C18 Bead

Ling Han was sitting on a wooden plank, lost in thought about every moment of the recent battle when a pearl suddenly caught his eye. It was covered by a piece of torn cloth, which bore the unmistakable marks of the old man's clothing.

During the violent explosion of the barrier, the old man's body had been caught within it. Now, it was likely that his body had been obliterated, but a fragment of his silver-threaded clothing had somehow survived the blast.

"Hmm?" Ling Han paused, pondering, "The explosion was so intense it reduced the silver threads to shreds. How then has this pearl remained intact?"

It wasn't unusual for thieves, particularly those who had reached a certain level of cultivation, to possess considerable wealth. The old man's choice of a silver robe was hardly surprising.

Lifting the silver fabric, Ling Han revealed a green pearl. He turned it over in his hand, examining it closely. Despite his attempts to crush it with his genuine energy, the pearl's surface remained unscathed.

Growing more resolute, Ling Han concentrated his purple genuine energy to a gel-like state and hurled it at the pearl's core, determined to shatter it. Yet, the pearl remained unaffected, and Ling Han found himself expending a great deal of effort in vain.

Having already depleted much of his genuine energy in the fight with the old man, Ling Han now felt even more drained. "How is this possible!" he thought. "My genuine energy was strong enough to shatter a hefty silver ingot, yet this pearl remains whole."

"To survive the aftermath unscathed, this bead is not something you can destroy at this moment," Zhou finally spoke up.

"Zhou, with your vast experience, take a look at what kind of treasure this is," Ling Han considered, knowing Zhou had far more knowledge than he did, and promptly asked for his insight.

"This..." Zhou began, somewhat sheepishly, "As the essence of an ancient celestial tome, I am well-versed in ancient treasures. However, this bead may not have been known in ancient times; I am unaware of its origins."

"But..." Zhou added, "Given its green hue, it could be a rare artifact of the wood element. You should keep it on you for now—don't let it go to waste."

Zhou had a penchant for treasures, even though he himself was an artifact spirit incarnate.

"Alright, I'll gladly take this bead. It belonged to someone who's passed away, after all. Not taking it would just be wasteful," Ling Han said, almost as if he and Zhou were cut from the same cloth.

Clutching the bead, Ling Han made his way to the inn where he usually lodged.

Deep within Lunar Crest Keep.

"Xiao Yi, try circulating your genuine energy now," came a voice, gentle and soothing like flowing water.

In that moment, Faang Yi was seated in the secluded depths of the inner chamber, following the voice's guidance to operate her genuine energy.

"Master, it's incredible! My genuine energy has reached the tenth level of Perfection, and I can faintly sense the astral force beginning to loosen," Faang Yi exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Mm," the enigmatic master responded, her true face hidden in the shadows.

Soon after, Faang Yi withdrew from the inner chamber. Despite her abilities, she wasn't entitled to linger there any longer than necessary.

Once Faang Yi had departed, an elderly woman resembling a matron entered.

"Is the bead I sought in the box?" the master inquired, her voice chilling as if intending to freeze the world itself.

"Reporting to the master, it was not found," the elderly woman replied. "Could it be that Faang Yi has hidden it?"

"No, she wouldn't betray Lunar Crest Keep; I trust her completely," the master asserted, her tone growing colder. "The real issue is you, the elder in charge of missions, who misplaced a heavenly mission in a lower-tier area."

"Your granddaughter is Xiao Xiu. The rivalry between Xiao Xiu and Faang Yi is a matter for the younger generation, and I've warned you about this repeatedly!"

"Please, master, punish me!" the old woman pleaded, trembling with fear. "I deserve death for my mistake!"

"Let it be. Xiao Yi did survive by a hair's breadth, and she was well-prepared when she accepted the mission," the master said, shifting the conversation. "However, it seems Xiao Yi has encountered a prodigious benefactor this time. She managed to slay an old thief at the tenth level of Perfection in genuine energy, using only her seventh-stage Awakening Realm strength and no weapons. Her prowess surpasses even mine when I was at that stage of Awakening."

"Absolutely not! The Tower Master's prowess is unmatched. No matter how formidable that individual is, they'll never reach the Tower Master's heights," the elderly woman declared.

"Very well, you may leave," the Tower Master dismissed her with a wave of his hand.

"Understood!"

Unaware of the goings-on at Lunar Crest Keep, Ling Han was immersed in cultivating the heart technique bestowed upon him by Eternity to break through to the next realm.

"Merge seven into one, from one comes two, from two comes three..." Ling Han silently recited to himself.

Since departing from his anonymous small sect, Ling Han had dedicated himself to relentless cultivation, save for the missions he undertook with Faang Yi.

Eternity had once remarked with respect, "Not even the prodigies of ancient times spent as much time cultivating as you do. You're truly a cultivation fanatic."

Indeed, following his encounter with the seasoned thief earlier that day, Ling Han felt his realm begin to shift, signaling his ascent to a new level.

"Heh!" With a stifled grunt, Ling Han felt his genuine energy reach a state of Perfection.

Indeed, after a deeply impactful battle, Ling Han had overcome another hurdle, advancing to the eighth level of the Awakening Stage—identical to Faang Yi's prior level.

Naturally, his current prowess was far beyond that of a typical eighth-level Awakening Stage master.

Previously, Ling Han found it challenging to refine his genuine energy to a gel state, but now, he could effortlessly achieve it with a simple gesture.

Furthermore, condensing his genuine energy into a solid state was no longer a daunting task for Ling Han. The last time he had expended considerable effort to form protective shields of solidified genuine energy for both Faang Yi and himself.

With his recent breakthrough, creating a solid form of genuine energy was not too difficult; a bit of mental focus made it readily achievable.

"Zhou, do you think my current level is sufficient to truly stand against someone at the first level of the Astral Force Stage?" Ling Han inquired.

Ling Han was aware of the vast chasm separating the Astral Force Stage from the Awakening Stage. The old thief, for instance, had exhausted his life and even coveted the treasures of Lunar Crest Keep, yet never managed to reach the Astral Force Stage.

"If you were to face someone at the first level of the Astral Force Stage, you'd have a fifty percent chance of defeating them, and a forty percent chance of ending in a draw," Zhou said, pausing for emphasis. "However, if you advance your cultivation to the ninth level of the Awakening Stage, the unified aura of the emperor would allow you to instantly overpower anyone at the first level of the Astral Force Stage. Naturally, this would also give you an undeniable fighting edge against those at the second level."