C19 Breaking Through at the Last Moment

He had achieved a breakthrough in the final moments.

Deep within the Black Wind Mountain Range, Hua Hsing trekked on, his eyes peeled for Demon Beasts. After an exhaustive three-day search, he finally came across a Qi Refining Stage Level Four Demon Beast known as the Spirit Cat, renowned for its lightning speed.

Despite the intense clash, Hua Hsing emerged victorious, slaying the Spirit Cat. He then stowed its body in his Space Ring, which, being of mid-level quality, could accommodate the corpses of a hundred Demon Beasts.

"The Spirit Cat's quick, but it lacks in attack power," Hua Hsing mused.

Without delay, he pressed on, eager to track down the next Demon Beast. A day's journey later, in a thicket overgrown with weeds, Hua Hsing found himself locked in combat with another creature.

"A Spirit Leopard," he remarked with a wry smile.

This Spirit Leopard, also a Qi Refining Stage Level Four Demon Beast, was significantly more formidable than the Spirit Cat. Hua Hsing knew it was beyond his current ability to defeat.

"Golden Light Sword Arts, fourth strike!" he called out, unleashing the powerful technique. A brilliant golden radiance spread across the sky, culminating in a dazzling beam that hurtled towards the Spirit Leopard.

The impact was met with a thunderous crash as the Spirit Leopard swiped at the golden light with its massive paws, unleashing an enraged roar.

Bang!

The fourth strike of the Golden Light Sword Arts had only managed to inflict minor damage on the Spirit Leopard, leaving Hua Hsing feeling somewhat frustrated.

"I'm still not strong enough," he acknowledged, recognizing the Spirit Leopard's strength as being at the very pinnacle of Qi Refining Stage Level Four.

Undeterred, "Golden Light Sword Arts!" he exclaimed, as the Spirit Leopard bore down on him with a ferocious assault.

In a flash, man and beast were ensnared in a relentless struggle. Neither Hua Hsing nor the Spirit Leopard could gain the upper hand over the other.

Meanwhile, not far from Hua Hsing's position in the Black Wind Mountain Range, a band of martial artists was making swift progress.

All of a sudden, Senior Brother Sunn halted, his ears perking up at the distant sounds of combat.

"There's a fight ahead," he murmured to Senior Brother Qing.

"We should check it out."

A flicker of concern crossed Senior Brother Qing's face before he swiftly took to the air, leading the way toward the commotion.

Only skilled martial artists dared to venture deep into the Black Wind Mountain Range. Senior Brother Qing was intent on discovering the stranger's motives and whether they posed a threat to their plans.

As they arrived at the scene of the clash, they caught sight of Hua Hsing locked in battle with a Spirit Leopard.

"Is that him?" Senior Brother Sunn blurted out upon recognizing Hua Hsing.

"Do you know him?" inquired Senior Brother Qing.

"Last time we trained in the Black Wind Mountain Range, he was the one who killed several of our sect brothers," Senior Brother Sunn said through clenched teeth, glaring at Hua Hsing.

Yet, witnessing Hua Hsing's fierce combat with the Spirit Leopard sent a wave of shock and fear through him.

How is it possible? How could his strength be so formidable?

"Senior Brother Qing," Senior Brother Sunn implored, "you must avenge our fallen brothers."

A cold glint of vengeance flashed in Senior Brother Qing's eyes as he responded darkly, "Humph! He dares to kill a disciple of the Flowing Wind Sect? He's courting death."

Meanwhile, Hua Hsing, in the midst of his struggle with the Spirit Leopard, spotted Senior Brother Qing and his companions. Noticing Senior Brother Sunn, Hua Hsing's expression shifted subtly.

"I must finish this battle swiftly."

He resolved silently.

With that thought, Hua Hsing let out a thunderous roar and unleashed the Golden Light Sword Arts. His Golden Heart thrummed with renewed vigor.

Thud!

As the Golden Heart pulsated, a cleansing energy flowed through him, and a mysterious presence filled his mind.

In that instant, Hua Hsing realized the fourth technique of the Golden Light Sword Arts had reached the Perfection Stage.

"Golden Light Sword Arts, the fifth technique."

With this revelation, Hua Hsing bellowed and the fifth technique of the Golden Light Sword Arts crystallized in his mind. Without hesitation, he executed the powerful move.

The Golden Heart endowed Hua Hsing with the ability to rapidly advance his swordsmanship. In that moment, he tapped into his formidable power.

Boom!

The fifth technique of the Golden Light Sword Arts was overwhelmingly potent. A streak of golden brilliance accompanied Hua Hsing's thrust as his sword pierced the spirit leopard, eliciting a wrenching howl from the beast.

Simultaneously, Hua Hsing sensed a transformation within himself. The spiritual energy of the surrounding heavens and earth was frenziedly merging with his body.

"Could it be a breakthrough?" Hua Hsing murmured, a surge of elation following the thought.

Senior Brother Qing was poised to strike when he caught sight of this development, his face contorting with shock. He had pegged Hua Hsing as a mere third-level Qi Refining Stage cultivator, never anticipating the explosive force Hua Hsing was now demonstrating.

"This kid can't be allowed to break through," Senior Brother Qing bellowed, his fists clenched as he lunged forward, aiming a punch at Hua Hsing.

The sky seemed to warp as a beam of fist energy roared towards its target.

In the midst of his breakthrough, Hua Hsing still managed to maneuver his body, narrowly evading the attack.

Bang!

The impact sent Hua Hsing flying, crashing to the ground. Yet, the spiritual energy continued to flood into him unabated.

With each passing moment, Hua Hsing's physique grew increasingly robust.

The spirit leopard, wounded by Hua Hsing's sword, issued a sound of defiance before collapsing.

"At just the third level of the Qi Refining Stage, he's slain the Spirit Leopard. His power at the fourth level would be unimaginable. He must not be allowed to survive," Senior Brother Qing resolved to himself, deciding Hua Hsing's fate.

"Together, we attack! Take him down!" Senior Brother Qing's command echoed as the other disciples, fueled by his urgency, unleashed their full might upon Hua Hsing.

Hua Hsing's golden heart throbbed with urgency, the absorption of spiritual energy accelerating. He could almost feel the imminent breakthrough.

Hua Hsing's body was steadily growing stronger.

"I can't let them hit me," he resolved silently.

"Die!" Senior Brother Qing bellowed, as their collective assault targeted Hua Hsing.

They had been certain of Hua Hsing's demise, yet at the pivotal moment, Hua Hsing, in the midst of his breakthrough, found serenity. The cosmic spiritual energy around him reverted to its natural state.

The next instant, Hua Hsing's eyes snapped open, his body brimming with formidable power.

Roar!

Four successive roars echoed across the Black Wind Mountain Range.

"What? Qi Refining Stage Level Four?"

Witnessing the transformation, a flicker of fear crossed Senior Brother Qing's face, his expression grave.

"You're courting death."

As their onslaught neared, Hua Hsing gripped the Light Spirit Sword and unleashed the fifth technique of the Golden Light Sword Arts.

Boom!

A streak of golden light cut through the sky, and in a flash, their overwhelming attacks vanished into thin air.

Senior Brother Qing and his companions stumbled backward, their faces etched with disbelief.

"How can this be? How is he so powerful?" Senior Brother Qing internally screamed.

Even as a fellow Qi Refining Stage Level Four disciple, Senior Brother Qing felt utterly insignificant before Hua Hsing.

"What in the world is happening?" he wondered, unable to fathom the situation.

With Hua Hsing's ascension to Qi Refining Stage Level Four, his physique had become formidable, a strength of four bulls that could not be matched by the strength of three.

The fifth technique of the Golden Light Sword Arts, combined with the power of Qi Refining Stage Level Four, was exceedingly potent, posing a threat even to warriors at the pinnacle of this stage.

"If you seek my life, be ready to lose your own."

Hua Hsing advanced towards them, his visage a portrait of lethal intent.

"We're disciples of the Flowing Wind Sect—please, spare us!" Senior Brother Sunn, terrified, pleaded for mercy.

"You sought my life, now I take yours."

Senior Brother Qing, still a Qi Refining Stage Level Four disciple, let out a furious roar and lunged at Hua Hsing. But the Hua Hsing he faced now was not the same as before.

"You're asking for death."

A glint of gold, and the Light Spirit Sword thrust into Senior Brother Qing's chest, his eyes wide with astonishment.

"Ah!"

Senior Brother Qing's angry roar echoed as he collapsed to the ground, his demise marked by defiance.

With a single stroke of his sword, Hua Hsing had slain Senior Brother Qing, leaving Senior Brother Sunn and the others in a state of sheer terror, fearing they might be next.

"Please, don't kill me! I have a secret to share," Senior Brother Sunn pleaded, panic-stricken.

"Are you not curious about the secret of the Black Wind Mountain Range? Our venture here was to uncover that very mystery," another disciple called out.

"The secret of the Black Wind Mountain Range?" Hua Hsing paused, intrigued, then responded.

"Exactly. Spare us, and we'll reveal all we know," Senior Brother Sunn offered.

"You're in no position to negotiate. Tell me everything," Hua Hsing demanded.

"But if I tell you, and then you kill us anyway? You must ensure our safety," Senior Brother Sunn insisted.

Another flash of gold, and the Light Spirit Sword claimed the life of a disciple in a swift, fatal plunge.

"The only thing I know for certain is that if you don't speak up, you'll all meet the same fate," Hua Hsing stated coolly, sheathing the Light Spirit Sword.

Hua Hsing had long sensed something extraordinary about the Black Wind Mountain Range; even Qih Nantian had a training chamber hidden within. Now, with Senior Brother Sunn's hint, his curiosity about the mountain's secrets intensified.

"Fine. I'll speak. Just stop your assault," Senior Brother Sunn conceded quickly.

Their group of five had ventured into the Black Wind Mountain Range, led by Senior Brother Qing, a practitioner at the Qi Refining Stage Level Four, accompanied by four disciples at Level Three. They had anticipated an easy mission, never expecting to cross paths with Hua Hsing.

"The intelligence we've gathered points to an Ancient Remains deep within the Black Wind Mountain Range," they revealed.