"What's the difference between the two?" Zi Tianhai asked, confused.
The old man said, "There's no fundamental difference, but the process is different!"
Zi Tianhai blinked and pressed, "What do you mean?"
The old man explained with a smile, "To break through from the peak of the Saint King realm to the Emperor realm, a medium called Chaotic Purple Qi is needed.
"Chaotic Purple Qi? What is that?" Zi Tianhai asked in surprise.
The old man said, "Chaotic Purple Qi is the primordial energy of heaven and earth from the beginning of its creation, hence its ability to aid cultivators in breaking through."
"I see!"
Zi Tianhai suddenly understood.
The human lineage had been broken for ninety thousand years, so he naturally wouldn't know these things.
Now that the old man was filling him in, he felt his horizons expanding considerably.
The old man continued, "The first ray of purple qi every morning is precisely Chaotic Purple Qi. Although it is very thin now, it is still enough for humans to use for some time."
Zi Tianhai asked, "Use for some time? How long is that?"
The old man sighed and said, "About less than ten thousand years!"
"Ah?"
Zi Tianhai was startled. "What will happen to cultivators after ten thousand years?"
The old man said grumpily, "Just focus on what you need to do now. Why worry about that?"
Zi Tianhai scratched the back of his head sheepishly and didn't reply.
The old man went on, "This pill is called the Chaotic Purple Qi Pill. It's made by using alchemy to condense Chaotic Purple Qi into an amount sufficient for one person's breakthrough!"
"Chaotic Purple Qi Pill?"
Zi Tianhai was astonished.
He was very curious about who had such a grand gesture to refine the primordial energy of chaos into a pill.
But he didn't dare to ask, fearing the old man would retort again.
"Yes! The difference between the two is that absorbing Chaotic Purple Qi on your own is slower, but it causes almost no pain. However, taking the Chaotic Purple Qi Pill allows for a rapid breakthrough, but you must endure extreme suffering. So, the choice is yours!"
Zi Tianhai thought for a moment and said, "I don't have time, so I choose the Chaotic Purple Qi Pill!"
The old man seemed to have expected this outcome and said without surprise, "If that's the case, then return to your body and prepare to refine it!"
As his words fell, Zi Tianhai felt his soul being squeezed out of the Sumeru space by a powerful force.
Instantly, his soul returned to his body, and the bottle containing the Chaotic Purple Qi Pill also appeared in his hand.
Although he didn't know what kind of divine ability this was, he knew that aiming for the impossible was not as good as being down-to-earth.
Zi Tianhai picked up the bottle, returned to the entrance, adjusted his state, and swallowed the Chaotic Purple Qi Pill in one gulp.
Immediately, a powerful force exploded within his body, leaving his physical form riddled with holes.
He finally understood what the old man meant by extreme suffering.
It was a process of his entire meridians and bones being shattered, then healed, then shattered again, and healed again... repeating this cycle.
This process was somewhat similar to what Zi Linling had gone through when taking the Tendon-Shaping Pill and Marrow-Cleansing Pill, but it was far more perilous.
A moment later, Zi Tianhai had turned into a bloody mess.
However, this torturous ordeal did not stop; it even showed signs of intensifying.
Zi Tianhai gritted his teeth so hard that his jaw ached, wishing he could just pass out.
But he couldn't.
Because the old man had warned him when sending his soul back to his body that if he lost consciousness during this process, it would mean failure in his breakthrough.
After half an hour, his body was finally remodeled.
Just as Zi Tianhai breathed a sigh of relief, he felt pain surge again.
This time, the pain did not target his body but his soul.
"Aow aow aow!"
Zi Tianhai let out low roars, his eyeballs bulging.
But he had to grit his teeth and persevere.
This was the critical moment.
To break through from the peak of the Saint King realm to the Emperor realm, one had to undergo a soul refinement process.
Soul refinement referred to the refinement of the heavenly, earthly, and human souls.
After this process, a person's soul entered a special state.
In this state, if one's soul strength was not significantly higher than his, it would be difficult to kill him directly.
Therefore, the Emperor realm was the true beginning of cultivation, also known as the Soul Refinement realm.
Time slowly passed.
Zi Tianhai's entire body was covered in a mixture of blood and sweat, making him look terrifying.
The sky gradually darkened, and patches of dark clouds gathered above Zi Tianhai's head. This indicated that his three souls were about to be condensed.
Once the three souls were condensed, he would enter the Emperor realm, but the Emperor realm required undergoing the tribulation of heaven.
At Zhantian Peak, dark clouds loomed, and the beasts deep in the forest shivered in fear.
Facing the might of heaven, all living beings naturally felt fear.
The pain within Zi Tianhai's body finally subsided completely, allowing his tensed body and soul a moment of respite.
However, the peace was short-lived.
After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, rumbling sounds emanated from the dark clouds above his head.
Soon, bolts of heavenly lightning descended one after another.
Of course, compared to the tribulations experienced by Ye Lingyuan and Zi Linling, these were like child's play.
Therefore, Zi Tianhai easily passed the heavenly lightning tribulation and became an Emperor realm expert.
He felt his body brimming with power and let out an involuntary roar.
"What are you howling for? Hurry up and go take care of that beast Zi Yishan and snatch back the token!"
The old man's scolding voice came through. Although it was a reprimand, it was also an acknowledgment of his achievement.
"Yes, yes, senior! Don't worry, I will definitely reclaim the token!" Zi Tianhai replied with a fawning smile.
"Hmph! If you don't get back the Purple Void Token, I'll skin you alive!"
The old man's fierce voice echoed in Zi Tianhai's ears again.
"Purple Void Token?"
Zi Tianhai thought about it and quickly understood that the old man was referring to that token.
However, he was puzzled that he and Zi Yishan had kept the token for so many years and only now knew it was called the Purple Void Token.
"Senior, don't worry, I will definitely bring the Purple Void Token back to you!"
"Bring it back, my foot!" the old man's exasperated scolding rang out.
"Ah?"
Zi Tianhai was dumbfounded. Had he misunderstood?
The old man said impatiently, "That token is of great importance. After you snatch it back, you must keep it safe and not be careless, understand?"
Zi Tianhai pondered for a moment and finally spoke, "Senior, since that token is of great importance, I will bring it back to you."
Given its importance, he feared he couldn't bear the responsibility.
The old man roared, "Bring it back to your grandma! You blockhead, are you trying to anger me to death?"