In an instant, Yang You broke through the shackles of the third-tier perfect stage with supreme will, leaping to the fourth-tier realm.
"This is the boundless power of a fourth-tier early-stage cultivator. Compared to the third-tier perfect stage, it's like the difference between clouds and mud."
He felt the surging spiritual power within him, fully aware that this transformation was only temporary.
Although he possessed the power to rival the fourth-tier, his mental state and cultivation remained at the third-tier level.
The reason was that the golden core in his abdomen was still full and round, showing no signs of breaking and forming an infant.
"To deal with you, vile beast, I didn't hesitate to spend a million offerings. Today, you will pay the price!"
Yang You's gaze locked onto the fourth-tier early-stage beast trying to break through, his eyes flashing with a fierce killing intent.
A million offerings!
That was the accumulation of his long-term savings, rarely used.
He had hoped to exchange them for a profound fourth-tier technique to enhance his strength.
However, facing the current situation, even though Yang You was heartbroken, he could no longer hide his power.
In an instant, Yang You unleashed his full spiritual power, which surged like a mighty river.
With a light touch of his lips, a pure white sword aura shot forth, aiming straight at the beast.
This was a secret technique from the Sword Control Art, allowing a cultivator to spit out sword energy, killing enemies invisibly.
At the third-tier perfect stage, the maximum distance Yang You could control his sword aura was a hundred feet.
Now, having ascended to the fourth-tier early stage, a single breath of sword aura could sweep a thousand feet.
The beast, engaged in battle with other cultivators, sensed the threat and swung its scale-covered claws, carrying a fierce wind, to strike at the pure white sword aura.
"Boom!"
Scales shattered, and blood rained down.
The claws of the fourth-tier beast were pierced by the sword aura, causing it to roar in pain and rage.
However, shortly after, the wound pierced by the sword aura began to heal rapidly, recovering in an instant.
Seeing this, Yang You's eyes narrowed, and he immediately summoned his third-tier flying sword, infusing it with spiritual power to its utmost limit.
He then performed the Northern Dipper Steps, his long sword piercing through the air, intertwining countless sword auras into a domain of swords, covering the surroundings.
The other cultivators wisely backed away, knowing that a battle at the fourth-tier level was beyond their capability.
...
Deep within the Ten Thousand Mountains, the celestial wood trembled slightly before returning to stillness.
On the surface, everything seemed unchanged, but Lu Qingyang knew that he had successfully broken through to the fifth-tier perfect stage.
By merging with the essence of the Heavenly Dao and transforming into the Celestial Wood, Lu Qingyang could change his form at will and conceal the fluctuations of his breakthrough.
Thus, it appeared as if nothing had changed, while in truth, Lu Qingyang had stepped into the fifth-tier perfect stage.
...
[Name: Lu Qingyang]
[True Form: Celestial Wood of the Heavenly Dao]
[Longevity: Immortal]
[Realm: Fifth-tier Perfect (0/)]
[Heavenly Court: Fourth-tier (/)]
[Heavenly Dao Essence: 100]
[Innate Abilities: Heavenly Dao Root Bone (Fifth-tier), Heavenly Dao Spirit Fruit (Fifth-tier), Heavenly Dao Spirit Eyes (Fifth-tier), Heavenly Dao Domain (Fifth-tier), Heavenly Dao Extraction (Fifth-tier)]
...
"Finally reaching the fifth-tier perfect stage. The next step is to break through to the sixth tier."
Lu Qingyang examined his status panel. A baptism of celestial blood had propelled him from the early fifth-tier straight to the fifth-tier perfect stage, saving centuries of cultivation.
To advance from the fifth-tier perfect stage to the early sixth-tier, he needed to accumulate one billion cultivation points.
His fifth-tier divine ability, Heavenly Dao Root Bone, could automatically gain one hundred cultivation points daily.
Without external assistance, it would take Lu Qingyang about two thousand years to break through to the sixth tier.
For others, two thousand years might seem like an eternity, but for Lu Qingyang, who had eternal life, it was not long.
Having achieved immortality,
Two thousand years would pass in the blink of an eye.
"Without external help, two thousand years of cultivation wouldn't be unattainable. But with the believers of the Qingyang Realm as my foundation, breaking through to the sixth tier shouldn't take that long."
"The problem is, the number of beasts in the world is limited. If I seek sustainable development, the cultivation points provided wouldn't be abundant."
Lu Qingyang pondered silently.
At this moment, he felt that the current world, or rather the Qingyang Realm, was too small for him.
Before merging with the essence of the Heavenly Dao and becoming its agent, Lu Qingyang viewed the world as vast and boundless.
The major regions were expansive, and the deep seas hid countless mysteries.
But after becoming the Heavenly Dao's agent, the world held no secrets for him.
All mysteries stem from the unknown.
Once the unknown becomes known, the mystery loses its meaning.
Nevertheless,
Small is relative.
To Lu Qingyang now, the Qingyang Realm might seem small, but to others, this world remained vast and boundless.
Glancing at the remaining one hundred points of Heavenly Dao essence, Lu Qingyang decided not to use them yet.
Consuming the essence would instantly elevate him from the fifth to the sixth tier, but he was in no hurry.
He would wait.
When faced with an uncontrollable situation, he could break through then.
After all, for Lu Qingyang, breaking through was a matter of a single thought, the key being the accumulation of enough cultivation points.
Meanwhile,
The Ten Thousand Ancient Trees and other life forms simultaneously advanced from the early fourth-tier to the mid-fourth-tier, greatly enhancing their strength.
"If not for the rapid dissipation of celestial blood, they might have even reached the late fourth-tier. In the Ten Thousand Mountains, mid-fourth-tier strength is enough to dominate."
Lu Qingyang gazed at the five towering ancient trees. Though they seemed small compared to him, they were magnificent in the outside world.
Mid-fourth-tier strength was exceptionally powerful.
Notably, Lu Qingyang had imparted fourth-tier supreme techniques and secret arts to the five ancient trees, endowing them with extraordinary abilities. Against beasts of the same tier, they would easily prevail.
"From this day forth, with me at the center, a radius of ten thousand miles is the Ten Thousand Heavenly Court. You shall guard its entrance. Without my permission, no one may trespass."
The branches and leaves of the Celestial Wood of the Heavenly Dao trembled as Lu Qingyang's voice resonated in the minds of the Ten Thousand Ancient Trees and other life forms.
They obeyed, and the ancient trees that had been deeply rooted in the earth began to rise.
Thousands of roots broke free from the ground, and the ancient trees, towering thousands of feet high, moved like awakened earth dragons.
Subsequently,
The branches and leaves of the Celestial Wood swayed, radiating divine light.
The canopy at the top of the Celestial Wood attracted the gathering of spiritual energy from heaven and earth, and thick mist quickly enveloped the surroundings.
All living beings within the Ten Thousand Heavenly Court's range were quietly relocated to the outside world.
4o