As the Dao marks of the Five Labors Gu were removed, Liu Chen felt as if his body had been cleansed by a clear spring, incredibly light and relaxed, as if all his fatigue and pressure had been released in an instant. He took a deep breath, feeling the fresh Qi circulating within him, making him feel completely refreshed.
Under his control, the Yin and Yang Two-Cloud Gu slowly retracted into his Aperture. He gently activated his healing Gu, and these Gu immediately became active, quickly moving throughout his body, healing all his injuries. Liu Chen could clearly feel that the excruciatingly painful wounds were gradually healing, and his physical strength was slowly recovering.
After completing the treatment, Liu Chen took out the Empty Gu. This Gu had a peculiar shape, like an empty cicada shell, appearing lifeless. However, when Liu Chen activated it, this Gu suddenly transformed, turning into a pile of ashes, and then quickly merged into his body.
With the integration of the Empty Gu, Liu Chen clearly felt that his soul foundation had been greatly strengthened. But at the same time, his body fell into a special sense of powerlessness, as if he couldn't muster the energy to do anything. This was the side effect of the Empty Gu; although it could enhance the soul foundation, it would also make a person feel weak and powerless for a period of time.
However, Liu Chen was not affected by this side effect. With his strong will, he forcefully suppressed the feeling of powerlessness in his body, and then activated another Gu—the Chaos God Gu. This Gu was shaped like a hideous ghost mask, looking very ferocious and terrifying. When Liu Chen activated it, this mask seemed to come alive, quickly attaching itself to his face.
As the Chaos God Gu took effect, countless terrifying scenes and sounds immediately appeared in Liu Chen's mind. These images and sounds continuously assaulted his mind, making his thoughts chaotic. However, Liu Chen was not intimidated by these horrors; he gritted his teeth, persisting in fighting this pain.
The effects of the two Gu complemented each other. Although they caused Liu Chen great pain, he knew that only by persevering could he truly unleash their effects.
To enhance his soul foundation, Liu Chen put in immense effort and time. He maintained this special state for a long time, a state that allowed him to continuously temper and strengthen his soul.
Thus, day after day, month after month, Liu Chen persevered for a full half-year. During this long period, he wholeheartedly devoted himself to improving his soul foundation, without the slightest slack.
Finally, one day, the sound of the Timekeeping Gu echoed in his mind, as if a signal, telling him that this stage of effort had reached an important milestone.
Hearing the sound of the Timekeeping Gu, Liu Chen felt relieved, but at the same time, a hint of loss. After all, although the effort during this period was arduous, it had also greatly enhanced his soul foundation.
However, he did not stop but immediately began to use the Sword Soul Gu to further enhance the strength of his soul. After some effort, his soul finally completely transformed into a Five Hundred Man Soul-level Sword Soul, which was a very remarkable achievement.
However, once the soul foundation reached this level, it became extremely difficult to continue rapid improvement. Currently, Liu Chen did not have many means to quickly enhance his soul foundation and could only rely on the accumulation of time to slowly improve it.
Taking advantage of this time, Liu Chen decided to make full use of the remaining time to cultivate with all his might, making the final preparations for his Breakthrough to Rank Five... The brilliant Golden True Essence occupied ninety percent of the space within Liu Chen's Aperture, forming a surging undercurrent under his control, impacting the crystal wall of the Aperture.
The crystal wall of the Aperture was exceptionally solid, like an impregnable fortress. Even with Liu Chen's almost infinite True Essence, it took over a year of intense Impact and consumption before he gradually sensed the opportunity for a Breakthrough.
At this moment, the crystal wall of the Aperture was covered with dense cracks, like a shattered mirror. Although it seemed to be on the verge of collapse, it remained stubbornly connected, refusing to completely break.
Liu Chen gritted his teeth, wanting to break this delicate balance, but he persisted for a full month.
Finally, at one instant, the True Essence sea in the Aperture seemed to be pulled by an invisible force, suddenly surging wildly towards a specific direction.
With a crisp 'crack,' the crystal wall of the Aperture, which was originally as solid as a rock, finally succumbed to the immense pressure, completely shattering into countless fragments that scattered everywhere.
At the same time, along with the shattering of the old Aperture, a brand new Aperture, like a nascent sprout, quietly emerged from the ruins.
Immediately after, the Golden True Essence in the Aperture was like a lit flame, rapidly transforming into a light purple amethyst True Essence.
In that instant, Liu Chen successfully broke through to Rank Five, becoming the Peak existence of the mortals in the Gu World!
After a long period of arduous cultivation, Liu Chen finally successfully broke through to the Rank Five Realm, and an indescribable joy welled up in his heart. This meant that his strength had undergone a qualitative leap, allowing him to accomplish things he couldn't do before.
"Finally, I've broken through to Rank Five. Now I can finally return to Southern Border. By my calculations, it should be about time," Liu Chen muttered to himself, his voice echoing in the silent space. Although his expression was calm, his heart was filled with anticipation and excitement.
As the True Essence in his Aperture completely transformed into Rank Five Amethyst True Essence, Liu Chen could clearly feel the immense power of the True Essence within him. He took a deep breath and began to carefully calculate the time he had been away and the development of the plot.
Just then, the Living Treasure Window, which had been accompanying Liu Chen in his cultivation, suddenly spoke: "Congratulations, Master, on breaking through to Rank Five! The Merchant's Treasure Realm happens to have a Rank Five Sword Evasion Gu, and you only need fifty Four-Turn Gu to exchange for it!"
The words of the Living Treasure Window stirred Liu Chen's heart, but he did not act immediately. He knew that this was the Eastern Sea, and Gu from Southern Border would be suppressed to a certain extent. If he exchanged for the Sword Evasion Gu now, it might not be able to exert its full power.
"Living Treasure Window, no rush. This is the Eastern Sea, and Southern Border Gu will be suppressed. I'll consider it when I return to Southern Border. For now, I still need to continue improving my cultivation," Liu Chen said calmly.
With that, he unhesitatingly took out four Gu, resembling amethyst pearls, from his Aperture. These four Gu emitted a faint glow, clearly indicating their precious nature. Liu Chen examined them for a moment, then decisively chose one of them and refined it.