Half a month later, the outline of Dragon City, where the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan resides, was already visible in the distance.
Traveling continuously, even with the cultivation levels of Yu Yuanchen and Ye Zhilan, it was difficult to completely hide the signs of their dusty journey. On this day, while passing through a quiet mountain forest and stream, Yu Yuanchen slowed his pace.
"Zhilan, let's rest here for a moment, wash up, and then return to the clan." He looked at the woman beside him, his eyes carrying a hint of imperceptible gentleness. Although Ye Zhilan had not explicitly said so, it was a woman's nature to love cleanliness; despite her ability to endure the days of travel, a trace of fatigue was inevitably visible between her brows.
Hearing this, joy flashed in Ye Zhilan's eyes, and she nodded gently: "Okay."
The stream was clear to the bottom, flowing with a gentle murmur. Yu Yuanchen stood with his hands behind his back on a giant rock, his divine sense spreading out like invisible ripples. He carefully investigated the area for several miles around, and only after confirming there were no powerful soul beasts or soul masters did he nod slightly at Ye Zhilan.
Ye Zhilan walked to the stream, squatted down, and scooped up a handful of cool water to splash over her cheeks, washing away the dust and feeling instantly refreshed. She took out the plain white handkerchief she carried, soaked it, and gently wiped her neck and wrists.
Yu Yuanchen walked behind her and naturally took the handkerchief from her hand. His fingertips inadvertently brushed against her slightly cool wrist, and both of them paused. Ye Zhilan's earlobes turned slightly red, but she did not pull her hand away.
The corner of Yu Yuanchen's mouth lifted slightly as he gently wiped the fine beads of sweat from the back of her neck caused by the journey. His fingertips, carrying the unique warmth and slight roughness of one who cultivates thunder power, brushed against her delicate skin, bringing a shiver of light tickling.
"Brother Yuanchen..." Ye Zhilan's voice was like a mosquito's buzz, and her neck flushed a faint pink.
"Don't move, almost done." Yu Yuanchen's voice was low and steady, carrying a reassuring strength. After carefully wiping her, he washed the handkerchief clean, handed it back to Ye Zhilan, and seeing her cute appearance, he kissed her forehead quite naturally.
The entire process was natural and fluid, as if it had been practiced countless times; only the intimate tacit understanding flowing between the two spoke silently of their affection.
Ye Zhilan shyly took the handkerchief, her fingertips curling, and whispered: "Thank you, Brother Yuanchen."
Yu Yuanchen looked at her slightly reddened profile, his heart feeling soft, and reached out to gently brush away a strand of hair from her temple that had been dampened by the stream: "Let's go, I wonder how Grandfather and Father have been lately."
Half an hour later, two streams of light fell directly into the core zone of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. The guarding clansmen saw who it was, their initial vigilance immediately turning into immense excitement and respect.
"Young Sect Master! Miss Ye! It's the Young Sect Master and Miss Ye who have returned!"
The exclamation was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, quickly rippling through the sect. Soon, core figures like Yu Boxuan, Yu Qingtian, Yu Bo Yu, and Yu Mingfeng, who had received the news, along with many clansmen, poured out from various places and gathered in the square in front of the main hall.
When Yu Yuanchen and Ye Zhilan walked into the square side by side, everyone's eyes were focused on them.
In just one year, the aura on the two had undergone a earth-shaking change. Yu Yuanchen was still in his purple robes, his posture upright, but standing there, he gave people a sense of being unfathomable, as if he had merged with the surrounding space. His soul power fluctuation was restrained to the extreme, so much so that even Yu Boxuan, a Titled Douluo at the peak, felt an inexplicable pressure, completely unable to see through his own grandson's depth.
And what shocked everyone even more was Ye Zhilan! When she left a year ago, she was a Soul Emperor with a clear aura. But now, her soul power was rounded and full, and the pressure she faintly exuded was clearly at the level of a Soul Sage! And it was definitely not as simple as just having entered the Soul Sage realm!
"Soul Sage?! Ye girl, you... you've broken through to a Soul Sage?" Yu Bo Yu couldn't help but exclaim, his face full of disbelief.
In one year, crossing from a Soul Emperor to a Soul Sage was simply unheard of! Even with innate full soul power, it would be impossible to be this fast even with sufficient resources! However, he also knew that Yu Yuanchen had a steady temperament and Ye Zhilan was also intelligent; they would never do anything opportunistic that would destroy their own future.
Yu Boxuan also tacitly did not immediately ask for details, just suppressing this shock and curiosity for now, his heart filled with immense joy.
Yu Qingtian, Yu Mingfeng, and others also had their pupils contract, a raging storm rising in their hearts. They subconsciously looked at Yu Yuanchen, only to see that his expression was calm and his eyes were deep, as if Ye Zhilan's breakthrough was the most normal thing in the world.
Yu Boxuan took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart, his gaze sweeping sharply over Yu Yuanchen as he said in a deep voice: "It's good that you're back. Yuanchen, Zhilan, come with us into the hall to talk. Everyone else, return to your duties, no loud noises."
With the Sect Master having spoken, although everyone was full of curiosity and shock, they could only suppress it and disperse, but the suspicion and excitement in their eyes lingered for a long time.
Inside the main hall, only Yu Boxuan, Yu Qingtian, Yu Bo Yu, and Yu Mingfeng, the elders closest to Yu Yuanchen, remained.
Yu Boxuan set up a soundproof barrier before looking at Yu Yuanchen with burning eyes: "Chen'er, what exactly happened? This cultivation level of Zhilan's..."
Yu Yuanchen smiled slightly and said calmly: "Grandfather, Father, Second Great-Uncle, Uncle Mingfeng, do not worry. My trip with Zhilan did indeed result in a great opportunity. Zhilan's cultivation improvement was obtained through the right path, her foundation is solid, and there are absolutely no hidden dangers."
He knew the concern of his family elders, especially for Ye Zhilan, whom they treated as their own; they would never allow her to take an evil path to improve her cultivation.
Hearing Yu Yuanchen's affirmative reply and seeing his steady demeanor, the hearts of the others finally settled. Yu Qingtian patted his son's shoulder and laughed: "Good! Good! I knew you kid had great fortune! It is also Zhilan's destiny to have such an encounter."
Ye Zhilan also gave a graceful bow: "Thank you all for your concern, elders, Zhilan is doing well."
Yu Boxuan stroked his beard and nodded, his eyes full of comfort: "That is good. It seems your gains this time far exceed our imagination." He paused and asked, "I was in a hurry just now and didn't ask, why did you have the clansmen invite Brother Ye Kuan over?"
Yu Yuanchen said: "It is precisely related to this opportunity. Since Grandpa Ye and the others are now in Dragon City, I have asked them to come together to discuss important matters."
Ever since the Yu Family and the Ye Family began deep cooperation on the way of qi and blood, to facilitate communication, Ye Kuan had temporarily moved to Dragon City with some core clansmen, and the relationship between the two families had become increasingly close.
Before long, Old Man Ye Kuan, as well as Ye Zhilan's parents, Ye Wenyuan and Lin Wanqing, hurried over. Seeing Ye Zhilan return safely with a completely changed aura, Old Man Ye Kuan was moved to tears, and Ye Wenyuan and his wife were both surprised and happy.
Recently, a new Nine Heart Begonia Spirit possessor had appeared among the children whose martial souls had awakened in the family, which had scared them to death, thinking that Ye Zhilan had accidentally died during her training.
Fortunately, after a few days, Ye Zhilan sent a family letter saying she had obtained an opportunity, which put their minds at ease, but they still had a shred of worry because they hadn't seen her in person. Now that they saw her standing alive in front of them, they were finally completely relieved.
After everyone's emotions had settled slightly, Yu Yuanchen looked around the hall at his most trusted relatives and decided not to hide anything anymore. He waved his sleeve, and several jade boxes and gold vessels emitting a faint glow appeared on the table. The lids of the boxes opened slightly, and immediately, a refreshing and exotic fragrance filled the entire hall, the dense heaven and earth origin qi and life aura making everyone feel invigorated.
"This is..." Everyone's eyes were drawn to it, and feeling the vast energy contained in that medicinal fragrance, none of them could help but change their expressions.
Yu Yuanchen said solemnly: "I won't hide it from you all, Zhilan and I found a heaven and earth cornucopia called the 'Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well'. The environment there is special, the concentration of origin qi is more than ten times that of the outside world, rare flowers and herbs grow extremely fast, and it has nurtured many immortal herbs that have long been extinct in the outside world."
He pointed to the jade boxes and gold vessels: "These are some of the immortal herbs we brought back from that treasure land. Each one is a rare treasure, with the miraculous effect of transformative change, improving talent, and increasing cultivation."
He paused and continued: "It was in that treasure land that I found the most suitable ninth soul ring for myself and successfully promoted to a Titled Douluo. And Zhilan, because of its special environment and its benefits to plant system martial souls, also had a great improvement in her cultivation. More importantly, we were both fortunate enough to each obtain an opportunity and consume immortal herbs that were extremely compatible with ourselves."
After speaking, he looked at Ye Zhilan. Ye Zhilan understood, stepped forward, and with a thought, her Sacred Heart Immortal Begonia Martial Soul appeared quietly. It was no longer in the original form of the Nine Heart Begonia, but more magnificent and holy, with seven-colored halos flowing on the edges of the petals, and the center stamen like a glazed immortal heart, exuding a vast life aura and faint pressure that surpassed a top-tier martial soul.
"This is... Zhilan, your martial soul?!" Ye Kuan stood up abruptly, his voice trembling. As a possessor of the Nine Heart Begonia Spirit, he could best feel the leap in the essence of this martial soul, "Evolved? It really evolved?!"
Ye Zhilan nodded and said softly: "Grandfather, Brother Yuanchen is right. I consumed two complementary immortal herbs, and my martial soul evolved from the Nine Heart Begonia to the 'Sacred Heart Immortal Begonia'. And..." She looked at Ye Kuan, her eyes filled with excitement and hope, "I have a feeling in the dark that the shackles of the fate that the Ye Family's Nine Heart Begonia can only have two possessors in one generation seem to have been broken!"
"What?!" As soon as these words came out, not only Ye Kuan, Ye Wenyuan, and Lin Wanqing, but even the members of the Yu Family were shocked. The fate of the Nine Heart Begonia was a nightmare that had plagued the Ye Family for thousands of years; if it could be broken, how significant would that be!
Ye Kuan's beard was trembling with excitement. He forced himself to calm down and said: "Speaking of this, in the past half year or so, among the children of the collateral branches of the family, seven children of the appropriate age have awakened the family martial soul, but they are all uniformly mutated martial souls, which can be called 'Seven Heart Begonia'. Their healing ability is top-tier among high-level martial souls, but it is still much weaker than the Nine Heart Begonia. The only disciple who awakened the Nine Heart Begonia had an innate soul power as high as eight and a half levels. We guessed that perhaps only disciples with high enough talent can awaken the complete Nine Heart Begonia."
Everyone was thoughtful upon hearing this. Yu Yuanchen interjected: "Zhilan's martial soul evolution involved many factors of coincidence. Although the effect of immortal herbs is heaven-defying, it is not omnipotent. Below a top-tier martial soul, consuming a compatible immortal herb may have the possibility of evolving into a top-tier martial soul."
Yu Yuanchen paused and continued: "But for a martial soul like the Nine Heart Begonia, which is already top-tier, the conditions required for evolution are extremely harsh. The consumer must be young, their qi and blood must not have completely set, their cultivation must not have reached its peak, their talent must be supreme, and they must find immortal herbs that are perfectly compatible in attributes and even complementary. Only with the superposition of multiple factors is there a glimmer of possibility."
His gaze swept over the immortal herbs on the table and then looked at the crowd, whose eyes were filled with heat and expectation, especially the several elders who were already older, and his tone became serious: "Moreover, some immortal herbs have tyrannical medicinal power. If those who are older and whose qi and blood have begun to decline consume them, not only will the effect be greatly reduced, but it may even be that they are too weak to receive the supplement. Elders must not consume them blindly."
Yu Boxuan, Ye Kuan, and the others heard this, and the burning fervor in their eyes was gradually replaced by reason, followed by a trace of regret and reluctance. Yu Boxuan sighed, "In that case, it would indeed be a waste for us old fellows to consume these Immortal Herbs. It is better to leave them for the young geniuses in the sect and the family; their futures are much longer."
Ye Kuan also nodded in agreement, "Brother Yu is right. We are already in the twilight of our years; why should we compete for opportunities with the children?"
Yu Yuanchen looked at the expressions of his elders, who were unwilling yet more willing to think of the younger generation, and felt moved. He smiled and said, "Grandfather, Grandpa Ye, there is no need for this. I have a proposal. Grandpa Ye's Medical Skill is divine; why not have you take action and use these Immortal Herbs as the main ingredients, supplemented by other precious materials, to refine them into pills? Although the medicinal efficacy will be dispersed and weakened significantly, one furnace can produce several pills, benefiting more people. The Immortal Herbs I brought back should be enough to refine quite a few."
Ye Kuan's eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands in praise, "Wonderful! Refining pills turns the rigid into the supple, making them easier to absorb, and the auxiliary ingredients can be adjusted according to the physique of the person taking the medicine! Yuanchen's plan is excellent!"
Yu Boxuan and the others also nodded one after another. This compromise was undoubtedly the best choice at the moment, as it avoided waste while allowing more people to benefit.
With the plan decided, Elder Ye Kuan immediately announced he would go into seclusion to refine the pills. Carrying the Immortal Herbs and the auxiliary medicinal materials treasured by the Ye Family, he entered an absolute quiet room provided by the Yu Family and began the most important pill refinement of his life.
This refinement lasted for a full month.
A month later, on the day the pills were completed, rosy clouds faintly gathered above the quiet room, and the fragrance of the pills enveloped half of Dragon City, drawing the attention of countless people.
When Ye Kuan walked out of the quiet room holding a dozen Jade Bottles, although his face was haggard, his eyes were exceptionally bright, and his spirit was vigorous.
According to the previously agreed-upon plan, Yu Boxuan, Yu Qingtian, Yu Bo Yu, Yu Mingfeng, Ye Kuan, Ye Wenyuan, and Lin Wanqing each received one pill.
After everyone consumed the pills, they all went into seclusion to digest the medicinal power.
A few days later, the results were released one after another, causing continuous shocks:
Although Yu Boxuan remained at Level 97 Soul Power, he used this vast medicinal power to successfully condense a Soul Core in his Dantian in one go! Although it was a Soul Core condensed using the simplified Unique Soul Core method, it still caused his combat power to soar by thirty percent and his Soul Power endurance to more than double, greatly increasing his strength!
Yu Bo Yu broke through to Level 92.
Yu Qingtian reached the peak of Level 95, just one step away from Level 96.
Yu Mingfeng broke through by one level, his Soul Power reaching Level 85.
Ye Wenyuan's Soul Power rose to Level 73, and Lin Wanqing rose to Level 64.
The most surprising result was Ye Kuan! With his accumulated experience finally paying off, and with the help of the pill, he broke through the Level 90 Bottleneck in one go! He only needed to obtain a Soul Ring to become the only Healing Titled Douluo on the continent today!
As the news spread, the Yu and Ye families rejoiced! This meant that the high-level combat power of both families had been greatly improved! And all of this stemmed from that young man who returned from afar and the heaven-defying opportunity he brought back.
───────────────
Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: GodKun-Chan