C24 Azure Dragon! Divine Consciousness Thousand Li!
When Qin Buyi returned to his room, he found that two-thirds of the spiritual energy within the Spirit Stones had been drained, leaving them dull and lusterless.
"Does it absorb spiritual energy this quickly?"
Patiently standing by, Qin Buyi was intently observing the basketball-sized white egg atop the mound of Spirit Stones.
A quarter of an hour passed.
Every last bit of spiritual energy from the Spirit Stones had been siphoned off.
The egg, the size of a basketball, hovered in midair as concentric white halos began to emerge on the shell's surface, pulsating as if breathing.
"Thump! Thump!"
"Thump! Thump!"
The robust sound of a heartbeat emanated from within the egg.
"Crack!"
The eggshell developed its first fissure.
"Crack!"
"Crack!"
More cracks spread, and a small head poked through the shattered shell, its large eyes curiously scanning the surroundings.
Upon spotting Qin Buyi, the creature sensed a comforting presence from the human before it.
With astonishing speed, the little one zipped onto Qin Buyi's shoulder before he could even react.
"An Azure Dragon?"
Qin Buyi gasped as he recognized the creature.
The little one had rabbit-like eyes, antlers on its head, a serpentine body covered in scales, and claws on its underbelly, all tinted a deep azure.
Ding! A temporary mission completed, and the reward issued.
Ding! Pet space is now activating for the first time...
Ding! Pet space activated.
Ding! The Azure Dragon has been forcibly bound to the host, sharing the host's cultivation level.
Following the system's binding, Qin Buyi felt an even stronger connection to the Azure Dragon before him.
The Azure Dragon on his shoulder extended its tongue, playfully licking Qin Buyi's cheek.
He felt the damp sensation on his face and gently lifted the Azure Dragon from his shoulder to examine it more closely.
The Azure Dragon gazed back at Qin Buyi, its large, unblemished eyes reflecting a pure bond.
Qin Buyi was fascinated by the mythical creature now vividly alive before him, turning it this way and that, occasionally stroking the dragon horns atop its head.
"Just for its looks alone, two million and nine hundred thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones are a steal."
As someone born and raised on Blue Star, he naturally felt a kinship with the dragon, a revered totem of Huaxia.
While Qin Buyi was examining the Azure Dragon, a faint snoring sound reached his ears.
The Azure Dragon in Qin Buyi's grasp was softly puffing in its sleep.
"Asleep, are you?" whispered Qin Buyi.
He carefully placed the slumbering Azure on the pile of Spirit Stones, nestled within the remnants of its shattered eggshell.
Qin Buyi steadied himself, ready to make his breakthrough.
His first challenge was the Killing Saber Technique, which had been stalled at the Second Rank due to a lack of advanced methods.
Ding! The Killing Saber Technique has ascended to the Third Rank.
With the breakthrough to the Third Rank, the technique's third move was named: Death Domain.
Death Domain could be unleashed for both group and single-target attacks.
Having advanced the Killing Saber Technique, Qin Buyi turned his focus to his cultivation level.
Completing an Epic Level mission had awarded him ten attribute points, and hatching the Azure Dragon brought another ten, for a total of twenty attribute points.
He allocated a point to his cultivation, aiming to reach the pinnacle of the Nascent Infant Stage.
Name: Qin Buyi
Desolate Body - Primary
All attributes increased by 5%.
Cultivation: Third Rank - Nascent Infant Perfection (100/100 - ready to break through)
Strength: 100
Speed: 100
Physical Strength: 100
Attack Power: 100
Defense: 100
Fortune: 100
...
Killing Saber - Third Rank (100/100 - ready to break through)
Attack Power: 100
Killing Saber Technique - Third Rank (100/100 - unable to break through due to lack of advanced techniques)
Attack Power: 100
Azure Dragon - Third Rank (100/100 - ready to break through)
"Breakthrough!" bellowed Qin Buyi.
Once more, the familiar agony spread throughout his body.
Beads of sweat, the size of soybeans, dripped steadily to the ground as Qin Buyi clenched his teeth, refusing to utter a sound.
The pain escalated, and his Qi and blood surged towards his crown, culminating in a thunderous roar inside his head.
Suddenly, the darkness that had clouded his mind was pierced by a blinding light.
Boom! A thunderous explosion erupted beside his ear, shattering the darkness that had enveloped his mind like chaos. In the wake of the blast, the first sliver of light pierced through.
With the emergence of that first light, it was as if a torch had been ignited within the endless void. "Clang!" "Clang!" "Clang!"... The relentless pounding echoed in his mind, as if a hammer was relentlessly striking at his spirit.
As the hammering continued, more and more light claimed territory in his consciousness. Qin Buyi was wracked with pain, both physical and mental, nearly causing him to lose consciousness.
Fifteen minutes later, the pain began to fade, replaced by waves of coolness that washed over his mind and body. Qin Buyi exhaled a long breath, relieved.
He allocated the remaining attribute points to his cultivation and opened his personal information panel:
Name: Qin Buyi
Desolate Body - Primary
All attributes increased by 5%.
Cultivation: Fourth Rank - Deification Early Period (119/200)
Strength: 119
Speed: 119
Physical Strength: 119
Attack Power: 119
Defense: 119
Fortune: 119
...
Killing Saber - Fourth Rank (119/200)
Attack Power: 119
Killing Saber Technique - Third Rank (100/100 - unable to break through due to lack of follow-up)
Attack Power: 100
Azure Dragon - Fourth Rank (119/200)
Ascending to the Fourth Rank brought a significant change: the birth of Divine Consciousness in his mind. Divine Consciousness could manipulate objects from a distance, wield a Flying Sword to strike down enemies miles away, and was often used for reconnaissance.
Typically, the Divine Consciousness of someone in the Deification Early Period would extend about a hundred miles. Qin Buyi unleashed his Divine Consciousness, stretching it farther and farther.
One mile... Ten miles... Fifty miles...
One hundred miles... Five hundred miles... One thousand miles...
His Divine Consciousness reached a full thousand miles before halting, revealing every detail within that vast range.
"A thousand miles?" Qin Buyi mused, somewhat taken aback yet finding it within reason. With the system's assistance, his attributes were at the pinnacle of his realm, making him, without a doubt, invincible among his peers.
As he retracted his Divine Consciousness, Qin Buyi glanced at his Killing Saber Technique, now advanced to the Third Rank, and couldn't help feeling at a loss for words.
"System, what do I need to upgrade the Killing Saber Technique to the Fourth Rank?"
"Host, the Fourth Rank Killing Saber Technique will be imparted to you in the Awakening Secret Realm, assuming you survive," the system responded.
Ding! Awakening Mission activated: Open the Awakening Secret Realm within one month, survive, and pass the test.
Mission Reward: Ten attribute points, a fragment of the Broken Blade.
"Awakening Secret Realm? Survive? A fragment of the Broken Blade?"
The Awakening Secret Realm is one of the Epic Level mission rewards. As the system indicated, this Secret Realm seemed perilously dangerous.
Typically, failure of a mission meant erasure, but not this time. This implied that the system believed if he failed the Secret Realm's test, he wouldn't even stand a chance of surviving.
As for the Broken Blade mentioned in the mission rewards, Qin Buyi racked his brain but couldn't come up with anything. He decided to stop pondering over it.
Meanwhile, at the S City branch of the Cultivator Association, Lan Tianhe was examining Qin Buyi's dossier.
Being from the Lan family, accessing even the most confidential files was not a challenge for him.
"He entered Huaxia's premier academy at eighteen, and that girl Linglong is also an alumna... It's possible they know each other."
"In two years, he became a top assassin in Southeast Asia. Just three months ago, he was an ordinary person, and now, without having broken through to the Nascent Infant Stage, he wields the power typical of the Deification Early Period. Such an enviable stroke of luck."
"It's unexpected that he got entangled in that affair from years ago. No wonder his file is top secret..."
The more Lan Tianhe delved into Qin Buyi's file, the more astounded he became. Just then, Qin Buyi's newly advanced Divine Consciousness swept through.
"Who's there? Such potent Divine Consciousness could only come from someone at the Void Refining Stage. Who could it be? Has that old Martial Marquis come in person?"
"I've felt the Martial Marquis's Divine Consciousness before, but this feels unfamiliar. Who could it be?" Lan Tianhe wondered, filled with doubt.
