Traveling Between Two Worlds: From Bread for Maids to Fantasy Overlord

As night deepened, Yiming Village fell silent. The guards took turns on duty, maintaining a high level of vigilance. Everyone was conserving their energy, awaiting the great battle the next day. Huang Yiming returned to his cultivation room and took out the high-grade spiritual herbs and spiritual energy purifier rewarded by the system. The high-grade spiritual herbs emitted a rich spiritual energy, even purer than the spiritual herbs nourished by the Black Wind Ridge spiritual veins; the spiritual energy purifier was more advanced than before, capable of rapidly purifying spiritual energy and accelerating cultivation speed.

He activated the spiritual energy purifier, and pure spiritual energy instantly filled the entire cultivation room. He then placed a high-grade spiritual herb into his mouth. The herb melted instantly upon entering his mouth, and the rich spiritual energy surged into his body, flowing along his meridians to his dantian. Huang Yiming immediately activated the system's auxiliary cultivation technique, guiding the spiritual energy to circulate within his body, continuously attempting to break through the bottleneck between the third and fourth levels of Qi Refining.

Reaching the third to fourth level of Qi Refining is a significant bottleneck, often taking months or even years for many cultivators to break through. However, with the assistance of a system and the support of high-grade spiritual herbs and a spiritual energy purifier, Huang Yiming's cultivation speed far surpasses that of ordinary cultivators. As spiritual energy surged within his body, the bottleneck loosened, and his aura continued to rise, gradually progressing from the mid-stage of the third level of Qi Refining to the late stage and then the peak, just one step away from the fourth level.

Just then, the door to the cultivation room was gently pushed open, and Qin Yuling, Yang Xiu, and Su Qingyue walked in. Su Qingyue had rushed back from the city, bringing a large amount of supplies and a spiritual energy purifier. Seeing Huang Yiming cultivating, the three quietly stood aside, not daring to disturb him. Su Qingyue held a bottle of high-grade nutrient solution in her hand and whispered to Qin Yuling and Yang Xiu, "Yiming has been cultivating for so long, he must be very tired. Give him this after he breaks through; it will quickly restore his spiritual energy."

Qin Yuling nodded, looking at Huang Yiming with gentle eyes, and said softly, "Yiming has been so tired these past few days. He has to deal with the crisis in the city, prepare for tomorrow's battle, and cultivate. It's really not easy." Yang Xiu also said softly, "Young Master's talent is truly amazing. It only took him a short time to go from the first level of Qi Refining to the third level, and now he is about to break through to the fourth level. Such a cultivation speed is simply unprecedented."

The three stood quietly to the side, watching Huang Yiming cultivate, their eyes filled with admiration and worry. The spiritual energy within Huang Yiming's body grew increasingly dense, and his bottleneck gradually loosened. He gritted his teeth, channeling his full power into his cultivation technique, guiding the spiritual energy to launch a final assault on the bottleneck. With a "bang," the bottleneck was completely shattered, and the dense spiritual energy erupted instantly, sweeping through the entire cultivation room. Huang Yiming's aura instantly rose to the early stage of the fourth level of Qi Refining, becoming even more stable and refined than before.

Huang Yiming slowly opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them. Feeling the abundant spiritual energy within his body, a smile appeared on his lips. He had successfully broken through to the fourth level of Qi Refining, and the purity of his spiritual energy far exceeded that of ordinary fourth-level Qi Refining cultivators, even surpassing the spiritual energy of some fifth-level Qi Refining cultivators.

"Yiming, you've broken through!" Su Qingyue was the first to react, a joyful smile spreading across her face. She quickly stepped forward and handed the nutrient solution to Huang Yiming. "Drink some quickly to recover your spiritual energy." Huang Yiming took the nutrient solution and drank it all in one gulp. The pure nutrient solution instantly entered his body, replenishing the spiritual energy he had consumed during cultivation and making his aura more stable.

Qin Yuling stepped forward, her eyes full of praise: "Yiming, you're amazing! You've broken through to the fourth level of Qi Refining so quickly. It seems we're much more confident in dealing with Wang Kun and the Black Stone Sect's attack tomorrow." Yang Xiu also smiled and said: "Young Master, congratulations on your breakthrough. With you here, we're sure to win tomorrow's battle."

Huang Yiming grasped the three women's hands, a warm feeling welling up inside him. He said gently, "This isn't just my achievement; it's all thanks to you. With you by my side, I was able to break through so quickly and protect Yiming Village. Tomorrow, we'll fight side by side to defeat Wang Kun and the Black Stone Sect, letting them know the power of Yiming Village!"

Just then, a guard's voice came from outside the stronghold: "Chief, several groups of people have arrived outside the stronghold. They say they are disciples from small sects in the surrounding area and wish to pay their respects to you. They are willing to submit to Yiming Stronghold and obey your orders." A hint of surprise flashed in Huang Yiming's eyes, then he smiled: "I didn't expect my breakthrough to attract the submission of small sects in the surrounding area. It seems that the power of our Yiming Stronghold is about to grow stronger again."

He led the three women out of the cultivation room and arrived at the gate of the stronghold. There stood four groups of cultivators, each group consisting of a dozen or so people. The leaders were all cultivators at the third or fourth level of Qi Refining, their expressions respectful, clearly showing their genuine desire to submit. Upon seeing Huang Yiming emerge, the leading cultivators stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and shouted in unison, "Your subordinates greet the Stronghold Master! We are willing to lead our sect's disciples to submit to Yiming Stronghold, obeying your orders without hesitation, even at the cost of our lives!"

Huang Yiming stood with his hands behind his back, his aura as a fourth-level Qi Refining cultivator emanating steadily. He surveyed the cultivators present and said in a deep voice, "Why do you want to attach yourselves to Yiming Village?" The leader, a fourth-level Qi Refining cultivator named Li Shan, was the sect leader of the nearby Qingmu Sect. He raised his head respectfully and said, "Village Leader, we have long heard of your deeds and know that you are powerful. Not only did you achieve a comeback with your pseudo-spiritual root, but you also crippled a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Qingyun Sect. Moreover, Yiming Village has spiritual veins and abundant cultivation resources. We, as small sects, lack resources and are often bullied by the Qingyun Sect and the Black Stone Sect. We want to attach ourselves to the Village Leader for protection and hope to cultivate diligently under your guidance to improve our strength."

The other sect leaders echoed, "Yes, Chief, we have been oppressed by the Qingyun Sect and the Black Stone Sect for too long. We beg you to take us in. We are willing to obey your orders and serve Yiming Village!" Huang Yiming looked at them, a knowing glint in his eyes—these small sects were indeed often oppressed by the Qingyun Sect and the Black Stone Sect, and lacked resources. Now that they saw his strength, spiritual veins, and abundant resources, they naturally wanted to attach themselves to him.

Huang Yiming nodded and said in a deep voice, "Alright, I agree to take you in. From today onwards, your sects will be merged into Yiming Village, and your disciples will be incorporated into the guard team, under the training and command of Qin Hu and Qin Yuling. I can provide you with opportunities to cultivate spiritual veins and ample resources, but you must abide by the rules of Yiming Village, and you must not cause trouble or betray us, otherwise I will not forgive you!"

"Thank you, Chief! Thank you, Chief!" Several sect leaders kowtowed in gratitude, their faces beaming with joy—they knew that following Huang Yiming had finally brought them a chance to rise above their circumstances, and they would no longer suffer the oppression of the Qingyun Sect and the Black Stone Sect. Qin Hu stepped forward and shouted, "Now that you've joined Yiming Village, you must abide by the village rules, train diligently, and tomorrow join us in defeating Wang Kun and the Black Stone Sect, and achieving great deeds!"

"Yes!" All the cultivators responded in unison, their voices booming like thunder, echoing throughout Black Wind Ridge. Huang Yiming looked at the cultivators before him, his heart filled with confidence—he had now broken through to the fourth level of Qi Refining, and four more small sects had joined him, greatly increasing the strength of Yiming Village. Even if Wang Kun attacked with ten fourth-level Qi Refining cultivators and the remnants of the Black Stone Sect, he was confident he could completely crush them.

Su Qingyue walked to Huang Yiming's side and said softly, "Yiming, that's great! With so many more cultivators joining us, our strength is even greater. We'll definitely win this battle tomorrow." Huang Yiming nodded, his eyes resolute: "That's right. Tomorrow, we'll not only defeat Wang Kun and the Black Stone Sect, but we'll also let the Qingyun Sect know that Yiming Village is not to be trifled with. From now on, Black Wind Ridge will be under our control!"

Qin Yuling began to arrange for the new cultivators, incorporating them into the guard team and allocating accommodation and cultivation resources; Yang Xiu activated his hidden spiritual root to sense the surrounding movements and ensure there were no abnormalities; Qin Hu led the guard team to continue training, and the new cultivators were also very enthusiastic, trying their best to integrate into Yiming Village and eager to serve the village.

As night deepened, Yiming Village was brightly lit, with cultivators seizing the time to cultivate and conserve their energy for tomorrow's great battle. Huang Yiming stood atop the village tower, gazing at the night sky over Black Wind Ridge. His Qi Refining Level 4 aura circulated quietly, his mind churning. He knew that tomorrow's battle would be a tough one—Wang Kun was a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator with formidable strength, and there were also ten Qi Refining Level 4 cultivators and the remnants of the Black Stone Sect. Defeating them would be no easy task.

But he was fearless. He possessed formidable strength, loyal subordinates, three gentle and caring women who fought alongside him, and abundant cultivation resources and defensive equipment. He was confident he could defeat all enemies, protect Yiming Village, and safeguard those around him.

Just then, a system notification sounded: "The aura of the Qingyun Sect Master has been detected. He is rapidly approaching Black Wind Ridge and is still a hundred miles away from Yiming Village. The target is suspected to be the spiritual vein, the secret of the dual realms, and Yang Xiu's hidden spiritual root."

Huang Yiming's eyes turned cold, and a sneer curled at the corner of his mouth: "The Qingyun Sect Master has actually come in person. It seems this battle is more intense than I imagined. But since you're here, don't even think about leaving alive—I want to see just how capable the Qingyun Sect Master really is!" He turned and walked down the stockade, his eyes growing increasingly determined: Tomorrow, he would not only defeat Wang Kun and the Black Stone Sect, but also meet with the Qingyun Sect Master and completely eliminate the threat posed by the Qingyun Sect.