From Five Animal Exercises to being hailed as a saint and ancestor

Qinglu Villa.

The barrier of light flowed, isolating the inside from the outside.

Yet it couldn't sever the tense atmosphere that was almost solidifying.

Xuanyuan Po stood with his sword in hand, surrounded by a chilling aura, and a thin layer of frost formed on the Xuan Gang stone ground beneath his feet.

His opponent, Zhao Zhongming, the third disciple of the inner sect, stood opposite him with his hands behind his back, his face showing a hint of mockery and coldness, like a cat playing with a mouse.

The powerful aura of the peak Spirit Sea Realm cultivator pressed down on Xuan Yuanpo like an invisible tide, attempting to crush his will and sword momentum.

However, Xuan Yuanpo's state of mind at this moment was completely different from when he fought Li Xiang.

At this moment, he felt a strange tranquility within him.

This tranquility stems from the discussion I had with my senior brother Yao Mengkang last night.

"The path to becoming a strong person requires courage and diligence, that's for sure."

"But what constitutes true progress? Is it blindly pursuing higher levels of attainment, or following the guidance of one's own heart?"

Where the heart leads, the sword points. Follow your heart, and you will be free from obstacles.

He also recalled what Elder Qin had said in the Meteorite Secret Realm.

"The Chaos Chakra is elusive and difficult to find. Even if one has reached its peak, it is still impossible to perceive. Breaking through to the Spirit Sea will open up a vast and boundless world."

Combining the two, Xuanyuan Po felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his heart.

His path is the ultimate way of the sword. How can one reach the ultimate if one's mind is not clear?

At this moment, facing the formidable enemy Zhao Zhongming, Xuan Yuanpo's mind entered an unprecedented and peculiar state.

In a moment of inspiration, all the insights gained from past cultivation, the understanding of sword intent, and the study of swordsmanship seemed to slowly blend and settle in this state of extreme pressure and tranquility.

This made his sword intent more refined and more restrained, but also more dangerous.

"Xuanyuan Po, make your move. Let me see how much power your swordsmanship, which you used to dominate the outer sect, has against me!"

Zhao Zhongming's tone was filled with undisguised contempt.

Xuan Yuanpo remained silent; his response was a sudden burst of icy blue sword light!

"Three Falls from the Cloud Platform!"

The frost sword trembled slightly, and three dreamlike sword shadows seemed to fall from the clouds, elusive yet carrying a chilling aura, blocking Zhao Zhongming's upper, middle, and lower body.

Zhao Zhongming snorted coldly, his figure swaying slightly as he slipped through the gaps in the sword shadows like a ghost. He unleashed a palm strike, his spiritual energy surging like waves. "A mere child's play!"

"A blue dragon emerges from the water!"

Xuanyuan Pojian's stance changed abruptly, his body moving with the sword, his entire being seemingly transforming into a giant ice dragon breaking through the ice, his sword energy roaring as it pierced straight into Zhao Zhongming's palm.

"Bang!"

Sword and palm clashed, and the energy emanated from them.

Xuanyuan Po's body trembled violently, sliding backward several feet, his sword-wielding arm going slightly numb.

Zhao Zhongming merely swayed slightly, his palm covered with a thin layer of ice, which vanished without a trace when he shook it with his spiritual power.

The gap in realms is too great! The chasm between the quality and quantity of spiritual energy is not easily crossed.

"Sword and Footsteps Across Mountains and Rivers!"

Xuan Yuanpo's eyes were sharp, and he was not discouraged at all. He changed his sword moves again.

With each step, ice lotuses bloom beneath his feet, and the sword's momentum becomes incredibly heavy and powerful, as if he wants to use the sword in his hand to measure mountains and rivers and establish the order of the universe!

However, Zhao Zhongming was, after all, the third-ranked disciple of the inner sect, and possessed formidable strength.

His movements were as swift as lightning, and his fingers, palms, fists, and legs all contained terrifying spiritual power, using brute force to overcome skill.

No matter how graceful and agile the Xuanyuan Sword Technique was, or how exquisite its moves were, it could never truly break through his defenses, let alone pose a substantial threat.

Xuan Yuanpo's sword could only leave a shallow white mark on Zhao Zhongming's protective spiritual power, or condense frost for a moment before being dispersed by his powerful spiritual energy.

The scene appeared intense, but in reality, Xuan Yuanpo was at a complete disadvantage. He could only rely on his extraordinary sword spirit and exquisite sword skills to barely hold on, and it seemed that defeat was only a matter of time.

Outside the barrier, the onlookers were filled with excitement.

The outer disciples clenched their fists, holding their breath for Xuan Yuanpo.

Zhou Tiancan frowned: "Senior Brother Xuanyuan's swordsmanship seems to have improved again, but this Zhao Zhongming is too strong!"

Mu Qingqing nestled beside him, her beautiful eyes filled with worry: "The difference in cultivation levels is too great..."

On the high platform, Shangguan Hong and Xiao Yunhai remained expressionless, but their eyes held a scrutinizing gaze.

They were watching to see where Xuan Yuanpo's limits were, and what his peculiar state could bring.

Yao Mengkang, however, saw things even more clearly.

Junior Brother Xuanyuan's state of mind has indeed broken through.

The sword intent became more solid, less impetuous, and more composed.

Unfortunately, the gap in hard power cannot be bridged by a momentary change of mindset.

What he needs is an opportunity, a catalyst to break down barriers.

Just then, on the arena, Xuan Yuanpo, after taking a heavy blow from Zhao Zhongming and having a trickle of blood spill from the corner of his mouth, had a resolute look in his eyes!

He suddenly took a step back, flipped his hand, and a pill the size of a longan, radiating a hazy spiritual light and a sharp aura, appeared in his palm. He swallowed it without hesitation!

"A Breakthrough Pill?!"

Almost the instant he swallowed the pill, several voices uttered in unison.

Vice Dean Shangguan Hong's usually impassive face subtly raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise and anticipation flashing in his eyes.

"Taking the Breakthrough Pill now? Could it be that I'm already confident I can break through to the forbidden realm of the thirteenth level of the Meridian Opening stage?"

His fingers unconsciously twitched inside his sleeve.

Vice Dean Xiao Yunhai was initially taken aback, but then a glint flashed in his eyes as he stared intently at Xuan Yuanpo, afraid of missing any detail.

"Good lad! Could he really possess such courage and opportunity? If he can truly achieve the thirteenth level of the ultimate realm..."

Thinking of this, his worry about the inner disciples possibly losing face again was instantly replaced by the excitement of discovering a treasure.

A glint of light flashed in Yao Mengkang's eyes, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

"A Breakthrough Pill? Junior Brother Xuanyuan, are you trying to forcefully break through this barrier using the power of this battle?"

Among the outer disciples, Zhou Tiancan's eyes widened suddenly, and his breathing became rapid:

"The Breakthrough Pill! Senior Brother Xuanyuan..." He didn't dare say the rest aloud.

But Mu Qingqing, Wang Le, Huo Ling'er, and the others beside him instantly understood his meaning, their faces showing extreme shock and anticipation. Wang Le even slammed his fist into his palm in excitement:

"I knew it! This guy was definitely hiding something!"

However, the inner disciples and Zhao Zhongming on the arena had completely different ideas.

Zhao Zhongming was taken aback at first, then his face revealed undisguised mockery and anger:

"Breaking through to the Spirit Sea Realm in the heat of battle? Xuan Yuanpo, do you think advancing to the Spirit Sea Realm will turn the tide of the battle?"

"That's utterly delusional! I am at the peak of the Spirit Sea Realm. Even if you break through, you're still nothing but a chicken and a dog before me!"

He believed that Xuan Yuanpo knew he was no match for him and wanted to forcefully break through to the Spirit Sea Realm in a desperate attempt to win.

Most of the other inner disciples thought the same way, and many of them showed a sneer on their faces.

"They're really grasping at straws when they're desperate!"

"You think breaking through to the Spirit Sea Realm is so easy? Even if you do break through, so what?"

"Senior Brother Zhao, let's finish this quickly before the effects of the medicine fully wear off!"

They simply couldn't imagine that someone would attempt to break through to the thirteenth level, which only existed in ancient texts and legends, at the Qi Opening Realm.

But Xuan Yuanpo's next move surprised everyone.

After taking the Breakthrough Pill, Xuan Yuanpo did not stop. He flipped his hand again, and a lotus seed, pure white and radiating extreme cold and boundless vitality, appeared in his hand.

The lotus seed of the Ice Soul Snow Lotus, a third-tier celestial treasure! This item contains a massive amount of pure ice-attribute spiritual power, which is a perfect match for Xuan Yuanpo's attributes!

Without the slightest hesitation, he swallowed the incomparably precious lotus seed!

"boom--!"

Two massive streams of medicinal power and spiritual energy exploded within his body instantly!

The medicinal power of the Breakthrough Pill was like the sharpest chisel, impacting the invisible barrier of cultivation.

Meanwhile, the pure, icy spiritual power transformed from the seeds of the Ice Soul Snow Lotus surged into his already nearly saturated meridians like a river bursting its banks!

At this moment, Shangguan Hong, Xiao Yunhai, and even Yao Mengkang all had an amazing gleam in their eyes!

"Ice Soul Snow Lotus Seed! Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!"

"The Breakthrough Pill paves the way, and a top-grade spiritual item of the same origin provides massive spiritual energy support! This child is truly destined to break through to the thirteenth level of the Meridian Opening Realm! Heaven blesses our Qinglu Academy!"

Xiao Yunhai was so excited he almost stood up from his seat. He forcibly suppressed his emotions and used his divine sense to transmit his thoughts to Shangguan Hong:

"Shangguan! It seems we were right! He must be opening the Chaos Chakra! We must protect him and not allow him to be disturbed!"

Yao Mengkang nodded slightly, thinking to himself:

"With such thorough preparations, including the Breakthrough Pill and the Ice Soul Snow Lotus Seed, Junior Brother Xuanyuan, it seems you are determined to succeed this time."

"I wonder if you can truly enter that forbidden realm!"

They all believed that Xuanyuan Po's actions were aimed at accumulating sufficient power.

He blasted open the legendary Chaos Chakra Gate in one fell swoop, stepping into the unprecedented thirteenth level of Chakra Opening!