Chapter 752: Half-Step Third-Grade Sovereign
Silver Mist Palace.
After defeating the Calamity Guards, the Silver Mist Palace was now completely engulfed in cheers.
Every member of the Silver Mist Palace wore an expression of excitement on their face; this breath of resentment had been pent up in their hearts for many years.
From now on, in the Heaven-Earth Sect, no one would dare to mock or look down on the Silver Mist Palace again.
Inside the Silver Mist Hall, the atmosphere was jubilant.
Everyone raised their cups and exchanged toasts, emotions running high as hearty laughter echoed throughout the entire Silver Mist Palace.
After several rounds of wine and countless dishes, Lin Langtian quietly left alone for the top of the main hall.
Gazing at the bright, clear moon, a trace of nostalgia surfaced in Lin Langtian's eyes, and before him, it was as if three graceful, distinctly different figures faintly appeared.
"Qingzhu, Xinlian, Xiaoxiao…"
Lin Langtian muttered softly. By his estimation, they had already been apart for nearly half a year.
As the saying went, a brief separation was better than a new marriage. Once he truly gained a firm foothold in the Great Thousand World, he would definitely bring all his relatives and friends from the Tianxuan Continent over.
To achieve this goal, however, his strength would at least have to reach Earth Sovereign, or even Heavenly Sovereign.
"Thinking of your hometown?" a light, gentle voice suddenly sounded beside Lin Langtian.
He turned his head and saw Jiang Yinlan sitting on the high roof ridge at some unknown point in time. Her waterfall-like silver hair hung down, drifting gently in the night breeze.
Breathing in the faint fragrance that wafted to his nose, Lin Langtian paused for a moment, then nodded slightly.
Jiang Yinlan propped her delicate chin on her jade-like hand, then smiled at Lin Langtian. The usual coldness on her pretty face completely faded, replaced by a softness rarely seen.
"This time, it's all thanks to you again."
Lin Langtian shook his head and smiled. "Since you dared to stake the entire Silver Mist Palace, how could I betray your trust?"
Jiang Yinlan was stunned for a moment. A few breaths later, she broke into a radiant smile, breathtakingly beautiful.
"For my Silver Mist Palace to gain such a formidable new commander like you, it truly must be three lifetimes of good fortune," Jiang Yinlan murmured. She then glanced at Lin Langtian's handsome profile and asked with a smile, "Can you tell me about your homeland—the lower plane where you used to live?"
"You mean the Tianxuan Continent?" Lin Langtian was taken aback, clearly not expecting her to be interested in this.
However, the Tianxuan Continent was no secret that could not be spoken of. After briefly organizing his thoughts, he recounted the events that had happened there, even touching upon the invasion of the Otherworldly Demons.
"The Otherworldly Demon Clan? To think the plane you lived in was actually invaded by extraterritorial evil beings. In that case, you're the savior of an entire continent."
Jiang Yinlan looked at Lin Langtian, surprise flickering in her beautiful eyes as her tone grew somewhat unsteady.
The extraterritorial evil races were the mortal enemies of all life in the Great Thousand World. Even the Heaven-Earth Sect, in their eyes, was nothing more than an ant.
Although that Otherworldly Demon Clan was only a minor branch of the extraterritorial evil races, it was still an invincible existence in a lower plane. Countless such planes in the Great Thousand World had been destroyed by races like them.
For Lin Langtian to lead the Tianxuan Continent in breaking free from the shackles of fate and saving billions of lives was truly a boundless act of merit.
"Savior is too much. I only did what I could," Lin Langtian said calmly, shaking his head.
Without the self-sacrifice of the Symbol Ancestor, the Tianxuan Continent would have been long destroyed. And even if Lin Langtian had not appeared, there would still have been Lin Dong. He understood very clearly that he had merely arrived at the right time, always taking one step ahead of Lin Dong.
Seeing Lin Langtian so composed, a brilliant light rippled in Jiang Yinlan's eyes. The closer she got to him, the more she discovered his charm.
Just how many secrets was this mysterious man in green hiding?
"This time, our Silver Mist Palace will be setting out soon for the conquest. The Domain of Chaos is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers and won't be easy to deal with.
"But no matter what, you must make a name for yourself in this war." Jiang Yinlan's expression grew serious as she looked at Lin Langtian.
Lin Langtian's gaze flickered. "Because of that Dragon Kun Realm?"
Jiang Yinlan nodded solemnly. "Don't underestimate the Dragon Kun Realm. It is one of the greatest treasures of the Heaven-Earth Continent.
"Whether you obtain the Dragon God's Baptism or the Kun God's Baptism, either will bring unimaginable benefits to your future cultivation. Such benefits far surpass anything like the Heaven-Earth Spirit Pool."
"And only the very top among the commanders are qualified to enter the Dragon Kun Realm. Your seniority is still shallow, so if you don't seize this opportunity during the conquest, it will be very hard to obtain that sole slot."
Lin Langtian nodded lightly, then looked at Jiang Yinlan. "I will do my best."
Jiang Yinlan extended her jade-like hand, and a green jade bottle appeared, glimmering faintly.
Inside the crystal-clear jade bottle floated a perfectly round, emerald-green pill.
Rich, pure medicinal fragrance seeped through the jade and spread into the air.
"This is a Heaven-Reaching Pill. It should be of help to you. Of course, it's also your spoils of war," Jiang Yinlan said with a smile. "I'll handle the distribution of the remaining four pills. Your foundation is very stable, so taking too many would do more harm than good."
Lin Langtian curiously accepted the jade bottle, gazing at the Heaven-Reaching Pill within and smiling. "So the Calamity King really did hand it over."
"It didn't go all that smoothly at first. With his temperament, he would have dragged things out even if he had to give them. But I asked my teacher to step in. Naturally, he didn't dare stall any longer," Jiang Yinlan said, still smiling.
Hearing this, Lin Langtian nodded in understanding. Jiang Yinlan's teacher was the Grand Elder of the Heaven-Earth Sect, second only to the Sect Master in status.
Although the Calamity King had the Second Elder as support, the Calamity Palace had been in the wrong in this wager. The Second Elder naturally wouldn't stand up for him over something so minor.
"Alright, the conquest is about to begin. Focus on your cultivation," Jiang Yinlan said with a light smile. After handing the Heaven-Reaching Pill to Lin Langtian, she turned and left.
Lin Langtian watched her graceful figure disappear, then smiled slightly. Clutching the jade bottle, he stretched lazily.
With the power of this Heaven-Reaching Pill, he should be able to charge into the Third-Grade Sovereign realm.
"The Heaven-Reaching Pill, hmm, it's not bad for your current level," Aunt Ling's voice rang out in Lin Langtian's mind.
"Yes, reaching Third-Grade Sovereign should be a sure thing," Lin Langtian nodded slightly, then added, "The Sect Master of the Heaven-Earth Sect has already come out of seclusion. Aunt Ling, be careful not to get discovered."
The Sect Master was an Earth Sovereign-level super expert, with frighteningly keen senses. Although there was no special enmity between him and the divine beast clans, it was best to avoid unnecessary trouble.
"Don't worry. With that mysterious mirror in your body, unless I show myself on purpose, the Sect Master will never find me," Aunt Ling replied with a soft laugh. She paused, then said, "You need to work hard in this conquest. I need that Kun God's blood essence."
"Oh? So you also have your eyes on the Dragon Kun Realm, Aunt Ling," Lin Langtian said, slightly surprised, raising an eyebrow.
"If all goes well, that Kun God's blood essence might help me condense a physical body. I won't be able to return to my peak, but a high-rank Sovereign realm should be possible," Aunt Ling answered.
"Condense a physical body?" Lin Langtian's expression lit up with joy. "That's wonderful. Then you'll be able to reunite with your clan."
Once she regained a physical body, Aunt Ling would be able to move freely; in a sense, it would be a true rebirth.
Aunt Ling nodded with a faint smile. "So you must work hard and not disappoint me."
"Rest assured, Aunt Ling. Leave it to me," Lin Langtian replied with a light smile, determination flashing in his eyes.
…
In the days that followed, the atmosphere within the Heaven-Earth Sect grew increasingly tense as the various Kings gathered their forces.
Endless intelligence reports on the Domain of Chaos flowed into Heaven-Earth Sky. The colossal machine that was the Heaven-Earth Sect had finally begun to reveal its sharp edges.
The Silver Mist Palace, too, became exceedingly busy. The hundred cities seized from the Calamity Palace were swiftly brought under its control.
Although this couldn't instantly make the Silver Mist Palace immensely wealthy, it was far better than their previous poverty-stricken state.
Furthermore, wars of conquest were the best opportunities to plunder resources. As long as they seized the chance, the Silver Mist Palace would surely rise in earnest.
While the entire Silver Mist Palace busied itself, Lin Langtian, on the other hand, chose to go into seclusion to charge toward the Third-Grade Sovereign realm, acting like a hands-off commander.
Silver Mist Palace, cultivation chamber.
Lin Langtian sat cross-legged in silence, adjusting his state.
After some time, he clenched his hand, and a crystal-clear jade bottle appeared in his palm.
Inside the bottle, a perfect, emerald-green pill hovered, its intense medicinal fragrance permeating the cultivation chamber.
Staring at the Heaven-Reaching Pill, Lin Langtian hesitated briefly, then swept his sleeve.
A brilliant torrent surged out from his sleeve, coiling around his body.
That torrent was formed entirely of drops of dense Sovereign Spirit Liquid. The vast spiritual fluctuations made the very air in the chamber grow thick and sticky.
After arriving in the Great Thousand World, Lin Langtian had learned that every single grade among the Nine-Grade Sovereign realm was difficult to step across.
Many people cultivated for years without making the slightest progress. That alone showed how huge the gap between ranks really was.
Thus, even with the Heaven-Reaching Pill, Lin Langtian still needed a massive amount of Sovereign Spirit Liquid to fully draw out its medicinal power and achieve a breakthrough.
"Ten thousand drops of Sovereign Spirit Liquid should be enough…"
Because he had previously supported the Silver Mist Guards in their cultivation, he now had less than ten thousand drops left, even after withdrawing everything sealed within the Spirit-Gathering Bowl.
After familiarizing himself with the Great Thousand World, Lin Langtian truly realized how important Sovereign Spirit Liquid was for cultivation.
It was practically like food for humans—absolutely indispensable. No wonder so many Sovereign experts were willing to submit to powerful factions just to obtain it.
Even Earth Sovereigns and Heavenly Sovereigns needed staggering amounts of Sovereign Spirit Liquid—measured in the tens or hundreds of millions of drops.
Sovereign Spirit Liquid might not be able to make ghosts push a millstone, but it could certainly make top-tier experts do it…
"And this is just to reach Second-Grade Sovereign. Who knows how frightening the amount needed will be in the future?"
Lin Langtian shook his head. It seemed he also needed to find ways to stockpile Sovereign Spirit Liquid.
Otherwise, if he lacked enough at a critical breakthrough, it would be far too awkward.
Temporarily setting these thoughts aside, Lin Langtian exhaled deeply. With a flick of his finger, the jade bottle in his palm dissolved.
The Heaven-Reaching Pill emerged, and its scent instantly filled the entire cultivation chamber.
Lin Langtian inhaled, and the pill turned into a stream of light that flowed into his mouth.
His hands flew through a series of seals as the space behind him rippled and distorted.
The vast Sovereign Sea faintly manifested, and he could feel an incredibly pure and immense spiritual power surging through his body.
Steadying his mind, Lin Langtian slowly closed his eyes and entered a state of cultivation.
…
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Throughout those three days, Lin Langtian remained in continuous cultivation.
The cultivation chamber was shrouded in dense, viscous spiritual mist, within which his figure vanished from sight.
If someone with keen perception had peered through the mist, they would have sensed a rapidly growing spiritual fluctuation.
On the third day, the enveloping mist finally began to thin.
When it completely dissipated, Lin Langtian could be seen opening his mouth to absorb the last wisp of Sovereign Spirit Liquid.
The terrifying spiritual power that had filled the chamber rapidly receded as he slowly opened his eyes.
Boom!
His pitch-black eyes flashed with lightning-like brilliance. His green robe billowed violently as if filled with wind.
A shockingly powerful spiritual ripple erupted from his body.
Bang! Bang!
The air in the cultivation chamber exploded like firecrackers, crackling non-stop. Thankfully, the room was extraordinarily sturdy, barely withstanding the force.
The light in Lin Langtian's eyes persisted for several minutes before finally fading.
The terrifying spiritual fluctuations gradually drew back into his body.
Even so, a faint, lustrous glow continued to pulse beneath his skin—evidence that his spiritual power was so vast it couldn't be completely contained just yet.
"Half-step Third-Grade Sovereign, huh…"
Lin Langtian rose to his feet, sensing the increasingly immense power within his Sovereign Sea.
He had broken through, but not fully entered Third-Grade. Instead, he had halted at half-step Third-Grade Sovereign.
This was not because the Heaven-Reaching Pill's power was insufficient, but because his foundation—tempered by the power of the planes—was far too solid, making his breakthroughs several times harder than for others.
Clenching his fist, Lin Langtian felt the surging spiritual power in his body. Although he had not officially stepped into Third-Grade Sovereign, he felt no disappointment.
With his current half-step Third-Grade strength, he could rival late Third-Grade Sovereigns and even battle Fourth-Grade Sovereigns head-on without issue.
(END CHAPTER)