'I don't think I will go through a full body transformation like I did with my last few breakthroughs...' Azmond thought to himself while preparing to bridge the gap between the 9th and 10th Stages of Quantum Qi Condensation.

'I have a feeling that my body has already reached full maturity and doesn't need any more major transformations to handle the exponential growth each of my future breakthroughs will require.'

'I should just directly get the boons from the breakthrough and the massive increase to my physical strength, the same as all my previous breakthroughs in the Quantum Qi Condensation Realm, except, I won't have to go inside that annoying cocoon where I am left unconscious and defenseless for weeks on end.' Azmond clicked his tongue a little when he thought about the galaxy cocoon that always trapped him inside of it.

'I am already taking a risk by breaking through with My Little Ice Flower left completely defenseless down there... I wish I had some awareness of what was occurring around me right now...'

"What defenseless Ice Flower are you talking about? What part of her can be interpreted as defenseless???"

'I knew I should've added a few hundred more protective barriers around Crystalline... This is what I get for not being cautious enough...' Azmond was thinking in the complete opposite direction that he should be right now…

He should be more concerned about his current breakthrough that he blitzed through with the price of experiencing pain thousands of times greater than any normal cultivator would during a breakthrough in the Qi Condensation Realm…

Not that Azmond cared a single bit about the extreme pain that coursed through his body nonstop whilst cultivating…

Crystalline was the one who was less likely to die of the two of them…

Azmond created the barriers around her with the very essence of his soul, preventing even Nascent Soul Realm cultivators from touching a hair on Crystalline's head.

Azmond, on the other hand, had no such protection on his body. He gave all the essence that could provide any sort of protection to His Little Ice Bunny. And yet, he didn't think once about using some of the soul essence to protect himself.

He wanted to instead use even more of his essence, connected to his very existence, to make even more spiritual Qi barriers around Crystalline.

Such an act would cause severe soul damage backlash on Azmond that requires high-tier soul-related recovery spiritual herbs or a top-level healer to fully recover from — an almost impossible task for the current Azmond to fulfill.

'Tsk! Next time, I will use up all of my essence to protect My Little Ice Bunny.' Azmond thought to himself with a small disappointed sneer aimed at himself as he talked about risking his life just to add more unnecessary barriers around the woman he loves…

'Who even needs all this soul essence anyway?’

You do…

'I will do that later when I check on the current condition of my Little Snowflake.' Azmond already knew what he'd do after finishing this pesky breakthrough as he clenched his fists until blood drew before focusing back on the breakthrough.

Stolen story; please report.

Please don't do that…

'I can feel the breakthrough coming to an end. It should be done and gone in just a few more minutes...' Azmond's emotionless thoughts resounded inside his head as the Qi around him started to gather in absurd amounts, all being constantly absorbed by Azmond to achieve a perfect foundation with his new breakthrough.

Ten minutes later...

Azmond had officially entered the 10th Stage of Quantum Qi Condensation!

"This breakthrough has been quite profitable," Azmond's thoughts leaked as he scanned the inside of his body to check on his recent gains.

What he saw was 10,000 Qi Cyclones orbiting around his massive dantian. 9,000 of those 10,000 Qi Cyclones were a gigantic 300 meters in diameter, and the last 1,000 were the usual 1 inch in diameter that every 1,000 new Qi Cyclones always had when Azmond broke through.

His dantian had grown considerably as well, now over 1,500 meters in diameter!!

Azmond's boons from this breakthrough were a major step forward on his path to gaining more power as his overall strength had fully stepped into the Nascent Soul Realm even without using his Quantum Gate skill.

"I am confident that I can beat that giant green piggy with one hand behind my back if we were to fight again right here and now..." Azmond's smile distorted a little when he thought about fighting that fat green pig again.

"Though I wouldn't do that without fully ensuring the safety of my little Ice Roll first..." His maniacal expression quickly calmed once he thought about Crystalline again…

She seemed to be the only thing that could unwind Azmond's battle maniac side without even doing anything…

"Speaking of my Ice Queen... Where is she...?" Azmond looked down at the spot he left her but couldn't see her adorable sleeping face anywhere within view.

"...Did she get in trouble while I was breaking through?... I knew a few dozen measly barriers were not enough!!... Dammit!!!" Azmond's thoughts started to swirl down a black hole of no return as his two bright blue pupils turned into abysses that could suck in even the very matter around him.

'This scene is quite a familiar one, huh? I guess two birds of a feather do end up thinking alike once they spend enough time together...' Azmond was about to go fully berserk when he suddenly saw something in the corner of his eye hurtling toward him.

"Is that someone's black rocket...?" Azmond asked himself as the shine within his eyes came back in a bombastic fashion.

"AZZMMOONDD~~!!!!!" A loud feminine voice resounded across the high skies as Crystalline was seen darting at speeds that caused sonic booms to trail off behind her.

"Yep, that is my little black rocket~," Azmond said with a small smile on his face as he spread out his arms, ready to receive the full extent of the flying bundle of love that was launching straight toward him.

"Come On, My Love~!!" Azmond suddenly felt a heavy impact hit him directly in the chest as a beautiful girl, who could woo even a eunuch's heart, was already snuggling right up to his chest with tears streaming down her face.

"A-AzMooNd I-I... I Thought I loSt You!!" Crystalline said in a small voice between tears as she clung even harder to Azmond.

"Don't You Dare Leave Me Behind Ever Again!!!" And as if the goddess of mood swings had inhabited her voluptuous body, her sad face quickly turned into one of anger as she started to beat Azmond with her small hands.

"I know, My Little Ice Flower... I won't leave you behind ever again..." Azmond spoke with a small kind smile on his face as he started to gently rub Crystalline's silky black hair while she kept on hitting Azmond with the full force of the Late-Golden Core Realm.

"I LOVE YOU AZMOND~~!" Yet another flip of her emotional state as she initiated a wet and intense kiss with Azmond's mouth while pulling on his robe collar…

'Such an adorable little creature she is~' Azmond's small smile had already turned into one full of intense love for the beautiful woman who was passionately making out with him.