Chapter Nineteen: A Realm One Cultivator

Throughout the journey, Liu An sat upon the tiger’s back. Although it was somewhat bumpy, the overall experience was quite comfortable, and he could clearly feel the raw power surging within the tiger’s muscles.

"We’ve arrived. Once you pass through this thicket ahead, you will see the cave entrance," the tiger remarked by way of warning.

"Stop."

"You aren't deceiving us, are you? There isn't some great terror lurking inside this cave, is there? You intend to use this place to get rid of us, don't you?" Liu An probed.

The tiger felt deeply wronged, but not knowing how to explain itself, it paced back and forth at the entrance, unsure whether to enter.

At this moment, Jian Yi spoke from the air: "Enough. I have already scouted it with my Celestial Eye. There are no large beasts in this cave. Rest assured and go in."

Hearing the one who had cleared its name, the tiger looked up at Jian Yi with eyes full of gratitude, thinking to itself, "How can the gap between humans be so vast? How could an honest tiger like me ever tell a lie?"

Liu An patted the tiger’s back. "Little Flower, stop dawdling. Since my senior brother says it's fine, you’re with me from now on."

"Little Flower? What a terrible name! Do you even know how to name things?"

Liu An seemed to sense the tiger’s strange mood and lowered his voice, saying, "What, not satisfied with the name I gave you? I’ll cook you right now."

The tiger was easily frightened and immediately changed its tune: "Fine, 'Little Flower' it is. At least my life is preserved; the rest doesn't matter."

The two men and two beasts plunged into the cave. The darkness was so thick they could not see their own fingers, but the tiger relied on its memory to reach the depths quickly.

Just as Little Flower had described, the pale blue phosphorescence of the stones provided just enough light to see everything within the cave.

Liu An looked around impatiently for his earth-milk essence.

"Where is the earth-milk, Little Flower?" Liu An urged anxiously.

Little Flower felt a bit guilty now, extending a tiger paw toward a certain spot to point the way.

"Good heavens!" Liu An exclaimed. "You call this a puddle?"

"Today, no one is going to stop me. I am determined to eat tiger-tail soup!" Liu An’s angry voice echoed through the cave.

Little Flower, terrified, hid behind Jian Yi, peeking out at Liu An’s angry expression.

"Enough. Having something is better than nothing. Do not be too greedy; human desire is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant," Jian Yi lectured.

Liu An calmed his emotions, turned around, and bowed to Jian Yi like a student who had made a mistake.

"This opportunity is enough for you to shed your old skin and step into the first realm. Your foundation is very solid—one could describe it as 'substantial.' When you break through this time, it will be a case of 'a single outburst that amazes the world' after a long silence," Jian Yi said, sounding slightly envious.

Liu An felt his blood boil, stimulated by Jian Yi’s words.

"Senior brother, how should I break through?"

"First, memorize the diagram of the three hundred and fifty-six meridians and acupuncture points. Then, practice breathing and meditation to absorb the essence of the earth-milk, guiding the *Qi* to strike the points. The more points you break through, the further you will be able to go in the future. You must grit your teeth and hold on until the very last moment before you lose consciousness," Jian Yi advised.

Liu An steadied his heart and gently cupped the last remaining earth-milk, lifting it to his lips.

As soon as it entered his mouth, a sweet, clear fragrance flooded his palate, turning into a warm, comforting current once it reached his stomach.

"Contemplate this diagram, and focus on your breathing."

Through his meditation, Liu An seemed to see an old man riding on the back of an ox, holding a fly-whisk, with a Taiji Yin-Yang diagram on his back.

"Keep your focus, and guide the *Qi* to strike the points!" Jian Yi’s reminder interrupted the vision Liu An had just perceived.

The first point opened, then the second. Over fifty points were breached easily without any obstruction.

As time ticked away, by the time Liu An had breached the one hundred and eightieth point, cold sweat began to bead on his forehead, and his entire body trembled slightly.

By now, the earth-milk in his stomach had been exhausted. From this moment on, every point Liu An struck would be extremely difficult.

"Hold on, hold on!" Jian Yi was also very tense, breaking into a sweat for Liu An.

The *Si Bu Xiang* (four-unlike beast), however, was completely indifferent, lying lazily on the ground, drowsy and on the verge of sleep.

Ever since Liu An began his breakthrough, Little Flower had not dared to make a sound, fearing it might disrupt him and lead to Liu An taking his frustration out on the tiger later.

Three quarters of an hour passed.

Liu An’s hands were shaking uncontrollably, and his whole body was leaning backward toward the ground. He had breached two hundred and thirty points, still far from the three hundred and fifty-six required.

"You need to replenish your life essence now, otherwise, you definitely won't make it to two hundred and fifty."

"That’s right, I remember talking to Junior Brother before—the tears of this *Si Bu Xiang* can turn decay into magic, bringing life back to withered wood."

Jian Yi flashed to the side of the *Si Bu Xiang* and picked it up, shaking it awake.

"Cry! Quickly, cry!" Jian Yi urged the beast anxiously.

The *Si Bu Xiang* had been fast asleep, enjoying a wonderful dream, and being shaken awake and told to cry left it staring blankly at Jian Yi with wide eyes.

Seeing the beast’s expression, Jian Yi had no choice but to resort to other means.

*Slap! Slap!* The crisp sounds echoed through the cave.

Instantly, the *Si Bu Xiang* felt a burning pain in its backside, and tears began to stream from its eyes uncontrollably.

The moment the tears hit the ground, the area instantly burst with life, sprouting tender grass, only to vanish into dust the next moment. Liu An’s breathing became rapid; the amount of life essence he required was immense.

The *Si Bu Xiang* couldn't cry fast enough to keep up with Liu An’s rate of absorption, forcing Jian Yi to increase the rhythm of the spankings.

"Stop hitting me! Your hand is practically sparking! I really can't cry anymore!" the *Si Bu Xiang* lamented, feeling truly hopeless and aggrieved.

Cowering in the corner, Little Flower covered its left eye with one paw while watching the beating of the *Si Bu Xiang* with keen interest from its right eye.

Little Flower wanted to retract its earlier assessment of Jian Yi: "This is too brutal. I can’t bear to watch."

Thanks to the selfless sacrifice of the *Si Bu Xiang*, Liu An finally broke through to three hundred points. He had exhausted the energy of the surrounding environment and was forced to look inward, relying on himself to breach the remaining points.

"What else can I use to break through? I suppose there's nothing left. Forget it, let it be. I’ve reached my limit." With this thought, Liu An drifted into a deep sleep, no longer caring about anything happening in the outside world.

He slept for an unknown amount of time, until he felt something licking his cheek.

"Stop it, let me sleep a little longer."

"Junior brother, wake up. You’ve been asleep for two days," Jian Yi said, seeing Liu An regain consciousness.

"Ah, I’ve been out for two days?" Liu An leaped up abruptly.

He felt a sense of comfort he had never experienced before. His body felt incredibly light, and his punches whistled with power—he felt as though a single strike could knock Little Flower out for an entire day.