C65 Breakthrough!

Wang Tian had no clue what Jiang Su was up to that evening, yet he never harbored any doubts about his decisions.

After a brief moment adjusting his attire, Wang Tian stepped out of the left-side room. To his surprise, Rong Yu had been sitting on the stairs the entire afternoon. Wang Tian mused, "If the First Immortal Sect knew their Head Disciple had been reduced to this state after a brief stint with the First Devil Sect, they'd surely think he'd been bewitched."

Jiang Su possessed a natural knack for dampening others' zeal without them even realizing it.

Rong Yu had arrived two days prior, brimming with confidence. Now, he was questioning his very existence.

Shaking his head, Wang Tian hummed a tune as he descended from Sword Wing Peak and made his way directly to Dangerless Peak.

The left-side room was now left to Jiang Su alone. He drew a bloodstained white silk handkerchief from his waist and laid it on the pristine table, then picked up a book from the desk.

Flipping through the book, Jiang Su found it as blank as ever, its contents still a mystery to him.

Wen Shu hadn't reached out to Jiang Su. Was he expected to finish reading both books first?

Jiang Su had completed the All-sensory Spirit Vein Acupoints Records and the first volume of The Good Doctor, yet the book remained textless.

Maybe the words would appear after he finished the remaining nine volumes of The Good Doctor?

This thought soured Jiang Su's mood. Both Wen Shu and Chiu Yue were exceedingly strict with him, pressing him to accelerate his learning.

In contrast, Shangguan Yue showed more leniency towards Jiang Su, not yet having begun his instruction in the ways of the Talisman Cultivator.

"Disciple, your spiritual energy was greatly depleted in this morning's battle. Despite consuming numerous top-quality immortal pills, remember they are merely a supplement. Proper rest is paramount," Shangguan Yue advised.

Jiang Su nodded in agreement, aware that his spirit vein required rest to allow the free flow of spiritual energy into his body.

"Master, please keep an eye on Rong Yu for me. Notify me immediately if he makes a move."

Jiang Su set his Life Sword by the window in the room to his left. Only after Shangguan Yue agreed did he finally lie down on the bed.

Exhausted, he quickly succumbed to sleep.

Stars sparkled against the dark night sky. Moonlight bathed Sword Wing Peak, mysteriously infusing it with a hint of chill.

Fully armed, Rong Yu materialized beneath the window of the adjacent room on the right. He removed the white robe Jiang Su had given him and retrieved a set of the First Immortal Sect's secret nightwear from his storage space, complementing it with a jade pendant at his waist. Save for the Female Ruler, no one in the First Devil Sect could track his movements.

A frosty glaze coated his eyes as he gazed at Jiang Su's quarters. The window was ajar, but he couldn't discern Jiang Su's activities.

Rong Yu had waited until the cover of night, now drenched in sweat. His afternoon behavior was a mix of sincerity and deception. While genuinely impressed by Jiang Su's prowess, he had entertained the notion that Jiang Su might be under the control of a powerful being. Yet, he feigned confusion to ease the wariness of Jiang Su and Wang Tian.

The hour had grown late. The device he'd buried at the base of the First Devil Sect's mountain hadn't picked up any trace of Elder Chiu Yue or the Female Ruler.

This meant that until midnight, at the very least, neither Elder Chiu Yue nor the Female Ruler would return.

Should they come back, the device's alert would give Rong Yu ample time to respond.

He was poised to fulfill his true purpose for visiting the First Devil Sect.

Silently, he slipped away from the right-side house, deliberately approaching the left-side dwelling from an angle hidden from view.

His gear was not only complete but also of the highest quality.

Yet, Shangguan Yue was a seasoned Tribulation Crossing Stage Expert. His many years had endowed him with vast experience.

Rong Yu was just as Jiang Su had described. With an air of innocence, he conducted himself as a gentleman before others, his true nature veiled for a long time. But now, he was ready to act.

Shangguan Yue emerged from the Life Sword, about to awaken Jiang Su, who lay resting on the bed.

In that instant, Jiang Su bolted upright, his eyes snapping open to fix on Shangguan Yue. His face was etched with severity, and a glint of cold light streaked through his gaze.

He swung his legs off the bed, straightened his attire, and, with the Life Sword in hand, he stepped out the door.

He chose not to follow Rong Yu. Instead, Jiang Su flew on his sword to the base of the First Devil Sect's mountain, the very spot Rong Yu had previously occupied.

"Disciple, why have we come here? Shouldn't you be with Rong Yu?"

"I had laid out a formation earlier. As long as that garment remains, I can tap into Rong Yu's thoughts. He's hidden something valuable here."

Having said that, Jiang Su surveyed his surroundings, then closed his eyes and extended his hand into the void. The spiritual energy nearby, sensing the presence of Jiang Su's Heaven Grade spiritual root, converged around him.

The sky crackled with sudden lightning, thunder rolling in its wake. It seemed to be a reaction to the gathering spiritual energy. Only Shangguan Yue knew that Jiang Su was on the cusp of a breakthrough.

From the Golden Core Stage onward, a cultivator's advancement through each minor realm would beckon a lesser Heavenly Tribulation. Such extraordinary phenomena were typically reserved for the ascension of a Nascent Infant Stage Expert! Yet, Jiang Su was merely at the Foundation Stage.

The relentless thunderbolts targeted Jiang Su, the land bearing the brunt of their fury. Scorched black, the earth bore the marks of their wrath.

Jiang Su found himself in a predicament. He hadn't anticipated advancing through a minor realm right then, ascending to the Late Golden Core Stage.

"System, seal off this area, please."

It was fortunate he had descended from Sword Wing Peak. A breakthrough there would have surely invited complications.

The spectacle that had accompanied the unsheathing of his Life Sword was still mistakenly attributed to Chiu Yue's advancement to the Divinity Stage from the Nascent Infant Stage. Consequently, Bai Yih harbored animosity towards Jiang Su, Chiu Yue's Head Disciple.

"The surrounding region is now sealed for you."

With those words, Jiang Su, as if freed from invisible bonds, ascended into the sky.

In that moment, lightning struck him squarely on the head!

Jiang Su outstretched his arms, and with his movements, the ancient trees around him stirred to life. Vines snaked out and swiftly enveloped him.

His fingers reached skyward, and the vines latched onto his wrist. Rather than harming him, they worked in unison with his movements, propelling him upward!

In a flash, they merged into an enormous green shield, warding off the bolt of lightning!

But in the next moment, a third lightning strike descended, leaving him no time to respond!

It was evident that the green shield wouldn't hold up against another lightning assault. It was on the verge of breaking apart!

"Disciple, make haste and flee. This barrier won't hold against the onslaught."