You sat cross-legged and activated Divine Micro-Vision.

With a slight thought, a translucent sword shimmering with misty white light suddenly materialized before you.

The moment the Earth Source sword appeared, violent winds erupted.

The sword carried tremendous might, as if receiving homage from the surrounding world.

Without hesitation, your own formidable aura instantly erupted outward.

Recognizing this familiar energy, the Earth Source sword emitted a clear chime and shot toward you like a swallow returning to its nest, plunging straight into your dantian.

The Earth Source entering your body felt like gulping down strong liquor—your organs, flesh, and bones instantly boiled with energy.

"Fuck—!" you cried out in pain.

The Earth Source sword transformed into a vast energy that rapidly spread to every corner of your body.

You couldn't maintain the cross-legged position anymore, collapsing to writhe in agony on the ground.

"Damn... this is kinda hot!!"

Your skin surface bubbled like boiling water, with flesh lumps continuously swelling and dissipating as your entire body contorted unnaturally.

The true qi within you began being devoured and assimilated by the Earth Source.

The true qi reacted to the Earth Source like mice encountering a cat—instantly swallowed whole without resistance.

After half an hour of torment, the pain finally began subsiding.

Your body underwent optimization—every muscle and bone refined to a higher state, faintly glowing with treasure-like radiance.

Gradually, your physique transformed toward its most perfect form.

Your strength, speed, consciousness—everything ascended to new heights.

Slowly, you developed an inexplicable affinity with the surrounding world.

Soon...

The agony ended, replaced by transcendent clarity.

The Source Power completed its final transformation—tremendous energy now coursed endlessly through your body.

"Fuck yeah!!" you roared, ceasing your rolling on the ground.

You slowly rose to your feet.

Your clear eyes snapped open, radiating soul-shaking pressure.

Your dark blue robes billowed violently without any wind.

Your body gradually levitated—notably without using Wandering Heaven Steps this time!

Spreading your arms, you wore an expression of ecstasy.

The courtyard beneath your feet shrank into the distance while the sky drew nearer.

Though you'd witnessed vast horizons many times before, this experience felt profoundly different.

"Finally... goddammit... SUCCESS—!"

Your exhilarated shout echoed across the sky before fading away.

Overwhelmed with excitement, the Soul Awakening Blade slid into your grip.

CLANG—

You slashed fiercely toward the heavens.

The sky brightened momentarily as the blade's energy—carrying the might of creation itself—pierced the clouds, leaving a massive straight tunnel through the atmosphere.

This was the power of an Ultimate Grandmaster!

Not only had your true qi transformed into Source Power, elevating your strength to new levels—

Your lifespan had also extended to two hundred years!

Though your martial realm remained Essence Refining, you'd become a genuine Ultimate Grandmaster!

You'd officially entered the Ultimate Grandmaster ranks at merely peak Essence Refining—

An achievement unprecedented and unlikely to ever be surpassed.

"I'm so fucking awesome, hahaha..." you laughed maniacally.

Post-euphoria, you noticed slight soreness in your sword arm and shook it dismissively.

"Probably overdid that slash. Whatever!"

You descended gently into the courtyard.

Originally worried your peak Essence Refining physique couldn't withstand the Earth Source transformation, those concerns proved unnecessary.

Your actual combat prowess now ranked among the elite even among Ultimate Grandmasters.

And since your martial realm was merely peak Essence Refining, you still had room to grow.

Technically, Ultimate Grandmaster wasn't a martial realm—rather, warriors who underwent Earth Source transformation.

Other Ultimate Grandmasters could only receive this transformation at peak Grandmaster stage, forever capping their progress.

But you were different—still at peak Essence Refining with room to advance.

When your Earth Source-enhanced body eventually reached peak Grandmaster, you'd overpower all other Ultimate Grandmasters!

In summary: He Yu—outwardly peak Essence Refining, but an Ultimate Grandmaster whose power defied all norms!

In high spirits, you decided to go show off.

But choosing your audience proved tricky.

After deliberation, you narrowed it down to two candidates:

Lin Mo, or that granddaughter of Jiao Mingxu whose name you never learned.

After intense internal debate, you reluctantly settled on Lin Mo.

You shot skyward immediately.

Mid-flight, you kept muttering:

"That damn Lin Mo always shakes my dao heart. Today you'll witness Uncle Yu's mighty Source Power! Like Uncle's big Source Power? Huh? ANSWER ME!!"

Your crazy monologue continued until reaching the Heavenly Dao Alliance—

Only to learn Lin Mo was away.

"Fine," you nodded regretfully.

As you turned to leave, a guard added:

"Oh, the Alliance Leader asked me to tell you—he's reached late-stage Grandmaster. Says he hasn't disappointed you!"

You instantly clamped the guard's mouth shut: "No more talking! Rude!"

The confused guard nodded blankly, scratching his head at your rapidly departing figure: "What did I say wrong?"

You returned to Danxia Sect gloomily.

Intending to show off, you'd instead been shown up—

By Lin Mo's absence no less! He'd remotely outshone you, leaving you dizzy from the psychological blow.

Upon reflection, since reaching peak Dragon Transformation, Lin Mo advanced one minor realm annually.

This was the Grandmaster realm—not some lowly Skin Refining or Bone Tempering stage!

Grandmaster progress normally seemed impossible as scaling heaven itself.

Yet Lin Mo's dictionary apparently lacked the word "bottleneck"—just relentlessly leveling up.

Calculating, if Lin Mo smoothly reached peak Grandmaster next year, he'd be a thirty-six-year-old peak Grandmaster cultivator.

Recall during the third simulation, as Miao Gift, reaching peak Grandmaster at forty-one was already record-breaking.

Now Lin Mo might achieve the absurd feat at thirty-six.

Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.

You sighed repeatedly: "Guess I have to break my own records!"

Then reconsidered: "Wait—why should a fifteen-year-old Ultimate Grandmaster envy Lin Mo? I'm the most badass one here!"

Technically correct—you were fifteen (by actual count, though over 140 by traditional reckoning).

Age could be... flexibly interpreted.

Thus you self-comforted—your own coping mechanisms grew increasingly effective.

After becoming an Ultimate Essence Refiner, you didn't return to the capital.

Instead, you cordoned off a large back mountain area in Danxia Sect to restart your zoo.

You recaptured various fierce beasts, periodically feeding them Blood Beast Pills to enhance your Guarding Gate Body Technique.

Months later, these animals became increasingly... aesthetic.

Each grew robust and heavily muscled, their nightly roars shaking the heavens and scaring off wildlife for miles.

You didn't hide this from Ruan Bai, though he never visited.

One day, Ruan Bai approached:

"Senior Brother, I keep hearing intense howls from the deep mountains—is everything alright?"

You opened your eyes from meditation: "Just small animals with loud voices. Sleep tight."

"Oh... okay?" Ruan Bai left uncertainly.