Chapter 19: Blade of Vengeance

"Everyone says that breaking through from the fifth grade of the Refining Qi Realm to the sixth grade is like a small bottleneck between the Refining Qi Realm Minor Completion and the Refining Qi Realm Great Completion."

"Before, just hearing about it, I had no clear concept."

"But now it seems the boost is indeed significant!"

And Li Mu now breaks through from the sixth grade of the Refining Qi Realm to the Great Completion, which marks that the internal Qi and blood and true Qi have begun to merge, and the Eight Extraordinary Vessels are also shifting toward the trend of Jade Tendons.

This metamorphosis must continue until breaking the major bottleneck and reaching the Five Qi Toward Origin Concentration Realm.

At that point, the cultivator's own blood and true Qi fuse into one, and the true Qi transforms into a stronger Innate Gang Qi!

At that time.

Innate Gang Qi can both shield the body and become the sharpest killing Qi!

It can be said to be both offensive and defensive, without flaw!

【Ding!】

【Detected host taking Breaking Origin Pill, successfully triggered Tenfold Heavenly Dao Blessing.】

【Congratulations host, obtained ten Breaking Origin Pill effects!】

【Ding!】

【Detected host attempting to surge the Refining Qi Realm Great Completion, successfully triggered Tenfold Heavenly Dao Blessing!】

【Congratulations host, obtained Tenfold Harvest!】

【Ding!】

【Congratulations host, successfully broke the minor bottleneck to reach Refining Qi Realm Great Completion, rewarded with one Thousandfold Heavenly Dao Blessing!】

Just as Li Mu was excited about this.

Suddenly, the system's crisp prompt sound rang in his mind again.

The joy on Li Mu's face froze.

Immediately, faint lights and shadows began to appear in his mind.

These were actually the scenes of his recent attempt to surge the sixth grade Refining Qi Realm.

In other words, he had surged ten times in total!

"This… "

Seeming to realize something, Li Mu's eyes started to brighten.

Breakthroughs in realms are never achieved in a single stroke!

Especially, breaking the minor bottleneck from Refining Qi Realm Minor Completion to Great Completion is fraught with difficulty!

That threshold has stopped countless cultivators!

If one's innate talent is insufficient and preparation inadequate.

Then Li Mu's attempt to surge the sixth grade Refining Qi Realm would most likely still fail!

But under the Heavenly Dao's identification, as long as one is not a non‑luck holder!

After ten consecutive surges, at least one should succeed, right?

Key!

The system's gift to him is far more than just ten surges.

Even the effect of the Breaking Origin Pill has been multiplied tenfold—a single pill becomes ten!

In an instant it solidified Li Mu's foundation, his cultivation leapt forward, stabilizing at the peak of the sixth grade Refining Qi Realm!

It can be said!

Under the system's Heavenly Dao Blessing!

As long as resources are ample, the so‑called bottleneck simply does not exist for Li Mu!

After entering the Great Completion, Li Mu's Eight Extraordinary Vessels have begun to metamorphose toward Jade Tendons.

This means Li Mu's meridians can now bear far stronger true Qi and even release true Qi outward.

Li Mu's mind shifted, and a one‑and‑half‑inch translucent true Qi emerged from his fingertip.

Then he casually slashed at the solid wall before him.

Although Li Mu exerted no force, the wall instantly split open with a deep gash,

Previously, destroying such a wall would have required charging a thunderous punch.

But now it's as simple as cutting tofu with a knife!

"Is this true Qi outward release?"

"I don't know, I'll release true Qi and embed it into Seven Absolute Blade Qi, then challenge the top three of the Heavenly Pride List again—how about that?"

In Li Mu's mind, he subconsciously recalled the three names he had seen earlier on the Heavenly Pride List.

But immediately, Li shook his head.

Although cultivating Ba Jiu Profound Art has given Li Mu's mortal strength and true Qi storage far beyond that of peers in the same realm, granting him terrifying over‑level combat ability.

Yet when facing a strong opponent like Yao Mengzhen.

Li Mu can clearly feel that without having practiced any mind‑technique, his true Qi recovery speed lags far behind its consumption.

If it weren't for Yao Mengzhen's bold choice to confront him directly, and finally being frightened by Li Mu's life‑risking, mad fighting style.

That battle would have been an unquestionable loss for Li Mu!

And today's fierce combat is only just the beginning!

In the upcoming Four Peaks Grand Contest, he will face the Heavenly Pride of the other three peaks, the demons.

Moreover, Qin Siwu and the Yao Family, hidden enemies, are watching hungrily nearby.

It can be said that what awaits him will be a harsher war each time.

More importantly.

Through this battle with Yao Mengzhen, Li Mu also discovered that the Heavenly Dao Scroll does not seamlessly transfer adverse effects away from him.

Each interval is about five minutes, and during this vacuum period Li Mu still endures some negatives.

For example.

After he endured Yao Mengzhen's first strike that redirected the attack, the second strike could directly pierce him through, and only after surviving those five minutes did he feel better.

"At this point, I still find it difficult to take first place in the Four Peaks Grand Competition!"

"Can't be too reckless!"

Then Li Mu steadied his mind and refocused his attention on himself.

"Improving my realm is secondary; the greater gain is, of course, breaking the minor shackles and receiving another Thousandfold Heavenly Dao Blessing reward from the system!"

"I just don't know where to apply this Heavenly Dao Blessing,"

The previous Thousandfold Heavenly Dao Blessing, Li Mu applied directly to the Seven Absolute Blade Method, instantly causing it to undergo a qualitative change from Yellow Tier High-level Technique to Xuan Tier Middle-level Technique!

Even the power amplification of the Seven-Absolute Sword Technique rose from twice at the initial Great Perfection realm to as much as five times!

This has become one of Li Mu's biggest trump cards for fighting above his level!

However, where should I use this Thousandfold Heavenly Dao Blessing this time?

Li Mu rubbed his chin, frowned in thought, and soon his gaze fixed on the long sword before him, instantly brightening his eyes!

Since battling Yao Mengzhen, he has been coveting the opponent's Mid-Grade Spiritual Artifact that can change shape: the Fengyi Blade!

Perfect!

He has a Low-Grade Spiritual Artifact he obtained for free from Qian Wenyi; let's see what change the Thousandfold Heavenly Dao Blessing will bring.

"System!"

"I will use a Thousandfold Heavenly Dao Blessing, targeting a Low-Grade Spiritual Artifact sword!"

Li Mu rubbed his hands, his eyes fixed on the long sword emanating red light.

【Ding!】

【System successfully identified Low-Grade Spiritual Artifact long sword, successfully triggered Thousandfold Heavenly Dao Blessing!】

【Congratulations, host, you have obtained the Vengeance Blade!】

【Grade: High-Grade Spiritual Artifact (enhanceable)】

【Special Technique Break Pot and Sink Ship: After activation, Break Pot and Sink Ship continuously drains the host's Qi and blood, entering Break Pot and Sink Ship state; in this state each attack is double the previous, until Qi and blood are exhausted!】

【Note: After enabling Break Pot and Sink Ship, the host must constantly monitor their Qi and blood loss; when it is completely burned out, the host will die!】

"..."

As the eerie red light gradually faded,

the Vengeance Blade lay quietly in Li Mu's hand.

The blade is about three feet long, its whole body swirling with seemingly unbreakable blood qi, appearing extremely eerie!

When Li Mu grasped the hilt, the blood light on the blade grew even more uncanny; from afar it seemed the sword had come alive, bristling with killing intent!

"Sss..."

"Death?"

"This Vengeance Blade is just too sinister!"

"Using it even incurs such terrifying side-effect backlash!"

After reading the Break Pot and Sink Ship special technique description, Li Mu couldn't help but gasp sharply.

In Break Pot and Sink Ship state, each attack can be double the previous.

That means the layers can stack!

Even if the Ziyang Sect sect master arrives, anyone who gets hit will be forced to go in vertically and out horizontally!

But frankly, this technique is just a conceptual god!

No one in this world would truly be foolish enough to stand still watching you stack layers, only to slay themselves with a final strike!

Secondly, a cultivator's Qi and blood are closely tied to their own realm.

When facing a vastly stronger opponent, your Qi and blood won't even support a life‑or‑death clash.

As for enemies of comparable strength, there's no need to sacrifice Qi and blood to this demonic blade for a death‑match.

But under normal circumstances, this is correct.

However, in Li Mu's hands, the situation is completely different!

With the Heavenly Dao Scroll's blessing, as long as Qin Siwu and those sacrificial bodies' Qi and blood aren't exhausted, Li Mu himself need not worry about his own Qi depletion.

As long as his cultivation realm keeps advancing and he continues to unlock more special effects of this divine artifact, the Heavenly Dao Scroll,

then with two Watermelon Knives, Li Mu estimates he could slash from the easternmost to the westernmost of Qian Kun Realm!

Who comes, dies!

At the same time, if Li Mu also finds a footwork technique or a sword method focused on swift, fierce attacks to pair with it, that would be even better.

Li Mu would not naively think that in the upcoming Four Peaks Grand Competition, each opponent will be as fierce as Yao Mengzhen.

Directly abandoning advantage, choosing a mindless head‑on clash!

Otherwise, no matter how strong his attacks, if he can't hit the opponent, it's useless.

"Forget it, you can't eat a whole fat man in one bite!"

"First, go to the Training Arena to practice!"

"Let's see what terrifying level my strength can reach once the Break Pot and Sink Ship layers stack!"

Having made his decision, Li Mu rose and headed straight to the Training Arena.

Zi Yuan assigned him the Outer Peak's top‑spec compound cave residence, which naturally includes a Training Arena!

He pushed open the Training Arena's gate.

The first thing that catches the eye is the puppet doll placed in the center of the training arena!

Although these puppet dolls are only at the Qi Refining Realm Great Completion level, their bodies are forged from special materials!

Even a Ten Grade Lian Qi Realm cultivator finds it not easy to scar themselves.

Li Mu habitually double‑locks the door and immediately activates the formation.

Buzz!

As the formation slowly activates, the puppet dolls in the arena, like soldiers receiving orders, launch a direct attack on Li Mu.

Bang!

Truly worthy of being Qi Refining Realm Great Completion puppets!

Although they cannot perform martial techniques, their terrifying power alone lets their iron fists tear the air before them, emitting bursts of sound that are astonishingly loud!

Ordinary cultivators must keep a vigilance of one‑hundred‑twenty when confronting these puppet dolls!

But Li Mu does not dodge; gripping the hilt, a cold glint flashes in his eyes.

First Absolute!

Slash

Li Mu suddenly slashes!

Rumble…

Inside the arena, a deafening roar suddenly erupts, as if something were being torn apart completely!

On the Vengeance Blade, a black‑red blade aura coils!

Boom!

Under this terrifying slash, the puppet is instantly split and flung backward, crashing hard into the wall.

But that's not all!

After the first slash, Li Mu's figure instantly vanishes from the spot.

The next second!

Second Absolute!

Slash!

A afterimage sweeps by.

Li Mu is already pressed to the puppet's front, followed by two streams of Seven Absolute Blade Qi!

More fierce than before!

Even more domineering!

Boom, boom!

The arena's air seems sliced open, forming a black‑red blade aura!

Then come the third, fourth, and fifth slashes!

Li Mu gives the puppet no chance to retaliate, his blade speed increasing rapidly!

Each slash also generates an additional Seven Absolute Blade Qi!

Each slash is stronger than the last!

When he reaches the seventh slash, Li Mu lets out a low growl!

Break Pot and Sink Ship!

In an instant!

Within Li Mu, it's as if a fire burns, his qi and blood boiling, muscles beneath his skin bulging into terrifying, dragon‑like lines!

At the same time, Li Mu's entire aura suddenly turns ferocious!

Seven Absolute!

Slash!!!

Accompanied by a massive roar that explodes!

Li Mu's long sword, wrapped in seven black‑red Seven Absolute Blade Auras, slashes forward under the boost of the Break Pot and Sink Ship technique!