Chapter One Hundred and Eleven: Competition and Challenge

“Let’s go back,” Ye Yun said.

Having advanced his cultivation in one leap to the late Foundation Establishment stage, Ye Yun was in excellent spirits. There was no longer any point in lingering at the outskirts of the Wilds for further tempering. Bai Chen, Zhao Hui, and his sister all had no objections, and the group set out for the location of the Everlasting Spring Palace.

Upon returning to their sect, they handed over the materials obtained from hunting the powerful monsters of the Foundation Establishment stage, receiving spirit stones and elixirs in exchange. Cultivators at this stage were eligible to use mid-grade first-rank elixirs: True Qi Pills to assist their cultivation, as well as healing pills and marrow-cleansing pills, each with extraordinary effects.

Ye Yun cultivated the Crimson Flame chapter of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths Demonic Art. The refined crimson flame itself had the power to temper the flesh, its effects surpassing the marrow-cleansing pills. Thus, he only took some True Qi Pills and healing pills for his own use.

“Senior Brother Ye Yun, where shall we go for our next training?” Zhao Hui suddenly asked.

Clearly, their journey through the Wilds had left Zhao Hui with a deep impression of Ye Yun’s formidable strength. With him as companion, they could traverse the Wilds unchallenged. Not only Zhao Hui, but Zhao Jingjing and Bai Chen looked expectantly at Ye Yun.

“For now, we’ll pause the training. I just broke through to late Foundation Establishment, and need some time to stabilize my cultivation,” Ye Yun replied with a smile.

“That’s sensible. The three of us also plan to use the True Qi Pills and marrow-cleansing pills to try and reach the peak of Foundation Establishment. But you must be careful, Senior Brother Ye Yun; the Everlasting Spring Palace might seem peaceful, but competition among disciples is fierce,” Bai Chen cautioned.

As he spoke, Bai Chen pointed to a location—the expansive drill grounds east of the palace gates. The grounds were shrouded by a massive formation, drawing spiritual energy from the streams beneath the main peak, making the area exceptionally rich in spiritual power.

Cultivating in the drill grounds yielded twice the results with half the effort; it was clear the Palace had spared no effort to nurture its elite disciples. Besides the Wilds, the benefits of the drill grounds were coveted by many. The area was saturated with spiritual energy, but combat was not forbidden. The grounds served as a place for disciples to spar and hone their skills.

Anyone entering could freely challenge others; the strong could claim a large area to absorb the spiritual energy for cultivation, while the weak had nowhere to stand. The drill grounds belonged to the inner and core disciples; only those at late Foundation Establishment or higher could enter.

Of course, to prevent loss of the sect’s foundational strength, while combat was allowed, killing fellow disciples was strictly forbidden.

If there were irreconcilable grievances, at the center of the drill grounds stood the Life-and-Death Platform—a stage dedicated to resolving private vendettas.

In truth, all major sects near the Wilds had such drill grounds. Each generation’s powerful young cultivators emerged from these arenas.

“It’s said that the current Master of the Everlasting Spring Palace, Daoist Changchun, once fought a hundred battles in the drill grounds, never losing once,” Bai Chen and the Zhao siblings said, faces filled with admiration at the mention of the Palace Master’s feats.

“That old man, chased around the world by a beautiful woman, is really that impressive?” Ye Yun muttered inwardly, curling his lip.

To become the Palace Master, Daoist Changchun must be at least at the late Core Formation stage, but to Ye Yun, he seemed to lack any air of a true expert.

From Bai Chen, Ye Yun learned that he and the Zhao siblings had once gone to the drill grounds. When they first reached late Foundation Establishment, they were brimming with confidence, but suffered a harsh defeat. Since then, they had focused on improving their cultivation and hadn’t returned.

Ye Yun was curious about the drill grounds, eager to test the strength of the Palace’s young experts. Yet, having just advanced, his top priority was to stabilize his new cultivation.

As a core disciple, Ye Yun naturally had his own private residence in the Palace. For three days, he shut himself in, holding a relic in his left hand, his mind calm and clear, grasping a spiritual marrow in his right, breathing in pure spiritual energy from heaven and earth.

Dense spiritual energy enveloped his body, gradually seeping into his flesh, condensing into crimson flame true qi, filling his dantian’s sea of qi.

After exhausting the spiritual energy from the low-grade spiritual marrow, he used over thirty low-grade spirit stones. Only then did Ye Yun feel his sea of qi was incomparably full, his late Foundation Establishment cultivation now completely stabilized.

Whenever a cultivator breaks through a stage, whether major or minor, there is always a period of weakness and adjustment. Ye Yun’s three days to stabilize his cultivation was wise, allowing him to maintain peak strength.

“With my cultivation stabilized, the power of the Heaven-Burning Seal is greater; infused with refined crimson flame, it can threaten most early Core Formation cultivators. With the Three Talents Sword Array, Crimson Flame Bell, Aurora Sword Art, Crimson Flame Demonic Body, and the first turn of the Profound Art, I should barely be able to contend with an early Core Formation expert,” Ye Yun thought.

Previously, his mid Foundation Establishment cultivation was firmly suppressed by those in the Core Formation stage. Now, after his breakthrough, he was only one step below Core Formation. Though the gap between these stages was vast, with his many formidable techniques, he could confidently face such opponents.

Feeling good, Ye Yun pushed open the door and stepped outside. Warm sunlight bathed him, prompting him to close his eyes in comfort.

“I’ve been away a long time… I miss Father and Mother, and Su Xue…” He fell into memories, a gentle smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

“Ye Yun?”

Just then, a cold voice suddenly rang out, snapping him from his reverie.

Looking toward the sound, he saw a youth in white, arms crossed over his chest, leaning lazily against a tree and fixing him with a frosty gaze.

Dressed in white, he was clearly an inner disciple.

“Who are you? What do you want?” Ye Yun asked, frowning.

“I heard you just joined the Everlasting Spring Palace, immediately becoming a core disciple. But you’re only at late Foundation Establishment—I, Liu Heng, am not convinced,” the youth in white snorted.

The Palace allowed outer disciples to challenge inner disciples; if successful, they could claim their place. Similarly, inner disciples could challenge core disciples, seizing the chance to rise to the highest rank.

Core disciple numbers were few; many inner disciples, even after reaching the peak of Foundation Establishment, rarely had a chance to become core disciples.

Thus, Liu Heng had set his sights on Ye Yun.

The arrival of a new core disciple naturally drew attention throughout the Palace. When Ye Yun first arrived, he was only at mid Foundation Establishment; even after advancing to late Foundation Establishment, many inner disciples considered his cultivation merely average.

“So you’re here to challenge me?” Ye Yun asked.

“Of course. Did you think I’d come here just to chat? Though you’ve advanced to late Foundation Establishment, I, Liu Heng, am at the peak of Foundation Establishment. Are you brave enough to face me in the drill grounds?” Liu Heng said arrogantly.

It was typical for an inner disciple challenging a core disciple to be at the peak of Foundation Establishment. Back in the Wilds, Yue Feng had dared to think of killing Ye Yun, partly because he was backed by Protector Jingyue, and partly because he believed his peak Foundation Establishment cultivation was on par with core disciples, while Ye Yun’s was lower, making him dismissive.

In the cultivator’s world, strength was respected—only the strongest prevailed. If Ye Yun lost, he would lose all face and be demoted from core to inner disciple.

Even if Liu Heng failed, he would remain an inner disciple, suffering only slight ridicule for overestimating himself.

The Everlasting Spring Palace might seem harmonious—a pure land—but in truth, it was rife with competition. Only those who emerged triumphant from fierce rivalry could be considered true experts!