C12 Eighth Stage Realm

All the Cultivators who had gathered around Tian Daigan rushed to Liu Xingchang's side in the blink of an eye. The Spirit Mark Rune, capable of freely changing attributes, was an unseen treasure throughout the entire Great Pine Kingdom, its value beyond measure.

Independent cultivators, rootless by nature, joined forces solely for the benefits. So, why not align with the force offering superior advantages? Clearly, the Liu Family was currently more appealing than the Dai Family in every aspect.

In the contest involving the Spirit Mark Rune, Tian Daigan was utterly defeated, without a sliver of hope for a comeback. Even Tian Daigan, a Rune Master himself, was stunned, having never heard of a Spirit Mark Rune with the ability to alter its attributes. Where on earth had Liu Xingchang acquired such a technique?

Behind a beaded curtain in a secluded chamber, Princess Qingyuan was utterly captivated by the enigma and power of Liu Xingchang. He was akin to a treasure trove with unfathomable depths, constantly delivering surprises. Just when you thought you had uncovered all his secrets, he would reveal yet another astonishing facet, leaving you hopelessly enchanted.

Since their first encounter, the awe Liu Xingchang inspired in Princess Qingyuan had deepened her infatuation. Her curiosity about him had gradually turned into admiration. Curiosity killed the cat, and for a woman, being drawn into a man's mystery marked the dawn of love. And Liu Xingchang was not just a man of mystery; he was truly exceptional.

Princess Qingyuan's eyes sparkled with fascination as she pondered, "Liu Xingchang, what other secrets do you hold?"

Downstairs, at the head table, the Prime Minister squinted and murmured, "Liu Xingchang... Liu Xingchang... truly a cut above the rest... So many in the Royal Capital have underestimated him..." He then turned to Qing Yi and Qing Bai and asked, "Would you two like to befriend Liu Xingchang?" Qing Yi nodded eagerly, like a chick pecking at grains.

The Prime Minister declared, "From this moment forward, I will no longer confine you. You are free to befriend Liu Xingchang without worry."

Qing Yi's eyes sparkled with excitement as she exclaimed, "Wow, Dad, are you serious?"

The Prime Minister nodded with a smile, affirming, "Yes, I am."

Overjoyed, Qing Yi wrapped her arms around her father's arm and pressed her cheek against it with delight.

While the Prime Minister basked in his daughter's affection, his gaze shifted to Liu Xingchang upstairs, a sharp glint passing through his eyes.

At that moment, Liu Xingchang had risen to his feet, having stowed away the Qiankun Pouch and the Spirit Mark Rune.

Having emerged victorious, there was no longer any need for Liu Xingchang to linger.

He cast a sidelong glance at Tian Daigan and declared, "The Dai Family has reaped what they sowed, and let that be the end of it. However, if you insist on standing against me on behalf of the Dai Family, trust me, you'll come to understand the true meaning of entangling oneself and courting destruction."

Though the statement was tinged with arrogance, coming from Liu Xingchang, it seemed entirely justified.

Tian Daigan's mouth opened as if to retort, but the weight of his defeat left him speechless, slumped in his seat, motionless.

As one of the Royal Capital's eight distinguished young masters, Tian Daigan had always had an easy path in life. He had never experienced such a complete and powerless defeat.

This loss had sapped him of all his fighting spirit and passion.

He had no choice but to watch Liu Xingchang depart in glory.

As Liu Xingchang prepared to lead the itinerant Cultivators who had pledged allegiance to the Liu Family out of the Phoenix Restaurant, Princess Qingyuan, hidden behind the pearl curtains, felt a sudden urge to confront Liu Xingchang. Yet, she ultimately held back.

For her, the timing was not right to forge a friendship with Liu Xingchang.

Liu Xingchang was soon to face a great trial in five days, and she did not wish to distract him.

...

Liu Xingchang descended the stairs and briefly encountered the Prime Minister and his family. After exchanging a few words, he headed home, as he still had three important tasks to attend to.

The first order of business was to integrate the independent cultivators who had volunteered to join the Liu Family with the assistance of Liu Shuile and the Great Elder.

Over the past few years, aside from the servants bound by contracts, the Liu Family's guards, cultivators, and guest officials had nearly all departed, unwilling to pledge allegiance to a clan on the brink of collapse.

However, with Liu Xingchang's influence, the Liu Family was now brimming with new life.

Witnessing these skilled cultivators eager to join their ranks, Liu Shuile and the Great Elder were moved to tears, reminiscing about the Liu Family's former glory.

The second task at hand was the rapidly approaching Seven Day Agreement, leaving Liu Xingchang with just five days to dramatically enhance his abilities.

But before tackling that, he needed to address a third matter.

This involved fulfilling a promise to the Third Prince—to assist him in becoming a Cultivator.

The Third Prince was unable to cultivate due to having a dantian but no Spirit Sea. Liu Xingchang's task was to create a Spirit Sea for him.

Artificial Spirit Seas were quite common in the Northern Polar Heaven Domain, so Liu Xingchang, having made such a promise, was confident in his ability to deliver.

Shortly after Liu Xingchang arrived home, the Third Prince showed up with seven Qiankun Pouches packed full.

"Here are 6,789 Low-grade Spirit Stones, 3,333 Low-grade Heavenly Stones, a millennium-old flesh spirit mushroom, and a mid-grade Spirit Artifact, the Blood Coagulation Sphere. I've even tapped into the treasury my mother accumulated over the years and humbled myself to seek help from my royal siblings... Brother Liu, please don't let me down!"

After emptying the contents of the Qiankun Pouches, they set to work at midday and continued for a full six hours.

At three in the morning, Liu Xingchang's door finally reopened.

As the Third Prince took his leave, he repeatedly bowed deeply to Liu Xingchang.

Liu Xingchang returned the gesture, bowing until the Third Prince had departed.

After the Third Prince returned to the palace, he didn't seek rest. Instead, he honored his promise to Liu Xingchang and made his way to the Kuning Palace.

The Kuning Palace served as the Empress's chambers, and she was none other than the Third Prince's mother...

...

The third day of the seven-day pact brought a flurry of activity to the Liu Family estate.

Where the Liu Family's home was once quiet and empty, today it teemed with visitors from all the major powers of the Royal Capital, each bearing substantial gifts. The estate's servants were so overwhelmed that their numbers seemed insufficient.

When Liu Shuile sent for additional help from the streets, the commoners, who would typically avoid working for the Liu Family, now vied eagerly for the opportunity.

The behavior of the Royal Capital's influential forces and the common folk alike clearly illustrated the Liu Family's newfound prominence in the city.

The once listless servants of the Liu Family now strutted about with pride, their posture akin to victorious generals, their brows raised with a newfound arrogance.

All knew the reason for this transformation and the identity of the dignitary these visitors had come to see, yet Liu Xingchang remained out of sight.

It wasn't that Liu Xingchang was unwilling to make an appearance; time was simply too precious.

With only five days remaining until the deadline, he needed to devote every moment to enhancing his strength, even if just slightly.

At that very moment, Liu Xingchang was in seclusion within his room, striving to overcome the Eighth Stage's bottleneck.

For a practitioner of the Three-Spirit Sacred Body, such a breakthrough was far more challenging than for an ordinary Cultivator.

While an ordinary Cultivator needed to meet the conditions for a single Spirit Sea breakthrough, Liu Xingchang had to meet the conditions for all three Spirit Seas simultaneously.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Visible ripples emanated outward, signaling the successful breakthrough of his realm.

Liu Xingchang licked his lips, opened his eyes, and declared, "At last, I've broken through to the Eighth Stage realm. The Three-Spirit Sacred Body truly lives up to its name. Despite my Great Law of the Blue Sky being among the elite in the entire Northern Polar Heaven Domain, cultivating it remains an arduous and challenging endeavor."

Certainly, Liu Xingchang was immensely satisfied with his Three-Spirit Sacred Body.

A Cultivator blessed with three Spirit Seas was undeniably unbeatable within their own realm.

Furthermore, each of these Spirit Seas could be embedded with up to ninety Spirit Mark Runes.

With time running short, Liu Xingchang shifted his focus from further cultivation to embedding his Spirit Sea with all-attribute Spirit Mark Runes.

Having recently reclaimed three mines, the Liu Family had an abundant supply of Low-grade Spirit Stones and Heavenly Stones at their disposal. Liu Xingchang had also exaggerated the number needed to create an artificial Spirit Sea, ensuring a surplus from which crafting ninety first-grade all-attribute Spirit Mark Runes was no challenging feat.

Over the following days, Liu Xingchang secluded himself in his room, tirelessly crafting Spirit Mark Runes until he had exhausted every last Spirit Stone and Heavenly Stone.

With just one day remaining before the seven-day deadline, Liu Xingchang emerged from his room.

He had successfully condensed a total of one hundred and eight all-attribute Spirit Mark Runes, embedding ninety into his Spirit Sea. The remaining eighteen were handed over to the Great Elder to win over allies.

In the Great Pine Kingdom, where all-attribute Spirit Mark Runes were unheard of, a single Level 1 all-attribute Spirit Mark Rune was deemed even more precious than a standard Level 2 Spirit Mark Rune.

With the embedding complete, Liu Xingchang turned his attention to mastering Spirit Techniques.

While swordsmanship and bladework were a reflection of one's proficiency with weapons, only Spirit Techniques could unleash formidable power in an instant.

The Thunderclap technique Liu Xingchang had employed to rescue Liu Xinchang at the Dai Family was one such Spirit Technique.

Yet, due to its rapid consumption of Spiritual Energy, he could only reserve the Thunderclap as a last resort. Therefore, he needed to learn more conventional Spirit Techniques for everyday use.

Despite this, the Thunderclap was the least impressive technique in his repertoire. The more powerful moves stored in his memory were beyond his current ability to master.

"My realm is still too low and too weak..."

Liu Xingchang smacked his lips, then sought out Liu Shuile and acquired two upper-tier first-grade Spirit Techniques.

Spirit Techniques are also ranked, with each tier divided into upper, middle, and lower grades. For Liu Xingchang's current realm, mastering an upper-tier first-grade Spirit Technique couldn't be more fitting.

"Upper-tier first-grade offensive Spirit Technique, Tyrannical Flaming Fist..."

"Upper-tier first-grade footwork Spirit Technique, Water Shadow Body... Although somewhat lacking, it does fill the gap in my current repertoire of movement techniques."

Consequently, Liu Xingchang dedicated the following afternoon to practicing these two Spirit Techniques.

By now, Liu Xingchang was thoroughly prepared. Despite the limited time, he had made all the necessary preparations and was simply waiting for the appointed day to arrive.

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