Chapter 2906: Chapter 2906
Tang Fengkuan was well acquainted with the secrets of this mountain peak within the training grounds. After all, he had once trained here himself.
Some disciples claimed to have reached the summit, yet upon exiting, they failed to manifest the grand convergence of celestial and earthly forces—clear proof they had relied on external aid for the final steps.
But Tang Fengkuan had never exposed their deceit. Even without those last strides, their ability to harness the forces of heaven and earth was sufficient to reach the first level of Unity Realm. There was no need to push them further.
Not everyone could comprehend the grand momentum of the world’s energy. Even among martial cultivators at the Unity Realm’s first level, many remained stagnant, unable to break through to the second level due to their failure to grasp this profound force.
Yet Ye Liuyun had persisted to the very end, attaining this grand momentum. It not only spoke of his extraordinary talent but also proved his unyielding resolve—he was not one to retreat at the slightest hardship.
"To have such a figure emerge from the Tang family—truly, our legacy is secure!" Tang Fengkuan nodded in satisfaction before leaving the training grounds with a smile.
Meanwhile, Ye Liuyun and his clone stood dazed atop the summit, only realizing then that they had truly reached the peak. When they gazed downward, they saw that this marked the very end of the training grounds—there was no path left ahead.
No longer did the pressure of heaven and earth weigh upon them. Wherever they walked, they moved with ease. Even the savage beasts avoided them, ensuring no further encounters.
At last, it dawned on them—they had completed all the trials of this training ground. Ye Liuyun withdrew his clone and stepped out, his heart uneasy as he hurried toward the training hall to face Tang Fengkuan.
He had no idea what punishment awaited him. After questioning Tang Xiao, he knew the lightest sentence would be expulsion from the inner sect, while the worst could leave him half-dead from a single strike. Thus, Ye Liuyun braced himself, prepared for a possible confrontation.
*"Though I failed to seize that bloodline trial, I’ve enhanced my mastery of celestial and earthly forces—it wasn’t a wasted effort. Even my physical body has grown stronger. At the very least, this journey wasn’t in vain!"* he reassured himself silently.
Yet to his astonishment, the moment he entered the training hall, Tang Fengkuan greeted him with a smile and tossed him a Interspatial Ring.
A sweep of his divine sense revealed over a dozen sources of primordial energy inside.
"Rest for a few days. When the next training session begins, I’ll have someone summon you," Tang Fengkuan said warmly.
Ye Liuyun froze, bewildered. "But... I exceeded the deadline by three months!"
Tang Fengkuan burst into hearty laughter: "It usually takes other elite disciples at least a year or two to reach the summit of that highest peak."
He knew Ye Liuyun was worried about being punished, so he waved him off reassuringly. "I won’t punish you. Not only that, but I’ll also grant you access to the Blood Spirit Pool for cultivation. The power of bloodline of your avatar is noticeably weaker than your main body—let’s strengthen it as well!
"After that, I’ll arrange for you to spar with martial practitioners at the first or second level of the Guiyi Realm. Go and cultivate now. Try to improve your strength before the actual combat begins."
Ye Liuyun quickly grasped the situation—Tang Fengkuan saw his rapid progress as a sign of talent and wanted to nurture him, which was why he wasn’t being reprimanded.
"Thank you, Fifth Elder!"
Ye Liuyun bowed gratefully before leaving the training hall and returning to his quarters to cultivate.
After days of relentlessly wielding the power of heaven and earth, he was thoroughly exhausted and eager to rest.
As he walked, his thoughts wandered: *Tang Fengkuan has been surprisingly kind to me. Not only did he not question my avatar, but he even offered to cultivate it alongside my main body! If we ever end up as enemies in the future, I won’t strike him down mercilessly.*
*But the further I progress, the more of my true strength will be exposed. The Tang family is learning more and more about me.*
Then again, he considered, this was all for his own growth. Even if he didn’t end up securing the Blood Spirit Pool, he’d still gained much.
*Might as well take full advantage of this opportunity while they’re willing to train me. Worst case, I just won’t get the Blood Spirit Pool!* With that thought, he relaxed completely and quickened his pace toward his residence.
He couldn’t wait to return, enjoy a hearty barbecue with his companions, and then sleep soundly—a well-deserved reward for his efforts.
But as soon as he entered the inner disciples’ residential area, he noticed a sudden influx of people, as if the place had come alive overnight.
Upon inquiry, he learned that during his half-year absence in the secret realm, both the Wan and Zhou families had recalled their expeditionary forces. In response, the Tang and An families had also summoned their own troops back for regrouping.
Most of these expeditionary forces consisted of elite inner disciples from the Tang family, so the sudden return of tens of thousands had understandably livened up the place.
Ye Liuyun noticed their return but didn’t pay it much mind. If anything, he found the livelier atmosphere in the inner sect a pleasant change from its usual cold and desolate state.
After returning to his residence, he retreated into his spatial world and gathered everyone for a hearty barbecue feast. Over the meal, he shared stories of his recent training experiences. Once they’d eaten their fill, he indulged in a long, deep sleep, finally releasing the tension that had been weighing on him.
Once fully rested, Ye Liuyun entered the spatial world of his doppelgänger, where the two of them worked together to absorb the primordial energies gifted to him by Tang Fengkuan.
With over a dozen sources of primordial energy split between them, the reserves were depleted in no time—far too quickly to sustain even a few days of absorption. At his current level, the seventh stage of the Dominator Realm, breaking through to the next stage would require an enormous amount of resources.
Ye Liuyun was well aware that he was still far from a breakthrough, so he didn’t rush. After a few more days of cultivation using his own reserves, he decided to step out and survey the situation outside, checking whether the lockdown had eased at all.
Emerging from his spatial world, he swept his surroundings with his Golden Eye and immediately noticed that the neighboring courtyards were now fully occupied.
The residence to his left had always been occupied, but now, someone new had moved into the one on his right—a woman, currently tidying up her quarters. A quick glance revealed her core cultivation level: the first stage of the Unity Realm.
The woman, however, instantly sensed the probing gaze and reflexively sent out her divine sense in Ye Liuyun’s direction, her expression sharp with vigilance.
Ye Liuyun promptly withdrew his gaze, ceasing his inspection of her cultivation level.
The woman, realizing her divine sense had been blocked by the courtyard’s barrier formation, frowned in confusion, wondering if she had imagined the intrusion.
*"Elite disciples truly are sharp—her instincts are impressive,"* Ye Liuyun mused inwardly. Seeing that she hadn’t confirmed his presence, he shifted his attention elsewhere, this time toward the courtyard directly opposite his own.
Originally, that residence had also been occupied. The attendant who had brought him here had mentioned in passing that it belonged to another talented disciple of the Tang family—one who had joined the expeditionary forces at the time.
But when Ye Liuyun peered over with his Golden Eye, he was surprised to find yet another woman residing there—and at this very moment, she was in the middle of bathing.
