These spirit stones were also prepared by Mu Rong along with the medicinal materials at his request, totaling more than five hundred low-grade spirit stones.
With these spirit stones, Gu Yi was confident that he could break into the True Essence Realm in one go!
He sat cross-legged directly atop the pile of spirit stones, his gaze resolute.
In his previous life, he had been known throughout the world as the eastern sovereign Demon Venerable, solely because the Eastern Imperial Emperor Art he cultivated was one of the ten Primordial Chaos Techniques in the world, possessing unfathomable, heaven-defying might.
At this moment, Gu Yi did not hesitate in the slightest and once again circulated the Eastern Imperial Emperor Art!
“Absorb!”
Ordinary people absorbed the spiritual energy from spirit stones one at a time, slowly. For someone at the first layer of body tempering, being able to absorb an entire stone in half a month was already considered quite good.
But after Gu Yi circulated his cultivation method, twelve black vortices suddenly appeared on his body, each one unleashing a tremendous suction force!
Although this suction force was powerful, it was effective only against spiritual energy.
In an instant, the faint spiritual energy in the air between heaven and earth, along with the spiritual energy within the spirit stones beneath him, transformed into twelve tornadoes and converged toward the vortices!
Outside the door, the qin sisters felt the spiritual energy between heaven and earth around them suddenly rush toward the alchemy room, and their faces filled with shock.
Crack!
After merely two breaths, Gu Yi heard the sound of breaking through a realm come from within his body!
His cultivation level had reached the Second Level of body tempering!
However, this was only the beginning!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
The spiritual energy seemed endless as it continuously surged into Gu Yi’s body.
Third Level of body tempering!
Fourth level of body tempering!
……
His cultivation level was rising at an astonishing speed!
At this moment, the spirit stones had already dimmed considerably!
Seventh Level of body tempering!
Eighth Level of body tempering!
Ninth Layer of Body Refinement!
As his cultivation level continued to rise, the spirit stones withered and dimmed at a speed visible to the naked eye.
When his cultivation level reached the Ninth Layer of Body Refinement, they all abruptly shattered with a crack, turning into transparent fragments.
Gu Yi’s cultivation came to a halt. With the spiritual energy from the spirit stones gone, the faint spiritual energy between heaven and earth seemed utterly insignificant.
He stopped circulating his cultivation method and furrowed his brows.
Originally, he had thought that relying on these five hundred spirit stones would be enough to let him enter the True Essence Realm.
He had never expected to miscalculate after all.
This physical body was simply far too weak.
“But so be it. Although I possess the Eastern Imperial Emperor Art, I cannot cultivate too quickly. Tempering my foundation and stabilizing my cultivation level are also indispensable stages of cultivation.”
“It is just a pity that without entering the True Essence Realm, I cannot use many cultivation techniques and martial skills. It is rather troublesome.”
Covered in filth, he stood up and plunged into the pool in the alchemy room with a splash, washing away the grime.
If he had broken into the True Essence Realm in one go, he could have used a water-element technique to cleanse himself of all the filth in an instant. There would have been no need to jump into the water to bathe.
Suddenly, a furious voice came from outside the room.
“Where is that good-for-nothing from the Gu Family? This old man will tear him limb from limb!”
“Third uncle, Qin Huaichong deserved his death. He joined forces with outsiders to plot against my younger sister. My father showed mercy by killing only him. What more do you want?”
“First Miss, second miss, this old man is not targeting you. Huaichong certainly deserved his death. But his death is inseparable from that good-for-nothing Gu Yi. I must kill him and send him along the Road to the Yellow Springs to accompany my son!”
Outside the room, a man in his forties, with his beard and hair bristling, strode toward the alchemy room. His face was grief-stricken, and his murderous aura was imposing!
He was none other than Qin Huaichong’s father, the Qin Clan’s third-generation member, Qin Xianglin’s third younger brother, Qin Xiangyuan.
Qin Murong frowned and said, “No. Gu Yi is refining pills for my older sister in the alchemy room. You cannot go in and disturb him.”
Qin Xiangyuan sneered. “Refining pills? What kind of pills could a good-for-nothing at the first layer of body tempering refine?”
He looked at Qin Murong strangely. “Could it be that second miss fell in love with him overnight and cannot bear to see him lose his life?”
Qin Murong’s face turned livid as she said solemnly, “Third uncle, do not say such filthy things. When Gu Yi comes out, if he cannot refine a Pill that cures my older sister’s injuries, you will not need to act. I can personally finish him!”
Just then, the door to the alchemy room creaked open slowly.
Gu Yi calmly walked out and said coldly, “How utterly heartless and unjust. But are you really certain that you can defeat me?”
After casting a faint glance at Qin Murong, Gu Yi waved his hand and tossed a Radiance-Dispelling Pill toward Qin Muwan.
“Take this Radiance-Dispelling Pill, and your injuries will naturally recover completely.”
Qin Muwan caught the Pill, her delicate jade hand trembling uncontrollably. “You said this is a Radiance-Dispelling Pill? A Mid-Grade Earth-Rank Pill specifically used to eliminate the Five Luminaries Poison?”
The pill resonance that had just sounded from within the alchemy room still lingered in her ears, and Qin Muwan was more astonished than doubtful!
She naturally knew how effective the Radiance-Dispelling Pill was against injuries left behind by a five luminaries realm expert. Unfortunately, over the past four years, the Qin Residence had exhausted all its financial resources and still could not obtain a single Radiance-Dispelling Pill. Mid-grade earth-rank pills were simply too precious!
Qin Murong was also moved, asking in shock, “Gu Yi, you are not playing some trick, are you?”
Gu Yi replied frankly, “Whether you believe me is up to you. I have refined the Pill, and I am leaving.”
With that, he shook his wet clothes and was about to stride away.
“Brat Gu Yi, do not run! This old man will kill you and send you to accompany my son on the Road to the Yellow Springs!”
Qin Xiangyuan shouted and swung the sword in his hand, charging at Gu Yi!
Although Qin Xiangyuan’s cultivation level was inferior to Qin Xianglin’s, he was still an expert at the seventh layer of the true essence realm, far surpassing Qin Murong!
He attacked in fury, unleashing his signature martial technique. Blinding white light shone from the sword, its momentum terrifying and soul-stirring.
Even Qin Murong and Qin Muwan, merely spectators, felt their hearts tremble!
They did not even have time to intervene before Qin Xiangyuan’s sword had already reached Gu Yi!
Gu Yi was completely unafraid. He reached toward the sword light, aiming directly for its weak point!
“The momentum is somewhat substantial, but it is riddled with weak points. It is merely impressive on the surface!”
In an instant, Gu Yi accurately seized the blade. With a slight exertion of force, he snapped the sword with a crack.
Qin Xiangyuan was greatly startled. He discarded the broken sword and suddenly threw a punch. “Thunder Tiger fist technique!”
The punch produced a howling wind. Swift and powerful, it struck directly toward Gu Yi’s face!
“You overestimate yourself!”
Gu Yi swung his fist into Qin Xiangyuan’s. A series of cracking sounds rang out, and Qin Xiangyuan cried out in pain. His entire arm broke apart joint by joint in an instant, while his fist became a bloody mess, with muscles and bones exposed!
“Gu Yi, you have actually reached the Ninth Layer of Body Refinement?”
“Even if he has reached the Ninth Layer of Body Refinement, how can the strength of his physical body alone withstand a True Essence Realm expert’s power enhanced by primordial qi? It is simply inconceivable!”
Qin Murong and Qin Muwan stood there with their mouths agape, utterly dumbfounded!
Gu Yi frowned slightly, without the slightest hint of pride. After taking an entire batch of body-tempering pills, the strength of his physical body alone was now comparable to that of a cultivator at the Ninth Level of True Essence Realm. However, this result was still far from ideal for him...
“Considering that you have only just suffered the loss of your son and are unavoidably acting out of grief, I can spare your life. Leave.”
Gu Yi waved his hand at Qin Xiangyuan, unwilling to kill him.
Qin Xiangyuan glared with eyes nearly bursting from their sockets, but Gu Yi’s two simple moves had frightened him. His eyes filled with venom as he slowly retreated.
Seeing that Gu Yi was about to leave, Qin Muwan asked, “Gu Yi, is this Pill really a Radiance-Dispelling Pill?”
Gu Yi turned and glanced at Qin Muwan, only to see her breathtakingly beautiful face filled with unease and tension.
Over these four years, she must have secretly shed countless tears because of the injuries within her body, right?
He sighed softly, stopped, and turned around. “Believe me and take it. I will stay here. If anything goes wrong, I will surrender myself and let your younger sister kill me!”
Qin Muwan no longer had any doubts and placed the Pill into her small, cherry-like mouth.
Before even half an hour had passed, Qin Muwan suddenly turned pale, let out a soft moan, and collapsed headfirst.
Qin Murong was startled. She caught her older sister and glared angrily at Gu Yi. “Gu Yi, how do you explain this?”
“Younger sister, do not...” Qin Muwan weakly grasped Qin Murong’s hand and whispered faintly, “I can feel it. The golden luminary Poison inside my body is being diluted and expelled.”
Gu Yi said, “The Five Luminaries Poison has remained in your body for four years. The process of expelling it will naturally be extremely painful. Guard your mind!”
Only then did Qin Murong realize that she had misunderstood Gu Yi. She bit her lip and looked toward her older sister worriedly.
After roughly another quarter of an hour, the discomfort gradually faded from Qin Muwan’s face. A moment later, she let out a long breath, opened her eyes, and weakly sat up from Qin Murong’s embrace, exclaiming in delight, “It is gone! The golden luminary Poison in my body is gone!”
“This gu Yi can actually refine a Mid-Grade Earth-Rank Pill? Does that mean he is even more skilled than Alchemist Cao of the Cao Clan Medicine Manor?”
Standing to the side, Qin Xiangyuan’s expression shifted unpredictably. As he watched Gu Yi’s back, the venom in his eyes deepened.
“He can easily defeat me with the cultivation level of the Ninth Layer of Body Refinement, and he can even refine a Mid-Grade Earth-Rank Pill. This man is far too dangerous!”
Qin Muwan and Qin Murong looked at Gu Yi with complicated expressions. In their eyes, Gu Yi was equally inconceivable!
“May I leave now?” Gu Yi asked indifferently.
If the qin sisters changed their minds and tried to keep him there, he would not mind unleashing a massacre.
“Since you kept your word and truly cured my older sister, we will naturally let you leave.”
Qin Murong gritted her teeth. “However, you must promise not to spread what happened last night!”
Gu Yi shook his head and laughed. “Even if I keep my mouth shut, what use would that be?”
He turned his head and glanced at Qin Xiangyuan, then said no more and strode away.