Chapter 67: Breaking Through to Sainthood
With such an abnormal recovery speed, as his combat energy continued to replenish, all the damages to his body were also healing rapidly. The demons’ ability to recover was maximized under these conditions, leveraging their physical functions and various advantages to the fullest!
Practicing in such a favorable environment allowed for terrifyingly fast progress. In just four hours, Rod had already recovered over nine levels of his combat energy, and his mental strength recovered even faster, reaching nine levels as well!
Although it wasn’t yet at its optimal state, the results satisfied him greatly. More importantly, Rod discovered that his cultivation had advanced slightly in such a short time, with his realm showing signs of loosening. It felt as though the distance between him and the Saint level was now just a thin layer of paper—once that paper was pierced, everything would fall into place naturally, and that layer was already beginning to weaken!
Perhaps in a few more days, once he was fully recovered and his body was at its best, he would be able to enter the Saint level in one go! The day of breaking through to sainthood was not far off.
As for the hundredfold gravity here, Rod didn’t even bother with it. His strong physique and demonic nature were sufficient to withstand it. Truly, surviving great hardships brings good fortune—this was exactly Rod’s situation now! Having endured a life-or-death crisis, he had entered a period of abundance. He was once again convinced that his decision to come here was correct. Though dangerous, he had reaped unimaginable rewards.
Although his body had recovered, he still felt a slight discomfort. So, after looking at the path ahead, Rod decided not to move right away. Instead, he sat there, planning to rest for a while longer until his body was fully recovered and his condition was at its best before continuing onward. In this unfamiliar environment, he didn’t dare act rashly, especially with so many uncertainties and a strange surroundings!
He didn’t know what lay beyond the turning point ahead, what kind of scenes or dangers awaited him. This place might even be the last safe area he would experience, so Rod definitely wouldn’t take any risks.
In fact, if it weren’t for that inexplicable call and that feeling, Rod might even consider staying here for a long time. Without a doubt, this passage was the ideal place for cultivation.
……
Three days later, a long howl came from within the cave. Immediately thereafter, a figure stood up abruptly, an invisible aura emanating from him from within, spreading out in all directions. This aura was filled with boundless dignity, giving off a sense of supreme dominance. If not for the barrier of energy and the fact that they were inside the cave, such an aura would undoubtedly have had a tremendous impact.
“Break through to holy status… Heh, have I done it? Holy rank! So this is what holy rank is like!” Soon after, a voice speaking to itself could be heard suddenly in the void.
Looking at the cave, now once again calm and dark, Rod stood there, muttering to himself. Yes, this man was Rod—Knight Rod? Solomon. After three days of rest and recovery, the moment his combat energy and mental strength were fully restored, the moment his physical condition was completely healed, he broke through that barrier and stepped into the realm of holy rank, leaving behind the status of quasi-saint!
His mental state had already entered this realm a few days ago, so this advancement came without any danger, everything going smoothly without any accidents or risks.
Standing there, unafraid of the cold winds surrounding him, unafraid of the fiery elements raging toward him, unafraid of those elements constantly striking his meridians!
The elements became increasingly pure, with impurities gradually being expelled from his body. Pure fire elements kept flowing in, transforming into combat energy that swiftly circulated within his meridians. Centered around his dantian, it formed a circular flow; wherever it passed, the meridians were further stimulated and stretched.
The concentration of his combat energy also kept changing. The continuous influx of elements made it increasingly pure. If it had been clear water before, now it was transforming into thick milk.
As the concentration increased, the color of the combat energy also began to change. With each full cycle, its color shifted slightly, with an additional hint of purple appearing.
It was unclear how much time had passed as this cycle repeated, with elements continuously flowing in. It felt like an eternity had passed before his combat energy finally returned to a state of stability after completing numerous cycles.
The external elements stopped flowing in and spread out around him. In an instant, the fierce winds ceased, and the cave became calm once again.
Yet profound changes had taken place within his body. His combat energy had shifted from its original dark red to pure purple—though it was only a light purple, it was a sign of the sacred realm. If his previous combat energy was like clear water, then this one could be compared to thick syrup. Although its quantity seemed no different from before, its quality was vastly different! His current combat energy was at least ten times, if not more, than before! Meanwhile, the resilience of his meridians had been strengthened again under the impact and strain of the combat energy, and they had expanded slightly, leaving some room for further improvement. After another 36 full cycles, once his status in the sacred realm was fully stabilized, everything finally settled back into calm. Exhaling a puff of foul air, Rod felt refreshed. He suddenly opened his eyes, his sharp gaze flashing before disappearing again, returning to its normal state. It seemed he was still tired, but upon closer inspection, his eyes resembled a vast starry sky—deep, unfathomable, and boundless. “The Sacred King Breaker… Heh, the sacred realm truly is extraordinary!” Rod said softly after a moment. By reaching the sacred realm, not only did he feel a huge boost in strength, but at the moment of breakthrough, he also sensed something extraordinary. Though he didn’t fully understand it yet, he knew he would figure it out someday. His mental strength had greatly improved. Rod was confident he could handle the combined attacks of more than five quasi-sacred-level warriors. Even facing advanced sacred-level warriors, he would not fear them and had the ability to fight. Although it was just a minor elevation in rank, it brought about tremendous progress—proving the truth behind the saying, “A single step can lead a thousand miles.” Drawing back his mental energy and combat energy, Rod now completely ignored the 100-fold gravity. It posed no threat to him at all. Three days had allowed him to get used to such gravity; it might have a slight impact during combat, but under normal circumstances, it was no problem! Looking toward the corner ahead, Rod narrowed his eyes slightly, and once again, a sharp glint appeared in them: “Hell? I, Rod, fear not! Let me go through it! Anyone who dares to stop me—die!”
With a cold snort, Rod suddenly stepped forward, taking two steps at a time, and in an instant he reached the corner! He paused, a hint of shock flashing in his eyes. What lay before him was still a cave—clearly a forest! A forest growing in the darkness; under the dim light, Rod could faintly see the vast expanse of trees ahead. A gust of cold wind blew against him, snapping him out of his daze as he took a sharp breath. The surprises kept piling up, along with the shock—there was actually an underground world here! Truly, there are always higher mountains, wiser people, and greater heavens! It was the eerie atmosphere emanating from this forest that truly unsettled Rod. Standing here, he couldn’t detect any information at all. After hesitating for a moment, he stepped forward bravely. Since he had decided to venture in, what was there to fear? With each step he took, it was firm and steady! At this moment, Rod also noticed something strange—with every step forward, he seemed to feel gravity increasing slightly, though only a little, but he could still sense it. This peculiar situation forced him to pay closer attention. After walking about a hundred meters, he finally reached the edge of the forest, only to be shocked—here, gravity had reached 200, double what it was before! His intuition was correct! The sensation grew more pronounced as he went further. Undoubtedly, this was a forest with layered gravity! It was extremely eerie; it was impossible to imagine how high the gravity would be a thousand meters further in. And the gravity in this forest seemed infinite—at least he couldn’t see the end. Feeling this, Rod’s scalp tingled with fear! Such natural disasters were even more dangerous than man-made disasters or wild beasts. The forest before him looked exactly like ordinary forests—same trees, same leaves—except for the color. The trees here were black, not due to lack of light, but because they were black by nature! They were subterranean creatures, real and not imaginary. The increasingly strange phenomena forced Rod to be more cautious, focusing his attention to the utmost. Fortunately, the elements here were still relatively normal, so dealing with gravity shouldn’t be too difficult! Clutching Anlong in his hand and taking a deep breath, Rod stepped forward again into the forest, taking careful steps one by one.