"Master, you had a wife?" Guizou frowned. "Did I never talk about it?" Wu Tian shook his head in response. "At least I don't remember it."

Guizou felt that it was most likely the latter, but did not dwell on it. "My wife died a long time ago. She was my first and only wife. I will never get another. If I can revive her, I will. Unfortunately, it would require one to obtain powers from beyond my understanding. The most obvious would be to control time. And I even dare claim to have some aptitude in that subject. But for me to go through the ages and alter the past? There is no way. Even with my cultivation back I wouldn't be able to. Some thing are still outside the reach of so many things. Too elusive to be comprehended, too distant to even be grasped."

Wu Tian lowered his gaze. Not wanting to disturb him, Guizou returned inside the pendant.

And a couple of months later, it was time.

Standing up from meditation, Wu Tian's gaze flickered. He felt like his opportunity was finally here. Stepping outside of the cave, he rushed to the town.

It was finally his time! He could not wait any longer!

It's time to breakthrough!

After receiving not only the two missing Yin Flowers, but also the three Yang Flowers, Wu Tian was shocked. The Yin Flowers were a pure white while the Yang Flowers were identical in shape but not so much in color nor texture. Their petals were not white but a translucent orange instead. They felt smooth and somewhat supple to the touch. It was a marvelous sensation. Since they already paid, Wu Tian was sprinting back to the cave, one of the Yang Flowers inside his hands as he was playing with its petals.

Guizou snorted. "Are you going to be doing that for how long?" Feeling the annoyed glare, he sighed. "Aiz, I get it, I really do. It's a satisfying material to touch. Just don't destroy it." Noticing Guizou's menacing arm movement, as if wanting to slap the back of his head hard enough to shatter it, Wu Tian gulped, retracting his former glare.

Sitting cross-legged, Wu Tian observed from the edge of the cave. His back was resting against the harsh wall, a nostalgic scene. This made him frown. Even constant meditation mixed with the flow of time itself, Wu Tian never managed to forget his mother's calamity.

In the middle of the cave, the moon hidden behind a veil of darkness outside, Guizou's pale soul looked like a torch meant to guide lost adventurers across the world. A powerful vortex surrounded him, drawing in the world's atmospheric Qi. Even Wu Tian shivered from the sight, especially the feeling of Qi leaving his body. It would not impact him, but it still felt like he was depraved of something important. The temperature inside the cave was on a constant rise.

Some ingredients near him, Guizou flung his arms up. The vortex divided into two, one of them heading in front of him, a few meters high. This same vortex turned a visible white, a three meters wide sphere in its center.

Watching the sphere blind him, Wu Tian was thoroughly impressed. His gawking was quite apparent. However Guizou paid him no mind.

The Purple Foundation Herb floating upward, it was drawn to the vortex. Once inside the spherical bubble of white, it began to distort. The Yin Flower along some Nature Seeds and Blood Powder joining it as well, the vortex intensified. Guizou's spiritual energy was starting to turn tangible.

Feeling some oppression, Wu Tian knew his master to be going all out this time. Clearly, he did not want to waste anything.

A green ethereal energy seeping out, Wu Tian turned pale. His eyes were wandering, chaotically exploring each possibilities of his field of vision. His gaze faded, the sound of his neck heard as his head limped out of nowhere. He was lost in a dark void. His feet were standing on black water. It was disorienting.

Looking up by reflex, he did not see much. But when a bright light burst forth, he narrowed his eyes in wonder. Once accustomed to the brightness, it suddenly disappeared.

Confused, a green light exploded far in front. He did not know truly how far, but he felt it to be much further than he could imagine.

His curiosity peeking, a giant eye vaster than the sky opened. Feeling a suffocating pressure descending, his knees buckled up.

Almost kneeling from just this peerless eye gazing upon him, this same eye's iris began to glow a dark green.

Unaware of what was happening, this sudden change finally collapsed his will, sending his frail body crashing onto the water surface. It was hard, making him feel incredible pain.

Struggling to get up, the air surrounding the eye bent, a majestic aura befalling him. A visible shockwave spread out from the giant pupil while an emerald domain expanded. "Guh!!" His body shivering more than he ever did in his entire life, Wu Tian's body gave up, humiliating himself in the process. Tears welled up and turned into waterfalls. His lucidity began to fade more and more each passing moment. He was horrified, an innate sense of awe drawing him closer to submitting his very essence.

Catching his breath, Wu Tian opened his eyes wide, lost staring at Guizou trying to refine the pill.

Trying to make head or tail from what happened, Wu Tian was terrified. Feeling the familiar pressure, he dared not believe it. Yet, it made sense. His gaze could only soften in admiration when he stared at his master again.

This master of his... he might be stronger than he thought.

Unaware and honestly uncaring about having broadened his disciple's horizon, Guizou focused on the matter at hand. The Purple Foundation Herb and the rest were melting and fusing. A purple mixture was peeking its head. Too much. Furrowing his brows slightly more, Guizou directed remnants parts of the Yin Flower to the mixture, forcing the dark purple to lighten slightly.

Surprisingly or more so unsurprisingly easy, Guizou let the pill condense. The vortex's temperature decreasing constantly, the purple mixture solidified a bit more every flowing second.

When the temperature stabilized back to the cave's original one, feeling the cold breeze of the night, Guizou smiled. This smile however turned into worry right after. I know that I'm doing extremely good... but... aren't I getting too happy about producing a shitty pill like this? Aiz... did ending up in such a state damage my mind?

Sighing with a shake of the head, Guizou handed over an opaque purple pill. Catching it, Wu Tian examined the simple looking pill before widening his eyes. The pill's exterior was shedding!

Guizou looked bored, so he clearly was aware.

Once it fell off, Wu Tian had a glass-like purple pill in between his fingers. It was a piece of art he might never see again. "This..." Guizou humored him without paying attention. "Peak grade Purple Star Pill." Wu Tian almost laughed aloud at the sight of this treasure. He could see the opposite side through the pill, some magnificent patterns making light bend differently, giving its round surface a repetitive diamond shaped design. "Incredible..."

His master closed his eyes. "Aren't you going to eat it?"

Unsure as he loved to feel this craft, Wu Tian's tongue was also raring to go. Putting it in his mouth, the glass feel satisfied his lips and blew apart his expectations. The taste and texture mixed together gave birth to a divine feeling. It was delicious but also so satisfying. He wanted to keep it in his mouth for eternity. But seeing his master's look, he slowly gulped it down with a depressed face.

When he least expected it, a purple energy surged from his stomach toward his heart. It was so simple, yet impossible to defy!

"Don't fight it. On the contrary." Listening to his old master, Wu Tian closed his eyes.

Inside his heart, a purple color began to taint its center. A bout of light was birthed in that same spot. If not for the faint light being quite underwhelming, Wu Tian would have jumped in appreciation. It was a refreshing sensation.

Indifferent to the young man's questioning look, Guizou explained. "You have received the Purple Mark. It is for the Meridian Opening Realm. How do you feel? Anything nefarious?"

Wu Tian steadily shook his head. Waiting a few hours more, it indeed seemed as if everything was fine. Guizou then gave him the green light. "Good. Now go on. Cultivate to the next level, I'll make the Blue Star Pill afterward."

It was with a beaming smile that Wu Tian sat down cross-legged right in the middle.

Without hesitation, he began to form small beads of Qi. The atmospheric Qi was being drawn slowly, helping his endeavors. The Qi beads dug through his flesh and came out. But no matter how much he tried, they could not injure him in any way. They passed through each time. Be it on the way in or the way out.

He did not even need to ask Guizou. His mastery over Qi was simply not high enough. He still vividly remembered his, or more precisely, Guizou's fight against the gambling den's boss. He heard and felt everything. It was like a powerful will dragged the surroundings toward him. It was ethereally arcane.

"Master... what is a Dao Transcendent?" Guizou barely spared him a glance. "It's what it is. You're too far from it. In relation to the grades, it's in the Heaven one." Wu Tian thought for a moment before gasping. The level just below the Emperor one?

His master smirked at his reaction. Not like any Dao Transcendent can compare to an Emperor. Even if both are around the same level of comprehension, experience does make a significant impact.

With no other choice, Wu Tian steadied himself and focused on his attempts. He would cultivate for twelve hours, practice the two martial methods for an hour each and eat, drink, relieve himself, play and such for two hours. Sleeping eight hours was already a lot for his cultivation level. The main purpose was to keep his already damaged mental health firm.

The biggest worry for Guizou was Wu Tian growing demons in his heart and mind, forcing him to become dependent on Mind Cleansing Pills.

As such, months passed.