Chapter 417: Gift! Willpower Breakthrough

Chapter 417: Gift! Willpower Breakthrough



At Li Yuan's mansion in the Divine Flame Palace.

"Master, Princess Jiang Xuan has arrived," a beautiful maid dressed in purple robes announced respectfully.

"Please bring Princess Jiang Xuan in," Li Yuan instructed.

Soon, two other servants escorted Princess Jiang Xuan into the hall, and naturally, a servant offered her a fine wine.

"Brother Xu, I saw many people waiting outside. It seems they are all here to visit you," Princess Jiang Xuan smiled and said, "After yesterday's battle, your name has spread throughout the Capital City."

"Quite a few Divine Families have come to visit," Li Yuan replied with a smile.

Not long after returning to the Divine Flame Palace, Divine Families began sending envoys with gifts and greetings.

Especially after the news of Li Yuan's promotion to the top of the Flight Heaven Ranking spread, the number of visitors increased significantly.

Each gift was worth at least ten Divine Crystals.

Li Yuan declined gifts that were clearly of high value and had ulterior motives, but he accepted the rest without hesitation.

It wasn't every day that one could easily obtain so many Divine Crystals without any effort.

In less than a day, Li Yuan had received hundreds of Divine Crystals just from accepting gifts.

"This is just the beginning. In the coming days, the number of visitors will likely increase even more," Princess Jiang Xuan's eyes sparkled as she said, "Haha, Brother Xu, you'll be overwhelmed with gifts, and you might not even remember who sent what."

There were over a thousand Divine Families in the Capital City, and if even a fifth of them chose to offer congratulations, the total value of the gifts would be quite significant.

"It doesn't matter if I can't remember who sent the gifts," Li Yuan joked, "As long as I remember who didn't send any."

Princess Jiang Xuan couldn't help but laugh and replied, "It seems I came at the right time today."

"Oh? I was just about to ask you something," Li Yuan inquired.

"I'm also here to give you a gift," Princess Jiang Xuan said with a smile, and with a flip of her palm, she sent a jade bottle flying towards Li Yuan.

"What is this?" Li Yuan's eyes widened in surprise as he examined it briefly, "Awakening Star Divine Pills, fifty of them?"

It was common knowledge that Li Yuan had visited Sha Xi, the Void Deity, just two hours ago, and he had directly received twenty Awakening Star Divine Pills as a gift.

No more!

Thirty Awakening Star Divine Pills were the maximum number one could obtain from the Divine Flame Palace at the Flight Heaven rank.

Many members of the Divine Flame Palace had to complete numerous trial missions to acquire such a large number of Awakening Star Divine Pills.

Purchase Awakening Star Divine Pills?

These pills were prohibited items and not allowed to be sold.

Li Yuan understood that ordinary Half-Gods rarely had the opportunity to obtain Awakening Star Divine Pills, and even if they did, they would likely use them immediately, leaving none in reserve.

But Li Yuan never expected that Princess Jiang Xuan would offer fifty Awakening Star Divine Pills at once.

"Where did you get these?" Li Yuan asked in confusion.

"After returning yesterday, my brother managed to get them for me and asked me to bring them to you," Princess Jiang Xuan explained, "Brother Xu, considering your relationship with the Divine King, even if you were to gift hundreds or thousands of Awakening Star Divine Pills, it wouldn't be an issue for the Divine King."

In truth, Princess Jiang Xuan had some doubts in her mind. Initially, she thought Li Yuan belonged to one of the holy lands or a top-tier genius of Perception Star City... But since Li Yuan hadn't used any Awakening Star Divine Pills, it seemed he wasn't a core member of a major power.

However, Princess Jiang Xuan could confirm that the Divine King valued Li Yuan greatly.

"It's just a small matter, and I don't want to trouble the Divine King," Li Yuan smiled, "A few dozen more or less Awakening Star Divine Pills won't make much difference to me."

Li Yuan was well aware that Jiang Yuan True God had already helped him tremendously.

Helping with his identity, directly providing an opportunity to enter the Perception Star City, and protecting his token once... These were the most important favors.

However, Jiang Yuan True God had no personal connection to Li Yuan and was not obligated to help him. Such significant favors must have come with expectations.

If Li Yuan asked for help with even the smallest matters, what reason would Jiang Yuan True God have to believe in Li Yuan's potential to become a Heaven Deity?

Especially since Li Yuan had only awakened the Eight-Star Meridian, and his Law Talent wasn't exceptionally heaven-defying.

In the history of the Celestial Serpent Clan, even many of the Nine-Star Meridian geniuses had perished on the path to becoming a Heaven Deity.

"Princess Jiang Xuan, I do need these Awakening Star Divine Pills right now. Thank you," Li Yuan said, not wanting to be overly polite with her.

"You're welcome."

"Speaking of which, Brother Xu, you've helped me even more, not just saving me multiple times," Princess Jiang Xuan said, "This time, the Imperial Clan's Perception Star City quota was also obtained with your help."

"How did I help with that?" Li Yuan was taken aback.

"Do you remember those Half-God rank ferocious beast skulls?" Princess Jiang Xuan asked.

Li Yuan realized and smiled, "So, you went to the Abyss Demon Blood Cavern to compete for the Perception Star City quota as well."

"Yes."

"Brother Xu, I have one more thing I want to ask," Princess Jiang Xuan couldn't help but inquire, "In the Abyss Demon Blood Cavern, could you confirm that Uncle Guo and the others truly perished?"

"I didn't witness their deaths personally, but based on some signs, it seems likely," Li Yuan replied.

Initially, he had seen with his own eyes that Xu Guo and the others had entered the dimly lit cavern.

"Okay, thank you for telling me, Brother Xu," Princess Jiang Xuan's eyes dimmed, and her last shred of hope was shattered.

...

After seeing Princess Jiang Xuan off, Li Yuan sent a message to Ren Qing.

The purple-robed woman immediately flew in and said respectfully, "Master, what are your instructions?"

Ren Qing was the newly assigned half-god servant of Li Yuan's mansion.

"Tell those who wish to visit me that I will be temporarily retreating for closed-door cultivation and will not be receiving guests," Li Yuan instructed, "They can leave their name cards and gifts, and I will take note of them later."

"Master, is this appropriate?" Ren Qing couldn't help but ask, "After all, the visitors are from Divine Families."

"There's no need to worry. They're not royalty, and neither are the Divine Beings themselves coming to visit," Li Yuan laughed.

Only the most formidable Void Deities in the Abyss Kingdom could be granted the title of King, and Mirage True Marquis was one of them.

As for the lower-ranked Void Deities... If these Divine Beings were to visit personally, Li Yuan would certainly treat them with respect, but for mere family members, he truly didn't care.

"Yes," Ren Qing said, "By the way, Master, many of the visiting Divine Families have conflicts with each other. Should we accept all the gifts they bring?"

In Ren Qing's opinion, accepting the gifts was a form of taking a stand.

"Accept them all!"

"Take everything they dare to offer," Li Yuan smiled, "But be sure to scrutinize them. Return anything that exceeds fifty Divine Crystals."

"Yes," Ren Qing nodded.

She was secretly astonished. She had served as a mansion manager for many Demigod-level geniuses in the Divine Flame Palace, but this was the first time she had encountered someone as carefree as Li Yuan, who didn't seem to care about the opinions of the Divine Families.

"Perhaps this is what makes a super genius," Ren Qing thought to herself.

Little did she know that Li Yuan had already thought this through. He planned to leave the Star Perception Continent after reaching the Demigod Realm, so he might as well take advantage of the situation now.

Opportunities like this don't come often.

...

"Boom!" The quiet room slowly closed, and Li Yuan immediately activated the Source Energy Array.

"Seventy Awakening Star Divine Pills," Li Yuan sat in a meditative posture, sensing all the pills within his storage treasure.

"Let's try."

"Let's see if I can refine them all," Li Yuan thought to himself, with a hint of anticipation in his heart, "Previously, using ten Awakening Star Divine Pills, I awakened thousands of Life Stars... If I use fifty or sixty pills at once, I'll be one step closer to awakening the Nine-star Meridian."

Huff! Li Yuan took out a pill, and with his familiar technique, enveloped it with his Divine Sense and Source Energy, attempting to refine it.

"Boom!"

A powerful surge erupted from the Awakening Star Divine Pill, directly striking at Li Yuan's soul origin.

"Here it comes," Li Yuan concentrated, blocking the surge...

...

In the Fog Mountain Royal Mansion.

"Commander Mo," Jiang Xuan said in a low voice, "Have all the arrangements been made?"

"Yes, Princess. We've taken good care of Xu Guo's family as per the Young Master's instructions," Commander Mo replied respectfully.

"Okay, you may leave now," Jiang Xuan said.

After Commander Mo left the hall, Jiang Xuan thought to herself, "This trip to the trip to the Abyss Demon Blood Cavern, if not for Xu Yuan, I might not have made it even with Uncle Guo's protection. Brother... seems to have been making plans and arrangements, and he's been hiding something about Mother from me."

"Strength."

"If I had Xu Yuan's strength, I might be able to help Brother share some of his burdens," Jiang Xuan thought.

Jiang Shan thought that Jiang Xuan was still a child, but she wasn't. She had already noticed something, but hadn't revealed it yet.

"This time, Xu Yuan has helped me secure a spot in Perception Star City. Even if I can't stay in Star City, I must strive to stay longer," Jiang Xuan thought.

The Abyss Kingdom only had ten Demigod-level spots for the Perception Star City trial, and the royal family had to compete with everyone else.

However, for the Flying Heaven-level spots, some were allocated to the Divine Flame Palace, and the rest were for the royal family.

The royal family only had five spots each time, which didn't seem like many, but the royal family was also smaller, so the competition was much less intense.

Jiang Xuan's strength wasn't at the top in the Divine Flame Palace, but she was already a standout among the royal family's Flying Heaven-level members, and she was still quite young.

This Abyss Demon Blood Cavern trial was the final test to determine the spots! With the large number of Demigod-level ferocious beasts given by Li Yuan, Jiang Xuan took first place in the final trial.

"Let's give it my all."

"Brother is preparing for the Ancestral Realm Battle, so I must strive as well," Jiang Xuan thought.

...

In the following days, Li Yuan's mansion was filled with enthusiasm from various Divine Families, despite his announcement that he was in closed-door cultivation and wouldn't be receiving guests.

Many managers of the Divine Families had received instructions from their elders, stating that Xu Yuan would soon join Perception Star City and might even become a True Deity... If he were to return to the Abyss Kingdom from Perception Star City, he would be a top-tier existence.

Now was the best time to establish connections.

Even if they couldn't form a close relationship, at least they wouldn't make Xu Yuan dislike them.

The abundance of gifts left the mansion manager, Ren Qing, a bit numb. She had never imagined that she would one day receive treasures worth thousands of Divine Crystals... She even had a fleeting thought.

"What if I take these treasures and run away? With so many Divine Crystals, I could exchange them for precious cultivation resources and maybe even reach the Demigod Realm," a greedy thought emerged in Ren Qing's heart.

But she quickly dismissed it.

"No!"

"Unless I escape the Abyss Kingdom, the Black Abyss Guards will surely capture me," Ren Qing thought, then had a new idea, "But perhaps this is also an opportunity."

"According to Sha Xi Void Deity, Xu Yuan is alone, without family or children."

"In other words, I'm currently Xu Yuan's closest subordinate. If I can gain his trust, and if he becomes a Void Deity or even a True Deity in the future... I'll have even more opportunities."

"Ren Qing's thoughts turned dark.

She, too, had a longing to break free from her servant identity and become a Void Deity.

On the Star Perception Continent, there were many legends and stories of individuals who had achieved enlightenment and ascended with their servants and pets.

In the Yuan family, there was such a case.

It was said that the extremely low-key 'Gou Mu True God' had helped Jiang Yuan True God when he was still a Flying Heaven Rank. Later, when Jiang Yuan became a True God, he returned the favor by assisting Gou Mu in ascending from a Void Deity to a True God.

After understanding everything, Ren Qing became more diligent in managing the mansion and hosting visits from various families.

...

In the quiet interior of the mansion.

Li Yuan was unaware of Ren Qing's changing thoughts; he had been meditating and refining pills, one after another, from the Awakening Star Divine Pills.

After refining another fifty-three pills in one go, in addition to the initial ten, he was now refining his sixty-fourth Awakening Star Divine Pill.

"Boom!"

The soul impact from the Awakening Star Divine Pill had reached an astonishing level, fiercely assaulting Li Yuan's soul will.

"Endure!"

"Hold on!" Li Yuan's mind roared.

The terrifying soul impact, like a raging river, slowly but forcefully assailed Li Yuan, leaving him with no escape and unable to activate his soul treasure. He could only endure.

This impact was powerful enough to shake one's soul.

Li Yuan's body trembled as he struggled to maintain control, the soul oppression being too overwhelming.

In fact, from the sixtieth pill onwards, the soul impact had become increasingly astonishing, gradually pushing Li Yuan to his limit.

However, with his near-Void Deity-level willpower, Li Yuan stubbornly endured and refined three more pills.

But the sixty-fourth pill clearly exceeded his endurance threshold.

Suddenly, Li Yuan's soul will completely gave way, his mind went blank, and intense pain surged through his heart. He collapsed, lying down.

In the instant Li Yuan failed to withstand the impact, that soul shock vanished without a trace.

After a long while, Li Yuan gradually regained consciousness, sitting up and thinking to himself, "As expected, just like the information on Jiang Yuan True God, the soul impact from the Awakening Star Divine Pill isn't a soul attack... It's just oppressive, making one faint at most, but it won't cause a soul collapse."

This was why Li Yuan dared to keep pushing his limits.

"The effects of the Awakening Star Divine Pill are indeed remarkable. Even though I haven't awakened the Nine-Star Meridian yet..."

Li Yuan gently closed his eyes, sensing the eight meridians in the Life Star Space: "But after refining so many pills, and with nearly twenty thousand Life Stars awakened, my sixth meridian has broken through to the Ninefold Layer."

Li Yuan also looked at the Divine Palace Panel:

[Star Meridians: 8 Meridians (10 Layers + 10 Layers + 10 Layers + 10 Layers + 10 Layers + 9 Layers + 8 Layers + 7 Layers]



Among the eight meridians, the first five had reached the Perfect Meridian Layer, and the remaining three were also approaching the Ninefold layers away from the Ninefold Layer.

The number of meridians was important, but so was their quality.

Just like having six meridians, one could cultivate the Ninefold Stellar Technique, while those with only seven meridians would be far inferior.

The former, if they cultivated Body Refining Star Techniques, would possess formidable combat power that could rival even seven-star meridians.

The latter would be significantly weaker.

Many seven-star and eight-star meridians possess high Law Insights because most of them have two or three Ninefold Meridians, allowing them to cultivate auxiliary strong star techniques and achieve an astonishing level of harmony with the Laws.

"The quality of my meridians should be among the top-tier among eight-star meridians." Li Yuan thought to himself.

In addition to the eight awakened meridians, the numerous unclaimed Life Stars also reached a new peak.

"Steady progress."

"As long as I haven't reached my limit, I can keep awakening Life Stars." Li Yuan's eyes shone with determination: "Even without spiritual guidance, I still have hope to awaken the Nine-Star Meridian."

Spiritual guidance was extremely important.

But Li Yuan never placed all his hopes on spiritual guidance.

Initially, he had also desperately strived to become a Demigod-level soul, which directly propelled him from the Six-Star Meridian to the Seven-Star Meridian.

"External opportunities are crucial."

"But if I keep waiting for spiritual guidance, my achievement of the Ten-Star Meridian will likely remain a mirage." Li Yuan calmed his mind, adjusted his state, and began cultivating the Boundary Cloud Spear.

In his mind, the scene of An Chi Celestial God's slash appeared in the Law Mirror.

Whoosh!

Spear shadows continuously emerged around Li Yuan, all of them transforming into the same move—Thrust!

Forward Thrust!

"Whether it's the Wind and Earth Laws or the Spatial Mystery, if I consider them individually, I'm not even at the Void Deity level." Li Yuan thought to himself: "But when the three are combined, I can comprehend the fourth move of the Boundary Cloud Spear, and my spear technique reaches the Void Deity level."

Many Void Deities who comprehend a single basic Law only reach the Seventh Layer, and their moves might not be as profound as Li Yuan's.

"Keep comprehending."

"By understanding more Law mysteries and integrating them into my spear technique, my spear will become stronger."

"The spear technique of the founder of the Boundary Cloud Spear uses the Earth and Wind Laws as its core, with the Spatial Mystery as a supplement... But I'm doing the opposite, using the Spatial Law as my core."

"Li Yuan, though he had comprehended the Boundary Cloud Spear, gradually developed his own understanding as his insights deepened.

His innate talent in the Spatial lineage far surpassed the Earth and Wind Two Great Laws.

...

After a long session of spear technique deduction, Li Yuan, exhausted from refining the Awakening Star Divine Pill, had recovered significantly.

"Let's begin the Law Contemplation practice." Li Yuan switched to another cultivation method.

Ever since his Source Energy cultivation reached its limit, Li Yuan had been focusing on three key aspects: Star Vein cultivation, spear technique insight, and willpower training. He alternated between these practices.

In a sense, Li Yuan maintained his childhood habit of immersing himself wholeheartedly in cultivation.

In the realm of the mind, within the Heart Spirit Palace.

"Hua!"

Li Yuan's consciousness gathered, as always, within the Great Sun Jade Platform. The surrounding scenery changed, and he found himself in the vast starry sky.

The sun-like stars still hung there.

"Starry Sun."

Li Yuan's consciousness swiftly approached the Great Sun, whose radiant glow contained formidable power, constantly trying to oppress him.

After years of cultivation, Li Yuan's will had grown to a level close to the Void Deity Level, and at this distance, the light barely affected him.

Whoosh! Li Yuan's consciousness flew closer and eventually stopped at a position extremely close to the radiant sun.

Here, the enormous fireball seemed like half of the universe, emitting endless heat, and he could even see the dancing fire snakes on its surface... The scorching light enveloped Li Yuan's consciousness.

Pain! An excruciating pain targeted his soul.

"Sunheart Refinement."

"Contemplate the vast starry sky." This pain, enough to drive many Flying Heaven Warriors insane, was not enough to change Li Yuan's expression.

He had tried to get close to the radiant sun many times.

"Soul Transformation will strengthen the will."

"A strong will also increases the chances of Soul Transformation." Li Yuan silently recited, "The Grand Sun Star Heaven Sutra, though excruciatingly painful, is the supreme method to transform both the soul and will."

No matter how powerful the method.

Or how great the opportunity.

One must strive to make the most of it to achieve success.

Like many Heaven Deity descendants, their cultivation environments often surpass their parents, but their achievements rarely match their ancestors.

"Sizzle~" The terrible pain tormented Li Yuan, gradually transforming his will.

Though his soul and will had reached level 49 long ago.

Li Yuan firmly believed that no matter how hellish the torment, as long as he could make even the slightest progress, he would soon welcome the day of complete transformation.

Time passed.

"Boom~" The invisible light of the radiant sun struck like a blade, hurting Li Yuan's soul repeatedly.

Swoosh~ Li Yuan activated the Grand Sun Star Heaven Sutra, causing a mysterious force to flow from the vast starry sky behind him, nurturing his soul... However, the fatigue from the torment of his will could only be endured by himself.

Li Yuan's consciousness was like a rock, unmoving.

After a long while.

"It seems I can't break through this time either. I'll cultivate for a while longer, then wait for the next opportunity." Li Yuan's mind was serene: "Let's calculate the time, the Nine Sounds Realm is about to open."

"A True Deity-level Soul Master has created a place specifically for accepting disciples. I hope it will give me some inspiration."

Just then.

"Boom~~"

Silently.

Under the nurturing of his body, influenced by the Law River.

Even after reaching level 49, he continued to cultivate and temper himself with the Grand Sun Star Heaven Sutra day after day.

Li Yuan's will, which had already reached the Demi-God limit, suddenly began to transform at this moment, breaking through a crucial bottleneck.

From mortal to deity!

Like a chain reaction, Li Yuan's consciousness burst forth with dazzling light, like crystal, signifying his will had entered a completely new level.

Void Deity Level!!

"Heart Like Crystal, unmoved by external influences, steadfast in one's heart, leads to longevity." Li Yuan suddenly realized, "Is this the essence of the Divine Level will?"

Whether it was Source Warriors, Flying Heaven Warriors, or even Demi-God Powerhouses, their wills grew stronger, but there was no fundamental difference.

In the face of tribulations, they often wavered in their hearts, questioning their choices.

Maintaining one's true heart is difficult!

Only by staying true to oneself, adhering to one's path, and continually examining one's heart without slacking can one's will transform and evolve, reaching the level of 'Heart Like Crystal'.

"The heart knows no good or evil."

"Nor right or wrong."

"Some terrifying demons, after massacring countless lives and destroying worlds and planets, possess an extremely formidable will," Li Yuan felt as his will transformed, realizing this point, "Right and wrong are defined by others."

"True strength lies in an unshakable heart, staying true to one's path."

"Only then can one maintain self-awareness for thousands, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of years without losing oneself."

PS: A 6,000-word chapter, keep typing.

Brothers, at the beginning of the month, I ask for your support with a guaranteed monthly vote.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end