Invincible Beyond Heavens: Cultivating With A Broken EXP System

Pound Lotus Peak.

Following the location given by the envoys, Li Yun soon arrived at Pound Lotus Peak.

The moment he reached the peak, he saw several familiar faces waiting there. Su Fengyan, Li Hao, Huang Chen, and the other geniuses who had performed well in the Hidden Dragon Tournament had already arrived before him.

When they saw Li Yun appear, shock surfaced on their faces almost at the same time.

“Li Yun, your cultivation has actually reached the Essence Qi Realm?”

After the Hidden Dragon Tournament ended, Su Fengyan and the other three had also made considerable progress. Su Fengyan had successfully advanced to the 1st level of the Mortal Core Realm, while Li Hao and Huang Chen had both pushed their cultivation further and reached the peak of the Essence Qi Realm.

However, the joy they felt over their breakthroughs instantly faded the moment they sensed Li Yun’s aura.

Their progress had come from years of accumulated foundation and was considered a natural result of their previous cultivation. Li Yun, on the other hand, had only broken through to the 7th level of the Qi Sea Realm shortly before the Hidden Dragon Tournament began. Barely half a month had passed since then, yet he had already stepped into the 1st level of the Essence Qi Realm.

Such a terrifying cultivation speed was enough to make even the proudest geniuses feel disheartened.

“Very good. All five of you have arrived on time at the agreed location.”

At that moment, two youths dressed in black and white Daoist robes descended from the sky. They were the envoys from the Eastern Martial Domain and disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect.

Among them, the long-haired youth swept his gaze over the group and nodded in satisfaction. However, when his eyes landed on Li Yun, his brows immediately furrowed.

“Li Yun, how have you broken through again?”

Contrary to what Su Fengyan and the others expected, the long-haired youth did not reveal surprise or admiration. Instead, a trace of displeasure appeared on his face, and his voice turned noticeably colder.

“You have advanced so quickly. Are you not afraid that your foundation will become unstable? If I remember correctly, when you came to meet us three days ago, you had only broken through to the Half-Step Essence Qi Realm, yet now you have already entered the true Essence Qi Realm. With your talent, increasing your strength is not difficult at all, so why are you rushing forward so recklessly? If you are this eager for quick success, then your heart and temperament likely still need to be tempered.”

“Hm?”

Just as he spoke, the long-haired youth’s expression suddenly changed. His eyes narrowed as he carefully sensed the aura within Li Yun’s body.

“Wait. The Essence Qi inside your body is incredibly robust and condensed, and there is not the slightest sign of instability. How is this possible?”

The silver-haired youth stared at Li Yun with unconcealed shock in his eyes.

At first, he had assumed that Li Yun had been too impatient and had recklessly forced his cultivation to rise, damaging his own future in the process. That was why he had rebuked him so harshly.

However, after observing him carefully, he realized that Li Yun’s foundation was not weak or unstable at all. Instead, it was astonishingly firm, as if every step of his cultivation had been tempered countless times before reaching its current state.

In only three days, Li Yun had advanced from the Half-Step Essence Qi Realm to the 1st level of the Essence Qi Realm, yet his realm did not show even the slightest trace of instability. Such a thing completely overturned the silver-haired youth’s understanding. How had Li Yun managed to achieve this?

Although shock still churned in his heart, the silver-haired youth’s expression gradually softened. He looked at Li Yun and said in a calmer voice, “Li Yun, I misjudged you. It seems your talent is even greater than I first imagined.”

The warm-eyed youth smiled lightly and eased the atmosphere. “Since it was only a misunderstanding, there is no need to dwell on it any longer. Everyone has already arrived, so we should set off now. If there is anything else to discuss, we can speak on the way.”

“Very well,” the silver-haired youth said with a nod.

Immediately afterward, the two youths raised their hands at the same time and formed a mysterious hand seal. A deep roar echoed through the peak, and a flash of crimson light swept across the open ground.

In the next moment, a massive beast appeared before everyone. It possessed the body of a lion and the head of a hawk, while its entire form was covered in deep crimson feathers and scales that shimmered like blood under the sunlight. Its body stretched more than five meters long, and the savage aura radiating from it made the air around Pound Lotus Peak grow heavy.

“This beast is called a Crimson Hawk-Lion. It is a high-level Rank Six demonic beast, and it is the standard mount provided to every Inner Sect Disciple of our Heavenly Sword Sect. With this beast carrying us, we can reach the gates of the Heavenly Sword Sect in only half a month,” the silver-haired youth explained before stepping onto the back of the Crimson Hawk-Lion first.

“A high-level Rank Six demonic beast?”

Li Yun and the others were instantly shaken. This Crimson Hawk-Lion was comparable to a powerhouse at the late stage of the Mortal Core Realm, yet in the Heavenly Sword Sect, such a fearsome creature was merely a mount assigned to Inner Sect Disciples. From this single detail alone, they could already glimpse the terrifying foundation of the Heavenly Sword Sect.

As expected of one of the overlord forces of the Eastern Martial Domain, the Heavenly Sword Sect’s prosperity and power were far beyond the imagination of ordinary cultivators.

One after another, everyone stepped onto the Crimson Hawk-Lion. The beast then released a long, piercing cry, spread its enormous wings, and soared into the sky while carrying them away from Pound Lotus Peak.