Chapter 31 - 31 28 Advancing Again

31: Chapter 28: Advancing Again 31: Chapter 28: Advancing Again In the courtyard, Ye Xuan sat cross-legged on a large, azure stone, with the Star-cutting Saber casually placed beside him. As for him, he seemed to be deep in thought about something, motionless like a statue. This deep contemplation lasted for two hours before finally coming to an end. As clarity returned to his eyes in an instant, his body abruptly sprang into action, and the Star-cutting Saber was drawn from its sheath. Together, man and saber leaped into the air, stepping on the artificial mountain’s huge rocks, his figure rapidly darting through the air. Swoosh! A black shadow suddenly soared from one end of the artificial mountain to the other, its speed so fast it was impossible to see the movements clearly. One could only glimpse the lingering afterimage, enough to discern a human silhouette! A brilliant gleam of saber light flashed by, slicing through the air with a sharp whoosh, and just as the light appeared, it quickly retreated back into its sheath. Ye Xuan’s figure gently landed behind the artificial mountain. Boom! The artificial mountain behind him suddenly exploded, initially splitting apart before violently bursting as if strobes of lightning were flickering. Along with the rolling sound, the entire structure crumbled into a heap of rubble! If someone were to look closely, they would be shocked to discover that the shards flying chaotically in the air all bore a thin layer of sooty blackness. Picking one up, one could instantly feel a numbing electrical force emanating from the stone! “This ‘Surging Wave Evasive Step’ combined with the ‘Thunder Blade Skill’ indeed greatly increases its power,” Ye Xuan said, turning back to look at the artificial mountain now reduced to rubble, a smile touching the corners of his mouth. Although his Surging Wave Evasive Step was still stuck at the first layer, combined with the Thunder Blade Skill, it had already produced a considerably astonishing effect. As for reaching the second layer’s “Traceless” realm, it probably couldn’t be achieved in just a couple of months. It was well-known that saber skills were easier to master than footwork. Most people would have to practice for many years, even decades, to grasp the essence. Ye Xuan was quite satisfied with the results of his over one month’s cultivation. Even though there had been no substantial breakthrough in his cultivation, it did not mean there was no progress. Recently, he had not only focused on Martial Arts cultivation during the day but also strived to circulate his True Qi at night, pushing to elevate his cultivation. With such relentless cultivation, day and night, the Primordial Power Seed within his meridians had grown more robust and condensed. Occasionally, when testing the barriers to the next stage, he could faintly feel the sturdy walls slightly trembling, as if on the verge of collapsing. The high-intensity cultivation over the past month had consumed an astonishing amount of resources. The rewards from the family competition and the ten-plus thousand taels of resources bought from the Spiritual Items Workshop were all used up. Later, he had to ask for more from Ye Tianxiong to sustain his relentless pursuit of progress. “Talent is built upon a stack of resources,” went the saying, and it was no less true here. It was fortunate for Ye Xuan, as others could scarcely manage to gather such an enormous amount of resources for their consumption. Over the past month, Nangong Yao had also visited him once, and the two of them went out to have fun. However, upon learning that he was preparing for the family autumn hunt, the lass didn’t bother him anymore, and what she did during that time, Ye Xuan naturally couldn’t concern himself with. … As the time drew nearer, the Ye family became busier day by day. Sёarᴄh the Nôvel(F)ire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Even though there were only a few days left before the start of the family autumn hunt, this in no way hindered many from focusing on the upcoming event. Every year, the family autumn hunt attracted the attention of the entire Great Xia Kingdom. The victorious family, aside from receiving enviable rewards, could also bolster their reputation. One must realize that among the twenty-one counties of the Great Xia Kingdom, there were at least seventy to eighty families similar to the Ye family. Although the Ye family had been prominent more than a decade ago, today, they were gradually being forgotten. Tianyang County’s ranking within the Great Xia Kingdom could only be considered average, so most people’s attention wouldn’t be limited to this corner of the kingdom. Among the nine counties of the south, where the hunt was set to take place, there were numerous experts, and one could not afford to remain ignorant of the broader world. This time, the hunt would only happen in the nine southern counties, somewhat narrowing the field, but it also provided Ye Xuan with an opportunity. If the top families from the Capital were to participate, even with his current strength, achieving a victorious result would be as tough as ascending to Heaven. The location for this Autumn Hunt was set in Tianyuan County among the nine counties, where there lay a royal hunting ground stretching nearly a hundred miles. The place was originally rampant with Demon Beasts, specifically designed as a trial ground for the offspring of noble families. As the time approached, it was believed that all the major families had already begun preparations, getting their offspring ready to set out on the journey. … However, the outside clamor was imperceptible to Ye Xuan at this moment, as he was making his final preparations to break through to the rank of Third Grade Martial Master! In just two months, Ye Xuan sought to make another advancement. If outsiders knew of this, they would probably be astounded. With such speed, if Ye Xuan succeeded, wouldn’t that be defying the heavens? But on second thought, cultivation has always required one to follow the proper sequence steadily and not act rashly. Ye Xuan’s action was somewhat reckless, since the risk of failure was still present. If the foundation wasn’t stable and he failed, the consequences were unthinkable. Yet, with the Autumn Hunt imminent and the Spiritual Liquid concocted from the Demon Nightmare Flower in his possession, the probability of successfully breaking into the Third Grade Martial Master was still very high. Gulp! After swallowing the Spiritual Liquid in one gulp, Ye Xuan began his full-force assault on the barrier of his Dantian. Assisted by the Spiritual Liquid made from the Demon Nightmare Flower, his True Qi gathered and condensed to an extremely high level within his body. Drawn by this force, the True Qi continuously flowed into his Dantian from the various acupoints throughout his limbs and body. Such a majestic influx of True Qi into the Dantian didn’t take long for the True Qi Seed to reach its limit. Then, Ye Xuan felt a transformation emanating silently from within his Dantian… “Break!” Several minutes later, just as the transformation was about to complete its final step, Ye Xuan shouted abruptly. Inside the Dantian, the True Qi Seed spun violently and, after absorbing a large amount of True Qi, it finally completed its transformation, growing over twice its previous size. Third Grade Martial Master Realm, achieved! “I’ve finally made the breakthrough before the Autumn Hunt.” Ye Xuan exhaled a heavy breath and a look of unhidden joy surfaced on his face. Although his body felt somewhat weak from consuming the Spiritual Liquid of the Demon Nightmare Flower, he could still feel the tremendous progress in strength after advancing. Now the strength within his body, in a normal state, could reach the intensity of three hundred galloping horses. Of course, that’s just in a normal state. This means that a casual punch from Ye Xuan would carry the immense destructive power of three hundred galloping horses. “Now, if I encounter Qi Shan again, it won’t be as much of a struggle.” Ye Xuan mused to himself. In terms of Cultivation Technique and Martial Arts, he had an advantage over anyone else. His only disadvantage lay in the realm of personal cultivation. Now that he had reached the Third Grade Martial Master Realm and with the formidable power of his True Qi, a Fourth Grade Martial Master like Qi Shan was no longer his match. “There are no shortage of outstanding talents in the southern nine counties. This time, I look forward to meeting those so-called geniuses.” Even with a successful advancement, Ye Xuan didn’t believe he would be invincible in the Autumn Hunt. This time, there were as many as thirty participating noble families, among which there were bound to be hidden dragons and crouching tigers. He had the confidence to achieve victory but could not afford any complacency. “The Ye family has lain low for many years, and it’s about time for us to make a splash. Let me lay the groundwork for the renaissance of the Ye family.” The top three were the winners, and Ye Xuan’s goal was exactly that. For the Ye family, who desired to return to the ranks of first-class nobility, this was just the beginning. If they were to face setbacks from the start, it would undoubtedly deal a heavy blow to the confidence of the Ye family members. Both Ye Ba and Ye Yan were undeniably unreliable. This Autumn Hunt, in truth, depended entirely on him alone.