In just a few dozen breaths, the barrier of the ninth spirit aperture was broken through, and the spiritual power that had been blocked outside trickled in.

At this point, Leaf Gray only needed to channel his own spiritual power through the nine apertures, allowing the spiritual power to form a small celestial cycle within his body, and the Spirit Creek Realm would be achieved naturally!

This was also the ultimate goal of his efforts over the past month.

However, Leaf Gray discovered that although much of the Barrier Breaking Fruit's efficacy had been consumed, a significant amount remained. If he left it unchecked now, not to mention whether it might affect his future cultivation, at the very least, the remaining efficacy would be wasted.

This fruit was absolutely a rare treasure; wasting it would be a pity.

So, after only a slight hesitation, he began to circulate his own spiritual power, attempting to locate the position of the tenth spirit aperture.

The Sect Master had previously only helped him locate up to the ninth spirit aperture because, in the Sect Master's view, with Leaf Gray's single-leaf talent, even with ample spirit pill supply, it would probably take two or three years to cultivate to the first level of Spirit Creek Realm.

It wasn't that the Sect Master looked down on him, but with such low talent, the efficiency of cultivation was indeed very poor.

But the Sect Master hadn't expected that Leaf Gray could open nine apertures in just one month, and this was under conditions of lacking pills and medicine. If he had sufficient Spirit Nurturing Pills, the speed would only be faster.

By now, even without external help, Leaf Gray's own spiritual power reserve was sufficient to locate the spirit apertures, though not as effortlessly as the Sect Master had done.

During this time, Leaf Gray had also found time to study the Cicada's Transcendent Metamorphosis, so he had a general idea of the locations of the subsequent spirit apertures. As long as his luck wasn't too bad, locating the apertures shouldn't be a problem.

After striving for about half an hour, Leaf Gray finally located the tenth aperture. He quickly guided the remaining efficacy of the Barrier Breaking Fruit towards the tenth aperture. The barrier of the tenth spirit aperture, just like before, rapidly dissolved.

Another few dozen breaths later, the barrier of the tenth spirit aperture was broken through, and the Barrier Breaking Fruit's efficacy was mostly depleted.

Leaf Gray continued to locate the position of the eleventh aperture.

After more than half an hour, Leaf Gray let out a long breath and opened his eyes. He could no longer feel the efficacy of the Barrier Breaking Fruit now, and the stream of heat in his lower abdomen had completely vanished. The barrier of the eleventh aperture ultimately wasn't broken through, but it had loosened considerably. When he cultivates in the future, breaking through this barrier will become much easier, so it wasn't without gain.

One Barrier Breaking Fruit allowed him to open two apertures consecutively, and the eleventh aperture's barrier was significantly eroded—a huge harvest.

Leaf Gray suppressed the urge to achieve the Spirit Creek Realm immediately because he had a faint feeling that while achieving Spirit Creek now might succeed, if he could cultivate the newly opened ninth aperture to a full state, achieving Spirit Creek would be easier.

At this point, he was in no hurry instead.

He walked to the side, skinned and gutted the dead rabbit, started a fire to roast it, and ate heartily.

Over the next few days, Leaf Gray extensively hunted the nearby animals. His daily food intake was astonishingly large, and all the things he ate turned into his vital energy, which he then refined into spiritual power and channeled into the ninth spirit aperture.

Approximately six days later, in the cave, Leaf Gray sat cross-legged.

Although he had eaten a lot of animal meat these days, compared to six days ago, his body hadn't gotten fatter but instead looked leaner. His originally well-fitting clothes had become slightly looser.

This was the result of refining essence into energy. Too much vital energy had been refined by him into spiritual power, reflected in his physical body as this lean state.

Although he became thinner, Leaf Gray didn't feel any discomfort; instead, he felt stronger. The muscles all over his body were distinct and well-defined, best described as lean and powerful.

He had finally cultivated the ninth aperture to a full state.

After striving for so many days, today was finally the time for harvest. Leaf Gray couldn't help but feel excited.

Taking a few deep breaths to calm his mind, Leaf Gray followed the energy circulation route of the Cicada's Transcendent Metamorphosis. He started the spiritual power from the Source Spirit Aperture, channeled it into the second spirit aperture, mobilizing the spiritual power of the second aperture to flow together into the third spirit aperture, then mobilized the third aperture's power into the fourth, and so on... until reaching the ninth spirit aperture!

The ninth spirit aperture was located near the Source Spirit Aperture. After the spiritual energy surged into the ninth spirit aperture, Leaf Gray guided it back to the Source Spirit Aperture. Thus, the nine major apertures were connected, forming a closed loop—a small celestial cycle!

If the spiritual power stored in the apertures before was like stagnant water, now it had become flowing water. His spiritual power started from the Source Spirit Aperture, flowed through the other eight major apertures, and ended back at the Source Spirit Aperture, circulating endlessly.

Leaf Gray immediately felt a distinctly different sensation.

But he didn't stop there; he continued to guide the spiritual power, constantly performing the small celestial cycle, over and over again.

Within the nine major apertures, the flow of spiritual power became faster and faster until it broke through a limit.

In that instant, Leaf Gray's ears rang, and his vision, even with closed eyes, was filled with a blinding whiteness. Immediately after, the whiteness receded, his hearing became sharp, his vision clear, and his entire being felt a sublime sense of exhilaration.

A visible circle of air wave, centered on Leaf Gray, exploded and spread out in all directions, stirring up dust and stones within the cave.

Spirit Creek Realm achieved!

Leaf Gray wasn't in a hurry to open his eyes. Instead, he quietly sensed his current state.

He wasn't actively guiding the flow of spiritual power now, yet his spiritual power continued to flow incessantly within the nine major apertures, murmuring like a creek, cycling repeatedly, performing the small celestial cycle.

This was the hallmark of achieving the Spirit Creek Realm.

Unless Leaf Gray died, or his spiritual power was completely exhausted and his spirit apertures shattered, from now on, the flow of his spiritual power would not cease.

Slowly opening his eyes, he raised a palm and slightly channeled spiritual power. A faint glow immediately surged in his palm—that was the light of spiritual power. But now, his spiritual power felt vastly different from before.

Although the total reserve of his spiritual power hadn't increased compared to before, the current spiritual power was clearly more destructive.

Leaf Gray could feel this very clearly: his strength had increased by more than double compared to before. If he were to fight that big tiger now, Leaf Gray was confident he could subdue it without relying on spirit talismans.

After a moment's contemplation, Leaf Gray understood the reason.

Previously, although he had opened many spirit apertures, he could only ever mobilize the spiritual power from one specific aperture at a time. If the spiritual power of one aperture was exhausted, he could only then mobilize another aperture's power; he couldn't mobilize two or more simultaneously.

But now, with the nine apertures connected and spiritual power circulating via the small celestial cycle, the power he mobilizes is no longer just from a single aperture; he is mobilizing the power of nine apertures.

Of course, the destructive power isn't nine times greater, but a difference of about double does exist.

As for the tenth aperture, although it was opened, that belongs to the scope of the second level of Spirit Creek Realm. It doesn't form a system with the nine apertures of the first level for now and can't bring Leaf Gray a significant boost, at most just increasing his total spiritual power reserve in the future.

Ultimately, cultivation in the Spirit Creek Realm is a process from quantitative change to qualitative change. When enough spirit apertures are opened, allowing spiritual power to flow through them and perform the small celestial cycle, one's strength will have a leap-like improvement! Before this, the main effect of opening apertures is to increase one's spiritual power reserve; it doesn't directly increase combat strength.

This is basic common knowledge in cultivation, taught by masters to every cultivator at the beginning. However, Leaf Gray, stranded in this Spirit Creek Battlefield with no one to rely on, had no one to teach him these things. He could only rely on his own exploration and comprehension.