Primordial Star Scripture

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Boom!

After a brief spell of dizziness, Ye Chen's divine sense regained its clarity.

Behind him, the hundred-zhang tall shadow of the Three-Eyed Giant Ape slowly dissipated.

In Ye Chen's fingers lingered the faint warmth of Jiang Yao's small hand!

After a reluctant parting from the Thousand Lotus Cave Abode, Jiang Yao returned to the Taixuan Sect, while Ye Chen was sent out of the Thousand Lotus Cave Abode by the Three-Eyed Giant Ape, returning to the spot from where he was initially taken.

"Back again. After a month of braving the Thousand Lotus Cave Abode, I've returned to this place."

Ye Chen looked around. The cave where he practiced cultivation before entering the Thousand Lotus Cave Abode was not far away, and every grass and tree around seemed unchanged from when he had left.

However, the Sword Palace Acupoint that had opened up between his brows, the immense Sword Qi Spirit Liquid within the acupoint, and the tiny Sword-Shaped Seed, "Crimson Fire Flying Sword", that was being nurtured inside the Sword Qi Spirit Liquid, all clearly indicated that everything had changed fundamentally!

One month of trials in the Thousand Lotus Cave Abode, and Ye Chen was completely different from before!

Within his Qi Sea, the original five True Qi Vortexes had evolved into six. He had officially entered the sixth level of the True Qi Realm!

Regarding martial skills, besides the Cross Rapid-Kill Sword Skills, the Torrential Rain Sword Skills, and the "Startling Goose Steps" movement technique, he had acquired two more powerful martial skills, two high-grade Xuan-level martial skills!

Wind Thunder Sword Skills and Wind Thunder Movement!

And what was even more precious was that, during the month spent in the Thousand Lotus Cave Abode, in addition to the "Storm Rain Sword Intent" he had originally comprehended, he had once again understood two more powerful Sword Intents, even more formidable than the Storm Rain Sword Intent—the "Purple Lightning Sword Intent" and the "Wind Sword Intent"!

Understanding three types of Sword Intents in the True Qi Realm was not only unprecedented in the thirty-six sects of the Eastern Domain but also unheard of in the entire Heavenly Wind Kingdom!

And the most treasured of all was the Crimson Fire Flying Sword which was being quietly nurtured in the Sword Palace Acupoint at the center of his brow.

The ultimate reward of the Thousand Lotus Cave Abode trials, the most precious reward!

All the improvements mentioned earlier had once again elevated Ye Chen's combat power, from being able to crush practitioners at the seventh level of the True Qi Realm, to contending with mighty warriors at the ninth level of the True Qi Realm.

Yet, the sacred artifact-level Crimson Fire Flying Sword bestowed upon him three major combat powers of a flying sword, possessing a real trump card.

Even at the risk of life-bound damage to his flying sword, he could contend with late-stage warriors in the Spirit Sea Realm!

Although such a method should not be used lightly, it was, after all, Ye Chen's technique. Whether he used it or not, it existed. In times of absolute necessity, even at the risk of putting his flying sword to sleep for a hundred or a thousand years, Ye Chen dared to inflict heavy damage on Spirit Sea Realm warriors!

"That Zhou Yuntian..."

The father of Zhou Hai, Elder Zhou Yuntian of the Heavenly Net Sect, was an intermediate-stage warrior of the Spirit Sea Realm.

When Ye Chen killed Zhou Hai, he anticipated that Zhou Yuntian would seek trouble with him!

But Zhou Hai had to be killed. Ye Chen would never spare someone who relentlessly pursued and sought revenge against him!

If he didn't kill Zhou Hai, Zhou Hai would still want him dead! If he killed Zhou Hai, Zhou Hai's father, Zhou Yuntian, would still want him dead!

It was because his strength wasn't sufficient, that he was trapped in this predicament with Zhou Yuntian.

Now, with the "Crimson Fire Flying Sword," Ye Chen finally had the means to break this deadlock! Although he was reluctant to cause his newly acquired Crimson Fire Flying Sword to suffer life-bound damage and fall asleep, if Zhou Yuntian really pushed him to that extent, he would, risking the sleep of his life-bound flying sword, resolve the trouble of Zhou Yuntian once and for all!

Besides the Crimson Fire Flying Sword, he had the "Primordial Star Scripture"—an even more powerful and mysterious technique—so he could afford it!

"Strength!"

"It's the lack of strength that creates all sorts of predicaments!"

"Only with great strength can one find opportunities and ways to breakthrough!"

"I'll put Zhou Yuntian's matter to rest for now. With a plan for the worst-case scenario, I need not worry about it anymore."

"Now, it's time to continue enhancing my strength!"

Ye Chen never believed that one could simply sit and yet gain an increase in strength.

True powerhouses are all individuals of great resolve, perseverance, and sacrifice!

"If I reckon the time, there's just over a month left until the Qingyun Sect's official disciple entrance examination."

"Whether it's to enter the Qingyun Sect's Outer Sect, or to meet Jiang Yao at the Taixuan Sect in the future, only with great strength will I be respected by others."

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"This month or so, just continue to stay in the mountains and cultivate."

Having made up his mind, Ye Chen returned to the cave where he had previously undergone bitter cultivation and resumed his training.

Each day, he would start by cultivating his qi early in the morning, using the "Gang Yuan Mantra" from the Primordial Star Scripture to cultivate Gang Yuan True Qi.

Afterward, he began to cultivate the two sub-techniques of the newly acquired high-grade Xuan-level Cultivation Techniques: the Wind Sword Skills martial skill and the Wind Movement Skills movement technique.

Having understood the Wind Sword Intent, Ye Chen found both the Wind Sword Skills and Wind Movement Skills very smooth to cultivate.

If he could continue to cultivate in Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain like this, by the time the entrance examination day of Qingyun Sect arrived more than a month later, Ye Chen was absolutely confident that he could raise his strength by another level!

However, an unexpected event suddenly disrupted his plans.

...

This was the seventeenth day since Ye Chen had left the Thousand Lotus Cave Abode.

On this day, he had just managed to reach Minor Accomplishment in the "Wind Movement Skills" movement technique and was constantly darting through the mountains, experiencing the power of this newly-minted lower-grade Xuan-level movement technique.

As he darted into a valley, voices from ahead suddenly made him stop.

Since he began cultivating the "Gang Yuan Mantra," Ye Chen's sensitivity to his surroundings had greatly increased, and he could hear the voices up ahead loud and clear.

...

In a valley a few hundred meters from Ye Chen, eight young men were seated in meditation.

These eight youths were dressed in the attire of disciples from the Heavenly Net Sect. Among them, six had attained the seventh level of the True Qi Realm, while two were at the eighth level.

Six at the seventh level of True Qi, two at the eighth level—such a squad was powerful enough to sweep through the peripheral areas of Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain. Yet, these people were sitting in the valley, showing no intention of hunting Demon Beasts.

The eight of them were sitting together, casually chatting and drinking wine.

"Brother Xue Lei, we have been patrolling this 'Blue Valley' for over a month now and haven't seen even a shadow of that Ye Chen. Where could he possibly be hiding?" one of the seventh level True Qi disciples asked.

The 'Brother Xue Lei' he mentioned was one of the two eighth-level True Qi disciples. He glanced at the speaking disciple: "Xiao Ming, don't be complacent. The elder tasked us with guarding this place, so that once we find even a trace of Ye Chen, we must capture him. If you mess up the elder's plans, you won't have enough heads to lose!"

"Besides, it's not just us patrolling. The elder has set up over a hundred disciples throughout Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain. Even disciples at the tenth level of True Qi are seriously patrolling. Compared to those brothers, we're nothing special."

From these Heavenly Net Sect disciples' conversation, it was clear that they were one of the many teams that Zhou Yuntian had dispatched to Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain to capture Ye Chen!

Zhou Yuntian really had no intention of letting Ye Chen go, and he had assembled such a large force!

The disciple who spoke before, Xiao Ming, murmured, "Brother Xue Lei, I would never be careless. But, catching Ye Chen, who is rumored to be at the fifth level of True Qi—does it justify mobilizing so many of us? Even disciples at the tenth level of True Qi have been disturbed!"

As he was speaking, Xue Lei suddenly interrupted him: "What nonsense are you talking? Even though Ye Chen is at the fifth level of True Qi, he killed Elder Zhou's son, Zhou Hai, who was at the seventh level of True Qi!"

"A fifth-level expert taking down someone at the seventh level—what does that tell you? It means Ye Chen likely has hidden tricks up his sleeve! The elder sent so many of us to capture him as a precaution. Although it's easy for so many of us to catch him, we cannot afford to be careless."

Xue Lei's words made the murmuring Xiao Ming dare not utter another word. Then, another eighth-level True Qi young man beside Xue Lei spoke up, "Speaking of which, Elder Zhou's son, Zhou Hai, has been using his father's name to kill and loot in Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain, creating many enemies. Unexpectedly, he fell at the hands of a measly eighth-ranked Sect disciple."

"It must be that Zhou Hai was trying to snatch that person's treasure, but was killed instead. Alas, it's a pity, he was Elder Zhou's most beloved son. Now, even if that kid were more talented, he's dead without a place to be buried."

At this point, Xue Lei also sneered, "Not just without a place to be buried, but he has also implicated his mortal parents. I heard that the elder went to Ye Chen's family clan in Qingyang Town himself, captured Ye Chen's parents, and brought them back to Qingyun Sect.

Moreover, he spread the news that if Ye Chen doesn't show himself within three months, he will personally execute Ye Chen's parents right at Qingyun Sect!"

Xue Lei's words shocked the others: "Ye Chen's parents are mortals, not cultivators?"

"Within our Heavenly Wind Kingdom, martial practitioners have a rule not to lay hands on mortals. The elder, he actually..."

They all stopped talking at that point, not daring to fault their elder.

"Zhou Hai was the elder's most beloved son, and now that Zhou Hai has died, the elder has gone mad, not caring about such rules anymore. It's unlucky for Ye Chen to have provoked the elder!"

As Xue Lei was lamenting, a towering killing intent suddenly surged towards him.

Before he could react, a figure appeared before him.

"Ye Chen!"

Upon seeing this person's face, Xue Lei exclaimed in disbelief: if it wasn't Ye Chen, whom the entire Heavenly Net Sect's hundreds of disciples were searching for in Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain, then who else could it be?!