Half a month later, Ye Hao, who was cultivating, suddenly sensed something and snapped his eyes open.
“He’s finally broken through.”
Ye Hao stood up, pushed open his door, and walked out, looking toward the wooden house where Ye Yu resided nearby. The aura from moments ago had erupted from right there.
With the aid of the Wood Spirit Fruit, Ye Yu had finally broken through to Second-Layer Qi Refinement several months ahead of schedule.
“Hahaha, I broke through!”
“I’ve finally caught up to you too!”
Sensing Ye Hao’s aura outside, Ye Yu immediately pushed open his door and walked out.
He looked at Ye Hao with a broad smile on his face.
Ye Hao had reached Second-Layer Qi Refinement long ago, and Ye Yu had always been one step behind. Now that he had finally caught up, he also breathed a sigh of relief.
Little did he know that the Ye Hao standing before him had already broken through to Third-Layer Qi Refinement.
It was merely that owing to the Turtle Breath Technique, his true aura was concealed.
“Not bad. Strive to break through to Third-Layer Qi Refinement soon.”
Ye Hao lightly patted his shoulder encouragingly.
“Ahem, that’ll still take quite some time.”
Ye Yu smiled wryly.
Only by relying on the Wood Spirit Fruit had he broken through to Second-Layer Qi Refinement in such a short time. To reach the third layer, he would need at least a year.
It certainly was not something that could be achieved in a short while.
“Take it slowly. Strive to break through to Sixth-Layer Qi Refinement before you turn twenty.”
Ye Hao said with a smile.
“That’s a bit hard. I’ll already be satisfied if I can break through to Fifth-Layer Qi Refinement before I turn twenty.”
Ye Yu shook his head.
Both he and Ye Hao had already been fourteen when they joined the Baiyun Sect.
Almost a year had passed, and only now had he broken through to Second-Layer Qi Refinement.
The further along one went, the more time it would cost and the more resources it would require. Moreover, the transition from Third-Layer Qi Refinement to Fourth-Layer Qi Refinement was a minor bottleneck.
This single hurdle was enough to stymie most practitioners, especially cultivators like them who possessed only low-grade spirit roots.
Ye Hao looked up at the sky. “Just do your best.”
Of course, the reason he had such immense confidence was that he possessed a cheat.
Without a cheat, he certainly would not believe he could break through to Sixth-Layer Qi Refinement before the age of twenty either.
“Once I reach Third-Layer Qi Refinement, I want to hunt demon beasts.”
“I’m not suited to the role of a spirit farmer.”
“When the time comes, I might entrust my spirit field to you. You can look after it for me, and the harvested white spirit rice will be yours as well.”
After a long silence, Ye Yu finally revealed his plans for the future.
Compared to staying in the spirit field cultivating white spirit rice, he yearned far more to hunt demon beasts.
Last month, while helping that outer disciple senior brother harvest three-leaf clover, he had also fought against demon beasts. Although they were all nascent beasts that had not yet come into their own, it was already enough for him, and had even made him fall in love with the feeling.
Furthermore, the returns brought by hunting demon beasts were not small either.
“Hunting demon beasts is fraught with extreme danger, far less safe than cultivating white spirit rice in a spirit field. Are you sure you want to go?”
Ye Hao frowned as he looked at him, confirming repeatedly.
After all, that was fighting against demon beasts; one could lose their life at any moment.
Tending to crops in a field, on the other hand, required no concern for personal safety; one only had to consider how to increase the yield of white spirit rice.
“That outer disciple senior brother I mentioned before has the same spirit root talent as mine. The reason he was able to join the outer sect was precisely through hunting demon beasts.”
“Hunting just a single First-Tier low-grade demon beast was enough to sustain his cultivation for several months.”
“I don’t possess your talent to cultivate white spirit rice so exceptionally well, so I can only pin my hopes on demon hunting.”
Ye Yu spoke honestly.
He did not want to be left too far behind by Ye Hao; even if he could not keep up with him, he wanted to at least keep his back in sight.
And going out to hunt demon beasts was the best way for him to obtain resources.
“Very well, if you wish to go, then go.”
“However, you must prioritize your safety above all else.”
“And before setting out, you must practice your techniques until you reach a certain level of mastery.”
“Otherwise, going there will merely be throwing your life away.”
Seeing that he truly could not dissuade him, Ye Hao had no other choice and could only urge him repeatedly.
“Don’t worry, I won’t joke around with my life.”
“Besides, who knows how long it will take me to break through to Third-Layer Qi Refinement. That will be plenty of time to practice offensive techniques.”
Ye Yu laughed heartily.
Yet within his eyes, there was unwavering determination.
They chatted for a few more moments.
Then, the two returned to their respective wooden houses.
...
Early the next morning, Ye Hao descended the mountain and chose a secluded spot.
This was a green bamboo forest where shadows of bamboo interlaced in layers.
As a gentle breeze swept past, only the faint rustle of bamboo leaves could be heard.
Ye Hao stood in a clearing within the grove, the spiritual energy around his body rippling faintly.
He slowly raised his palm as spiritual power surged forth from his dantian, gathering entirely into his right hand.
“Fire Snake Technique!”
Ye Hao channeled the Fire Snake Technique.
In that instant, a ball of blazing orange-red fire roared into existence within his palm.
The flames churned and twisted, rapidly stretching out to transform into a fire snake roughly a zhang long.
Scorching flame-light rippled across the serpent’s body, scale-like fiery patterns flickering ceaselessly along its form. With its head held high, its twin eyes of flame burned bright.
A scorching heat wave immediately rolled outward in all directions.
Within a few paces, the surrounding bamboo leaves curled slightly from the heat, and the air warped in blistering waves.
“Go!”
Ye Hao gave a low shout and flicked his wrist forward.
The fire snake whistled forth in response.
Blazing flames billowed, whistling through the air as it darted swiftly through the bamboo grove.
As the fire snake glided along, sparks showered continuously from its flaming tail; landing upon the withered leaves on the ground, they instantly ignited tiny wisps of flame.
Its body was remarkably agile, coiling past thick bamboo stalks one moment and lunging forward the next, its crimson fiery form illuminating the dim bamboo grove in brilliant red.
The fire snake slammed into a piece of rotten wood in the distance, detonating with a roar.
A blazing wave of fire swept outward with a boom, and the rotting wood was instantly engulfed in flames.
The splintering wood crackled as billowing black smoke rose into the air.
As the technique dissipated, the shower of sparks gradually died out.
With residual warmth still lingering on his palm, Ye Hao lowered his hand slightly.
“A Fire Snake Technique at great perfection is enough to deal with a Sixth-Layer Qi Refinement cultivator.”
“Though against a Seventh-Layer Qi Refinement cultivator, it’s probably still not quite enough.”
Ye Hao let out a heavy breath.
Compared to when first learned, a Fire Snake Technique at great perfection proficiency had a condensed and solid form that would not easily dissipate, and its controllability was exceptionally high.
It could change direction mid-flight rather than mindlessly crashing around and burning down the entire bamboo forest.
Yet it was still a mid-grade technique, and its spiritual power consumption was not small.
After casting it once, his spiritual power had decreased by a third.
In other words, he could only use the Fire Snake Technique at the great perfection realm three times at most before the spiritual power in his body would be depleted.
There was a reason he said a Fire Snake Technique at the great perfection realm fell a bit short against a Seventh-Layer Qi Refinement cultivator.
Just as Third-Layer to Fourth-Layer Qi Refinement was a minor bottleneck, Sixth-Layer to Seventh-Layer Qi Refinement was likewise a minor bottleneck.
A Seventh-Layer Qi Refinement cultivator was far beyond what a Sixth-Layer Qi Refinement cultivator could compare to.
The reserves of spiritual energy within their body multiplied several times over at least.
Their combat prowess was naturally on another level.
“Perhaps I can learn a few more techniques now.”
Rate on N.U.
