Chapter 658: Concern

Chapter 658: Chapter 658: Concern

From Shen Hao’s own experience, just in terms of quality, True Qi is like a bow and arrow, while True Essence is like a musket.

It’s a change in nature, and also an ascension of energy.

At the very moment he completed Opening Pill, all the meridians, bones, flesh, and hair in his body felt a profound sensation, inside and out, as if a window had been opened and a fresh breeze was sweeping in.

The most direct was the crown of his head, as if a "skylight" had opened, and a torrent of pure energy between Heaven and Earth, appearing out of nowhere, poured down like a waterfall, washing through Shen Hao’s entire body until it was utterly clear and bright.

It felt like an hour had passed, yet also like only a few breaths, but Shen Hao found his once constrained meridians and Sea of Consciousness gained room to grow again, slowly beginning a new expansion.

From this moment on, Shen Hao formally stepped into a new realm, achieving the rank of a Primordial Pill Realm Cultivator!

...

For several days in a row, the Inspector’s camp was abnormally tense. Every soldier was on edge, and would sometimes glance curiously toward the heavily guarded central tent, wondering when their Steward would finish his seclusion.

The ones truly tense, though, were the three Primordial Pill Realm guards, for only they understood the dangers of breaking through to the Primordial Pill Realm.

"It’s the seventh day now, nothing’s going to go wrong, right?"

"What could go wrong? Shen Hao had that prior moment of insight as his foundation; the Primordial Pill Realm shouldn’t be much of a problem for him."

"If it’s not much of a problem, then why isn’t he out yet?"

"What’s the rush? Breaking through a Great Realm like this—six or seven days is perfectly normal."

The three of them, as Shen Hao’s guards, knew that if anything happened to him during the breakthrough, they probably wouldn’t get off easy either, so they stayed at his tent without moving a step. Although they couldn’t sense what was happening inside the Array, based on the timing, Shen Hao should be close to finishing.

By the eighth day, the three guards grew even more restless, debating whether to go inside and check. But what if their intrusion disturbed Shen Hao’s breakthrough?

Just as the three were struggling, a strange wave of energy suddenly washed out from the tent. It flashed and disappeared in an instant, but the three—who were fully focused—couldn’t miss it.

"This is... True Essence?!"

"It must be! Probably what overflowed when Shen Hao opened his Pill and breached the Defense Array—he’s made it!"

"Primordial Pill Realm, huh? How long did that take? With talent like that, I really haven’t seen anyone who can compare to him."

"Among loose cultivators and in our Xuanqing Guard, there’s definitely not many who can match him. In the Sects, though, it’s hard to say—those places are packed with geniuses. But with the talent Shen Hao has now shown, even among Sects, he’d be among the very top."

"But didn’t they say before he was a late bloomer, and that moment of insight really boosted him? Now that he’s broken through to the Primordial Pill Realm, his cultivation speed probably won’t stay this fast, right?"

At this, the three guards felt a bit better. After all, they were already at the Middle Stage of the Primordial Pill Realm, and Shen Hao, that brat, no matter how much he chased, couldn’t catch up to them for a while. After all, that boost from his insight couldn’t possibly last all the way through the Primordial Pill Realm.

Watching themselves get overtaken is not exactly a pleasant feeling.

Another day passed. On the eleventh day since Shen Hao entered seclusion, at last, several Arrays in the tent were unlocked. The three guards immediately knew Shen Hao was Gathering Qi and Finishing the Practice, and hurried inside.

"You... succeeded... didn’t you?"

"Mm, I did. Didn’t expect this breakthrough to take so long. Was it the same for you back then?" Shen Hao was already standing up from his puduan. Not only had he officially broken through to the Primordial Pill Realm, but he’d also spent the last three days consolidating all his post-breakthrough instability.

The three guards felt anything but calm. They guessed Shen Hao had been stabilizing his foundation, but now, seeing him, they realized—there was not even the slightest sign of instability! This was a breakthrough to a great realm like the Primordial Pill Realm! And he’d soothed all the after-effects in just three days?! Back when they achieved it, it took them at least half a year to consolidate themselves to this extent!

All they could say was that once again, Shen Hao had overturned their understanding of cultivation.

Seeing how the three seemed a bit agitated, chests heaving, Shen Hao thought they were worried he’d run into trouble during his breakthrough and was quite moved. He thought to himself, well, we’ve known each other for a while now—there’s some camaraderie here. So he said, "No need to worry, you three. It was just a breakthrough, and I only took some extra time to consolidate my foundation, otherwise I’d have come out sooner."

The three exchanged glances, their faces marked with barely concealed anger, then spun around and left without saying a word. They felt that if they listened to another word from this guy Shen, they might not be able to stop themselves from cursing—or even hitting him.

"Hey, wait—don’t go! I still have a few questions I wanted to ask... hey! What’s going on?" Shen Hao looked utterly confused. He’d just felt the three cared about him, so why did they suddenly put on long faces and ignore him? What were they thinking?

Shen Hao shook his head, unable to figure it out. Still, he adjusted his mood, took several deep breaths, and finally, the wild and unstable surge of strength he felt post-breakthrough had settled. The substantial feeling of getting stronger was truly satisfying.

With a thought, everything within forty zhang was under his control—even insects crawling in the earth couldn’t escape Shen Hao’s perception.

The power of perception was something Shen Hao had been keenly aware of since his breakthrough. It wasn’t just that—what improved the most was the power of his magic, including his Black Cut skill, all of which had gained a huge leap after breaching this great realm.

As for precisely how much his strength had grown, Shen Hao honestly wasn’t sure. Without actual combat, he’d have to figure it out slowly on his own.

As for the "Pill" in his Dantian, Shen Hao had already grown accustomed to its presence. It would keep growing as his cultivation improved, until it reached the edge of perfection for the Primordial Pill Realm.

As the three guards left, Zhang Ye and Li Jiang, who’d just gotten the news, hurried over. Both of them had dark circles under their eyes, but the moment they saw Shen Hao leave seclusion, looking far better than before, they knew Lord Shen had succeeded in his breakthrough.

"Congratulations, my lord, on your advancement in cultivation!"

"Felicitations, my lord, on adding years to your life!"

They understood that, from this day on, Lord Shen was an official Primordial Pill Realm cultivator—the threshold ahead on his path had now been left behind. After the war, perhaps he’d get promoted again, so their bows were especially formal this time. They knelt on one knee, fists cupped in salute.

"No need for all the formality. Get up. Oh, right, brew me some tea and bring something to eat." Ideally, he should be taking a hot bath right now, but in the army camp, there’s no such luxury. If he wanted a bath, he’d have to wait until the evening when hot water was available, so for now, food would do.

Still, from the look on Zhang Ye and Li Jiang’s faces, it seemed as if they had something else on their minds?