Chapter 7: Intercepting Liu Qianru, Ye Chen missed again

Wenxian Sect, Inner Sect Disciple quarters.

Ye Chen was meticulously sensing the Elder’s lecture today, falling into a profound and mysterious state.

Spiritual Qi surged around Ye Chen, and in a short while, Ye Chen broke through to Qi Refinement Stage Layer Seven.

“Master, I’ve broken through again!”

Ye Chen lowered his head and said in surprise to the ring in his hand.

“Disciple, your Cultivation talent and Comprehension Ability are those of a contemporary Prodigy. If I hadn't absorbed too much Spiritual Qi from you while I was in slumber, you would probably be at the Foundation Establishment Stage by now.”

An aged voice echoed in Ye Chen’s mind.

“Master, I don’t blame you. If I hadn’t suffered a decline in Cultivation and experienced various cold stares in the Family, your Disciple would not be so devoted to the Dao as I am now, nor would I have achieved what I have today!”

Ye Chen replied.

“I am very pleased that you can think this way. I will certainly help you, and you will surely ascend to the Great Dao in the future.”

“Thank you, Master! Your Disciple will also find a way to help you escape your soul form and revive.”

Ye Chen said earnestly.

“Good Disciple, I look forward to that day.”

The aged voice came again.

Two days later, Ye Chen received a Sect mission and went out.

Ye Chen’s first stop was Niu Tou Mountain. One of the Sect missions was to collect Red Snow Grass, a medicinal herb, which was said to grow in the Niu Tou Mountain area.

“Finally found it.”

After continuous searching, Ye Chen found the Red Snow Grass and immediately began to collect it.

Suddenly, a small green snake rushed out from the grass behind the Red Snow Grass, heading straight for Ye Chen’s face.

“Not good! It’s a first-order Yao Beast, Bamboo-Seeing Green!”

Ye Chen dodged, then drew his sword and fought the Yao Beast.

However, it was clear that this Yao Beast was no match for Ye Chen. The snake Yao only had a slight advantage with its initial sneak attack, but it was gradually suppressed. Then, Ye Chen seized an opening and killed the snake Yao with a single sword strike.

After cutting off the Yao Beast Materials, Ye Chen dug out the Red Snow Grass, took out a jade box, and put the Red Snow Grass inside.

Then Ye Chen quickly left, heading to the next location to carry out the Sect mission.

At the same time, Zhou Chen continued to Cultivate the Primal Chaos Scripture, constantly refining Spiritual Qi, which circulated through Zhou Chen’s limbs and bones.

Then, Zhou Chen took out three drops of Earth Mother Essence that had burst forth from a previous Opportunity return and swallowed them all.

If others had seen it, they would have cursed Zhou Chen for being shamefully wasteful, actually consuming Earth Mother Essence directly. How much of a waste of Heaven And Earth Treasure was this? Not even Core Disciple would be so extravagant.

“Hmph!”

The familiar burning sensation came the moment the Earth Mother Essence entered his belly, and surging Spiritual Qi impacted Zhou Chen.

Zhou Chen fully activated the Primal Chaos Scripture. As the Cultivation Technique operated, his Meridians absorbed the Earth Mother Essence’s Spiritual Qi into his Dantian like a whale devouring water.

Rumble!

As several muffled sounds came from within Zhou Chen’s body, powerful surges of Spiritual Qi exploded within him.

But these Spiritual Qi were all absorbed by Zhou Chen without any incident, showing just how overbearing the Primal Chaos Scripture was.

“Break!”

Zhou Chen let out a low shout, breaking through to Qi Refinement Stage Layer Seven.

However, what he didn’t know was that most of the Spiritual Qi was not absorbed but continuously flowed into his limbs and bones, subtly transforming his Physique.

“As expected of an Imperial Rank Cultivation Technique, I’m already at Qi Refinement Stage Layer Seven. Now I have even more confidence in snatching Ye Chen’s Opportunity.”

Zhou Chen felt the surging Spiritual Qi within his body. Both the quality and quantity of Spiritual Qi were incomparable to before.

More importantly, compared to the speed of Spiritual Qi absorption, the Sect Cultivation Technique he had previously Cultivated was simply trash among trash.

Zhou Chen couldn't help but sigh again. Compared to those Prodigies with prominent Family backgrounds, it was simply too difficult for ordinary Cultivators to rise.

But now it was different. He had a Golden Finger, and even the best protagonist's Opportunity would be for his use!

Zhou Chen was confident that if he were to face Ye Chen again, even if the other party was the Son of Destiny with many hidden means, he would have the confidence to win.

Suddenly, he remembered that if he wasn't mistaken, Liu Qianru’s gifting of the Opportunity was in two days. A glint flashed in Zhou Chen’s eyes.

Zhou Chen quickly left, not forgetting to clear his tracks before he did.

Qiu Long Mountain Range.

Ye Chen was currently in a bitter battle. He was surrounded by Yao Beasts, with a sheer cliff behind him.

“Master, what should I do?!”

Ye Chen was a bit depressed at the moment. If he hadn't been overconfident, he wouldn't have fallen into the dangerous situation of being surrounded by Yao Beasts.

“Disciple, the only option now is to jump down the cliff. I will protect you, but I will fall into a weakened state for a period afterward. The rest will be up to you.”

“Your Disciple is ashamed. I will not be so overconfident next time, and I have to trouble you again.”

A hint of shame flashed across Ye Chen’s face.

Ye Chen turned his head, his eyes filled with killing intent. He swore that once his Cultivation was successful, he would return and slaughter these Yao Beasts to the last one.

He no longer hesitated and leaped down the cliff.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Ye Chen felt the whistling wind in his ears, coupled with his extremely fast falling speed, and his mood instantly sank to rock bottom.

The moment Ye Chen was about to hit the ground, a massive force emanated from the ring in his hand, firmly supporting Ye Chen and then slowly lowering him to the ground.

Even though Ye Chen had experienced many dangers, a few drops of cold sweat couldn't help but trickle down his forehead. After all, if there was even a slight mishap, he would have lost his life.

“Disciple, the rest is up to you. I need to rest for a while and cannot help you for the time being.”

“Your Disciple understands, thank you, Master.” Ye Chen said.

Ye Chen observed his surroundings. There were no traces of Yao Beasts nearby, but directly in front of him, he faintly heard the sound of flowing water.

After walking a few steps, he clearly discovered the entrance to a karst cave.

“I’ll rest here for a bit, recover my state, and then leave this place once I’m ready.”

Ye Chen thought to himself.

As Ye Chen delved deeper, he quickly reached the deepest part of the cave.

“There’s actually such a large cave hidden here? With such abundant Spiritual Qi, there must be Heaven And Earth Treasure!”

Ye Chen’s heart grew hot.

He looked up and saw a huge milky-white stalactite, with various colorful small stalactites beside it.

Below the stalactite was a pool of gray-black water. Beneath the water, one could vaguely see faint glowing, droplet-shaped objects.

“Eh? There’s actually earth spirit liquid here!”

Just as Ye Chen approached, a voice came from the ring.

“Master, what is earth spirit liquid?”

Ye Chen asked.

“earth spirit liquid is a rare Heaven And Earth Treasure that can help low-level Cultivators improve and consolidate their Cultivation without any side effects. It also has a certain chance to help Cultivators widen their Meridians. However, it’s strange that there’s only one drop of earth spirit liquid here. Logically, there shouldn't be so little.”

“Master, perhaps the current growth environment for earth spirit liquid is more demanding, unlike before. Look at this pool of water; it’s probably because of its age, and it even smells a bit foul. I’ll go retrieve it now.”

Ye Chen jumped into the water, forcing down the urge to vomit. Ye Chen used Spiritual Qi to wrap the earth spirit liquid and jumped out of the pool.

“Master, please help me check. Is this earth spirit liquid?”

Ye Chen still chose to cautiously ask his Master to check.

“Yes, the aura emanating from it is indeed earth spirit liquid.”

The voice came from the ring.

Ye Chen no longer hesitated, immediately sat down cross-legged, and swallowed it in one gulp.

“Ugh.”

Only three breaths passed, and before he could even refine the earth spirit liquid, it dispersed within Ye Chen’s body.

Ye Chen suddenly felt a foul odor coming from his belly, rushing straight to his spiritual crown. Ye Chen couldn't help but vomit.

“Master, the Spiritual Qi of this earth spirit liquid is depleted; there’s only a tiny bit of Spiritual Qi inside, and the taste is too strange. I can’t stand it.”

Ye Chen explained while vomiting.

“What? Impossible. The Spiritual Qi of earth spirit liquid can be preserved for a thousand years without loss. How could its Spiritual Qi be depleted?”

Immediately, a Divine Thought swept out from the ring.

“Alas, foolish child, this place has already been preempted. That drop of earth spirit liquid is probably waste liquid deliberately left behind by someone else. I was in a weakened state and didn't use Divine Thought to observe carefully for you. It is my fault.”

A sigh echoed in Ye Chen’s mind.

“What?!”

Ye Chen couldn't believe it. Lately, he had been continuously receiving Opportunities, and everything had gone smoothly. This was the first time he had encountered such a situation, which made it difficult for him to accept.

“Damn thief, don’t let me find out who you are! Otherwise, I will kill you!”

Feeling the faint foul odor, Ye Chen looked at the gray-black pool water, as if he understood something.

“Ugh…”

On the outskirts of Longtou Mountain, looking into the distance, was an endless mountain range.

The highest peak resembled a vivid, colossal Dragon head, from which Longtou Mountain got its name.

On a tree ten zhang wide, Zhou Chen was deep in thought.

According to Wenxian Sect records, many third-order Yao Beasts, equivalent to human Foundation Establishment Stage, frequented Longtou Mountain.

Occasionally, even fourth-order Yao Beasts, equivalent to human Core Formation Cultivators, would appear. A casual breath from them could kill Zhou Chen.

However, the outer area was relatively safe, mostly inhabited by Qi Refining Yao Beasts.

Considering Ye Chen’s Opportunity, he could rescue Liu Qianru, the Sect Master’s daughter, with his Qi Refining Stage strength. Logically, it couldn’t be a direct confrontation with high-level Yao Beasts.

According to Zhou Chen’s deduction, the Sect Master’s daughter, Liu Qianru, was likely performing some mission here or hunting Yao Beasts.

She would be severely injured and unconscious, coincidentally rescued by Ye Chen, and from then on, Liu Qianru would become one of Ye Chen’s harem members.

Counting the time, there were still two days left. There should be a significant commotion then. So, Zhou Chen dug a tree hole in the tree and began to meditate and comprehend the Primal Chaos Scripture.

…

Rumble!

A sudden earth-shattering roar erupted in the sky, startling Zhou Chen from his Cultivation.

Zhou Chen immediately flew out of the tree hole, looking up to see a graceful figure standing high in the distance, her white robes as pure as snow.

With bright eyes and white teeth, a slender figure, and an exquisite face exuding a cold and elegant aura, she gave off a feeling of keeping people at arm's length.

The pressure emanating from her at this moment clearly indicated a Core Formation Cultivation.

Looking at her attire, it was the uniform of a Wenxian Sect Core Disciple. This person should be Liu Qianru.

Rumors had always circulated among the Wenxian Sect Outer Sect Disciple that Liu Qianru underwent Body Refining at five, Qi Refining at ten, Foundation Establishment at fifteen, and broke through to Core Formation at merely twenty-three. Such a young Core Formation Cultivator was a rarity even in the entire Southern Domain.

Following Liu Qianru's gaze, he saw a three-headed snake Yao.

One of the snake Yao’s heads was red, one was gray, and one was as black as ink. Each snake head had hideous tentacles, making it truly terrifying.

“Hiss! This snake Yao is actually at Core Formation Layer Six!”

Zhou Chen couldn't help but gasp. This Liu Qianru was too bold, actually daring to challenge a Yao Beast of a higher rank.

One must know that Yao Beasts were naturally stronger than Cultivators. Whether in Physique or Spiritual Qi, their overall combat ability was often fifty percent stronger than that of ordinary Cultivators.

“Perhaps this is what a true Prodigy is like. They enjoy challenging higher ranks, break through faster through more dangerous experiences, and achieve rebirth from desperate situations.”

A hint of realization dawned on Zhou Chen.

Zhou Chen was already eighteen years old this year, still stuck in the Qi Refining Stage. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but let out a bitter smile.

However, Zhou Chen quickly let go of it. Now that he had a Golden Finger, he was confident that he could quickly surpass one Prodigy after another. His future was destined to be extraordinary.

“Evil beast! Today is your day of death!”

With a delicate shout, a massive energy exploded from the center.

Behind Liu Qianru, a blurry Void Realm phantom appeared.

The phantom couldn't be seen clearly, but its long sword rapidly solidified in the Void Realm and charged towards the Yao Beast.

Roar!

A deafening roar echoed, as if from an ancient giant beast, subtly accompanied by a hint of Dragon might.

The three-headed snake Yao, one head spewing fire, one head exhaling mist, and the black snake head condensing a pitch-black Spiritual Qi ball in its mouth, exuding a strange and dangerous aura.

Boom!!!

Accompanied by an earth-shattering explosion, the two streams of energy collided like solid objects, emitting light like a planetary explosion.

The entire Longtou Mountain Range trembled violently, and a large number of Yao Beasts fled wildly in all directions, forming a terrifying beast tide at this moment.

Sweeping everything away.

At the center of this explosion, large amounts of blood splattered everywhere, and the giant body of the snake Yao was no longer intact, blown into pieces.

The red and gray snake heads had disappeared, leaving only one black snake head, and half of the snake horn on its head was also blown off.

In contrast, Liu Qianru was also in a sorry state, her hair disheveled, blood constantly spilling from the corner of her mouth. In this situation, her cold and elegant temperament became even more prominent.

“I said, today is your day of death.”

Liu Qianru said faintly to the snake Yao.

The next second, Liu Qianru moved, condensing her remaining Core Formation power, and once again forming a phantom, pointing a finger out.

“Die!”

Roar!!!

The snake Yao struggled madly at this moment, but it had been locked down, and its injuries made it impossible to avoid. Despair appeared in the snake Yao’s eyes.

Liu Qianru was full of confidence in this move of hers at this moment, because the snake Yao was already at the end of its rope.

But upon contact, Liu Qianru instinctively sensed danger and quickly activated her protective Spiritual Qi, activating all her defensive Spiritual Qi, but it was still a moment too late.

Boom!

A deafening explosion occurred; it was actually the snake Yao self-destructing. The resulting explosion ripple was even stronger than the previous battle ripple.

The self-destruction of the Core Formation Layer Six snake Yao completely blasted Liu Qianru away, her body flying in a parabolic arc into the distance. At this moment, she was completely unconscious, covered in blood.

“Damn it! I’m already so far away, yet I was still affected, cough, cough, cough!”

Zhou Chen emerged from a cave.

Knowing that Ye Chen would arrive here soon, Zhou Chen quickly adjusted his state and, with a few flashes, arrived at the spot where Liu Qianru had fallen.

Without time to observe her condition, Zhou Chen picked her up, condensed Spiritual Qi, and quickly carried Liu Qianru away from the scene.

Not long after Zhou Chen left, Ye Chen’s figure appeared at the original spot.

“Master, I just saw someone here from afar, and they seemed to be injured. How did they disappear in a blink of an eye?”

Ye Chen said dejectedly.

“Perhaps they left on their own. This place is not suitable for staying long; powerful Cultivators will soon come to investigate. Disciple, you should also leave quickly.”

The ring in Ye Chen’s hand flickered.

“Okay, Master, I’m leaving now.”

Ye Chen also quickly departed.