Invincible Beyond Heavens: Cultivating With A Broken EXP System

“No.”

Huang Yun’s expression dimmed, and a trace of sorrow appeared on his face. “During the campaign when Heaven Mandate Peak joined the assault against the Iron Blood Sect, they fell into a carefully prepared ambush. Senior Brother Li Yunxiao sacrificed himself to ensure the safe retreat of our disciples.”

Li Yun fell silent for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh. “What a pity for such a remarkable genius.”

With Li Yunxiao’s talent, it was almost certain that he would have reached the Yuanhai Realm in the future and become a pillar of Heaven Mandate Peak. Yet fate had cut his path short far too early.

At that moment, the voice of the Heaven Mandate Peak Head echoed across the space.

“Those who have obtained a spot to enter the Heavenly Spirit Thunder Pool, step forward.”

Li Yun moved out from the crowd. Alongside him were two other disciples, one male and one female.

The man was Liu Qinghai, and the woman was Duan Yingying. Both possessed cultivation at the peak of the ninth level of the Xiantian Realm.

Apart from Huang Yun, these two were regarded as the strongest inner sect disciples of Heaven Mandate Peak, each possessing formidable strength and refined techniques.

“Hehe, I have finally become a Senior Sister.”

Duan Yingying’s eyes lit up with excitement as she looked at Li Yun. Her cheerful nature showed immediately as she placed her hands on her hips and spoke with a playful tone. “Junior Brother, hurry up and call me Senior Sister.”

Li Yun could not help but smile wryly. “Senior Sister.”

“Hehe, so obedient,” Duan Yingying said with delight. She reached out as if to pat his head, but Li Yun quickly stepped aside and avoided her hand.

“You…”

Liu Qinghai looked at her with a helpless expression before turning to Li Yun with a polite smile. “Junior Brother Li Yun, please do not mind her behavior. Yingying joined last among us in the previous batch, so we have always called her Junior Sister. She has never been satisfied with that. Now that you have joined, she finally has someone below her, so she is a little too excited.”

“It is fine,” Li Yun replied with a calm smile.

At that moment, the voice of the Heaven Mandate Peak Head rang out again. “Stop chatting and enter the Heavenly Spirit Thunder Pool.”

“Yes.”

Li Yun and the other two nodded and began walking toward the edge of the pool.

As they approached, Liu Qinghai suddenly spoke again, his tone becoming more serious. “Junior Brother Li Yun, although the rumors say you only possess one-star aptitude, I do not believe them. From the way you defeated Huang Yun and from your status as a Supreme Alchemist, it is clear that you are far from ordinary. You must possess extraordinary talent and methods. Since that is the case, would you be willing to compete with me and see who can last longer inside the Heavenly Spirit Thunder Pool?”

The longer one could endure within the pool, the more heavenly thunder energy they would absorb, and the greater the benefits they would gain. Liu Qinghai proposed this not out of pride, but out of a genuine desire to push each other further and help produce stronger disciples for Heaven Mandate Peak.

“Since Senior Brother wishes to compete, I will naturally accompany you,” Li Yun replied without hesitation. He had no reason to refuse such a challenge.

“I want to join as well,” Duan Yingying said quickly from the side, her eyes shining with excitement.

“Good. Then the three of us will compete. I will go first.”

Liu Qinghai let out a hearty laugh. His body moved in a flash, turning into a streak of light as he shot straight toward the Heavenly Spirit Thunder Pool.

A soft splash echoed as he entered the silver liquid. A wave rose up and briefly concealed his figure before settling back into the pool. In the next moment, he had already disappeared beneath the surface, fully immersed within the depths of the thunder pool.

“Junior Brother, I will go ahead as well.”

Duan Yingying smiled brightly at Li Yun. Her movements were graceful and light as she stepped forward, her figure gliding across the surface before she entered the pool with ease.

Now, only Li Yun remained standing at the edge.

“The Heavenly Spirit Thunder Pool of Heaven Mandate Peak is renowned throughout the entire Martial Ascension Gate. Let me see if it truly lives up to its reputation,” he said softly.

Without hesitation, he stepped forward and entered the pool.

…

The moment Li Yun entered, the thick silver energy surged around him like a vast tide. The liquid, dense like paste, wrapped around his entire body and pressed against him from all directions.

Strands of peculiar energy began to seep into his body through every pore.

Instantly, Li Yun felt a sharp, tingling sensation spread across his limbs and bones, as if countless strands of lightning were coursing through him. However, instead of pain, it brought a strange sense of comfort, as if his entire body was being tempered and refined.

“As expected of the Heavenly Spirit Thunder Pool. Its effects are indeed extraordinary,” Li Yun thought as he carefully sensed the changes within his body.

Under the continuous infusion of the silver energy, his physique was steadily improving at a visible rate. Every moment within the pool brought him closer to a stronger body.

Even so, Li Yun was not fully satisfied.

“The energy in the outer region is gentle and easy to absorb, but its quality is not high enough. It cannot meet my current needs,” he analyzed calmly. “If I want real progress, I will have to enter the middle or even the deeper regions.”

With that thought, Li Yun moved.

His body shifted smoothly through the silver liquid, like a fish gliding through water, as he began heading toward the deeper parts of the Heavenly Spirit Thunder Pool.

—-

As Li Yun continued moving deeper into the Heavenly Spirit Thunder Pool, immersing himself in its dense and violent energy, a completely different scene unfolded elsewhere.

Within a grand and magnificent palace on Earth Pillar Peak, the atmosphere was filled with rage.

“Bastard! Bastard! Bastard!”

Furious roars echoed repeatedly through the vast hall, each shout carrying intense killing intent.

Heavy sounds rang out one after another as a terrifying aura surged violently like a raging storm. Under its pressure, everything within the hall seemed to tremble. Even the air itself distorted and broke apart, giving rise to violent spatial ripples that spread outward in waves.

Those ripples were not ordinary. They carried destructive force so intense that even a peak ninth level Xiantian Realm expert would struggle to withstand them. Anyone caught within that storm would either be gravely injured or perish on the spot.

At the center of this terrifying display sat a slender figure dressed in white robes, cross-legged and radiating overwhelming power.

If Li Yun were present, he would immediately recognize this person.

It was Xiao Fanyun, the number one ranked disciple on the Four Peaks Top Ten List.