Chapter 59: Searching for Spirit Techniques

The primordial core, tempered by lightning, was now crystal clear.

Faint traces of Dao principles could be seen flowing within it, carrying an unfathomable aura.

"A heavenly tribulation?!"

"Why is there a heavenly tribulation? And right here on Moonchill Peak?"

"Could someone be breaking through to the Primordial Core realm?!"

The disciples of Moonchill Peak stared in shock toward the summit of the peak.

A figure naturally emerged in their minds—Lu Changfeng.

Standing at the edge of the precipice, Ye Yunlan watched the countless bolts of tribulation lightning gradually dissipate.

A nameless sense of loss flickered deep within her eyes.

"Sigh..."

As the thunder vanished, the colorful auspicious clouds in the sky slowly receded behind the veil.

Lu Changfeng's primordial core drifted downward and he swallowed it back into his body.

The moment it entered his stomach, Lu Changfeng's body trembled violently, and the cultivation level within him surged forward without end.

He slightly furrowed his brow, as if he had not anticipated such an occurrence.

The next instant, he formed hand seals with both hands, suppressing the surging, violent energy within his body.

Although his cultivation realm technically remained at the first layer of the Primordial Core, any practitioner of profound strength could tell at a glance that he was vastly different from ordinary cultivators.

His spiritual qi was far denser, and the aura he inadvertently leaked out was comparable to that of a sixth-layer Primordial Core cultivator.

Lu Changfeng exhaled a breath of stale air and opened his eyes.

A piercing brilliance flashed within them, and a formidable might rippled outward in all directions.

This was merely the result of him not yet fully adapting to his newfound strength—a completely normal phenomenon.

Within just two breaths, he successfully reined in his overwhelming aura.

Now, he looked once again like an ordinary cultivator at the first layer of the Primordial Core.

"Not bad!"

"Your primordial core has far exceeded my expectations!"

Yue Qingshuang nodded slightly and said, "It seems your Heaven-tier cultivation method is no less inferior to mine!"

A profound light gleamed in her eyes.

Lu Changfeng smiled and bowed slightly.

"Thank you, Master!"

Even while undergoing the breakthrough, he had been able to sense the spiritual qi around him fluctuating between dense and sparse.

He understood that having a sufficient supply of spiritual qi was inseparable from Yue Qingshuang's assistance.

At the same time, a subtle emotion stirred in his heart.

"Alright!"

Yue Qingshuang waved her hand and said, "Since you have already broken through, go back and properly consolidate your foundation!"

"The competition for the upcoming Daoyan Secret Realm will be quite fierce."

Lu Changfeng nodded slightly, then bowed with cupped hands and walked out of the room.

Just as he reached the doorway, Yue Qingshuang's voice sounded from behind him:

"When fighting others in the future, it is best not to casually reveal your primordial core."

Lu Changfeng turned around, nodded, and replied, "I understand!"

...

When Lu Changfeng returned to his own cave dwelling, he immediately felt the lingering ripples of a cultivation breakthrough echoing within the space.

"Finally! I've broken through!"

Zhou Xuantong's excited voice rang out from inside the cave.

Lu Changfeng nodded slightly and, without hesitation, slowly walked inward.

The momentum of Zhou Xuantong's breakthrough was not particularly large, and the swirling spiritual qi quickly settled back into calm.

"Not bad!"

"You've already reached the ninth layer of the Meridian-Opening realm?!"

Lu Changfeng walked into the cave, looked at Zhou Xuantong, and nodded approvingly.

Upon hearing Lu Changfeng's words, Zhou Xuantong's face lit up with joy as he turned around and said, "Senior Brother, you're finally back!"

With that, his expression turned solemn as he bowed deeply and said, "I owe all my achievements today entirely to Senior Brother!"

"If you hadn't been willing to lend me your cave dwelling for cultivation, how could I have ever progressed so quickly?"

Hearing this, Lu Changfeng waved his hand dismissively and said, "All of this is the reward of your own hard work. It has very little to do with me."

Zhou Xuantong opened his mouth as if to say more, but Lu Changfeng cut him off first.

"Alright, let's drop this subject."

"How much do you know about the Daoyan Secret Realm?"

If he hadn't stopped Zhou Xuantong right then, the fellow could have gone on talking endlessly. Thus, Lu Changfeng terminated the topic in time.

"The Daoyan Secret Realm?"

Zhou Xuantong stroked his stubble, pondered for a moment, and replied, "Senior Brother, you know as well as I do that I don't have the qualifications to enter the secret realm myself."

"Still, I've heard others discuss it here and there!"

He raised his head to glance at Lu Changfeng and continued, "This Daoyan Secret Realm is a genuine, independent space!"

"It possesses its own set of laws and rules; the Moonchill Spiritual Pool and the Sword-Hiding Valley simply cannot compare to it!"

"Oh?"

Lu Changfeng nodded slightly and calmly said, "Tell me in detail what is inside—or at least everything you know about it."

"Yes!"

Zhou Xuantong acknowledged, nodding as he explained, "The Daoyan Secret Realm was originally established for the purpose of tempering disciples!"

"Trying to absorb ambient spiritual qi within it is impossible unless you hunt and slay demonic beasts!"

"Oh?"

Lu Changfeng nodded calmly. "The grade of this Daoyan Secret Realm is indeed quite high. To think it actually contains living creatures!"

For a secret realm, the presence or absence of living creatures is a distinct dividing line.

The former can truly be called a secret realm, while the latter is clearly nothing more than a ruined site.

Zhou Xuantong rubbed his sideburns and explained, "Well... I'm not entirely sure if they count as truly living creatures!"

"According to other senior brothers and senior sisters... these living entities are actually creatures spontaneously manifested by the laws of the Daoyan Secret Realm itself."

"The most important thing is to pay attention to their cultivation levels!"

The chubby youth glanced at Lu Changfeng and said, "Some of these demonic beasts are already at the peak of the Revolving Heaven realm even in their infancy."

"If they reach adulthood, they are even more terrifying!"

Lu Changfeng nodded slightly and continued to ask, "Then do you know what those who entered the secret realm in the past brought back with them?"

Zhou Xuantong nodded slightly, then shook his head.

Seeing Lu Changfeng's puzzled expression, he scratched his head awkwardly and said, "Actually, I don't know either, because they all tend to keep their spoils a secret."

"I see."

Lu Changfeng nodded upon hearing this.

He did not press Zhou Xuantong further on the matter, as his primary goal was simply to understand what kind of environment the secret realm would present.

A dozen days later.

Outside the entrance of the Scripture Pavilion.

Zhou Xuantong walked alongside Lu Changfeng with an eager and attentive expression.

Today, the two of them had come to select suitable spiritual techniques for themselves.

After exchanging customary greetings with the elder guarding the entrance, Lu Changfeng led Zhou Xuantong up to the seventh floor.

The divine abilities, spiritual techniques, and secret manuals located here were permitted to be borrowed by cultivators of the Primordial Core realm!

After browsing the sword-cultivation section for a long time, none of the sword techniques caught Lu Changfeng's eye.

He casually picked up an Earth-tier low-grade sword manual and said, "Let's go."

"There isn't anything particularly good here."

Gazing at the ancient manual in his hand, Zhou Xuantong said with a look of envy, "The Crimson Flame Sword Technique!"

"Senior Brother, this sword manual is already exceptional; many disciples have cultivated it."

"With your cultivation driving this sword technique, you will surely slaughter your way through the secret realm!"