Chapter Sixteen: Celestial Rank! Complete Advancement!

In the dead of night, the room was cold as Lengtian sat cross-legged, cultivating with his profound internal arts. The Celestial Insight Sutra was a supreme method, able to absorb not only the energy of heaven and earth, but also the essence of moon and stars, transforming it into pure true energy.

From the night sky, starlight and moonbeams poured down, passing through the window to be drawn into Lengtian’s body, merging into his dantian and gradually strengthening the river of true energy within.

Time always passed swiftly; as the stars wheeled overhead, a blush of dawn appeared in the east. This tranquil mountain village greeted another peaceful morning.

A resonant dragon’s cry stirred Lengtian from his meditation. Opening his eyes, he found them flickering with light—his cultivation had clearly advanced once again.

He stretched comfortably, swung his legs off the bed, and walked outside. On the table in the main room, breakfast was already laid out: steaming rice porridge, fragrant scallion pancakes, and several side dishes.

Looking around, Lengtian did not see Huo Wu or little Ke. Stepping outside, he saw both of them standing in the courtyard, shading their eyes as they gazed into the sky.

Lengtian followed their gaze upward. Over the village, the golden dragon Max soared in majestic circles. Focused, Lengtian noticed a tiny figure perched on Max’s back—a child, whose silvery laughter could be faintly heard from above.

“Who’s up there? It looks like a child,” Lengtian asked the two girls.

“Brother! It’s little Qing’er—somehow that mischievous girl climbed onto Max’s back, and he’s actually taking her for a ride in the sky!” Huo Wu walked over and replied sweetly.

Lengtian chuckled. Through his spiritual connection, he summoned Max to land. Fortunately, the village’s small square was just large enough to hold the dragon’s mountain-sized body.

Max descended gracefully, one wing slanting to the ground so that little Qing slid down, bouncing over to the group and exclaiming with excitement, “Wow! Our village looks so beautiful from the sky!”

Huo Wu scooped her up affectionately. “You little rascal, always so naughty. Come on, let’s have breakfast.” With that, Lengtian, Huo Wu, and the others took little Qing’er inside to eat.

Huo Wu’s cooking was exceptional. Lengtian ate heartily, and seeing her brother enjoy the meal so much, Huo Wu’s face blossomed with a radiant smile, her heart brimming with happiness.

After breakfast, Lengtian, together with Huo Wu, little Ke, and little Qing’er, went to Han Yuanshan’s residence. Yanlong, Xiao Han, and Zhixuan were already there, all waiting for Lengtian’s arrival.

Upon arrival, Lengtian examined everyone’s cultivation. Huo Wu’s foundation was the most solid, already at the edge of a breakthrough.

He decided to begin with her. Huo Wu sat cross-legged as instructed. Lengtian produced two drops of spiritual nectar from the bottom of the pool for her to take, then sat opposite, palms facing hers. “Calm your mind and carefully sense the path of your true energy.”

As he spoke, Lengtian guided his own true energy from his dantian into Huo Wu’s meridians, leading her internal energy along the Celestial Insight Sutra’s route to absorb and resolve the powerful energy of the spiritual nectar.

A Qi-Gathering Martialist forms a vortex of true energy within the dantian, rotating and absorbing the energy of heaven and earth until, at saturation, the vortex bursts through the eight extraordinary meridians, accommodating the torrent of true energy unleashed when the vortex collapses.

Now, Huo Wu needed a precise path to break through her meridians. Any error would rupture them, destroying her cultivation and endangering her life; even survival would mean the end of her journey as a cultivator. Because of this, even Han Yuanshan himself lacked the courage to cross that threshold.

Han Yuanshan’s own cultivation method could only reach the peak of Qi Gathering, which is why his disciples were all stuck at that level, unable to advance.

Lengtian carefully controlled the energy of the spiritual nectar, guiding it through the Celestial Insight Sutra’s route. Such a heavenly treasure indeed defied the very laws of creation—it not only cleared the meridian paths with ease but also broadened and nourished them, enabling them to contain even more true energy.

After ensuring that, Lengtian slowly infused the remaining spiritual nectar into the vortex of true energy within Huo Wu’s dantian. As the energy flowed in, the vortex’s rotation slowed, eventually coming to a stop.

Once the spiritual nectar was fully integrated, the vortex became as clear as rippling water. Then, with a rush, it collapsed. Lengtian sensed the transformation, guiding the flow of true energy along the Celestial Insight Sutra’s path through the newly opened meridians.

Time passed. Huo Wu advanced smoothly to the Heavenly Rank; the true energy in her dantian now flowed like a gentle stream through her extraordinary meridians.

Seeing that Huo Wu had mastered the Celestial Insight Sutra’s energy flow, Lengtian withdrew and stood up, turning to reassure the anxious onlookers. “It went perfectly—Xiao Wu is now a Heavenly Rank cultivator!”

The entire room broke into joyous celebration. Yanlong and the others gazed at Lengtian with eager anticipation.

With a smile, Lengtian had Yanlong prepare and gave him two drops of spiritual nectar as well. Yanlong, being at the peak of Qi Gathering, also advanced smoothly to Heavenly Rank.

Next were Xiao Han, Zhixuan, and little Ke. Xiao Han and Zhixuan’s breakthroughs were just as smooth. Little Ke, however, was only at the initial stage of Qi Gathering, her energy vortex just forming and her meridians still fragile. Lengtian gave her only one drop of spiritual nectar, spending a long time nurturing her meridians, expanding and strengthening their resilience.

Afterward, he gave her a second drop, helping her reach the peak of Qi Gathering, but did not push her through to Heavenly Rank—such haste would do her more harm than good, sapping her future potential.

Thus, apart from little Ke, the other four all advanced to Heavenly Rank. The old master Han Yuanshan was overjoyed. At Lengtian’s urging, he too agreed to attempt the breakthrough.

The old man demurred repeatedly but finally consented under Lengtian’s persistent encouragement. Trembling, he sat cross-legged and, as instructed, calmed his mind. His true energy was already dense and pure, his dantian’s vortex nearly liquefied from its concentration.

Opening his eyes slowly, feeling the flow of true energy within, Han Yuanshan’s aged face broke into a proud smile. In his heart, he cried out, “Heavenly Rank! I’ve finally advanced! Yanran, did you see? At last, the day has come!”

“Congratulations, Master, on your advancement!” Huo Wu and all the disciples cheered in exhilaration.

Looking at his disciples, now all Heavenly Rank, the old man laughed heartily, his joy unrestrained.

Lengtian sat to one side, eating peanuts handed to him by little Qing’er, smiling warmly at the group, his eyes filled with blessings for his loved ones.