Chapter 83: The Breakthrough Begins

“This is too extravagant!” Chu Feng inwardly cried out in distress. The path of body refinement was nothing short of profligate; he could hardly imagine what lay ahead. Then, Chu Feng handed his identification token to Master Hu.

Master Hu took the token and operated deftly on a stone platform, deducting 1,997 points from it and transferring these points to the account of the Hall of Spiritual Medicine.

Retrieving his token, Chu Feng took the storage pouch and returned alone to the separate courtyard where the Hall Master resided.

The Golden Hall Master accepted the storage pouch and imprinted Chu Feng’s message talisman into his own communication orb. Of course, Chu Feng’s message talisman was the one he had originally received from Murong Qiuxue.

The communication orb was entirely different from a message talisman. Message talismans, due to their limited capacity for identification, could generally only be used to contact about a hundred other similar talismans. Communication orbs, on the other hand, were celestial-grade spiritual artifacts. They required both spiritual intent and spiritual power to operate and possessed a keen ability to distinguish between different spiritual imprints. As such, they could communicate with hundreds or even thousands of people, and could interface with both orbs and talismans. However, talismans could not contact orbs.

Chu Feng understood: when his message talisman vibrated, it would surely be the Hall Master reaching out to him, since Murong Qiuxue had been away from the Holy City for some time and could not possibly contact him.

Bidding farewell to the Hall Master, Chu Feng, his heart brimming with excitement, returned to his villa. Now, all he needed to do was await good news from the Hall Master.

Yet he did not spend these days idly. Aside from comprehending the “Way of the Sword,” he would also visit the Scripture Pavilion from time to time.

Though unable to cultivate the spiritual path, Chu Feng knew that broadening his horizons and deepening his understanding could only benefit him.

Twenty days passed quickly. That afternoon, Chu Feng’s message talisman in his robes finally began to vibrate. He knew that the moment to break through the First Extreme Realm had arrived—a moment he had awaited for so long.

Arriving at the Hall of Spiritual Medicine, Chu Feng went straight to the Hall Master’s separate residence.

“Come with me,” the Hall Master said, rising to his feet in the courtyard the moment he saw Chu Feng, and leading him toward a side room.

Chu Feng followed the Hall Master inside. The room was spacious, the walls shimmering with a gentle, white glow. Chu Feng could tell that barriers had been set up on every side.

The furnishings were simple: a wooden bed in one corner, a table beside it, and, in the center, two objects. One was a large wooden barrel, half as tall as a person and big enough to hold three or four people.

The other was a great cauldron, which immediately drew Chu Feng’s attention.

The cauldron was black, ancient, and imposing, inscribed with mysterious runes that seemed to emit an intangible, enigmatic aura. Standing before it filled Chu Feng with an indescribable sense of comfort.

At that moment, the mouth of the cauldron was tightly sealed with a lid. Chu Feng understood: inside it must be a portion of the refined spiritual medicine.

Following the Hall Master’s instructions, Chu Feng first fetched six or seven buckets of water from the ancient well and poured them into the wooden barrel, preparing for his impending seclusion.

With a flash of light from his fingertips, the Hall Master waved his hand, and the cauldron lid lifted and floated gently to the ground.

At that instant, golden liquid within the black cauldron shimmered and sparkled, dense spiritual energy wafting outward, and a fragrant yet faintly pungent medicinal aroma filled Chu Feng’s nostrils.

The Hall Master then waved again, causing the wooden table from the corner to drift over and settle beside the cauldron. He produced a white jade box and handed it to Chu Feng, then placed four identical hourglasses on the table, instructing, “Inside are ten golden pills. Once you’re inside the cauldron, take a pill when the first hourglass runs out and signals you. When the second hourglass runs out, take two pills. At the end of the third, take three pills. And finally, when the fourth hourglass finishes, take the remaining four.”

Chu Feng nodded, placing the jade box on the table. He knew these were the precise medicinal instructions detailed in the anonymous ancient text.

Though he hadn’t studied it in depth, he understood that to break through the First Extreme Realm, these ten golden pills were essential. Yet their medicinal force was so fierce that they could not be taken all at once.

Moreover, the golden liquid in the cauldron was the residue from refining the pills, possessing some of their medicinal properties, but much milder.

According to the text, this golden liquid served as a primer, tempering the flesh and helping the body adapt to the medicine.

Having explained everything, the Hall Master left the room, shutting the door behind him. Whatever happened next was up to Chu Feng alone—no one could assist him.

Inside, Chu Feng drew a deep breath and gazed at the cauldron, determination shining in his eyes. Nothing could stand in his way—not even the threat of death.

He set aside his Domain Sword, removed his clothes, and stepped naked into the cauldron.

The moment he entered, the medicinal liquid seemed to tear at his skin, a searing pain instantly coursing through his body.

Chu Feng remained calm and resolute, sitting cross-legged in the cauldron, the golden liquid just covering his neck, his head above the surface.

As he sat down, the first hourglass on the left flashed with blue light and began to flow, golden grains of sand trickling down.

An unprecedented agony swept over Chu Feng, as if the liquid sought to rend his skin. Soon, the pain reached his head as well.

Moments later, a burning sensation arose within, the pain gradually penetrating deeper, as though intent on shredding his organs.

Such torment was utterly unlike anything Chu Feng had ever known—and this was only the beginning. He had no idea how much longer he would have to endure.

According to the ancient text, breaking through the extreme realm was not a brief process, and for each individual, the duration would differ.

The speed at which the body absorbed the medicine varied. The Elder had explained that these hourglasses were no ordinary timepieces—they monitored the concentration of the medicine, adjusting their flow accordingly so Chu Feng could take each pill at the optimal moment.

Fortunately, years of arduous training had forged Chu Feng’s will into iron. Even now, he did not so much as furrow his brow. He glanced at the hourglass, then closed his eyes, focusing his mind and seeking the mysterious state described in the “Way of the Sword.”

In the courtyard, a barrier projection displayed the events in the room. Beneath an ancient pine, the Hall Master watched Chu Feng on the screen and nodded, clearly pleased with his composure.

Immersing himself in the “Way of the Sword” was also a means for Chu Feng to distract himself and ease the pain. As the concentration of the medicine in the liquid decreased over time, the pain naturally lessened, though by then Chu Feng had become numb to it all.

Unnoticed, time slipped by. When the last grain of sand in the first hourglass fell and a bell-like chime sounded, Chu Feng’s eyes flew open.

By then, four days had passed, though he had no sense of time and did not pause to consider it. He reached for the jade box, took out a golden pill, and swallowed it.

The moment the pill hit his stomach, Chu Feng shuddered, cold sweat streaming down his face. He felt as if a raging fire was blazing within, threatening to consume him entirely.

The burning sensation was so intense it seemed to tear his organs apart, the pain instantly spreading through his entire body.

His skin flushed scarlet, beads of blood oozing out. Chu Feng clenched his teeth, his body trembling uncontrollably. Now, he thought, the real ordeal had begun; what came before was only a warmup. The second hourglass had started, though its flow was noticeably slower.

He realized that after taking a pill, his body’s absorption of the golden liquid slowed, and the ordeal would only become longer and more grueling.

He was in no mood to marvel at the ingenuity of the text’s author. Gritting his teeth, he did his utmost to remain calm. He was certain that not only his face, but his entire body was now seeping blood.

Just one golden pill unleashed such ferocity—if he’d taken them all at once, he would surely perish. Even taking two, three, or four at a time would be no easier than what he now endured.

Chu Feng did not dwell on it. All he could do was persist and endure, convinced he would survive and break through the extreme realm.

His willpower was extraordinary. Even as his face became a mask of blood, he sank deeply into the insights of the “Way of the Sword.”

In the courtyard, the Hall Master was astonished that Chu Feng remained so composed after swallowing the golden pill, exclaiming to himself, “This boy truly is exceptional!”

From his experience, taking the golden pill could easily render one unconscious. He watched not only to observe Chu Feng’s progress but also to ensure he did not forget or become unable to take the next dose, in which case he could intervene.

Chu Feng’s calm far exceeded his expectations. If he had known that Chu Feng was still comprehending the “Way of the Sword,” he would have been even more amazed.

In the cauldron, it was not until three days later that Chu Feng’s trembling finally ceased—not because the pain had vanished, but because he had grown numb to it.

By then, the golden liquid was tinged with a layer of blood-red, and the blood on Chu Feng’s face had dried.

The golden sand in the hourglass flowed slowly; only half had fallen. Chu Feng opened his eyes once during this time, stretching slightly in the medicinal bath and marveling at the clear increase in his strength. The change thrilled him, making the suffering feel worthwhile.

At last, the second hourglass ran out, its chime ringing out to mark the end of that stage.

Chu Feng opened his eyes, reached for the jade box, took out two golden pills, and, without hesitation, crushed them in his mouth and swallowed them in one gulp.