Chapter 715: Breakthrough

At the mountain peak, Liu Xi stood with his hands clasped behind his back. His azure robe rippled in the wind, his expression calm, his bearing otherworldly.

Far above, Qing Yanjing hovered upon drifting clouds, her black-and-white palace gown fluttering gently. Grace and nobility radiated from her like moonlight over still water. Around her, the endless Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth roared and surged, forming a spiraling storm that tore apart the surrounding cloud sea. The air itself shimmered faintly, filled with an indescribable, mysterious rhythm.

It was the unmistakable sign of a breakthrough.

After fully absorbing the Earth Core Origin Essence, Qing Yanjing had reached the critical edge of transformation. As someone already at the peak of Perfect Earth Sovereign, the addition of that divine essence had pushed her to the threshold of the Heavenly Sovereign Realm.

She turned toward the distant mountain peak where Liu Xi stood. The moment their eyes met, he smiled and waved lightly. The nervousness that lingered in her heart dissipated at once. Even though the process of breaking through to Heavenly Sovereign was filled with danger, her resolve was unshakable.

"I can do this," she whispered to herself.

With that, she released the final restraint upon her cultivation.

Boom!

In an instant, the surrounding Spiritual Energy turned into a raging tempest. The boundless power of heaven and earth converged violently upon her, flooding every inch of space. From within the blinding torrent, a colossal crystal pagoda hundreds of meters tall condensed into existence — sacred, brilliant, and heavy enough to suppress the sky itself.

This was the Pagoda Tower — a divine construct unique to those who possessed the bloodline of the Ancient Buddha Clan. Only those who practiced the Great Pagoda Art could refine such an artifact.

As the daughter of the Ancient Buddha Clan's Clan Leader, Qing Yanjing had cultivated within the ancestral tower since childhood. The Pagoda she condensed now gleamed with radiant purity — its quality reaching the level of a Saint Artifact.

Nine blazing golden dragons erupted from the Pagoda's sides, circling high above and forming a divine barrier around her. The wild storm of Spiritual Energy was instantly suppressed by the Pagoda's power, devoured by the dragons, and then exhaled back as streams of pure energy.

Underneath the Pagoda, Qing Yanjing sat cross-legged, drawing those refined energies into her body. Her aura became increasingly ethereal, as though she were merging with the heavens themselves.

Liu Xi watched quietly from the mountain peak, observing both her transformation and the magnificent crystal Pagoda that illuminated the sky. "So that's the Pagoda Tower of the Ancient Buddha Clan," he murmured. "Impressive indeed. The heritage of a clan that's lasted tens of thousands of years is extraordinary."

But then his brows furrowed slightly. "At this rate, though, her Spiritual Energy flow might not be fast enough to match her absorption speed…"

He was right — Qing Yanjing soon noticed the same. The influx of Spiritual Energy couldn't keep up with the rate at which her body devoured it. Without hesitation, she activated her trump card: drawing directly upon the power of the innate Spiritual Array that enveloped this entire realm.

Instantly, the world trembled. The very air around her resonated as Qing Yanjing became one with the realm itself — the heart of heaven and earth.

Rumble!

From above the heavens, an endless torrent of pure Spiritual Energy gathered and condensed into a vast celestial river. The river, thousands of meters wide, poured down from the sky like a waterfall of divine light, pouring directly into the crystal Pagoda.

Seeing this, Liu Xi finally exhaled in relief. "So that's where her confidence came from…"

He understood perfectly the magnitude of energy required to break through to the Heavenly Sovereign Realm — it was astronomical. Yet with this self-contained world's innate Spiritual Array acting as a divine conduit, the supply was not only sufficient but overwhelming.

By his estimation, if the energy of that celestial river were converted into Sovereign Spiritual Liquid, it would easily reach hundreds of billions in volume. Moreover, the purity of the energy here — refined by the laws of this realm — far surpassed that of the outside world. The outcome might even exceed expectation.

…

High above, the celestial river continued to cascade endlessly. Within it, Qing Yanjing's aura had reached an extreme peak. Her body brimmed with surging power, her delicate skin glowing like porcelain under divine light — and then, faint cracks began to spread across it. From within those cracks, dazzling rays of Spiritual Energy burst forth.

She had touched the barrier.

At that moment, she whispered solemnly, "No destruction, no rebirth… let it shatter — and through the shattering, forge the Heavenly Sovereign Spiritual Body."

Her hands swiftly formed seals, and she no longer suppressed the violent energy inside her body.

Buzz!

Countless beams of divine light erupted from her body, expanding rapidly until she seemed to transform into a miniature sun. Then, with a resounding shatter, her form exploded into billions of radiant motes that filled the heavens like a sea of stars — beautiful yet heartbreaking.

The fragments of light shimmered and drifted, suspended in the air. Time passed without measure until, suddenly, one of the stars pulsed brightly. As if answering a call, all the surrounding starlight gathered toward it, coalescing into the vague outline of a figure.

Boom!

But before the reconstruction could complete, a strange and mighty rumble echoed from the heavens. The vibration alone made the nearly formed figure tremble. Even though her physical body was gone, Qing Yanjing's Soul consciousness endured — and she instantly sensed what it was.

Her expression turned solemn. "It's coming… the Heavenly Sovereign Tribulation!"

Now came the most perilous moment. If the tribulation destroyed her before her new body was fully formed, even her Soul would perish.

A flash of determination crossed her will. She gathered her Spiritual Power, and a colossal Celestial Body tens of thousands of meters tall materialized above her — resplendent with endless brilliance, holding aloft the crystal Pagoda.

This was one of the five ancient inherited Celestial Bodies of the Ancient Buddha Clan — the Great Buddha Celestial Body, born from the lineage's primordial Endless Radiance Body. Its defense was unparalleled.

Above, the sky darkened as Tribulation Clouds surged. The rolling layers of thunderous black clouds exuded the aura of destruction itself. Strange rumbling tones echoed within, each one strong enough to shake the world apart.

Yet the Great Buddha Celestial Body stood firm, shielding Qing Yanjing as she continued to refine her Heavenly Sovereign Spiritual Body.

After being tempered by the Earth Core Origin Essence, her body was already reborn — perfectly suited for this stage. Within the sea of starlight, her form grew clearer by the second, divine and enchanting like a goddess descending from the heavens.

But the Tribulation Clouds thickened ominously. A suffocating pressure of annihilation filled the air — ready to fall at any instant.

Liu Xi watched from afar, his expression solemn. He knew well that this was a trial she had to face alone. Interference would only make the Heavenly Tribulation endless.

He clasped his hands quietly and murmured, "You'll make it, Yanjing."

(End of Chapter)

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