Chapter 169 - 168: Breakthrough! Venerable Realm

「A moment later.」

Rumbling Celestial Thunder roared across the heavens.

Cars blared their horns on the streets below, creating a traffic jam. Citizens held their phones high, recording the spectacle of the Celestial Curtain and forwarding it to friends and family. The news spread like wildfire.

But just then,

SWOOSH!

Dozens of figures shot past overhead, speeding toward the villa complex. Cloaked in starlight, they drew gasps of shock from the onlookers.

"It’s Elder Li and his head disciple, the Grandmaster!"

"The Hall Master is here too!"

"Holy crap, it looks like every expert in all of Jianghai has shown up!"

Hearing the cries of alarm, Elder Li’s expression remained serene. He paid no mind to the crowd, simply continuing on with Lin Mofeng. They soon arrived outside the villa complex.

He looked around.

The other experts of Jianghai, drawn by the strange phenomenon, were also arriving one after another.

The Chief Commander of the Star Martial Police Bureau, the old man who guarded the city gates, the Library’s Hall Master... Even Li Qinghe, a Half-step Innate, had come along to see what the commotion was about.

"Elder Li!"

The Commander strode forward and greeted him, "I didn’t expect you to find the time to come as well, Elder."

"Haha, with a phenomenon this vast, the whole of Jianghai City knows about it. It would have been difficult for an old man like me not to notice..."

Elder Li nodded and stroked his white beard with a smile. "Since everyone is here, which is a rare occasion in itself, I’ll share this: this phenomenon subtly contains the Power of Laws. If any of you can comprehend it, it will be a great opportunity for you all."

As soon as he finished speaking,

the people around him froze.

’Comprehend the Power of Laws?!’

’You can actually gain comprehension from this phenomenon?’

’It’s unheard of!’

If someone were fortunate enough to achieve a sliver of comprehension and gain some insight, it would be an immense gift from the heavens.

It was a blessing that could elevate everyone in their vicinity.

"My master is right! Since you are all here, I urge you to watch closely and carefully observe the mysteries of this phenomenon."

At that moment, Lin Mofeng also stepped forward. He looked around at the crowd and declared loudly, "This phenomenon is a sliver of opportunity. If you can seize it, breaking through from Postnatal to Innate... or from Innate to Grandmaster... anything is possible!"

Hearing this,

the eyes of everyone present lit up. They stared at the celestial phenomenon, their gazes burning with greed.

’If I could really comprehend the Power of Laws and successfully break through, that would be incredible.’

’We are all Cultivators. Who among us doesn’t dream of reaching the Venerable Realm?’

At this thought,

everyone looked up, gazing at the dancing bolts of lightning in the sky. They grew restless, and some even took a step forward, wanting to venture deeper into the heart of the phenomenon.

However,

just then!

"Everyone! Calm down! Do not get any closer!"

Elder Li noticed the crowd’s agitation and warned in a deep voice, "The one breaking through inside might be the Sword God. We must not disturb him. We should stay here and act as his Protectors!"

His booming voice echoed in their ears.

It was like the tolling of an ancient temple bell!

The fanaticism in everyone’s eyes vanished as if they were waking from a dream. They stared at Elder Li in disbelief. ’The Sword God is the one breaking through?’

If that was the case, then the situation was completely different.

Admittedly, the opportunity for a breakthrough was tempting,

but!

In their hearts, the Jianghai Sword God’s status was comparable to the morning sun itself. How could they possibly allow him to be desecrated in the slightest?

At this thought,

the experts who had rushed over all nodded in agreement with Elder Li’s proposal. Having reached a consensus, they all settled down outside the villa complex, sitting cross-legged on the ground and racing against time to observe the phenomenon.

Time flowed on... The Celestial Thunder in the sky continued unabated, illuminating each eager face.

TAP, TAP—

Just then,

Li Zixuan arrived late. When she finally reached the villa complex and saw the ground covered with seated experts from Jianghai, she couldn’t help but feel a little surprised.

’What is everyone doing?’

’Why are they all on the ground?’

Li Zixuan looked around, not daring to disturb them. She just walked toward Lin Mofeng, wanting to ask what was going on. Along the way, she glanced up and unintentionally looked at the phenomenon in the sky.

At that moment, thunder dragons coiled within the inky clouds of the heavens, while on the earth, plants and trees burst into bloom.

In that instant, something deep within her was stirred...

Li Zixuan thought back to the time she spent with her master, and a wave of understanding washed over her. In an instant, the bottleneck in her Realm loosened, and the possibility of a breakthrough truly appeared. The aura around her body changed abruptly.

"Hm? Junior Sister, you’re...?"

Lin Mofeng sensed the change in her and looked up in surprise. "Did you grasp the opportunity?"

"I was just lucky."

Li Zixuan said softly, gazing at the lightning in the sky. ’I’ve been with Master for a long time, so it’s to be expected that I would perceive the opportunity before others.’

"’Just lucky,’ she says!"

Lin Mofeng exclaimed in admiration, a hint of envy in his eyes. "Junior Sister, your Comprehension is truly remarkable. To be able to have such an opportunity... it must be your destiny."

’She arrived much later than everyone else, so she obviously wasn’t in the city proper and must have rushed over from the suburbs. Yet, just moments after arriving, she’s already grasped the true essence...’

’That speed is simply terrifying!!’

"The younger generation is truly formidable..."

"Isn’t that the young lady from the Li Family?"

"She’s a natural-born talent for Cultivation."

Hearing this, the surrounding experts from Jianghai all looked toward Li Zixuan, their gazes filled with envy and admiration.

The opportunity stemming from a Venerable Realm breakthrough was like a sudden, profound enlightenment—something you could only chance upon, never seek out.

Now that Li Zixuan had successfully gained comprehension,

it further proved the truth of what Elder Li had said earlier!

’Zixuan’s talent is just too strong...’

In the crowd, Li Qinghe silently glanced at her, feeling frustrated and a little sour...

’My cousin’s talent is exceptional, practically monstrous. Although I have supreme aptitude for Array Maps, my Cultivation is far behind hers.’

’Comparisons are odious.’

’We’re not even in the same league!’

’No wonder Grand-master was willing to take her as a disciple... I guess a slow bird like me will just have to try harder...’

With this thought, Li Qinghe sighed and looked up at the lightning phenomenon. With Li Zixuan having set a precedent, the other Jianghai experts felt a surge of excitement and focused even more intently on comprehending the opportunity.

...

「Inside the house.」

Xiaobai opened the glass door. Sensing the auras outside the villa complex, she couldn’t help but frown slightly. "Why are there so many people here?"

"And they’re all sitting on the ground?!"

"Are they having a conference or something?"

"Weirdos!"

Xiaobai wrinkled her nose in disdain. Wagging her tail, she slowly approached Qin Yang and released her Spiritual Power, taking the initiative to act as a Protector for his breakthrough.

’Even though she was usually annoyed with Qin Yang and got bullied by him every day, when he needed help at a critical moment, she was duty-bound to assist him.’

’After all, she only had one bad master.’

’The only one who gets to curse at Master is this Fairy!!!’

...

That night was destined to be a turbulent one for Jianghai City. The thunderstorm lasted the entire night, with raging winds, pouring rain, and an unending web of lightning.

The city’s drainage system was nearly overloaded, pushed to the brink of collapse.

It wasn’t until dawn that the thunder in the sky subsided. The morning sun rose from the eastern horizon, and the light of daybreak once again graced the land.

In the courtyard,

Qin Yang slowly opened his eyes. He faced the nascent morning light, yawned, and stretched comfortably, his eyes glittering.

Upon closer inspection, runes seemed to flow within the depths of his eyes...