Chapter 696: Breakthrough
Translator: Noodletown Translations Editor: Noodletown Translations
Looking at Duan Yao who was leaving, Zhao Yanzi felt a bit sad as if she were looking at herself.
Duan Yao had reached the Nascent Soul Realm, but she lost more.
They were of the same age, but their lives were drastically different.
Instantly, Duan Yao disappeared into the layers of mist on Fifth Heaven. With her Nascent Soul Realm, she wouldn’t encounter any dangers on Fifth Heaven. When she returned to the Demon Sea, Huashe and Yingzhao would pick her up.
In fact, when Lady Zhen took Duan Yao to Fifth Heaven, she didn’t make Duan Yao promise to come back. Duan Yao could choose to stay in Sky Mountain Sect, but she was determined not to.
With a light sigh, Hao Ren watched as Duan Yao disappeared into the distance. Then, he flew back to Ethereal Summit.
Swoos.h.!.+ Swoos.h.!.+ Swoos.h.!.+ Three golden lights suddenly shot toward Hao Ren.
Not expecting attacks from inside the array formation, Hao Ren immediately raised his arms to block, but the three golden lights went around him.
Bang!
Three deep holes appeared on the rocky wall of the valley.
Xie Yujia covered her mouth in astonishment for a few seconds and yelled anxiously, “Are you ok?”
While Hao Ren and Zhao Yanzi went to Sixth Heaven, she stayed in the valley to practice archery and almost hit Hao Ren and Zhao Yanzi when they came back abruptly.
“We’re fine…”
With a wave of his hand, Hao Ren landed on the meadow with Zhao Yanzi.
The three light arrows from Xie Yujia were so fast that they almost hit him, catching him off-guard.
Xie Yujia looked at Zhao Yanzi, worried that the latter would think that she had attacked them on purpose. However, Zhao Yanzi bit her lips and was deep in thought.
Lying in its cave, Little White was trying hard to absorb the level 10 demonic core while the golden s.h.i.+eld lay on a rock, working hard to absorb the treasure soul of the Demon-Conquering Vajra.
The two noisy things were tranquil at this moment.
“How was your practice?” Hao Ren asked Xie Yujia who was flus.h.i.+ng and looking apologetic.
“It was ok.” Embarra.s.sed, Xie Yujia stuck out her tongue.
“Show me.” Hao Ren smiled and continued to look at her.
Xie Yujia pulled her demonic bow while three light dots appeared between her fingers.
Although the five-elemental Life-Death Notes could simulate all kinds of power, Xie Yujia’s current realm didn’t allow her to do anything but copy Hao Ren’s sword energies.
Three light dots were shot from the demonic bow and turned into three short arrows.
Staring at the three arrows, Xie Yujia slightly moved her thumb which was wearing the thumb ring, and the three arrows changed directions suddenly!
She could change the direction of the arrows that she had shot out!
“I can only make them go one direction right now,” Xie Yujia explained shyly.
While Hao Ren was still surprised, Xie Yujia shot another three arrows with a pluck of her fingers.
Snap! Snap!
With the protection of the thumb ring, she shot out another two batches of arrows with ease.
In the blink of an eye, she shot out 12 arrows!
Since she didn’t have to draw arrows, shooting got easier, and Xie Yujia could shoot arrows faster than any ancient archery master!
With three arrows in one shooting, she shot out four batches one after another!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The 12 arrows shot into the cliff in the distance one by one, shattering the rocks that were dozens of meters in diameter!
While Xie Yujia shot, a red energy sphere appeared automatically to protect her!
She was capable of such power at only the Foundation Establishment Realm. If she reached the Core Formation Realm or the Nascent Soul Realm, the arrows that she shot would be more powerful!
If she shot out only one arrow with all her strength, it would track down its target. Even a Core Formation Realm cultivator wouldn’t dare to block it!
Standing beside Hao Ren, Zhao Yanzi was secretly astonished by Xie Yujia’s archery. Despite her higher realm, she probably was no match for Xie Yujia!
With her hard practice, Xie Yujia could now use the demonic bow proficiently!
“And… I practiced with that too.” Xie Yujia blushed and took out the Ruyi Cloth that Hao Ren gave her.
She spread it in her palm and tossed it up lightly.
With a serious expression, she chanted a spell silently and shot out a dharma note with her nature essence cautiously, afraid of making mistakes.
The white cloth expanded like a paper towel that was soaked in hot water.
It became one meter wide and one meter long, and golden threads surrounded the white silk.
Xie Yujia leaped onto the white cloth which was soft like a cloud of cotton candy.
Cautiously, Xie Yujia chanted again, and the Ruyi Cloth shot forward suddenly. Not able to keep her balance, Xie Yujia fell on the soft Ruyi Cloth which stopped in the air without her control.
Embarra.s.sed, Xie Yujia stood up and moved the Ruyi Cloth again. It moved several meters forward while Xie Yujia stumbled and fell on it again
She looked as clumsy as if she were learning how to skate for the first time.
Seeing her face red with embarra.s.sment, Hao Ren smiled and flew up on a sword energy, grabbing her wrist.
It was fortunate the Ruyi Cloth was as soft as a cloud, and it wasn’t painful to fall on it as long as she didn’t fall out of it.
With her hand in Hao Ren’s grip, Xie Yujia flew slowly with a red face, feeling like she was too clumsy.
“It’s ok. Take it easy.” Hao Ren held her hand to ensure that she wouldn’t fall.
Standing on the meadow, Zhao Yanzi watched Hao Ren hold Xie Yujia’s hand in the night, feeling a little jealous.
She was a bit envious when she saw that Xie Yujia’s flight dharma treasure was cute and small like white cotton candy.
Keeping half a meter above the ground, Xie Yujia flew one circle around the valley slowly under Hao Ren’s guidance.
Being nervous, her hand began to sweat, which made her face flush even redder with embarra.s.sment.
However, Hao Ren didn’t mind her sweaty hand. Instead, he tightened his grip on her hand and brought her higher in the air.
Xie Yujia hadn’t been afraid when she rode on Hao Ren’s boat or Little White’s back, but when she stepped on the Ruyi Cloth which she controlled and looked down at the valley, she wanted to shriek but suppressed the urge.
Seeing her nervous expression, Hao Ren felt as if he were on a roller coaster with her in an amus.e.m.e.nt park and wanted to laugh.
Xie Yujia looked mature in every aspect, but she was still a girl and needed his protection.
“I’m sweating.” Feeling Hao Ren’s tight grip on her hand, Xie Yujia drew out her hand bashfully.
She controlled the white cloth and lowered the lat.i.tude little by little.
Like the demonic bow, this dharma treasure needed five-elemental nature essence, so only she and Hao Ren could use it.
Zhao Yanzi liked the Ruyi Cloth, but she wouldn’t be able to move it by an inch if she tried.
Small and moving at Xie Yujia’s will, the Ruyi Cloth with a width and length of one meter could only have one cultivator standing on it.
With it, Xie Yujia had her own flight dharma treasure.
With some practice, she could shoot arrows from any angles on the Ruyi Cloth, and the arrows could have the effect of essence-locking notes!
“I want to break through! I want to break through!” Zhao Yanzi yelled sulkily.
After Zhao Kuo’s tutoring, Zhao Yanzi felt like she could break through to the Core Formation Realm at a steady pace. However, after receiving stimulation from Duan Yao and Xie Yujia, she felt like her strength was the lowest!
In resignation, Hao Ren pulled Zhao Yanzi by her arm and flew into her cave.
After some consideration, Xie Yujia flew out of Ethereal Summit on the Ruyi Cloth to find a quiet room in the nearby Qin Yin Sect to cultivate.
She decided not to stay in the valley so that she wouldn’t accidentally interfere with Zhao Yanzi’s critical breakthrough by mistake.
The cultivators of Qin Yin Sect hurried out to welcome her when Xie Yujia flew out of Ethereal Summit.
They would happily offer the sect master’s room to Xie Yujia, let alone giving a side room to Xie Yujia to rest!
Meanwhile, Zhao Yanzi hung up a curtain at the entrance of her cave and created a simple sound-proof array formation.
She had decorated her cave abode and made it into a small girly room with a fluffy blanket on the stone bed. Also, there were all kinds of small decorating crafts on the walls and a neatly-made small quilt with cartoon pictures on the bed.
It was comfortable to sleep in the cave even if she weren’t cultivating.
The valley was very quiet. After Zhao Yanzi activated the sound-proof array formation, the cave was even quieter.
Hao Ren had shared a room with Zhao Yanzi before, but it had been in either his or her home and even once in Song Qingya’s home. However, in this small cave on Fifth Heaven which was far from East Ocean City, it felt more intimate.
After walking to the cave entrance, Hao Ren saw Xie Yujia flying toward the direction of Qin Yin Sect on her Ruyi Cloth. Now that Fifth Heaven was in peace, he didn’t expect anyone to make trouble for Ethereal Summit or the nearby three sects.
He looked back and realized that Zhao Yanzi was already in the quilt, and the colorful traditional dress had been tossed to the side.
All her accessories were removed and put on the stone table beside the bed. Without the hairband, her pretty, black hair fell to her small round shoulders.
At Grade Nine, Zhao Yanzi looked quite charming.
The Purple Green Treasure Sword, one of the ultimate treasures of Sky Mountain Sect, stood against the bed to guard her.
It was a big milestone to reach the Core Formation Realm from the Foundation Establishment Realm, and there were many things to consider.
Since Zhao Yanzi had once reached Zhen-level, she was confident that she could reach the Core Formation Realm after Zhao Kuo’s tutoring. However, she was still afraid that some mistakes would occur, which was why she needed Hao Ren to guard her in the breakthrough.
“I’ll… begin now,” Zhao Yanzi said with a blush.
She pulled up the quilt around her and tossed out her pale blue school uniform.
To break through to a higher realm, the first step was to remove all the things on the body. That was why only the most intimate cultivator with a higher realm could act as the guard during the breakthrough.
With her pretty black hair falling on her smooth shoulders, Zhao Yanzi gritted her teeth and closed her eyes.