Only after becoming emperor did he realize he was in a fantasy world of immortal cultivation.

Lin Yuan finished refining the magical artifact and looked up at the pitch-black night outside the window.

There were still about three hours until dawn.

Taking advantage of the break, he took out the earthworm blood ginseng from his storage bag.

Preparing to attempt to reach the eighth level of Qi Refining.

Looking down, the purplish-red ginseng body emitted a faint spiritual light and a life-giving medicinal fragrance in the dimly lit room.

He then picked one of the plump red fruits from the blood ginseng and put it in his mouth.

The fruit melts in your mouth, and a warm current, even more powerful and purer than before, bursts forth!

If the last time it was like a gentle stream, then this time it's like a raging river.

The essence of the earth dragon blood ginseng, accumulated over a hundred years, along with the vitality of the earth, rushed into Lin Yuan's limbs and bones without reservation.

"Ugh!" Lin Yuan groaned, his face flushed instantly, and a slight throbbing pain spread through his meridians.

He dared not be negligent in the slightest, and immediately circulated his spiritual power to the fullest extent, immersing his mind in his body, like a helmsman navigating a raging torrent, guiding this violent and pure energy torrent.

The spiritual energy circulated rapidly, continuously refining and purifying the surging medicinal power, transforming it into pure liquid spiritual energy, which was then frantically injected into the already saturated dantian.

The sea of ​​qi churned violently, its boundaries being constantly stretched and expanded, bringing waves of tearing pain, but also a sense of exhilaration at breaking free from constraints and stepping into a wider world.

Reaching the seventh to eighth level of Qi Refining is a qualitative leap. The spiritual power will gradually transform from a "stream" to a "river," and the tempering of the physical body and the perception and control of spiritual energy will reach a new level.

The bottleneck is like a tough yet elastic membrane, preventing the qualitative change of spiritual power.

The medicinal power of the earthworm blood ginseng is the best siege hammer.

Lin Yuan gritted his teeth, enduring the dual pain of meridian expansion and dantian impact, and devoted all his attention to controlling and guiding spiritual power.

He carefully guarded the clarity of his mind, allowing the violent medicinal power to wash over his limbs and bones, and his eight extraordinary meridians, under the restraint of spiritual energy. It cleansed the impurities in his body little by little, strengthened his muscles, bones and skin, and at the same time compressed and purified the massive amount of spiritual energy, constantly impacting that invisible barrier.

Time slowly passed amidst extreme pain and focus.

Sweat had already soaked through his clothes, pooling into a small puddle beneath him, which was then evaporated by the heat emanating from his body. His face alternated between flushed and pale, his body trembling slightly, but his back remained straight.

After an unknown amount of time, the surging torrent of medicinal power within his body finally began to weaken, with most of it successfully refined and absorbed. At this moment, his dantian had nearly doubled in size, its liquid spiritual energy surging and surging, its purity far exceeding its previous level—only the final push was needed!

This is the moment!

Lin Yuan's eyes flashed with a sharp light. He let out a low shout and combined the spiritual power he had gained from refining the medicinal power with all the spiritual power he had accumulated, along with his indomitable will, into an invincible torrent. He launched the final and most fierce attack on that tough bottleneck.

"boom--!"

It was as if a deafening roar, audible only to himself, echoed in his mind.

The invisible barrier that had hindered him for so long was broken in response to the combined impact of the residual medicinal power of the earthworm blood ginseng and his own strong accumulated strength!

In an instant, Lin Yuan felt his "vision" suddenly broaden.

It's not just about expanding the scope and improving the clarity of one's divine perception; it's also about a leap in the level of control over oneself and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

The liquid spiritual energy within the dantian underwent a mysterious change, becoming more condensed and dynamic, with its circulation speed increasing dramatically, and its interaction with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth becoming more sensitive and smooth.

An aura several times stronger than before rose uncontrollably from his body, but it was firmly locked by the restrictions in the room, forming only a small vortex of spiritual energy around him.

He made a breakthrough!

Eighth level of Qi Refining!

Lin Yuan slowly opened his eyes, his gaze shimmering with a deep, unfathomable light, which then gradually became more subdued.

He exhaled a long breath, which was as condensed as an arrow and shot a short distance through the air before slowly dissipating.

He carefully experienced the changes in his body: the total amount and purity of his spiritual power increased significantly, his physical strength was further enhanced, his five senses and divine sense became much more acute, and his perception of the spiritual energy of the surrounding world became much clearer.

More importantly, it brings a deeper understanding and sense of control over the world that comes with that slight leap in the level of life.

"Finally... I've reached the eighth level of Qi Refining." A tired yet incredibly gratified smile appeared on Lin Yuan's lips.

He got up and stretched, feeling a burst of energy, like popping beans, emanating from within his body. Although he was still mentally exhausted, his spiritual power had been largely restored, and was now of higher quality.

Outside the window, a faint glimmer of dawn was already appearing on the eastern horizon.

Lin Yuan put away the Earth Dragon Blood Ginseng, cleaned up the weapon-refining room, and carefully put the "Thunderous Wind" sword into a specially made scabbard.

After doing all that, he tidied himself up and left his residence.

Not long after Lin Yuan entered the weapon refining hall, he felt a powerful aura spreading into the hall like a gentle breeze and drizzle.

Then a talisman floated over.

Gong Yong's voice came from inside: "Junior brother, come quickly into the hall to pay your respects to the Sixth Elder and Senior Brother Gong Ren."

Sixth Elder?

Whether it was his original form or his later self, he was known only by name, never seen in person.

I don't know whether today's meeting will be a blessing or a curse.

Lin Yuan lightly touched the talisman with his right hand. In the next instant, the talisman was sensed and transformed into tiny fragments of spiritual light.

He was certainly not afraid of the traps Gong Ren had set for him, but...

In any case, we'll know once we meet.

Lin Yuan put his thoughts aside and walked towards the hall.

As soon as Lin Yuan arrived at the entrance of the hall, he encountered He Buxi, who had recently announced that he was going into seclusion.

The two exchanged a glance, and He Buxi's expression was noticeably more uneasy than usual.

Lin Yuan pretended not to see it and gestured for him to proceed.

The two then entered the hall one after the other.

At this moment, Gong Xing and Gong Yong stood in the center.

Directly in front of them was a jade table.

There were two people at the table.

One standing, one sitting.

Lin Yuan walked forward while observing the situation inside the hall without changing his expression.

Finally, his gaze settled slightly on the person sitting there.

She looked to be in her thirties.

Her black hair was tied up with a wooden hairpin.

Her face was elegant and her temperament gentle, like morning dew; just one glance was enough to soothe the soul.

Lin Yuan and He Buxi stepped forward together and slowly bowed, saying, "Greetings, Sixth Elder."

A moment later, the Sixth Elder, Gong Changya's voice rang out: "So you are Lin Yuan?"

The sound is like a gentle breeze, and if it enters the forest, even if it stirs up waves of sound, it is still very pleasant to hear.

"That's right." As he spoke, Lin Yuan bowed again.

When the ceremony was over, Lin Yuan raised his eyebrows slightly and met the Sixth Elder's scrutinizing gaze.

It conveys a sense of authority without being offensive.

This person is not simple.

Lin Yuan thought to himself.

Upon hearing this, the Sixth Elder simply nodded slightly.

Then he waved to Gong Ren, who was standing to the side.

Gong Ren then spoke up, "The elder has come today to discuss the matter of demonstrating swordsmanship and magical artifacts."