Chapter 105: The Oppressive Power of the Pill Chamber

However, as he listened to the murmurs of the crowd, Xia Ming, who had been cultivating, suddenly stopped. His brows furrowed slightly.

Indeed, he had been cultivating just moments before, but he was well aware that it wasn’t he who had consumed all the spiritual energy from the heavens and earth. Though gifted, his cultivation speed was not nearly so astonishing.

“Master Xia, your talent is truly extraordinary. We can only look up to you,” someone remarked, noticing Xia Ming had ceased his practice, eager to curry favor.

Xia Ming swept his gaze over them and sneered, “Ha, I didn’t even fully exert myself this time. The spiritual energy here is far too scarce. My true limits are much greater than this…”

He was certain that the spiritual energy was not being absorbed by him. Yet, since they believed it was his doing, he saw no reason to correct them. After all, who else nearby possessed such remarkable talent?

On the other side, the dense spiritual energy of heaven and earth surged madly into Li Jian San’s body. At that moment, he was immersed in a vast ocean of spiritual energy…

About three hours passed, and Li Jian San sensed a sudden surge of power within himself. Feeling the force coursing through his body, he knew with utter clarity that this was a sign his cultivation was about to break through.

Moments later, Li Jian San abruptly opened his eyes. “The third level of Foundation Building. As expected, the spiritual energy here is extremely rich. In such a short time, I’ve reached the third level of Foundation Building.”

Li Jian San was a bit surprised, for it hadn’t been long since his previous breakthrough, and now he had advanced again.

It was well known that the strength of Foundation Building cultivators stemmed largely from the difficulty of advancing their cultivation. Generally, the spiritual energy required at this stage was dozens of times greater than what was needed during the Qi Refining stage. Thus, breaking through as a Foundation Building cultivator was significantly harder than during Qi Refining.

If the challenge of breaking through Qi Refining could be likened to descending a mountain, then surmounting a breakthrough in Foundation Building was akin to scaling a perilous peak.

Ordinary cultivators often spent half a year or more to advance beyond the Foundation Building stage; even the gifted needed three months. For someone like Li Jian San to achieve consecutive breakthroughs in such a short span was unheard of. If word spread, countless prodigies would be left utterly ashamed…

After his unusual breakthrough, Li Jian San frowned slightly.

“The spiritual energy at the periphery of the Pill Vault is extremely rich, but I’ve only just broken through, and already the energy here has been consumed. If I wait for it to replenish slowly, it would be such a waste of time.”

“I should venture further in. The spiritual energy at the center of the Pill Vault must be even more abundant.”

Li Jian San paused and said to himself, “But if I go further, the pressure will be terrifying. Even those three old fellows might not be able to withstand it.”

Most people would never wrestle with this dilemma. Their lives were precious, after all.

Moreover, Master Mo had already warned them: the pressure at the center of the Pill Vault was fearsome, and entering rashly could risk their lives. For the sake of cultivating spiritual energy, none would dare gamble with their lives.

But Li Jian San was fated to be a great villain; how could he simply behave himself?

He rose and, after testing with a single step forward, an immense pressure crashed down upon him, making him feel as though he bore a heavy stone.

“So this is it? This pressure is still within my tolerance. I can handle it,” Li Jian San muttered, then pressed onward.

As he passed by Xia Ming, Xia Ming’s expression suddenly changed.

“Is the brat really thinking of advancing further? Ha, showing off in this place—he’s courting death,” Xia Ming scoffed, no longer paying Li Jian San any mind.

Boom!

As Li Jian San continued forward, an even more terrifying pressure descended upon him. In this area, only some elders could barely withstand the force, but even then, the crushing weight made it impossible to focus, let alone cultivate in peace.

“Look over there…”

Meanwhile, the three old men outside the Pill Vault watched Li Jian San intently.

“What is he trying to do?”

“Is he attempting to reach the center of the Pill Vault?”

“We’ve already warned him—the pressure inside is dreadful, even we can’t bear it. Is he so desperate to cultivate that he’ll risk his life?”

All three frowned deeply.

Li Jian San pressed onward, surrounded by increasingly dense spiritual energy, yet the pressure had grown tenfold or more.

Here, even elders would struggle to take a single step.

“What tremendous pressure…” Blood trickled from the corner of Li Jian San’s lips.

Nearby, Xia Ming’s face darkened, “He’s come this far? How could it be…”

“I can’t go any further,” Li Jian San gritted his teeth.

Seeing him halt, Xia Ming’s lips curled into a cold smile. “Ha, what heroics? He couldn’t go far at all—now he’s just a coward.”

“If I were to go forward, I’d certainly go farther than him,” Xia Ming boasted.

Just as he finished speaking, a surge of restless power stirred within Li Jian San.

Buzz!

A flash of violet flickered through Li Jian San’s pupils, a sharp aura enveloping him.

“This is… the Violet Demon Eyes?”

With his eyes turned violet, Li Jian San suddenly saw through the array within the Pill Vault.

“Of course—the Violet Demon Eyes can perceive flaws, so naturally I can discern the weaknesses in this formation,” Li Jian San smiled, recognizing the ability.

Understanding the flaw, Li Jian San advanced once more.

Sure enough, after spotting the flaw, the pressure of the formation vanished entirely before him. In one breath, Li Jian San strode over a hundred steps.

Here, the concentration of spiritual energy reached a staggering level, dozens of times greater than before.

Elsewhere, the three old men stared, dumbfounded, their faces full of astonishment, clicking their tongues in disbelief.

They watched as Li Jian San delved deeper, ready to forcibly drag him out.

But seeing him approach the Pill Vault’s center with such ease, their expressions grew even more bewildered.

“Is his physical body truly so formidable?”

“That place is one where even we cannot endure…”

“Tsk, tsk. He truly is my disciple,” one remarked.

They watched Li Jian San in a daze, their affection for him deepening.

“Well then, I’ll charge straight to the center,” Li Jian San thought. With the flaw revealed, the pressure could not touch him.

Thus, Li Jian San walked to the very heart of the Pill Vault, sat down, and began to cultivate.

When the three old men saw Li Jian San sit down and cultivate at the very center, they couldn’t help but gasp.

They knew well the intensity of the pressure there—even they could not stand upright, much less sit and cultivate.

“This boy… just how terrifying is his talent? Has the pressure inside no effect on him, or has he become so powerful that he simply ignores it?”

Their gasps echoed, mouths agape, stunned at the scene—as if they could fit an egg inside.

On the other side, Xia Ming’s face grew increasingly grim as he watched Li Jian San enter the very center of the Pill Vault…