Liu Yang finally arrived in Yanjing City after several days of flying. He flew not too fast nor too slow, trying not to attract attention. Sometimes, he also took rests during the journey.
Upon arrival at the Liu family residence, he immediately headed to the main hall to meet the patriarch, Liu Ming. In the main hall, Liu Ming sat at the main seat, while Liu Xinyi sat at the side sipping tea.
Liu Yang handed over the ceramic bottle containing MSG and the scroll containing messages from Liu Mingzhen. He also provided a short explanation to Liu Ming.
"I see, a magical medicine that is beneficial to cultivators, nourishing their meridians and improving Qi flow, and it can also multiply the benefits and effects of the food," Liu Ming remarked as he read the scroll.
"Is it really that effective, Uncle Yang?" Liu Ming inquired.
"Of course, Mingzhen and I have tried it ourselves," Liu Yang affirmed.
"What do you think, Father?" Liu Ming asked, handing the scroll to Liu Xinyi.
Liu Xinyi pondered, "Maybe this is the opportunity I've been waiting for. There's no use in waiting any longer. I don't think there will be a better opportunity to break through to the Nascent Soul realm than now."
He was already old, and as time passed, his chances of successfully breaking through diminished. Waiting longer would only decrease his chances. Now that a good opportunity had presented itself, with the assistance of the magical medicine called MSG, perhaps he would be able to enter the Nascent Soul realm.
"I will immediately arrange it, Father," Liu Ming assured him.
Liu Xinyi then headed to his secret cultivation chamber to prepare for the breakthrough. Meanwhile, Liu Ming also made preparations. He immediately gathered the most valuable ingredients that the Liu family had and instructed the chef to prepare them. Liu Yang, on the other hand, promptly leave the main hall to meet his newly born grandson, as a cover for his real reason for returning to Yanjing.
The chef didn't take too long to turn the ingredients into a dish. The ingredients were cooked into a soup, with various items such as Spirit Beast meat and Spiritual Herbs. Liu Ming personally took the soup from the kitchen and brought it to Liu Xinyi.
He walked through a secret underground tunnel, reaching a big underground chamber with a door. Liu Ming passed through the door and met Liu Xinyi, who was sitting cross-legged on a platform in the secret chamber.
"Father, this is the soup," Liu Ming said, presenting the bowl of soup on a tray.
The soup emanated a unique aroma, made from high-quality ingredients beneficial to cultivators.
"Put in the MSG," Liu Xinyi instructed.
Liu Ming then took out the ceramic bottle containing MSG from his storage ring and poured it into the soup. He then handed the soup to Liu Xinyi.
"This moment will decide the rise or fall of our Liu family," Liu Xinyi said, taking a deep breath to calm himself. He then consumed the soup, swallowing it down, and also retrieved several pills from his storage ring and swallowed them. These pills were meant to aid his breakthrough. Liu Xinyi closed his eyes and sat cross-legged, focusing on absorbing the food and pills.
"I will excuse myself," Liu Ming said as he left the secret chamber, closing the door behind him. He then sat cross-legged in front of the door, determined to guard it. The moment of breaking through was very vulnerable, and he wouldn't let anything disturb his father.
After a few hours, Liu Xinyi had fully absorbed the pills and soup. The MSG had enhanced the effects and benefits of the soup and pills. Liu Xinyi felt his entire body heat up, with his abdomen becoming very hot. Trickle of sweat rolled down his face as his body emanated smoke.
Within his Dantian, a golden sphere floated in the darkness — his Golden Core. Its surface was smooth and shiny as it began to spin slowly. Qi pulsed from within the Golden Core, attempting to break it. The Golden Core hummed with a buzzing sound that grew louder with each passing moment.
The Qi within periodically slammed against the Golden Core's wall, causing a loud boom in the Dantian. This continued for hours, with the Qi intensifying over time. Eventually, a small crack appeared on the surface of the Golden Core, followed by more cracks as time went on.
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However, the intensity of the Qi raging within the Golden Core began to slow down.
"Guah!!!" Liu Xinyi exclaimed, spitting out blood as he experienced the backlash from attempting to control the Qi inside his Golden Core while trying to smash and destroy the Golden Core's wall. Each time he attempted to breach the wall, he suffered a backlash, which intensified with each subsequent attempt.
Drenched in sweat and with a pale complexion, he had been struggling for hours to crack open his Golden Core, managing only to create several small cracks, nowhere close to breaking it open completely.
"Is this as far as I can go?" Liu Xinyi questioned. He had neared the end of his lifespan, and his chances of reaching the Nascent Soul realm were diminishing.
He wasn't a genius blessed with great talent, and now, even with the help of the MSG, it seemed that he still couldn't achieve the breakthrough he desired.
As he coughed up more blood, Liu Xinyi refused to accept failure. "No... I refuse to fail," he declared, determination shining in his eyes. "I, Liu Xinyi, will become a Nascent Soul realm cultivator!"
Inside his Golden Core, Qi surged as Liu Xinyi controlled it, building momentum. Despite reaching his limit, he decided to make one last gamble. Gathering all his strength, he prepared for a final attempt to break through. With a mighty roar, he unleashed the gathered Qi from within his Golden Core, directing it outward towards his Golden Core's walls with unprecedented force.
"EAAAA!!!!" Liu Xinyi screamed, channeling all his willpower into the decisive moment.
The Qi smashed violently against the Golden Core wall, causing it to crack and shatter into pieces that scattered in all directions. The Qi gushed out in a great, violent torrent.
In his Dantian, the shattered pieces of the Golden Core slowly disappeared, releasing the Qi within it as if a butterfly emerging from its cocoon. The Qi expanded greatly within his Dantian before gradually gathering and slowly forming a humanoid figure.
Now, in his Dantian, the figure transformed, resembling him, and sat cross-legged in the middle, surrounded by a faint mist of Qi. The figure glowed brightly, contrasting with the surrounding darkness that shrouded the Dantian.
Liu Xinyi could see this figure within his Dantian and hear a voice in his mind saying, "I am called [Rongyun Baiyun - Rolling White Clouds]."
In the secret chamber, winds swirled around Liu Xinyi's body as it shone brightly. His eyes opened and emitted a radiant glow. After a while, the light dimmed and vanished, and his eyes slowly closed.
Moments later, Liu Xinyi reopened his eyes and remarked, "I see, so my Soul Manifestation's name is [Rongyun Baiyun]." He checked his body, "I have successfully broken through to the Nascent Soul realm! Hahaha" Liu Xinyi laughed, his laughter echoing in the secret chamber.
Liu Ming waited anxiously outside the secret chamber, several hours passing without any sign of his father emerging. He couldn't shake the feeling that the worst had occurred within. Unable to use his spiritual sense due to the concealment inscriptions shrouding the chamber, he was left in agonizing uncertainty.
As the door to the secret chamber finally creaked open, Liu Ming stood nervously. From within emerged an old man, and Liu Ming immediately sensed a profound change in his father.
Liu Xinyi was no longer hunched; he stood tall and straight, despite his long white hair and beard. His eyes were clear and filled with vitality and vigor, his skin smooth, supple like a babies, and no longer pale and wrinkled. His steps were firm, exuding strength and confidence.
"Father... have you succeeded?" Liu Ming asked tentatively.
"Hahaha, it was a close call. Without the help of the MSG, I would have surely failed," replied Liu Xinyi, his tone triumphant.
"Congratulations, Father, on breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm," Liu Ming said, relief flooding through him.
"It's all thanks to Mr. Orion," Liu Xinyi mused, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "It was a blessing that Liu Jian was attacked by the Vermilion Clawed Bear and then met with Mr. Orion, hahaha," he laughed heartily.
Ugh, how can you say it like that, that's your own grandson, Liu Ming thought to himself. Though he somewhat agreed, it was because of Liu Jian's encounter with the Vermilion Clawed Bear and subsequent rescue by Orion that the Liu family had gained benefits from their association with him.
"Immediately inform Mingzhen to thank Mr. Orion on my behalf. After I stabilize my cultivation, I will personally meet him to offer my gratitude," Liu Xinyi commanded.
"Father, how about we keep your breakthrough to the Nascent Soul realm a secret?" Liu Ming suggested tentatively.
"Oh? Let's hear about it," Liu Xinyi responded, intrigued.
"Currently, Mr. Orion prefers to stay low-profile and secretive to avoid attracting attention. So, we should keep your breakthrough and how the MSG helped you a secret. You should not meet him, at least for now. If he doesn't want to stand out and attract attention, then we shouldn't cause trouble for him. Otherwise, we may offend him," Liu Ming explained.
"Hmm... good point. Well, do as you say. But still, let Mingzhen thank Mr. Orion on my behalf. Also, tell Mingzhen to bring a thank-you gift to Mr. Orion. Make sure the gift won't embarrass me or our Liu family, understand?" Liu Xinyi instructed, emphasizing the importance of selecting an appropriate gift.
"Understood," Liu Ming acknowledged.
"Then, I will focus on stabilizing my cultivation and getting familiar with my new strength. If people are looking for me, just tell them I am in closed-door cultivation and don't want to be disturbed. Don't let anyone know I have reached the Nascent Soul realm," Liu Xinyi declared as he turned and entered the secret chamber again, the door slowly closing behind him.
"I'll arrange it, Father," Liu Ming affirmed, then walked out of the underground chamber, smiling. "Fufufu," he chuckled softly to himself as he walked. The Liu family was about to reach new heights.