Chu Feng was overjoyed, for his Dantian was undergoing an unprecedented change.
Nine colossal thunder beasts, nine different colors, nine distinct forms, ceaselessly shifting and roaring, each cry powerful enough to shake heaven and earth. Yet at this moment, only Chu Feng and Dan Dan could hear them.
"Woooargh!"
Suddenly, one golden lightning beast separated from the group. Carrying its dazzling golden radiance, it resolutely bolted out from within his Dantian, plunging straight into Chu Feng's heart.
"Thump-thump!"
In that instant, Chu Feng clearly heard his own heart beat violently twice, and an indescribable sensation began to swirl within his chest.
That golden thunder beast actually split apart inside Chu Feng's heart, transforming into countless tiny golden lightning arcs. These golden arcs, like several slender golden serpents, raced rapidly through his blood vessels, quickly flooding his entire bloodstream.
An indescribably powerful feeling emanated from Chu Feng's blood, for his blood was no longer that of a common man—it was now blood filled with golden thunder.
At that moment, the eight other thunder beasts within his Dantian ceased their galloping and roaring, coiling together once more to occupy the space. Simultaneously, what surged from his Dantian and washed through his entire body was no longer Spiritual Energy, but Yuan Force.
He had broken through! Finally, Chu Feng had broken through the shackles of the Spirit Martial realm and stepped into the long-awaited Yuan Martial realm. Feeling the formidable Yuan Force within his body, he was elated.
Although he had once experienced the sensation of the Yuan Martial realm with Dan Dan's help, this time was completely different. Not only was this his own power, but more importantly, his blood now contained that added golden thunder.
The golden thunder could resonate with Yuan Force and harmonize with Chu Feng, becoming something he could control. If the Heaven-granted Divine Body truly possessed special abilities, then it seemed Chu Feng had now grasped the power that should have belonged to him all along.
"Haah!"
Suddenly, Chu Feng let out a mighty shout. Two bolts of golden thunder actually surged forth from within his pupils. As the golden lightning surged in his eyes, his entire aura transformed completely.
At the same time, the golden lightning roaming his blood began to rage and roar. Centered around Chu Feng, the surrounding Yuan Force coalesced into a humanoid shield. His cultivation base, unexpectedly, advanced from Yuan Martial First Level directly to Yuan Martial Second Level.
"Wow! So this is your ability? It's incredible! It can directly raise your cultivation by a whole level, and that's just the effect of one lightning bolt fusing with your body! If all nine bolts were to merge into you and serve you, how powerful would you become?"
"My goodness, this Divine Thunder of yours is no simple matter! If every major breakthrough grants you the power of one bolt, then your future achievements will truly defy the heavens!"
Dan Dan cheered and jumped about, exclaiming in excitement. Even she was astonished by the strange power Chu Feng had gained.
After all, what allowed Chu Feng to raise his cultivation by a whole level right now was just the result of one golden thunder bolt integrating into his body. If the eight other thunder bolts within his Dantian were all to serve him, the resulting power was simply unimaginable.
For now, they only knew the power of this single golden bolt. The magical effects of the other eight bolts remained a complete mystery. But one thing was certain: these nine bolts of thunder would grant Chu Feng incredibly terrifying power.
"It is very powerful. This feeling is great. Someone at Yuan Martial Fifth Level is already nothing to fear; I could even fight someone at Yuan Martial Sixth Level. As for someone at Yuan Martial Seventh Level, even if I couldn't defeat them, they would have great difficulty injuring me. If I wished to flee, I suspect no one within the Yuan Martial realm could stop me."
Chu Feng was also wildly overjoyed. Compared to Dan Dan, who resided in his spiritual world, Chu Feng could feel his own changes more acutely. The formidable Yuan Force surging from his Dantian, the domineering thunder within his blood, filled him with tremendous confidence.
He felt that a cultivator at Yuan Martial Fifth Level could be easily slain by him. Someone at Yuan Martial Sixth Level would not be his match if he fought with all his might. Even though he couldn't yet contend with someone at Yuan Martial Seventh Level, as long as he wished to escape, relying on his high-tier Void Flight Technique—a seventh-rank movement martial art—no one within the Yuan Martial realm would likely be able to catch him.
"In that case, your duel with that Gong Luyun really shouldn't be a problem. Right now, he's at Xuan Martial First Level. Even if his talent is excellent, he's still just an ordinary person. By the time of the duel, his cultivation will be at most Xuan Martial Second Level."
"You may have just entered the Yuan Martial realm, but you are the Heaven-granted Divine Body, hailed as a true genius, one who wields a special ability. With your current means, you don't need to step into the Xuan Martial realm. As long as you reach Yuan Martial Ninth Level by the day of the duel, you can easily defeat that Gong Luyun."
"So, you only need to raise your cultivation by seven more levels to beat Gong Luyun. Although it will be difficult for you to do that in less than a year, don't forget that this Queen is here to back you up."
"As long as you can provide me with enough primordial essence before that duel, and your cultivation reaches Yuan Martial Ninth Level, your victory will be assured," Dan Dan said with a grin.
"You little rascal. In the end, you just want me to find primordial essence for you. I still want to win my fight against Gong Luyun relying on my own strength. Unless there's no other choice, I won't borrow your power."
Chu Feng naturally knew that breaking through seven levels within a year to reach Yuan Martial Ninth Level would be extremely difficult, as it required a vast quantity of Yuan Pearls as resources.
Compared to amassing such a huge number of Yuan Pearls, obtaining the primordial essence from a deceased Xuan Martial realm expert's body was indeed easier. After all, within the Qingzhou region, there were still many Xuan Martial experts. As long as Chu Feng mastered the Barrier Technique, acquiring essence wasn't as hard as one might imagine.
However, Chu Feng still wanted to rely on his own strength to defeat Gong Luyun. He wanted to use his own ability to defeat and kill the one who had once humiliated him.
After his breakthrough, Chu Feng left the inn and chose to set out. Although using the power of the golden thunder imposed no burden on him, the eyes that flickered with golden lightning and the Yuan Force shield would make him stand out.
Therefore, when there was no need, Chu Feng naturally would not employ this special method. Additionally, to better infiltrate the White Tiger Mountain Range, Dan Dan had taught him a technique that utilized the power of his barriers to conceal his true cultivation level.
This technique was highly effective, capable of hiding his true aura. Unless it was an exceptionally powerful Spirit World Master, even a Xuan Martial realm cultivator would be unable to see through Chu Feng's actual level.
Riding his Sweating Blood Horse, Chu Feng galloped swiftly, quickly leaving the jurisdiction of Vermilion Bird City. However, just then, a group of familiar faces appeared on the wide road ahead—it was the very group of burly men who had competed with him for the Sweating Blood Horse.
"Hehe, brat, we've been waiting for you for a long time."