C61 Breakthrough!

Lan Linglong watched as Lang Ye screamed at the top of his lungs from ten thousand meters in the sky and turned her head away, speechless.

All she could think was that she wanted to deny knowing Lang Ye.

But then it occurred to her that Lang Ye's level of cultivation was perilously low for these intense winds.

Lan Linglong channeled half of her spiritual energy to Lang Ye, enveloping him in protection.

This, however, meant her own spiritual energy was depleting even faster.

Qin Buyi, hearing Lang Ye's desperate shouts, swept the area with his Divine Consciousness.

He was about to ask Azure to shield Lang Ye, but seeing Lan Linglong step in, he held his tongue.

And so, the dragon soared through the sky, carrying the trio swiftly towards the Water Moon Secret Realm.

Within the realm, Hong Wanrou faced Qi Yun and pleaded, "Qin Buyi has just seized the Fire Cloud Secret Realm and is now heading this way. You must help me."

Qi Yun, with a complex look in his eyes, uttered two words: "We'll see."

Hong Wanrou, interpreting this as agreement, felt a weight lift from her shoulders.

She believed that with Qi Yun's Combination Stage cultivation, Qin Buyi, no matter how formidable, wouldn't cause any trouble.

What Hong Wanrou failed to realize was that Huo Qianyun's misfortune had been sealed by those same noncommittal words.

Had Qi Yun been more direct, Huo Qianyun might have long since fled.

En route to the Water Moon Secret Realm, Qin Buyi took all the treasures he had gathered from the Fire Cloud and Kunlun Secret Realms and placed them in the System Mall for recycling.

Ding! Valuation in progress...

Ding! Valuation complete: a total of 4,000 mall points.

Qin Buyi, upon hearing the system prompt, first doubted his ears.

Only after opening the System Mall and clearly seeing the 4,000 points did he confirm he wasn't hallucinating.

Qin Buyi had thought 3,000 points would be a good haul, but 4,000 was beyond his expectations.

Holding so many points for the first time, he was thrilled beyond measure.

Qin Buyi accessed the attribute exchange feature in the System Mall, ready to convert all his accumulated points into attributes.

Ding! 4,000 System Mall points to be exchanged for 133 attribute points. Proceed with the exchange?

"Exchan... Wait, hold on, why only 133?"

Qin Buyi was taken aback and mentally summoned the system, "System, show yourself."

Pleased to assist the novice host, what insurmountable problem has the novice host stumbled upon this time?

Qin Buyi frowned, "Novice host... What bizarre films have you been watching lately?"

The System responded, "An international blend of rural superhero love stories."

"What are you even talking about? That's complete gibberish," Qin Buyi retorted.

"Back to the matter at hand, the exchange rate for Fifth Rank attributes is 20 System Mall points per attribute point. I should be getting 200 attribute points for 4,000 System Mall points."

"What's the deal with these 133 points?" Qin Buyi inquired.

Anticipating the system's tendency for mischief, Qin Buyi quickly added, "This better be a glitch in the system, and not an excuse to charge me."

The system, just about to mention a fee, was promptly silenced by Qin Buyi's interjection.

It patiently explained:

This is perfectly normal; what's so surprising? You're only 66 attribute points away from advancing to Rank Six.

After subtracting the 66 points for Fifth Rank, the remaining points must be exchanged at the Rank Six rate, which is 40 System Mall points per attribute point.

Qin Buyi pressed, "Isn't there a way to accumulate points?"

Certainly not. I see through your plan—hoarding attribute points at a lower rank to avoid using as many cultivation resources.

If we followed your logic, you'd have exchanged millions of attribute points at First Rank and by now, you'd be a celestial overlord.

The system's assistance in enhancing your cultivation must adhere to the rules. As you grow stronger, the energy required for further cultivation also increases.

The system spoke earnestly but then, with a hint of frustration, added:

Got it, novice host?

Upon hearing the system's explanation, Qin Buyi realized that his strategy to exploit the system for resource accumulation was no longer an option.

Upon hearing the system refer to him as a "rookie host" once more, Qin Buyi couldn't help but think that the low-quality movies had taken their toll on the system.

Previously, the system hadn't behaved this way. Since returning to Blue Star, it had been indulging in the planet's subpar films daily.

Its entire character—or system character, to be precise—had shifted. It used to be a shameless scammer, but now it had picked up new quirks.

Qin Buyi felt it was high time to set the increasingly wayward system straight.

He was just gearing up to reprogram the system when an alert chimed in.

Ding! The fusion of the Small Chiliocosm is complete.

Qin Buyi extended his Divine Consciousness into the Small Chiliocosm.

Post-fusion, the Small Chiliocosm had more than doubled in size.

Qin Buyi scanned the Small Chiliocosm with his Divine Consciousness, the idea of reprogramming the system slipping from his mind.

Following the fusion, Qin Buyi sensed a subtle yet distinct change in the Small Chiliocosm.

It was as though something was gestating within, infusing the space with a newfound vitality.

The original Small Chiliocosm knew no day or night; it was bathed in a constant, gentle glow that never stung the eyes, unchanging throughout the year.

It lacked any natural weather phenomena such as wind, rain, thunder, or lightning.

Should he desire precipitation, thunderstorms, or snowfall, Qin Buyi would have to manipulate the environment himself.

Yet, after this fusion, the Small Chiliocosm had undergone changes.

Qin Buyi couldn't pinpoint the differences, but he could feel a palpable shift towards improvement.

As Qin Buyi's Divine Consciousness delved deeper into the Small Chiliocosm, Azure's voice reached him, "Master, we've arrived."

Qin Buyi snapped back to reality and stepped down from atop Azure's head.

Azure released its claw, gently setting them down. Lan Linglong was visibly drained, her face ashen from overextending her spiritual energy.

Lang Ye's condition was even worse; he lay convulsing on the ground, eyes rolling back in his head, body wracked with spasms.

After some time, Lang Ye finally regained his composure and rose to his feet. He approached Lan Linglong and, with heartfelt sincerity and gratitude, spoke.

"Thank you for your assistance, Miss!" Lang Ye expressed his sincere gratitude to Lan Linglong as he got to his feet and approached her. After his words of thanks, he offered her a blue pill, "This will help you swiftly restore your spiritual energy."

Lan Linglong accepted the pill, and after ensuring it was safe, she swallowed it. Her pallid complexion quickly flushed with color, and she nodded at Lang Ye to indicate she was alright.

From the sidelines, Qin Buyi observed Lang Ye presenting a pill that seemed beyond his own capabilities but refrained from inquiring further. Everyone harbored secrets, and Qin Buyi was not one to delve into the mysteries of others.

With the entrance to the Water Moon Secret Realm looming before him, Qin Buyi chose not to proceed immediately. Standing at the threshold, he turned to Azure and instructed, "Xiao Qing, protect me while I prepare."

"Consider it done, Master!" Azure responded, enveloping Qin Buyi with his massive draconic form, positioning him at the very heart of his protection.

Curiosity etched on their faces, Lan Linglong and Lang Ye watched Qin Buyi, now at the core of Azure's embrace. "What's he up to?" Lang Ye asked Lan Linglong. "We're right at the doorstep, yet he's not entering."

Lan Linglong could only shake her head, just as puzzled.

Without hesitation, Qin Buyi converted his 4,000 System Mall points into attribute points. The system had clarified that suppressing his realm was no longer beneficial. Opting for an early breakthrough in his cultivation seemed wiser to avoid being unprepared for unforeseen events.

He allocated all one hundred and thirty-three attribute points to himself, propelling his cultivation from the Late Period of Void Refining to Void Refining Perfection in one fell swoop. Now at the pinnacle of Void Refining Perfection, his sights were set on the next stage: the Combination Realm.

With determination, Qin Buyi declared, "Time for a breakthrough!"