Yet Ye Han was like a grain of dust on the ground; how could he ever hope to rival Ye Tiange's brilliance?
"Ha, ha, ha! Ye Han, you really are a joke! Do you seriously think you are worthy of challenging my elder brother? I'm afraid dirtying his hands with your blood would sulch them!"
Suddenly, a sneering, wild burst of laughter echoed across the area.
Boom!
A surge of crimson Spiritual Power swept forward like a violent wave as a figure in white robes dropped into the courtyard.
The flagstones beneath his feet were faintly scorching, sparks beginning to ignite across the stone.
The youth in white was lean, in his early twenties, and stood half a head taller than Ye Han. His facial features bore a striking resemblance to those of Ye Tiange.
However, a chilling black scar ran down his left cheek, giving him a somewhat sinister air.
The crowd let out a collective gasp and instinctively stepped back, forming a massive circle that enclosed the two figures.
"Ye Tiange's younger brother, Ye Tiuxu—no, Ye Tiwu!"
Surprised cries rippled through the surrounding spectators.
The youth in white robes was none other than Ye Tiange's half-brother, Ye Baili's—wait, no, Ye Tiwu!
Ye Han merely glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, instantly sensing the aura radiating from Ye Tiwu's entire body.
Seventh Layer of Spirit Spring Realm!
"Ye Han, if you hand over your spiritual vein willingly right now, I might spare your miserable life. Otherwise, fists and feet have no eyes on the martial stage. Even if I accidentally beat you to death, the clan will have no grounds to blame me."
Ye Tiwu sneered.
It was obvious to Ye Han that every word was dripping with blatant threats.
Yet Ye Han's tone remained utterly indifferent as he replied,
"Who the hell do you think you are?"
"Hmph! You refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit!"
Boom—
Ye Tiwu's body trembled as a scorching torrent of Spiritual Power surged outward, the flagstones beneath his feet fracturing with a crisp crack as a fine web of fissures split the stone!
"Fire Spirit Fist!"
Channeling Spiritual Power into both fists, he formed a pair of blazing fire vortexes and smashed them fiercely toward Ye Han!
Boom—
Two waves of scorching wind rushed forward, but Ye Han's figure flickered like a phantom, evading the attack with ease.
Swish!
The blazing vortexes struck empty air. Before anyone could react, Ye Han's figure shot forward directly, leaving a trail of overlapping afterimages across the stone platform. In a flash, he materialized instantly on Ye Tiwu's left side, moving with such blinding speed that Ye Tiwu had zero time to react!
Every spectator's eyes widened in sheer astonishment.
That figure was moving so fast that people could only catch glimpses of blurring afterimages!
Swiftly raising his leg, Ye Han delivered a fierce, whipping kick straight into Ye Tiwu's abdomen.
Bang—
Pfft!
The immensely heavy kick landed with a dull, devastating thud that reverberated in the ears of everyone present. Ye Tiwu's eyes bulged in pure terror, wide as copper bells. A mouthful of blood erupted from his lips, and his entire body was sent hurtling forward like a discarded sandbag.
With a heavy thud, the back of his head slammed violently against the ground, shattering the flagstones underneath. A shower of blood-red teeth rattled across the cracked stones as they collided and broke apart.
At that exact moment, absolute silence gripped the entire arena!
Everyone was stunned into utter bewilderment...
"What was that you were saying just now?"
With cold detachment, Ye Han strode forward with his hands clasped behind his back, bringing his foot down without a moment's hesitation to stomp mercilessly onto Ye Wu's—onto Ye Tiwu's spine.
Crack!
"Aah...!"
A piercing, miserable shriek instantly shattered the frozen expressions of the crowd, sending a chilling shudder down everyone's spines!
"Ye Tiwu... his cultivation has been crippled!"
"He was at the Seventh Layer of Spirit Spring Realm...!"
Was that youth really just the fallen, good-for-nothing trash everyone thought he was?
Swallowing hard, the onlookers stared in gaping disbelief at Ye Tiwu, who now lay sprawled under Ye Han's foot like a dead dog.
As they looked at Ye Han, it felt as though they were gazing upon a dragon that had long slumbered in the abyss, only to astonish the world with a single roar!
"A mere Seventh Layer of Spirit Spring Realm cultivator, and yet you dare bark so loudly at me. Who gave you the courage?"
With a cold chuckle, Ye Han suddenly unleashed his full aura, sending a powerful shockwave outward that shattered the surrounding flagstones to pieces.
Hiss—
"This is... the Ninth Layer of Spirit Spring Realm?!"
First Elder Ye Baili and the other elders felt their pupils contract violently, utterly dumbfounded.
Even Ye Tiange's expression warped drastically at that moment, his face etched with disbelief!
"Impossible!"
Clenching his fists tightly, Ye Tiange wore a hideous, twisted expression.
Ye Han had been poisoned by the Profound Yin Frost Poison—a poison that was practically incurable. Even the First Elder and the others had been completely helpless against it. Yet not only had Ye Han neutralized the poison, but his cultivation had also skyrocketed!
"The Ninth Layer of Spirit Spring Realm... Good heavens, does that mean Ye Han is even more monstrously talented than Ye Tiange?"
Across the plaza, the younger generation of the Ye Family drew sharp breaths, completely paralyzed by shock.
One had to remember that Ye Han was several years younger than Ye Tiange. At the exact same age, even Ye Tiange had never exhibited such heaven-defying talent!
This was a seventeen-year-old at the Ninth Layer of Spirit Spring Realm!
"How did his cultivation recover?!"
Ye Tiaba—Ye Tianba frowned, his face similarly shrouded in a dark, gloomy expression.
"Ye Tiange, are you perhaps wondering why the Profound Yin Poison you so secretly planted within my body stopped working?"
Casting a cold gaze toward Ye Tiange, Ye Han deliberately raised his voice.
Uproar!
This single sentence struck the crowd like a heavy explosive, plunging the entire clan into an even greater frenzy!
"No way... Ye Han's cultivation being crippled in the past was actually caused by Ye Tiange poisoning him with Profound Yin Poison?"
"That is utterly vicious..."
The surrounding whispers were piercingly harsh. Gritting his teeth, Ye Tiange fought hard to steady his state of mind before speaking in a deep voice,
"Ye Han, stop spitting venom and framing people!"
The two locked eyes in a tense, tit-for-tat confrontation, the atmosphere instantly growing as taut as a drawn bowstring.
"Enough! This meeting ends right here!"
Just as the two sides were at a total stalemate, however, the First Elder's stern voice rang out.
Fixing his gaze on Ye Han with a hint of appreciation, he continued,
"Ye Han, the recovery of your cultivation is naturally a cause for great joy. However, whether the Profound Yin Poison was administered by Ye Tiange cannot be determined hastily. From now on, you should continue to serve the clan. As for the matter of stripping your spiritual vein discussed earlier, let us pretend it was never mentioned."
"Heh..."
Ye Han found the remark supremely ironic.
Back when he possessed no cultivation, the Ye Family had cared nothing for his safety and attempted to strip his spiritual vein without a second thought.
Now that they saw he still held utility, they had instantly put on a completely different face.
Ah, the cold, ruthless nature of clan interests!
The First Elder merely viewed him as a pawn on a chessboard!
Moreover, it was plainly obvious to him that the First Elder was deliberately shielding Ye Tiange!
Stepping forward and casting his gaze down over the crowd, the Second Elder declared,
"Very well, very well. There is a second matter to announce today. This matter is that three days from now, we have decided to open the Martial Tower..."
Uproar—
"Is the Martial Tower finally going to be opened...?"
"I heard that the Martial Tower houses all the martial arts manuals of our entire Ye Family, and they are incredibly precious..."
Instantly, countless disciples wore burning expressions in their eyes as they discussed the news with fervent excitement.
Before long, the meeting drew to a close.
At that moment, Ye Tiange slowly walked past Ye Han, brushing shoulders with him as a chilling whisper drifted into Ye Han's ears,
"Three days from now, inside the Martial Tower, you, Ye Han, will inevitably become nothing more than a stepping stone beneath my feet!"
Turning around, Ye Han fixed a gaze as sharp as a blade upon him and replied,
"Who turns out to be whose stepping stone... is far from certain!"
***
Chapter 4: Vault of Heaven Dan Physique
The conclusion of the clan meeting did nothing to calm the turbulent atmosphere; instead, it set the entire Ye Family ablaze with heated gossip and endless speculation.
Having once fallen heavily from the pedestal of genius, Ye Han had endured the cold glares and mocking sneers of every single member of the clan.
Yet now, he had returned—not only recovering his cultivation, but leaping straight to the Ninth Layer of Spirit Spring Realm in one bound!
It was as though a loud, stinging slap had been dealt across the faces of everyone in the Ye Family, leaving their cheeks burning hot.
A seventeen-year-old at the Ninth Layer of Spirit Spring Realm possessed a level of talent that could only be described as monstrous.
Countless people began to speculate that Ye Han's return meant a fierce, dragon-and-tiger struggle between him and Ye Tiange was now completely inevitable.
Some clan members believed that Ye Han's monstrous talent meant his rise was unstoppable.
However, others argued that Ye Tiange had received the clan's absolute dedication of resources for his cultivation and had already stepped into the Spirit Sea Realm, meaning his talent was likewise extraordinary. It would likely prove extremely difficult for Ye Han to surpass him anytime soon.
Even so, another major event occupied the attention of all clan members during this period.
That event was the impending opening of the Ye Family's Martial Tower!
This Martial Tower was the foundation of the Ye Family's century-old heritage. Rumor had it that countless spiritual technique manuals were stored within, and innumerable clan members would break their heads trying to find a way inside.
Yet the Martial Tower remained sealed year-round, and only clan members who had rendered extraordinary service were permitted entry.
This time, however, the opening of the Martial Tower meant that all members of the Ye Family would be allowed to enter and select spiritual techniques...
***
Following the meeting, Ye Han returned to the dilapidated small courtyard in the back.
The courtyard was overgrown with weeds and completely desolate, looking utterly ruined while exuding a stale, decaying scent.
A gentle breeze swept past, rustling the shadows of the parasol trees.
Before a small hut, a black cauldron floated suspended in the air right in front of Ye Han.
Pfft!
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 wisps of medicinal fragrance drifted out from within the cauldron.
At that moment, Ye Han was wholly engrossed in refining a medicinal pill. As an alchemy sage in his past life, refining pills was naturally second nature to him.
His hands expertly controlled the flames, his movements flowing smoothly like clouds and drifting water.
Even if the most accomplished alchemist in the entire Eight Desolations Ancient Domain were to witness such alchemy techniques, they would likely bow their heads in inferiority and profound admiration.
Shortly thereafter, the flames slowly extinguished, and the alchemy furnace landed on the ground with a dull clang.
Stepping forward, Ye Han opened the furnace lid. A billow of steaming heat rushed outward, and he used two fingers to pluck a crimson pill from within the furnace.
This pill was known as the Flawless Pill.
"Hm? Why are there no pill patterns?"
Ye Han let out a soft sound of surprise, sounding somewhat dissatisfied.
As a Saint-grade alchemist, even a casual pill he refined in his past life would inevitably bear pill patterns, or even trigger various miraculous phenomena.
Yet the Flawless Pill he had just refined lacked any pill patterns whatsoever.
"It seems this must be due to the flames. This flame is merely a first-tier alchemy flame; it falls far too short compared to my Chaotic Alchemy Flame."
Ye Han sighed helplessly. The Chaotic Divine Fire he had possessed in his past life was an Emperor-grade alchemy flame!
Alchemy flames were initially divided from first to ninth grades, with ninth grade followed by Imperial, Venerable, and Saint grades. And superior even to Saint grade was the Emperor-grade alchemy flame.
The Emperor-grade alchemy flame was also known as the Sovereign's Fire!
Across the entire Vault of Heaven Continent, alchemists possessing an Emperor-grade alchemy flame could be counted on one's fingers.
It was just a pity that his Chaotic Divine Fire had also been stripped away by the Pill Martial Great Emperor!
"So be it. Although no pill patterns were born, this Flawless Pill will barely suffice."
Still, Ye Han shook his head helplessly. His current physical body was far too frail; a medicinal pill with overly potent efficacy would instead produce the opposite of the desired effect.
This Flawless Pill was a second-tier pill. Ingesting it would cleanse the marrow and tendons, thoroughly expelling impurities from within the body to lay a stronger foundation.
Pondering for a moment, he sat cross-legged on the ground and tossed the Flawless Pill into his mouth like a pea.
Hiss!
The moment the pill entered his body, it instantly dissolved into a wave of scorching energy that integrated into his limbs and bones. This surge of power cleansed the dirt and lingering toxins from his body like a clear spring, driving layers of black sludge to ooze out from the surface of his skin while emitting a foul stench.
Half an hour later, Ye Han slowly opened his eyes and washed away the black impurities. Stretching his limbs as he felt refreshed, his joints cracked like popping beans. Feeling as though every meridian had been unblocked, a profound sense of comfort washed over him.
"This feels simply amazing!"
At that moment, Ye Han felt as though every pore on his body was breathing in the Spiritual Power of heaven and earth, and even his cultivation speed had increased significantly.
At this rate, it probably wouldn't be long before he surpassed Ye Tiange!
However, surpassing the Pill Martial Great Emperor was still a journey of a hundred thousand miles.
"Five hundred years have passed; that old dog Pill Martial's strength and alchemy skills will only have grown more profound. Surpassing him probably won't be an easy task."
Sensing the power within his body, Ye Han mused quietly to himself.
At that moment, he suddenly remembered that this body also possessed a superior-tier spiritual vein!
A so-called spiritual vein referred to a spiritual root born within a cultivator's body that possessed miraculous powers.
It was said that those possessing a spiritual vein had stronger cultivation talent and would also acquire a spiritual vein innate ability bestowed by the vein itself!
Spiritual veins were graded from first to ninth, and above the ninth grade lay the Imperial, Saint, and Emperor grades. Only spiritual veins of fourth grade and above were considered superior-tier.
Within the entire Flame City over the past hundred years, proud prodigies possessing a superior-tier spiritual vein could be counted on one's fingers.
"I wonder what grade of spiritual vein is hidden inside my body?"
Curiosity instantly surged within Ye Han, and he decided to carefully probe the secrets of this physical body.
Closing his eyes slightly, he guided his soul power to infiltrate his body.
Hum!
Sure enough, near his Dantian, he discovered a pitch-black vortex.
That black vortex was radiating a mysterious and formidable fluctuation.
"What... is this?"
Ye Han's pupils constricted sharply, and a look of confusion washed over him. This didn't seem like a spiritual vein at all!
Hum—
Just as he was wondering, the black vortex suddenly expanded continuously before swallowing his entire Dantian whole!
Ye Han's expression changed drastically because the black vortex was still expanding, rushing toward his soul avatar to devour it as well...
Boom!
With a deafening roar, in a daze, Ye Han seemed to see the vortex tear open, transforming into a world of black darkness within his body!
An ancient universe of heaven and earth slowly took shape inside him. That world resembled a cosmos, within which countless stars twinkled.
"This..."
Ye Han's soul stood within the pitch-black stellar domain, feeling as insignificant as a drop of water in the vast ocean.
Even though he had been an alchemy sage in his past life and had witnessed countless marvels, Ye Han's expression changed in utter shock at this sight.
Suddenly recalling something, a series of shifting emotions crossed his eyes as he muttered,
"I seem to recall that old dog Pill Martial mentioning once that there are three supreme Dan physiques in this world. Aside from my Chaotic Dan Physique, there is another Dan physique known as the Vault of Heaven Dan Physique. And it is said that this Dan physique naturally breeds a world alchemy furnace within the body capable of devouring the Dantian."
"Could it be...?"
Ye Han widened his eyes in realization, an inkling of a guess already forming in his heart.
It turned out that what was hidden within this body was not some superior-tier spiritual vein at all.
What lay concealed inside him was the Vault of Heaven Dan Physique—the absolute supreme head of the three Dan physiques!
"It is said that the greatness of the Vault of Heaven Dan Physique lies in its ability to evolve the Dantian into a cosmic universe and world. Of course, this is not a true cosmos, but an alchemy furnace. Given time, once the Dan physique reaches grand completion, one can even refine divine pills that surpass Emperor grade within the body!"
Ordinary people required an alchemy furnace to refine pills, but the world inside Ye Han's body *was* the furnace—an alchemy furnace capable of refining legendary divine pills.
"Ha, ha, ha, ha! Could this be the will of heaven? Old dog Pill Martial, you'd better wash your neck and wait, because I now truly possess the capital to contend with you. Rest assured, sooner or later I will drag you down from your pedestal and stomp you ruthlessly beneath my feet, plunging you into eternal damnation!"
A flame of revenge ignited in Ye Han's eyes as he clenched his fists tightly.
Though he had lost the Chaotic Dan Physique, he had obtained the Vault of Heaven Dan Physique, which was even more powerful than the Chaotic!
***
Chapter 5: Heavenly Lion's Gold-Shattering Roar
Immersed in wild elation, Ye Han had never expected that, through a twist of fate, he would become the master of the Vault of Heaven Dan Physique.
The great chiliocosm was filled with all manner of miraculous physiques. Yet among them, three legendary Dan physiques had long since vanished into history:
The Chaotic Dan Physique, the Medicine God Dan Physique, and the Vault of Heaven Dan Physique.
And the Vault of Heaven Dan Physique ranked foremost among these three!
It was said that an alchemist possessing this physique not only improved their alchemy skills with miraculous, astonishing speed, but the pills they refined were also far superior in quality and efficacy compared to those of ordinary alchemists. Even producing pills that birthed pill patterns or pill clouds was an effortless feat for them.
Such was the miraculous nature of a Dan physique!
Of course, the mysteries of the Vault of Heaven Dan Physique were boundless, and Ye Han still needed time to slowly comprehend them.
"There are two days left until the opening of the Ye Family's Martial Tower. When that time comes, Ye Tiange will undoubtedly try every possible method to deal with me."
Recovering his composure shortly after, Ye Han's gaze flashed with an imperceptible trace of chilling sharpness.
It wasn't that he feared Ye Tiange; rather, there was no telling what despicable tricks that fellow might still have up his sleeve.
Therefore, he had to break through to the Spirit Sea Realm before the Martial Tower opened to secure a greater margin of victory.
As a former alchemy sage, if he wished to raise his personal strength, it was naturally a simple matter.
And to break through to the Spirit Sea Realm within two days required only the refinement of a third-tier pill—the Spirit Profound Pill!
"Although the Spirit Profound Pill is nothing rare, in a tiny backwater like Flame City, I wonder if I can even gather the ingredients..."
Frowning slightly, Ye Han felt a trace of worry. After all, the ingredients required to refine the Spirit Profound Pill were rather uncommon.
Across the entire Flame City, the only place where such medicinal ingredients could be purchased was the Tianyan Market, which was controlled by the City Lord's Mansion.
However, since night had already fallen, he would simply have to wait until tomorrow to make a trip to the market and see if he could gather the materials.
With that thought in mind, Ye Han let out a breath and closed his eyes once more to cultivate.
Deep into the night, a full moon hung high in the sky.
Within the dilapidated courtyard, a figure sat cross-legged with eyes tightly shut. His breathing and respiration followed a full celestial cycle, drawing Spiritual Power to converge upon his Dantian.
Upon closer observation, one could see that his Dantian resembled a starry abyss, filled with mottled stellar lights that looked like a magnificent cosmos.
As Spiritual Power poured into his limbs and bones, Ye Han's aura gradually grew increasingly robust and formidable.
***
The next day, the midday sun blazed like fire.
Scorching sunlight spilled wantonly from the sky, plunging the entire Flame City into a sweltering haze.
Within the city, the drooping branches of the willows hung limply, looking utterly listless.
Having prepared a carriage, Ye Han set off early in the morning to search for medicinal ingredients at the Tianyan Market.
Located in the center of Flame City, the Tianyan Market was the most bustling and prosperous area in the entire city.
All the materials required for trade within the city—such as medicinal ingredients, cultivation techniques, weapons, and more—could be traded right here at the Tianyan Market.
Consequently, the Tianyan Market was packed with bustling traffic and a ceaseless stream of pedestrians every single day.
Clicketty-clack—
A carriage sped forward...
Whoa~
"Young Master, we have arrived at the Tianyan Market."
A servant bowed slightly as Ye Han casually tossed him a pouch of spirit stones before stepping down from the carriage.
"So this is the Tianyan Market?"
Looking ahead with a hint of surprise, Ye Han found the Tianyan Market to be 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 shouts of vendors and the haggling of buyers rose and fell in a chorus.
"Step right up, step right up! Spirit Gathering Pills are on massive clearance, only five hundred spirit stones a piece!"