Hong Batian gave a cold sneer, spun around suddenly, and threw a punch straight at Yun Chen’s head. A surge of powerful force erupted, causing ripples in the air. He did not use any technique for this strike.
Seeing the fist flying toward him, Yun Chen wanted to dodge, but his body couldn't keep up with his mind. With a "bang," the punch struck his chest, sending him flying backward to land beneath the ring. He nearly lost consciousness on the spot. Yet, the very next second, a tingling sensation spread through his dantian, and to his amazement, he discovered that the reconstruction of his dantian had suddenly accelerated.
Elated, Yun Chen scrambled to his feet.
"Young Master!" Xiaoqing’s panicked voice rang out.
Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Yun Chen gritted his teeth and charged back toward the ring.
"Is this guy crazy?"
The onlookers were stunned to see Yun Chen returning to the stage. He had already been defeated; was he truly not afraid of death?
"Kid, you're asking for it!" Hong Batian had assumed the boy wouldn't come back after taking such a hit. "Wind Thunder Palm!"
He struck out with a palm, accompanied by the distinct sound of wind and thunder.
"Bring it on!"
Yun Chen roared, gritting his teeth, his expression wild. He wasn't looking for death; he was fighting for a sliver of hope to continue his cultivation.
"Bang!"
Once again, Yun Chen was sent flying. The injury was worse this time, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood.
"Young Master!"
Xiaoqing cried out, rushing to his side to help him up. Seeing the pool of blood on the ground, the little girl burst into tears.
Yun Chen quickly comforted her. "Don't worry, girl, it's fine! We’ll have food to eat soon."
He struggled to his feet and charged back toward the ring again.
"Bang, bang, bang..."
Yun Chen had lost count of how many times he had been blasted off the ring. He was covered in blood, yet like an immortal cockroach, he fell and rose again, time after time. The onlookers were dumbstruck. They had never seen anyone so insane; he truly seemed to have no regard for his own life. The three outer disciples from the Tianyang Sect couldn't bear to watch any longer.
Meanwhile, Xiaoqing was drenched in tears. As she watched him rush the ring repeatedly, only to be thrown back each time, his silhouette became deeply etched in her heart. *Young Master said we would have food to eat soon.*
"You lunatic! I quit! Fine, how many spirit stones do you want? I'll give them to you!" Even as a cultivator in the Spirit-Guiding Realm, Hong Batian was exhausted like a dog. Standing on the ring, gasping for breath, he nearly collapsed when he saw Yun Chen returning. He shouted, "Just name your price!"
"I want ten thousand gold coins!" Yun Chen gritted his teeth. His dantian had finally recovered, but he was at his limit. He had only been able to endure this long through sheer force of will.
Hearing that Yun Chen only wanted ten thousand gold coins, Hong Batian was stunned. He had expected the boy to demand a fortune, never imagining it would be so little. Had he known, he wouldn't have bothered fighting him in the first place. He had used all sorts of techniques but couldn't kill him, only hurt him, which left him feeling incredibly frustrated. He had never had such a miserable time in a ring match.
Without another word, he tossed a small bag over. Yun Chen picked it up, confirmed the ten thousand gold coins were inside, and flashed a grin. He turned to the referee and said, "I concede!"
In the arena, one could concede, though if the opponent disagreed, the fight could continue until one was killed. Hong Batian clearly had no desire to continue. He nodded to the referee as well.
With the gold in hand, Yun Chen staggered over to Xiaoqing and smiled. "Girl, we have money now!"
As soon as he finished speaking, his body went limp. The moment he relaxed, his vision went black, and he lost consciousness, vaguely hearing Xiaoqing’s cries.
"Miss!" A girl in a green tunic stood in the crowd, calling out to her mistress.
Her mistress sighed. "What a stalwart, iron-willed man."
"Should we help them?"
"No. That man is proud. On our way to Qingyang Town, he wouldn't even take a ride in our carriage. Now that we are here, he would rather challenge the ring than beg. He is clearly an incredibly proud person."
The three outer disciples of the Tianyang Sect exchanged glances, seeing the shock in each other’s eyes. Yun Chen’s madness had exceeded their imagination. He was a man who didn't fear death.
***
That night, the stars were brilliant and the moonlight was like water.
In the inner disciple area of Zhengqing Mountain, Lin Yuchu sat in her courtyard, breathing in and out. Dressed in white, she looked like a goddess from a moon palace, a faint silver halo swirling around her, creating an ethereal beauty. After an unknown amount of time, she stood up, her aura retracting until no fluctuations remained.
"Come out."
At her words, a figure in a black robe stepped out from behind her and bowed respectfully.
"How did the matter I tasked you with go?"
"Reporting to Master, Yun Feiyang has arrived in Qingyang Town and is with his maid."
"Yuchu, you are too soft-hearted. You must know that once Yun Feiyang realizes the cultivation manual he gave you is the world-renowned Heaven-grade technique, he will stop at nothing to take it back. Even if he cannot reclaim it, if he leaks the news, it will be a catastrophe for you!"
"To fell a tree, one must remove its roots."
An old man emerged slowly from the shadows. He seemed to merge with the darkness, nearly impossible to spot. It was Lin Shan, the Grand Elder of the Tianyang Sect and a powerhouse in the Deity Transformation Realm.
*Chapter 7: The Primordial Divine Thunder Chapter*
"Father, he is, after all, my savior," she said, her voice ethereal, as if it drifted from the horizon.
"Foolish girl! He saved you only because he wanted to curry favor with you. Enough. I will handle this personally. I don't want any accidents. Even if he is a cripple, I want him dead." Lin Shan spoke with finality.
A Heaven-grade technique! In the Daxia Nation, the highest level of techniques available were only Earth-grade. Techniques were divided into Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow, with Yellow being the lowest and Heaven the highest. If the world learned their family possessed a Heaven-grade technique, all of Daxia would be shaken to its core. Therefore, to ensure no one knew Lin Yuchu possessed it, Yun Feiyang had to die.
Fortunately, he had already been expelled from the Tianyang Sect. A sect reject dying out in the world was something few would care about.
Lin Yuchu said no more. Lin Shan took her silence as consent and left the courtyard.
***
When Yun Chen woke, it was already the next morning.
Thanks to the ten thousand gold coins, Xiaoqing had rented a room at an inn. Worried about him, the little girl hadn't slept, watching over him all night. Seeing her asleep at the bedside, saliva at the corner of her mouth, a sense of warmth filled Yun Chen’s heart.
*Is there anyone else as loyal as this in the world?*
Just as he tried to get up to lift her onto the bed, a blue bead inside his body suddenly trembled, and a voice like a great temple bell echoed in his mind:
"The four directions and above and below are called the Universe; the past and present are called Time. From chaos, the origin of creation is derived; the heavens and earth give birth to the Five Elements, and the Five Elements evolve into Wind, Thunder, and Ice, thus becoming the laws. In ancient times, there were gods and demons who wielded the Primordial Divine Thunder Bead, conquering the world and dominating the universe; thus, it is called the Divine Thunder Bead."
The voice ceased. Yun Chen sat blankly on the bed, unable to process what had happened, half-suspecting it was a hallucination. He instinctively looked inward and saw the bead lying silently as if it had never moved.
*Could this be the so-called Primordial Divine Thunder Bead?* he wondered.
"Young Master, you... you're awake?"
Xiaoqing’s voice interrupted his thoughts. Seeing him nod, her eyes turned red. "Young Master, you scared me! If anything happened to you, what would I do?"
"Silly girl, I’m fine!" Yun Chen put the bead out of his mind and scrambled up.
"Young Master, don't move! You’re hurt, and you haven't eaten since yesterday. I’ll go get you some food!" Before he could respond, she scurried out of the room.
Left alone, Yun Chen closed his eyes and attempted to draw spiritual energy into his body. His dantian had recovered, but he didn't know if he could still cultivate. Before he could even begin, the bead inside him trembled violently, and a flood of information poured into his mind—information that felt like his own memories, etched into his very depths.
*"The Primordial Divine Thunder Chapter."*
*"It's a cultivation manual."*
Yun Chen was shocked. He hadn't expected such a twist. He didn't know the rank of this technique, but the name alone suggested it was extraordinary. It was definitely linked to the bead.
"Draw spirits into the body!"
Following the circulation path of the *Primordial Divine Thunder Chapter*, he tried again. The next second, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth seemed to be pulled by some force, rushing toward him, pouring through his pores and senses, and gathering in his dantian.
In less than half an incense stick of time, his dantian was full. The energy was incredibly pure—more so than it had ever been when practicing the "Five Elements Manual." Usually, a beginner would need at least three days to successfully guide spiritual energy, and the amount would be small. Yet, here he was, having successfully reached the third layer of the Spirit-Guiding Realm. In the past, this would have taken him half a month or even a month.
Yun Chen realized the *Primordial Divine Thunder Chapter* was vastly superior to the sect's "Five Elements Manual." And he had a hunch that it was more than just a Heaven-grade technique.
Xiaoqing returned then with a feast—rice and meat from spirit beasts. It was expensive, likely costing dozens or hundreds of gold coins.
"Young Master, eat up!" she urged.
"You haven't eaten yet, have you?" Yun Chen asked.
"No... I mean, yes, I have, Young Master!" she stammered.
"Are you sure?" Yun Chen’s tone grew stern.
"I... I truly have!" she said, looking frightened.
"If you don't eat, I won't either. We'll split it half and half." Yun Chen set his face firmly.
"Ah..."
"Ah what?"
"Fine, I'll eat. But Young Master, please eat more. You were hurt yesterday; it’s good for your recovery," she whispered.
"That's more like it!" Yun Chen smiled.
After they finished, Yun Chen took Xiaoqing out. She still had five thousand gold coins left—enough for a visit to the Spirit-Opening Tower. Xiaoqing had never cultivated, and her dantian had never been opened. To cultivate, one had to first open the dantian in the tower.
***
*Chapter 8: North Snow Manor and Tianjian Pavilion*
Outside the Spirit-Opening Tower in Qingyang Town, two figures appeared: Yun Chen and Xiaoqing.
Even though she was a maid, Yun Chen did not treat her as one. She was the first person he saw when he woke up in this world, and she was the one who had helped him escape the Tianyang Sect. Without her, he might have been killed by now. To him, Xiaoqing was family. Anyone else might begrudge spending such a large sum of gold on a maid, but to Yun Chen, money was no object.
"Young Master, why are we here?" Xiaoqing asked, confused. She was a simple servant and knew nothing of cultivation.
"You'll see once we go inside," he replied.
"Wait!"
A voice rang out from behind them. Yun Chen turned to see a man and a woman approaching. Even before they reached him, Yun Chen felt a sense of extreme danger—more than he had felt even when facing the Sect Master of the Tianyang Sect.
"What is your name?" the man in the grey robe asked, looking at Xiaoqing.
Xiaoqing was frightened and hid behind Yun Chen. The man’s brow twitched, a sharp glint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes. He looked to be in his thirties, with a face like carved stone and a ruthless aura.
The woman beside him said softly, "Don't be afraid, little girl. We aren't bad people."
"Greetings, seniors," Yun Chen bowed. He dared not offend them.
"Is this girl related to you?" the man asked.
"This is my younger sister, Xiaoqing," Yun Chen replied.
"I see. You brought her here to open her dantian, then?"
"Yes."
"In that case, come in." The man strode toward the Spirit-Opening Tower and shouted at the guards, "Bring your supervisor here to see me at once!"
The guards were stunned. The supervisor wasn't someone you just summoned, but they could see these people were not to be trifled with. One guard hurriedly said, "Please wait, senior, I will report this immediately."
*Slap!* The man suddenly moved and struck the guard across the face, knocking him to the ground.
"Report? I don't care about reporting! Go tell your supervisor to crawl out here and see me!"
He then grabbed the other guard and tossed him like a ragdoll. The man flew over a hundred meters, crashing into the ground with a shrill scream.
Yun Chen’s mouth twitched at the man’s tyranny.
"Bold! Who dares to cause trouble in my Spirit-Opening Tower?" A majestic voice boomed, and a group of people emerged from the tower, led by a middle-aged man with a handlebar mustache in a dark red robe.
"It is I," the grey-robed man said coldly, tossing a token at the man.
Jiang Yu, the supervisor of the Spirit-Opening Tower, caught the token. When he saw it, his face paled, and he bowed in a panic. "So it is Master Gao of the North Snow Manor. Please forgive my lack of a proper welcome."
"This is Elder Lu Yun of the Tianjian Pavilion," the grey-robed man said, introducing the woman.
Jiang Yu was even more shocked and bowed again.
"Enough," Lu Yun said impatiently. "We need to use your Spirit-Opening Tower. Do you have a problem with that?"
"Of course not. Seniors, please follow me." Jiang Yu hurriedly led the way.