Lu Yi could sense the bottleneck, which naturally meant that he now had the ability to break through it.
Back then, Second Senior Sister had spent three years refining herself before she could even perceive the existence of this Heavenly Dao limit.
Yet, he had merely reached the peak of the tenth layer of Qi Refining and naturally felt it.
Regarding this, Lu Yi was not particularly surprised. After all, his foundation was far more solid than Second Senior Sister’s.
Having sensed the bottleneck, Lu Yi did not hesitate. He took out another drop of the Thousand-Year Spiritual Milk, consumed it, and began to charge toward the bottleneck.
The Heavenly Dao limit was far more solid than an ordinary bottleneck. Previously, after cultivating the White Cloud Qi Absorption Technique to an expert level, the bottlenecks at the eighth and ninth layers of Qi Refining shattered instantly under Lu Yi’s spiritual energy. However, this Heavenly Dao bottleneck firmly resisted his impact.
Lu Yi was not surprised by this outcome. After all, Second Senior Sister had already been in seclusion for over three months and had yet to break through the bottleneck. It couldn’t possibly be that fast.
Lu Yi continued his seclusion and focused on breaking through.
Time passed, and after an entire week, Lu Yi suddenly heard a crisp crack in his ears. Immediately afterward, he felt a vast and oppressive force descend from the heavens, seemingly trying to stop him from continuing to break through the bottleneck.
It was the Heavenly Dao’s pressure. The bottleneck of the eleventh layer of Qi Refining was a limit set by the Heavenly Dao, and as a limit, it naturally would not allow anyone to break through easily.
Faced with this pressure, Lu Yi felt as though a massive mountain was pressing down on him, making it difficult to breathe.
However, his expression remained calm. He continued to operate his technique firmly, and his spiritual energy surged like tides, persistently attacking the bottleneck.
With the Thousand-Year Spiritual Milk providing him with a continuous supply of spiritual energy, Lu Yi had no concerns.
Following the first crisp crack, Lu Yi sensed cracks forming in the bottleneck. With the tide-like impact of his spiritual energy, the cracks multiplied, and the cracking sounds became more frequent.
Two days later—
Boom!!
A loud explosion echoed from Lu Yi’s cave mansion, resembling a sudden clap of thunder.
The sky above Lingluo Peak abruptly turned gloomy and oppressive.
The disciples of Lingluo Peak, who had been cultivating, were startled. They ran out of their cave mansions, looking up at the darkened sky with astonished expressions.
“What’s going on? That thunder just scared me!”
“Why is there thunder all of a sudden?!”
“……”
Each disciple looked confused, unable to comprehend what was happening.
At the peak of Lingluo, in the bamboo house of the Peak Master, the Peak Master lay sprawled on her bamboo bed, fast asleep. Her sleeping posture was rather casual, with her fair arms and legs exposed, appearing somewhat alluring.
Unfortunately, no one could see this scene.
At that moment, the sound of thunder jolted the Peak Master awake. She rubbed her black hair and blinked drowsily, still sleepy.
Then, as if sensing something, her expression changed. She widened her eyes and looked out the window at the sky.
She murmured in surprise, “A breakthrough? Was it Mingyue? That’s faster than I expected…”
Speaking to herself, she disappeared from the room.
In an instant, the Peak Master appeared outside Donggong Mingyue’s cave mansion. Seeing the closed doors, her expression stiffened.
“Not Mingyue?”
She looked incredulously toward Lu Yi’s cave mansion.
Rubbing her forehead, she muttered, “…Am I still dreaming?”
The Peak Master pinched her fair cheek hard, causing it to flush red. She hissed in pain and grimaced. “How is this possible?! That kid actually broke through?! In just three months?”
The Peak Master vanished again, reappearing outside Lu Yi’s cave mansion.
Sensing the residual spiritual fluctuations inside, the Peak Master confirmed it was indeed Lu Yi who had broken through.
She was somewhat dazed. That kid had been at the tenth layer of Qi Refining just three months ago. To reach the peak of the tenth layer and then break through the Heavenly Dao limit—all within three months?
Even the Peak Master found this frightening.
“This kid’s talent is that terrifying?!”
Shortly after, the Peak Master burst into laughter. She cheerfully took out her Magnolia Wine, took a sip, and said, “Not bad, not bad. I’ve really found myself a good disciple.”
She disappeared again, returning to her room to continue sleeping.
……
The next day, the gloomy sky cleared, as if nothing had happened.
Inside Lu Yi’s cave mansion, Lu Yi slowly opened his eyes. Stars seemed to twinkle in his gaze, and strands of white clouds swirled around him, giving him an ethereal presence, as though he did not belong to the mortal world.
After breaking through the Heavenly Dao limit, Lu Yi had undergone a tremendous transformation.
Soon, the ethereal aura around Lu Yi faded. He returned to his normal appearance, stood up slowly, and revealed a smile.
He had reached the eleventh layer of Qi Refining.
Lu Yi did not attempt to test his current strength. He instinctively knew his new limits and power.
He leisurely opened the door and stepped outside, looking up at the bright sunlight. Stretching lazily, he felt refreshed after being in seclusion for over three months.
His efforts had yielded results.
Lu Yi walked toward the mountain peak.
Having broken through to the eleventh layer of Qi Refining, he could now become the Peak Master’s personal disciple and complete his task.
As for his other two tasks, one was to reach the eleventh layer of Qi Refining, which he had accomplished, and the other was to surpass Second Senior Sister’s breakthrough speed. Lu Yi checked it off as completed too.
Breaking through the Heavenly Dao limit was incredibly difficult. Even with Lu Yi’s solid foundation, it had taken him an entire week. He wasn’t surprised by the result at all.
Lu Yi soon arrived at the peak of Lingluo. Seeing the bamboo house that looked the same as always, he respectfully said, “Peak Master, disciple Lu Yi has broken through to the eleventh layer of Qi Refining.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the door to the bamboo house opened, and the Peak Master’s voice came out, “Come in.”
Lu Yi was a bit surprised. The Peak Master wasn’t sleeping?!
Is the sun rising from the west?
Lu Yi joked inwardly as he stepped inside.
In the living room of the bamboo house, the Peak Master was reclining on a lounge chair, sipping wine slowly. The faint aroma of alcohol filled the room.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Lu Yi respectfully greeted, “Peak Master.”
The Peak Master glanced at Lu Yi, nodded in satisfaction, and smiled. “Not bad. That was a quick breakthrough.”
Lu Yi smiled. “Thank you for the praise, Peak Master.”
The Peak Master sat up and looked at Lu Yi seriously. She asked, “Now that you’ve broken through, you can officially become my personal disciple. I’ll ask one last time—are you willing to be my disciple?”
Lu Yi responded earnestly, “Disciple is willing!”
How could he refuse such amazing rewards from the Peak Master?
The Peak Master nodded with satisfaction and said, “From today onward, you are my personal disciple. You’re my second personal disciple after Ningshuang. I’ll inform the entire sect.”
Lu Yi nodded without any objections.
“From now on, you shall address me as Master.”
“Disciple greets Master.”
The Master of Lingluo Peak nodded in satisfaction, looked at Lu Yi, and asked, "Since you are my direct disciple, I will personally guide you in cultivation techniques and spells. Do you intend to continue breaking the limits of the Heavenly Dao and advance to higher levels within the Qi Refining Stage?"
Lu Yi naturally wouldn’t settle at the eleventh level of Qi Refining. How could he not aim for the thirteenth level at least?
"Disciple has such intentions," Lu Yi replied.
The Master of Lingluo Peak nodded slightly, unsurprised. "With your talent and foundation, that is to be expected... Since that’s the case, I have no techniques or spells to teach you at the Qi Refining Stage. Have you thought about which Dao you will focus on after breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage?"
Once a cultivator reaches the Foundation Establishment Realm, their paths for cultivation diversify. Techniques and methods differ, each with strengths and weaknesses.
The most common paths are sword cultivation and elemental cultivation, such as fire, water, or wood cultivation.
There are also rarer paths, such as fist cultivation, body cultivation, array cultivation, and even the Path of Harmony.
Since one''s energy is limited, it’s impossible to master every path.
With three thousand Daos to choose from, each capable of leading to immortality, most cultivators focus on one primary path and, at most, supplement it with one or two secondary techniques.
Lu Yi’s goal had always been clear—he wanted to become a sword cultivator.
After all, wielding a sword was incredibly cool!
Besides, sword cultivators were indeed powerful in battle.
However, before awakening his system panel, Lu Yi had planned to specialize solely in sword cultivation. But with the panel now assisting him, his comprehension speed of techniques and spells had skyrocketed. Even at the Qi Refining Stage, he had already grasped two types of intent.
Thus, his direction adjusted slightly.
His primary focus would still be the Sword Dao, but as long as other Daos were useful and he found suitable partners for task completion, he would cultivate those as well.
As long as it benefited him, he would learn it.
"Sword cultivation, hmm? That indeed suits you," the Master of Lingluo Peak smiled slightly. "Comprehending two levels of sword intent at the Qi Refining Stage—such sword talent would be wasted if not focused on the Sword Dao."
Then, she added, "Notify me before you break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage. Don’t rush it. I will find suitable Foundation Establishment materials specifically for the Sword Dao."
Lu Yi was momentarily stunned but then felt touched.
Although he had obtained Foundation Establishment materials easily through tasks, they were actually extremely rare. He hadn’t expected his master to prepare sword-specific Foundation Establishment materials for him.
It seemed his master genuinely cared about him.
Lu Yi smiled and said, "Thank you, Master."
The Master of Lingluo Peak nodded and continued, "I will also prepare a cultivation technique for your Foundation Establishment."
Lu Yi was even more grateful. "Thank you, Master."
The Master of Lingluo Peak took a sip of wine and said casually, "Since you are my disciple, I naturally have to take care of you. Let me know immediately if you need anything in the future."
Lu Yi felt deeply moved. His master seemed truly dependable.
"As for cultivation resources, there will be no changes—no limits. Do you need anything else?"
Lu Yi thought for a moment, then smiled sheepishly. "I’d like to hear Master lecture on the Dao again."
The Master of Lingluo Peak felt quite pleased. This kid truly appreciated her teachings.
She smiled and said, "Of course."
Lu Yi was delighted and immediately issued a task in his mind. The reward remained an enlightenment.
He was overjoyed.
The Master of Lingluo Peak lectured until noon. She finally paused, took a sip of wine, and asked, "Did you gain anything?"
Lu Yi glanced at the completed task and nodded repeatedly. "I gained a lot!"
The Master of Lingluo Peak smiled in satisfaction. "Cultivate well."
Lu Yi nodded and then smiled. "Master, could you give lectures more often in the future? I just want to listen to your teachings."
The Master of Lingluo Peak’s smile froze. "More often? How often?"
Lu Yi saw her slightly stiff expression and tentatively asked, "Once a week?"
The Master of Lingluo Peak stared at him expressionlessly, and Lu Yi felt a hint of killing intent.
Cold sweat formed on his forehead. "...Once a month?"
Her expression shifted slightly before she reluctantly agreed. "Once a month then. Lecturing is too exhausting. You didn’t expect it to be so troublesome, did you?"
Lu Yi broke out in cold sweat. His master was great in every way except for being too lazy.
Still, once a month was good enough—it meant an additional enlightenment every month. Wasn’t that incredible?
Lu Yi felt delighted. "Master, I have nothing else. May I return to cultivate now?"
Just as the Master of Lingluo Peak was about to nod, she suddenly remembered something and said, "Wait. I’m out of Magnolia Wine and Magnolia Pastries. Go buy some for me."
Recently, Mingyue had been in seclusion, leaving no one to run errands. It seemed she would have to rely on Lu Yi from now on.
Lu Yi’s eyes lit up at her request—another task?
He quickly smiled and said, "No problem, Master!"
Then he added, "Master, if you ever need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask. I will do my best!"
The Master of Lingluo Peak glanced at the overly enthusiastic Lu Yi in surprise. She hadn’t expected him to be so happy about running errands. Thinking about how convenient this would be in the future; she felt pleased and smiled. "Alright, I’ll leave it to you then!"
After that, Lu Yi bid farewell to his master and went to buy Magnolia Pastries and Magnolia Wine.
Last time, his task of buying these items had rewarded him with spiritual cooking and brewing techniques. This time, the reward was equally exciting—it directly upgraded his Nourishing Spirit Dew by one level.
Over the past three months, Lu Yi had not neglected the enhancement brought by Tiger Bone Ginseng Soup and Nourishing Spirit Dew. The Tiger Bone Ginseng Soup had been improved to its limit, leaving no room for further advancement.
However, the Nourishing Spirit Dew required time to brew, making its progress extremely slow. Even now, it had only just reached level 7.
With the rewards from this time, Lu Yi could directly upgrade the Nourishing Spirit Dew to level 8, accelerating his spiritual power growth significantly. Naturally, Lu Yi was quite pleased.
Lu Yi made a trip to Magnolia Pavilion and purchased Magnolia Pastries and Magnolia Wine from the Magnolia Peak Master. He then delivered them to his waiting master, easily completing his task.
Afterward, Lu Yi hurried back to his cave residence, eager to inventory his gains.
This time, his breakthrough to the eleventh layer of Qi Refining completed three tasks, each with exceptionally generous rewards.
[Tasks]
<ol>
<li>Break through to the eleventh layer of Qi Refining (Completed)</li>
<li>Break through to the eleventh layer of Qi Refining faster than Donggong Mingyue (Completed)</li>
<li>Become the personal disciple of Lingluo Peak Master (Completed)</li>
</ol>
Lu Yi claimed the rewards one by one.
The first task, breaking through to the eleventh layer of Qi Refining, rewarded him with a wisp of Grand Dao Qi.
It was a strand of seven-colored mist, drifting like smoke yet remaining intact.
Only after completing the task did Lu Yi understand the use of Grand Dao Qi.
Grand Dao Qi was a natural treasure used for Foundation Establishment.
Compared to ordinary natural treasures, Grand Dao Qi was far more powerful.
Establishing one’s foundation with Grand Dao Qi would allow the cultivator to harmonize with the Dao, significantly enhancing their cultivation talent. Moreover, they would excel in practicing any Dao techniques, surpassing even those who used spiritual liquids for Foundation Establishment!
When Lu Yi realized the value of Grand Dao Qi, he was utterly stunned.
Such a treasure would drive anyone to madness if revealed. Even Nascent Soul and Void Refinement cultivators might go to any lengths to seize it.
Lu Yi looked at the Grand Dao Qi in front of him and thought, with this, who needs spiritual liquids?
Currently, he had already collected Thunder Spiritual Liquid, Water Spiritual Liquid, Fire Spiritual Liquid, and Wind Spiritual Liquid through tasks.
Despite their rarity and value, he no longer had any use for them—truly a bittersweet situation.
Lu Yi shook his head helplessly, deciding not to dwell on it.
He carefully stored the Grand Dao Qi away. Since it was crucial to his foundation, he dared not be careless.
After securing the Grand Dao Qi, Lu Yi turned his attention to the other rewards.
The second task, breaking through to the eleventh layer of Qi Refining faster than Donggong Mingyue, rewarded him with the Foundation Establishment technique "Thunder Shadow Step," a top-grade magic artifact—Purple Jade Robe, and 30 drops of Thousand-Year Spirit Milk.
"Thunder Shadow Step" was a thunder-element technique suitable for thunder cultivators, but Lu Yi, having mastered ten percent of thunder intent, could also cultivate it.
As a Foundation Establishment technique, "Thunder Shadow Step" was naturally superior to the White Cloud Step. Its movements resembled lightning, extremely fast. At higher levels, it could even condense thunder shadows, which possessed destructive power and could catch enemies off guard.
After three months of seclusion, Lu Yi’s Breath Concealing Technique had reached its maximum level. Currently, he could only train in Jade Body Technique, Dust Forgetting Technique, and Nourishing Spirit Dew.
Now, he had another technique to cultivate.
Lu Yi planned to start training it next.
In addition to "Thunder Shadow Step," he also obtained the top-grade artifact—Purple Jade Robe, and 30 drops of Thousand-Year Spirit Milk.
Thousand-Year Spirit Milk needed no explanation, while the Purple Jade Robe was an exceptionally luxurious purple long dress. As a top-grade magic artifact, it offered excellent defense and could enhance thunder techniques and speed up thunder cultivation.
Considering its rarity, even Golden Core thunder cultivators would likely covet it.
Unfortunately, it was a dress. Lu Yi felt a bit regretful as he stored it away.
The last task, becoming the personal disciple of Lingluo Peak Master, also offered generous rewards: a mid-grade treasure—Jade Spirit Robe, and three pieces of Enlightenment Tea Leaves.
A mid-grade treasure!
This was the first time Lu Yi had seen such a high-level artifact. Even Nascent Soul cultivators might not possess one.
The Jade Spirit Robe was a pure white long robe. Lu Yi breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that it was suitable for male cultivators.
If it had been another dress, I might have vomited blood, Lu Yi thought.
The Jade Spirit Robe, as a mid-grade treasure, could enhance the wearer’s connection with spiritual energy. Wearing it increased cultivation speed significantly and even improved recovery rates during combat.
Even with Lu Yi’s current cultivation speed, wearing it would boost his progress by fifty percent.
The enhancement was simply astonishing.
Moreover, the Jade Spirit Robe could activate the Jade Spirit Formation, improving spiritual energy quality and boosting technique power. The enhancement was equally substantial.
Most importantly, the robe also had a refined and elegant appearance.
Although it lacked defensive capabilities, the Jade Spirit Robe was practically perfect.
Lu Yi immediately put on the robe, feeling delighted.