CHAPTER 708: CHAPTER 95: PERFORMING QI INTO BLADE, HUA DAN STAGE 2

Several attempts will ultimately lead to success. Even if the Golden Core is damaged and the elixir’s grade decreases, it doesn’t matter much to them. In any case, they will never again condense a True Imprint of Dharma Power in their lifetime. The difference between a Seventh-grade Elixir Formation and a Ninth-grade one is minor. Breaking through this barrier and reaching the Second Realm is far better than remaining as a cultivator in the First Realm of Hua Dan.

Zhang Yan pondered for a long time and decided to try another method.

This method mimicked those Third Grade Elixir Formation cultivators, who employed the slow, grinding "water mill" technique to wear away the barrier film bit by bit.

Having made up his mind, he settled his heart and spirit, revolving his Elixir Evil slowly against that shell membrane, grinding away at it incrementally. Each time he removed a bit, faint strands of turbid Qi would scatter outward.

To prevent this turbid Qi from lingering in his body and obstructing his cultivation, he drove it out. By operating the Elixir Evil, faint wisps of white Qi could be seen exhaling from his mouth and nose, swirling and drifting around him.

In the blink of an eye, three months had passed within the jade realm.

During these three months, he tried this method no fewer than ten times. Yet in the end, he discovered that this technique was still ineffective for him.

As his First-class Elixir Formation strengthened, the shell membrane had grown incredibly sturdy, tough on the inside and hard on the outside. Each attempt to grind it away would result in heavy losses to his Elixir Evil. The farther he progressed, the more Elixir Evil was required. By the time the membrane was nearly breached, the accumulated Elixir Evil would be entirely depleted.

However, if he stopped and turned the Golden Core again to regenerate Elixir Evil, the worn-away portions of the membrane would seal themselves back up.

Zhang Yan thought carefully, privately astonished.

This shell membrane could regenerate itself with just the presence of turbid Qi, never dispersing outside the body; each bit coalesced together without ever truly diminishing.

By contrast, any Elixir Evil that was depleted had to be painstakingly refined anew. Furthermore, the more Elixir Evil he amassed, the thicker the shell membrane grew as a result.

This indicated that, the more times a cultivator in the First Realm of Hua Dan used Elixir Evil, the thicker the shell membrane would become—eventually reaching a point where it became impossible to breach, no matter the abundance of Elixir Evil. If one did not seek opportunities to charge into the Second Realm early on, they would risk losing the chance entirely in the end.

As for those Third Grade Elixir Formation cultivators who managed to transcend this barrier, most did so thanks to the techniques and methods passed down by their masters, coupled with knowledge of how to manipulate Elixir Evil and leverage the principles of firmness and flexibility.

The records of such Dharma techniques also existed within the Jingluo Academy library, and Zhang Yan had read them. They were exceedingly intricate and comprehensive.

The type of Golden Core determined the method of breaking through its shell.

These techniques were the result of countless cultivators’ experimentation and accumulation over thousands, even tens of thousands, of years.

Some methods were even tailored to the number of years the Core had matured, requiring specific techniques depending on those specifics.

A Golden Core nurtured for thirty years had its own method. One cultivated for a full Jiazi cycle required a different set of instructions. Thus, as a disciple, one simply needed to select a suitable method and practice accordingly. So long as one’s luck wasn’t extraordinarily poor, more than half of cultivators could pass this hurdle.

Zhang Yan deliberated for some time and concluded that, since the previous two approaches were not feasible, there was only one path remaining to break through this barrier.

That was the method of "Transforming Qi into Blade"!

The so-called "Transforming Qi into Blade" involved mastering the balance of firm and flexible manipulation in Elixir Evil, utilizing the Yin Yang Transformation Technique to condense one’s essence into steel, transforming Qi into a sword to cleave the shell membrane with a single strike!

This required slowly maneuvering Elixir Evil, gathering it into one place and condensing it to a single point. There were no shortcuts to this method; it was merely a matter of arduous practice, achieving mastery through sheer repetition.

Elixir Evil, being vast and immense in nature, could transform freely. However, to compress it into a single point was a monumental challenge. The more abundant one’s Elixir Evil, the harder it became to achieve this, requiring meticulous refinement and repeated attempts—an effort that would drain countless effort and time.

As the saying goes, "Great strength finds it hard to handle delicate tasks." Someone capable of wielding a thousand-pound cudgel might not necessarily excel at delicately threading a needle. For Zhang Yan, with his First-class Elixir Formation and boundless, surging Elixir Evil, this task was undoubtedly more difficult. Compared to those with Second-grade Elixir Formations, his effort would need to be exponentially greater.

However, achieving this required repeatedly driving the Elixir Evil, condensing Qi continuously. In this process, the depletion of Elixir Evil and the generation of turbid Qi were inevitable, which in turn would further thicken the shell membrane.

In the Mingcang Sect, two previous cultivators with First-class Elixir Formations had only passed this trial thanks to inherited secret techniques and a sliver of good fortune. Even so, their journeys were treacherous beyond description.

Zhang Yan silently rejoiced. Fortunately, he possessed the Broken Jade and thus did not share these anxieties. For him, it was merely a matter of relentless practice.

Even if he failed once, a hundred times, a thousand times, or even ten thousand attempts later, he refused to believe he couldn’t grasp the method’s essence.

Resolute in his decision, Zhang Yan cast aside all distractions, committing every ounce of his heart and spirit solely to this endeavor.

Winter passed into spring, and the seasons changed. Unbeknownst to him, a year had already gone by. Yet within the jade realm, forty-odd years had passed in their entirety!

On this day, he suddenly opened his eyes, which gleamed brilliantly, sharp and imposing. After sitting silently for a moment, he declared with a booming voice: "What prison’s shackles can hold me?!"

With a sudden shout, his voice receded. He turned his Golden Core, drove the fierce Elixir Evil, and transformed Qi into a blade. With a single slash, the membrane was sliced!

A faint sound was heard, like a sharp blade cutting through flesh, slicing rotten wood. A barely discernible crack appeared across the shell membrane.

A fierce glint flashed in Zhang Yan’s eyes. With another roar, he unleashed an unstoppable surge of Elixir Evil outwards. With a resounding "boom," he suddenly felt as if an immense weight had been lifted from his chest. His body grew light and unrestrained, a profound sense of freedom welling up from within.

In that instant, he understood. From now on, he had cast off his shackles, broken through the barrier, and emerged from his shell, stepping firmly into the Second Realm of Hua Dan!

With the breaking of the shell barrier, his mana more than doubled. Zhang Yan could feel an overwhelming, boundless power coursing through his body. A slight movement seemed as if it could shake mountains.

Turning his Golden Core, he exhaled deeply. The Elixir Evil expelled a stream of turbid Qi from his body. From then on, it would never stagnate within him again.

He let out a hearty laugh, swept his broad sleeves, and opened the Array Gate, soaring out of the Little Pot Mirror.

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