Chapter 684 - Breakthrough to the Nascent Transformation Realm

The dantian was like a dam. When the water began to overflow, a breakthrough would be inevitable.

When Mu Yueying and Lin Tong were in the Heavenly Nether Battlefield, they had reinforced the dam to prevent water from overflowing. But the situation had changed; the Heavenly Dragon Seal had shattered the dams.

When faced with the Heavenly Dragon Seal's suppression, they instinctively released their true essence to resist the pressure. This process also brought significant benefits, as the purity of their true essence increased onefold.

With the dams destroyed, their true essence had to be channeled, and suppressing it would harm their bodies. The only solution was for them to channel their true essence to a larger lake by making a breakthrough in the Nascent Transformation Realm. Only the lake in the Nascent Transformation Realm could contain their true essence.

"I can't hold back much longer," Lin Tong said with a wry smile. If they both made a breakthrough in the Nascent Transformation Realm, they would be expelled from the Heavenly Nether Battlefield, returning to the Southern Province. But he didn't want to leave Mu Yueying alone there, and his face turned red from holding back his cultivation.

"Me neither!" Mu Yueying replied.

"You two should make a breakthrough and leave this place. Return to the sect first," Liu Wuxie said, deciding for them. As the spatial laws in the Heavenly Nether Battlefield rejected the process of forming the primordial spirit, they would be expelled as a result.

This was because the battle in ancient times had shattered the fabric of the spatial laws.

"No, we can't possibly leave you alone!" Lin Tong protested strongly. Liu Wuxie had saved their lives, and he couldn't abandon Liu Wuxie in the Heavenly Nether Battlefield if he made his breakthrough now.

Mu Yueying nodded, agreeing with Lin Tong. If they left the Heavenly Nether Battlefield safely, they would feel guilty if anything happened to Liu Wuxie. They would share life and death with Liu Wuxie, and they wouldn't allow themselves to be deserters.

"Fools!" Liu Wuxie scolded, unbothered that they were older than him.

The two didn't take it to heart as they knew Liu Wuxie meant well.

"You two have witnessed my strength. If even I can't leave this place alive, what help can you offer by staying behind?" Liu Wuxie questioned.

The two had witnessed his strength. If he couldn’t escape, their presence would only result in needless deaths.

"Even so, we still refuse to leave!" Lin Tong was stubborn. Even if they couldn't help Liu Wuxie, they would at least die together.

"Wuxie, don't say any more. We're staying," Mu Yueying said, firmly in agreement. She was forcibly suppressing her breakthrough, and she might have to resort to sealing her cultivation if there was no choice. But if their cultivations were sealed, they would be left powerless like mortals.

"The two of you will only hold me back. Break through and leave this place!" Liu Wuxie said. He didn't want to waste time with them, so he formed seals with his hands and injected them into their bodies.

As the two began forming their primordial spirit, Liu Wuxie took out a pile of high-grade spirit stones, crushed them, and injected the liquified spiritual energy into their bodies. He didn't ask for their opinion and helped them forcefully make a breakthrough. It was now too late for them to stop their breakthrough, no matter how they tried to struggle.

Mu Yueying and Lin Tong's aura grew stronger, and they broke through the restraints of the Astral River Realm. They had no choice but to sit down, allowing their cultivation to rise.

When they made a breakthrough to the first level of the Nascent Transformation Realm, they quickly advanced towards its pinnacle.

Meanwhile, Liu Wuxie continued to form seals with his hands to help guide their true essence. The entire process lasted an hour before they both reached the pinnacle of the first level.

The surrounding spatial laws began to suppress them, and they could not contain the laws after their breakthrough.

"Wuxie, promise us to return no matter what," Mu Yueying said with tears streaming down her face. Lin Tong also clenched his fists in response. He also wanted to stay behind and fight alongside Liu Wuxie, but he could do nothing about it.

"Return to the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion after leaving the Heavenly Nether Battlefield. Tell the sect master not to worry about me," Liu Wuxie said calmly.

A spatial rift appeared, and the two held hands as they were pulled into it, which brought them back to the Southern Province.

After sending the two away, Liu Wuxie began to scan his surroundings. He could only rely on his strength to leave the Heavenly Nether Battlefield.

After all, he couldn't reach the Nascent Transformation Realm anytime soon, at least not in the next year or so. The higher his cultivation, the slower his progress naturally became.

With a few leaps, Liu Wuxie swiftly left the place. He saw a few groups of cultivators heading in a specific direction, and they had likely discovered something. His speed had significantly increased after reaching the fifth level of the Astral River Realm, and he streaked across the sky like a comet.

......

Mu Tianli lingered outside the exit to the Heavenly Nether Battlefield. The Alert Talisman, in his hand, was like a weight pressing on his heart.

Suddenly, space began to ripple as two figures emerged, tumbling to the ground.

Mu Tianli approached without hesitation and quickly took Mu Yueying into his arms upon seeing her. "Ying'er!"

"Father!" Mu Yueying cried out.

As for Lin Tong, he merely stood by the side silently.

"What happened? Why are there only the two of you? Where's Wuxie?" Mu Tianli asked, letting go of his daughter. Through this incident, he had come to terms with his daughter's choice, and the identity of her partner no longer mattered to him, whether he was a rogue cultivator or a disciple of a prestigious sect. His character genuinely mattered, and he trusted his daughter's judgment.

"Wuxie, he..." Mu Yueying didn't know where to start. They were now safe, but Liu Wuxie was still in danger. Not only did he have to face Yu Lin's pursuit, but he might have to face many deathguards.

Their divine sense had been greatly enhanced upon reaching the Nascent Transformation Realm, allowing them to detect the deathguards lurking underground. This was why they felt so terrible when they came out.

"What's wrong with Wuxie?" Mu Tianli asked, his voice tinged with concern. After the events of the Ten Grand Ceremony, he had come to regard Liu Wuxie as his own child.

If Liu Wuxie had perished while saving Mu Yueying and Lin Tong, he would feel guilty for the rest of his life.

"He's still in the Heavenly Nether Battlefield!" Mu Yueying stopped crying.

Upon hearing that Liu Wuxie was alive, Mu Tianli felt relief. He believed in Liu Wuxie's abilities. After all, despite the harsh conditions, the latter had survived the Ten Grand Ceremony.

Not only had Liu Wuxie killed Deng Yong and Bai Yuan, but he had also obtained first place. This was why Mu Tianli believed such a monstrous prodigy wouldn't die easily. Not to mention, Liu Wuxie had also received the blessing of the Southern Province and was empowered by the entire region's fortune.

The three sat down as Mu Yueying recounted every detail of what had happened in the Heavenly Nether Battlefield. When Mu Tianli heard cultivators from the Central Plains had pursued his daughter, his face darkened with worry.

Lin Tong's decision to let Liu Wuxie have the Indigo Mist Fruit also earned Mu Tianli's heartfelt admiration, and his tone softened. At the very least, Lin Tong wasn't a scheming opportunist by doing what was needed at critical moments instead of monopolizing the Indigo Mist Fruit himself.

"Father, please find a way to save Wuxie!" Mu Yueying pleaded, clutching her father's arm. Since he had sent Liu Wuxie to rescue them, surely he could find a way to rescue Liu Wuxie as well.

"No one can save him now, and he can only rely on himself," Mu Tianli muttered, his gaze fixed on the Heavenly Nether Battlefield. Liu Wuxie’s reasoning was sound—if he couldn’t survive, sending more people in would be futile and would only lead to more casualties.

"What do we do? Are we just going to wait here?" Mu Yueying asked, her chest tightening with frustration. They had safely escaped and even advanced in their cultivation, yet Liu Wuxie was left to face the danger alone.

"Didn’t he tell us to wait for him in the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion? I’ll stay here and wait for him," Mu Tianli said calmly. He believed the two of them needed rest after the harrowing ordeal in the Heavenly Nether Battlefield.

"We're not going back. Mu Yueying declared resolutely. The thought of returning filled her with unease. At least staying nearby gave her some small comfort.

"Ying'er, you go back first. I'll stay behind and wait for Brother Liu," Lin Tong interjected, offering to remain and wait for Liu Wuxie himself.

"No! I must see Wuxie return with my own eyes!" Mu Yueying said.

Lin Tong understood Mu Yueying’s temperament well—once she made up her mind, no one could sway her. Mu Tianli knew this too, recalling how Mu Yueying had left home for four years. If he hadn’t sent someone to bring her back, she might never have returned.

He had already lost her once, and he didn't want to lose her again.

......

Liu Wuxie slowed his pace after traveling several kilometers, arriving at the core of Yin Mountain.

"An entrance underground!" Liu Wuxie muttered as he halted in mid-air. The sight of a fully formed underground entrance caught him off guard. What could be hidden below? Monsters? Secrets? No one could say for sure.

Some cultivators had already ventured inside, driven by necessity. For those on the brink of breaking into the Nascent Transformation Realm, staying above ground was impossible. If danger arose, they could advance to the Nascent Transformation Realm and escape, just as Mu Yueying and Lin Tong had.

However, it was another question for those in the high levels of the Astral River Realm. They could only try to find the exit as they couldn't leave through making a breakthrough. Thus, they were forced to head underground to gamble for survival.

More cultivators continued to enter the underground as the ravine between the two mountain ranges sank further into ruins. The once-majestic mountain ranges had vanished, replaced by boundless deathly energy pouring out from below.

Liu Wuxie glanced at the sky, observing the yin and yang swirling whirlpools growing even stronger. Someone tried to escape by flying but was only ripped into pieces.

Since then, no one dared to fly. People would rather venture underground than stay on the surface.

Liu Wuxie arrived late, as most of the cultivators had already entered the underground. This was because he had helped Mu Yueying and Lin Tong with their breakthroughs, spending more than two hours.