Joe Di controlled the Cloudspire Spear with one hand while healing his wounds with the other. Though he gained much from this ordeal, the injuries he suffered were equally severe. Fortunately, the Veinburst Elixir was refined by him personally, and thanks to his Stellar Nexus, the pill's side effects were almost nonexistent.
At the same time, he secretly felt relieved that he hadn't been too greedy. If he had planned to buy everything he needed at the auction, he probably wouldn't have been able to escape.
The Veinburst Elixir could only push him to the peak of Grand Luo Immortal at best. Moreover, this boost was merely an increase in immortal essence, offering no help to his spiritual sense or Dao resonance. Given his true strength, reaching Grand Luo Immortal peak with the pill was not even comparable to his actual power at the early Grand Luo Immortal stage.
He needed to accelerate his cultivation progress.
Two months later, when Joe Di's injuries were mostly healed, the Cloudspire Spear once again stopped at the location of the original Void Array Gate.
Joe Di put away the Cloudspire Spear and sent his spiritual sense sweeping around. Confirming that no one had visited, he opened the Void Array Gate and entered the grand hall.
"Why aren't you cultivating?" As soon as Joe Di entered the hall, he saw Aaron Jace, Sprout, and Blackfire wandering about. Even Moria Lane was nearby, not in the True Spirit World.
"Big Brother, you're back!" Sprout was the first to rush over, his excitement written all over his face.
Aaron Jace hurried up as well, saying, "After you left, our cultivation speed slowed to a crawl, so we decided to wait for your return. But we've discovered a huge secret."
Aaron Jace's voice was filled with excitement, clearly indicating the secret was no small matter.
"I was the one who found it," Blackfire immediately retorted, not giving Aaron Jace a chance to take credit.
Aaron Jace waved his hand dismissively. "It's all the same."
Moria Lane looked at Joe Di. The moment his figure appeared in the hall, her anxious heart finally settled.
During Joe Di's absence, she had constantly blamed herself for sending him to buy the Trueglass Elixir. Such a treasure was surely sought after by many, not just herself.
"Junior Sister Moria, I did not fail you. I've already acquired the Trueglass Elixir. Begin your healing now, and I'll stand guard for you." Joe Di gestured for Aaron Jace to save the secret for later, then took out a jade vial and handed it to Moria Lane.
Moria Lane did not take the jade vial from Joe Di. Instead, she sensed the lingering scent of blood on him. Joe Di was a body cultivator and a master alchemist; his healing speed far surpassed ordinary cultivators. Even traveling from Cauldron Haven to here would take months at best. Yet after all that time, with his abilities, he still carried the scent of blood—proof of how serious and dangerous his injuries had been while acquiring the Trueglass Elixir.
"Senior Brother Joe, I..."
Before meeting Joe Di, Moria Lane rarely interacted with other cultivators. Even when she did, it was mostly for sect disputes. In her eyes, the world was full of deception and selfishness. For Joe Di to risk his life, traveling alone to Cauldron Haven just to obtain the Trueglass Elixir for her—she truly didn't know how to face him.
Joe Di knew Moria Lane wasn't good at expressing herself. He smiled, "Junior Sister Moria, if I ever need your help, would you help me?"
Moria Lane nodded vigorously, saying nothing. There was no need for words—if Joe Di ever needed her, she would not hesitate, even if it meant risking her life.
"Then it's settled. Helping you and you helping me are one and the same," Joe Di said with a smile.
"But I haven't actually..." Moria Lane wanted to protest that she hadn't helped Joe Di yet; his words had only been hypothetical.
Joe Di waved her off. "I trust that, if I ever need anything, you'll do your best to help me."
Joe Di only said this to ease Moria Lane's mind. After speaking, he pressed the jade vial into her hand.
Moria Lane gripped the jade vial tightly and looked at Joe Di. "Big Brother Joe, just call me Yuxuan from now on. I've been an orphan since childhood; I have no family."
She had changed her address from Senior Brother Joe to Big Brother Joe. Everyone changes, and so had she. In the cultivation world, she would never have acknowledged a man as her elder brother, let alone ask him to call her Yuxuan. She was not good at expressing emotion, and her words were always plain—simply stating facts.
Joe Di was much more easygoing than Moria Lane. He laughed heartily, "Alright, Yuxuan, hurry and heal up. From now on, we'll all roam the cosmic universe together—no need for formality."
Joe Di had another thought: Cauldron Haven was rich in information and cultivation resources. Aside from the Four Immortal Continents, the other three all seemed connected to Cauldron Haven. Once his cultivation was strong enough, he would definitely establish a teleportation array linking the Four Immortal Continents to Cauldron Haven.
"Mm." Moria Lane responded softly, opened the jade vial, and poured half of the Trueglass Elixir into her mouth.
Seeing that Moria Lane only took half, Joe Di was about to remind her when he sensed her aura shifting. A faint, nearly invisible black mist seeped out and then vanished. Vitality began to gather around Moria Lane, becoming almost tangible.
Joe Di suddenly gained an insight. Previously, when Moria Lane used the Rainbow Immortal Peach to prolong her life, there had been fluctuations of vitality. But that vitality was always scattered and ethereal, never truly substantial.
Now, for the first time, he truly felt that Moria Lane's vitality was as solid and robust as that of an ordinary person.
"Big Brother Joe, help me set up a concealment barrier..." Moria Lane's voice came just in time.
Joe Di instinctively cast a concealment barrier. In the midst of Moria Lane's rebirth, he experienced a new understanding. After setting up the barrier, he closed his eyes to sense the aura of new life emanating from her.
It was as if Moria Lane's body was encased in a layer of gray shell. As her vitality grew stronger, the shell cracked and vanished.
This rebirth was so powerful that even her clothes could not contain it.
Moria Lane's breathtaking beauty was revealed, and her clothes gradually tore apart.
An hour later, a flawless body appeared before Joe Di. Yet at that moment, his eyes were closed, immersed in the sensation of rebirth, and did not see the perfection of Moria Lane's form.
Moria Lane opened her eyes, her cheeks slightly flushed as she glanced at the meditating Joe Di. Relieved, she quickly took out a fresh set of clothes and changed.
Immediately, she sensed the onset of the True Immortal Lightning Tribulation...
Joe Di was jolted awake by the surge of tribulation energy. Seeing Moria Lane's peerless beauty, he exclaimed with joy, "Yuxuan, you're fully recovered?"
Moria Lane looked at Joe Di gently. "Yes, I'm about to face the tribulation. I can sense the True Immortal Lightning Tribulation."
"Good, you can undergo the tribulation right here in the hall. I'll guard you from outside." Joe Di felt a wave of relief—he was truly happy to have saved Moria Lane.
Moria Lane had only survived by relying on Joe Di's Rainbow Immortal Peach; she had always been on the edge of death, her vitality barely there.
Years of teetering between life and death had made her indifferent to mortality. With her Immaculate Spirit Physique, her mental state had risen by several levels. This True Immortal Lightning Tribulation posed little danger to her.
After the First-Nine Lightning Tribulation, Moria Lane was surrounded by dense immortal aura and instantly advanced to the second layer of True Immortal.
"Sprout, you better work hard! Senior Sister Yuxuan can cultivate now, and she'll surely surpass you soon, hehe..." After Moria Lane finished her tribulation, Aaron Jace teased Sprout.
To him, this little sapling was no good—always two-faced, stirring trouble between him and Blackfire.
Sprout felt the pressure too. Before, when Sister Moria couldn't cultivate, he was always at the bottom. Now, it seemed there was no escaping last place.
Seeing Moria Lane reach the second layer of True Immortal, Joe Di was relieved. Disciples of Puregate Sect all possessed the Immaculate Spirit Physique, and their cultivation speed would be astonishing—he might not be able to keep up. From now on, he no longer needed to worry about Moria Lane's progress.
Joe Di took out a ring and handed it to Moria Lane. "Yuxuan, here are some pills and immortal crystals for your cultivation."
Moria Lane accepted without protest. She hadn't accompanied Joe Di to Cauldron Haven this time, and sensed he had made many enemies there. Only by growing stronger could she truly help him.
"Alright, now you can tell us what secret you discovered earlier," Joe Di said to Aaron Jace.
"Big Brother, come over here," Aaron Jace said, running to a corner of the hall instead of speaking directly.
Joe Di followed Aaron Jace and saw that something had been stripped away in the corner. Suddenly, he spotted a stone door. Above it were three characters: Harmony Hall. The door had six round slots, each the size of a pill.
Joe Di instantly understood—this was an array gate, and it could only be opened with pills. Just as the ancient turtle-shell diagram had said, Formation-Breaking Pills were required.
"Big Brother, I didn't expect that Chu Paihuai wasn't lying. This place really does need Formation-Breaking Pills!" Aaron Jace said excitedly, rubbing his hands together.
Joe Di replied, "Looks like this place doesn't belong to Chu Paihuai. He's just a latecomer, using it to attract others—either for revenge or to find someone skilled in Formation-Breaking Pills."
Joe Di was both an eighth-tier Immortal Array Master and a sixth-grade Immortal Pill Master. Seeing the array gate that required pills, he realized his previous understanding of Formation-Breaking Pills was flawed.
According to the pill association's exam, his Formation-Breaking Pill only revealed the array's core. Such a pill wouldn't open this stone door.
This stone door required the pills to be refined on the spot. Only when the pills reached a certain tier and were placed in the round slots could the door be opened.
(That's all for today's update! Friends, good night—please support with your votes on the 1st. Thank you to everyone who voted for World’s Ninth. Honestly, I never thought three chapters could break into the top ten, but we did it! Thank you, thank you!!!)