Dou Ancestor was one of the major qualitative transformations in the cultivation of Dou Qi.
Once one stepped into the Dou Ancestor realm, one could be considered to have entered the ranks of the true powerhouses of the continent. At the same time, Dou Qi would deeply strengthen and nourish the body, greatly extending one's lifespan. One's control over the energy of the world would also improve tremendously, allowing one to grasp the power of space.
Yet after reaching the peak of the Dou Emperor realm, countless people had been trapped by this barrier for decades.
The difference of a single step was like the difference between heaven and earth.
A sharp glint flashed through Lin Yuan's eyes. With a wave of his hand, nearly a hundred Fire Pearls obtained from the Flame Lizardmen flew out of his Storage Ring.
With three deep-red Fire Pearls at the center, nearly a hundred Fire Pearls floated in midair around him. Rich fire-elemental energy surged out of the Fire Pearls, forming a mighty current of fire-elemental energy around his body. An extremely scorching atmosphere spread throughout the surroundings.
Lin Yuan then opened the jade bottle in his hand and took out the Dragon-Eye-sized Dou Ancestor Pill.
In an instant, a dense medicinal fragrance spread throughout the magma world with the Dou Ancestor Pill at its center.
Strangely enough, this pill, which should have been a peak sixth-grade pill, actually contained faint traces of spiritual energy flowing across its surface, making it appear especially vibrant.
Looking at the faint spiritual energy on the pill, Lin Yuan smiled slightly.
"Infusing spiritual energy into the pill through the Spirit-Gathering Method during the nurturing process really does produce excellent results. The medicinal power of this Dou Ancestor Pill is several tens of percent stronger than the best one I refined previously."
This Dou Ancestor Pill had been refined by Lin Yuan during the few days before his battle with Old gost Earth Demon.
During its refinement, he had incorporated some of his own ideas regarding alchemy.
That was, during the nurturing stage, using spiritual energy to cleanse and nourish the pill.
The result of the experiment had been extremely satisfactory. After infusing it with spiritual energy, he had successfully refined the highest-quality Dou Ancestor Pill he had ever produced.
The amount of spiritual energy contained within a pill was a decisive factor in determining whether it could reach the eighth-grade level. Naturally, spiritual energy was not completely useless to sixth- or seventh-grade pills either.
However, there was a limit to the amount of spiritual energy a pill could contain. The higher the grade of the pill itself, the higher its upper limit.
Although the grade of this Dou Ancestor Pill had not risen to the seventh grade, it was no longer an ordinary peak sixth-grade Dou Ancestor Pill. Its medicinal power had increased by several tens of percent.
Taking a deep breath, Lin Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly before he swallowed the Dou Ancestor Pill in one gulp.
The moment the pill entered his stomach, its surging medicinal power erupted.
Following the large and small meridians throughout his body, it gradually spread toward every part of him.
A mysterious sensation emerged from the depths of every cell in his body and spread into his soul, pulling Lin Yuan's consciousness into an extraordinarily profound state.
At the same time, the Azure Lotus Core Flame surged out from his Spirit-Nurturing Vessel, the Sea Heart Flame emerged from the Soul Ring, and the young Fallen Heart Flame surged out from his sea of Qi.
Lin Yuan's expression became solemn as his hands rapidly formed several seals.
Centered around the Sea Heart Flame, which had cultivated the Flame Mantra, the three flames intertwined and harmonized with one another, eventually forming a strand of intertwined three-colored flames.
The scorching temperature and powerful refining ability caused even the surrounding space to distort slightly.
With a thought from Lin Yuan, the mixed flames immediately split into two.
One transformed into a three-colored flame barrier that covered the surface of his body, refining the enormous energy surrounding him.
The other entered his body, assisting him in refining the tremendous medicinal power of the Dou Ancestor Pill.
Immediately afterward, the seals formed by his hands changed once again, and the Heavenly Capital Flame Canon began circulating.
The three-colored flames carried the medicinal power and energy along the route of the cultivation technique, circulating one cycle after another and transforming everything into pure Dou Qi.
The Dou Qi passed through his meridians and spread throughout every part of Lin Yuan's body, nourishing his hungry flesh, bones, cells, and every other part of him.
In a unique manner, it gradually merged into his body, causing an earth-shaking transformation.
At this moment, Lin Yuan's comprehension of the Dou Ancestor realm was already sufficient, and he had completely entered the state of breakthrough.
Once he entered this state, his body became like an endless black hole, beginning to devour the fire-elemental energy surrounding him.
The immense energy released by the Fire Pearls resembled countless crimson serpents, winding around the surface of his body. After being refined by the three-colored flame barrier, it was ultimately drawn into his body through his breathing.
Under the circulation of the Heavenly Capital Flame Canon, the endless fire-attributed energy within the magma world also began converging toward Lin Yuan on the Azure Lotus Seat like hundreds of rivers flowing into the sea.
At the same time, his Blood Soul condensed into existence.
With a flicker of its body, it directly flashed into a cave within the mountain wall.
Not long afterward, as the Blood Soul began circulating the Heavenly Soul Art, waves of spiritual energy began rippling through the cave.
Time quietly began to pass.
Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower
After Xiao Yan, Wu Hao, and Hu Jia led the members of Pan's Gate in defeating the members of the White Gang who had come looking for trouble, they finally managed to seize enough cultivation rooms.
The three exchanged a smile before entering separate advanced cultivation rooms.
After sealing the door, Xiao Yan gently exhaled and asked, "Teacher, that terrifying pressure just now seemed to have come from Lin Yuan? But it feels different from before."
"Your senses are correct. That was indeed Lin Yuan."
Yao Lao's voice sounded within his heart.
"The reason you feel that his aura is different from usual is because he is about to break through, so his aura is unstable. However, to grasp the opportunity to break through to the Dou Ancestor realm so quickly that kid really isn't simple."
At this point, Yao Lao's heart contained a trace of surprise.
Previously, when he learned that Lin Yuan had rapidly reached the Dou King realm by using the Life-Devouring Pill, his evaluation and regard for Lin Yuan had decreased somewhat.
However, after Yao Lao encountered Lin Yuan again at Jia Nan Academy, his regard for the latter had unconsciously risen once more.
Lin Yuan had advanced far too quickly from the Dou Emperor realm to the Dou Ancestor realm.
Even among the major forces of the Central Plains, or even the ancient clans, very few people could match such a speed.
"He's already about to break through to the Dou Ancestor realm?"
After hearing Yao Lao's words, Xiao Yan could not help feeling a little pressure. He solemnly asked, "Teacher, then why did his aura suddenly disappear? And this Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower."
Xiao Yan did not know how to describe his feeling, but he believed that Yao Lao certainly understood.
After arriving at the Qi Refining Tower today, he had sensed something subtle.
The Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower, as well as the Heart Flame within the tower, seemed to have undergone some kind of subtle change.
Since even he could detect it, there was no way his teacher could fail to notice it.
Perhaps something beneficial to him had happened during these days.
Hearing this, Yao Lao nodded with satisfaction.
"Being able to sense this, Little Yan, it seems that your soul power has improved quite well during this period."
"As for the tower, it has been sealed by the spatial barrier established by those two peak Dou Ancestors, so Lin Yuan's aura has been concealed by the barrier."
"As for today's Heart Flame, it is indeed different from before. And there is a somewhat familiar feeling to it. Could it be..."
Yao Lao's eyes narrowed slightly as he suddenly thought of a certain possibility.
"Teacher?"
Yao Lao's sudden silence caused a trace of confusion to appear in Xiao Yan's voice.
"It's only a guess. I still need to confirm it further."
Yao Lao suppressed the thought in his heart and instructed, "Little Yan, you don't need to worry about these matters for now. Focus on your own cultivation. You've consumed quite a few pills during this period, and a tremendous amount of medicinal power has accumulated within your body. Try to break through by two stars during this round of cultivation."
Hearing Yao Lao's words, Xiao Yan suppressed all the questions in his heart and solemnly replied, "Yes, Teacher!"
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
Above the magma sea, Lin Yuan's mind was completely immersed in his breakthrough.
The Dou Qi within his body continued to surge explosively, and the rapidly increasing Dou Qi continuously strengthened his physique.
The tremendous medicinal power of the Dou Ancestor Pill had already been completely refined by Lin Yuan.
Although this enormous medicinal power spreading throughout his body had not yet allowed him to complete his breakthrough, it had completely opened the path toward the Dou Ancestor realm.
All that remained was for his Dou Qi to fill it completely.
Of the hundred Fire Pearls surrounding him, several dozen had already been completely devoured by Lin Yuan's cultivation.
Even the three Fire Pearls containing Dou Ancestor-level energy had become somewhat dimmer.
At this moment, although his aura had not yet broken through to the Dou Ancestor realm, it was already worlds apart from that of an ordinary peak Dou Emperor.
His strength had increased several times over.
And the Dou Ancestor realm was already within reach!
Sensing that the rate of his Dou Qi growth had begun to slow, Lin Yuan's thoughts stirred.
A massive flame python rose from the magma sea.
A low hiss echoed through the surroundings, and the flame python's body suddenly stiffened.
Immediately, the refined and pure fire-elemental energy within the flame python began dispersing.
The energy vortex generated by the circulation of the Heavenly Capital Flame Canon instantly captured it, after which Lin Yuan absorbed it into his body.
At the same time, within Lin Yuan's body, the three-colored flames surged toward the Demonic Poison Spot on his chest.
The three-colored flames surrounded the Demonic Poison Spot and released an extraordinarily powerful refining force.
The black lines extending from the Demonic Poison Spot were transformed under this refining force into extremely pure Dou Qi, which then flowed through his cultivation technique and merged into his limbs and bones.
With the replenishment of energy from the Fallen Heart Flame and the Demonic Poison Spot, the rate at which the Dou Qi within Lin Yuan's body became replenished once again returned to its peak.
A moment later, the surrounding space rippled slightly.
The Blood Soul flashed into existence before Lin Yuan.
It extended its right hand and placed a fingertip against the forehead of Lin Yuan's main body.
Immediately, the enormous amount of spiritual energy it had gathered was released through its fingertip and merged into the center of Lin Yuan's brows.
A cool sensation spread throughout his soul.
The soul that had already reached the peak of the Mortal State now entered an even more mysterious state.
Within this profound state, Lin Yuan's mind once again sank into deep meditation.
The solid bottleneck within his soul began to break apart.
The rate at which his Dou Qi increased accelerated, while his soul gradually became more complete during the breakthrough.
However, the transformation was still far from over.
Like a chain reaction, the Natal Blood Pill within his body suddenly began to radiate brilliant light.
Within the Blood Pill, purple dragon aura gathered and transformed into a purple dragon of energy. It continuously inhaled and exhaled, tempering the pure and immense blood-and-qi energy within Lin Yuan's body.
With every breath the purple dragon took, vast amounts of blood-and-qi energy were drawn into its abdomen.
With every breath it exhaled, the blood-and-qi energy tempered by the Blood Pill and dragon aura, now carrying faint traces of purple, completely merged into Lin Yuan's bloodline.
Lin Yuan's blood essence and physical body also began a slow yet solid transformation at this moment.
As his essence, qi, and spirit underwent a unified transformation, Lin Yuan seemed to have entered a state of complete oblivion. The only way to leave this state was to wait until the day he successfully broke through to the Dou Ancestor realm.
Cultivation knew no passage of time.
In this state where he had completely lost track of the years and months, time quietly slipped through his fingers like fine sand.
One month.
One and a half months.
Two months.
When two and a half months had passed, a faint disturbance finally appeared within this lonely magma world.
Above the magma sea, an immense roar of energy suddenly erupted out of nowhere.
As the roar rang out, the energy within the magma sea began to surge violently. The endless energy contained within the magma seemed to have been drawn by some invisible force, converging toward Lin Yuan, who was seated cross-legged upon the Green Lotus Seat.
"Boom!"
A deep sound of energy reverberation, resembling a heartbeat, suddenly rang out.
In an instant, the energy vortex surrounding Lin Yuan was completely swallowed.
After devouring this final surge of energy, Lin Yuan seemed to have reached a state of saturation. His aura completely sank into silence.
Yet within that silence, an oppressive aura so powerful that it was suffocating gradually became more condensed and solidified around Lin Yuan on the Green Lotus Seat.
At a certain moment, Lin Yuan suddenly opened his eyes.
His gaze was as sharp as lightning, while his long hair danced wildly behind him.
His majestic aura seemed to merge with the heavens and earth before sweeping in all directions.
The void trembled violently, while the surrounding space twisted into countless chaotic traces that densely covered the air like a pitch-black spiderweb.
The magma sea began to churn violently, and wisps of black smoke rose into the air.
It seemed that the energy within the magma had been drawn by some force. One massive stream of magma after another, each nearly half a zhang wide, shot straight toward the sky before crashing against the rocky ceiling and exploding in all directions.
The entire magma world seemed to be experiencing a rain of molten lava.
The magma rain poured down from above in a vast curtain, covering the entire crimson world.
The continuous crackling sounds echoed without end.
After a long while, Lin Yuan took a deep breath and withdrew his surging aura.
The corners of his mouth curled upward slightly.
"Dou Ancestor, I've made it!"
He rose from the Green Lotus Seat and took a single step.
His foot landed directly upon the void.
Without stopping, he continued walking through empty space.
His wings remained unopened. Every time his foot landed, faint ripples spread outward from beneath his soles.
Walking through the void!
This was one of the defining characteristics of a Dou Ancestor powerhouse!
Lin Yuan clenched his fist, feeling the immense power continuously surging through his body.
With a casual wave of his hand, circles of ripples carrying the power of space spread outward from his body.
Immediately, the distorted and chaotic space around him was gradually smoothed out beneath those ripples.
Manipulating space!
This was the power of a Dou Ancestor!
In the past, Lin Yuan had been able to manipulate space to a certain extent by relying on powerful Dou Techniques or Ancient Dragon aura.
However, he had never been able to do so as effortlessly and casually as he could now.
After stretching lazily, Lin Yuan raised his eyes and glanced at the crimson magma world before him.
At this moment, the rain of molten lava was still pouring down.
However, once the curtain of magma approached within half a zhang of his body, it would automatically disperse.
It was as though an invisible barrier surrounded Lin Yuan.
Looking at the magma erupting in all directions, Lin Yuan slightly furrowed his brows.
A terrifying aura suddenly rose from his body and pressed outward in every direction.
A moment later, the magma world once again returned to its former tranquility.
Seeing this, Lin Yuan nodded in satisfaction.
He closed his eyes and quietly stood in the void, carefully sensing the subtle changes within his physical body and soul.
This breakthrough had not merely been a breakthrough in Dou Qi.
His essence, qi, and spirit had undergone transformation and breakthrough simultaneously.
The three fundamental aspects of the human body, essence, qi, and spirit, were extremely closely connected.
A breakthrough in any one aspect could potentially create an opportunity for the other two to break through as well.
When Lin Yuan had previously broken through to the Dou Emperor realm, he had used the breakthrough of his soul to create an opportunity that subsequently drove his Dou Qi to break through.
This time, he had attempted the opposite approach.
He had used his breakthrough in Dou Qi to drive his soul and physical body, both of which had already reached their limits, toward their own breakthroughs.
As for the result Lin Yuan's slightly closed eyes slowly opened.
A faint trace of delight flowed through them.
He had discovered that the spiritual energy permeating his soul had become far more abundant than before the breakthrough.
More importantly, he could vaguely sense a feeling of obstruction within his soul.
"Is this the barrier to the Spirit Realm?"
Lin Yuan fell into thoughtful contemplation.
He had a clear feeling that once he completely passed through this barrier, his soul would undoubtedly be able to truly step into the Spirit Realm.
During this breakthrough, the increase in soul power brought about by his Dou Qi breakthrough, the enormous amount of spiritual energy collected by the Blood Soul through the circulation of the Heavenly Heart Soul Art, and the spiritual energy absorbed during that wondrous state of breakthrough had combined together.
With these three factors working together, one of Lin Yuan's feet had already crossed into the Spirit Realm.
He could now clearly see the road ahead.
Moreover, he already possessed the key to that road in the form of the Heavenly Heart Soul Art.
All he needed was sufficient time.
Once enough time had accumulated, he would be able to completely achieve a Spirit Realm soul.
And at this moment, Lin Yuan's soul realm could already be described as Half-Step Spirit Realm!
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