Chapter 089: Breaking Through to Martial Artist

  "Tong?" Yang Tian muttered, his eyes fixed on the character inscribed on the fragment. The previous fragment he had found bore the character "Gu" (鼓, drum). Could there be a connection between the two?

  "Yang Tian, this jade slip probably requires soul power to open," Qing Yuan observed after a moment, handing the slip back to Yang Tian with a smile.

  "I hope it's a fire-control technique," Yang Tian said, scratching his head. He then carefully stored the skeleton in his spatial ring. "Let's go. There's nothing left here."

  The group nodded and made their way out.

  *Whimper...* Xiao Bai suddenly let out a soft cry, poking its head out and casting a curious gaze at the scroll on the wall.

  "Could there be treasure hidden inside?" Yang Tian wondered. He took down the scroll, which looked like an ordinary painting. However, after enduring the passage of time without any signs of decay, it was clearly no ordinary artifact.

  After leaving the Danxuan Sect ruins, the group hurried toward the Martial Dao Platform, the heart of Martial Dao Mountain. This was where the ancient energy was most concentrated, and the chances of breaking through to a higher realm were significantly greater.

  The Martial Dao Platform spanned tens of thousands of feet, and many cultivators were already gathered below, eagerly awaiting the opportunity to absorb the dense ancient energy. This was the ultimate goal of their journey.

  By harnessing the ancient energy here, the likelihood of manifesting a celestial phenomenon during a breakthrough would increase dramatically. There were even rumors that a few monstrous geniuses had triggered heavenly tribulations while breaking through on the platform. Those who faced tribulations at the Martial Artist stage would encounter increasingly powerful tribulations with each subsequent breakthrough.

  *Rumble...* The entire Martial Dao Platform suddenly trembled. The energy barrier surrounding it dissipated, and a thick, viscous wave of ancient energy surged forth.

  *Whoosh! Whoosh!* Countless figures rushed toward the platform. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Missing it would be a regret that would haunt them for the rest of their lives.

  Ancient energy of this caliber was only found in the secret realms of the Holy Lands and Martial Dao Mountain, aside from the rare, centuries-old secret realms that occasionally emerged.

  "Is it starting?" The tremors from the Martial Dao Platform reached far and wide. Inside the jade carriage, Yang Tian was jolted awake. His eyes widened as he saw the towering column of ancient energy rising in the distance.

  "It's starting," Qing Yuan confirmed, his usually calm expression revealing a hint of longing. His fists clenched tightly. In this life, there were things worth protecting—especially the people he loved most.

  "Qing Yuan, after we leave Martial Dao Mountain, give these spatial rings to my foster father. I won't be returning," Yang Tian suddenly said, handing over three spatial rings.

  By defeating Wang Long, Yang Tian had thoroughly provoked the Yin-Yang Union Sect. Their powerful elders would undoubtedly seek revenge. Yang Tian needed to prepare for the inevitable fallout. The pills and Water of Life inside the rings would be enough to help Lin Yuan reach a higher realm.

  "Don't worry. I'll take care of everything else," Qing Yuan said, storing the rings. He understood that Yang Tian's reputation in Martial Dao Mountain would shake the major Holy Lands. Although the young saints of those sects were still growing, Yang Tian's talent had already drawn the attention of powerful figures.

  As the jade carriage arrived at the platform, it attracted the attention of many. The group of five quickly found a secluded spot and sat down to begin their cultivation.

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  "It's time."

  Inside the Ancestral Dragon Ring, Yang Tian sat cross-legged. In front of him were a Lotus Seed from Yun'er, a Soul Crystal, and a pile of ancient pills.

  "War Heaven Copper Body, let's see how difficult you are," Yang Tian muttered, steadying his mind. His consciousness sank into his body, where a miniature figure made of blood and energy appeared before a half-opened acupoint.

  "Acupoint Power, open!" Yang Tian roared. The miniature figure began executing a series of mysterious fist techniques, gradually prying open the acupoint.

  The energy fluctuations within Yang Tian's body were immense. Above his head, a vortex of ancient energy began to form.

  Yang Tian was like a black hole, voraciously devouring the thick ancient energy around him. The others, who had just entered their cultivation states, were jolted awake by the disturbance.

  "What a commotion," Qing Yuan muttered, staring at the vortex above Yang Tian's head.

  At the same time, the acupoints of the others began to open. Shan Qu's energy fluctuations were only slightly weaker than Yang Tian's, followed by Yun'er and Qing Yuan. Yun'er, in particular, didn't need to cultivate much—her body was already brimming with vast amounts of sealed energy.

  "These guys are all monsters. My technique is the weakest," Xing Hao grumbled, watching the energy fluctuations with envy and retreating slightly.

  The miniature figure continued to punch, and the acupoint was now mostly open. Thick streams of blood and energy surged into Yang Tian's energy river.

  *Rumble...* The energy river trembled violently, the sound of drums growing louder and the howling of wind intensifying. These phenomena began to manifest outside Yang Tian's body, startling many onlookers.

  "Two phenomena at once... Yang Tian is truly a monster," the crowd whispered, their eyes filled with envy and jealousy. Such phenomena, once fully developed, would be terrifying.

  "That little brat... After this, I'll crush every bone in his body," Li Hongtao growled from a distance. He had hoped to be the center of attention today, but he was wrong. Everyone around Yang Tian was a freak.

  Gu Mo's cold gaze lingered on Yang Tian, a hint of greed flashing in his eyes. The cultivation technique Yang Tian was using was incredibly powerful, even by the standards of the ancient Holy Lands.

  "Acupoint Power, open!" Yang Tian shouted. Just as the acupoint was about to fully open, the miniature figure paused to replenish its energy. Yang Tian knew he couldn't afford to be careless—he still had to face the heavenly tribulation.

  The sudden disappearance of the phenomena drew the attention of the crowd. Many began to whisper, wondering if Yang Tian had failed.

  "Haha, the little brat failed! He failed!" Li Hongtao's face turned red with glee.

  The crowd erupted into chatter, waves of noise filling the air. Many felt a secret sense of relief—such a monstrous talent had been stifled.

  "What a pity," a few murmured, genuinely disappointed. Yang Tian's talent was extraordinary, and he could have rivaled the saints of the Holy Lands. But now, it seemed he had failed.

  "Fools," Qing Yuan sneered, glancing at the crowd. Yang Tian's energy reserves were vast—there was no way he had failed.

  "Keep talking, and I'll feed you to the dogs," Xing Hao growled, his fierce glare silencing the onlookers.

  "Failed?" Yang Tian opened his eyes, having fully recovered. Hearing the whispers, he couldn't help but roll his eyes.

  This was just the beginning.

  "Open!" Yang Tian roared. The miniature figure threw a final punch, and the golden acupoint burst open. The energy within surged like a tidal wave, far surpassing the total energy in his energy river.

  *Rumble...* The energy vortex above Yang Tian's head doubled in size. The acupoint seemed to come alive, its energy exceeding that of his entire energy river.

  Yang Tian's aura skyrocketed. The celestial phenomena intensified—the sound of drums and the howling wind grew deafening. He was like a force of nature, the surrounding air tearing apart as his power reached new heights.

  "Yang Tian... he succeeded!" The crowd gasped in shock. Li Hongtao's triumphant expression froze, replaced by seething rage.

  Just as Yang Tian broke through, Shan Qu also succeeded. Winds swirled around him, tearing through the air. His phenomenon was similar to Yang Tian's "Wind Soaring to the Heavens."

  *Roar!* Qing Yuan broke through as well. A phantom purple dragon erupted from his head, shattering the air around him. The dragon roared, and Qing Yuan's aura surged.

  "It's 'Dragon Soaring to the Heavens'!" the crowd exclaimed. This phenomenon was on par with Yang Tian's "Thunderous Drum of Heaven."

  Inside Yang Tian's body, the golden acupoint resembled a glowing eye. A thick crimson energy connected it to his energy river, which churned violently before bursting out of his body.

  The sound of drums and the howling wind created a breathtaking phenomenon. Yang Tian's energy river had tripled in size, its pressure suffocating those nearby.

  "So powerful," Qing Yuan murmured, staring at the energy river above Yang Tian's head. The sheer volume of energy was staggering, and it was still growing.

  In the distance, someone who had just broken through glanced at Yang Tian's energy river and couldn't help but feel ashamed.

  As Yang Tian's energy river continued to expand, the ancient energy around him surged once more, pouring into his body at an even greater rate than before.

  The onlookers were speechless, silently speculating about the grade of Yang Tian's cultivation technique.

  *Rumble...* While they were still in awe, a new phenomenon appeared in the sky. Ancient energy from a thousand feet around gathered, forming a massive energy vortex.