Before long, Wen Qingye felt all strength leave his body. The Ink Jade Stone was now transmitting not only a vast amount of Earth Attribute Essence, but also a massive quantity of Primordial Qi.

This Primordial Qi was exceptionally pure, even more so than the Primordial Qi within the Profound Pearl.

Wen Qingye knew this was Guo Gao’s Life Essence. The Ink Jade Stone had retained some of Guo Gao’s Life Essence, which slowly nourished Wen Qingye’s body along with the Earth Attribute Essence.

BOOM!

As Wen Qingye’s body was nourished by this pure Essence, the processes within it suddenly became incredibly complex.

His body was continuously being forged, even as the Life Essence simultaneously repaired it.

It was an endless, repeating cycle!

......

An unknown amount of time passed.

Wen Qingye felt a wave of clarity wash over his mind, his breathing growing long and deep. His body trembled, but his eyes were exceptionally bright.

Guo Gao watched as Wen Qingye’s aura grew more potent, his very bones and blood seemingly undergoing a metamorphosis. A smile touched his lips. He felt his eyelids growing heavier and heavier, until at last, they slowly closed.

The surrounding Primordial Qi formed a vortex, drawing everything absorbable into his body. As a vast amount of Primordial Qi converged within Wen Qingye, his aura grew even stronger.

After a moment, the pure source of Primordial Qi ignited within him, and his skin suddenly turned crimson.

The Longevity Technique began to circulate wildly. Accompanied by a dripping sound, the Primordial Qi in his Qi Sea grew denser, as if condensing into a liquid.

It increased drop by drop. The surrounding Primordial Qi surged, seeping through the open pores of his skin to coordinate with the energy inside.

The surging of Primordial Qi within his body grew increasingly intense and ferocious. Any ordinary person witnessing this would have been slack-jawed in astonishment. Never before had someone at the Yin-Yang Realm Second Level possessed Primordial Qi of such density.

Furthermore, the meridians of an ordinary Yin-Yang Realm Second Level cultivator could never withstand such vast and potent Primordial Qi.

The fluctuations from this surging Primordial Qi alone were comparable to the cultivation of a Martial Artist at the peak of the Yin Yang Realm Third Layer.

Wen Qingye now felt a mounting pressure, generated by the continuously condensing Primordial Qi. As the energy circulated ever faster, the pressure grew immense.

With a great BOOM, the Primordial Qi erupted from his body. He felt a sudden lightness as all the pressure and strange sensations vanished, leaving him feeling utterly refreshed.

Yin Yang Realm Third Layer!

Though he had just broken through, there was still Primordial Qi remaining. Wen Qingye acted on impulse. The ten drops of Primordial Qi Liquid stored within him began to spin, scattering in all directions and seeping into his organs, flesh, and meridians.

The Primordial Qi Liquid slowly dissolved, burning away the impurities within his body.

Beyond the Yin-Yang Realm, every breakthrough was a baptism for the body. This is why a Martial Artist’s true journey was said to begin only after reaching the Yin-Yang Realm.

Fine steel requires a thousand hammer blows and a million raging flames to be forged. Is the human body any different?

After a long while, Wen Qingye slowly opened his eyes. He could feel the leap in strength this breakthrough had brought him—an unparalleled sensation.

Wen Qingye slowly rose to his feet. He gazed at the closed eyes of Guo Gao for three seconds, a melancholic sigh rising in his heart. Then, he slowly turned and walked back the way he had come.

Not only had his Five Elements Body Refining Technique reached the Second Layer, but his cultivation had also broken through again, reaching the Yin Yang Realm Third Layer. Wen Qingye could feel immense power coursing through him with every gesture.

’Even if I run into Wenn Xing now, I can put up a fight,’ Wen Qingye thought, ’though victory isn’t guaranteed.’

Wen Qingye followed the path back, re-entering the dark, gloomy forest.

’I wonder how Zhou Yue and Yum Baobao are doing,’ Wen Qingye mused. ’I held up Wenn Xing for so long; they’ve probably gotten far away by now.’

The forest was dark and gloomy, cold and desolate. The mottled shadows of the trees sent a chill to the bone.

CRACK!

Suddenly, the sound of a massive tree crashing down reached Wen Qingye’s ears.

Wen Qingye looked toward the sound. In the distance, a massive black figure, writhing ceaselessly, slowly came into view.

It was the Black Profound Female Snake!

The Black Profound Female Snake was coiled around a massive tree, its body constantly rubbing against the bark. A transparent white layer of skin was slowly peeling off.

Wen Qingye’s heart leaped with joy at the sight.

’A perfect chance!’

The Black Profound Female Snake was molting; it was the perfect opportunity to kill it. If he waited until it finished, it would become a Demon Beast of the Yin Yang Realm Seventh Layer Heaven.

SHING!

Wen Qingye drew his sword and silently crept toward the Black Profound Female Snake.

When he was still several yards away, Wen Qingye exploded into action. His sword flew like a shooting star, its blade laced with potent, sharp Sword Qi as it slashed toward the Black Profound Female Snake’s vital point.

Even while molting, the Black Profound Female Snake was on high alert. It suddenly sensed danger from the left. With a twist of its head, its eyes shot bolts of electricity toward Wen Qingye’s whistling Sword Qi.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The sword’s edge swept through the snake’s electric bolts, shattering them to dust, and continued unimpeded toward the Black Profound Female Snake.

The Black Profound Female Snake was greatly alarmed. It couldn’t believe that in just one night, this human’s cultivation had advanced by such leaps and bounds. No longer daring to remain on the tree, it rapidly coiled and dropped to the ground.

Its skin only halfway shed, the Black Profound Female Snake was in extreme discomfort. It glared at Wen Qingye, its eyes gleaming with a bloodthirsty light.

Wen Qingye knew he had to end this quickly. He swung the One Thought Sword with the fury of a thunderstorm—swift, domineering, and heavy with power. Each Sword Slash was accompanied by multicolored Sword Qi and wreathed in boundless clouds of energy.

The Black Profound Female Snake dodged continuously, trying to buy time to finish molting, but Wen Qingye’s sword was too fast, striking its weakest points again and again.

Within minutes, the Black Profound Female Snake’s body was stained red with blood, as was the skin it had already shed.

The blood emitted a rank odor. When Wen Qingye caught a whiff, he felt his qi and blood churn, and a heat rose in his body. He quickly circulated his Primordial Qi to suppress the agitation.

’Black Profound Snakes are promiscuous by nature,’ he realized. ’I didn’t expect their blood to have this kind of aphrodisiac effect.’

The Black Profound Female Snake’s body writhed, twisting upon itself in agony as if making a final, desperate struggle.

SWISH! SWISH!

At that moment, a cold glint flashed in the snake’s eyes. It opened its cavernous mouth, revealing four sharp fangs.

PFFT!

A gray-green gas spewed from the Black Profound Snake’s mouth.

As if he had been expecting it, Wen Qingye leaped aside, dodging the green gas.

SSSSSSS!

Wherever the gray-green gas passed, everything within several yards—weeds, trees, and any living creature—instantly withered and died. All signs of life vanished.

The Black Profound Snake seemed satisfied with the result, but an instant later, its large, eerie green eyes filled with terror.

From within the toxic mist, Wen Qingye’s figure slowly emerged. The sword in his hand moved continuously, its swaying blade deflecting the gas. The gray-green poison couldn’t get anywhere near him.

VMMMM!

The One Thought Sword let out a low hum, then streaked forward like a flash of lightning.

A cold killing intent filled the air. The Black Profound Female Snake was at its weakest; seeing such a ferocious strike, it dared not meet it head-on and scrambled to retreat.

HISSS!

Wen Qingye’s sword struck true, piercing the Black Profound Female Snake’s body. The creature was overcome with unbearable pain and began to writhe madly.

Dust billowed and dry branches went flying. Trees snapped under the force of its thrashing, but the Black Profound Female Snake continued to writhe in a frenzy.

Wen Qingye took a deep breath and stepped forward. His sword shot out, flying straight toward the vital point of the writhing Black Profound Snake.

CLANG!

The Black Profound Snake thrashed wildly, but its body finally went still. The One Thought Sword was embedded deep in its vital point.