Chapter 187 - 111: True Essence Realm
"Cut the crap."
Elder Huang waved his hand dismissively but then pulled a small box from his robes and tossed it over. "A New Year’s gift. There are only three Elixirs inside. Once you use them, they’re gone. Now, get lost."
Liang Cheng caught it, looked at Elder Huang, and thanked him sincerely.
"Thank you, Elder Huang."
...
「Deep in the night, in the Quiet Chamber of Courtyard Three on True Inheritance Peak.」
Liang Cheng sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion. Before him were three Jade Bottles, holding the three improved Elixirs from Elder Huang.
Beside him was a large tureen of warm Blood Warming Soup, its mixed aroma of medicine and meat filling the room.
He took a deep breath, calming his mind.
These three Elixirs, painstakingly improved by Elder Huang, combined with the transformative power of the Crossing the Sea True Intent Fragment, were the final push he needed to break through to the True Essence Realm.
He first ladled and drank a large bowl of the Blood Warming Soup. Abundant Qi Blood immediately suffused his body, igniting like a furnace and spreading a pleasant warmth through his limbs.
’The first one.’
Liang Cheng took out a glistening white Elixir and swallowed it.
As expected, the Medicinal Power dissolved gently. A warm current seeped into his Meridians, and the True Qi from his Broken Wave Technique began to circulate on its own, slowly absorbing and Refining it.
Two hours later, the Medicinal Power was completely absorbed. His True Qi grew more solid, and the nine True Qi Seeds in his Dantian shone brightly, showing faint signs of converging.
[Broken Wave Technique Second Layer: Great Success (14631/15000)]
Liang Cheng drank another large bowl of Blood Warming Soup and then consumed the second Elixir.
As the second Elixir entered his stomach, its Medicinal Power felt noticeably stronger.
His Meridians began to ache with a slight, swelling pain, but it was still tolerable. The Crossing the Sea True Intent Fragment activated on its own, continuously converting the Medicinal Power and his own Qi Blood into pure True Qi and infusing it into the nine seeds.
The True Qi Seeds began to tremble slightly, the attraction between them growing ever stronger.
Another two hours passed, and the Medicinal Power of the second Elixir was completely Refined.
[Broken Wave Technique Second Layer: Great Success (14881/15000)]
’Perfection is just one step away!’
An electric gleam flashed in Liang Cheng’s eyes.
’The third one... I will achieve my breakthrough today!’
Without hesitation, he swallowed the final Elixir.
BOOM—!
As this Elixir entered his stomach, its Medicinal Power erupted like a volcano!
The residual Medicinal Power from the first two Elixirs had not yet subsided in his Meridians. As the power of the third Elixir layered on top, it instantly shattered its gentle facade, transforming into a raging torrent that rampaged through his Meridians!
"Ugh..."
Liang Cheng let out a muffled grunt. His skin flushed crimson and his veins bulged.
The accumulated Medicinal Power triggered a qualitative transformation!
He gritted his teeth, focused his mind, and circulated the Crossing the Sea True Intent Fragment and the Broken Wave Technique with all his might.
At this moment, his body, at the stage of Golden Armor Realm Perfection, displayed astonishing resilience. It forcefully withstood the impact of the berserk Medicinal Power, wrenching it back onto the proper path for his Cultivation.
Inside his Dantian, the nine True Qi Seeds spun wildly, their connections growing ever tighter. His Meridians felt as if they were being scorched by roaring flames and repeatedly beaten with iron hammers!
But at this moment, Liang Cheng’s mind was perfectly clear.
’A mayfly may be insignificant, but its ambition reaches the heavens! Today, my True Qi will become True Essence!’
He let out a low roar and submerged his entire consciousness in his Dantian. The True Qi in his Meridians grew increasingly dense, then flowed back to nourish the nine True Qi Seeds.
The first True Qi Seed underwent a qualitative transformation—True Qi became True Essence!
The second...
The third...
Each qualitative transformation of a True Qi Seed brought more intense pain and a more turbulent surge of power, but Liang Cheng’s will was like a reef, standing firm against the crashing waves, completely unmoved.
The fifth, the sixth, the seventh...
The nine True Qi Seeds had transformed into nine fist-sized, pale blue vortexes of Primordial Qi. In the center of each vortex, a point of glistening white light slowly condensed.
That was the core of True Essence!
’It’s not enough! Condense!’
Liang Cheng forced all remaining Medicinal Power and Qi Blood in his body toward the vortexes. The Crossing the Sea True Intent Fragment circulated at its absolute limit, and the Circulation of the Celestial Qi from his Broken Wave Technique surged like a tidal wave.
HUMMM—!
The vortexes trembled violently. The glistening white point in the center suddenly flared, transforming into a single drop of liquid True Essence!
It was followed by a second drop, then a third... An endless stream of True Qi was tempered and converted, flowing into the vortexes and congealing into True Essence.
The pale blue vortexes gradually took on a glistening white sheen. Their rotation began to slow, and their forms became increasingly stable.
When the last wisp of True Qi completed its transformation, nine light orbs the size of pigeon eggs floated within Liang Cheng’s Dantian. They were a glistening white, with a faint, pale blue hue.
The orbs of light rotated slowly, and with each turn, they radiated a formidable power that was several times more abundant than before and as dense as mercury!
Enlightenment washed over Liang Cheng, and the method for the Third Layer of the Broken Wave Technique began to circulate naturally through him.
[Broken Wave Technique Third Layer: Beginner Level (1/5000)]
The True Essence Realm... he had made it!
Most importantly, his lifespan had increased again, reaching a full 150 years!
Then, Liang Cheng’s eyes snapped open. Two beams of tangible light shot out more than a foot, lingering for a long moment before finally dissipating.
He slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air. The breath was so condensed that it hung in the air, leaving a faint white trace that only slowly dissipated after a few moments.
Now, Liang Cheng’s aura was completely restrained, yet he gave off an unfathomable feeling.
A faint golden luster flowed beneath his skin. It seemed his Golden Armor Realm had also been tempered during his breakthrough, making it even more robust.
Feeling the immense power emanating from the nine orbs of True Essence within him, Liang Cheng clenched his fist, and the air itself seemed to crackle with a faint pop.
’The True Essence Realm truly is a world apart from the True Qi Realm,’ he thought.
With a mere thought, a wisp of True Essence emerged from his body, condensing on his fingertip into a pale blue droplet. As it spun, one could faintly hear the sound of the tides.
The quality of his True Essence was far purer and more condensed than the impure True Essence of those like Wu Zhenshan or the Fire Worship Sect’s envoys, who relied on Evil Techniques to break through.
’With my current strength,’ Liang Cheng mused, ’if I were to face the Right Envoy of the Fire Worship Sect again, I could certainly kill him within three moves.’
Besides, his current state likely meant he had what Elder Huang called a Perfect Dao Foundation breakthrough. It was just like back in the True Qi Realm, when he could slay the likes of Tie Xiongshan and Xu Zhang. An ordinary True Essence Realm cultivator was no match for him now.