[Upon arriving at the Baihua Chamber of Commerce, you were escorted directly into a VIP room.]
[The auction proceeded smoothly. As before, you acquired the remaining materials—not out of urgency, but in quiet preparation. Sooner or later, you would obtain another Root-Bone Flower. With the simulator, foresight was your greatest strength.]
[Eventually, the final item was revealed.]
[A Heaven-and-Earth treasure—the Azure Lotus Green Flame.]
[The moment it emerged, your heart trembled.]
[A rare strange flame, capable of refining divine pills and forging top-grade treasures. But more importantly—it was essential for cultivating the Prison-Suppressing Divine Body.]
[You never avoided that forbidden physique out of fear. You lacked only the resources.]
[And you were not yet strong enough to seize them by force.]
[So, you waited.]
[Waited for the simulator to give you what the world would never offer freely.]
[And now, the opportunity had arrived.]
[You raised your paddle and bid.]
[Moments later, another voice echoed from the neighboring VIP room.]
[It was calm—but each bid it placed was sharp and unyielding.]
[What began as a contest of price became a silent clash of wills.]
[Finally, after a long standoff, you secured the Azure Lotus Green Flame—for thirty million low-grade spirit stones.]
[The other bidder fell silent.]
[But unease crept into your heart.]
[That person hadn't bid on anything else. Clearly, they had come only for this.]
[This wasn't a casual collector. It was someone with purpose.]
[Someone with power.]
[You didn't know whether they were a top cultivator or someone backed by a terrifying force—but you understood one thing clearly.]
[You couldn't afford to provoke them.]
[Fleeing was pointless. Tianhua City's laws forbade combat within its walls, and you lacked the skills to vanish without a trace.]
[That law was your only shield.]
[If they attacked in the city, you could resist. If they could kill you in one blow, even escape would be meaningless.]
[So you lowered your head and vanished into obscurity.]
[Returning to your courtyard, you began refining the Azure Lotus Green Flame.]
[At the same time, you activated the first stage of the Prison-Suppressing Divine Body technique.]
[Year 260]
[A year passed in silence.]
[After countless trials, you finally succeeded in refining the Azure Lotus Green Flame.]
[It merged into your body like molten jade, and the transformation began.]
[You stepped into the entry level of the Prison-Suppressing Divine Body.]
[Your blood thundered like a divine river. Bones radiated celestial brilliance. Ancient sigils surfaced faintly across your skin.]
[Every breath carried boundless vitality.]
[But even so—]
[The long-awaited 11th Elixir Pattern failed to form.]
[You opened your eyes and sat still.]
[Had you truly reached your limit?]
[One quiet truth echoed in your mind:]
[Your current foundation has reached its peak.]
[No matter how powerful your physique became, no further breakthrough was possible—not under your current Supreme Foundation.]
[The shackles were invisible, but unbreakable.]
[So, you turned to a new path—Sword Intent.]
[Year 262]
[After two years of seclusion, meditation, and simulated battles, your Sword Intent broke through to Level 2.]
[Every strike became sharper. Every motion, deadlier.]
[Your swordplay transformed.]
[Year 270]
[After eight more years, you reached Level 3 Sword Intent.]
[Now, each swing carried crushing force—capable of killing any Nascent Soul cultivator outright.]
[In all these years, no one approached.]
[Even the mysterious bidder never revealed themselves again.]
[Eventually, your vigilance dulled.]
[But your strength had peaked.]
[It was time.]
[You were ready to step into the Golden Elixir Realm.]
[But with that advancement came Heavenly Tribulation.]
[And Tianhua City forbade it.]
[So, under cover of darkness, you packed your belongings and quietly slipped out of the city.]
[Just as you passed the boundary stone, a thunderous voice tore through the silence.]
["You've made me wait long enough. Today, I'll torture you to death!"]
[Your chest tightened.]
[He had waited—patiently, silently—for all these years.]
[From the forest, a figure emerged.]
[He wielded a spear dripping with killing intent. His eyes were cold and pitiless.]
[His aura surged.]
[Peak God-Transformation Realm.]
[It crushed the air like a falling mountain.]
[You responded instantly—sword drawn, heart steady.]
[The Battle Begins]
[Steel clashed with steel. Sparks lit the night.]
[The clash was ferocious.]
[But slowly—you realized the truth.]
[You were at a disadvantage.]
[Despite your monstrous foundation…]
[Despite the Prison-Suppressing Divine Body…]
[You were being pushed back.]
[He wielded a peak-grade spiritual spear.]
[His Level 3 Spear Intent equaled your swordplay.]
[His cultivation was higher.]
[His killing aura sharper.]
[With each passing second, the gap widened.]
[If this continued, you would die.]
[There was no time.]
[You reached into your storage ring and pulled out a bone-white flask.]
[Fiendbone Soup.]
[A forbidden brew created through your God of Cooking skill—crafted to temporarily enhance both strength and speed.]
[You drank it.]
[A violent surge of energy erupted in your veins.]
[Your muscles swelled. Blood howled. Space distorted around you.]
[Your figure became a blur.]
[The enemy's eyes narrowed. "Still hiding trump cards?"]
[You didn't answer.]
[There was no need.]
[Words had no meaning now.]
[Only death awaited.]
[You stepped forward, sword shining with ruthless intent.]
[Now... it ends.]