In a corner of the Endless Fog, a faint golden light glimmered, illuminating the entire area. Strangely enough, that light failed to draw the attention of any Abyssal Beast.
Shenwu Qing stood before Yun Wuji, gripping her sword while extending her senses cautiously. Her eyes never left him, as if she were standing guard to protect him.
Half an hour earlier, Yun Wuji had suddenly told her that he was about to break through and sat down to cultivate without another word.
Suddenly, a rotating golden pagoda appeared above his head. Moments later, a soft layer of golden light spread over Yun Wuji's entire body.
"What is this?" Shenwu Qing thought as she stared at the golden pagoda above his head. At first, it only gave off a faint golden glow, but as time passed, the light grew denser and brighter, gleaming like real gold. At the same time, Yun Wuji's body, bathed in that radiance, seemed as if it were forged from pure gold, almost as if he were turning into a Golden Buddha.
In the God Realm, the Heretic God Body endured the nine-stage lightning tribulation and advanced into the fifth stage of the Great Way of the Buddha. Later, during his time in the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm, he managed to reach the sixth stage.
As for his main body, after failing to summon the lightning tribulation that feared him and abandoning the idea of devouring the Flame God Realm's Divine Vein, Yun Wuji spent his years in the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm accumulating energy to break through the Fifth Stage and later the Sixth.
Now, both Yun Wuji's main body and the Heretic God Body were breaking through simultaneously, having absorbed enough energy from Abyssal Crystals and Abyssal Beasts.
According to the memories left behind by the Rage God, the Sixth Stage was the highest realm a human cultivating the Great Way of the Buddha could ever attain. It was said to be the closest a mortal could come to becoming a God.
Everything beyond the Sixth Stage was believed to be unreachable by any human. Only a True God could step into that forbidden domain.
Suddenly, as time went on, a change occurred that left Shenwu Qing stunned, her eyes widening in disbelief. Yun Wuji's hair began to fall out like that of a cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy, and his skin started to peel away in a strange manner, far more exaggerated than a snake shedding its skin.
As his old skin fell away, a new layer emerged beneath it, pure white and flawless, even whiter than a baby's. His hair began to grow again, thicker and darker than before, carrying a faint shine that gleamed under the golden light.
A golden flame enveloped Yun Wuji, and in an instant, it burned away the shed skin and fallen hair.
Shenwu Qing stared at the scene, her mouth slightly open. After the transformation, Yun Wuji's already absurdly handsome face became even more impossible to describe, more captivating and dazzling than ever. Shenwu Qing couldn't take her eyes off him, and when she suddenly felt something wet at the corner of her lips, she reached up and wiped away the trail of drool without even looking.
Every time Yun Wuji's Great Way of the Buddha advanced to the next stage, his life aura would undergo a transformation. But this time, his change was on a scale entirely unlike anything seen in the previous stages.
His life cycle, his blood flow, his breathing, his senses, every aspect of him had been completely transformed.
His body, already strong, had become even tougher, firmer, and harder!
Yun Wuji stood up, raising his arms to examine his transformation in silence. With this new body, opening God Ash would likely no longer harm him, and he could maintain it for a considerable time without fearing his body collapsing.
The changes granted by each breakthrough had been remarkable in the past, but this time they were immeasurably greater by every standard.
Each breakthrough granted the user enhanced healing and regenerative abilities, and this stage was no different. If one could cultivate to the Seventh Stage, even severe physical injuries such as broken arms, bodily impairments, or blindness could be fully regenerated.
This, however, was of little significance to Yun Wuji, who had already cultivated the Divine Miracle of Life to its peak.
"Congratulations, Big Brother Wuji!" Shenwu Qing snapped out of her daze and rushed to him, her cheerful smile bright as she tried to hide the blush on her cheeks.
"Thanks," Yun Wuji said with a faint nod and a light smile. Shenwu Qing's reaction did not surprise him, for both Helian Lingzhu and Shenwu Youluan had shown the exact same expression when they witnessed his main body reach the Seventh Stage.
"This is a great occasion, Big Brother Wuji, we have to celebrate!" Shenwu Qing said as she reached for his shoulder, patting it several times while leaning closer, the way she acted showing how familiar the two had already become despite only meeting a few weeks ago.
"Let me guess, you want me to cook the dishes again, right?" Yun Wuji asked, rolling his eyes.
"Hmm! But of course!" Shenwu Qing replied matter-of-factly, her eyes gleaming. "I don't know how to cook, and it would be bad if that crazy woman Shenwu Yanye found out I'm traveling with a man, so we can't go to any restaurant."
"...Now that you put it that way, it does sound reasonable," Yun Wuji said, shaking his head with a chuckle.
"Because what I said is reasonable!"
...
After feeding the ever more gluttonous Shenwu Qing, Yun Wuji took her out to battle more Abyssal Beasts that matched her level.
"As someone who cultivates the Lightning Law, I'm sure you practice a powerful profound art," Yun Wuji said while lecturing her, sitting atop the carcass of a giant beast. "However, you still haven't reached the highest level of the Lightning Law."
Rumble!
"The highest level?" Shenwu Qing asked as she darted in a zigzag motion, leaving behind a trail of purple lightning while striking at the beast pursuing her.
"Yes," Yun Wuji replied. "Right now, you're only using purple lightning. It's powerful, but still far too weak compared to what lies beyond." He stretched out his open palm, and blood-crimson lightning crackled to life from it.
The tiny crimson bolt shot out almost instantaneously, striking the beast Shenwu Qing was fighting. The creature didn't even have time to roar before crashing to the ground, its charred body twitching faintly.
"C-crimson lightning?" Shenwu Qing's eyes widened. She had only ever seen her seniors at the Divine Limit Realm, like Shenwu Youluan, use it. It was said that only those who had comprehended the peak of the Lightning Law could wield such power.
Seeing Yun Wuji, who was only at the 8th Level Divine Master Realm, using it felt unreal to her. She quickly composed herself and exclaimed, "Big Brother Wuji, you never cease to amaze me! You're really incredible."
"Yeah, I know I'm awesome," Yun Wuji said with a calm nod. After all, he truly was. "I'm showing you this because starting today, I'll teach you how to cultivate the Lightning Law to its peak, before you reach the Divine Extinction Realm."
Yun Wuji had spent most of his life as a teacher, instructing many of his women in the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm. Some of them lacked exceptional talent, but with his frightening genius, even his teaching abilities were frightening.
Guiding someone like Shenwu Qing, who was already exceptionally gifted, to reach her full potential and even surpass it was effortless for him.
"Really? Is that even possible for me?" Shenwu Qing asked, uncertain if her talent was enough to actually achieve it.
"But of course. I will not only teach you how to use crimson lightning, but also white lightning," Yun Wuji said as he stood next to her, patting her head while speaking. He knew that although she appeared cheerful, she was still under immense pressure. The goal of reaching the Divine Extinction Realm was far too difficult for her.
It was an almost impossible goal. Yun Wuji knew from the novel that she had never succeeded, and that Shenwu Yanye had certainly punished her for her failure. In fact, Shenwu Qing never reached the Divine Extinction Realm until she was discarded by Shenwu Yanye and replaced by Xia Qingyue.
"White Lightning?" Shenwu Qing asked in disbelief. That was nothing but a legend, something no one had ever seen in the history of the Abyss. It was called the Heaven's Way Tribulation Lightning, or the Heaven's Wrath Lightning, the very lightning the Heaven's Way could send to annihilate all offenders!
"Yeah, just like this," Yun Wuji said, pointing his finger in a random direction. From his fingertip, a pure white lightning shot out, and when it struck far away, countless arcs of white lightning danced through the air, creating a massive explosion and a deafening rumble.
"This... this..." Shenwu Qing stood completely frozen, her wide eyes fixed on the scene. She turned to Yun Wuji and said, "B-big Brother Wuji, your genius is frightening!"
...
"How do you feel now?" Yun Wuji asked, withdrawing his hand.
Shenwu Youluan did not respond immediately. For some strange reason, her body trembled slightly and her breathing was a bit rough. When she opened her eyes, they were somewhat unfocused, only regaining their clarity after a moment.
'This feeling keeps getting better and better. At this rate, I'll get addicted~!' Gathering her scattered thoughts, Shenwu Youluan clenched her thighs together, as if afraid to reveal her flushed expression. She did not dare face Yun Wuji directly, so she stood with her back to him and said, "Thank you. I feel the curse will be purged very soon."
Nearly three weeks had passed, and after Yun Wuji's treatment, Shenwu Youluan's Eternal Night Death Wishing Mark would soon be completely removed.
"That's good," Yun Wuji said, feeling satisfied. He moved closer, patted her shoulder, and leaned toward her ear, speaking softly. "Soon, you will finally be free. That will certainly be an unforgettable moment."
"Hmm~!" Shenwu Youluan, still sensitive, nearly let out a moan but forced it back into her throat, trembling. 'What is this feeling?!' she thought.
'How cute!' Yun Wuji thought, but he did not continue teasing her. He pulled back and was about to head to his cultivation room when suddenly he sensed an incredibly strong presence approaching.
"Sword Demon Yun Wuji!" When the aura was still a few kilometers away, a cold, indifferent voice pierced through the barrier around the house and reached them. "Come out and fight me!"
**
Daddy's back! …I mean, Cockroach is back!
I am still dealing with the rental agency and the insurance company, who still have not sent an expert to check the car before deciding whether they will cover the expenses, or I have to pay for the repairs. Given it was a single-vehicle accident and not a collision with another car, I'll likely end up footing the bill.
A funny thing happened yesterday as well. I was walking back home, talking on the phone, when some random guy ran up from behind and snatched it right out of my hand.
Fortunately for me and unfortunately for the thief, my neighbor, who is a cop, happened to be coming back from his shift and saw what happened. He chased the guy down and caught him. I got my phone back, but still had to spend over two hours at the police station filing charges.
Really, misfortunes never come alone.
...
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