C46 Break Through the Sixth Level of the Martial Spirit.

"I'm not exactly sure of the specifics, but it appears that one of them is Senior Brother Murong's younger brother, and the other is his friend. They were on their way to see Senior Brother Murong when Jee Xiang intercepted them, accusing them of being impostors and demanding to inspect Senior Brother Murong's token."

"Fake? It's obvious that Jee Xiang is just stirring up trouble for Senior Brother Murong. He's looking to make things difficult for him, with someone powerful backing him up. Senior Brother Murong is pretty much powerless against him."

Some onlookers immediately saw through the deception.

"Show me the token. I'll determine whether it's authentic or not!" Jee Xiang, however, paid no mind to the murmurs of the crowd and extended his hand to Min Zhenkang, demanding the token.

Without a word, Min Zhenkang retrieved the token from his Bag of Heaven and Earth.

"Ha! This token is clearly a counterfeit. Guards, seize these two at once!"

Jee Xiang barely glanced at the token before declaring it a fake and ordered his men to apprehend Min Zhenkang and his companion.

"Senior Brother, I've verified it—the token is genuine!" An outer sect disciple who had been guiding them stepped forward to interject.

"Silence! If you can't discern a real token from a fake, you might as well be in league with them. Guards, arrest this traitor too!"

"Senior Brother, this is a misunderstanding!" The man regretted speaking out, wondering why he had bothered to say anything at all.

"Don't even think about laying a hand on them. If my elder brother hears of this, you'll be the ones facing death!" Min Zhenkang's quiet demeanor didn't mean Murong Fu would hold his tongue.

"Look at the nerve on this kid, brandishing a fake token and trying to intimidate the Fang Sect. I'll capture you myself and leave you at the mercy of the sect!"

Murong Fu's words halted those who were advancing, but Jee Xiang was resolute in his intent to capture Min Zhenkang and his ally.

"Enough!"

As the man moved to apprehend Min Zhenkang, a woman's voice rang out from nearby.

The crowd turned at the sound, catching sight of a competent woman emerging from their midst.

"Jee Xiang, can't you discern whether a token is genuine or not? To so casually declare Senior Brother Murong's token a fake—who gave you such audacity? Aren't you afraid of facing his retribution?"

The speaker was none other than Tang Tian, who happened to be passing by.

Tang Tian had intended to visit the Scripture Pavilion in search of a suitable cultivation method, but unexpectedly stumbled upon Jee Xiang causing trouble for Min Zhenkang and another.

"Tang Tian, watch your tone. Have you no regard for me as your senior brother?"

"Save your pretensions for someone else. You've yet to earn the right to be called my senior brother," Tang Tian shot back.

"Fine. Once I've dealt with these two, I'll prove whether I'm worthy of being your senior brother!" Jee Xiang declared, intent on apprehending Min Zhenkang and his companion.

"If you apprehend them today, I assure you that within an hour, Senior Brother Murong will confront you himself."

"Stop trying to intimidate me with Senior Brother Murong. I'm rooting out traitors from our sect, and your constant interference makes you equally suspect!"

"Senior Brother Murong's peak is just ahead. Why not go directly to him for clarity? He'll recognize his own token. If these two are impostors, I trust Senior Brother Murong will apprehend them personally."

"This trivial matter doesn't warrant bothering Senior Brother Murong. I'll handle it myself!" Jee Xiang said, ready to act.

"If you refuse to go, then I'll invite Senior Brother down the mountain to see for himself!" Tang Tian declared, heading toward Murong Lin's peak.

"Hmph, if you're so determined, I'll step aside. But if the sect confirms these two as infiltrators, you'll face the consequences!" Seeing Tang Tian set off to summon Murong Lin, Jee Xiang hesitated no longer, tossed the token to Min Zhenkang, and made to leave.

He was well aware that the token was authentic; claiming it was fake was merely a pretext to apprehend the pair.

"There's no need for your concern. Should it turn out these two are indeed spies, I, Tang Tian, am ready to face the consequences!" Tang Tian halted as Jee Xiang released the token.

With a huff, Jee Xiang, seething with anger, led his men away.

The crowd, witnessing the anticlimactic end to the drama, dispersed.

"You! You've just arrived and already stirred up trouble. I can't fathom what sort of person you are, attracting chaos wherever you go," Tang Tian remarked as she watched Jee Xiang depart.

"Miss Tang, you've unjustly accused our Brother Meng. It was Jee Xiang who sought to trouble us first," Murong Fu interjected before Min Zhenkang could speak.

"Hmm!" Tang Tian shot Murong Fu a sharp look.

Feeling her glare, Murong Fu instinctively recoiled.

"Don't let me catch you here again, or I'll ensure you're bedridden for months. Go meet Senior Brother Murong; I've got things to do."

"And remember, don't invite trouble. If you do, there's no one here who can save you!" Tang Tian cautioned Min Zhenkang before leaving.

Min Zhenkang simply smiled, remaining silent, though inwardly he acknowledged the depth of her misunderstanding. Reflecting on it, he realized that trouble did indeed seem to follow him wherever he went, and Tang Tian had witnessed it all. No wonder she harbored such a profound misapprehension.

The outer sect disciple, seeing the situation resolved, resumed guiding them toward the mountain where Murong Lin resided.

They had traversed several mountains, each brimming with abundant Profound Qi, visible even to the naked eye. Cultivating amidst such energy would surely be exceptionally effective.

"We've arrived."

"This is the peak belonging to Senior Brother Murong. Without his express consent, I cannot ascend. From here, you'll have to proceed on your own. Follow this path, and it will lead you straight to Senior Brother Murong's place of cultivation."

The guide halted here, informing Min Zhenkang and Xiao Tian about the remainder of the path but declined to proceed further himself.

"Additionally, only core disciples are entitled to claim a mountain peak as their own. Should anyone without the mountain master's explicit consent set foot there, they risk the master's wrath, potentially fatal consequences, and the sect will not intervene. The sect's true prodigies are those very core disciples, after all."

He imparted this rule to the pair before taking his leave.

"Many thanks for the heads-up, Senior Brother. We'll take it to heart," they responded.

"Sure."

Unaware of Min Zhenkang's actual status, he accepted the address of 'Senior Brother' from him.

Returning to his post at the mountain gate, the guide left Xiao Tian and Min Zhenkang to ascend the mountain alone.

The vegetation was exceptionally tall and lush, yet meticulously organized, as if someone had tended to it with great care.

A small Spirit Concentration Array had been installed on this peak, and Min Zhenkang noticed similar arrays on other peaks he had passed. This explained the extraordinary density of Profound Qi enveloping the mountain, nourishing the towering, verdant trees.

"Wow, such potent Profound Qi! No wonder big brother's cultivation level is soaring, nearly surpassing our father's. In a place with Qi this rich, one's cultivation level would skyrocket!"

Murong Lin was at the third level of the Martial Warrior Stage.

To have reached this stage at his age was a testament to his talent. Min Zhenkang had recognized his cultivation level at first glance.

Currently, there were only two individuals whose cultivation Min Zhenkang could not discern: Tang Guo and the man who had been seated before her, Murong Hai—Murong Fu's father.

Yet Min Zhenkang surmised that both must be within the Martial Warrior Stage, certainly not the Martial General Stage.

As for which specific level, he speculated they were likely at the sixth or seventh level of the Martial Warrior Stage.

Min Zhenkang strode through the thick Profound Qi, inhaling deeply. The energy surged into his body as if it cost nothing, stirring a sense of breakthrough in his cultivation that had been stagnant for so long.

Seizing the moment, Min Zhenkang greedily drew in the Profound Qi, pushing the Heavenly Imperial Immortality Spell to its utmost limit.

He was like a bottomless pit, voraciously swallowing the Profound Qi atop the mountain peak without restraint.

Murong Fu noticed the fluctuations in the surrounding Profound Qi and turned his gaze to Min Zhenkang. "Holy smokes, this guy's a beast! Cultivating with such intensity, isn't he afraid of bursting from all that Profound Qi? I'm seriously impressed!" he exclaimed, giving Min Zhenkang an approving thumbs-up.

As Min Zhenkang continued his relentless absorption, his cultivation level began to climb steadily.

Inside his dantian, the Profound Qi swelled at an astonishing rate.

Deciding to focus solely on his practice, Min Zhenkang halted his advance and sat down to cultivate right where he was.

Murong Fu, intrigued by Min Zhenkang's method, also paused to watch him cultivate with keen interest. "Incredible. I've never seen anyone cultivate in such a manner."

Suddenly, a voice reached Murong Fu's ear. Absorbed in watching Min Zhenkang, he hadn't noticed Murong Lin approaching.

Murong Lin had come to investigate the cause of the mountain's Profound Qi disturbance, only to find Min Zhenkang in deep cultivation, the source of the change. Impressed, he couldn't help but express his admiration.

"Big brother, when did you get here?" Murong Fu asked, approaching Murong Lin.

"Hush—let's not talk now. It looks like Min is on the verge of a breakthrough. We mustn't interrupt," Murong Lin whispered.

Taking his brother's advice, Murong Fu turned back to Min Zhenkang and saw the signs of an imminent breakthrough.

In under an hour, the Profound Qi in Min Zhenkang's dantian reached full capacity, priming him for a breakthrough to the sixth level of the Martial Spirit Stage.

In any other place, Min Zhenkang would need at least ten days to break through to the sixth level of the Martial Spirit Stage. Yet, here he was, less than an hour upon reaching the mountain peak, on the verge of a breakthrough. This spoke volumes about the density of the Profound Qi surrounding the peak.

With a soft pop, Min Zhenkang shattered the final barrier, ascending to the sixth level of the Martial Spirit Stage.

Now, his body's store of Profound Qi was over tenfold that of the fifth level, and the euphoria of his breakthrough left him feeling utterly at ease. Indeed, there was nothing quite like the thrill of a breakthrough—it was always exhilarating.

At this newfound level, Min Zhenkang could hold his own against someone at the second level of the Martial Warrior Stage—a feat that would leave many incredulous. To challenge a cultivator from the Martial Warrior Stage while only at the sixth level of the Martial Spirit Stage was unheard of.

The gap between the Martial Warrior Stage and the Martial Spirit Stage was significant. A single first-level Martial Warrior could effortlessly overpower several peak Martial Spirit cultivators.

Yet, Min Zhenkang's ability to spar with Martial Warrior Stage opponents, while only at the sixth level of Martial Spirit, was a testament to the power of the Heavenly Imperial Immortality Spell he practiced. At this moment, he had merely revealed a glimpse of its potential.

To Murong Fu and his brother, it seemed as though Min Zhenkang had grown exponentially stronger with just a minor advancement in his cultivation.

Once he had consolidated his breakthrough, Min Zhenkang slowly opened his eyes. The intense gaze of the two brothers upon him made him wonder if something was amiss once again.

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