C18 Peak of the Third Level

"Shrinking Bone Array?" Lee Yi was taken aback.

The deacon disciple declared with pride, "The Shrinking Bone Array is an array evolved from the Shrinking Bone Technique. Since the Black Turtle Shell is an exoskeleton, it's naturally capable of forming this array. In the entire Treasure Refining Pavilion, fewer than five people know how to set it up. You've come to the right person!"

With that, he removed a spirit stone from the Black Turtle Heavy Armor. The armor began to swell, becoming incredibly bloated—nearly three times the size of Lee Yi.

Spirit stones, rich with spiritual energy, were commonly used as currency outside the academy, while inside, Merit Points were the norm. Only a select few used spirit stones.

"Now I understand," Lee Yi said, enlightened. He pressed his palm against the chest of the armor, channeling his mana into it. The Black Turtle Heavy Armor contracted to its original size, a marvel to behold.

His thoughts turned to the Nameless Sword. Its internal array was damaged, and if he could somehow etch a new one, the sword's power would surely soar. Plus, he could tailor the array to his needs. But he was aware that re-engraving an array on an already-forged magical weapon was nearly impossible, so the idea quickly passed.

"The Giant Stone Array is also in place. Put it on and let's see if you can actually move in it," the deacon disciple said with a hint of mischief.

The Giant Stone Array was designed to significantly increase weight, just like the Shrinking Bone Array. Both were Yellow Grade Arrays, but the Giant Stone Array was far more complex. It was rare for someone to inscribe such a burdensome array onto their magical tools, hence its lower ranking.

Lee Yi donned the full set of Mysterious Turtle Heavy Armor piece by piece, including the breastplate, shoulder guards, arm guards, and leg guards. He felt an immense weight upon him, making breathing a struggle, and the green stone tiles beneath his feet cracked from the pressure.

Taking a deep breath, he activated the Giant Stone Array. There was a loud crash as the tiles shattered, and his feet sank into the earth below.

"Is it heavy?" the deacon disciple asked, grinning.

Lee Yi's face reddened, and his veins stood out, leaving him unable to speak.

With all his might, combining physical strength and magical power, he let out a shout, yanked his right foot free, and finally pulled it out. But then it crashed back down, slamming into the ground with a thud and creating a deep crater.

The deacon disciple scoffed, "I warned you, the Giant Stone Array isn't to be taken lightly. Now you're stuck with it, aren't you regretting it?"

Lee Yi shook his head.

"Still trying to prove something?" the deacon disciple called out. "Look at yourself. You can barely take a step, and yet you want to train in that heavy armor? Isn't that biting off more than you can chew?"

Just then, Lee Yi unleashed the Wind Magical Power. A fierce wind burst forth, whipping up dust and howling through the air.

The deacon disciple stumbled back several steps, squinting against the gusts, only hearing a series of thuds around him. When the wind died down and the dust settled, he looked up in shock.

A trail of deep footprints led away from the house; Lee Yi was nowhere to be seen.

"Could this guy be some kind of monster?" the deacon disciple murmured to himself.

Lee Yi strode swiftly back to his quarters. The short journey had drained a considerable amount of his strength.

Though the Wind Magical Power had lightened his load, sustaining it required a vast amount of Qi and blood. It was impossible for him to keep it active constantly.

Moreover, the Wind Magical Power couldn't fully negate the weight of the Black Turtle Heavy Armor. He still felt a significant pressure, and each step he took made the ground resound.

But this was precisely the challenge Lee Yi sought. He aimed to use this method to unlock his potential and swiftly elevate the realm of his Wind Magical Power.

In essence, his body was constantly under immense pressure, a force that tempered his physique, fortified his Qi and blood, and in turn, took his mastery of the Wind Magical Power to new heights.

With a whoosh, Lee Yi exhaled deeply, calmed his breathing, and ceased using his magical power before sitting cross-legged.

His body quivered subtly under the oppressive weight of the Black Turtle Heavy Armor, his bones crackling and popping audibly.

Yet, he persevered, clenching his teeth in determination. Meanwhile, he retrieved a bottle of True Essence Pills from his storage bag and began to refine them.

Swallowing a True Essence Pill, it transformed into a warm, sustained medicinal force that spread throughout his body.

The True Essence Pill was far milder than the domineering Earth Origin Pill. Where the latter was akin to a tempest, the former was more like a gentle drizzle, seeping slowly into his meridians and dantian.

This was exactly what Lee Yi urgently needed. Since advancing to the third level of the Arcane Awakening Realm, his progress had stalled. The rapidity of his previous breakthroughs had left his foundation shaky, making further advancement difficult.

The True Essence Pill was the ideal medicine to fortify his foundation.

Having refined an entire bottle of True Essence Pills, Lee Yi's realm had not yet advanced, but he could feel a significant strengthening in his foundation, and his mana had become more refined.

With less than a month until the Outer Sect Competition, Lee Yi's sense of urgency intensified. He wished he could stretch each day into two, devoting nearly every waking moment to cultivation. As he continuously refined the True Essence Pills, his foundation grew increasingly robust, and his mana rose accordingly.

The realm that had been stagnant for so long finally began to rise gradually.

After refining all ten bottles of True Essence Pills, Lee Yi's realm made the leap from the early to the middle stage of the third level, his mana nearly doubling in density.

Progress slowed once the True Essence Pills were gone. As Lee Yi found himself at an impasse, help arrived unexpectedly.

Upon opening the courtyard door, Zhang Cheng stood outside, regarding Lee Yi with a complex mix of resentment, jealousy, and a hint of fear.

"Senior Sister Shuixian asked me to deliver this to you—twenty thousand Merit Points," said Zhang Cheng, begrudgingly producing a Merit Token. He then inquired, "Where's the Water Drop Sword?"

Lee Yi accepted the Merit Token, inspected it for accuracy, and with a smile, he teased, "What if I said I no longer wish to return the Water Drop Sword? You've all taken so long to gather the necessary items; my patience was wearing thin!"

Zhang Cheng's face flushed with a mix of shock and rage as he pointed at Lee Yi and stammered, "You..." But the rest of his words failed him.

Since the last encounter with Lee Yi's formidable strength, Zhang Cheng harbored a deep-seated fear of him. This time, Hee Shuixian had sent him alone to retrieve the sword, and despite his boiling anger, he dared not lash out, knowing he couldn't withstand another blow from Lee Yi.

Lee Yi observed Zhang Cheng's timid rage and, realizing further words were futile, he scoffed. He pulled out the Water Drop Sword, tossed it to the ground, and commanded, "So easily frightened, and yet you dared to threaten me before? Take your sword and leave. And relay a message to your Alchemy Pavilion: don't bother me again, or next time I won't be so lenient!" He then slammed the courtyard door shut with a resounding thud.

Zhang Cheng silently picked up the Water Drop Sword, a sneer of bitterness crossing his face. "Enjoy your brief moment of triumph, boy," he muttered. "At the Outer Sect Competition, you'll see the true might of our Alchemy Pavilion. There's always a bigger fish. Do you really think we'd be intimidated by the likes of you?" Clutching the sword, he strode away.

After some time spent in cultivation, Lee Yi headed to the Hall of Virtue and exchanged his newly acquired 20,000 Merit Points for a whopping twenty bottles of True Essence Pills, totaling two hundred pills.

For the average disciple, such medicinal pills were an extravagance. Even Yellow Grade Pills were beyond their means. The vast gap between Lee Yi and Lee Tiancheng had always stemmed from Tiancheng's access to medicinal pills from a young age, while Lee Yi had none.

But True Essence Pills, being of the Profound Grade, were exceptionally rare and valuable. The idea of exchanging for two hundred at once was something most disciples wouldn't even dare to dream of.

Now, with a steady supply of these pills, Lee Yi's cultivation level was set to soar even higher.

After merging with the Demon Race's bloodline, Lee Yi's body became incredibly pure, and his affinity with the spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth soared. His Qi refining efficiency increased more than tenfold compared to before.

Focusing on pills as his primary source and Qi refining as a secondary method, ten days flew by. He managed to refine all 200 True Essence Pills, catapulting his realm from the mid-stage of the Third Level straight to the peak. His magical power grew exponentially thicker, reaching a pinnacle. He was now just a hair's breadth away from the Fourth Level of Arcane Awakening.

With a gentle clench of his fists, he could sense a potent, explosive force coursing through him, threatening to erupt at any moment. Among his peers in the same realm, none could boast a denser magical power than his.

Meanwhile, as he advanced in his cultivation, Lee Yi consistently wore the Black Turtle Heavy Armor, enduring immense hardship. Yet, his Qi and blood became more refined, his physical body more robust. The cultivation of his Wind magical power steadily improved, accumulating day by day. He was on the cusp of achieving Great Completion.

It was then that he retrieved the enigmatic stone from his storage bag. Since discovering it at the bottom of the River Styx, he had repeatedly examined the stone's material and origins during his spare moments, to no avail.

Even after scouring various texts, he found no clues. On the surface, the stone resembled Purple Obsidian, but Purple Obsidian wasn't a spiritual object of Heaven and Earth—it was merely a rare material. It couldn't possibly induce a transformation in Lee Yi's magical power. Other spiritual objects were documented in the literature, yet this peculiar stone remained a mystery.

The stone's uncertain origins left Lee Yi feeling uneasy. After all, one could only refine a single spiritual object of Heaven and Earth in a lifetime, with just one opportunity to do so. Whether successful or not, there was no second chance.

The outcome of the refinement would determine his potential for growth. Refining a formidable Genuine Qi would be ideal, but if he ended up with merely ordinary Genuine Qi, its power would be significantly diminished, unable to rival Lee Tiancheng's Heavy Water Genuine Qi.

After much hesitation, Lee Yi found himself at an impasse, wrestling with the decision of whether to entrust his destiny to this mysterious rock whose origins were shrouded in uncertainty.

Finally, with a determined clench of his jaw, he resolved to take a leap of faith.

"Given the circumstances, it's not like I can just go out and find another object imbued with the essence of heaven and earth. I have no choice but to give it my all!"