The Elders and Disciples of each peak were also alarmed; they stopped their cultivation and watched from afar.
Li Hanyi, Yun Miaoyi, Butterfly Dance, and others stood with their hands behind their backs, their expressions solemn.
"Gu Luoli is a terrifyingly solid Foundation," Yun Miaoyi said softly. "This Breakthrough is likely no small matter."
A shimmering light flashed within Butterfly Dance's dreamlike eyes. "The first major Realm Breakthrough after the Double Pupils awaken... it is truly something to look forward to..."
Just at that moment—"Boom!" The Qi around Gu Luoli erupted violently!
A vast, ancient pressure, as if originating from the very beginning of Chaos, swept out with her as the center!
On the barren plain, sand flew and stones rolled, and the Spiritual Qi was in Chaos!
"Retreat!" Li Hanyi shouted clearly, flicking her sleeves to whisk the surrounding Disciples who were watching to a safer distance.
Everyone's gaze was fixed intently on the center of the storm.
The golden light within Gu Luoli's eyes grew brighter and brighter, as if something was struggling to break free from its shackles!
"Thump—!" A majestic, resounding sound, as if from ancient times, rang out across the entire barren plain without warning!
It sounded a bit like the beating of war drums... but even more like the dao rhyme of some ancient, noble existence awakening!
Following this sound, the golden light in Gu Luoli's eyes exploded!
Two dazzling golden beams of light shot up into the sky from her eyes!
Within the beams, countless mysterious runes could be vaguely seen circulating, with scenes of the sun, moon, and stars, and even mountains of corpses and seas of blood flashing by!
Even more shocking was that—behind Gu Luoli, a hazy phantom standing a hundred zhang tall slowly emerged!
The phantom's face could not be seen clearly, only a pair of eyes, like two blazing suns, overlooking all living beings!
As those eyes opened and closed, the heaven and earth changed color!
Within the left eye, life evolved, vegetation grew wildly, and flowers bloomed!
Within the right eye, destruction manifested, the Void Realm shattered, and stars fell!
One life, one death; one yin, one yang, perfectly integrated!
"This is... the Double Pupils phenomenon!" Yun Miaoyi exclaimed.
"Is this what it looks like when the Double Pupils truly awaken?" Butterfly Dance's eyes shimmered with wonder.
Li Hanyi gripped her listening to rain sword, a trace of shock passing through her cold eyes.
All the Disciples were stunned.
Zhao Linger's small mouth was agape, and she didn't even notice the jade bottle slipping from her hand.
Wang Zhaojun's clear eyes reflected the majestic phantom behind Gu Luoli, as if she were witnessing some great horror.
Xiao Ya was frantically recording data: "Energy level immeasurable... rules manifesting... this is..."
Wang Teng, Li Haoran, and the others were even more shaken, feeling as small as ants beneath that phantom.
Ye Linger clenched her fists tightly, her eyes full of yearning and determination.
Is this the true talent of the Third Senior Sister? Can I catch up to the Third Senior Sister's footsteps?
The phenomenon lasted for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick before slowly fading away.
The golden beams of light dissipated, and the phantom slowly vanished.
The look in Gu Luoli's eyes was now completely different from before!
Deep within her pupils were tiny golden rings, and within those rings, faint, smaller pupil phantoms could be seen.
This was the true sign of the Double Pupils awakening!
Although the aura around her was only at the Early Golden Core stage, the massive fluctuation of Spiritual Qi far exceeded that of an ordinary Golden Core Cultivator!
Even more remarkable was—at her Dantian, a Golden Core the size of a pigeon egg, perfectly round, with nine clear dao patterns on its surface, was slowly rotating!
The nine dao patterns were like nine divine Dragons coiling around, emitting an infinitely mysterious dao rhyme!
"Nine... Nine-Pattern Golden Core?!" Elder Canghai exclaimed.
"The highest quality Golden Core in legend!"
"Such a Golden Core is rare in ten thousand years! Once condensed, one is invincible among peers!"
The whole place was in an uproar!
Nine-Pattern Golden Core!
Even for those Saints and Saintesses of the major Holy Lands, being able to condense a Seven-Pattern or Eight-Pattern Golden Core would already make them peerless Geniuses!
A Nine-Pattern Golden Core... that is a myth!
Gu Luoli slowly stood up and bowed slightly to Li Hanyi and the others in the distance: "I have caused the Elders to worry."
Her voice was calm, yet carried an indescribable majesty.
Li Hanyi nodded slightly: "Very good."
Yun Miaoyi smiled gently: "Gu Luoli, congratulations."
Butterfly Dance's eyes darted around: "Little girl, this is truly incredible."
Gu Luoli walked over to Liu Ruyan and Ye Linger.
"Congratulations, Third Senior Sister!" "Congratulations, Third Junior Sister!" Both of them offered their congratulations, their eyes filled with sincere joy.
"Thank you." Gu Luoli rarely showed a happy smile; she looked at Ye Linger, her Double Pupils flickering slightly: "Fourth Junior Sister, your progress is rapid; the Taiyin Divine Body is truly extraordinary."
Ye Linger blushed: "Compared to Third Senior Sister, I am still far behind."
"Everyone has their own fate; there is no need to compare," Gu Luoli said softly. "Master often says that the path of cultivation is ultimately a competition between oneself and oneself."
Liu Ruyan nodded: "Third Junior Sister is right. However..." She looked at the surrounding Disciples who were still immersed in shock and smiled: "Third Junior Sister's Breakthrough has set a very high benchmark for these Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters."
Sure enough, in the time that followed, the atmosphere of cultivation throughout the myriad phenomena pagoda reached an unprecedented climax!
"A Nine-Pattern Golden Core! Senior Sister Gu is too amazing!"
"I must also work hard! Even if I cannot condense nine patterns in the future, I must at least aim for seven or eight!"
"The Double Pupils phenomenon... that kind of power! One day, I will also make my 'Fire Spirit Body' manifest a phenomenon!"
"Cultivate! Cannot slack off! When the Secret Realm opens, I must successfully achieve Foundation Establishment!"
"Only Foundation Establishment? The requirement is so low? I must reach at least Middle Stage Foundation Establishment!"
The Disciples were fired up, cultivating even more desperately.
Gu Luoli's Breakthrough was not only a shot in the arm but also an invisible spur—look, as fellow Disciples of the Immortal Palace, someone can achieve this step! Why should you not work hard?
Seeing this, the Elders of each peak felt gratified and took the opportunity to strike while the iron was hot, increasing the intensity of their teaching. Sparring became more frequent, guidance became more detailed, and the supply of resources was not stingy in the slightest.
Time within the pagoda, in such a fervent atmosphere, continued to pass rapidly. Day 400... Day 600... Day 900...
The Disciples' cultivation improved steadily at a visible speed. There were more and more Disciples in the Foundation Establishment Stage.
Day 900 inside the pagoda. There were still 5 months left until the Secret Realm opened in the outside world, and nearly four years left inside the pagoda.
But for the Disciples, these four years would be their final sprint to be reborn and soar into the sky.
Everyone held a surge of energy in their hearts. For the glory of the Yaochi Immortal Palace, for the expectations of the Palace Master, and also for... their own Dao!
And all of this was seen by Gu Han outside the pagoda through the System.
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