Chapter 2: The Spirit Library and the Last Loyalty
The morning sun broke over the jagged peaks of the Northern Borderlands, casting long, golden shadows across the Ye Clan estate. For the first time in three years, Ye Chen didn't wake up with the heavy, crushing sensation of a "leaking" dantian. Instead, he felt a dormant volcano smoldering beneath his skin.
The Primordial Chaos Physique was unlike any cultivation path he had studied in the clan archives. While traditional Body Refinement focused on toughening the skin and tempering the muscles, the Chaos Physique was reconstructing his very essence. Every breath he took felt like he was inhaling the weight of the mountains themselves.
Ye Chen stood in the center of his dilapidated hut, looking at a small puddle of black, viscous liquid on the floor. It was the filth purged from his marrow—years of stagnation and the "limiters" placed on his talent by the natural world, now discarded like trash.
I have three days, Ye Chen thought, his eyes sharpening. In my previous life, I knew that information and timing were the keys to any takeover. I have the power now, but I need techniques to channel it. And more importantly, I need to know exactly how far the Second Elder has gone in dismantling my father's legacy.
He washed himself quickly with freezing well water, changed into a clean but faded set of azure robes, and headed toward the center of the estate: the Spirit Library.
As he walked, the whispers followed him like a swarm of gnats.
"Is that... Ye Chen? Why is he out of the Penance Courtyard?"
"He looks different. Look at his gait—it's so steady."
"Hmph, probably just acting. Once a waste, always a waste. In three days, he'll be digging for spirit stones in the dark."
Ye Chen ignored them. To a man who had navigated the boardrooms of Earth and the heights of the Azure Dragon Empire, these petty insults were nothing more than background noise.
He reached the Spirit Library, a towering pagoda made of ancient, iron-hard sandalwood. This was one of the clan's most sacred locations, containing thousands of years of accumulated wisdom. At the entrance sat an old man with eyes closed, seemingly asleep. This was Elder Mu, the keeper of the books.
[Ding! Detection: Host has arrived at 'The Ye Clan Spirit Library'.]
[Status: Grade 2 Historical Location.]
[Would the host like to Sign-In?]
Sign-in! Ye Chen commanded internally.
[Ding! Congratulations! Sign-In successful!]
[Reward: The 'Heaven-Shattering Void Palm' (Earth Grade - High)!]
[Reward: 'Spirit-Censing Divine Sense' (Soul Cultivation Technique)!]
[Reward: A 'Sovereign-Level Comprehension' boost (Permanent)!]
A massive influx of information flooded Ye Chen's brain. The Heaven-Shattering Void Palm was a technique that didn't rely on brute force, but on using chaotic energy to vibrate the space between the enemy's atoms, effectively bypassing physical armor. Even more valuable was the Sovereign-Level Comprehension—it felt as if a fog had lifted from his mind, allowing him to understand the most complex martial patterns in seconds.
"Young Master Chen?"
A soft, hesitant voice interrupted his thoughts.
Ye Chen turned to see a girl about sixteen years old, dressed in the white robes of the inner disciples. She was beautiful in a quiet, delicate way, but her eyes were red-rimmed as if she had been crying. This was Ye Ling, the daughter of his father's most loyal general. When Ye Chen's parents disappeared, her family had been marginalized right alongside him.
"Ling'er," Ye Chen said, his voice softening. She was the only one who had tried to sneak food to the Penance Courtyard over the last year, often getting bullied for her kindness.
"Brother Chen, you shouldn't be here!" Ye Ling whispered urgently, grabbing his sleeve and pulling him into the shadow of a pillar. "Ye Feng and his brother, Ye San, are inside. They've been waiting for you to show your face. They want to provoke you into a 'Sparring Duel' before the ceremony so they can justify breaking your legs."
Ye Chen looked at her small, trembling hand. He felt a pang of guilt. While he had been wallowing in his "waste" status, this girl had been bearing the brunt of the clan's cruelty because of her loyalty to him.
"Let them come," Ye Chen said, his voice carrying a cold, metallic edge.
"But Brother Chen, you're only at the 1st stage..."
"I was at the 1st stage yesterday," Ye Chen interrupted, patting her hand gently. "Today, things are different. Tell me, has the Second Elder truly seized the clan seal?"
Ye Ling looked startled by his confidence. "N-no. The Elders' Council is split. They are waiting for the Awakening Ceremony. If you fail to show any talent, they will declare you 'Gene-Deficient' and legally appoint the Second Elder as the permanent Patriarch. They've even invited the City Lord and the Liu Clan to witness your shame."
Ye Chen sneered. "Inviting outsiders to watch a family execution? How 'gracious' of them."
Suddenly, the heavy doors of the library creaked open. A tall, muscular youth with a jagged scar across his eyebrow stepped out. This was Ye San, Ye Feng's older brother and a 6th-stage Body Refinement expert.
"Well, well," Ye San drawled, cracking his knuckles. "If it isn't the fallen star. I heard you were hiding in your hut like a rat, Ye Chen. What's the matter? Did you come to the library to find a book on how to be a better slave?"
The disciples nearby gathered around, sensing blood in the water.
Ye Chen stepped forward, shielding Ye Ling behind him. He didn't look like a waste; he looked like a predator that had finally decided to stop playing dead.
"Ye San," Ye Chen said, his voice calm but resonating with an odd power. "In three days, I will take back what belongs to my father. But since you're so eager to start the festivities, I suppose I can spare a moment to teach you some manners."
Ye San laughed, his face twisting with mockery. "Teach me? A 1st-stage trash wants to teach a 6th-stage expert? I'll give you three moves. If you can make me take a single step back, I'll crawl out of this library on my hands and knees!"
Ye Chen's lips curled into a cold smile. "One move is enough."