Time flowed rapidly in the midst of extreme concentration, and the external rotation of the sun and moon seemed disconnected from Shan Hu.
He maintained his meditative posture, sitting motionless on the mountain peak, with streams of azure light circulating around him, resembling a statue undergoing an ancient ritual.
Three days and three nights passed.
During these three days, Shan Hu's True Essence consumption reached an astonishing level. Although the recovery ability of the Azure Emperor Longevity Art was extremely potent, the demands of precision and intensity for the "Art of Stripping" were too high. He had to constantly circulate his cultivation technique while drawing in the scarce external spiritual energy for replenishment. His cheeks were slightly hollowed, and his clothes were soaked with sweat, but beneath his tightly closed eyelids lay an iron-like will.
Finally, he sensed the core of the Dragon Vein—the deepest part protected by layers of sealing array patterns.
The moment his Divine Sense touched the core, a majestic, ancient, and immortal-like pressure surged forth. This was not an attack, but an unconscious "remnant will" generated by the formation operating on its own.
This will was like a slumbering giant Dragon being disturbed, issuing a low warning. It held no malice but possessed a formidable power capable of crushing the Divine Sense of a Qi Condensation cultivator.
Omm—
Shan Hu's body trembled violently, and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. His Divine Sense world shook intensely, as if struck by a massive hammer.
"A remnant trace of the Great Dao… the mighty figure from that era actually melted his Dao Will into the formation," a pang of pain transmitted through Shan Hu's mind, yet he showed a look of understanding.
This Will was the residual shadow of the array setter's "Dao" from millennia ago, the final and most robust line of defense of the formation. It judged any power attempting to touch the Dragon Vein core as an infringement.
If it were any ordinary Foundation Establishment or even Core Formation cultivator, their soul would have instantly crumbled into idiocy.
But who was Shan Hu? He was an unparalleled expert who had once ascended to the peak of the Immortal Emperor realm, commanding the Azure Emperor lineage!
Even though his current cultivation was weak, his "Dao Heart" spanned eternity and was indestructible.
Shan Hu ceased attempting to strip or resist with True Essence. He knew that confronting such power head-on at the level of the Dao, with his current strength, was futile.
He took a deep breath and circulated the "Dao Integration Art" recorded in the Azure Emperor Longevity Art, a method only comprehensible to an Immortal Emperor. This was not a technique but a means of communicating with the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, manifesting his own Dao Fruit.
He was no longer just Ye Shan Hu, but the Azure Emperor who commanded the Wood Element Dao and brought fortune to all sentient beings!
"My Dao is perpetual life, the recovery of all things, and the sustaining of the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth!"
An invisible "Dao" fluctuation, transcendent to this world, radiated from Shan Hu's body.
This fluctuation was so pure and noble, encompassing the ultimate understanding of the essence of life and spiritual energy. It acted like an Imperial decree, instantly enveloping the ancient remnant will.
The ancient will, upon sensing the trans-dimensional pressure of this "Dao," first trembled violently in resistance. Then, like melting ice and snow, it quickly became docile and peaceful. Finally, it conveyed an idea of "recognition" and "submission."
It no longer perceived Shan Hu as an invader, but as an entity of the same origin, or even a higher-tiered "kin."
The final defense line had collapsed.
Shan Hu's Divine Sense surged through unimpeded, easily gaining control of the core array eye connecting the Dragon Vein to the mountain, as if returning home.
He wasted no time. True Essence poured out like a tide, and with the final hand seal of the "Art of Stripping," he carefully separated a grindstone-sized, crystalline azure block from the main trunk of the Dragon Vein.
This crystal contained spiritual energy flowing like blood and emitted a refreshing aura of life.
"Dragon Vein Essence." Shan Hu's voice held a trace of barely suppressed excitement.
He knew that the power within this single chunk of essence was equivalent to the total spiritual energy accumulated by the Ye family's spiritual vein over a hundred years!
Shan Hu immediately absorbed the Dragon Vein Essence into his hand. A terrifying torrent of spiritual energy instantly rushed into his meridians; the pure, vast energy nearly bloated his Qi Condensation body to the point of bursting.
However, his Dao Heart was stable, and he immediately circulated the Azure Emperor Longevity Art, refining the power like a whale devouring water.
Boom!
Accompanied by a deep rumble within his body, the barrier of his early Qi Condensation stage shattered, and his realm began to climb at a visible pace.
Qi Condensation Layer Two… Qi Condensation Layer Three…
It wasn't until he reached the peak of Qi Condensation Layer Four, just a step away from the middle stage, that the grindstone-sized Dragon Vein Essence completely turned to powder, its spiritual energy exhausted.
Shan Hu opened his eyes, which shone with spiritual light; his entire aura was profoundly different. The fatigue of three days and nights vanished, replaced by powerful, stable strength.
He looked at the residue in his hand and smiled with satisfaction.
"One piece of essence allowed me to solidify the foundation for the middle stage of Qi Condensation. The value of this Dragon Vein far exceeds my imagination."
He contained his aura and looked toward the Yan Mountain, which remained stable despite the extraction. The main trunk of the Dragon Vein still slept underground, but it had lost its most crucial core power. The remaining stripping work would be much easier.
Shan Hu decided to pause the extraction for now. He would return to the capital, handle some mundane affairs, and then plan the next steps.