Chapter 74: journey to manesi capital

The door of the lower vault closed, Barry walked straight past the silent manufacturing lines, his coat draped over his arm as he descended into the deepest cavern pocket where the raw magic mineral veins were growing out of the bedrock. The air down here was incredibly warm and dense with pure energy, perfect for a high-tier cultivation session.

Barry sat down cross-legged right in front of the central mineral pile. With a single thought, he pulled out every single glowing spiritual stone he had looted from the supreme royal treasury, stacking them around his body until they formed a bright circle of light.

"System, initiate full absorption mode," Barry commanded closing his eyes. "Use all the stored gold coins and mineral assets to force the final transformation progress. I want a complete breakthrough ."

[System Notification: Advanced cultivation sequence activated, Barry!]

- Converting 80,000 Gold Coins and 500x Premium Spiritual Stones...

- Breakthrough Progress: 93%... 96%... 99%...]

[CRITICAL MILESTONE REACHED! Core pathways are undergoing supreme desmutation!]

A rush of pure spiritual energy erupted from the circle, pouring straight into his veins like liquid fire. Barry did not stay in his human clothes; his body dissolved into a flash golden light as he shifted entirely into his snake form. His scales grew twice as thick and hard, locking together, while the venom channels inside his fangs expanded to hold a much more lethal fluid density.

The energy inside his chest did not stop spinning. It compressed violently, forcing his mid-stage core to break apart and reshape itself into a massive, glowing sphere of pure Ascendant power. The pressure coming off his body was so immense that the solid rock walls of the cave began to crack.

[System Notification: Breakthrough Successful!]

[Host has officially reached the peak ascendant realm!]

- Attributes Locked: Enhanced Scale Armor, Supreme Core Poison.

- Skill Upgrade: [Divine Nurturing] damage output increased by 300%.

Barry opened his mouth, letting out a quiet hiss before his body snapped back into his human form. He stood up adjusting his, His physical strength felt completely natural and endless now, his energy pool expanded to a level that normal cultivators could only dream of. The peak of the Ascendant realm was finally secured.

Three weeks had passed in a single flash. Barry walked up the staircase, returning to the grand office on the upper floor.

Suzy was already standing near the desk, fully prepared for the journey. She wore her form-fitting battle outfit, her sword secured tightly to her utility belt loops, and her hair tied back elegantly. The moment Barry stepped through the doorway, her black eyes locked onto his posture, her features filling with pure shock as she felt the massive, crushing spiritual pressure coming off his muscles.

"Barry..." Suzy whispered, as he stepped up to her side. "Your energy... you didn’t just break through to the next stage. You hit the absolute peak of the Ascendant tier."

" Yeah it’s seems so ," Barry smiled as he picked up the travel travel maps from the table. "Our wallet is full, my core is ready, and the carriage is waiting downstairs."

Victor was standing at the palace gate as they walked out, "The transport path is clear, sir. Toby has secured the village warehouse, and my perimeter guards will hold the border lines until your return."

"Keep the business running, Victor," Barry said, clapping him on the shoulder before stepping into the luxury carriage.

Suzy sat down right next to him on the soft cushion, the doors closing as the horses started moving down the main track toward the border gates. The unhurried building phase in the outer valley was fully complete, the local kings were left far behind, and their carriage was finally moving at full speed toward the high-stakes trials of the Manesi Capital Summit.

The carriage wheels rolled smoothly along the outer mountain pass, leaving the borders of the outer valley far behind. Inside the compartment, the air was quiet. Barry sat comfortably on the soft cushion, his new black coat loose around his shoulders, while Suzy sat right next to him. Her hair moved gently with the motion of the carriage, and her hand rested near her sword.

"The spiritual density in these high ridges is already twice as high as the capital walls," Suzy said, looking out the glass window at the jagged peak structures. "It means we are getting close to the central province tracking lines."

"It’s a completely different market," Barry replied, a normal human expression showing on his features. "We need a larger operation to handle this scale."

Before Suzy could answer, the carriage slowed down to a sudden stop. The driver called out from front, his voice carrying a nervous tone. "Master There is an old man walking on foot right in the middle of the pass, and the northern path ahead is completely blocked by a group of armed fighters!"

Barry pushed the compartment door open and stepped down onto the track. Suzy followed right behind him.

A few paces ahead, an old man wearing a simple, traveling robe and carrying a bamboo walking stick was standing completely still. Surrounding him were ten high-tier rogue fighters wearing the luxury silk uniforms of an elite central clan. The leader of the rogues, a young man with a proud expression, lifted a weapon, pointing it straight at the old traveler’s chest.

"Hand over your storage sack, old fool!" the rogue leader shouted arrogantly. "Any unregistered traveler crossing this mountain line must pay a resource tax to the Iron Vanguard Clan!"

The old traveler just shook his head, a relaxed smile on his face. "I am just a simple wanderer traveling to the capital. I have no gold coins or spiritual stones to give you"

"Then your life is our today!" the rogue roared, coming forward with his weapon .

Barry did not hesitate. He wanted to test the exact limits of his newly acquired Peak Ascendant power. He did not draw his sword, Instead, he used his high physical movement speed to slide straight into the center of the conflict.