenly the spatial storm rapidly calmed, and the ceaseless destructive spatial rifts vanished. Even the distortions in space shrank into small ripples before finally disappearing completely… In the end, even the sound of spatial explosions had vanished entirely.
Everything had become completely calm. The spatial turbulence, in a situation where neither Yun Che nor Jasmine was prepared, had disappeared.
And the only reason spatial turbulence would disappear was that…
The Primordial Profound Ark had stopped!
"It stopped? How did it stop?" Jasmine knitted her brows. "Could it be that the Primordial Profound Ark doesn't only stop above the Profound Sky Continent but in other locations as well?"
The spatial turbulence had completely vanished—not merely weakened as before, but completely gone. This change lifted the spirits of the utterly exhausted Yun Che, but he was in a state where he could neither speak nor pay attention to his surroundings. Instead, he desperately focused his spirit and began healing his wounds using the [Great Way of the Buddha].
Without the presence of spatial turbulence, the [Great Way of the Buddha] absorbed heaven and earth energy at a rate dozens of times slower than before. Though his recovery was far faster than an ordinary person's, compared to the eighteen months spent in the spatial storm, it was exceptionally slow.
No longer needing to divide his attention to resist spatial turbulence, Yun Che's mind had completely stabilized. This feeling was as though he had emerged from purgatory into a dreamlike paradise. Though mentally exhausted and his entire body weak and in immense pain, this relaxed sensation almost made him feel as though he were floating. Eighteen full months… He had endured this purgatory for eighteen months, and now he had finally seen the bright, vivid dawn!
Jasmine did not disturb him, nor did she go out to investigate. Her body sank as she stood before Yun Che, observing his current state while simultaneously gazing at the surrounding walls that were tougher than divine stones. Her moist, expressionless eyes showed no ripples; her thoughts were a mystery.
An entire day passed, and the atmosphere remained quiet and calm, with no explosions occurring. When it had appeared above the Profound Sky Continent, it had stopped for half a year. There was no way to tell whether this stop would also last half a year.
Nor was there any way to know where the Primordial Profound Ark had stopped this time.
And for an entire day, Yun Che simply sat cross-legged on the ground, his bodily wounds roughly healing to seventy percent. His breathing had stabilized, and his spirit had greatly recovered. Thus, now was precisely the right moment for Yun Che to awaken.
Jasmine, who had been asleep the entire day, opened her eyes and looked at Yun Che. She was about to wake him when Yun Che's body suddenly underwent a dramatic change.
The dim golden pagoda spinning slowly above Yun Che's head began to spin rapidly, and the pagoda's color gradually grew richer and richer… From dim gold, it slowly transformed into a brilliant golden hue! Following that, the golden light sank and spread throughout Yun Che's body, as though he had donned a layer of golden garments.
"Could it be…" Jasmine's star-like eyes flashed with deep astonishment.
Yun Che had entered an exceptionally subtle state. Suddenly, he could feel no pain and hear no sound. It was as though everything in his surroundings had vanished in an instant… He felt his body now lightly floating, freely swimming in the boundless sky. Between heaven and earth, within the chaotic space, it was as though his existence was the only one that remained.
Incessantly, majestic and incomparably tranquil natural forces poured into him. The forces enveloped his entire body and surged within, healing his wounds, restoring his profound energy, and refining his body. These energy forces felt both familiar and strange to him—far, far purer than before… One could say that though they were the same natural forces, they now felt like forces of an entirely different level!
His consciousness told him that his [Great Way of the Buddha] had once again made a breakthrough!
And this breakthrough was completely different from the previous few. The earlier breakthroughs could be described as level advancements within the same stage. But this breakthrough gave him a strange sensation—it was entirely a major stage breakthrough, to a much higher realm!
Back when he had broken through to the third level of the [Great Way of the Buddha], Jasmine had once told him that every three levels of the [Great Way of the Buddha] marked a watershed. The first three levels could be considered the entry realm. Entering the fourth level meant stepping into the intermediate realm… And entering the fourth level with a mortal body was even harder than ascending to the heavens themselves.
Yet now, in just three years since his previous breakthrough, he had successfully entered the fourth level of the [Great Way of the Buddha]—the level Jasmine had called "even harder than ascending to the heavens"!!
Cultivating the [Great Way of the Buddha] did not rely on combat or the existence of profound energy. Its growth depended primarily on comprehension and insight. During these eighteen months, Yun Che's [Great Way of the Buddha] had essentially been circulating every second, and for more than eighty percent of the time it had operated at maximum capacity and limit. The vast amount of heaven and earth energy absorbed was nearly incalculable. Subtly, his communion with natural forces and his understanding of the [Great Way of the Buddha] had continually deepened. He had finally broken through the bottleneck of the fourth level and entered a new realm of the [Great Way of the Buddha].
His body was also being reborn under the baptism of the higher-level [Great Way of the Buddha]—a rebirth of extreme degree.
Following Yun Che's breakthrough in the [Great Way of the Buddha], the speed of his wound recovery instantly accelerated as well. The wounds on his body closed at a rate visible to the naked eye. Through the closing wounds, Jasmine could see that his blood… was clearly mixed with a faint golden hue.
"The fourth level of the [Great Way of the Buddha]… The first step toward the legendary 'Saint Body.' He actually used less than five years—and at a speed even faster than Big Brother's…"
Jasmine murmured softly. At this moment, she was truly somewhat dazed. Even with her knowledge and experience, she was still deeply shocked by Yun Che's breakthrough this time. The previous three breakthroughs, though always earlier than her predictions, had merely surprised her slightly. But this time, her feelings truly had to be described with the word "shock." Because breaking through to the fourth stage of the [Great Way of the Buddha] was an entirely different concept from the first three… Though this breakthrough was closely related to the eighteen months of hellish cultivation within the dimensional turbulence, Jasmine clearly knew that was not the whole reason. The most important factors were comprehensive ability and luck—or in other words, the affinity and favor that the chaotic natural forces had for him. Otherwise, if another person with the same body and strength but different comprehensive ability and comparatively ordinary luck were placed in the same spatial turbulence, forget eighteen months—even eighteen years, or a hundred and eighty years, or even a thousand eight hundred years—it would be extremely difficult to advance to the fourth level of the [Great Way of the Buddha].
The truth before her eyes told Jasmine that Yun Che's comprehensive ability and luck… had truly surpassed even her brother's.
In four hours, Yun Che's body was completely refined. The Buddha pagoda above his head vanished, and all external and internal injuries were fully healed as well. He opened his eyes, and in the instant they flashed, a trace of golden radiance passed through.
"Very good." Jasmine, in an extremely rare occurrence, nodded in praise. "I didn't expect you to actually enter the fourth level of the [Great Way of the Buddha] so quickly. You can now absorb natural forces on an even higher level. The refinement of the fourth level of the [Great Way of the Buddha] grants you fifty thousand kilograms of arm strength. Your current physical strength and recovery speed are not the least bit inferior to the Dragon God's bloodline. Combined with the Dragon God's bloodline, though you still lack in terms of power, your body's resilience is not inferior to someone half a step into the 'Monarch' realm! In terms of recovery speed, you even surpass a true Monarch!"
"At present, you should be able to handle 'Purgatory' with relative ease! However, no matter how astonishing your growth, you must not rashly activate the 'Heavenly Gate.'"
The first level of the [Great Way of the Buddha] granted two thousand kilograms of arm strength; the second level granted four thousand kilograms; the third level granted ten thousand kilograms—but the fourth level represented a massive leap, granting fifty thousand kilograms of arm strength! Though the increase in overall physical strength could not be intuitively felt, it was naturally still astonishing to a similar degree as the arm strength increase.
With his current body, recovery ability, and level of the [Great Way of the Buddha], ordinary spatial turbulence could basically no longer cause him real harm. He could live within it without feeling the slightest pressure, and even sleeping openly would pose no problem at all.
Yun Che felt his body was incomparably light. His vision and hearing had also become sharper. With a slight shift of his thoughts, his body began to float… After his profound strength broke through to the Sky Profound Realm, he finally gained the ability to fly as well. In the span of eighteen months, his profound strength had consecutively crossed eight levels… He was now at the eighth level of the Sky Profound Realm!
In a year and a half, from the peak of the Earth Profound Realm to the late stages of the Sky Profound Realm!
Unfortunately, that brief joy would not last. Very soon, his life would once again transform—and in a manner even more miserable than the past year and a half, or even than anything he had ever experienced in either his previous life on the Azure Cloud Continent or his current one…
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