The Flying Ship pierced the clouds, soaring across the heavens.

Pei Jingque stood aboard the Flying Ship, hands clasped behind her back. Her eyes swept over the gathered disciples, and a small smile touched her lips.

In recent years, because they had lowered the entry requirements, the number of Inner Sect Disciples in the Dragon Head Lineage had multiplied several times over.

More,

but that didn’t mean a drop in quality.

More and more disciples were maturing, and those Breaking Two Acupoints or Breaking Three Acupoints were now commonplace.

Given time, these young disciples would surely become Middle-Stage Innate Qi Refiners, the future pillars of the Dragon Head Lineage.

Seeing these vibrant young people, the gloom in Pei Jingque’s heart lifted.

’The future is bright!’

When her gaze landed on one person in particular, the smile on her face grew wider, and she spoke slowly:

"When Junior Sister Zhongli told me, I found it hard to believe. I never imagined..."

"...that Junior Brother Zhu had actually already broken his second acupoint!"

It had only been a few years since he reached the Innate Realm, but he had cultivated his Earth Evil True Body to Minor Success and even broken two Acupoints in succession.

This speed...

It might even rival that of the Core True Inheritance disciples.

But Core True Inheritance disciples had the Sect’s resources poured into them and access to Secret Techniques, whereas Inner Sect Disciples had none of these things.

"It’s nothing," Zhu Ju said with a casual smile.

"Back in the day, Senior Sister broke Two Acupoints in one year. And the Qi Siblings have only just begun their Cultivation, yet they’ve already broken One Acupoint."

"Mm..." Pei Jingque pursed her lips.

"It’s not the same."

"The Qi Siblings have Innate Dao Bodies. The Innate Qi within them has yet to scatter, so naturally their Cultivation progresses by leaps and bounds."

As for herself, she also possessed a special constitution, but it was something she could not speak of to outsiders.

"Junior Brother, don’t sell yourself short. People with Dao Bodies will progress much faster than ordinary people when they begin their Cultivation."

"But precisely because it’s too easy for them, they lack tempering. It can easily lead to an unstable foundation, making great achievements difficult."

"Your foundation is solid, Junior Brother. In the future, it’s not impossible for you to surpass them."

"Heh..." Zhu Ju shook his head, not growing complacent from her praise.

"I’ve heard it said that on the path of Cultivation, if you’re fast in one step, you’ll be fast in every step. Those who surpass from behind are, in the end, the minority."

"Not necessarily," Pei Jingque said, her eyes narrowing.

"As far as I know, a large portion of the seniors who have achieved the Dao Foundation did not possess special constitutions."

"Dao Foundation," Zhu Ju said.

"That’s still too far away for me."

Pei Jingque smiled. It was indeed far away for Zhu Ju, but for her, it was already very close.

The closer it got,

the more anxious she felt.

Only now could she understand how Senior Brother Zhong Wen must have felt.

The hopes of the entire Dragon Head Lineage rested on her shoulders. The invisible pressure was suffocating.

Even though Elder Feng had said success and failure were up to the heavens and she should just follow her heart, could she truly ignore the pressure?

"The so-called Dao Foundation is when an Innate Qi Refiner tempers their Essence, Qi, and Spirit to Perfection, combining them into one to form True Essence."

"Break the Nine Acupoints, and True Qi reaches Perfection; cultivate a True Body, and Essence becomes abundant. But the Primordial Spirit alone is difficult to temper."

Pei Jingque sighed.

"Without an indomitable heart and a will that remains unshaken even if the heavens fall, how difficult it is to take that step."

’Essence, Qi, and Spirit as one.’

’True Essence?’

Pei Jingque seemed particularly sentimental today. Zhu Ju’s eyes flickered, and he took the opportunity to ask some questions about Cultivation.

Pei Jingque answered them one by one.

As an Eight Acupoints Innate cultivator and a Core True Inheritance disciple of the Dragon Head Lineage, her knowledge far surpassed that of an ordinary person.

"The Earth Evil True Body is divided into Entry Level, Minor Success, Great Success, and Perfection. At the Perfection Realm, the Earth Evil True Body can withstand a direct hit from a Middle Grade Spiritual Artifact without taking damage."

"There are many Immortal Sects in Dazhou. In terms of Body Tempering alone, the Earth Evil True Body is considered upper-middle tier among them all!"

"How does it compare to the Celestial Spirit Treasure Body?" Zhu Ju asked.

"Naturally, it’s inferior," Pei Jingque said.

"You can think of it this way: the Earth Evil True Body at the Perfection Realm is equivalent to the Celestial Spirit Treasure Body at the Great Success Realm."

’That...’

’The gap is pretty big!’

"Martial Arts Will can temper the Primordial Spirit and strengthen one’s Divine Soul Power."

"The Ghost God Limit you practice, Junior Brother, is a top-tier Martial Skill for tempering the Primordial Spirit. If you can master the Seven Great Limits, you will have solidified the foundation for your Dao Foundation and Primordial Spirit."

"By the same token,"

she continued,

"if your Primordial Spirit is strong, your Cultivation of the Ghost God Limit will also progress by leaps and bounds, and you could even break past the Seven Great Limits."

Realization dawned on Zhu Ju.

’No wonder!’

’No wonder I’ve cultivated the Ghost God Limit so quickly, mastering the Fourth Limit in just a few short years. It’s not at all as difficult as the books described.’

’Everyone who cultivates the Ghost God Limit is exceptionally talented. The reason I’m even faster than them must be because of my powerful Primordial Spirit.’

"Some things are hard to explain with words."

Pei Jingque thought for a moment, then reached out and grabbed Zhu Ju’s hand. Her beautiful eyes lit up, and her long hair floated up behind her as if in a windless space.

"Junior Brother, feel this."

BOOM!

A vast and domineering aura suddenly erupted from Pei Jingque, clearly transmitting through their point of contact.

Vast!

Boundless!

Powerful!

...

In that moment, the Pei Jingque before him was no longer a delicate woman in his perception, but a terrifying ’Deity’.

Before her, the True Men and Demons of the Magic World were like toddlers; she could probably shatter them with a single slap.

Her boundless aura merged with the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi, rising and falling with her every breath like an unending tide.

’Celestial Spirit Technique?’

’Compared to the Earth Evil Mysterious Skill, the Celestial Spirit Technique’s connection to the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi is deeper, more subtle, and far more powerful.’

’If she took one more step, a single thought from her could probably change the color of the sky and earth.’

Her vast True Qi surged, and a good portion of it was being drawn by the Flying Ship beneath their feet to power its flight.

To Pei Jingque, the True Qi required to pilot the Flying Ship wasn’t much, but it left Zhu Ju inwardly shocked.

’If it were him...’

’...he’d be sucked dry in a dozen breaths.’

’If an Innate Qi Refiner who has broken Eight Acupoints is this powerful, then what would one who has broken Nine Acupoints be like?’

’Hm?’

’Is Senior Sister really just at Eight Acupoints Innate?’

An unknown amount of time passed.

"We’re here!"

Pei Jingque’s voice rang in his ears, pulling Zhu Ju back to his senses. He focused his eyes and saw they had arrived at the Marketplace.

"Junior Brothers, aside from the Sect’s mission, I also have to visit a few fellow cultivators on this trip to the Marketplace."

Pei Jingque put away the Flying Ship and looked at the crowd.

"I won’t be returning for a while. If you can’t wait, you can leave on your own."

"Yes."

"Understood, Senior Sister."

Everyone present nodded in agreement.

Ever since the Bright Void Sect annihilated the Five Poison and slaughtered the Tribulation Cultivators, making a name for itself, very few people dared to provoke its disciples.

Besides,

for an Innate Qi Refiner, the journey from the Marketplace to the Bright Void Sect was only a day’s travel. It wasn’t far.

There was no need to travel together.

This trip was the same. In the past, the Flying Ship would have been crowded, but this time there were only about ten people scattered aboard.

"Senior Sister," the group replied. Only Zhu Ju hesitated for a moment before asking:

"When do you think you’ll be heading back?"

"..." Pei Jingque was taken aback.

"Probably in about a month. Are you going to wait for me, Junior Brother?"

"Yes," Zhu Ju nodded.

"I’m not in a hurry to go back. When you’re about to leave, Senior Sister, please remember to send me a message so we can travel together."

"Uh..." Pei Jingque rubbed her temples, recalling a joke Zhongli Changuang had made.

’Could Junior Brother Zhu actually have a crush on me?’

"Alright."

Watching Zhu Ju’s figure walk into the Marketplace, Pei Jingque could only give a wry smile before summoning her Flying Ship and flying off into the distance.

*

*

*

The Xiao Family Marketplace had been in operation for several hundred years. It boasted over twenty shops that were a century old, and its goods were not only abundant but also comprehensive.

Even Dao Foundation Cultivators would sometimes appear in the Marketplace.

The Bright Void Sect’s marketplace, after all, had only just been established. In terms of resources and heritage, it couldn’t compare for now.

With plenty of Spirit Stones, Zhu Ju frequented several shops. In just two days, he had gathered all the remaining materials needed to refine the Soul-Shocking Bell. He even bought extra, just in case.

「In the residence’s Quiet Chamber.」

Zhu Ju sat cross-legged on a cushion. He tapped the center of his forehead with one hand, and a copper bell slowly drifted out from his Sea of Consciousness.

Because of the special nature of the Spirit Jade Bell Embryo, although the Soul-Shocking Bell was not a High Grade Spiritual Artifact, it could still be stored inside the body.

Tucked away within the Divine Soul, no less.

Even a Dao Foundation Cultivator, unless they used a Soul-Searching and Soul-Seizing Secret Technique, would not be able to detect its presence.

The unfinished Soul-Shocking Bell, looking ethereal and illusory, floated in mid-air.

Reaching out to touch it lightly, its surface immediately rippled, and a chime that only the Divine Soul could perceive rang out.

SWISH!

Zhu Ju tossed an object into the air. With a soft puff of True Qi, the two items began to slowly merge.

With the Spirit Jade Bell Embryo, the Soul-Shocking Bell was already more than halfway complete. The rest of the Artifact Refining process could be done by following the steps.

「Half a month later.」

An ancient, bronze-colored bell that could change size appeared before him, bobbing up and down with his thoughts.

"Return!"

With a flick of a Spell, the Soul-Shocking Bell plunged into his Sea of Consciousness and vanished.

The Middle Grade Spiritual Artifact, the Soul-Shocking Bell.

Complete!

’I wonder if it can replace the Three Professions Purification Bell from Longmen Temple?’

’Its effects...’

’...what will they be like?’

Suppressing the stray thoughts in his mind, Zhu Ju’s expression turned serious. He formed a Seal Technique with his hands and silently began to circulate the Celestial Dragon Eight Sounds.

"Huo!"

No sound came from his mouth.

But sonic waves rippled through his Sea of Consciousness.

In the next instant.

"Huo!"

As the Soul-Shocking Bell trembled lightly, a vast sonic wave swept out from his Forehead Ancestral Acupoint, surging throughout his entire body.

Organs, Skin and Flesh, fascia, bone marrow...

The hundreds of acupoints trembled!

A tingling numbness spread through him as the hidden injuries to his Physical Body, caused by taking pills and his Cultivation, were silently cleared.

Even the hidden Acupoints within his body began to loosen.

’It worked!’

Zhu Ju’s eyes flew open, his face overcome with ecstasy.

The effects of the Soul-Shocking Bell had exceeded all his expectations.

This meant that when completing the Innate Nine Acupoints Realm, he could save at least half the time compared to others.

This also meant that as long as someone reached the Innate Realm before the age of thirty, with the help of the Celestial Dragon Eight Sounds and the Soul-Shocking Bell, they could break open all Nine Acupoints within their lifetime and have a chance at assailing the Dao Foundation Realm.

Furthermore,

even if someone reached the Innate Realm after thirty, when their Acupoints were blocked and difficult to open, they might not be without a chance to advance further.

For all the Innate Qi Refiners in the Cultivation Realm, the combination of the Celestial Dragon Eight Sounds and the Soul-Shocking Bell was enough to defy fate and change one’s destiny.

’If news of this gets out...’

’...it will cause a tidal wave of chaos throughout the entire Cultivation Realm!’

"Hooo..."

He let out a long, turbid breath, the fervent look on his face slowly receding as his agitated heart gradually calmed.

"I never thought I’d have such a talent for Artifact Refining. I could probably make a living as an Artifact Refiner in the future."

Artifact Refining.

Engraving Magic Patterns, minute control, sensing the right timing with heat—none of these were difficult for someone with a powerful Divine Soul.

Even if the Soul-Shocking Bell wasn’t difficult to refine, it was still a Middle Grade Spiritual Artifact, and Zhu Ju had barely wasted any materials.

This was a clear testament to his talent for Artifact Refining.

SWISH!

With a light wave of his wide sleeve, a series of materials appeared one after another.

Since he now had the time, Zhu Ju planned to refine another Magical Artifact.

A Low Grade Spiritual Artifact—the Blinding Banner!

This would lay the foundation for refining the Dust Banner in the future.

The Blinding Banner was a relatively low-level Magical Artifact. It could emit a halo of light that confused the senses, used to affect an opponent.

The key was,

refining this item didn’t require the aid of a Spirit Fire.

"Profound Light Stone, Blinding Rune, Spirit Wood Heart, Colorful Cloud Brocade..."

"Go!"

All the materials tumbled in the air, slowly merging with one another under his control, following the Method described in the Artifact Refining Truth.

The sound of CRACKLING and POPPING rang out from time to time.

Time passed.

SWISH!

A palm-sized banner appeared in Zhu Ju’s hand.

"A piece of cake!"