Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

For a moment there, Chu Yang became rather lost. What was going on?

Just as he was wondering about it, the prismatic fog in the passageway became denser and denser, until one could no longer see anything.

When he took a tentative breath of air, a comfortable wave went through his whole body!

The Heavenly Heart of Wind and Thunder shuttled back and forth in his body before it finally settled on two different sides!

The Wind Jade occupied the left side of Chu Yang’s body while the Thunder Jade occupied the right! Both stood ready for command at any moment!

When both pieces of jade came to a stop, the boundless prismatic fog in the passageway suddenly surged toward and into Chu Yang’s body with a loud whoosh!

It surged toward him in crashing waves, as though a broad river!

Chu Yang was filled with a kind of surprise, as if it was too much for the eye to take in at one go. This prismatic fog could actually strengthen one’s internal energy! And its effect was very obvious!

He slowly walked forward as he absorbed the prismatic fog.

The areas he passed through became empty and void of the prismatic fog! Only the area in front of him remained densely packed with fog.

Chu Yang wondered to himself, “Why wasn’t there this amazing stuff when I passed through previously?”

“This is the true benefit given to the Nine Tribulations Sword Master!” The Sword Spirit’s voice drifted over to him; it had a kind of tone to it as if he had just woken up.

“Did you think that retrieving the fifth fragment of the Nine Tribulations Sword is just so that you can have a three-month break to visit your lover and brothers?”

“You’re awake?” Chu Yang brightened.

“We’re already back; why wouldn’t I wake up?” The Sword Spirit smiled as well.

At this point, Chu Yang could vaguely hear coming from above the deafening booms of thunder and lightning. A thought came to him. He asked, “Natural phenomenon?”

The Sword Spirit replied, “Yes. Retrieval of every fragment of the Nine Tribulations Sword is accompanied by different kinds of natural phenomena. The phenomena will activate fascinating things as benefits for the Nine Tribulations Sword Master. In this case, the power of wind and thunder acts as a catalyst to attract the prismatic fog from beyond the heavens and increase the Nine Tribulations Sword Master’s foundation and strength!”

“I see!” Chu Yang pondered over this. “Since something so big has happened, there must be a lot of people outside… Looks like I can’t go out through the original path yet.”

“This is the only way out!” The Sword Spirit said.

“I see.”

Chu Yang thought about it for a moment before he put the matter aside. “We’ll think about it after I’ve received all my benefits. As for the way out… What’s the point in thinking so much when we’re not going out yet anyway?”

Under the stunned gaze of the Sword Spirit, Minister Chu activated the Nine Heavens Divine Technique with full force. As though a whale swallowing the ocean, the prismatic fog shot through the air and emitted piercing sounds as it gathered around Chu Yang.

It surged fiercely into Chu Yang’s meridians.

Chu Yang’s circulation of the Divine Technique became faster and faster. He even had the leisure to chat with the Sword Spirit. “Sword Spirit, this technique is so strange. When I first started practicing it, it was very slow. Circulating energy for just one round needed at least half an hour. But now, I can already circulate two rounds within the span of a breath!”

The Sword Spirit kept quiet for a moment before he replied, “I don’t understand the technique but… If there’s ever a time when you can circulate ten thousand rounds within a breath, then you’ll be more or less ready.”

“Go and die!” Chu Yang fumed in exasperation. “Ten thousand rounds in a breath? I would have exploded long ago! What kind of meridians can withstand that kind of speed?!”

“According to what I know, my master could circulate 6,000 rounds of the Divine Technique in one breath! One palm strike in an instant from him is enough to destroy the entire Nine Heavens!” said the Sword Spirit slowly.

Chu Yang fell into silence.

After a long while, he finally said in a low and deep voice, “So… there’s really… no end to it!”

6,000 rounds in a breath!

Chu Yang received quite a substantial blow from the Sword Spirit’s words. He circulated his energy with full force.

Following the sound of waves of fog piercing through the air, the prismatic fog converged within Chu Yang, as though numerous rivers leading back to the ocean!

When Chu Yang had taken a few hundred steps, he actually felt like his speed in exercising the technique seemed to have… become faster by just a sliver?

He couldn’t help but be delighted. But right after, the circulation of his internal energy reverted to its previous state.

“Can’t I even be happy about it?” Chu Yang was rather stunned. “Fine, one shall neither be pleased by external gain nor be saddened by oneself… I shall take this reward that fell into my lap in good stride.”

It was unknown how much time had already passed when Chu Yang gradually sensed that the prismatic fog in the passageway was slowly getting less and less, until it finally became thin.

When he took a look at his Dantian, he couldn’t help but exclaim in pleasant surprise. “Sword Spirit, look! That purple vapor in me has increased by another strand!”

“Are you serious?” The Sword Spirit was astounded. When he hurriedly looked over, his mouth muscles twitched. “Can this even be considered an additional strand… At best, you can only say that you’ve completed the first strand.”

Chu Yang replied furiously, “Look carefully, there’s another thin one next to the first strand.”

“How can that be considered a strand?” The Sword Spirit scoffed derisively, “It’s like having one more strand of wool next to the bristles on a pig’s neck, so to speak…”

Chu Yang was fried so badly by his comment that he was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Grimacing, he grumbled, “Damn you and your analogy. Just call it a strand of fur if you must… Why must you call it wool…”

He took another few steps forward. Suddenly, he felt the internal energy within his Dantian shake. Clamoring, it went into an upheaval and surged forward in tempestuous waves.

Chu Yang felt as if his Dantian had swelled so much that it was close to bursting. But when he looked over, nothing looked out of the ordinary on the outside.

At the same time, a mysterious feeling suddenly welled up in him.

Chu Yang got a huge shock at once. “Sword Spirit, I’m about to break through.”

“Breakthrough… Isn’t that very normal?” The Sword Spirit laughed. “You were originally already on the brink of breaking through; it would be strange instead if you didn’t after absorbing something as powerful as the prismatic fog.”

As they spoke, Chu Yang felt increasingly terrible. At last, he stopped in his tracks and sat cross-legged on the ground. Taking a deep breath, he started to guide the energy within him.

Trying his best to suppress the restlessness in his heart, he guided his internal energy out of his Dantian and into his meridians at the stablest speed he could muster. Then, he started to attempt overcoming the bottleneck to first-grade Supreme Martial Artist!

This was a completely new meridian path.

Before his cultivation had reached this level, Chu Yang didn’t even know that there was such a path in the human body! But when everything fell into place earlier, it suddenly appeared on its own!

The torrential waves of internal energy were like needles stabbing into him, leaving behind agonizing pain everywhere they passed through.

With a calm expression, Chu Yang tolerated the pain.

This feeling was akin to the searing pain one experienced during childbirth; although it was extremely painful, it was filled with a kind of joy coming from rebirth. For some strange reason, Chu Yang had a feeling — The Supreme Martial Artist martial domain level was the true beginning!

If he were to mention this to others, he would definitely be mass-attacked by all the martial artists in the world and beaten into a pulp.

F*ck you! What do you mean by the Supreme Martial Artist level being the true beginning… If so, then how many people in this world have even begun since the start of time till now?

Internal energy surged into him with a crushing force, slowly filling and expanding the area. Gradually, it pushed nearer and nearer to a firm and solid barrier until it stopped. At the back, internal energy continued to rush in like waves…

Chu Yang took a breath and dismissed all the internal energy, recalling them back into the Dantian. Then, after exercising his energy again, he gathered all of his strength and charged with great momentum!

That overwhelming power, after retreating and charging once more, had the gusto of one in a final showdown! It charged forward with great ferocity!

“Oh no!” The Sword Spirit wanted to stop him but it was too late.

Minister Chu, who had been sitting cross-legged, jumped into the air like a frog. In mid-air, blood flowed out from all seven facial orifices. Then, he landed and sprawled flat on the ground, his legs twitching…

“You just charged ahead so savagely without nourishing yourself for a while when attempting to break through to Supreme Martial Artist level? How could you do that?” The Sword Spirit grumbled.

Chu Yang was all weak and powerless. “Haven’t I been doing that all along…”

Rolling his eyes, the Sword Spirit got down to work and started to repair his meridians.

It was only after a significantly long while that Chu Yang started on his second attempt, third attempt, fourth attempt…

Even after a long time, he was unable to budge it even a little.

Chu Yang was immensely vexed. He thought about it carefully; when he charged yet again, he subconsciously checked his body. It was then that he discovered that after all the internal energy had been emptied, those two strands of purple internal energy remained completely still and unmoving in his Dantian.

Chu Yang made a sound of surprise.

Thereafter, he exercised the Nine Heavens Divine Technique and carefully started to induce movement in those two strands of Primordial Real Silk. But even after half a day, he could only succeed in doing so for the complete strand. The other strand did not move at all.

Chu Yang could only drive that one complete strand, all staggering and swaying to and fro, into his meridians and toward the wall. As he stared at how lifeless the strand of Primordial Real Silk was, Chu Yang seriously lost confidence.

After this strand of Primordial Real Silk entered the newly carved out path, as it pushed its way through the boundless internal energy, there was actually a kind of feeling as if it was striding forward with its head held high.

When it reached the wall of first-grade Supreme Martial Artist, it charged toward it in its wobbly state.

Chu Yang sighed.

Looks like it’s not going to work.

But just as that thought crossed his mind, a miracle occurred!

That firm and secure Supreme Martial Artist wall which couldn’t be broken even after Chu Yang had used all his strength to charge at it more than ten times! When the strand of Primordial Real Silk charged toward it…

…It actually charged right through!

With a whoosh, it went right in. This weak and powerless rush had immediately swept through all the obstacles!

Chu Yang was dumbfounded!

Without even waiting for him to exercise his energy, the internal energy, that had long accumulated here because there was no way of entering, automatically surged over. With great momentum, it tried to squeeze through the tiny gap.

With a boom, the wall gave way. Chu Yang’s internal energy swept in in one shot. In no time, this meridian became accessible from all sides!

Right away, Chu Yang felt as though he was about to float. At the same time, a hazy and almost indiscernible Tao aura suddenly appeared in his heart.

All of a sudden, Chu Yang felt as clear-headed as icy snow.

After succeeding, that strand of Primordial Real Silk automatically wanted to return to his Dantian. However, now that Chu Yang had witnessed its power, how could he allow it to run back and rest?

Forcefully enslaved, it led the surging waves and traveled around his meridians continuously!

The Sword Spirit, using the power of elixirs, continuously entered Chu Yang’s meridians and turned into the internal energy of the universe. The ranks became larger and larger without stopping…

After a long time, Chu Yang let out a sigh and got to his feet.

Sword Supremacy, first-grade, elementary-level!

He truly realized what was so frightening about a Supreme Martial Artist!

After breaking through to first-grade Supreme Martial Artist, even with this enormous amount of internal energy, he had only stabilized at elementary-level with much difficulty; it didn’t even reach mid-level!

“You should be content!” The Sword Spirit rolled his eyes. “Who in this world doesn’t spend a very long time, even up to a few thousand years, trying to break through to this martial domain level… You’ve already broken through in just two hours… and you’re still complaining!”