Chapter 109: Chapter 109: Breaking Through One After Another
Hua Luoxuan attributed the problem to the cultivation technique.
"A cultivation technique is indeed a major factor," Ye Xuan said with a faint smile. "But you have to understand something. While powerful cultivation techniques produce stronger Profound Qi than ordinary ones, the Profound Power they condense is also superior to ordinary Profound Power. Therefore, when it comes to the difficulty of condensing Profound Qi into Profound Power, I’d say there isn’t much difference."
"Then why is that?" Hua Luoxuan’s breathing grew heavy.
His voice even trembled slightly.
When he thought about it carefully, he realized that what Ye Xuan said was absolutely correct. His own previous assumptions must have been wrong.
The cultivation techniques used by martial artists in the powerful nations of the outside world were indeed far more formidable than those practiced in a remote backwater like the Liuyun Kingdom.
However, although the Profound Qi produced by a powerful cultivation technique was stronger, the Profound Power condensed from it was also superior to ordinary Profound Power. Therefore, the difficulty of the condensation process itself shouldn’t vary much, regardless of the technique’s strength.
’So, my inability to break through to the Celestial Martial Artist realm must be due to some other reason.’
The thought that he had simply been on the wrong path this whole time, and that was why he couldn’t break through, made Hua Luoxuan’s heart pound with excitement.
’Doesn’t this mean that as long as I get on the right path, I can break through soon?’
When it came to reaching the Celestial Martial Artist realm, Hua Luoxuan couldn’t remain calm.
’This is the Celestial Martial Artist realm we’re talking about!’
It was a realm he had struggled for ten years to enter, yet had never succeeded.
A Tier Three Earth Martial Artist could be considered a powerhouse in a town like Blue Moon City, but in a place like the royal capital, they were nothing special. A Tier Four Celestial Martial Artist, however, was an influential figure even in the capital—a true master.
Originally, Hua Luoxuan thought he would have to spend the better part of his life just to even attempt to break through this barrier.
But now, Ye Xuan’s words were like a sudden ray of light for someone who had been wandering in darkness for over a decade.
How could he not be thrilled?
Under Hua Luoxuan’s expectant, excited, and eager gaze, Ye Xuan finally spoke. "A martial artist’s cultivation is a journey to defy the heavens and change one’s fate. The early stages are a process of unlocking the secrets of the physical body."
"And breaking through from an Earth Martial Artist to a Celestial Martial Artist is the process of completing that physical unlocking and entering the secrets of the spirit."
"Therefore, to become a Celestial Martial Artist, one’s physical body must reach a certain level. The condensation of Profound Qi into Profound Power is simply a process of transforming one’s own power. Steam turns to water when it cools, and water turns to ice when it freezes. It all happens naturally when the external conditions are met."
"So, throughout all three layers of the Earth Martial Artist realm, a martial artist must begin to transform their physical body, creating the external environment in which Profound Power can form. Without this process, trying to condense Profound Power merely by refining Profound Qi is an incredibly difficult task. Nine out of ten will ultimately fail."
"It’s like how a small river can only support small fish, while great whales are born only in the vast ocean."
"As long as this is achieved, a martial artist doesn’t even need to deliberately condense their Profound Qi. When the time is right, success will come naturally, and they will step into the Celestial Martial Artist realm as a matter of course."
These words, which contained the very core of breaking through from the Earth Martial Artist to the Celestial Martial Artist realm, were spoken calmly by Ye Xuan.
But despite Ye Xuan’s placid tone, to Hua Luoxuan, Ye Batian, and the others, his words struck like a temple bell, deep and thought-provoking, leaving them petrified in an instant.
It was as if they had been walking down a dark, hopeless road, and a light had suddenly appeared ahead, illuminating a bright path forward. They felt a sudden, profound enlightenment, as if a spark of insight had lit up their minds, making everything clear.
’Unlock the secrets of the physical body... when the time is right, success will come naturally... So that’s how it is, so that’s how it is!’
These words seemed to possess a magical power, swirling endlessly in his mind and igniting flashes of inspiration.
Suddenly, Hua Luoxuan gave Ye Xuan a deep bow. "Young Master Xuan, I am truly convinced. From now on, if you have any need of me, just say the word. I, Hua Luoxuan, will do everything in my power and never refuse."
He was genuinely in awe of Ye Xuan. He couldn’t imagine how a boy in his teens could have such a profound understanding of Alchemy, Soul Refining, and even the Martial Dao—far more thorough than his own, a Third Layer Earth Martial Artist.
He could feel that after Ye Xuan’s guidance, he had already reached an epiphany. It was very likely that he would be able to break through to the Celestial Martial Artist realm before long.
This should have been something to make him wild with excitement, but right now, another thought was taking deep root in his mind.
He was incredibly eager to find out just how far this monstrously talented young man could go in the future!
He was filled with anticipation for Ye Xuan’s future.
"Alright, everyone should go into seclusion now."
Ye Xuan smiled faintly. He knew that from his pointers, Hua Luoxuan, his grandfather, and the others must have all had their own realizations.
In truth, this knowledge was nothing special among the great powers and major sects of the continent; it was considered the most basic of fundamentals.
But in a small, remote country like the Liuyun Kingdom, no expert had yet been able to summarize it so incisively. Martial Artists could only rely on their own trial and error.
Or perhaps, some experts had vaguely grasped this information but were unwilling to share and discuss it.
Following this, almost all the experts went into seclusion.
And Ye Xuan also entered a period of arduous cultivation.
In fact, with Ye Xuan’s current strength, an ordinary martial artist would have long since broken through to become a Tier Two Martial Artist.
But Ye Xuan was different. The standards he set for himself were far stricter than anyone else’s—not just compared to the martial artists of the Liuyun Kingdom, but even compared to the geniuses of the continent’s great powers and major sects.
Heaven had granted him a second life, and it wasn’t so he could live in mediocrity.
When it came to things like insights and comprehension, Ye Xuan didn’t need to worry at all, thanks to his past life’s experience.
But as for tempering his physical body and mastering martial techniques, this body of his had to take it slow, one step at a time, without the slightest carelessness.
「Three days later.」
Ye Zhanyun was the first to emerge from seclusion.
Profound Qi surged from his body. Without a doubt, he had stepped into the Third Layer of the Earth Martial Artist realm.
Then, on the fifth day, Lin Xiong also emerged.
A brilliant light shone in his starry eyes as they opened and closed; he too had broken through to the Third Layer of the Earth Martial Artist realm.
Afterward, on the seventh day, Luo Zhan emerged as well.
His entire body radiated a murderous aura, like a veritable War God. His brow was filled with confidence and heroic spirit, his face a mask of excitement and exhilaration.
He probably never would have dreamed that after coming to Blue Moon City with the intention of slowly recovering from his injuries and living out the rest of his days, he would instead find a second wind here.
On the tenth day, Ye Zhanxiong and Ye Zhanzhen came out of seclusion.
They had both advanced from the First Layer Earth Martial Artist to the Second Layer, and their entire aura had changed completely.
As they looked at each other, they were all filled with emotion.
Without Ye Xuan, while they might have had a chance to break through in their lifetimes, it would have likely taken them at least several years of hard cultivation.
But because of Ye Xuan, they had broken through an unknown amount of time ahead of schedule.
One shouldn’t underestimate these few short years. In the grand scheme of a long life, it might not seem like much, but a martial artist’s cultivation is like rowing a boat upstream: if you don’t advance, you fall behind.
The earlier one breaks through, the sooner one can challenge higher realms.
Now that they had all broken through, it clearly meant they would have enough time in the future to challenge the Tier Four Celestial Martial Artist realm.
After emerging from seclusion, they had all intended to find Ye Xuan, but they didn’t expect him to still be cultivating, so they waited patiently.
「In the cultivation chamber.」
Ye Xuan’s eyes were tightly shut. The Profound Qi throughout his body was constantly condensing, twisting madly like a great dragon.
Inside him, his ten Profound Veins and three Martial Souls all released a dazzling light, exuding a terrifying aura amidst the dense Profound Qi.
For the past ten days, Ye Xuan had been continuously condensing his Profound Qi. He had a faint feeling that his chance to break through to the Xuanwu Realm Martial Artist was at hand.
After ten days of arduous cultivation, the Profound Qi in his body had grown increasingly dense, and his Profound Sea was constantly trembling, trying to expand outwards.
Suddenly, Ye Xuan’s eyes flew open. Several transparent jade needles appeared in his hand, and he stabbed them like lightning into acupoints on his body such as the Renzhong, Danzhong, Feishu, and Jianjing.
The moment the needles went in, the Profound Qi in Ye Xuan’s body went berserk.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Profound Qi as vast as a great river slammed madly against his meridians. The formidable power not only circulated through his meridians but also surged through his limbs and bones.
CRACKLE! POP!
Cracks suddenly appeared all over Ye Xuan’s body. His internal organs were damaged, and trickles of fresh blood seeped out from his skin.
’What a terrifying surge of Profound Qi! This Nine Profound World-Defying Art is truly fearsome. It’s more than ten times stronger than the cultivation technique I practiced in my previous life!’
A look of shock appeared on Ye Xuan’s face, but there was no trace of panic in his clear eyes. He circulated his Profound Qi, and with a BUZZ, the Earth Martial Soul in his heart-acupoint activated, enveloping his entire body in a hazy, earth-yellow light.
Under the glow of this light, Ye Xuan’s physical strength increased severalfold in an instant, finally allowing him to withstand the impact of the Profound Qi.
At the same time, Ye Xuan also activated the Life Martial Soul in his mind.
A four-to-five-inch-tall, bright green willow vine swayed, emitting a hazy green halo. Ye Xuan’s injured body began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.
BOOM!
An unknown amount of time passed before the Profound Sea in Ye Xuan’s Dantian suddenly swelled, rapidly forming a new, larger Profound Sea that was twice the size of the previous one.
Within the Profound Sea, dense Profound Qi flowed, radiating immense power.
"Hooo..."
Ye Xuan slowly exhaled.
After several months of arduous cultivation, he had finally broken through to the Xuanwu Realm Martial Artist.
