The old man stood up, his entire body tense.
His widened eyes held not only shock, but also a hint of fear.
As if something catastrophic had just occurred.
But thankfully, the flames quickly subsided. Though they still existed, the fire was now contained entirely within the cauldron.
Seeing this, the old man breathed a sigh of relief.
"I told you — this was merely the comprehension of talent. How could it possibly consume such immense power from the cauldron?"
The old man sat back down cross-legged, closing his eyes once more to rest.
Boom boom boom—
But soon, the rumbling of thunder from high above the void forced the old man to open his eyes and look upward once more.
His gaze was sharp and piercing. Under his stare, everything obstructing his vision dissolved, and his eyes pierced straight through to see what was happening outside.
And there, above the nine heavens, the Nine-colored Divine Thunder blotted out the sky and sun, threatening to tear the very void apart.
"A Heavenly Thunder phenomenon?"
"This boy… is he about to break through?"
"His luck is certainly something. It seems he has gained considerable enlightenment at his martial cultivation bottleneck. He should need only a single thread to shatter the barrier and step into a new realm."
"No wonder, no wonder — no wonder he insisted on enhancing his comprehension."
"Though if this is all, it would have been better to choose guidance in martial cultivation directly. The gains would likely have been greater."
"Oh well, it was his own choice."
As he spoke, the old man looked up once more to observe.
"The might of this Heavenly Thunder phenomenon is quite ferocious. He must be cultivating the Divine Punishment Mystic Art?"
"This boy is more than he appears."
"But excessive pride is never a good thing."
The old man glanced at Chu Feng with a cold smile, still seemingly holding a grudge over Chu Feng's refusal to heed his advice.
Boom boom boom—
Before long, the Divine Thunder Bloodline that had been coiling above the nine heavens crashed down.
Though the Divine Thunder's might was fierce, it did no damage to the palace whatsoever. Instead, it struck Chu Feng directly.
But not long after, the power of the Divine Thunder dissipated.
The moment the Divine Thunder's might faded, Chu Feng stepped out of the great cauldron.
"Thank you, Senior."
Chu Feng bowed respectfully to the old man.
On his face, the irrepressible joy was plain to see.
He had succeeded. He had finally broken through the last seal of the Crouching Dragon Soul Armor.
With the help of the Crouching Dragon Soul Armor, Chu Feng's cultivation had advanced. He had now stepped into the Second Rank of the Martial Lord realm.
At the Second Rank of the Martial Lord realm, combined with Chu Feng's many techniques and abilities…
Even a Fifth Rank Martial Lord would not be worth his concern.
If he employed the Nine-layered Heavenly Thunder Slash properly, even a Sixth Rank Martial Lord would be a worthy opponent.
With this level of cultivation, should he encounter anyone from the Sacred Light Clan again, Chu Feng would no longer need to flee.
Unless it was Sacred Light Xuanye, the patriarch of the Sacred Light Clan — otherwise, there was likely no one in the entire Sacred Light Clan who could match Chu Feng.
Moreover, Chu Feng discovered that once all the restraints of the Crouching Dragon Soul Armor had been released, the armor had become a treasure he could freely control.
And the Crouching Dragon Soul Armor itself was an extraordinarily rare, practically priceless treasure.
It was a treasure that could enhance the power of one's soul.
With its restraints lifted, the full power of the Crouching Dragon Soul Armor was unleashed. Under its enhancement, Chu Feng could feel that his soul was far stronger than usual.
Though martial cultivation was related to comprehension, perseverance, and mental fortitude…
A powerful soul was the very foundation of life, and for a martial cultivator, it was of paramount importance.
And to have obtained all of this so smoothly — he owed it all to that great cauldron.
The power within the cauldron was even greater than Chu Feng had imagined.
"This was simply your own fortune."
"Now that it's over, you may leave."
The old man waved his hand, gesturing for Chu Feng to go down the mountain on his own.
"Senior, could you really not be an elder from our Crouching Dragon Martial Sect?" Chu Feng asked once more.
"I've already told you I'm not. Don't ask again."
"Hurry up and leave before I have to force you out."
The old man said impatiently.
"Then this junior takes his leave."
Seeing that he would get nothing more, Chu Feng turned and departed.
The old man closed his eyes once more to rest.
It was not until another young person arrived that the old man spoke again.
"What kind of guidance do you seek?"
the old man asked.
"Lord Superior, this junior wishes to receive guidance in martial cultivation."
the young person replied.