C22 Break the Restriction!

A sudden beam of golden light pierced the darkness of the cave. Qinghuang felt the temperature around her rise and watched in astonishment as a golden flame danced on Tang Yuan's fingertip.

Despite the distance between them, she sensed a dangerous aura emanating from the small flame. The thought that such a phenomenon could terrify even a seasoned Spirit Sea Stage cultivator was astounding.

"I'm about to begin," Tang Yuan announced in a deep tone. The breakthrough had enhanced the Imperial Fire's potency, but it also accelerated the consumption of Spiritual Force. Thankfully, his expansive Spirit Sea could sustain the drain for some time.

Gently, Tang Yuan took Qinghuang's hand, feeling the soothing warmth in his palm. Qinghuang experienced an unfamiliar sensation stirring within her. Her status had prevented any such intimacy with men before, yet she found herself surprisingly at ease with Tang Yuan's touch.

Suddenly, a searing pain, akin to being torn apart, shattered her reverie. It was as if molten lava was coursing through her body from her palm. She was voiceless, her soul quivering as the intense heat threatened to sever her meridians.

Tang Yuan was in no less pain, aware that losing control of the Imperial Fire could mean their destruction. He marshaled his focus, channeling all his mental energy into mastering the fire's formidable power.

As the time for an incense stick to burn passed, Tang Yuan's Spiritual Force neared depletion. He carefully snuffed out the Imperial Fire and retrieved two Spirit Recovery Pills from the jade bottle, swallowing them to replenish his strength.

As the heat within her subsided, Qinghuang exhaled deeply, her nerves unwinding. She turned to Tang Yuan with a curious gleam in her eyes.

"His name is Tang Yuan, likely a local from this town. Could that be Spirit Fire?" she mused, her gaze fixed on his face. "Is he also an Artifact Refining Master?"

To possess Spirit Fire was the hallmark of an Artifact Refining Master, yet the Spirit Fire at Tang Yuan's command was clearly extraordinary.

Perhaps the pain had been too overwhelming, for Qinghuang eventually drifted off to sleep.

Roughly four hours later, Tang Yuan regained his strength. Once again, he ignited the Imperial Fire and took Qinghuang's hand, channeling the flame into her body.

Qinghuang, who had been sound asleep, abruptly opened her eyes as the intense pain returned. She shot Tang Yuan a glare. Didn't he have any sense of compassion?

Enduring the agony, Qinghuang managed to get through the day. When Tang Yuan finally snuffed out the Imperial Fire, she exhaled deeply, grateful for the chance to rest.

But her relief was short-lived as she realized that many of the restrictions within her had been lifted!

"In just one day, you've accomplished what would take me ten!" Qinghuang exclaimed, staring at Tang Yuan, who had resumed his meditative state.

Over the following days, Tang Yuan worked tirelessly, using the Imperial Fire to help her break free from the Holy Level restriction. Despite its formidable nature, it stood no chance against the Imperial Fire and was methodically consumed by the flames.

On the seventh day, Qinghuang was astonished to discover that the majority of the restrictions had been shattered, yet she remained paralyzed.

Tang Yuan sent a thread of Spiritual Force into her, pinpointing the remaining restrictions, and nodded in understanding. Up to this point, he had been targeting the non-critical restrictions. The ones left were situated in crucial areas; one false move could incinerate Qinghuang.

Without a second glance, Tang Yuan carelessly downed a handful of Spirit Pills and then gently kindled the Imperial Fire.

His Divine Sense was intensely focused this time. He had to shatter the remaining restrictions in one fell swoop; any hesitation could trigger a violent backlash from the restrictions.

If that happened, Qinghuang's fate would be sealed.

Watching Tang Yuan, Qinghuang could sense his heightened anxiety. Though she didn't know the reason, she braced herself for an even more challenging ordeal ahead.

The pain that followed was immediate confirmation of her fears. It was as if countless ants were feasting on her meridians, a harrowing pain that felt like myriad hands dragging her into the abyss of hell.

After half an hour had passed, Tang Yuan took a jade bottle in his other hand and poured a Spirit Returning Pill into his mouth, yet the Imperial Fire he wielded did not go out!

Qinghuang had hoped for a reprieve, but to her dismay, the agony did not subside; it intensified instead!

Three more days went by, and Tang Yuan's mind started to drift. The relentless days without sleep, combined with the horrific toll of the last three days, pushed his body to the brink of collapse.

"Shatter!" Tang Yuan's Divine Sense surged wildly as a myriad of golden beams burst forth from the golden Spirit Sea, ceaselessly revitalizing his Divine Sense and his physical form.

By the fourteenth day, Qinghuang's Divine Sense had grown hazy, yet she sensed that her restrictive spells were nearly undone. Only a few more remained. Once they were completely shattered, she would be free and able to return to her sect.

The thought of departure stirred something within Qinghuang, but she quickly dismissed it. The gulf between them was too vast. This departure would be their last.

Tang Yuan felt as though his head and body were splitting apart, but his formidable consciousness kept him going. The two jade bottles at his side were now empty, and he realized he had underestimated the strength of the restriction; the number of Spirit Pills was running low.

But Tang Yuan had no choice but to continue. In this final phase, he had to endure!

"I have to take the risk and try! I hope she can bear it!" Finally, with a resolute look in his eyes, Tang Yuan grasped her other hand in his!

"Ah!"

Qinghuang's body shook violently, her soul nearly shattering as the scorching heat of the flames no longer just nibbled at her meridians but engulfed her entire body like a wildfire!

Soon, she could no longer bear the pain and slowly lost consciousness. Meanwhile, Tang Yuan, with a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth, watched as the golden Spirit Sea dimmed considerably, his Spiritual Force dwindling to a mere fraction.

"Break it open!" Tang Yuan bellowed, as the Essence Monarch Spell churned wildly, wringing every last drop of Spiritual Force from his meridians!

Hiss!

A bloody gash materialized on his body, quickly followed by another. These were ominous signs of his depleting Spiritual Force. If he persisted, it would be the death of him!

"It's all down to fate now!" With his final ounce of strength, Tang Yuan channeled the last strand of Imperial Fire into the ultimate barrier, then collapsed onto the ground.