Chapter 1353: Chen Leyao Breakthrough

"Is that a bloodline power?"

Feeling Zhang Zhuo's aura suddenly surge, everyone was stunned. Casual sparring between students shouldn't require unleashing such power!

"It's not a bloodline power; it's a secret technique he cultivates. Once unleashed, even a mid-level Domain Realm cultivator would struggle to resist..." A young man from the Zhang family chuckled. Bloodline powers have limitations; each use severely damages the body and requires at least over a month of recovery. Even members of the Zhang family wouldn't easily resort to them. However, even without using bloodline powers, the Zhang family is still the continent's foremost family, possessing countless secret techniques for rapidly increasing strength. Zhang Zhuo, repeatedly forced back by a girl weaker than himself, was consumed by rage. Unable to restrain himself any longer, he unleashed this secret technique.

"This Chen Leyao is going to be unlucky!"

"Indeed, skill might offer a momentary advantage, but it won't last long against true power!" Everyone nodded. "One force conquers ten skills." While sudden attacks relying on technique can indeed catch people off guard, in the long run, power reigns supreme. Otherwise, cultivators wouldn't constantly pursue strength and endure arduous training. Therefore, in their view, Chen Leyao merely held a brief advantage. In terms of true strength, she was still significantly weaker than Zhang Zhuo. Defeat was inevitable.

As everyone discussed, Chen Leyao's heart tightened. Just as she wondered what to do, Zhang Xuan's voice echoed in her ear once more. "Crane Walk Palm, third form!" Following his instructions consecutively had become a reflex. Without overthinking, she raised her arm, mimicking a flying crane, and struck straight out. The Crane Walk Palm was a formidable move created by an elder of the Glacier Palace after observing cranes in flight. Its power wasn't immense, but its speed was incredibly high, and its trajectory was as elusive as a mountain goat's horns. The third form was its most essential part. When unleashed, it was as if everyone saw a beautiful crane spreading its wings and soaring through the sky. As the "wing" swept down, a crisp sound rang out, and a loud slap landed on Zhang Zhuo's face.

"A slap?"

"Zhang Zhuo was slapped?"

The surroundings fell silent, and even Chen Leyao stood rooted to the spot. Although her move was fast and hard to guard against, given his strength, it should have been easy for him to dodge. Yet, it landed squarely on his cheek, leaving five bright red finger marks... wasn't that too humiliating? Not only was she stunned, but Zhang Zhuo, in the midst of unleashing his secret technique to boost his strength, was also completely bewildered by the slap to his face. A moment later, he reacted, feeling a violent surge of true qi within him, and spat out a mouthful of blood!

"I'll kill you..." His eyes turned bloodshot, and veins bulged on his forehead. Being forced against the wall by someone weaker than him was already humiliating enough; now, to be publicly slapped, he felt like he couldn't live with it. *Boom!* In his furious rage, accompanied by a roar, the power within him surged like a released floodgate. In the blink of an eye, it nearly doubled. Under the impact of the massive energy wave, Chen Leyao stumbled back repeatedly, her pretty face paling.

"You reap what you sow!" Zhang Xu, leaning against a table, smiled faintly.

"Brought it upon herself?" A young man nearby looked puzzled.

"The secret technique Zhang Zhuo used is called the Blood Combustion Art. It burns his vital blood to increase combat power. Normally, it only boosts his strength by 30%. But now, being publicly slapped has enraged him so much that he's pushed the technique to its peak, doubling his power! In this state, he's comparable to a mid-level Domain Realm cultivator... If he hadn't boosted his power so much, Chen Leyao might have been able to hold her own for a while, but with such a huge surge in strength... Heh heh!" Although Zhang Xu didn't finish his sentence, his meaning was clear. Chen Leyao's slap, while humiliating Zhang Zhuo, inexplicably caused his power to surge. At that point... only she would be the one to suffer.

"So... Chen Leyao is in trouble... Zhang Zhuo is always ruthless; he won't go easy on her..." The young man swallowed. With his strength doubled, even he would find it hard to resist, let alone a girl who was only at the peak of the Out-of-Body Realm. As they spoke, the power within Zhang Zhuo had gathered to its peak. He took a step forward, and the surrounding air immediately twisted. Chen Leyao instantly felt as if she were bound by ropes, struggling desperately but unable to break free.

"This is bad..." Her face paled, and the girl hurriedly looked at Zhang Xuan nearby: "Teacher Zhang, what should I do...?" She had strictly followed his instructions to use her martial technique. She never expected that the person in front of her would be provoked into a sudden rampage, leading to an uncontrollable situation.

"What to do? His strength has surged so much, you're definitely no match for him now!" Zhang Xuan stretched and said.

"But..." Chen Leyao's delicate body swayed, and she was almost in tears. *I know I'm no match, but... am I just supposed to take a beating?*

"No 'buts.' If you can't beat him now, why don't you just break through?" Zhang Xuan's face was full of exasperation.

"Break through?" Chen Leyao was stunned. *Do you think I'm like you, where on-the-spot breakthroughs are as easy as eating and drinking? If the Domain Realm were that easy, I would have succeeded a month ago instead of being stuck here.*

"Exactly!" Zhang Xuan nodded: "From now on, listen to me for every move. Don't be afraid, and don't be nervous. It's just the Domain Realm. I guarantee you'll reach it in ten breaths!"

"Ten breaths..." Chen Leyao's vision went dark. *Isn't that too much boasting?! The Saint 6-dan Domain Realm isn't just about accumulating true qi until it's a natural progression; it also requires comprehending a portion of spatial laws. Countless astonishing geniuses on the continent are stuck at this stage, unable to break through. The most talented genius in their Glacier Palace back then spent at least three months trying to achieve it... And you want me to reach it in ten breaths? How does that sound completely unreliable?*

"Break through in ten breaths?"

"He can't be serious, can he?"

"He's only at the early stage of the Out-of-Body Realm, yet he's guiding a peak Out-of-Body Realm cultivator to break through and even boasts like this... Can such a person really be an esteemed teacher?" Zhang Xuan's voice wasn't concealed, and everyone in the room heard him clearly. They all exchanged glances, looking as if they'd seen a ghost. *There's a limit to showing off! Boasting like that, isn't he afraid his words will blow up in his face?* Master Fei, standing to the side, also frowned. Clearly, even he thought Chen Leyao breaking through in ten breaths was an impossible feat.

"Breakthrough? No chance..." Zhang Zhuo, opposite her, was practically exploding with rage. He violently raised his palm, and a ferocious surge of power gushed out, immediately crushing down on the girl across from him.

"I..." Feeling the opponent's fierce power, Chen Leyao felt as if all the bones in her body were about to be crushed. She wanted to escape but found herself completely restrained, unable to move. Just as she was at a loss, Zhang Xuan's voice rang in her ear again.

"Arc Step, second form. Circulate your true qi using the Ice-Cold Art through your Heavenly Gate acupoint and Seven Heart acupoint."

"Okay!" Knowing that there was no other option but to trust him, Chen Leyao gritted her teeth. Her feet shifted, forming an arc, and her graceful figure flashed. Instead of retreating, she surged straight forward. The second form of Arc Step was precisely a sudden forward rush.

"It's over..." Her face turned utterly pale, and Chen Leyao's heart sank. She had moved as soon as she heard the instruction, not realizing that this was practically throwing herself into a trap. *She couldn't withstand his palm strike from a distance; charging straight into it would only increase the pressure, leading to an even quicker death, wouldn't it?* However, there was no time to think. She had only charged less than two meters when she immediately felt the pressure in front of her more than double. Her bones had already been close to shattering, and now her meridians and muscles felt as if they couldn't bear it, threatening to be torn to shreds at any moment.

"If I die, I die. I'll strictly follow what Teacher Zhang says..." Filled with despair, and with no other option, she mentally commanded her true qi to circulate immediately, following the Ice-Cold Art to impact her Heavenly Gate and Seven Heart acupoints. These two acupoints were key to breaking through to the Domain Realm. She had tried to impact them several times before, all without success. Now, impacting them under immense pressure, she found her true qi flowing incredibly smoothly. The furious power pressing down on her felt as if it were pushing her true qi to circulate. For a moment, she had a vague sensation that her opponent wasn't attacking her, but rather imparting power to her. *Boom!* With her true qi rapidly circulating, she broke through these two acupoints in the blink of an eye. Immediately after, Chen Leyao felt her vision blur, and she saw the intricate patterns of space. With a light grab of her hand, a special power, like a belt, coiled around her body. Half-step Domain Realm, achieved!

"She really broke through?"

"How did she do that?"

Seeing Chen Leyao charge into the range of Zhang Zhuo's palm strike and break through the shackles of the Out-of-Body Realm to reach the Half-step Domain within two breaths, everyone was dumbfounded, finding it hard to breathe. Before, they thought he was just spouting nonsense, never dreaming... that it would actually be achieved. Not only were the others shocked, but Chen Leyao herself trembled with excitement, her eyes filled with disbelief. What she had previously failed to achieve with countless efforts, she had now accomplished so easily.

"Switch to the Yang Fire Art, and circulate your true qi through the three Yin Meridians..." Just as she was full of excitement, Zhang Xuan's voice continued to sound. Daring not to stop, Chen Leyao strictly controlled her true qi, circulating it as he instructed. *Boom!* Her internal meridians rumbled, and the oppressive force from Zhang Zhuo's palm strike lessened again. In the blink of an eye, Chen Leyao heard her entire body seem to resonate with music. The belt-like domain that had been confined around her waist expanded outwards once more. Normally, if a domain expanded like this, and the true qi couldn't keep up, it would certainly cause severe damage. However, with the Yang Art cultivating the Yin meridians, the domain she generated seemed to transform into a black hole. *Sizzle sizzle sizzle!* In an instant, all of Zhang Zhuo's attacking power was completely devoured. With the augmentation of this power, her domain immediately stabilized, forming an aura of about five meters around her body.

"I... I really broke through?" Feeling her domain completely stable and power continuously flowing, Chen Leyao's body involuntarily stiffened, unable to suppress the excitement in her heart.

"She really did break through, and only... five breaths have passed!"