Chapter 21: Breakthrough! You Truly Possess Innate Divine Strength!

"Senior Liu, you are being courteous."

Chen Zheng smiled faintly, bowed his hand to Liu Suiyun, his demeanor calm and neither servile nor arrogant.

Liu Suiyun nodded silently.

After that, the two of them exchanged pleasantries, then, with tacit understanding, waved their hands to push aside onlookers on both sides and began to discuss business in the hall.

No one knew what they were discussing inside.

The hall's doors remained tightly shut.

Chen Fu, Chen Biao, and Manager Xu stood clearly distinguished on either side of the door, like three gate deities.

The first two wore blank expressions, as if the sheer volume and shock of the information received tonight were too much to digest, leaving their minds dazed.

The latter also felt a tangled mix of emotions.

When Chen Zheng first applied to become a demon‑hunter, he had politely advised the other party because their cultivation level was too low.

Later, seeing Chen Zheng's propriety and decent potential, he felt compassion and asked the Li Qiu siblings to look after him a bit.

Who could have guessed that in such a short time Chen Zheng's status would turn upside down, even his own host came to make contact.

And he himself didn't even have the right to listen in.

"There is nothing more wondrous in life's encounters than this."

Manager Xu smiled wryly in silence.

…

After more than an hour, the night faded, the east showed a pale dawn, and the tightly shut doors slowly opened, allowing Chen Zheng and Liu Suiyun to walk out.

As he turned, Liu Suiyun smiled and said, "Young brother Chen, Liu takes his leave. When you finish handling your family affairs and go to the Feather Ascension Gate, just go straight to the Gathering Treasure Tower to find me."

"Very well, Senior Liu, take care."

Chen Zheng smiled as he escorted Liu Suiyun out of the cabin.

Liu Suiyun rose into the air out of nowhere, drifting away with Manager Xu.

This scene caused many members of the Chen clan on the ship to gasp softly, envious in their hearts.

Attaining Shen Tong Mi Jing, soaring through sky and earth, and roaming the four seas is the ultimate goal of every warrior.

Alas, the difficulty of Shen Tong is greater than reaching the blue heavens.

Of course, a Mortal Secret Realm practitioner who possesses a spirit‑blade or even a treasure can also ride the sword to fly.

Even contending with Shen Tong cultivators is not impossible.

In mid‑air.

Manager Xu silently observed Liu Suiyun's expression, saw no abnormality, and tentatively asked, "Has the host given the pill to Young Master Chen Zheng?"

Before departing from the Gathering Treasure Tower to find Chen Zheng, Liu Suiyun had already asked him about Chen Zheng's situation and learned of a "looking‑after" relationship between them, which is why he brought him along.

An acquaintance, easy to talk to.

At that time Liu Suiyun did not hide his intention to befriend Chen Zheng and even prepared a welcome gift for him.

The gift was a pill: one thousand Baiyang Pills.

Pills are graded into four levels by quality, namely Human, Spirit, Earth, and Heaven.

Each level has four grades: Lower, Middle, Upper, and Supreme.

The Baiyang Pill is a Human‑level Upper grade, requiring five thousand jin of Baiyang rice plus numerous precious auxiliary herbs, and after repeated refinements yields a single pill that is countless times better than the Chen family's Human‑level Lower grade Qi‑Blood Pill.

According to legend, the ordinary farmers of the world's foremost dynasty, the Great Xuan Empire, cultivate Baiyang rice, which excels at absorbing the earth's essence, yielding thirty to fifty thousand jin per mu.

Because of this, the Great Xuan Empire's nearly one hundred billion people show no signs of hunger; the nation is rich and its people strong.

Many Great Immortal Sect factions and wealthy noble families also largely use Baiyang Pills to nurture their successors.

Taking Baiyang Pills continuously for twenty to thirty years raises the chance of attaining Shen Tong Mi Jing far above that of ordinary people.

In fact, Baiyang Pills also serve as a universal currency in the cultivation world, usable to purchase materials or treasures.

"Chen Zheng refused my Baiyang Pills," Liu Suiyun shook his head.

"Refused?" Manager Xu was greatly surprised.

One thousand Baiyang Pills could purchase two or three top‑grade artifacts, or even buy out the entire Chen family on Golden Feather Island, underscoring their value.

He could not fathom Chen Zheng's reason for refusing.

Liu Suiyun suddenly turned back, furrowed his brows and asked, "Have you ever heard of people with innate divine strength?"

Manager Xu was taken aback, pondered a moment, then said, "There is a folk saying that those born with great strength are called 'innate divine strength' and achieve higher in martial practice than ordinary people."

Liu Suiyun skeptically asked, "Is there a claim that if an innate divine‑strength person regularly consumes the essence of beast blood, their cultivation speed would far surpass that of ordinary people?"

Manager Xu was stunned again.

This.

There is no such saying.

But he did not answer immediately; instead he racked his brain, pondering why Liu Suiyun suddenly changed the subject to ask these.

After a short while, he formed a plan, kept his expression unchanged, and replied, "I have heard a saying that the reason innate divine‑strength individuals are so powerful is that they carry a trace of an ancient Beast Emperor's bloodline; if they ingest the essence of beast blood, it may awaken the true potential within that lineage."

This novel you have reached.

Liu Suiyun's brows relaxed at the words, and he muttered, "No wonder Chen Zheng refused the Baiyang Pills and asked me for beast blood; it turns out he truly possesses innate divine strength, with a trace of the ancient Beast Emperor's bloodline."

Indeed!

Manager Xu exhaled quietly, but outwardly asked curiously, "Did the host agree to Young Master Chen Zheng's request?"

A hint of painful resolve flashed in Liu Suiyun's eyes: "He is merely a collateral relative, yet has cultivated to such a level, showing extraordinary talent. Since he desires beast blood, I can only reluctantly part with it, gifting him a jar of Black Water King Snake heart blood."

Manager Xu quickly flattered, "The host is wise! I believe that after Young Master Chen Zheng receives your jar of Black Water King Snake heart blood, his chance of advancing to Shen Tong Mi Jing will increase by several folds, and when he later becomes a true disciple of the Feather Ascension Gate, he will surely remember your kindness and repay you richly."

Liu Suiyun felt pleased, stroked his beard and laughed, "Old Xu, actually your eyes aren't bad; I should add another load onto you."

"Thank you, host!"

Xu Guanshi's face was full of joy.

……

The Chen Family Magic Ship has already been activated, returning to the family.

Chen Zheng sat upright in the room.

In front of him sat a small black jar, filled with beast blood.

It is said that throughout heaven and earth there are many ancient primordial aberrant species, each massive in size and overwhelming in power, almost a dozen to twenty times that of ordinary human warriors.

After the primordial aberrant species attain the Shen Tong Mi Jing, their magical power becomes so mighty that it far surpasses cultivators, allowing them to fight beyond the usual ranks.

And the jar of blood before Chen Zheng is the heart blood of one of the ancient primordial aberrant species, the Black Water King Snake.

Although this snake is only at the Mortal Secret Realm, its blood is not abundant, yet its quality is far stronger than any blood Chen Zheng has previously absorbed, making comparison impossible.

Originally Liu Suiyun intended to use this jar of blood for pill refinement to improve the pill quality, but Chen Zheng obtained it by bluffing and making grand promises.

"This time we should be able to breakthrough."

A smile appeared on Chen Zheng's face; he extended his palm and plunged it into the jar filled with the Black Water King Snake's heart blood.

Nether King True Body Internal Refinement Method, activate!

Swoosh!

The pores on his palm suddenly opened like bottomless pits, gulping the Black Water King Snake's heart blood mouth after mouth.

Several breaths later.

The blood was completely drawn out, and through the demon cavity it was swiftly refined into pure blood essence, spreading through his limbs and bones, nourishing the Physical Body.

It also made the membrane beneath his skin tougher, directly propelling him to the pinnacle of the Physical Body Eightfold.

At the same time.

He silently recited the mental cultivation mantra of the Nether King True Body in his mind, channeling all Qi and blood to the brain, arousing his spirit, and striking the Physical Body Ninth Layer.

Time passed.

After ten shi chen, Chen Zheng successfully broke through, reaching the Physical Body Ninth Layer, the Spirit-Communing Realm.

(End of chapter)