Chapter 97: Breakthrough Achieved, Looking Ahead!
"Brother Ye Ling?"
"Could it be that he's preparing to break through to the sixth rank?"
"Is he beginning to condense his Spirit Aperture?"
"Or rather… is he already in the midst of condensing it?"
"Has he begun the breakthrough toward the sixth rank—the level of a Radiant Knight?"
Cai'er stared at the aura emanating from Ye Ling's body and immediately understood what his actions meant.
A flicker of shock crossed her delicate face—but right after that came pride.
After all, Ye Ling was only sixteen years old!
A sixth-rank expert at sixteen!
What did that mean?
It meant standing among the absolute pinnacle of the entire Holy Temple Alliance.
Even those so-called prodigies who had been nurtured with boundless resources since childhood could not reach the sixth rank and condense their Spirit Aperture at sixteen.
No—
To be exact, even before turning twenty, they would still be stuck at the fifth rank.
And some were not even as strong as Cai'er.
Yet Ye Ling had already surpassed her.
"It seems this time Brother Ye Ling will definitely take first place in the Demon Hunting Corps," Cai'er murmured in her heart.
She did not speak further. Instead, she sat cross-legged and entered cultivation herself.
Her own spiritual power was also nearing the point of transformation, and she too had to face her breakthrough.
Before long, the Reincarnation Spirit Furnace emitted a powerful and unique aura in response, beginning its feedback process.
At that moment, Cai'er's and Ye Ling's spiritual energies surged together in steady ascent.
A month passed.
The auras surrounding both of them, once turbulent and rising, had gradually stabilized.
Ye Ling's, in particular, was overwhelmingly strong.
Radiance filled his entire body, and his spiritual power circled within his chest, continuously absorbing countless elemental forces from the outside world and refining them.
Even without deliberate effort, the process did not stop for a moment.
This was the clear sign of a breakthrough to the sixth rank—the successful condensation of the Spirit Aperture.
"I did it."
"After a full month of condensation, I've finally succeeded!"
"The sixth rank carries immense meaning. With this step complete, I now have the qualifications to accomplish what I've set out to do."
"Whether it's Soul Forging, the Five-Metal and Six-Metal Fusion Forging, the Two-Word Spirit Armor, or the upgradeable divine artifacts that enhance one's level—"
"Be it the Twin Dragon Daggers, the Angelic Holy Sword, or every other weapon I possess—they will all rise into the ranks of Epic-grade armaments."
"Hahaha! Wonderful—truly wonderful!"
"With my full power unleashed, even battling a seventh-rank opponent won't be a problem!"
Ye Ling calculated inwardly.
According to his estimates—
The peak of One-Word Spirit Armor forged with Spirit Alloy could enhance his spiritual power by three thousand points.
The extreme of Two-Word Battle Armor made from the same alloy could exceed ten thousand points!
When fully condensed and unleashed, such armor would reach Legendary Peak—possibly even half-step Epic level.
As for Three-Word and Four-Word Spirit Armors, Ye Ling had yet to touch the Soul-Forging and Heaven-Forging stages, so he didn't know their exact amplification.
But one thing was certain—their increase would definitely surpass that of the Divine Seal Throne itself.
And beyond those would lie the Five-Word and Six-Word Spirit Armors—artifacts equivalent to true divine-grade and quasi-super-divine-grade equipment.
That was a goal he would continue to chase endlessly.
Thinking of this, he drew the Angelic Holy Sword from within his body. Its edge flared with sharp radiance, power surging forth until it reached the level of an Epic-grade weapon.
Sixth-rank Epic!
This was the result of Ye Ling's breakthrough—pure exhilaration.
"Brother Ye Ling, have you already condensed your Spirit Aperture and reached the sixth rank without relying on external spiritual power?" Cai'er asked curiously, admiration flickering in her eyes.
She knew Ye Ling's cultivation path was unusual, and that his goal had always been to advance only after his inner spiritual power alone exceeded four thousand points.
To reach a total of four thousand spiritual power was already an immense challenge—let alone achieving that with purely internal energy.
Cai'er understood how difficult Ye Ling's breakthrough had been, and seeing his success filled her with genuine joy.
"Yes, I've broken through successfully."
"Now, I can truly be called a Radiant Knight."
Ye Ling smiled, reaching out to gently pat Cai'er's head before asking, "And how about your progress? What level has your spiritual power reached?"
He was genuinely curious. He couldn't sense Cai'er's exact spiritual power and wanted to know her current state.
"My total spiritual power is about three thousand four hundred points," Cai'er replied with a hint of disappointment. "I'm still six hundred short. I don't think I'll be able to reach the four thousand needed for the sixth rank before joining the Demon Hunting Corps."
She really wanted to advance alongside Ye Ling—to stand beside him as an equal in rank.
But the numbers didn't lie—she was still far behind.
"It's fine," Ye Ling said calmly. "Once we enter the Demon Hunting Corps, there will be countless chances to improve. It's even possible you'll encounter an opportunity before then and directly break through to the sixth rank."
"Still, if that's your plan, you need to start preparing now. Begin getting ready to condense your Spirit Aperture at any moment. Though your potential is high, Cai'er, you must have already sensed how terrifying the resistance is when you attempt to condense it, right?"
Condensing a Spirit Aperture wasn't simply about forming one—it wasn't guaranteed success.
Not all Spirit Apertures were the same.
A hastily formed aperture and one carefully attuned to one's nature were worlds apart.
Unlike other stages of advancement, the process of condensation became increasingly difficult the greater one's innate talent and inner power were. The stronger the foundation, the harder it became—but also, the more powerful the resulting Spirit Aperture.
The effects could be astonishing.
Yet even the most gifted geniuses could stumble and fail here if they weren't cautious.
That was precisely why Ye Ling warned Cai'er to make proper preparations—because if something went wrong, the consequences would be disastrous.
"I understand, Brother Ye Ling," Cai'er nodded firmly.
The two exchanged a look, silently aware of the situation. Without hesitation, they both rose and walked toward the spatial teleportation array.
Light surged around them, and in an instant, their figures vanished from sight.
In the next moment, they reappeared within the Assassin's Holy Temple.
(End of Chapter)
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