Volume 1, Chapter 97 – The Double Pupils Awaken

The elders and disciples of the various peaks were also startled. One after another, they stopped cultivating and watched from afar.

Li Hanyi, Yun Miaoyi, Die Wu, and the others stood with their hands behind their backs, their expressions solemn.

“Luoli’s foundation is terrifyingly solid,” Yun Miaoyi said softly. “This breakthrough will likely be anything but ordinary.”

Dreamlike light flickered in Die Wu’s eyes.

“Her first breakthrough into a major realm since her double pupils awakened… How exciting…”

Just then—

Boom!

The aura around Gu Luoli erupted with a deafening roar!

A vast and ancient pressure, as though it had originated from the moment chaos first split apart, swept outward with her at its center!

Across the wasteland, sand and stones flew as spiritual energy ran rampant!

“Fall back!”

Li Hanyi shouted sharply. With a sweep of her sleeve, she sent all the nearby disciples who had gathered to watch farther away under her protection.

Everyone stared fixedly at the center of the storm.

The golden light in Gu Luoli’s eyes grew brighter and brighter, as though something was struggling to break free of its restraints!

Dong!

A majestic, boundless sound that seemed to come from ancient times suddenly resounded across the entire wasteland without warning!

It sounded somewhat like the beat of a war drum…

Yet it was more like the Dao sound produced when some far older and nobler existence awakened!

As that Dao sound rang out, the golden light in Gu Luoli’s eyes exploded!

Two dazzling pillars of golden light shot into the sky from her eyes!

Within the pillars, countless profound runes could faintly be seen circulating. Visions of the sun, moon, and stars appeared, along with fleeting scenes of mountains of corpses and seas of blood!

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Even more astonishing was what appeared behind Gu Luoli.

A hazy phantom, a thousand feet tall, slowly emerged!

Its face could not be seen. Only its eyes were visible, like two blazing suns overlooking all living beings!

Whenever those eyes opened and closed, heaven and earth changed color!

Within the left eye, vitality evolved. Plants grew wildly, and a hundred flowers bloomed!

Within the right eye, destruction manifested. The void shattered, and stars fell!

Life and death, yin and yang, fused together in perfect harmony!

“This is… a phenomenon of the double pupils!”

Yun Miaoyi cried out in shock.

“So this is what it looks like when the double pupils truly awaken?”

Brilliant light danced in Die Wu’s eyes.

Li Hanyi tightened her grip on the Listening Rain Sword, and even a trace of shock flashed through her cool eyes.

All the disciples stood frozen.

Zhao Ling’er’s small mouth hung open, and she did not even notice the jade bottle slipping from her hand.

The towering phantom behind Gu Luoli was reflected in Wang Zhaojun’s clear eyes, as though she had glimpsed some great terror.

Xiao Ya frantically recorded the data.

“Energy level impossible to measure… manifestation of the Laws… This is…”

Wang Teng, Li Haoran, and the others were even more deeply shaken. Beneath that phantom, they felt as insignificant as ants.

Ye Ling’er clenched her fists tightly, her eyes filled with yearning and determination.

So this was Third Senior Sister’s true talent?

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Could she ever catch up to Third Senior Sister?

The phenomenon lasted for roughly the time it took an incense stick to burn before gradually receding.

The golden pillars of light vanished, and the phantom slowly faded away.

Gu Luoli’s eyes were now completely different from before!

Deep within each pupil was a faint golden ring, and inside each ring was the vague shadow of an even smaller pupil.

This was the sign that the double pupils had truly awakened!

Although her cultivation was only at the early stage of the Golden Core realm, the vast fluctuations of spiritual power around her far surpassed those of ordinary Golden Core cultivators!

Even more eye-catching was the Golden Core in her dantian.

It was the size of a pigeon egg, perfectly round, and slowly rotating. Nine distinct Dao patterns covered its surface!

The nine Dao patterns resembled nine divine dragons coiled around it, radiating incomparably profound Dao Resonance!

“A… a Nine-Pattern Golden Core?!”

Elder Canghai cried out in shock.

“The highest-quality Golden Core of legend!”

“Such a Golden Core may not appear even once in ten thousand years! Once formed, its owner is invincible among those of the same realm!”

The entire crowd erupted into an uproar!

A Nine-Pattern Golden Core!

Even among the Holy Sons and Holy Maidens of the great sacred lands, anyone capable of condensing a Seven-Pattern or Eight-Pattern Golden Core would already be considered a peerless genius!

But a Nine-Pattern Golden Core… that was the stuff of myth!

Gu Luoli slowly rose and bowed slightly toward Li Hanyi and the others in the distance.

“I have made the elders worry.”

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Her voice was calm, yet it carried an indescribable majesty.

Li Hanyi nodded slightly. “Very good.”

Yun Miaoyi smiled gently. “Congratulations, Luoli.”

Die Wu’s eyes shimmered. “Little girl, you are truly extraordinary now.”

Gu Luoli walked over to Liu Ruyan and Ye Ling’er.

“Congratulations, Third Senior Sister!”

“Congratulations, Third Junior Sister!”

The two congratulated her one after the other, their eyes filled with sincere joy.

“Thank you.”

A rare, delighted smile appeared on Gu Luoli’s face. She looked at Ye Ling’er, her double pupils flickering faintly.

“Fourth Junior Sister has progressed at an astonishing pace. The Lunar Divine Body is indeed extraordinary.”

Ye Ling’er blushed.

“I’m still far behind Third Senior Sister.”

“Everyone has their own opportunities. There is no need to compare,” Gu Luoli said softly. “Master often says that, on the path of cultivation, the person one must ultimately compete against is oneself.”

Liu Ruyan nodded.

“Third Junior Sister is right. However…”

She looked at the disciples around them, who were still immersed in shock, and smiled.

“With this breakthrough, Third Junior Sister has set an extremely high standard for all these junior brothers and sisters.”

Sure enough, in the days that followed, the cultivation atmosphere throughout the Myriad-Phenomena Tower reached an unprecedented peak!

“A Nine-Pattern Golden Core! Senior Sister Gu is incredible!”

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“I have to work hard too! Even if I can’t condense a Nine-Pattern Golden Core in the future, I must at least strive for seven or eight patterns!”

“That phenomenon of the double pupils… such overwhelming might! One day, I’ll make my Fire Spirit Body manifest a phenomenon too!”

“Cultivate! I can’t slack off! By the time the secret realm opens, I must successfully reach Foundation Establishment!”

“Only Foundation Establishment? Why set your goal so low? I’m aiming for at least the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment!”

The disciples were as fired up as though they had been given a powerful stimulant, and they cultivated with even greater desperation.

Gu Luoli’s breakthrough was not only a powerful boost to their morale, but also an invisible lash urging them onward.

Look. They were all disciples of the Immortal Palace, yet someone among them had managed to reach such heights!

What excuse did the rest of them have not to work hard?

The elders of the various peaks were gratified by the sight. Striking while the iron was hot, they intensified their instruction.

Sparring sessions became more frequent, their guidance grew more meticulous, and they spared no expense in supplying resources.

Amid this fervent atmosphere, time inside the tower continued to race by.

Day 400… Day 600… Day 900…

The disciples’ cultivation rose steadily at a speed visible to the naked eye.

More and more disciples reached Foundation Establishment.

Day 900 inside the tower.

There were still five months left before the secret realm opened in the outside world, which meant nearly four years remained inside the tower.

For the disciples, however, those four years would be their final sprint, the last chance to transform themselves completely and soar into the heavens.

A fierce determination burned in every heart.

For the glory of Yaochi Immortal Palace, for the Palace Master’s expectations, and also for… their own Great Dao!

And Gu Han, standing outside the tower, saw all of it clearly through the system.