Azure Sky Wild Bull, Quasi-Emperor

Watching Lao Huang's dramatic, tearful accusation, Gu Changge shook his head helplessly, his gaze falling on the little white snake wrapped around his wrist.

The little white snake shrank its neck, quietly withdrawing that Quasi-Emperor aura and returning to its harmless appearance. It even used the tip of its tail to ingratiatingly rub against Gu Changge's wrist, secretly transmitting a divine thought.

"Master, I was just playing a joke on Lao Huang, just a joke. Who knew he would be so easily frightened..."

Seeing this, Little Black, standing on Gu Changge's shoulder, flashed a faint trace of speechlessness in its sharp eagle eyes. It turned its head away, too lazy to look at Little White's smug appearance of taking advantage and acting innocent.

"You, why did you have to tease him?"

Gu Changge's tone was flat, revealing neither joy nor anger, but his finger lightly flicked the little white snake's head.

The little white snake hissed and pulled its head back.

Gu Changge turned his gaze to Lao Huang, who was crying a river, and said slowly, "Alright, Lao Huang, get up. I am naturally aware of your hard work over these years."

He paused and continued, "Now that heaven and earth are recovering, the Golden Era has arrived. Storms will rise in the future, and the Azure Profound Sect truly needs stronger power for protection."

Saying this, Gu Changge raised his hand and lightly swiped at the void.

Instantly, a drop of liquid, crimson as a blood diamond yet exuding boundless life essence like a sea of stars, emerged out of thin air.

The moment it appeared, the surrounding space slightly distorted, diffusing a supreme coercion that made all living beings submit. It was exactly a drop of Great Emperor essence blood!

"Your foundation is solid, and your temperament is honest and diligent. What you lack is exactly this final push and sufficiently profound accumulation. Today, I shall help you cross this hurdle."

Gu Changge flicked his fingertip, and that drop of Great Emperor essence blood instantly transformed into a streak of bloody light, sinking into Lao Huang's massive glabella.

"Master, this..."

Lao Huang only felt an unimaginably vast energy surging into its body.

"Do not resist, calm your mind and refine it." Gu Changge flicked his sleeve again.

Before Lao Huang could fully react to this heaven-defying fortune, it suddenly felt the space around it violently distort. It was no longer in the courtyard of the Purple Bamboo Peak, but had been sent into a strange world filled with primal chaos and incredibly clear Great Dao laws!

Only then did Lao Huang suddenly shudder, waking up from the immense surprise and the dizziness of the spatial shift.

Its huge ox eyes widened perfectly round as it let out a belated wail filled with incomparable heartache:

"Wait, wait! Master! I... I'm not ready yet! I haven't drunk that jar of innate spiritual marrow I treasured! The Dao Enlightenment Tea leaves I saved for so long and couldn't bear to use are still hidden in my cave!!"

It was full of remorse at this moment. If it had known earlier that its master would bestow such a heaven-defying opportunity today, it definitely would have taken out the treasured spiritual marrow and Dao Enlightenment Tea to use.

Although those two treasures were far inferior to the treasure given by its master, with the blessing of the Dao charm in this place to assist in refinement, the effect would certainly have reached a higher level!

This was a huge loss!

However, right at the moment it was twitching with heartache, the terrifying energy and supreme Dao charm contained in that drop of Great Emperor essence blood erupted explosively within its body!

The extremely pure life source and the shattered fragments of the Emperor Dao laws, like a breached flood, began to frantically wash over and transform its limbs, bones, and demon soul!

Lao Huang dared not be distracted anymore. Its massive ox body immediately bowed down as it circulated its cultivation technique with all its might, guiding this vast power to launch an assault on the Quasi-Emperor bottleneck...

"Moo—!"

Lao Huang couldn't help but let out an extremely comfortable long cry, its voice full of joy and relief.

It clearly felt that the obstacle had disappeared!

The long-accumulated power, like hundreds of rivers returning to the sea, surged into a broader and more profound realm!

Its aura began to climb steadily and rapidly, its life essence undergoing a joyous metamorphosis.

Its demon body naturally stretched and transformed amidst the primal chaos. Its dark cyan fur circulated with a warm luster, faintly revealing profound natural Dao patterns, exuding an increasingly majestic and heavy coercion.

The entire breakthrough process was as smooth as flowing water and drifting clouds, without the slightest stagnation.

Initial Quasi-Emperor stage... Peak of the Initial stage...

Its cultivation base steadily improved, ultimately stopping perfectly at the peak of the Initial Quasi-Emperor stage, only a step away from the Middle stage. Its foundation was incomparably solid.

When its aura completely stabilized, Lao Huang slowly opened its eyes. Divine light gleamed in its eyes, full of newborn vitality.

Feeling the surging, ocean-like, and perfectly smooth new power within its body, it was so excited that every pore on its body trembled.

"I succeeded! I, Lao Huang, have finally stepped into the Quasi-Emperor domain!"

It first lowered its head in disbelief, looking at its completely renewed hooves with faintly visible Dao patterns, then raised its front hoof and carefully, gently stepped on the void.

"Buzz—!"

An invisible yet majestic coercion quietly spread with its step, causing the surrounding space to ripple slightly.

This was not done deliberately, but a natural revelation of its power suddenly increasing, which it could not yet perfectly control.

"Hehe... hehehe..."

Confirming that all this was not a dream, Lao Huang's huge ox mouth could no longer close, letting out an uncontrollable, slightly silly, and honest laughter.

It began to excitedly pace back and forth in the small world. Its footsteps were light yet powerful, each landing seeming to resonate with the Great Dao, emitting a muffled yet pleasant sound.

It tried to urge a trace of its newborn Quasi-Emperor power. On its dark cyan fur, those natural Dao patterns suddenly lit up with a faint glow. A majestic demon power, far more vigorous and heavy than before and carrying a hint of immortality, burst forth from its body, stirring up a gentle whirlwind in the small world.

"Moo—! Comfortable! So comfortable!"

Feeling the power surging like a river within its body, seeming endless, it couldn't help but let out another louder and more cheerful long cry.

This long cry was full of vitality, shaking the surrounding spiritual energy until it churned endlessly. It was full of the joy of feeling proud and the infinite novelty of its new power.

It even stood up on its hind legs, trying to wave its hooves, which now appeared even more magnificent and mighty, imagining how large a spiritual field it could plow with a single stomp!

No, right now it could probably plow the entire back mountain of the Purple Bamboo Peak in one breath!

On the giant ox face, the smile was as bright as a blooming chrysanthemum. At this moment, it only felt that the sky was high and the earth was wide, and the future was bright. Even that little bit of annoyance from earlier about not bringing the Dao Enlightenment Tea had long been washed away beyond the highest heavens by this immense happiness.

Gu Changge stood quietly in place, looking at Lao Huang's silly, excited appearance, laughing until tears came out. The corners of his mouth imperceptibly curled into a very faint smile.

This silly ox, just reaching the Initial Quasi-Emperor stage, was so happy it almost lost its bearings. He had originally wanted to push it all the way to the Great Emperor realm in one breath.

The Great Emperor realm was about the perfection of the Dao heart and resonance with heaven and earth; it was absolutely not just a simple accumulation of power.

Its state of mind was currently impetuous. If he forcefully elevated it further, rushing for success, he feared its foundation would become vain and its Dao heart unstable, which would instead cut off its future path.

Gu Changge's thoughts were as calm as water.

Forget it, I will let it settle for a while first. Once it familiarizes itself with the power of a Quasi-Emperor, grinds away this impatience, and truly comprehends its own Dao, it will not be too late to discuss the Great Emperor realm.

Forcing its growth would only do it harm.

His mind made up, Gu Changge's gaze fell upon Lao Huang as he spoke indifferently:

"Mhm. Your realm is newly formed. You must calm your mind, comprehend your insights, and consolidate your strength."

Hearing this, Lao Huang nodded its massive ox head repeatedly: "Yes! Yes! Master! Lao Huang understands! Lao Huang will definitely focus on comprehension and consolidate my realm!"

Gu Changge said no more and gently flicked his sleeve.

The surrounding scenery instantly shifted. The chaotic micro-world vanished, and they had returned to the familiar courtyard on Purple Bamboo Peak.