C10 Strength Increase Sharply

After a humming sound, a dense surge of spiritual energy converged around the cauldron, gradually igniting into flames.

These were not mystical flames; the Burning Heaven Thunder Flame that Chen Dutian had wielded in his past life was gone. Now, the flames encircling the cauldron were entirely conjured by burning spiritual energy.

The cauldron's exterior rapidly heated until it glowed red. Chen Dutian opened a nearby box and first tossed the Dark Wood Vine into the cauldron.

The Dark Wood Vine, a root from a millennium-old tree, required at least half an hour to fully dissolve into a liquid without the aid of a spiritual flame.

Next, he added the Scarlet Cloud Fruit and the Heaven Snow Lotus to the cauldron, quickly filling the room with a potent medicinal fragrance.

In the time it takes to sip tea, the Scarlet Cloud Fruit had turned into a swirling, blood-red liquid.

The intense heat purged all impurities from the liquid, which steadily reduced in volume. Once the Heaven Snow Lotus had melted, only a few drops of the red liquid remained.

The Heaven Snow Lotus, inherently cold and Yin, resisted blending with the red liquid from the Scarlet Cloud Fruit, causing the cauldron to tremble.

Once Chen Dutian sensed that the Heaven Snow Lotus had fully dissolved and all impurities had been expelled, he added the Dragon Core Grass to the cauldron.

The Dragon Core Grass melted swiftly in the heat, and the three distinctively colored liquids spun rapidly within the cauldron, yet stubbornly refused to combine.

More than half an hour had elapsed, and the Dark Wood Vine had also melted away. Chen Dutian could feel that he had expended over half of his spiritual energy.

"Without the Spiritual Fire, forging a Tier 5 pill seems impossible," Chen Dutian sighed deeply. He could tell that the liquids still contained impurities; at best, he could only produce a Tier 3 Spirit Cultivating Pill.

Furthermore, pill refinement required a substantial amount of spiritual energy. With Chen Dutian's current prowess at the third level of the Spirit Convergence Realm, using his spiritual energy to craft even one Spirit Cultivating Pill was pushing him to his limits.

Four distinct liquids swirled within the cauldron, yet showed no signs of merging. Moments flew by, and half an hour had passed in the blink of an eye. Chen Dutian could not afford to delay any longer.

"Buzz!"

A majestic surge of Spiritual Qi burst forth from Chen Dutian's body, enveloping the glowing red cauldron. The four differently colored liquids, as if manipulated by an unseen force, began to rotate and gradually make contact. The flames encircling the cauldron flared up, reaching over half a meter high.

After a few moments, Chen Dutian abruptly dispersed the Spiritual Qi, and the flames were extinguished in an instant. The cauldron hummed before falling silent.

Rising wearily from his bed, Chen Dutian approached the cauldron. With a gentle sweep of his right hand, a purple pill encased in Spiritual Qi floated serenely before him.

"A Rank Four Spirit Cultivating Pill, what a stroke of luck!" he thought, gazing at the four distinct lines on the pill. Overjoyed, he clenched the pill in his hand.

To have refined a Rank Four Spirit Cultivating Pill without the aid of spiritual fire was a testament to his strength and a blessing indeed.

"Will this Spirit Cultivating Pill boost my strength to the fifth level of the Spirit Convergence Realm?" Chen Dutian pondered as he returned to his bed and settled down. He popped the Spirit Cultivating Pill into his mouth.

The pill dissolved instantly, releasing a warm energy that flowed through Chen Dutian's meridians and suffused his entire body.

With bated breath and eyes closed, Chen Dutian began to circulate the Great Dao Heavenly Manipulation Technique, attuning to the changes within him. Spiritual energy from the surrounding air converged towards him in a frenzy.

The pill's warm energy worked to transform Chen Dutian's body, merging with the spiritual energy in his meridians. Were someone to enter his room at that moment, they would witness his body enveloped in spiritual energy, with a small vortex forming above his head, as he absorbed spiritual energy at a staggering rate.

Pain rippled through his body, but Chen Dutian's heart swelled with excitement. His meridians were widening, and the spiritual energy coursed through him much faster than before.

More importantly, within the chaotic space of the Martial Art Aperture, the martial spirits were steadily growing stronger. The spirit qi coursing through the meridians had deepened in color.

As a martial artist progresses through the realms, the color of their spirit qi changes. In the Spirit Convergence Realm, it is luminescent white, while entering the Astral Wandering Realm turns the spirit qi green. The deeper the color, the more formidable the martial artist.

The night flew by, and before the break of dawn, Chen Dutian's eyes snapped open, gleaming with a sharp light. A powerful aura emanated from him, startling the two Spirit Convergence ninth-level guards stationed outside. They exchanged a look of amazement.

Once considered a waste by the capital's elite, the Lord Protector's Crown Prince had now unlocked his Martial Art Aperture and his strength had surged. The excitement was palpable even among the mansion's guards.

"Fifth level of the Spirit Convergence Realm, haha!" Chen Dutian exclaimed with a hearty laugh as he rose from his bed and briskly stepped outside.

He eyed a massive boulder in the corner of the courtyard, then with a swift motion, he vanished from sight.

"Mountain Quaking Palm!" Chen Dutian declared, positioning himself before the boulder and slamming his hand down with a forceful cry.

This palm technique, a foundational skill from his days with the Graymanes, seemed unremarkable. Yet, upon impact, a flash of white light followed by a tremor ran through the rock, which then fractured into over a dozen pieces, crumbling to the ground.

"This palm strike wields the power of five hundred kilograms. With the top-tier martial skills from my past life, I could hold my own against a peak Spirit Convergence martial artist!" Chen Dutian admired his hand, a pleased smile playing on his lips.

"Come out!" he called nonchalantly, settling down at the courtyard's stone table.

At his command, a shadowy figure materialized before Chen Dutian, kneeling respectfully. "Congratulations, Young Master, on your significant increase in strength!"

The figure was masked with a black scarf, clad in tight-fitting attire, with a distinctive blood-red thread across the chest. His swift appearance suggested that he was at least at the second level of the Astral Wandering Realm.

The Blood Shadow Guard, personal bodyguards of Lord Protector Chen Dou, consisted of thirty members, each one an expert in the Astral Wandering Realm.

Before departing from the capital, the Lord Protector intentionally left behind ten Blood Shadow Guards to ensure the safety of his family.

Chen Dutian had never detected their presence before, but when he recently shattered the boulder, he sensed a subtle ripple of Spiritual Qi within the confines of this modest courtyard.

"From this point forward, there's no need for you to guard my safety within these walls. Unless I command otherwise, no one is permitted to approach this courtyard. Is that clear?"