Back in the Courtyard – Within the Room
Huan Changge stood silently in the dim room, observing Lin Bao'er.
There was no sign of advancement in her cultivation, but his eyes narrowed sharply—he had sensed something else.
A deep, powerful shift.
Her aptitude was transforming.
As someone who had once been cursed with the lowest aptitude, even possessing an Immortal body yet unable to cultivate, Huan Changge understood more than most the importance of qualifications.
There were nine grades of aptitude, from lowest to supreme.
Those with high aptitude could master martial arts, spells, and techniques at speeds others could only dream of. And now, Lin Bao'er's aptitude… was climbing toward the top.
If this transformation completed, her rise to the Golden Core Realm would be a matter of time.
But at that moment—
"Master… it hurts… so much."
Lin Bao'er's delicate face was pale, twisted in agony. She bit her lips, blood dripping from the corners of her mouth.
Her meridians surged and shattered again and again.
Her blood, flesh, and internal organs were all being broken down and reforged.
Her body was being reconstructed—remade to house a superior soul.
And that kind of change came at a cost.
Huan Changge's expression turned grim. He could sense her life force weakening.
This transformation could kill her if she failed to endure it.
"Bao'er," he said in a cold, sharp voice, "your master is giving you a gift most cultivators could never dream of. You are being reborn. You will become a peerless genius. You must endure!"
"B-but Master… it hurts… it hurts so much…"
Her voice was weak, trembling, like a dying candle flame.
"If you give up now…" Huan Changge said darkly, "you'll die."
Lin Bao'er's eyes widened, and her tears welled up.
"I-I don't want to die…"
"Then hold on! Pain is nothing. You want power? Then earn it!"
Suddenly, golden light exploded from her body, and she began to float mid-air.
The skies outside shifted.
---
Outside Feixian Mountain
The wind howled across the peaks.
A towering man stood shirtless, crimson hair fluttering behind him, demonic horns curving from his head. His body radiated brute strength and a dark, heavy aura.
He was Tuoba Ye, a demon king of the Hundred Thousand Mountains.
He looked up solemnly at the mountain ahead.
"Thunder Tribulation," he muttered. "Such immense power… Could it be from that Immortal Treasure that fell here last night?"
Another man beside him sneered, his tongue forked, snake eyes gleaming.
"Shezi Ni," his name was, thin and sinister. "Then why don't you go in and seize it?"
Tuoba Ye's eyes narrowed. "Even I, a third-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, feel death breathing down my neck. Whoever triggered this… isn't ordinary."
Not far away stood a woman in red.
She was beautiful—too beautiful—with legs like jade, flowing red robes, fox ears twitching from her silver hair, and a soft tail lazily swaying.
This was Hong Yi, another demon king.
She chuckled, her voice sweet like honey wine.
"Oh? Aren't you two the mighty demon kings? What's a little thunder tribulation?"
Shezi Ni grinned wickedly. "Then why don't the three of us join forces? It'll be like reaching into a sack for treasure."
Hong Yi smiled mysteriously. "I'm just here to watch the fun."
The men scoffed, not believing her for a second.
Suddenly, Tuoba Ye's face changed.
"Retreat!"
In a flash, the three demon kings fled back a thousand meters.
And then—
BOOM!!!
The heavens split open.
A waterfall of lightning poured down from the sky. It wasn't thunder—it was the Milky Way itself collapsing.
Feixian Mountain became a sea of divine thunder, glowing with blinding white and blue light.
Even the powerful demon kings were stunned.
"Shezi Ni swallowed hard. "W-what kind of… what kind of thunder tribulation is this?!"
Tuoba Ye and Hong Yi stared, unable to speak.
If they had entered… they'd be dead.
They waited for the mountain to collapse into ash—
—but it didn't.
Then, from the heart of the storm, a figure emerged.
Golden light flowed from the figure's body like divine fire. She rose above the mountain like a second sun.
"What is that?" Shezi Ni asked.
Hong Yi narrowed her eyes. "A figure… a girl?"
The thunder, which had been wild and uncontrollable, was now calm—as if it had become gentle, washing over the girl in waves, refining her, not destroying her.
The entire mountain remained untouched.
Eventually, the dark clouds dispersed.
The sea of lightning vanished.
And the girl descended from the sky—reborn.
Tuoba Ye's eyes widened in disbelief.
"She's just a girl… but that tribulation… was caused by her?"
"Could she be… an Immortal Treasure reborn in human form?"
Shezi Ni's mouth curled into a dark grin. "We must enter that mountain."
Without another word, the three demon kings turned into streaks of light and flew toward Feixian Mountain once more—
—but now, not just to spectate.
They were coming to fight.
In the quiet room, Huan Changge stood calmly by the bed, his eyes quietly observing Lin Bao'er.
After enduring the heavenly thunder tribulation, Lin Bao'er's entire body had undergone an astonishing transformation.
Her skin now glowed faintly, as clear and flawless as polished jade. Her bones had been reforged, her meridians widened, and spiritual energy surged within her like crashing waves. Her blood, flesh, and soul had all been reborn.
This was no longer the same girl.
Even Lin Bao'er herself was stunned as she sat up from the bed.
"Master… I feel so light," she said softly, moving her arms with wonder. "It's like… my whole body is floating."
Huan Changge smiled faintly.
He still wasn't sure exactly what level her aptitude had risen to under the enhancement of Domain Controller, but it was clearly far beyond ordinary.
"Try cultivating," he said.
Lin Bao'er nodded, excitement and nervousness flickering in her eyes. She sat cross-legged on the floor, took a deep breath, and began to gather spiritual energy.
And then—
BOOM!
The room shook.
Spiritual energy from heaven and earth rushed toward her like a tsunami, forming a violent storm around her.
Huan Changge's eyes narrowed.
Her body had become like a bottomless abyss, devouring everything around her.
Foundation Establishment—eighth level!
Foundation Establishment—ninth level!
Golden Core—first level!!
Golden Core—second level!!!
And it didn't stop there—
Golden Core—third level!
The spiritual energy storm finally calmed. Lin Bao'er's cultivation had stabilized.
In just a few breaths of time… she had leaped five entire realms and broken through to the third level of the Golden Core Realm!
Even she was dumbfounded.
Her mouth hung open, and she blinked several times.
"W-what? I actually… I actually broke through to the Golden Core Realm?!"