Chapter 57: Healing, Matters of the Elephant Armored Academy
The cold moonlight was like a thin veil, shrouding the massive crater that looked as if it had been carved out by the giant axe of a Heavenly God. In the center of the pit, three exhausted young men remained silent, with only their heavy breathing sounding exceptionally clear in the quiet night breeze.
Although Yu Yuanchen still had enough strength to stand, the condition inside his body was not optimistic either. His Thunder True Essence was nearly dry, his Meridians throbbed with pain from over-exertion, and the counter-shock from resisting two ultimate moves had also caused some tremors in his internal organs.
He was the first to sit cross-legged, taking a Family-made healing Medicinal Pill to swallow. Simultaneously, he circulated the faint but ceaseless Thunder True Essence within him, beginning to guide the medicinal power to nourish his damaged Meridians and internal organs. His physique, which had undergone multiple refinements, showed a powerful advantage at this moment; his Qi and blood flowed slowly on their own like the most loyal guards, repairing the damage to his body.
He did not fully immerse himself in healing but set aside a sliver of his mind to monitor the condition of Tang Chen and Qian Daoliu. After all, this was the Savage Beast Hills; although Soul Beasts would not dare approach in the short term after such a great battle, there was no guarantee that no accidents would occur.
Tang Chen's situation was the worst. The backlash from the Ring Explosion was extremely severe, with multiple damaged Meridians and chaotic Qi and blood. Combined with the external injuries from the head-on clash, he was almost at the brink of total exhaustion. He struggled to sit up, his face as pale as golden paper, and even the hand taking out his pills was trembling violently.
Qian Daoliu was slightly better, suffering mainly from Spiritual fatigue and Soul Power exhaustion brought by the God Descent. His physical injuries were relatively light, but he was also weakened to the extreme. He barely maintained his composure, taking out an exquisite jade bottle and pouring out two pills that emitted a soft white light. He swallowed one himself and flicked the other toward Tang Chen.
"Brother Tang, this is the 'Saint Soul Pill' secretively made by my Spirit Hall; it has miraculous effects on stabilizing Soul Power and repairing Meridians." Qian Daoliu's voice carried a tired hoarseness.
Tang Chen was not polite either. He caught it, pulled the stopper, and poured the pill into his mouth, saying indistinctly, "Thanks! I feel like every bone in my body has fallen apart. The aftereffects of this Ring Explosion are truly damn huge!" As the pill entered his stomach, a gentle medicinal power dissolved, quickly nourishing his severely damaged Meridians and making his complexion look slightly better.
Yu Yuanchen also received and took a pill, but he did not immediately enter meditation. He looked up at the starry sky, his mind constantly replaying every detail of that final strike.
Tang Chen's hammer strike, which contained the "Earth-Cleaving" Concept and handled heavy weight with ease; Qian Daoliu's Nirvana Slash, which seemed to strip away rules and carried divine judgment; and his own Nirvana Tribulation Spear, which fused Five Elements destruction and invoked the power of a Heavenly Tribulation... the scene of three distinct yet rule-touching powers colliding and annihilating was deeply etched into his divine soul like a brand.
"Rules... Concept... Divinity..." he murmured to himself. This battle allowed him to clearly see his future path. While the power of Ultimate Lightning was indeed strong, the key lay in how to dig deeper into its potential, how to better fuse the various Concepts he had comprehended—and even that sliver of Thunder God Bloodline—with his self-condensed Law imprints to exert power closer to the World Origin.
In particular, the final sublimation of Tang Chen's hammer technique gave him great inspiration. Power was not merely about being fierce and strong; combining hardness with softness, achieving microscopic control, and even endowing it with Concepts like "Creation" or "Ending" was the path to a higher level. His Five Thunders Orthodox Method should perhaps not be limited to the switching and Fusion of Five Elements properties, but should delve deeper into the "Dao" and "Reason" represented by each property.
Just as he was deep in thought, several powerful auras suddenly came from the distant sky, rapidly approaching this location.
Yu Yuanchen's brow furrowed slightly as his Spiritual Power quietly spread out. Soon, his expression relaxed slightly as he whispered, "It's people from my Yu Family and Spirit Hall."
A moment later, several figures landed on the edge of the crater. Leading them was Yu Yuanchen's father, Yu Mingfeng, and two Family Elders. Sensing the terrifying energy fluctuations remaining here and Yu Yuanchen's faint but familiar aura, they had immediately rushed to provide support. On the other side were two Cardinals dressed in Spirit Hall attire, clearly drawn by the powerful divine fluctuations Qian Daoliu had triggered during his God Descent.
When both groups saw the scene in the crater—especially when they felt the residual energy traces that made even them feel palpably heart-shaken—every face showed an expression of horror. When their gazes fell upon Yu Yuanchen, who was disheveled but largely unharmed, and the obviously heavily injured Tang Chen and Qian Daoliu, their shock intensified.
Yu Mingfeng flashed to Yu Yuanchen's side and asked concernedly, "Chener, are you alright? This place..." He looked around and sucked in a breath of cold air. "Was the commotion just now caused by the three of you?"
Yu Yuanchen nodded and explained simply, "I sparred a bit with Brother Tang and Brother Qian. I couldn't hold back for a moment and ended up alarming Father and the Elders."
On the other side, the two Cardinals also quickly reached Qian Daoliu's side, respectfully acting as Protectors. The look they cast toward Yu Yuanchen was filled with unbelievable dread. They knew their Saint's strength well, especially a Qian Daoliu in the God Descent state, who was enough to rival an ordinary Titled Douluo. Yet now, it seemed he had lost? To what terrifying level had this Yu Yuanchen's strength actually reached?
Tang Chen, on the other hand, was alone. He had a solitary personality and had not brought any followers on this training journey.
Soon, Qian Daoliu temporarily suppressed his injuries, stood up to give a few instructions to the two Cardinals, and then looked at Yu Yuanchen and Tang Chen, saying calmly, "Brother Yuanchen, Brother Tang, since the matter here is concluded, I must return to Spirit Hall for closed-door Cultivation. Let us part here. I look forward to our next meeting." Having said that, under the protection of the two Cardinals, he turned into a streak of light and departed.
Tang Chen also struggled to stand up and grinned at Yu Yuanchen, "Kid, you were ruthless this time! I also need to find a place to heal properly and figure out how to break that tortoise-shell-like thunder method of yours! I'm off!" He had a bold personality; a loss was a loss, and without any hesitation, he disappeared into the night with large strides.
Under the protection of the Family Elders, Yu Yuanchen also set out on the road back to Dragon City. Along the way, he spent most of his time with his eyes closed, regulating his breathing and digesting the gains from this battle. The Life-and-death struggle against the two strongest individuals of his level had raised his application of power and understanding of rules to a new level. He faintly felt that the Bottleneck for breaking through to level seventy-six Soul Power had loosened; with just a little more settling, it would happen naturally.
A few days later, the group returned safely to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
The news of Yu Yuanchen's return had already spread. In particular, his record of frontally defeating the combined force of Qian Daoliu and Tang Chen spread through the Family's upper echelons like a whirlwind, causing countless tremors and bouts of wild joy. Yu Yuanchen's prestige within the Family reached an unprecedented peak.
However, he did not immerse himself in these empty titles. Upon returning to the Family, he immediately entered a state of deep seclusion to fully heal and consolidate his Cultivation on one hand, and to painstakingly meditate on the various gains from the battle with Tang Chen and Qian Daoliu—especially the deduction of the future development of the Five Thunders Orthodox Method—on the other.
Half a month later, Yu Yuanchen's injuries were completely healed, and his Soul Power had successfully broken through to level seventy-six, his aura becoming even deeper and more restrained.
After emerging from seclusion, he handled some necessary Family affairs and couldn't help but think of that gentle figure—Ye Zhilan.
He strolled to the Family garden and saw the girl in the water-blue dress sitting in the pavilion. She was looking down, fiddling with several stalks of medicinal herbs that emitted a faint glow, her profile looking exceptionally peaceful and beautiful in the sunlight. As if sensing his arrival, Ye Zhilan looked up. Seeing Yu Yuanchen, a light of surprise immediately blossomed in her eyes, and she quickly stood up.
"Brother Yuanchen, you've finished your seclusion? Are your injuries all better?" She stepped forward quickly, her voice filled with undisguised concern.
Looking at the worry in the girl's clear eyes, Yu Yuanchen felt a slight warmth in his heart. He nodded and smiled gently, "It's no longer a problem. Thank you for your concern, Zhilan."
Ye Zhilan looked him over carefully, confirming that his aura was steady and his face was ruddy. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief, lightly patting her chest as she said, "That's good. A few days ago, when I heard you were injured sparring with someone, I... I was very worried." Toward the end, her voice grew lower, and a blush crept onto her cheeks.
Yu Yuanchen's heart stirred. Looking at the girl's shy appearance, he couldn't help but recall his father's previous suggestion regarding his "Life-long matters" and the moments he had spent with Ye Zhilan over the past six months. Her gentleness, kindness, intelligence, and her silent concern for him were indeed like a trickling stream, quietly soaking into his heart, which had grown somewhat cold and hard from years of Cultivation and killing.
The two sat down in the pavilion, and Ye Zhilan carefully brewed him a cup of soul-soothing herbal tea. During their chat, Yu Yuanchen did not detail the dangers of the battle, merely mentioning that he had sparred with friends and that both sides had gained something. Ye Zhilan was also very sensible and did not ask further, instead leading the conversation elsewhere.
"Brother Yuanchen, the Soul Power control method you pointed out to me last time—I've had some new realizations recently," Ye Zhilan shared somewhat excitedly. She then extended her slender hand and released a bit of Soul Power. A sprout of emerald-green light condensed at her fingertip; though still faint, it was much more solid than before, and its form was more stable.
Yu Yuanchen sensed it carefully and nodded in approval. "Your progress is very fast, and your control over Life force has become more refined. It seems your Spiritual Power talent is indeed extraordinary."
Receiving his praise, Ye Zhilan beamed like a flower, as if she had received a massive reward. She hesitated for a moment before saying softly, "Brother Yuanchen, thank you... not just for teaching me these things, but... but for being willing to listen to me talk about these trivial matters."
Looking into her sincere eyes, Yu Yuanchen felt that strange sensation become even clearer. He remained silent for a moment before suddenly asking, "Zhilan, do you think... on the path of Cultivation, is it better to be lonely, or better to have someone to accompany you?"
Hearing this, Ye Zhilan was slightly stunned. She immediately understood the deep meaning in Yu Yuanchen's words. Two clouds of red instantly flew onto her cheeks, and she lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously twisting the corner of her clothes as she spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito's hum: "I... I think, if it is a like-minded person who can support each other and understand each other, perhaps... perhaps the long road of Cultivation won't be so boring and hard to endure..."
Though her voice was light, it clearly reached Yu Yuanchen's ears. Looking at this delicate orchid before him that needed careful tending, and then thinking of his own future path as a powerhouse—destined to be full of challenges and danger—Yu Yuanchen seriously pondered the meaning of the words "Dao Companion" for the first time.
Perhaps having such an understanding, confidante-like woman by his side wouldn't be bad.
He did not explicitly state anything, but the atmosphere between the two quietly changed during this exchange. A hazy sentiment, like vines in early spring, quietly spread and grew in both their hearts.
However, the peaceful days did not last long. On this day, while Yu Yuanchen was guiding Ye Zhilan in her initial attempts at Soul Power property transformation, a Family Elder arrived in a hurry, handing over a secret letter with a solemn expression.
"Yuanchen, the Clan Chief wants you to go to the discussion hall immediately. Something big has happened with the Elephant Armored Academy!"
Yu Yuanchen took the secret letter and scanned it quickly, his gaze instantly becoming sharp.
The letter mentioned that friction between the Elephant Armored Academy and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had recently escalated sharply, with constant border conflicts. Even more noteworthy was that the Elephant Armored Academy, located within Heaven Dou and possessing the top-tier defensive Martial Soul Diamond Mammoth, was acting abnormally frequently. Its Sect Master, Huyan Kuang, had even publicly declared his intention to integrate the power of the Elephant Armored Academy and the White Armored Earth Dragon Tuoba Family to seek greater interests in the upcoming continental turmoil.
And the Elephant Armored Academy and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had long-standing grudges! Not to mention they had been hired by the Long Family to assassinate Yu Yuanchen.
Yu Yuanchen put away the secret letter and cast an apologetic look at Ye Zhilan. Although Ye Zhilan was reluctant, she nodded sensibly. "Brother Yuanchen, official business is more important."
"Elephant Armored Academy, hmph. If it weren't for the fact that your sphere of influence doesn't border my Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, and that I still needed time to digest the Long Family's foundations, I would have wiped you out along with the Long Family. Since you don't know your place and dare to jump out and cause trouble... it seems I won't be able to swallow the Elephant Armored Academy whole; I'll have to split the meal with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect..." A flash of severity crossed Yu Yuanchen's eyes as he turned around, though he also thought somewhat regretfully.
Was it a joke? Was Yu Yuanchen a magnanimous person? He held grudges; the Elephant Armored Academy had provoked him twice now. If he didn't destroy them, was he supposed to keep them for the New Year!
They did not possess strength that Yu Yuanchen needed to fear, even if they dragged in the White Armored Earth Dragon to go down with them. Rather, dragging in the Tuoba Family was equivalent to giving the Yu Family another great gift!
Watching Yu Yuanchen's tall, straight back as he hurried away, a trace of worry flashed in Ye Zhilan's eyes, but more than that was a sense of determination. She knew her strength was low and she couldn't help him directly, but she would Cultivate hard to at least... not become a burden to him.
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