C41 One Million Attribute Points!

After acquiring Element Gathering Powder from an external source, Zhou Jibo briefed Zhou Kaile and the rest on two significant updates. The first concerned Zheng Fanshuang's altered circumstances. She was to remain living near Zhou Jibo, with restrictions on leaving the premises, but her days as a servant in the Zhou family were over—she was no longer required to attend to anyone.

The second matter was recounting his encounter with Jiao Lexin of the Jiao family, which had ended in Lexin's death.

Zhou Kaile and the others were indifferent to Fanshuang's situation. Upon hearing the full account of Jiao Lexin's demise at the hands of Zhou Jibo, they were left with a sense of resignation. Given Lexin's arrogance and reckless behavior, Jibo had been left with no alternative but to eliminate him. Nevertheless, this act now forced them to reckon with the Jiao family, which boasted four Innate Experts.

The group's hope now rested squarely on Zhou Jibo's shoulders, trusting he could navigate the succession of looming challenges.

Having already provoked the Shrine of Astral Radiance, the Jiao family's threat seemed relatively minor in comparison.

Back in the solitude of his room, Zhou Jibo set to work on enhancing the potency of the Element Gathering Powder.

He expended attribute points to refine the powder into Premium Quality Element Gathering Powder.

With further deduction of points, he elevated it to a first-grade Acquired Essence Gathering Pill.

Twenty of these pills lay before Zhou Jibo as he commenced his cultivation practice.

For nearly ten days, Zhou Jibo ingested an Essence Gathering Pill daily, each one bolstering his cultivation strength more than the last.

Vitality surged within him. Day by day, he pushed himself to the brink of his physical and energetic limits.

Despite being in the ninth layer of the Acquired Stage, Zhou Jibo felt a burgeoning strength that far surpassed his contemporaries in Icefair City.

His superior bone root allowed for the accumulation of more vitality, while his advanced mental cultivation method maximized its efficacy.

Thus, Zhou Jibo's physical and energetic prowess eclipsed that of most warriors at his level.

With each passing day, his cultivation soared, the vitality coursing through him and refining his body, instilling an ever-growing sense of power.

Without realizing it, his cultivation had progressed from the early to the middle phase of the ninth layer of the Acquired Stage, then from the middle to the late phase, and finally from the late phase to completion.

He was just one step shy of the Innate Stage.

Nine Acquired Essence Gathering Pills remained at his disposal, along with over 80,000 attribute points.

With the dawn of a new day, Zhou Jibo took another Acquired Essence Gathering Pill.

The power of the medicine coursed through him, vitality coalescing within. His inner vitality began a slow, deliberate circulation.

As the vitality reached its peak, Zhou Jibo's body started to quiver subtly.

His focus was sharper than ever.

He was on the cusp of a breakthrough to the Innate Stage.

This marked his first genuine advancement to a higher major realm since he began his cultivation journey.

The vitality within him quaked, resonating with an unusual frequency, reminiscent of a rapidly plucked zither.

Amidst the trembling vitality, a resonant sound filled his ears.

Zhou Jibo's mouth parted slightly, and as he regained his composure, the vitality had merged into a torrential flow, transforming into a stream-like true essence.

The true essence followed the path of the Six Yin Heart Technique, completing a cycle before settling into his dantian.

Zhou Jibo felt an incredible lightness throughout his body. With each breath, he became acutely aware of the subtle shifts in his environment.

The weighty true essence that settled in his dantian seemed to anchor him, as if his previous practice in the Acquired Stage had been afloat in the air, and now he had found solid footing, allowing for better mastery over his physique.

This sensation was no illusion. Zhou Jibo effortlessly flipped and turned within the confines of the room. He gathered his true essence and began to warm up his body. After executing a series of Mountain Suppressing Palm techniques, the room echoed with the residual sounds of his movements, yet the furniture remained undisturbed, and not a ripple disturbed the surface of the tea.

He became attuned to the minute changes around him, enhancing his body's power, speed, and reflexive agility in every aspect.

Such was the enhancement that transitioning from the Acquired to the Innate Stage had bestowed upon him.

It went without saying that while the Acquired Stage's vitality was once confined to fists and weapons, now, having ascended to the Innate Stage, his true essence could emanate directly from his dantian, allowing him to strike at foes with unmediated force.

The cultivation differences between vitality and true essence brought about a vast disparity in the enhancement of his physique.

He had finally ascended to the Innate Stage!

Zhou Jibo reflected, "At last, the low-grade Earth Rank Blood Stripe Sword can unleash its full potential."

Yet, this wasn't the crux of the matter. What was truly crucial was the number of attribute points the system would award him this time.

"Congratulations on reaching the first layer of the Innate Stage. You have been awarded one million attribute points!"

"To prevent an overload from your rapidly increasing strength, you will receive one million attribute points with each level you break through."

The system's voice chimed in, filling Zhou Jibo with elation. A million attribute points for each level he surpassed—this was more than sufficient for his needs!

If each layer of the Innate Stage came with a million attribute points, then could it be that each layer of the Soul Separation Stage might grant ten million?

The billion attribute points from the novice gift pack were still there, ready for him to continually elevate his cultivation and put them to use!

Compared to these gains, the family, sect, and Holy Land paled into insignificance.

A wave of unparalleled confidence surged within Zhou Jibo. His power was growing at a pace that would surely outstrip all expectations!

"System, allocate the attribute points to my bone root and mental cultivation method!"

Zhou Jibo commanded.

The oppression he felt from higher cultivation realms was most acute when he, still in the Acquired Stage, confronted warriors of the Innate Stage. Despite possessing an Earth Rank weapon, Earth Rank mental cultivation method, and Earth Spirit bone root, he was still overpowered by Innate Stage warriors with ordinary bone roots, mental cultivation methods, and martial skills.

The absolute dominance of true essence over vitality was a gulf he found nearly impossible to bridge.

Even though he could pose significant challenges to Innate Stage warriors, he was unable to defeat them in one-on-one combat.

Having realized this, Zhou Jibo knew precisely what needed bolstering when facing a multitude of foes.

The bone root and mental cultivation method were critical.

While martial skills and weapons could render him more formidable within his realm, their utility diminished significantly when pitted against enemies a full realm above.

"400,000 attribute points have been deducted. Your Earth Spirit top-grade bone root has been elevated to Holy Spirit lower-grade bone root."

A surge of vitality flooded into Zhou Jibo's body in an instant, leaving him feeling invigorated and supremely at ease.

Upgrading his bone root from the upper grade of Earth Spirit to the lower grade of Holy Spirit cost him four hundred thousand attribute points. However, he could distinctly sense that his cultivation speed was set to increase significantly, as well as his potential.