C21 Spirit Sea Stage 1

Upon removing the mask, Tang Yuan was met with Qinghuang's impeccable visage, her skin as luminous as white jade, which seemed even more radiant on her. In contrast to Menng Ya's mature allure and Nangong Linger's innocent sweetness, Qinghuang exuded an air of noble unattainability.

Tang Yuan was particularly struck by Qinghuang's ice-blue eyes, which seemed to communicate volumes, now filled with shock, anger, and a hint of murderous intent.

Feeling the awkwardness of the moment, Tang Yuan realized she had opened her eyes and was now intently staring at him, causing his face to flush with embarrassment.

"Ahem, please don't look at me like that," he implored. "I can lift your restriction. Are you willing to agree to the deal I proposed?" He locked eyes with her and continued, "If you agree, blink. If not, I'll leave this instant!"

Fire seemed to dance in Qinghuang's eyes, a Holy Level restriction not something a mere Spirit Containing Stage cultivator like him could hope to undo – it was wishful thinking at best!

Tang Yuan remained unfazed by Qinghuang's skeptical gaze. Although he lacked confidence in his current ability to break her restriction, he knew that once he advanced to the Spirit Sea Stage, it would be a different story.

After a lengthy silence, Qinghuang blinked, signaling her acceptance of Tang Yuan's offer.

She couldn't fathom why she had agreed to such a laughable deal. Perhaps it was a fleeting aura from Tang Yuan that swayed her decision.

"At most, I have half a year to completely shatter the restriction. Then, I can reclaim everything," Qinghuang resolved, closing her eyes gently.

Seeing Qinghuang's blink, Tang Yuan couldn't help but smile. He tapped the mask he held, from which a subtle fragrance lingered.

"The deal is done. I'll step out for a moment and return shortly," Tang Yuan stated calmly before rising and departing.

Qinghuang, who had just closed her eyes, opened them again, watching Tang Yuan's retreating figure with disbelief, devoid of any sense of longing.

With her status and beauty, any man would likely want to spend more time with her. But what was Tang Yuan doing? He just walked away?

"I should have known it was a deception. How could a mere Spirit Containing Stage cultivator possibly remove the seal on me?" Qinghuang felt somewhat resigned. It was surprising that someone so insignificant could stir such a range of emotions within her.

Two hours later, Tang Yuan still hadn't returned, confirming Qinghuang's suspicion that she had been duped. That scoundrel was probably only after her mask. The thought of her mask brought a fleeting, indescribable emotion to her eyes.

"I'm back," Tang Yuan's voice announced, and the light at the entrance of the cave dimmed as he appeared beside her.

This time, Tang Yuan was carrying additional items, including two large jade bottles.

"I got held up a bit," Tang Yuan offered a casual explanation. Undoing the seal wasn't something that could be accomplished overnight. By his calculations, it might take half a month. In his absence, he needed to arrange some affairs for the Tang family.

He also had to ensure he was well-stocked with pills. The two bottles in front of him had cost him several hundred thousand gold coins!

Tang Yuan carefully extracted a jade bottle from his pocket and opened it, releasing a rich scent of medicine that Qinghuang immediately detected.

"Is this the Spirit Sea Pill?" Qinghuang was momentarily taken aback before realizing his intent: he planned to consume the pill to advance to the Spirit Sea Stage.

But what was the point of merely advancing to the Spirit Sea Stage?

She observed the young man before her. His handsome face still bore traces of youth, yet he exuded an air of world-weariness, as if an aged soul resided within his youthful form.

What Tang Yuan did next, however, caused her to gaze at him in astonishment.

He tilted his head back and downed a bottle of pills in one go, even belching afterwards!

Such extravagance!

Qinghuang was at a loss for words. While the Spirit Sea Pill might not be particularly valuable to her, she had never seen anyone consume it in such a wasteful manner.

Unperturbed, Tang Yuan swallowed the pill and then settled into a seated position, beginning to meditate. As the Essence Monarch Spell activated, the spiritual energy within the cave surged into tumultuous chaos.

Golden rays of divine light enveloped Tang Yuan's form as thousands of streams of Spiritual Force coursed through his body. In mere moments, his body took on a translucent quality.

Qinghuang watched in astonishment as the Spiritual Force within Tang Yuan flowed at such a rapid pace that it produced a sound akin to roaring waves.

Within Tang Yuan's body, the Spiritual Force from countless meridians began to converge slowly towards his Spirit Sea. The Spirit Sea Stage involved the creation of an internal Spirit Sea, which would then be filled with Spiritual Force.

Tang Yuan's Spirit Sea formed swiftly, taking no more than the time it took an incense stick to burn to show its rudimentary shape. After two hours, his Spirit Sea was fully established!

Endless Spiritual Force poured into his Spirit Sea, which seemed boundless, endlessly drawing in and expelling Spiritual Force. Simultaneously, the spiritual energy from all around the cave rushed frantically towards Tang Yuan.

As the night progressed, the Spiritual Force within Tang Yuan's Spirit Sea finally settled. From a distance, his Spirit Sea resembled a golden sea, with streaks of golden lightning dancing above it. A tempest whipped up, and waves of Spiritual Force surged skyward, creating an awe-inspiring spectacle.

By Qinghuang's side, she stood in stunned silence. It was not uncommon for geniuses to witness unusual phenomena when opening their Spirit Sea. She herself had seen hundreds of strands of rainbow light during her own experience, but she had never encountered an event as staggering as Tang Yuan's.

After a considerable time, Tang Yuan opened his eyes, feeling the overwhelming Spiritual Force within him. He smiled and nodded in satisfaction. In this life, he had cultivated both Martial Arts and the Essence Monarch Spell to such a degree that his physical body had grown immensely strong, allowing him to expand his Spirit Sea to its utmost limits.

"An average cultivator at the Spirit Sea Stage Level One Heaven wouldn't stand a chance against me!" Tang Yuan whispered to himself.

He glanced at Qinghuang, who was still gaping at him, and chuckled. "Have you taken a liking to me? I haven't even told you my name yet. Remember it well—I am Tang Yuan."

Qinghuang, her face still etched with shock, saw his playful grin and decided to simply close her eyes.

"Alright, I'm about to begin lifting your restrictions. This might cause some discomfort, but I'm confident you can handle it."

Tang Yuan's voice echoed in Qinghuang's ears. She opened her eyes again, initially thinking he was deceiving her, but now it appeared he meant business.

Pain? She doubted it. Not even a full-force strike from a cultivator at the Level One Heaven of the Spirit Sea Stage could cause her the slightest harm!

Observing the look on Qinghuang's face, Tang Yuan gave a wry smile. It seemed he was being underestimated once more. With a mere thought, a strand of golden flame materialized at his fingertips.