The convoy slowly disappeared into the night, and Xiao Tian's gaze retracted.
With a gentle flick of his sleeve, their figures dissipated like smoke between heaven and earth, leaving only a faint, mysterious aura—as if they had never appeared at all.
---
Xiao Tian stood at the city gate of a city, while Zi Yao had been brought into the Eternal Heaven Realm by him.
On the city gate, two clear and grand characters were inscribed: Tianbei.
This was Tianbei City, where the Han Family—Han Yue's family—was located. It was situated in the Northern Region of Central State, a city of only medium scale within the Northern Region.
The map clearly showed that the Hong and Han Families controlled Tianbei City. The Han Family occupied the southern part of Tianbei City, while the Hong Family occupied the northern part.
Although it was night, there was still a constant flow of people, as there was no such thing as a curfew in the cultivation world.
The streets were still brightly lit and bustling with activity.
The streets were well-planned, without any sense of disarray, and the entire city gave off a grand and magnificent feeling.
There were also many people dressed in guard uniforms patrolling, and on their chests, the character for 'Han' was embroidered.
This indicated the street was within the Han Family's jurisdiction.
Xiao Tian wandered the streets for half an hour, unable to bear it any longer, and found a secluded spot to enter the Eternal Heaven Realm.
There was no other reason; Zhongzhou at night was simply too enthusiastic. Many older sisters, married women, and aunties, due to his appearance, would inexplicably pretend to sprain their ankles and throw themselves at him.
If he hadn't dodged quickly, he might have been taken advantage of. Their eyes glowed green, as if they couldn't wait to devour him whole.
---
Eternal Heaven Realm, Heavenly Emperor Palace.
Xiao Tian sensed Han Yue; she had not yet emerged from her seclusion, and Xiao Tian chose not to disturb her.
Taking advantage of his newfound free time, Xiao Tian began cultivating the Yellow Spring Demonic Art.
"The Yellow Spring flows eternally, connecting life and death… The path of the netherworld does not distinguish between the living and the dead. All return to the Yellow Spring in the end…"
Sitting cross-legged in the quiet of his room, Xiao Tian closed his eyes and circulated his energy according to the profound methods recorded in the Yellow Spring Demonic Art. A faint, cold, and ancient aura of the underworld slowly rose around him. Wisps of dark-yellow energy, carrying the scent of the Yellow Spring, seeped into his body and tempered both his soul and flesh.
Three hours later, he opened his eyes. A deep yellow light flashed through his pupils before disappearing. He felt completely refreshed, and his control over the Yellow Spring energy had clearly improved.
Because of the complete inheritance of the Yellow Spring Demon Saint and his already powerful foundation, Xiao Tian was able to rapidly master the first stage of the technique.
---
While Xiao Tian was cultivating, a caravan entered Tianbei City from the South Gate and eventually stopped in front of a rather large mansion.
A young woman in a purple dress stepped down from a luxurious carriage. After a brief instruction, she walked into the mansion.
Although the young woman's expression was indifferent, there was still a hint of faint sorrow and longing in her eyes.
The young woman's appearance was noticed by a middle-aged man. He did not call out to the young woman, but after she disappeared, he walked outside and found Han Chong, who was directing the unloading.
"Han Chong, I saw Xue'er looking upset just now. Did something happen outside?" the middle-aged man asked Han Chong, his voice carrying an unquestionable tone.
"Patriarch, it's like this..." Han Chong recounted the events on the hillside in detail.
The person referred to as the Patriarch was Han Chi, the Patriarch of the Han Family, and also the biological father of Han Yue and Han Xue.
After dismissing Han Chong, Han Chi's eyes flickered, not knowing what he was thinking, then he sighed and walked inside.
---
One day later, a strange suction force emanated from Xiao Tian's glabella.
The surrounding heaven and earth energy began to fluctuate violently. Amidst the fluctuations, dense and pure spiritual energy overflowed from the void, continuously drilling into Xiao Tian's glabella before merging with his soul. During this fusion, Xiao Tian's soul felt as if it was being completely immersed in a warm, boundless spiritual ocean, filling him with an unprecedented sense of elevation and comfort.
These were the purest energies of heaven and earth that only a soul stepping into the Heavenly Soul Realm could fully absorb.
That's right. Xiao Tian was currently breaking through a critical stage of the Yellow Spring Demonic Art. Once successful, his soul would leap from the Spirit Realm into the Heavenly Soul Realm.
After nearly an hour of absorption, the power at Xiao Tian's glabella suddenly intensified. An invisible fluctuation, imperceptible to the naked eye, silently spread outward.
Boom!
An invisible force erupted. With Xiao Tian as the center, the ground around him cracked open like a spider web. A vast, majestic soul ripple swept in all directions like a tidal wave.
Fortunately, the formation and special materials arranged in the cultivation room completely absorbed the fluctuation, preventing it from leaking outside. Cultivators in the other rooms remained completely undisturbed.
A solid phantom figure slowly appeared above Xiao Tian's head, sitting cross-legged in the air. The phantom was extremely clear—one could easily recognize Xiao Tian's facial features. It radiated a heavy, heaven-like pressure that made the surrounding space faintly distort.
Only a soul that had stepped into the Heavenly Soul Realm could achieve such a solid and autonomous soul form. The Heavenly Soul Realm was a massive threshold. To refine true Tier 9 pills, one must possess a Heavenly Soul Realm soul.
This was because a Tier 9 pill, when successfully formed, possessed intelligence almost no different from that of a living person. Creating such a pill was equivalent to a form of creation, and only the might of a Heavenly Soul could achieve it. Countless peak Grade 8 Alchemists remained stuck at the Spirit Realm their entire lives, unable to cross this chasm.
The phantom figure transformed into a stream of light and returned into Xiao Tian's glabella. The immense soul pressure gradually dissipated.
Xiao Tian, who had kept his eyes tightly closed, suddenly opened them. The space in front of him faintly distorted under the power of his soul.
He clenched his fist, feeling an unprecedented power filling his entire being.
"Is this the Heavenly Soul Realm…? It's a world of difference from the Spirit Realm."
The gap between the Spirit Realm and the Heavenly Soul Realm was like the difference between a Dou Zun and a Dou Sheng.
"I can finally refine Tier 9 pills," Xiao Tian murmured, a sharp light flashing in his eyes. "Next… I should continue deepening my control over the Yellow Spring Demonic Art and soul attacks."
Taking advantage of the crystal-clear state of mind brought by his breakthrough, Xiao Tian immediately continued his cultivation. In this condition, every moment of training would yield twice the results with half the effort.
---
Night, Eternal Heaven Realm, Heavenly Emperor Palace, inside Xiao Tian's palace.
"Hmm~ Junior Xiao Tian, guess what realm I'm in now?" Han Yue, who had emerged from seclusion, was squatting, her hands propped on Xiao Tian's body, speaking charmingly. Then her finger touched Xiao Tian's lips: "No sensing."
"That's a bit hard to guess; I need to think carefully." Xiao Tian reached out, his thumbs and forefingers rubbing together, two worlds constantly shifting: "Two, I guess you're a Two-star Dou Zong now."
Han Yue's body stiffened, trembling a few times, as if startled by Xiao Tian's accurate guess: "How did you guess so accurately?"
At this time, Han Yue had consumed many pills and used a large amount of energy crystals from the Trial Tower, and her cultivation had already broken through to the Two-star Dou Zong realm.
When she emerged from seclusion, she was so happy that she jumped up. Dou Zong—she had reached it so easily. If it were her old self, she wouldn't have known when she could have reached it.
After emerging from seclusion, she found Xiao Tian in the Eternal Heaven Realm and immediately came to find him. First, she thanked him verbally, and finally, she kowtowed in gratitude.