He was like the bright moon hanging high in the ninth heaven. And Ye Han was like a grain of rice on the ground—how could he possibly compete with such brilliance?
"Hahaha! Ye Han, you are a joke! With your mere qualifications, you think you're worthy of challenging my elder brother? I'm afraid you'd only dirty his hands!"
Suddenly, a mocking, frantic laugh rang out.
Boom!
A surge of crimson spiritual energy rolled forward like a wave, and a young man in white robes dropped into the arena.
The stone flags beneath his feet actually sparked with faint, lingering wisps of flame.
This white-robed youth had a lean build and was in his early twenties. He was actually half a head taller than Ye Han, and his facial features bore a distinct resemblance to Ye Tiange's.
However, a black scar marred his left cheek, giving him a somewhat sinister air.
With a startled cry, the crowd stepped back, forming a massive circle that enclosed the two of them.
"Ye Tianwu!"
Exclamations broke out from all directions.
This white-robed youth was Ye Tiange's half-brother by a different mother—Ye Tianwu!
Ye Han merely glanced at him, instantly sensing the aura radiating from Ye Tianwu's entire body.
Seventh Layer of Spirit Spring Realm!
"Ye Han, if you willingly hand over your spiritual vein, I can spare your dog life. Otherwise, fists and feet have no eyes on the martial stage. Even if I accidentally beat you to death, the clan won't be able to blame me."
Ye Tianwu sneered.
Naturally, Ye Han could hear the thick stench of threat laced through those words.
Yet, Ye Han's tone remained indifferent as he retorted,
"What do you take yourself for?"
"Hmph! A toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit!"
Boom—
Ye Tianwu's entire body quivered. Scorching spiritual energy surged outward, and with a sharp crack, hairline fractures webbed across the stone flags beneath his feet!
"Fire Spirit Fist!"
He channeled spiritual energy into both fists, forming twin cyclones of flame that he struck forward with crushing force!
Boom—
Two waves of searing wind rushed toward them, but Ye Han's figure evaded them as effortlessly as a ghost.
Swish!
The flame cyclones struck empty air, but before anyone realized it, Ye Han's figure had already bolted forward, leaving a trail of afterimages across the stone platform. Then, in a fraction of a second, he appeared directly to Ye Tianwu's left with lightning speed, moving too fast for Ye Tianwu to even react!
The eyes of everyone present widened abruptly.
That figure was so fast that only a string of lingering afterimages remained!
Swiftly lifting his leg like a whip, Ye Han delivered a ferocious kick straight into Ye Tianwu's abdomen.
Bang—
Spurt!
This mountain-cleaving kick landed heavily with a violent impact that resonated in everyone's ears. Ye Tianwu's eyes bulged in terror to the size of copper bells. A mouthful of blood spewed from his mouth, and his entire body toppled forward like a sack of sand.
With a heavy thud, his head crashed violently against the ground, shattering the stone flags, while his blood-red teeth smashed against one another and scattered across the floor.
At that moment, dead silence gripped the entire arena!
Everyone stood frozen in utter shock...
"What did you just say?"
With a cold expression, Ye Han walked over with his hands clasped behind his back, and without the slightest hesitation, brought his foot down hard on Ye Tianwu's spine.
Crack!
"Ah!!"
A shrill, agonizing scream snapped the dumbstruck crowd out of their daze, sending shudders down their spines!
"Ye Tianwu has been crippled!"
..."He's at the Seventh Layer of Spirit Spring Realm..."
Was that boy still the trash who had fallen from grace?
Swallowing hard, everyone stared in utter disbelief at Ye Tianwu, who lay trampled beneath Ye Han's feet like a dead dog.
As they looked at Ye Han, it was as if they were gazing at a dragon lying dormant in the abyss, ready to astonish the world with a single roar!
"A mere Seventh Layer of Spirit Spring Realm, yet you dare shout at me like that. Who gave you the courage?"
Ye Han sneered. Then, with a loud boom, his aura burst outward in all directions, shattering the stone flooring.
Hiss—
"This is... the Ninth Layer of Spirit Spring Realm?!"
First Elder Ye Baili and the other elders constricted their pupils, struck dumb with utter shock.
As for Ye Tiange, his expression altered drastically at that moment, filled with sheer disbelief!
"Impossible!"
Ye Tiange clenched his fists, his face contorted in a ferocious snarl.
Ye Han had been afflicted with the Profound Yin Cold Poison—a toxin that was virtually inescapable. Even the First Elder and the others were utterly helpless against it. Yet not only had Ye Han detoxified himself, but his cultivation had also skyrocketed!
"Ninth Layer of Spirit Spring Realm... Heavens, doesn't that make Ye Han even more monstrously talented than Ye Tiange?"
In the plaza, the younger generation of the Ye Family all gasped in breath and stood completely dumbfounded.
One had to remember that Ye Han was several years younger than Ye Tiange. At the exact same age, Ye Tiange had not possessed anything close to this defying level of talent!
A Ninth Layer of Spirit Spring Realm cultivator at the age of seventeen!
"How did his cultivation recover?!"
Ye Tianbada furrowed his brows, a gloomy expression clouding his face.
"Ye Tiange, are you perhaps wondering why the extreme cold poison—the Profound Yin Poison—that you planted in my body didn't work?"
Ye Han looked coldly at Ye Tiange, deliberately raising his voice.
A commotion erupted!
This single sentence acted like a heavy bomb, creating an even greater uproar throughout the entire clan!
"No way! Ye Han's cultivation was crippled—was it actually Ye Tiange who poisoned him with the Profound Yin Poison?"
"That is utterly malicious..."
The surrounding whispers were piercingly harsh. Gritting his teeth, Ye Tiange forced himself to calm his racing mind and said in a deep voice,
"Ye Han, stop spitting blood and making false accusations!"
The two stood at loggerheads, the atmosphere instantly growing tense and explosive.
"Enough! The meeting ends here!"
Just as the two were locked in a sharp confrontation, however, the First Elder's stern reprimand rang out.
Looking at Ye Han with a gaze tinged with a hint of appreciation, he continued,
"Ye Han, the recovery of your cultivation is naturally a cause for rejoicing. However, whether the Profound Yin Poison was planted by Ye Tiange cannot be concluded hastily. From now on, you should serve the clan. As for the matter of stripping away your spiritual vein earlier, we shall pretend it was never mentioned."
"Heh..."
Ye Han found it all supremely ironic.
When he possessed no cultivation, the Ye Family had ignored his safety to strip away his spiritual vein.
Now that they saw he still had utilitarian value, they had put on a completely different face.
Ah, these ice-cold clan interests!
The First Elder simply viewed him as a pawn on a chessboard!
Furthermore, he could clearly see that the First Elder was deliberately shielding Ye Tiange!
The Second Elder stepped forward, looking down from above, and announced,
"Alright, alright. There is a second matter to announce today. That matter is that three days from now, we have decided to open the Martial Tower..."
An uproar ensued—
"The Martial Tower is finally opening..."
"I heard that the Martial Tower conceals the entire Ye Family's martial arts heritage. It's unimaginably precious..."
Instantly, countless disciples wore fiery gazes and engaged in heated discussions.
Before long, the meeting drew to a close.
At that moment, Ye Tiange walked slowly past Ye Han, brushing shoulders with him as he whispered a sinister threat into Ye Han's ear,
"Three days from now, inside the Martial Tower, you, Ye Han, will inevitably become my stepping stone!"
Ye Han turned around, his gaze as sharp as a razor's edge, and replied,
"Who serves as whose stepping stone remains to be seen!"
***
Chapter 4: Firmament Dan Physique
The conclusion of the clan meeting did nothing to calm the storm; instead, it sparked heated, widespread discussions throughout the entire Ye Family.
Ye Han had once fallen heavily from his pedestal, enduring the cold glares and mockery of every single clansman.
Yet now, he had returned once more—not only recovering his cultivation but leaping straight into the Ninth Layer of Spirit Spring Realm!
It was like a resounding slap across the face of everyone in the Ye Family, stinging and burning hot.
A seventeen-year-old Ninth Layer cultivator of the Spirit Spring Realm possessed a monstrous level of talent.
Countless people speculated that Ye Han's return would inevitably lead to a fierce struggle between tigers and dragons with Ye Tiange.
Some clansmen believed that Ye Han's monstrous talent made his rise unstoppable.
Yet others felt that Ye Tiange, having received the clan's poured-out resources in cultivation and having now stepped into the Spirit Sea Realm, possessed a peerless talent of his own. Surpassing him in a short span of time would likely prove immensely difficult for Ye Han.
Even so, another major event during this period managed to divert the attention of all the clansmen.
And that was the upcoming opening of the Martial Tower by the Ye Family!
This Martial Tower represented a century's worth of the Ye Family's foundation. It was said to house countless spiritual art manuals, and goodness knows how many clansmen broke their heads trying to gain entry.
However, the Martial Tower remained sealed year-round, accessible only to clansmen who had rendered monumental contributions.
Yet this time, when the Martial Tower opened, every single member of the Ye Family would be permitted to enter and select a spiritual art...
***
Following the meeting, Ye Han returned to the dilapidated courtyard in the back garden.
This courtyard was overgrown with weeds and lay completely desolate, looking utterly ruined with an aura of decay and rot hanging everywhere.
A gentle breeze swept by, rustling the shadows of the parasol trees.
In front of a small cottage, a black cauldron hovered in mid-air before Ye Han.
Poof!
With a subtle flick of his fingertip, a wisp of scorching flame danced like a fire serpent, enveloping the entire cauldron and setting it ablaze.
Before long, faint, lingering medicinal aromas wafted out from within the cauldron.
At that moment, Ye Han was fully focused on refining a medicinal pill. As a former Pill Saint-tier alchemist in his past life, refining pills was naturally second nature to him.
His palms skillfully controlled the flames, his movements as smooth and flowing as moving clouds and flowing water.
Even if the most outstanding alchemist in the entire Desolate Ancient Domain were to witness this pill-refining technique, they would likely bow their heads in shame and profound admiration.
Soon enough, the flames gradually extinguished, and the pill furnace landed on the ground with a loud clank.
Ye Han walked over, lifted the lid of the cauldron, and a surge of steaming heat rushed toward his face. Pinching his fingers together, he retrieved a crimson pill from the furnace.
This pill was known as the Flawless Pill.
"Eh? Why are there no pill patterns?"
Ye Han muttered in mild surprise, seemingly dissatisfied.
As a Saint Grade alchemist, in his past life, even a casual batch of pills he refined would invariably bear pill patterns, or even manifest various miraculous phenomena.
Yet this time, the Flawless Pill he refined lacked any pill patterns whatsoever.
"It seems this must be due to the flames. This flame is merely a first-grade pill flame, falling far too short compared to my primordial Chaos Pill Flame."
Ye Han sighed helplessly. The Chaos Divine Flame he possessed in his past life was an Emperor Grade pill flame!
Pill flames were initially divided from the first to ninth grades. Above the ninth grade lay the Imperial Grade, Sovereign Grade, and Saint Grade. And superior even to the Saint Grade was the Emperor Grade pill flame.
The Emperor Grade pill flame was also known as the Sovereign's Fire!
Across the entire Firmament Continent, alchemists possessing an Emperor Grade pill flame could be counted on one's fingers.
It was just a pity that his Chaos Divine Flame had also been stripped away by the Pill Martial Great Emperor!
"So be it. Even though no pill patterns were born, this Flawless Pill will barely suffice."
Nevertheless, Ye Han shook his head helplessly. His current physique was far too frail; pills with overly potent medicinal effects would instead produce the opposite reaction.
This Flawless Pill was a second-grade pill. Consuming it would cleanse the marrow and bones, thoroughly flushing out impurities within the body to forge a superior foundation.
Pondering for a moment, he sat cross-legged on the ground and tossed the Flawless Pill into his mouth like a soy bean.
Sizzle!
The pill entered his body, instantly transforming into a torrent of scorching energy that integrated into his limbs and bones. This force coursed through him like a clear spring, washing away the impurities and lingering poisons within his body. Soon, black, muddy sludge was expelled from the surface of his skin, releasing a wave of foul stench.
Half an hour later, Ye Han slowly opened his eyes and washed away the black impurities. Stretching his arms with a refreshed mind, his tendons and bones cracked like popping beans. Feeling unblocked, an immense sense of comfort washed over him.
"This feels amazing!"
At that moment, Ye Han felt as though every pore on his body was breathing in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and his cultivation speed had even grown significantly faster.
At this rate, it probably wouldn't be long before he surpassed Ye Tiange!
However, surpassing the Pill Martial Great Emperor remained a distance of a hundred thousand eight thousand miles away.
"Five years have passed. That old dog Pill Martial's strength and alchemy skills have only grown more refined. Surpassing him probably won't be so easy."
Sensing the power within his body, Ye Han pondered in secret, muttering to himself.
At that moment, he suddenly remembered that this body still possessed a superior spiritual vein!
The so-called spiritual vein referred to a spiritual root born within a cultivator's body that possessed mystical powers.
It was said that those with a spiritual vein possessed stronger cultivation talent and would also acquire a spiritual vein innate ability bestowed by the vein.
Spiritual veins were graded from the first to ninth ranks, with anything above the ninth rank falling into the Imperial, Saint, and Emperor ranks. Only spiritual veins of the fourth rank and above were considered superior.
Over the past century in the entire Yancheng, proud prodigies possessing superior spiritual veins could be counted on one's fingers.
"I wonder what grade of spiritual vein I have in my body?"
Instantly overcome with curiosity, Ye Han resolved to thoroughly investigate the secrets of this mortal shell.
With that, he closed his eyes slightly, immersing his soul power into his body.
Hum!
Sure enough, near his dantian, he discovered a pitch-black vortex.
That pitch-black vortex actually radiated mysterious and powerful fluctuations.
"What... is this?"
Ye Han's pupils shrank abruptly, followed by a look of bewilderment. This didn't seem like a spiritual vein at all?
Hum—
Just as he was puzzled, the black vortex suddenly expanded continuously, and then it actually swallowed his entire dantian!
Ye Han's expression changed drastically because the black vortex was still expanding, devouring toward his soul avatar...
Boom!
With a loud crash, in a daze, Ye Han seemed to watch the vortex tear apart, actually transforming into a world of blackness inside his body!
An ancient universe of heaven and earth slowly took shape within him. That realm resembled a cosmos, with countless stars twinkling within it.
"This..."
Ye Han's soul stood within the pitch-black star field, feeling like a drop in the ocean—extremely insignificant.
Even as a Pill Saint in his past life, having witnessed numerous grand spectacles, Ye Han was still shocked to the point of a dramatic facial transformation.
A memory suddenly stirred within him, his gaze shifting as he murmured,
"I seem to recall that old dog Pill Martial mentioning that there are three supreme pill physiques in this world. Aside from my Chaos Dan Physique, there is another physique known as the Firmament Dan Physique. And it is said that this physique births a world pill furnace within the body capable of devouring the dantian."
"Could it be..."
Ye Han widened his eyes sharply, a vague guess already forming in his mind.
As it turned out, what was hidden within this body was not some superior spiritual vein at all.
What lay concealed inside him was the Firmament Dan Physique—the foremost of the three great pill physiques!
"It is said that the greatness of the Firmament Dan Physique lies in its ability to evolve the dantian into a universal cosmos and realm. Yet this is not a true universe, but a pill furnace. In time, once the pill physique is cultivated to perfection, it can even refine divine pills within the body that surpass the Emperor Grade!"
Ordinary people required a pill furnace to refine pills, but the world within Ye Han's body was a pill furnace—and a pill furnace capable of refining legendary divine pills at that.
"Hahahaha! Could this be heaven's will? Old dog Pill Martial, wash your neck clean and wait! Now I truly possess the capital to contend with you. Rest assured, sooner or later, I will pull you down from your pedestal and trample you mercilessly beneath my feet, plunging you into eternal damnation!"
A fire of vengeance ignited in Ye Han's eyes as he clenched his fists tightly.
Though he had lost the Chaos Dan Physique, he had obtained the Firmament Dan Physique, which was even more powerful than the Chaos Dan Physique!
***
Chapter 5: Heavenly Lion Golden Roar
Immersed in wild jubilation, Ye Han never expected that by some twist of fate, he would become the master of the Firmament Dan Physique.
The boundless world lacked no shortage of miraculous constitutions, yet among them existed three pill physiques that had long since vanished into history:
The Chaos Dan Physique, the Medicine God Dan Physique, and the Firmament Dan Physique.
And the Firmament Dan Physique ranked foremost among these three!
It was said that an alchemist possessing this physique could not only enhance their alchemy skills at a miraculous, blistering pace, but the pills they refined would also surpass ordinary alchemists in both quality and medicinal efficacy. Furthermore, producing pills branded with pill patterns or even shrouded in pill clouds was nothing short of effortless.
Such was the wondrous nature of a pill physique!
Naturally, the profundities of the Firmament Dan Physique were boundless, and Ye Han still required time to slowly comprehend them.
"In two days, the Ye Family will open the Martial Tower. By then, Ye Tiange will undoubtedly resort to every possible means to deal with me."
Before long, Ye Han slowly snapped back to his senses, a trace of imperceptible, chilling ruthlessness flashing through his eyes.
It wasn't that he feared Ye Tiange, but rather that he couldn't be certain what despicable tricks the fellow might still harbor.
Therefore, before the Martial Tower opened, he had to break through to the Spirit Sea Realm as quickly as possible to raise his odds of victory.
As a former Pill Saint, elevating his own strength was naturally a simple matter.
To break through to the Spirit Sea Realm within two days, he only needed to refine a third-grade medicinal pill—the Spirit Profound Pill!
"Although the Spirit Profound Pill is nothing rare, I wonder if I can gather the ingredients in a backwater place like Yancheng..."
Ye Han furrowed his brows, somewhat troubled. After all, the ingredients required to refine the Spirit Profound Pill were rather obscure.
Across the entire Yancheng, the only place where one could purchase such ingredients was the Tianyan Market controlled by the City Lord's Mansion.
However, with night having fallen, he would simply have to wait until the morrow to make a trip to the market and see if he could gather the materials.
With that thought in mind, Ye Han exhaled a breath of turbid air and closed his eyes once more to cultivate.
Deep into the night, a round moon hung high in the sky.
Inside the dilapidated courtyard, a figure sat cross-legged with eyes tightly shut. His breathing and respiration followed a grand circulation, drawing spiritual energy to converge upon his dantian.
A close observation would reveal that his dantian resembled a starry abyss, dotted with colorful starlight like a magnificent cosmos.
As the spiritual energy surged into his limbs and bones, Ye Han's aura gradually grew increasingly robust.
***
The next day, the scorching sun blazed like fire.
Searing sunlight spilled unceremoniously from the sky, plunging the entire Yancheng into a state of sweltering heat.
Within the city, willow branches drooped languidly, looking utterly listless.
Having prepared a carriage, Ye Han set off early in the morning for the Tianyan Market to search for medicinal ingredients.
Situated in the center of Yancheng, the Tianyan Market was also the most prosperous district in the entire city.
All goods requiring trade within the city—such as medicinal ingredients, cultivation manuals, weapons, and the like—could be transacted right here at the Tianyan Market.
Consequently, the Tianyan Market bustled with a constant stream of carriages and a heavy flow of pedestrians every single day.
Clicket-clacket—
A carriage sped forward...
Whoa~
"Young Master, the Tianyan Market has arrived."
A servant bowed slightly, and Ye Han casually tossed him a pouch of spirit stones before stepping down from the carriage.
"This is the Tianyan Market?"
Looking ahead, Ye Han felt a mild sense of surprise; the Tianyan Market was far more prosperous than he had imagined.
Stalls lined both sides of the street as far as the eye could see. Pedestrians flowed in an endless stream, while the cries of hawkers and the haggling of prices rose one after another.