Chapter 574 572: Breaking Through to the Celestial Pool

The war on Dongchen was over. Only a few remnants of the Cyan Armor Race remained, scurrying about like rats and not daring to show their faces.

The local forces of Dongchen were more than capable of handling such a minor issue.

As for Luo Tian, he had lingered on Dongchen long enough. It was time for him to depart!

Upon learning of this, the Yunxiao Sect Master organized a farewell banquet for Luo Tian and the two Mu Family Elders.

When word of this got out...

Countless influential figures from the Southern, Western, Northern, and Central Domains emerged, traveling great distances just to see Luo Tian off!

Anyone who didn't know the situation might have thought another war was about to break out on Dongchen.

In an instant, the Yunxiao Sect was mobbed, surrounded on all sides!

Only a few at the Peak Tier of the Earth Element Realm, or those with extraordinary status, were granted the opportunity to enter the Upper Sect for the farewell banquet.

At the farewell banquet.

Luo Tian and the two Mu Family Elders became the center of attention, with everyone vying to offer them a toast.

Luo Tian quickly let go of his inhibitions and enjoyed himself to the fullest.

After all, he might never have the chance to return again.

After the farewell banquet.

The Sect Leader led Luo Tian and the two Mu Family Elders to a hidden ancient hall on the rear mountain.

"Luo Tian, which faction did you join in the Outer World?" the Yunxiao Sect Master asked.

Previously, he had only managed to ask Luo Tian about the situations of Cheng Wanli, Ye Feng, and Yi Jingwen.

He had been about to ask about Luo Tian's circumstances but was interrupted.

The Yunxiao Sect Master had only just remembered.

"The Tai Yuan Sect."

Luo Tian replied simply.

"With your aptitude, it's only natural that you'd enter the Tai Yuan Sect."

The Yunxiao Sect Master was not at all surprised by this answer. He then added with a smile, "If Wanli can become as outstanding as you, I'll be able to rest easy."

Although both Cheng Wanli and Luo Tian were in the Tai Yuan Sect, the Yunxiao Sect Master felt that Cheng Wanli likely hadn't made as much progress as Luo Tian.

"Hahaha, I'm afraid that's impossible. Even in the Tai Yuan Sect, Luo Tian is a peerless genius, the most valued True Disciple in the entire Sect!"

The red-faced middle-aged man couldn't help but laugh.

For a small place like the Dongchen Continent to produce a peerless genius like Luo Tian was already a miracle of epic proportions.

Few in the entire Broken-star Realm could compare to Luo Tian's talent and potential.

If just anyone could be as exceptional as Luo Tian, the world would be in chaos.

HISS!

Hearing this, the Yunxiao Sect Master gasped, his face filled with shock.

Cheng Wanli had apparently only entered the Tai Yuan Sect on a probationary basis, his status negligible.

But Luo Tian was a True Disciple of the Tai Yuan Sect!

As a Sect Leader himself, he instantly understood the immense gap between their positions.

He immediately suppressed the shock in his heart.

'Isn't all of this perfectly logical?'

'Clearly, my own perspective has been too limited. I've underestimated Luo Tian.'

The three of them walked to the array platform in the center of the hall.

"Farewell."

Luo Tian sighed softly.

This single word was meant for the Sect Leader, but also for the Yunxiao Sect and the entire Dongchen Continent.

VMMMM-BOOM!

The array beneath their feet erupted, sending a magnificent, dazzling silver pillar of light soaring into the heavens.

The figures of Luo Tian and the two elders vanished without a trace!

...

In the blink of an eye, Luo Tian and the two elders had left Dongchen and arrived in the Outer Void.

It was as dark and silent as ever, with faint currents of wind drifting through the void.

As for the Dongchen Continent, it was close by, but one would never find it without looking very carefully.

The Dongchen Continent was a Secret Realm hidden in the void, its location ever-changing.

The invading forces of the Cyan Armor Race had been annihilated. Only a few scattered remnants remained, incapable of causing any real trouble or even calling for reinforcements.

In other words, if the Cyan Armor Race out in the Cosmos wanted to send another army, they would have to expend a great deal of time and effort just to find the continent again.

Luo Tian didn't believe the Cyan Armor Race had the manpower for such an endeavor.

In short, the Cyan Armor Race was no longer a threat.

The real issue was the Sea Demon Palace!

The Cyan Armor Race was merely a subordinate faction of the Sea Demon Palace, ordered to attack Dongchen.

The Sea Demon Palace had many such subordinate factions.

'But the Sea Demon Palace's real target is me. They won't remain fixated on Dongchen forever...'

Luo Tian was crystal clear on this point.

The danger to the Dongchen Continent had been mostly resolved.

Luo Tian, on the other hand, was constantly being targeted by the Sea Demon Palace and could be ambushed at any moment.

This made Luo Tian feel even more strongly that leaving this area and heading for the distant "Pale Ring" was an excellent choice.

But before that, there was one thing Luo Tian needed to do.

"You two should head back. Our paths diverge here."

Luo Tian said to the two Mu Family Elders, then retrieved some Spiritual Materials from his Storage Items.

Upon seeing the Spiritual Materials, the eyes of the two Mu Family Elders lit up, and they immediately took them.

The second half of their payment was now settled.

"If you have any needs in the future, Luo, you can always find us," the red-faced elder said with a smile.

This trip with Luo Tian had taken nearly two years and involved no significant danger, yet the rewards were astounding!

They wouldn't mind a few more jobs like this.

But they knew that was unlikely.

The red-faced elder wasn't even confident he could defeat Luo Tian now, so what need would Luo Tian have to hire them as bodyguards again?

After they parted ways.

Luo Tian took out a rather simple Void Ship and began his journey.

「Two and a half months later.」

He arrived at the Martial City Spirit Hall managed by Hall Master Shang.

"Luo Tian, you're here!"

Hall Master Shang greeted him warmly.

The last time he'd learned Luo Tian's true identity, he hadn't even had the chance to properly thank him before Luo Tian had rushed off.

However, it seemed he wouldn't get the chance this time either.

"Hall Master Shang, I'm sure you've heard about the bounty the Sea Demon Palace has on my head. I'm here to purchase two items, and then I must leave immediately..."

Luo Tian declined Hall Master Shang's offer of hospitality.

"Please, tell me what you need, Luo."

Hall Master Shang took a deep breath and nodded.

Being a peerless genius also meant facing commensurate risks.

He suspected it wasn't just the Sea Demon Palace that wanted Luo Tian dead; the Barbarian King Hall likely had similar intentions.

"A Void Ship with Celestial Level speed, and one Celestial Essence Pill!"

"Of course. Leave it to me," Hall Master Shang said with a smile.

But his smile suddenly froze, replaced by a look of astonishment. "A Celestial Essence Pill?"

That was a Spirit Pill that aided breakthroughs to the Celestial Pool Realm—incredibly expensive and highly sought-after!

'Is Luo Tian buying this pill to make a push for the Celestial Pool Realm?'

'How long has it been? How young is he? And he's already planning to break into the Celestial Pool Realm?'

Hall Master Shang didn't press the issue and immediately instructed his subordinates to get it done.

「Three days later.」

Everything was ready.

"Here is the Celestial Essence Pill. Your Void Ship is docked outside the Martial City Spirit Hall," Hall Master Shang said, taking out a jade bottle and handing it to Luo Tian.

"This is for the Void Ship and the Celestial Essence Pill."

Luo Tian accepted the jade bottle, left a small storage item behind, and departed.

When Hall Master Shang opened the storage item, his expression froze!

Inside were nine hundred thousand Spiritual Essence Coins!

The truth was, he had fronted the money for the Void Ship and the Celestial Essence Pill, using up nearly all of his personal savings!

He had done so partly to repay a favor and partly to build a connection with Luo Tian.

He never expected that Luo Tian wouldn't accept a single coin from him.

'Wait, how did he know I spent nine hundred thousand Spiritual Essence Coins on the Void Ship and the Celestial Essence Pill?'

Realizing this, Hall Master Shang was even more astonished.

To be precise, he had actually spent eight hundred eighty thousand Spiritual Essence Coins!

Seven hundred thousand for the Void Ship and one hundred eighty thousand for the Celestial Essence Pill!

Luo Tian quickly went outside the Martial City Spirit Hall, where one of Hall Master Shang's subordinates handed the Void Ship over to him!

It was a dark cyan Void Ship, eighty meters long, its surface covered in a scale-like pattern, giving it a quaint and elegant appearance.

In the Outer Void, the ship's top speed was equivalent to that of a Celestial Pool Realm Fourth Layer cultivator!

For everyday use, Luo Tian would never have been so extravagant. But he was about to undertake a long journey to the Pale Ring and had to be fully prepared!

This expensive Void Ship was very much to his liking.

After boarding the ship, Luo Tian departed swiftly.

He set the Void Ship on a slow course in a general direction.

He then entered the Cultivation Secret Room to begin his seclusion.

'Time to break through to the Celestial Pool Realm!'

Luo Tian took out several rare Spiritual Materials, a large quantity of Spiritual Essence Coins, and the Celestial Essence Pill.

The basic requirement for breaking through to the Celestial Pool Realm was comprehending a complete True Intent, a milestone Luo Tian had reached a long, long time ago.

He began to circulate the Celestial Essence Water Condensation Technique, activated his Nether Dragon Divine Vein, and commenced his Cultivation.

Time trickled by slowly.

The cyan Void Ship sailed quietly and slowly through the Outer Void. Along the way, several groups of pirates spotted the ship and decided to rob it.

However, despite their best efforts, they couldn't even breach the Void Ship's Defense Shield. Terrified, they quickly fled.

Luo Tian, inside the ship, remained oblivious to the outside world.

He was completely immersed in his Cultivation.

One after another, the precious Spiritual Materials turned to ash!

Within his Qi Sea Primordial Pool.

The vast, pale cyan Primordial Pool seemed to have expanded to its absolute limit. The True Essence within roiled and spun, crashing against the Primordial Pool Wall!

CRACK!

At a certain moment, a hairline crack appeared on the Primordial Pool Wall!

Luo Tian didn't stop, continuing his Cultivation!

「Ten days later.」

A dozen more cracks had appeared on the Primordial Pool.

「One month later!」

The Primordial Pool was completely covered in cracks!

Under normal circumstances, any Earth Level Martial Artist whose Primordial Pool ended up in this state would be scared to tears.

But breaking through from the Earth Element Realm to the Celestial Pool Realm was a process of destruction and rebirth!

Shatter the Primordial Pool to forge the Celestial Pool!

At this moment, Luo Tian's attempt to break into the Celestial Pool Realm had reached its most critical juncture.

He immediately swallowed the Celestial Essence Pill.

This Pill could increase his chance of success by about forty percent.

「A few days later.」

KRA-POW!

The Primordial Pool within his Qi Sea shattered completely, its fragments flaking away.

But as the Primordial Pool Wall flaked away, it revealed a brand-new pool within. It was a pristine white, like jade, emitting a hazy glimmer and a faint, ethereal mist!

At the same time.

The True Essence in the White Jade Pool began to boil, and a mist drifted out from it.

His entire Qi Sea became shrouded in a layer of pale, whitish-blue mist, resembling a celestial paradise.

WHOOSH!

The level of True Essence in the White Jade Pool slowly fell until only a shallow layer remained at the bottom.

Yet that shallow layer of liquid True Essence was crystal clear and sparkling, dazzling to behold.

This was the all-new True Essence, refined after his breakthrough to the Celestial Pool Realm!

The Martial Venerate Level Technique Luo Tian cultivated, the Celestial Essence Water Condensation Technique, had a unique breakthrough method. The new True Essence he had just refined was even more condensed and powerful than that of an ordinary cultivator at the Celestial Pool Realm Second Layer!

'Success!'

Luo Tian breathed a small sigh of relief.

He had finally broken through to the "Celestial Pool Realm" and become a "Celestial Level Martial Artist"!

And Luo Tian wasn't even thirty years old!

From what Luo Tian had seen and heard, breaking through to the Celestial Level at fifty years old in the Broken-star Realm was already considered an astonishing feat.

He had never even heard of a Celestial Level Martial Artist who was only thirty.

Luo Tian had no idea how many records in the Broken-star Realm he had just shattered.

Not that he cared!

He was more focused on the fact that with this increase in his Cultivation, his overall strength had experienced a qualitative leap!

Luo Tian could also feel a transformative improvement on a spiritual level!

He felt that his Creation Technique was ready to break through to the Fourth-Layer at any moment.