by Feng Yise
Cl.u.s.ters of petals willfully reaped the lives of those demonic beasts.
"Hiss . . . Monsters are monsters. Indeed not what mortals like us can compare to!"
After a long while, Guo Taoqun gave a sigh and turned around, rushing to the depths of the first level.
. . . . . .
After half a day, in a remote corner of the Vast Heaven Pagoda's first level, Ye Yuan suddenly opened both eyes.
"These demonic beasts are all formed from a type of energy. Slaying these demonic beasts can actually acquire a trace of this type of energy! And this type of energy can actually convert into essence energy, promoting the advancement of cultivation! Truly unbelievably miraculous!" Ye Yuan muttered under his breath.
In the beginning, Ye Yuan did not notice yet. But when he was competing with Guo Taoqun, Ye Yuan slaughtered large numbers of demonic beasts and finally noticed a hint of something wrong.
After those demonic beasts were killed, there was a strand of extremely minute energy that entered inside Ye Yuan's body.
This wisp of energy was extremely minute; it was virtually undetectable.
If it weren't for the fact that Ye Yuan killed a large number of demonic beasts within a period of time and those energies converged to form a small tuft, Ye Yuan would not be able to discover it at all.
Ye Yuan was also uncertain if this type of energy was harmful to the body or not. So he bid farewell to Guo Taoqun and found a covert place to investigate.
He casually laid down a set of array formation. Those Tier 2 demonic beasts were simply incapable of barging inside. Then he started to study this small tuft of energy.
But with this investigation, Ye Yuan discovered that with his experience and knowledge, he actually could not recognize what this energy was!
After failing to glean anything with numerous attempts, Ye Yuan simply mustered essence energy and attempted to force that trace of energy out of the body.
But Ye Yuan did not expect that once the energy came into contact with essence energy, it actually merged into the essence energy with a whoosh.
This was no trifling matter. Ye Yuan hurriedly wanted to expel the nameless energy. But after that tuft of energy fused into his own essence energy, it was like a poisonous sore inflicted deep into the bones, no longer able to separate.
Ye Yuan unleashed all of his skills to the utmost and could not do anything to that mass of nameless energy.
But that mass of energy just quietly lay within his essence energy sea and did not have make any excessive action. Only then did this let Ye Yuan be slightly at ease.
Later on, Ye Yuan might as well just circulate the Spirit Bristle Nine Yang Divine Art and started to refine that mass of essence energy.
What surprised Ye Yuan was that the nameless energy really reacted!
Before long, the nameless energy was actually refined into essence energy. It made Ye Yuan's boundary loosen up a trace. This made Ye Yuan very surprised.
Although Ye Yuan had killed many demonic beasts, the nameless energy obtained was an extremely, extremely tiny speck.
Ye Yuan internally viewed that trace of essence energy. It seemed to be a little different from the essence energy that he originally cultivated. But just how was it different, Ye Yuan could not determine it.
To really say it out, Ye Yuan had a feeling that this kind of essence energy seemed to be even more powerful than the essence energy which he previously cultivated!
"This type of energy can actually promote essence energy. Then wouldn't I be able to use this energy to undergo cultivation? Guo Taoqun said that this first level did not have any additional rewards. Could it be that this is the first level's hidden boon? It's just that this type of energy . . Just what in the world is it? Why is it that even I haven't heard of it before?"
Ye Yuan thought for a long time and could not figure out the reason why either.
But he felt that this energy should not be harmful to the human body. Hence, he made a bold decision: kill off all the demonic beasts in the first level!
Since this type of energy could increase cultivation, how could Ye Yuan let it slip by?
"When soldiers arrive, use a general to keep them off. When water rises, build a dam with earth. If some problem were to really occur, just think of ways to resolve it in the future!"
. . . . . .
Outside the Vast Heaven pagoda, those sects' old ancestors all stared at the light screen, wanting to see to what extent their own juniors had progressed to.
"Somebody entered the second level!"
"En? Who is Liu Hong? He's actually the first one to enter the second level!"
"The first to rush into the second level is actually not the Three Sects' head disciples? Where did this Liu Hong pop out from?"
. . . . . .
The second level was totally empty right now. Therefore, Liu Hong's name was very conspicuous.
This name appeared abruptly, making everyone all feel somewhat caught off-guard. Because before this, simply no one had heard of this name.
The expressions of the Three Sects' old ancestors were very ugly. They had a feeling of getting their faces slapped.
It was fine if Ye Yuan was monstrous. Where did this Liu Hong pop out from? To actually prevail over the Three Sects?
One had to know that Qin Yan and Guo Taoqun they all were at the Soul Sea Realm now. Among the junior generation, they should be sweeping away everyone else. But now, they were actually surpassed by an unknown boy!
"I have some impression of this Liu Hong. Seems to be an itinerant cultivator. During the itinerant martial artists' selection, this person's performance was remarkably astonishing; he directly overwhelmed everybody and obtained the right to enter the Vast Heaven Pagoda with the status of the first place! To think that he still held back during the selections. His strength is actually so formidable!"said a Heavenly Martial Sect's grand elder.
He was the main examiner-in-charge of the itinerant cultivators' selection and had some impression of this Liu Hong.
"Quickly look! Qin Yan the three of them virtually rushed into the second level at the same time!" At this time, somebody exclaimed.
Only after seeing Qin Yan trio entering the second level closely behind Liu Hong did the expressions on the three old ancestors' faces become slightly better.
Chapter 553 - Blunder
Although the first one to rush into the second level might not mean that he was definitely the strongest one, to a certain extent, it also ill.u.s.trated many problems.
Hence, for that Liu Hong to be able to be the first one to rush into the second level, it at least showed that his strength was very formidable.
"I didn't think that among the itinerant cultivators, a genius junior actually appeared too!" Qi Hai stroked his beard and smiled.
To the present Endless World, the more geniuses like this, the better things would be.
"Humph! Might just be a moment of luck!" Qin Hongtao said with a cold snort.
More and more names vanished from the first level. Ren Xingchun's eyebrows could not help knitting together.
He kept on staring at Ye Yuan's name. But Ye Yuan's name did not have any signs of moving throughout. Regardless of how the other people's names moved, Ye Yuan's name remained in the first level from start to end.
At this time, somebody reacted to it as well and asked, "En? Where's Ye Yuan? With his strength, he should have entered the second level long ago, right?"
"His name is still at the first level. I wonder what happened," Ning Yixian said.
"No way, right? Ye Yuan is able to kill a Soul Sea Realm expert on his own. How can he possibly be trapped at the first level?"
"Maybe he got delayed because of some matter?"
"There's nothing in the first level. Can be held up by what? Is it possible that . . . Ye Yuan can kill Soul Sea Realm experts because his explosive power is very great. But to charge into the second level, what's required is abundant essence energy and lasting endurance. On
this aspect, Ye Yuan is just a Second Level Sea Transformation. He'll probably be at a disadvantage!"
What this person said was reasonable. Many people could not help falling silent when they heard that.
Ren Xingchun's expression was very ugly. He thought very highly of Ye Yuan and felt that Ye Yuan would bring him a tremendous surprise.
If Ye Yuan already fell behind in the first level, the difficulty of the levels at the back would be increasingly greater. How was Ye Yuan going to pass through?
Ren Xingchun looked previously already. Cao Fang was already eliminated in the first level. Although Ren Dong made it into the second level, he was placed rather behind in terms of timing.
If even Ye Yuan failed, then Wu Fang City would be utterly disgraced!
"Sigh. In the end, this Vast Heaven Pagoda is still too much for Sea Transformation Realms!"
"Passing through this Vast Heaven Pagoda's checkpoints need to be done in one breath! The more one drags, the less favorable! If Ye Yuan he continues dawdling, once his essence energy is exhausted, it will likely be very tough to push through the first level!"
"I really didn't expect that a heaven's chosen like Ye Yuan would actually suffer a crushing defeat in the first level!"
For a time, the people surrounding and spectating all discussed in low voices. With the passing of time, they were clearly less and less optimistic about Ye Yuan.
People's hearts were always like this. Ye Yuan rose up extremely fast like a comet. Some of the sects' old ancestors more or less still had some jealousy in their hearts.
Now, seeing Ye Yuan about to be eliminated in the first level, although they would not express it too obviously, there was still some gloating in their words and between the lines.
How could Ren Xingchun not discern the gloating over other people's misfortunes in these people's words? He was even more panicky in his heart.
Ye Yuan, what the hell are you doing?! Could it be that with your strength, you can't even make it past the first level? Ren Xingchun said anxiously in his heart.
Time slowly trickled by. The names remaining in the first level became progressively lesser.
But among these people, practically nobody could charge into the second level. The names all directly vanished. Evidently, they were already sent out by the Vast Heaven Pagoda.
Finally, the last name in the first level apart from Ye Yuan's vanished, kicked out by the Vast Heaven Pagoda.
In the first level, only Ye Yuan alone was left!
At this time, the second level was densely covered with people, while in the first level, Ye Yuan's name became extremely eye-catching.
"Ye Yuan's strength is still very powerful among Sea Transformation Realms. He actually persisted for a day and night already! It's just that, who knows how long he can sustain in the end! The first level has a time restriction of only three days. If one is unable to make it to the second level within three days, they will still get kicked out by the Vast Heaven Pagoda."
"The demonic beasts around the entrance to the second level will become increasingly more. For Ye Yuan to want to make it through, it's probably riddled with numerous difficulties!"
. . . . . .
Different from how these people imagined, the demonic beasts around the entrance to the second level was already less than lesser!
In the first level, only Ye Yuan alone was left. He had free rein and unleashed the Thousand Flowing Petals, willfully reaping the lives of those demonic beasts.
The petals which filled the sky were like locusts. Areas they passed through, no living thing was spared!
Ye Yuan initially thought that these demonic beasts could not be killed completely. But after he slaughtered for an entire day, he finally noticed that these demonic beasts became thinly scattered.
Very clearly, the number of the demonic beasts was reducing!
Furthermore, Ye Yuan discovered that these demonic beasts would automatically converge at the entrance to the second level to attempt to stop him from entering the second level.
However, Ye Yuan's goal was not the second level at all. It was to kill these demonic beasts to obtain that nameless energy.
"I wonder what kind of effect there will be by killing all the demonic beasts in the first level!" Ye Yuan said with a loud laugh.
Of course, increasingly lesser was just relatively speaking.
Around Ye Yuan, there were still countless demonic beasts surrounding him now. Even if Ye Yuan wanted to break out of the encirclement now, it was already impractical.
At this time, there were already no other martial artists in the first level. Just Ye Yuan alone left.
And these demonic beasts seemed to sense it, converging around Ye Yuan unceasingly.
Even though the total number of demonic beasts was reducing, in the radius of the local area, the demonic beasts were increasingly more!
But Ye Yuan did not mind at all. These demonic beasts were entirely unable to approach his body.
. . . . . .
Just like this, Ye Yuan spent two days constantly in the midst of slaughter!
Only Ye Yuan could sustain for two days under such a high-intensity essence energy consumption.
If it were others, they would have died long ago from essence energy exhaustion.
Since he wanted to kill off all the demonic beasts, Ye Yuan naturally made preparations long ago. Hence, he was very sparing when using essence energy.
But, even so, his essence energy was already close to rock-bottom at the end of these two days.
The demonic beasts became lesser and lesser, but Ye Yuan's attacks clearly became sluggish too.
"Huff . . . Looks like I still have to expend one medicinal pill!" Ye Yuan said helplessly.
He initially thought that he could rely on his body's essence energy to sustain. Who knew that the number of demonic beasts in this first level was too terrifying. Slaughtered for two days and did not finish killing either!
At this time, if Ye Yuan still did not consume medicinal pills to restore essence energy, he was already unable to carry on sustaining.
Ye Yuan's finger twitched. A medicinal pill appeared in his hand.
Yet, just as Ye Yuan was planning on swallowing the medicinal pill, a scene which left him dumbfounded occurred!
That medicinal pill was actually like weathered away by the wind, breaking down into powder!
A light breeze blew, and it vanished.
"F*ck me! No way, right? Could it be that inside this Vast Heaven Pagoda, usage of medicinal pills isn't allowed? Why didn't anyone tell me before!" Ye Yuan could not refrain from cursing.
Unreconciled, Ye Yuan took out a medicinal pill again. Indeed, it was immediately eroded by the wind!
"This time, I really made a blunder!" Ye Yuan stared wide-eyed and his mouth agape at the thing that happened before his eyes as he said with a bitter smile.
Chapter 554 - Instant-Cast Martial Technique!
Ye Yuan daring to fight a battle of attrition here, his greatest reliance was medicinal pills.
But Ye Yuan never would have expected that this Vast Heaven Pagoda could actually erode the medicinal pills that he refined with just the wind.
This was simply something unheard of!
Without medicinal pills to replenish essence energy, Ye Yuan's essence energy was going to be depleted very soon.
This was still his first time encountering such a bizarre thing. For a moment, he did not know what he should do either.
Could it be that he was really going to be killed by these Tier 2 demonic beasts because of essence energy exhaustion?
If he was transported outside, wouldn't it become the entire Endless World's joke?
Even though Ye Yuan did not care about other people's views, this kind of failing method, even he himself was unable to accept it too.
"Damn it! Fight it out!"
Ye Yuan gritted his teeth and completely erupted all of his remaining essence energy!
For a time, innumerable
petals enveloped Ye Yuan.
At the same time, Ye Yuan pushed the Spirit Bristle Nine Yang Divine Art to the limits, refining the nameless energy that was absorbed into his body!
The process of martial artists' cultivation was actually the process of splitting open the dantian.
When not using martial techniques, the circulation of the essence energy in the body would form a circulatory cycle, reaching a delicate equilibrium with the outside world's heaven and earth quintessence.
But once martial techniques were used, the expenditure of essence energy within the martial artist's body would increase drastically. The speed of converting the outside world's quintessence to become the essence energy within the body simply could not catch up to the speed of consumption.
The more powerful the martial technique, the more enormous the expenditure on essence energy. Replenishing it would become slower.
Even though Ye Yuan's control regarding essence energy was extremely great, for a martial technique like the Thousand Flowing Petals, the consumption was very large too.
Only Ye Yuan could utilize this martial technique for two days straight.
At this time, Ye Yuan's absorption speed already could not keep up with the consumption speed. Only by refining these nameless energies into essence energy could he resolve the imminent danger.
Through two days of absorbing, inside Ye Yuan's body already acc.u.mulated considerable nameless energy.
But in comparison to Ye Yuan's current expenditure, the nameless energy converted to become essence energy was just as if trying to put out a cartload of burning logs with a cup of water.
But right now, Ye Yuan already did not have other alternatives. He could only make a last attempt to remedy a hopeless situation. Lasting a while longer was a while. At least it was better than being exhausted to death, right?
It was better than being kicked out by the Vast Heaven Pagoda, and then him explaining to others that he postured, wanting to kill finish all the demonic beasts in the first level. And that this resulted to his essence energy being depleted and him getting killed by demonic beasts