Chapter 2723 — Breakthrough! Late Earth Tier!

"What are you thanking me for? This was mostly Mother Tang's and Sister-in-law Tang Zhi's doing. I was just the delivery boy," Kang Xiaofeng said with a laugh.

"True..." Gu Mengyao sighed. In the past, she had taken a dislike to Tang Zhi, believing that Tang Zhi had stolen away her personal guard and follower. But now, she found herself missing the days when Tang Zhi was around. She thought that if Tang Zhi could come back, they would surely get along splendidly.

"All right, if there is nothing else, I will be on my way. The company has matters to attend to tomorrow," Kang Xiaofeng said. "Shall I go and say goodbye to the leader?"

"No need. He has gone to take the Heaven Essence Barrier-Breaking Fruit, has he not?" Gu Mengyao said.

"Fine, then I am off." Kang Xiaofeng was already well acquainted with Wei Zhao and saw no need for pleasantries. He had to hurry back to Songshan City tonight; he still had to report to the company in the morning. He had been away from the company for quite some time now, and a great deal of work had piled up. With only Fatty Lai holding the fort alone, the company's affairs would be a heavy strain.

Wei Zhao, meanwhile, carried the heavenly treasures back to his room. He had genuinely not eavesdropped on the conversation between Kang Xiaofeng and the others outside the door. Since Xiaoshu had told him to leave, she must have had something to discuss that she did not want him to hear; eavesdropping would have been rather despicable.

Wei Zhao did not immediately consume the Heaven Essence Barrier-Breaking Fruit. Instead, he opened Zhang Lifeng's notes on the insights of an alchemist. In those notes, Zhang Lifeng had recorded a great many heavenly treasures, and Wei Zhao decided to first check whether there was any description of this particular item.

Of course, Wei Zhao was not afraid that Kang Xiaofeng might have deceived him. He was only worried that there might be special requirements for consuming the thing, and he did not want to waste it.

Sure enough, in the latter half of the alchemist's notes, in the "Register of Heavenly Treasures," Wei Zhao found the Heaven Essence Barrier-Breaking Fruit. This heavenly treasure had existed since ancient times, and was also known as the Minor Heaven-Breaking Fruit.

The Heaven-Breaking Fruit is a heavenly treasure for breaking through to the Heaven Tier. However, it grew in exceedingly scant numbers and could not be cultivated artificially, so it had already been all but extinct for a thousand years. As the name suggests, the Heaven-Breaking Fruit is a fruit for breaking through the barrier from the peak of the late Earth Tier to advance to the Heaven Tier. It does not carry the side effects of the Qi-Gathering Pill; indeed, a person who has taken a Qi-Gathering Pill can take a Heaven-Breaking Fruit afterward and undo the harmful effects brought on by the Qi-Gathering Pill.

Of course, this was only Zhang Lifeng's speculation, for in his entire life he had never seen a Heaven-Breaking Fruit. By his time, the Heaven-Breaking Fruit had already been replaced by the Qi-Gathering Pill, and the side effects of the Qi-Gathering Pill at that time were not especially pronounced, so he had no need to go to great lengths to seek out the Heaven-Breaking Fruit.

As for the Minor Heaven-Breaking Fruit, that was merely a colloquial name. In truth, it had no effect on a cultivator's breakthrough to the Heaven Tier; it was only effective for cultivators below the Heaven Tier in breaking through barriers.

The Heaven-Breaking Fruit, by contrast, was useful for breaking through any barrier below the Heavenly Dao.

As for consuming the Heaven Essence Barrier-Breaking Fruit, there were no special requirements. It was truly as Kang Xiaofeng had said: there were no side effects whatsoever, and after taking it, one could easily break through a barrier.

"What a marvelous fruit!" Wei Zhao exclaimed as he read the description. He had not expected to have such luck. After confirming that there were no side effects, Wei Zhao put the Heaven Essence Barrier-Breaking Fruit into his mouth.

A fresh, sweet essence seeped from Wei Zhao's mouth into the meridians of his whole body, producing an indescribable sense of comfort. Wei Zhao had not expected the Heaven Essence Barrier-Breaking Fruit to be so delicious; it was simply like a top-grade fruit, far tastier than the pills he had taken before.

If this were a fruit, it would surely set off a buying frenzy. Unfortunately, its rarity meant its price could never be low; not to mention ordinary people, even among the wealthy there were few who could afford it.

This fresh and sweet comfort circulated back and forth through the meridians within Wei Zhao's body. The sensation left him clicking his tongue in amazement. To still have a lingering fragrance within the body after eating a fruit—surely only this Heaven Essence Barrier-Breaking Fruit could do that?

After about twenty minutes, the fresh sweetness gradually dissipated and merged into Wei Zhao's body. Wei Zhao was astonished to discover that he was now already an expert of the late Earth Tier. In the entire process of breaking through, he had not felt even the slightest trace of pain.

It did not feel like a breakthrough at all; it was an enjoyment! It was as if Wei Zhao had eaten a delicious fruit, and when he finished, he had simply leveled up and broken through.

This marvel left Wei Zhao incredulous, and he could not help but sigh in wonder. Indeed, in this vast world there were heavenly treasures with wondrous effects that could not be judged or deduced by common sense. A strength that had refused to break through had now broken through so simply and easily.

This was the smoothest and easiest breakthrough Wei Zhao had ever experienced, far easier even than the first breakthrough he had made upon entering the jade pendant space.

If only he could have another Heaven Essence Barrier-Breaking Fruit, then breaking through to the peak of the late Earth Tier would carry no pressure and no suspense at all. With Wang Xinyan and the jade pendant space, reaching the barrier of great perfection in the late Earth Tier was an easy matter for Wei Zhao. It was only that this Heaven Essence Barrier-Breaking Fruit was not so easy to find.

Wei Zhao did not even need to ask to know that Kang Xiaofeng could not possibly have a second one in his possession.

After Kang Xiaofeng left, Gu Mengyao, Shen Yushu, and Wang Xinyan returned to the living room. They had assumed that once Wei Zhao went into his room, he would not come out again, and would spend the whole night groping for a way to break through. They had not expected Wei Zhao to push the door open and step out.

"Wei Zhao, why have you come out?" Gu Mengyao asked, startled.

"Arrow-Brand Bro, did you break through?" Shen Yushu, who understood Wei Zhao well, guessed at once that he must have broken through the barrier when she saw him walk out looking so fresh and invigorated.

Wang Xinyan also raised her head in some delight and looked toward Wei Zhao.

Over the past few days, Wang Xinyan had clearly noticed that when Wei Zhao cultivated, he did not absorb much of the fragrance from her body. More often than not, she found that Wei Zhao was simply holding her.

This made Wang Xinyan both shy and glad, and a little at a loss as well. But she hoped all the more that Wei Zhao could break through as soon as possible, so that he would have more strength to contend with the Xuandan Sect. If Wei Zhao truly possessed the strength to stand against the Xuandan Sect before graduation, then all of Wang Xinyan's worries would be no worry at all.

"Wei Zhao, did you really break through?" Wang Xinyan asked.