First-stage Gathering Origin Realm is fundamental, second-stage Condensing Origin Realm is the starting point, and only third-stage True Origin Realm counts as an entry-level Cultivator.
Advancing to the third stage is a very important step for Cultivators, which is also why Inner Sect Disciples of the Azure Cloud Sect must be at the third-stage Cultivation level.
Staying in a sheltered spot in the passage, Qin Chu continuously refined his Origin Qi, preparing to break through to the third stage.
After Cultivating for another three days, Qin Chu began his Breakthrough; he wanted to condense and compress the gaseous Origin Qi in his Dantian into liquid Origin Qi, improving the quality of his Origin Qi.
Eating Condensing Origin Medicinal Pills, Qin Chu absorbed energy into his Dantian, while simultaneously controlling the Origin Qi within his Dantian to rapidly spin and squeeze together. Only when squeezed and condensed to a certain degree would the Origin Qi transform from a gaseous state to a liquid state.
Time slipped away little by little. Liu Xue and the others paid attention to Qin Chu and the surrounding environment, as Qin Chu, who was in Breakthrough, could not be disturbed.
After a night passed, Qin Chu's Origin Qi, under his compression, finally underwent a change. A portion turned into liquid Origin Qi, and then, assimilated by the transformed liquid Origin Qi, all the gaseous Origin Qi in his Dantian was completely converted.
Breakthrough successful!
His Origin Qi completed its qualitative change, and Qin Chu became a third-stage True Origin Realm Cultivator, on the same level as an Inner Sect Disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect.
After stabilizing the Origin Qi in his Dantian, Qin Chu stood up and stretched his back; the feeling of having made a Breakthrough was excellent.
"Boss, congratulations!" Bai Yu said happily.
"Everyone worked hard, thank you all! There's nothing else, we can leave now." Qin Chu said. The Opportunities had been mostly found, and there was no need to stay any longer. After all, the risks within this Ancient King's Vestige were very great; even sixth-tier Yao Beasts had appeared, so how could it not be dangerous?
Led by Qin Chu, the group exited the entrance of the Ancient King's Vestige and then left the light barrier.
Seeing Qin Chu, Luo Zhen waved, "Hmm, everyone came out alive, very good!"
At this moment, Lei Yin also walked over, "Liu Xue, where are the others?" Seeing only Liu Xue made Lei Yin feel very uneasy.
"It was them, it was their Main Peak's despicable and shameless actions that harmed several Junior Sisters!" Liu Xue pointed towards the area where Su Shanhe was.
Being pointed at by Liu Xue, Su Shanhe became displeased, "Mind your manners, explain yourself clearly!"
"What happened?" Lei Yin glanced at Su Shanhe, then questioned Liu Xue.
"Their Main Peak's Disciples bribed Sha Han, a Disciple from our Thousand Luo Peak. After entering the Ancient King's Vestige, Sha Han found an excuse not to go with Qin Chu and the others. With him leaving on his own, I and three Junior Sisters couldn't watch a fellow Junior Brother take risks alone. Out of helplessness, we could only separate from Qin Chu and the others and proceed with Sha Han. But what we didn't expect was that after Sha Han met up with the Main Peak's Disciples, they attacked me and the three Junior Sisters viciously. The three Junior Sisters were humiliated and then killed. I encountered Qin Chu and the others while escaping, which is how I narrowly survived." Liu Xue looked at Su Shanhe and Zhang Ji with eyes full of hatred.
"This is all your one-sided story. When Liu Nan and the others come out, this Venerable One will investigate." Su Shanhe's expression changed. Humiliating fellow female Disciples is no small crime; it's punishable by death.
Liu Xue didn't speak. Wait for Liu Nan and the others to come out? Then you all can just wait!
Luo Zhen told Qin Chu and the others to rest first and return to Green Bamboo Peak later. People from the Azure Cloud Sect who came together should return together. Many Disciples haven't come out yet; not to mention other peaks, not a single Disciple from the Main Peak has emerged, so they have to wait.
Half a day passed, and Shang Shuyu emerged.
Dressed in a light blue silk dress, Shang Shuyu was still as fresh and refined as ever.
"Shang Shuyu, where are Liu Nan and the others?" Su Shanhe asked.
"This Disciple wasn't with them, I don't know!" After Shang Shuyu finished speaking, she went to the side and stood still, not speaking to anyone else.
Subsequently, Disciples from other peaks appeared one after another, but none were complete teams; all had suffered heavy losses.
Qin Chu ignored these matters and continued to meditate to stabilize his Cultivation.
Half a month later, the dense fog in the basin intensified again, because the time for the Ancient King's Vestige to appear was nearing its end. It would gradually sink underground, which meant that those who hadn't come out wouldn't be able to. Of course, if one had the ability to survive until the next opening of the Ancient King's Vestige, that would also be possible.
"Qin Chu, where are our Main Peak's people?" The Ancient King's Vestige was about to close. Besides Shang Shuyu, not a single Disciple from the Main Peak had emerged, which made Su Shanhe and Zhang Ji anxious.
"Why are you shouting at me? Your Main Peak's Disciples are missing, so you come to me? Am I a babysitter?" Qin Chu stood up, staring at Su Shanhe with absolutely no politeness in his words. What kind of Vice Sect Master? He didn't acknowledge that now.
"Liu Xue said that the Main Peak Disciples had a conflict with her, and then met you, which means you've seen them." Su Shanhe said, referring to Liu Nan and the others chasing Liu Xue as merely a 'conflict.' His face didn't even flush; it was thick to the extreme.
"Seen them or not, what does it matter? If you want to find people, then Peak Master Su can send people in to look again!" Before Qin Chu could reply, Lei Yin spoke. Three female Disciples from Thousand Luo Peak had died due to the despicable methods of the Main Peak Disciples; her temper was flaring!
Just as Su Shanhe was about to say something more, a figure shot out from the dense fog—a woman in a purple silk dress, flying out.
The woman flew to the upper-diagonal sky of the Azure Cloud Sect's area, paused for a moment, looked at Qin Chu, then vanished in two flashes.
Su Shanhe, Zhang Ji, and even several Peak Masters of the Azure Cloud Sect all changed their expressions. Flying through the air—this was a technique of a sixth-stage Cultivator, a height they couldn't reach!
Qin Chu and Shang Shuyu exchanged glances. They had both seen this woman in the purple silk dress before. She was the woman Qin Chu had fed a Medicinal Pill to and rescued, the one Shang Shuyu referred to as a sixth-stage Yao Beast in human form.
The woman flashed away. Her appearance defused the conflict between Lei Yin and Su Shanhe, because her threat was too great, forcing all those belonging to the Azure Cloud Sect to temporarily put aside their differences.
Not long after the woman left, a rumbling sound was heard, and then the shadows of the great halls in the dense fog all disappeared. The Ancient King's Vestige officially closed, and the Azure Cloud Sect Disciples who hadn't come out were now out of luck.
Ignoring Su Shanhe and Zhang Ji, Luo Zhen led Qin Chu and the others, while Lei Yin led Liu Xue. The group left the basin.
"Liu Xue, tell this Venerable One the detailed situation." Lei Yin said to Liu Xue. Thousand Luo Peak had been harmed this time, and she had no intention of tolerating it.
Liu Xue then recounted the events of how they were harmed and also explained the reason for her escape. This she absolutely had to say, because if she didn't make it clear, her innocence would be ambiguous.
"Despicable and shameless, now the Main Peak side has completely stooped to the lowest point." Lei Yin's face was full of anger.
"Peak Master, please don't be angry. Their forces were completely annihilated; they also paid a price." Liu Xue said.
"Completely annihilated?" Peak Master Lei looked at Qin Chu, then at Liu Xue.
Liu Xue nodded. She understood Lei Yin's doubts. Some things were best known among themselves; speaking them aloud wasn't good.