After dinner, Xue Yi continued to practice under the sun for four hours, until it was close to noon when he finally grasped the essence of the golden battle intent's protection.
Feeling that he had met the "requirements" of Miss Xiao, he immediately took a shower to wash off the sweat, then eagerly entered the room.
Xiao Qingruo was naturally still reading a book. When she saw him come in, she asked casually, "Have you learned it?"
"I've learned a little. I roughly understand the principles of the battle intent's protection... but never mind, it's not important," Xue Yi replied instinctively, feeling a bit annoyed and embarrassed. "You actually used your status to suppress me. This is unreasonable, and I will take it back!"
"What do you want? I warn you... Mmm."
Xiao Qingruo put on a stern face, intending to scold him seriously and not allow him to be presumptuous.
But at this moment, the door was closed, and nobody knew what was happening inside the room. Would Xue Yi be afraid of her?
He strode forward, disregarding the imposing expression of the young lady that could frighten others, lifted her from her seat, and pressed her against the table.
Then he began to strike and pummel her relentlessly, satisfying his cravings before releasing her.
"Mmm, hmph..."
Xiao Qingruo had no strength to resist. Throughout the ordeal, she clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, but she didn't dare to make a sound for fear of being heard. She could only wait for Xue Yi to finish and then quietly curse him, "You despicable servant..."
Xue Yi vented his frustration, feeling content in his heart, and said with a smile, "Miss Xiao, you have taught me a lesson. Please continue to reprimand me in the future. I will make sure to repay you with the same effort every time."
"Sooner or later, I will skin you alive!" Xiao Qingruo was still angry and couldn't easily calm down. She straightened her disheveled skirt and sat back down.
Xue Yi admired her noble, elegant, indignant, angry, and helpless appearance for a while, feeling a sense of relaxation in his body and mind.
"Such days are really good. I must intensify my cultivation and become stronger to continue enjoying this good life."
Xue Yi smiled, took out a thousand-year vermilion fruit and the prepared medicinal paste, and sat on the floor of the side room, consuming them one by one.
Xiao Qingruo glared at him with irritation. "It would be best if you suffocate!"
"It's impossible for me to die. Later, I will become a master in the Cave Heaven Realm. I can use true qi to block the sound. Then you can confidently make noise, without being heard by anyone. I can also have even more freedom to bully you," Xue Yi said with an evil grin.
"You..." Xiao Qingruo was momentarily speechless.
If it were someone else saying such things to her, she would have probably ordered their execution countless times.
But this person was Xue Yi, and she had no way to deal with him.
True qi blocking sound... could he be serious?
If he was, then she would be in trouble. Currently, Xue Yi still restrained himself somewhat. If he didn't care about being heard by the maidservants, wouldn't that be...
At the thought of this, Xiao Qingruo couldn't help but bite her lip, feeling somewhat worried.
But at the same time, there was a hint of... anticipation in her heart.
...
Xue Yi had already begun his cultivation.
As the medicine entered his mouth, it turned into a scorching torrent flowing through his limbs and bones.
The cold energy of the Frost Whisker Grass sealed his internal organs, protecting them from the scorching heat, but the sensation within his meridians remained unchanged.
The residual power of the medicinal pill he had taken two days ago was still lingering in his body, undigested. With the impact of the current dose, those remnants immediately surged, roiling and rampaging through his body.
Xue Yi circulated his cultivation technique, while the five spiritual beasts outside balanced the five elements, stabilizing his aura.
Inside his body, a divine will manipulated immense energy, taming the efficacy of the medicine and assimilating it for his own use.
As time passed, although the entire process was perilous, it went relatively smoothly.
After a long while, the essence of his strength within Xue Yi's body converged into the Sea of Qi acupoint.
The regions between the Sea of Qi, Guanyuan, Shenque, and Mingmen acupoints constituted what was known as the Dantian.
Entering the Cave Heaven Realm meant opening all four major acupoints, forming a vast Cave Heaven within the Dantian. This allowed the true qi to have a destination and served as the source of all cultivation. Every future advancement in cultivation would be intimately connected to this Cave Heaven.
Pop!
A sound like a small water bubble bursting, and the first barrier within the Dantian was broken through.
Immediately after, the Guanyuan, Shenque, and Mingmen acupoints were all shattered in one breath!
Originally ordinary acupoints, at this moment, they opened up a deep inner space, interconnected with each other, transforming into a Cave Heaven within his body, devouring all the essence of his entire body's strength.
But this wasn't the end!
The most critical moment had just arrived!
"The Great Cave Heaven of the Dantian has opened. Next comes the thirty-six small Cave Heavens!"
A low drink resounded in Xue Yi's mind.
The essence of his strength circulated within the Cave Heaven of the Dantian, swiftly surging out once again.
At this point, after the tempering of the essence of his strength, it had already transformed into true yuan. When released externally, it was called true qi, greatly enhancing its power.
Strands of true yuan traveled along the meridians, swiftly arriving at the next acupoint—the Qu Bone acupoint!
Boom!
Another deep barrier of an acupoint was opened, forming a smaller Cave Heaven within his coccyx region.
Next were the Lower Dantian, Middle Dantian, Jiuwei, and Shanzhong...
One acupoint after another continuously opened, and his body seemed to turn into a starry sky, with one small sun after another shining brightly.
Each Cave Heaven within his body could absorb external energy and transform it into true qi. The more Cave Heavens opened, the denser the true qi became, and the faster his recovery speed would be.
Normal cultivators would only have one large Cave Heaven, and some exceptional cultivation techniques might allow for the opening of 1-2 small Cave Heavens, which was already considered very formidable! The highest-level cultivation technique in the Holy Might Manor, the "Heaven Abyss Attainment Scripture," a sacred martial arts technique, could only open four small Cave Heavens, yet it was enough to make the first generation Manor Lord stand out and become one of the strongest in the Divine Dynasty.
It was said that the cultivation technique practiced by the founding emperor of the Divine Dynasty could open nine small Cave Heavens, with an endless supply of true qi that never depleted, reaching the pinnacle of power.
But compared to Xue Yi's Emperor's Five Spiritual Arts, it still fell short!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Several more acupoints were shattered, and Xue Yi had already opened twenty-seven small Cave Heavens!
"Oh no, the medicinal power is depleted, and the energy is insufficient!"
Just at this moment, he suddenly realized that his true qi was about to run dry.
Although he had already opened many Cave Heavens, continuously providing him with a steady supply of true qi, the later stages of breaking through became increasingly difficult, and his true qi was no longer sufficient to support him until the end.
Boom! Boom!
Squeezing out his internal true qi once again, he broke through two more barriers. Only the final seven small Cave Heavens remained to achieve the "perfect" state as described in the Emperor's Five Spiritual Arts.
Xue Yi didn't want to give up such a perfect foundation. He maintained the continuous circulation of his true qi within his body and spoke in a deep voice, "Give me... a fourth-grade spirit medicine!"
Xiao Qingruo had been closely monitoring his breakthrough process to ensure its smooth progress. When she noticed that he had been motionless for four hours, she became slightly worried.
Upon hearing him suddenly speak and seeing that he didn't seem to be in good condition, Xiao Qingruo immediately stood up and said, "You want a fourth-grade spirit medicine? Alright, I'll get it for you right away!"
She knew very well that Xue Yi was in a critical moment of his breakthrough and there was no room for any carelessness. She quickly entered the inner room, opened a treasure chest, and swiftly searched through it. After a moment, she took out a jade box.
Then, she returned to the outer room, opened the jade box, and took out a stalk of Purple Gold Ginseng.
"Xue Yi, I'll feed you the medicine," Xiao Qingruo reminded him.
The moment of breakthrough for a cultivator was crucial. Without any warning, if someone were to suddenly touch him, it could cause him to become nervous and interrupt his cultivation, nullifying all his previous efforts.
Upon hearing this, Xue Yi slightly opened his mouth.
Xiao Qingruo placed the Purple Gold Ginseng into his mouth, allowing him to slowly chew and swallow it.
Purple Gold Ginseng was one of the best fourth-grade medicinal herbs for replenishing true qi. Although its medicinal effects were not as domineering as the Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruit, it was perfect for recovery.
Xiao Qingruo was knowledgeable and understood what Xue Yi needed most at this moment. She gave him the impeccable best.
After serving him the medicine, Xiao Qingruo stepped back and continued to wait.
"Ordinary people breaking through the Cave Heaven Realm definitely wouldn't require so much energy. What kind of cultivation technique does he have that he needs to consume two different fourth-grade spirit medicines?" Xiao Qingruo wondered to herself.
Meanwhile, after receiving the replenishment from the Purple Gold Ginseng, Xue Yi's blood and qi suddenly became incredibly abundant. They were instantly extracted and transformed into a large amount of true qi, continuously assisting him in breaking through.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The remaining few acupoints were all opened in one go!
At this moment, the thirty-six small cave heavens within his body unleashed their power, as if they had turned into thirty-six small vortexes continuously devouring the external energy and converting it into their own use.
As for the Dantian's great cave heaven, it remained deep and reserved, like the earth, carrying immense virtue and supporting everything as the source.
Buzz~
A strand of golden true qi emerged from his Dantian's great cave heaven, traversing his entire body. After being refined by the thirty-six small cave heavens, it ultimately returned to the Dantian.
This was... Imperial Qi!