Within the first layer of the void.

  Si Luo and Bai Ruo materialized and they deposited Li Yu down. Li Yu sat cross-legged, floating a few inches off what would be the ground.

  Li Yu waved his hand.

  Dozens of jade boxes, vials and artifacts flew out of his storage ring.

  There were the Blood-Vigor Pills from the Crimson Fang. The Shadow-Roots from the assassin vaults that Meilin had gifted him. Herbs and pills that were left over from exchanging merit points.

  It was a mountain of wealth that Li Yu had been saving for that final push. He had been using it daily but he was taking it all out now. Li Yu didn't refine them one by one.

  Behind him, a massive phantom appeared. It was his Koi martial spirit. The Koi opened its mouth.

  The pills shattered. The herbs disintegrated. The spirit stones turned to dust. A river of pure concentrated essence flowed into the Koi’s mouth. It was also sucking in the Qi that followed him into the void and sucking in the void qi itself as well. The layer trembled violently but it was holding.

  Li Yu’s body convulsed.

  Crack.

  His Qi roared as it was filling the expanded vessel. But he didn't stop. The epiphany in the plaza had unlocked his last mental shackle that had been bogging him down. He wasn't just filling a cup; he was expanding the ocean.

  He consumed the Shadow-Roots. The dark energy swirled, trying to corrupt him, but the Koi simply digested it and turned it into pure fuel.

  His aura began to warp the grey mist of the Void. Lightning—violet and black—crackled around him.

  Si Luo took a step back and was shielding her eyes. "He's going so fast. His body..."

  "His body seems to be able to take it just fine. It is incredibly tough." Bai Ruo analyzed calmly but her fingers were twitching. "His regeneration rate is matching the destruction. No, it’s even faster than any of the destruction that is going on. He is... molting."

  After nearly an hour the violent breakthrough calmed down.

  Li Yu’s eyes snapped open. They looked like they were no longer human. For a second they were deep, starry and indifferent. Then, the humanity returned.

  He had advanced to the Peak of Soul Formation. He wasn’t able to make that step towards Divine Transformation. It was no longer a bottleneck of the mind and soul. It was now a bottleneck of resources to push him towards that next realm.

  The body transforms even further and an immense amount of resources are needed. Not only that, he needs to prepare arrays, natural treasures and more to form a solid foundation. It was not something that could be rushed or hurried. He needed preparations.

  He stood up. Li Yu looked at his hands. He clenched his fist and the air popped, creating a miniature vacuum.

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  "Done," Li Yu said with a smile. He looked at Si Luo and Bai Ruo.

  "Thank you for the ride here," he grinned. "I almost blew up the new city."

  Si Luo let out a breath of relief. She walked over and punched him lightly in the arm.

  "You idiot," she said affectionately. "Why are your breakthroughs always so random?"

  "I don’t know myself." Li Yu chuckled a bit. "Things just happen. I feel... unburdened."

  Back at the Cloud-Mist Plaza

  The banquet had not paused. After Li Yu was taken away, the leadership took charge and had everyone resume their meals. They let everyone know that everything was okay and they just needed to wait.

  Of course that didn’t stop conversations from being centered on what had happened and what to expect.

  "Do you think he's..." a disciple whispered.

  "Dead?" Old Man Chen scoffed from his alleyway. "That boy? He's probably just negotiating with the heavens for a better deal for us."

  Suddenly, Li Yu, Si Luo, and Bai Ruo reappeared.

  Li Yu picked up his cup of wine. It was still empty from when it evaporated. He picked up the pitcher and poured himself a refill. The silence stretched as he drank.

  Then, Sect Master Torben stood up. He walked over to the table. He leaned down, sniffing Li Yu. He recoiled, his eyes wide.

  "Peak," Torben shouted. How he got that from sniffing no one knew. Torben had met a few at the peak of Soul Formation before so he knew. "Hahaha. I was not wrong about you boy.”

  Li Yu continued sipping his wine. "I was hungry."

  Shen Tu stood up slowly.

  "Peak Soul Formation," Shen Tu said as his voice carried over the silent plaza. "At your age is just unbelievable. You must have taken all the good things in our vault!” He joked.

  The crowd erupted.

  It started as a murmur, then a shout, then a roar. The disciples of the Iron Blood, the Violet Silk, the Thunderclap—they screamed until their throats were raw. Their Commander had advanced even further. He was already amazing, now he was even more so. That was only good news for them.

  "Commander Li! Commander Li!"

  The entire city erupted and the chant echoed off the five peaks. Shen Bo, who was still recovering from the earlier shock, just put his head on the table. "I retire. I quit. I'm going to go farm turnips. Maybe take care of my mother's garden for her. Cultivation is not for me."

  Meilin looked at Li Yu, her eyes shining with pride and something deeper.

  "You really don't do things halfway, do you?" she whispered.

  "I think I understand a few things better now." Li Yu replied. His voice was calm but resonating with newfound power. "I'm not just walking a path anymore. I'm paving it."

  He stood up and raised his cup to the crowd.

  "The show isn't over!" Li Yu shouted as his voice amplified. It reached every ear in the city. "Eat! Drink! Tomorrow, we will continue to build. Tonight, we feast!"

  The roar of approval shook the very foundations of the Cloud-Mist Peaks. Li Yu sat back down. He felt the power coursing through him. It was vast, stable and ready.

  He looked at Torben.

  "So," Li Yu said with a smile and a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Tell me more about these things in the North."

  Torben grinned, a feral, happy expression.

  "Oh, you're going to fit in just fine there."

  As the celebration reignited with feverish intensity and even more gossip and rumors. Li Yu leaned back and was watching the joy on the faces of his people.

  The shackle he didn’t know was there was now gone. The guilt was gone and was replaced by determination to make things even better.

  He was Li Yu. He was the Commander of the Alliance of the Jagged Peaks. The night wore on with the stars spinning overhead. They were witnessing the birth of a legend that would one day shake the Heavens. But for now, there was just a young man, a cup of wine and a city full of dreams.