C19 Breakthrough Second Level of Soulkeep!

Hearing that he could ease the pain of breaking through to a new level, Ho Liao felt quite satisfied. The chance to alleviate that life-and-death struggle was something he eagerly desired.

"Kid, don't get too cocky," the Book Spirit immediately warned. "Even though you can lessen the pain of breaking through, each time you reach a higher level, the pain multiplies. In reality, the reduced pain is still more than what you experienced before!"

"Master, is the place for meditation ready?" Ho Liao asked, eager to push through to the next level.

He was anxious to see how effective the Golden Thread Seal could be.

"Relax, kid. Don't you trust me to handle things?" the Book Spirit teased with a laugh. In truth, his anticipation was no less than Ho Liao's, maybe even more. He wanted to test his disciple's true potential.

Following the Book Spirit's guidance, Ho Liao quickly headed toward the chosen meditation spot. Eventually, the Book Spirit, impatient with Ho Liao's slow pace, decided to carry him in low flight.

The meditation spot was in a remote, desolate valley, overgrown with weeds and shrubs, and swarming with insects. But the Book Spirit used his abilities to clear an open space and set up a simple barrier around it to keep the bugs at bay.

After being brought to this place, Ho Liao immediately began his training. He followed the techniques he had used when breaking through to the Soulkeep stage, channeling his energy. Meanwhile, the Book Spirit used its awareness to communicate with the Golden Thread Seal, guiding its extreme cold aura to surround Ho Liao.

Sure enough, as Ho Liao practiced, he noticed the pain was significantly suppressed. It wasn't that the pain had lessened compared to before, but rather, the intensity that should have been a ten was effectively reduced to a six.

While this might not seem like a huge reduction in absolute terms, Ho Liao understood that not having the pain multiply was a blessing. Otherwise, he might develop a fear of the pain during breakthroughs, which would be detrimental to his future progress and could even lead to inner demons.

This was the immense psychological comfort the Golden Thread Seal provided Ho Liao!

Soon, Ho Liao's energy reached a critical point, and he felt a searing pain in his core, contorting his face into a grimace of agony.

However, as he carefully sensed the changes within his core, his mood plummeted. He realized that there was no increase in the energy nodes within his core.

Could this breakthrough have been a complete failure?

The Book Spirit, observing from the side, immediately used its awareness to examine the changes in Ho Liao's core. Its expression shifted from surprise to bewilderment, then froze. After a few moments, it was overwhelmed with indescribable joy!

He soared into the sky, laughing wildly. His laughter echoed through the air, sending nearby animals scrambling for safety. The sound was so intense that it left a trail of lifeless insects and small creatures scattered across the ground.

"Master, I thought finding someone who could match your prowess would be the pinnacle of my life. But I never imagined encountering someone who surpasses you by such a margin!" the Book Spirit roared amidst its laughter.

Witnessing the Book Spirit's frenzied state, Ho Liao was unsure how to react. He worried, thinking, "Could it be that I haven't made any progress, and my master is so disappointed that he's lost his mind?"

This thought filled him with overwhelming guilt.

Finally, the Book Spirit calmed down and returned to Ho Liao's side, looking at him with a satisfied and gentle smile.

"Master, I'm sorry!" Ho Liao stood up and bowed deeply, his voice filled with remorse.

"You silly boy, why the long face on such a joyous occasion?" the Book Spirit asked, puzzled.

"I haven't made any progress!" Ho Liao admitted, feeling deeply ashamed.

"You foolish child, that's my fault for being too happy earlier!" the Book Spirit said, tapping his forehead. "You've actually achieved a state of enhanced potential, do you understand? This is beyond any ordinary talent!"

"Master, what does 'enhancement' mean?" Ho Liao asked, filled with confusion.

"This is a unique level of the Origin Purification Technique," the Book Spirit said, a nostalgic look on its face. "Legend has it that when the Origin Purification Technique truly became a system, it was long before my time. Back in the ancient days, when chaos first began to settle, there was a supreme being known as the Sword Sovereign who created the Origin Purification. At that time, he divided the technique into three tiers: lower, middle, and upper. The lower tier involves cultivating through nine levels, which is what most cultivators practice today. However, in the context of the Origin Purification Technique, this is considered the lower tier. The founding ancestor of the Sword Sect was at this level."

"The so-called middle tier involves an additional level of enhancement for each normal cultivation stage. In reality, each major stage requires breaking through eighteen minor stages. Your recent breakthrough was one such enhancement. If you focus, you'll notice that while the number of your energy nodes hasn't increased, the amount of energy within each node is at least five times greater than before. Moreover, the size of your nodes hasn't expanded. This means the energy is highly concentrated, and when you release it, your attacks will be many times more powerful."

Upon hearing this, Ho Liao immediately focused on the changes within his energy center and indeed found that the energy in each node was highly concentrated, at least eight times more than before.

Ho Liao couldn't help but feel a surge of joy.

"If your next breakthrough continues to increase in intensity, expanding the volume of your energy core without changing its concentration, then you're practicing a top-tier method. This would mean you'd train through an additional eighteen minor levels compared to the lower-tier method. If that happens, my boy, you're in for a treat. I can confidently say that you'll become a true immortal. Do you know what that means? It means your achievements could rival those of the legendary Sword Master, not just the founder of the Sword Sect!"

"Master, training eighteen more minor levels than others must have some incredible benefits, right?" Ho Liao asked excitedly.

"Of course! By training through those extra levels, your foundation will be rock-solid. Not only will you be unbeatable among your peers, but you'll also be able to defeat opponents of higher levels. More importantly, what others see as insurmountable challenges—like breaking through to True Spirit, becoming a Lightbringer, or even achieving immortality—will be smooth sailing for you!" Book Spirit replied with great satisfaction.

"Master, I promise to work hard and aim to increase my levels by twenty-seven!" Ho Liao declared earnestly.

"Silly boy, reaching the top tier isn't just about hard work; it depends on your talent. But for now, I'm already very pleased," Book Spirit replied happily.