C43 Breaking Through the Barrier

Feeling the overwhelming power within him and the immovable obstacle, Ni Huibo was struck by a sudden inspiration.

His mind once again settled into a deep calm. With his eyes tightly shut, Ni Huibo attempted to channel the power.

This force had lain dormant within him for over a decade, manifesting unpredictably and often beyond his control. Yet, now he was determined to give it a try.

His consciousness gradually reached out toward the power, only to be abruptly repelled.

"Just as I thought, I can't do it," Ni Huibo murmured, his brow furrowing in frustration. After pondering for a moment, he shifted his focus to manipulating the spiritual energy.

The force was too domineering for his current skills; he couldn't even touch it, let alone control it. Therefore, he opted for a subtler approach.

He split the spiritual energy into several strands, one of which he circulated as described in the texts, while the others converged at his forehead, forming something akin to a channel.

His goal was to redirect this formidable power, to let it smash through the barriers!

It was a wildly reckless notion, one that would have any seasoned practitioner shaking their head in disbelief, labeling him a lunatic.

To undertake such a risky maneuver within his own mind—if anything went awry, if the power became chaotic, he risked reducing himself to a fool. But he was blissfully unaware of the danger.

Two faint barriers took shape, curving elegantly.

"Not strong enough; it needs to be more solid," Ni Huibo gritted his teeth, channeling more spiritual energy to reinforce the barriers.

The tumultuous power approached, and this time it did not let him down.

The barriers, shaped by the spiritual energy, acted like conduits. As the force neared his consciousness, it surged through, propelling itself forward with immense momentum.

In that moment, the sound of crashing waves echoed faintly in Ni Huibo's mind. The power was relentless, slamming into the barely visible barrier at his brow.

A thunderous boom resonated inside his head, followed by the subtle sound of something shattering.

A fiery column of light burst forth from his forehead unexpectedly, its intense heat illuminating the entire area.

As the pillar of light emerged, its force unabated, it struck the glowing red rock wall. The solid barrier vanished without a trace, leaving behind droplets of red liquid that sizzled as they hit the ground.

"I did it!" Ni Huibo's eyes slowly opened, and it was as if the entire world had suddenly come into focus.

He sensed a profound connection with the universe, a clarity of mind, and an acute awareness of the spiritual energy flowing around him.

This transformation was exactly as described in the ancient texts.

He felt momentarily stunned; the barrier's resilience had exceeded his wildest dreams. Despite harnessing the full extent of his spiritual energy at the late second level, he couldn't breach it. In a dramatic twist, the mysterious force that had plagued him for years came to his aid.

The turmoil within him subsided, yet the air around remained blisteringly hot.

Looking up, he saw a deep red hole on the stone wall ahead, stark against the gloom. It was thumb-sized, seemingly bottomless, and now it was fading to darkness.

Ni Huibo's face tensed as he sensed the violent power emanating from within the hole.

"Is this the same force that resides in me?"

Usually, this power simply roamed within him, at most granting him extraordinary strength. This was the first time it had left his body and wreaked havoc.

The heat radiating from the hole made him furrow his brows. Though the power had been of great assistance, its constant presence within him was a source of unease.

"Forget it, I'll just have to figure it out once my cultivation level has improved," Ni Huibo resolved with a sigh.

He now recognized the vast gap between himself and this power. There was no immediate solution, but there was no need for haste either; it had lain dormant within him for over a decade.

What was most intriguing was the fleeting, indistinct sensation that had surged through him as the power was unleashed—a sensation that seemed to emanate from his very soul.

With the battered book now securely in his possession, Ni Huibo didn't linger.

Exiting the forked path, he made his way out of the restricted area. The book in hand meant he had no further need to seek out other cultivation methods.

As he emerged, Ni Situo and the others were already there, awaiting his return.

"Ni Huibo, what took you so long in there?"

As soon as Ni Huibo emerged from the restricted area, Ni Xianjian hurried over, his face etched with concern. "If you hadn't come out, I would've had to take the elders inside to look for you. We feared something might have happened."

He spoke rapidly, his tone tinged with displeasure, yet it warmed Ni Huibo's heart.

"Patriarch, I apologize for causing you concern."

"Let's move on," Ni Xianjian said, shaking his head.

He led Ni Huibo back to the training field as the massive stone doors of the restricted area closed behind them with a thunderous boom.

"Isn't that Ni Huibo? What took you so long? Did you perhaps discover an unparalleled cultivation method?"

Ni Situo had just arrived at the contest field and made his snide remark. However, a stern glance from Ni Xianjian made him recoil and fall silent.

At that moment, the five elders who had sealed the stone doors approached.

Ni Xianjian cleared his throat and announced, "Now that you've finished selecting your cultivation methods, please present them for the elders to record. Ni Situo, you're up first."

"Yes," Ni Situo responded, bowing slightly, a smile spreading across his face.

He reached into his robe and pulled out an ancient-looking, pitch-black book with fine wrinkles and embossed golden letters on the cover.

Penetrating Fist!

As Ni Situo revealed the book, a collective gasp rippled through the crowd.

"This is a third level, medium grade cultivation method!"

"Ni Situo truly deserves his reputation as the foremost among the young generation."

"Such a high-grade cultivation method seems to be within his reach alone."

The young onlookers buzzed with a mix of shock and envy. To them, a third level medium grade cultivation method was nearly unattainable, and even if they managed to acquire it, they wouldn't be able to practice it.

The five approving elders nodded their heads, lavishing praise upon him. Should Ni Situo master this cultivation method, his combat prowess was sure to soar dramatically.

Even Ni Xianjian, who had lately been quite harsh with Ni Situo, couldn't help but let a smile creep onto his face. He remained silent, yet the satisfaction in his expression was unmistakable.

Ni Situo casually brandished the cultivation method he held and gave Ni Huibo a sidelong glance that was brimming with challenge.