Chapter 104: Further Increase in Strength

Inside the small cabin, Ye Cheng remained seated cross-legged on the stone bed. The pile of blood cores surrounding him had turned transparent, their vital essence completely drained by his absorption.

Waves of blood energy surged and swirled within his body. Ye Cheng’s inhalation was like a vortex, his exhalation like a whirlpool. He operated the Spirit Devouring Art repeatedly, filtering and refining the energy within. He discarded the impurities from the devoured blood essence, retaining only the most potent essence to be kneaded into the blood energy naturally generated by his own body.

Eighty blood-lines emerged across his skin. The past few days of gorging on blood essence had caused his energy to swell more than twofold. Yet, this energy still felt somewhat shallow—after all, it was not gained through his own diligent cultivation, but forced into him by the Spirit Devouring Art.

Even after refining the final strand of blood energy, Ye Cheng did not stop. He intended to strike while the iron was hot, compressing the energy to forge a Star Blood Crystal. He understood that the only way to resolve the instability of his current state was to compress the energy and condense these crystals. By continuously compressing the blood essence, he could maximize its density, thereby exponentially increasing its power.

"Condense!"

A quiet command echoed in his mind. The refined blood energy within him surged once more; as it roiled, the air around Ye Cheng began to hum in response to the vibrations. This was a phenomenon that occurred only when the volume of blood energy reached a terrifying threshold. Currently, the capacity of Ye Cheng’s blood energy was equivalent to the combined total of six or seven peak Blood Energy Realm martial artists.

A talented martial artist who fully exhausted their physical potential might manage to condense seventy blood-lines, which was already an exceptional feat. Their bodies would reach saturation, unable to hold more—much like a cup filled to the brim, where any additional water would simply spill over.

However, those with special constitutions like Ye Cheng’s possessed countless spirit meridians and unfathomable potential. Such individuals were naturally advantaged and highly likely to reach the Great Perfection of the Blood Energy Realm.

Compressing blood energy did not actually take long, provided one could form the embryonic vortex at the Dantian. During his first attempt, it had taken Ye Cheng several days to master this, but with that experience, he was now highly proficient. He effortlessly constructed the vortex at his Dantian, where countless strands of blood energy were wound, stripped of impurities, and compressed into an increasingly solid form.

Within his Dantian, alongside the two already-formed Star Blood Crystals, a third crystal was rapidly taking shape—a five-faceted, crystalline structure. At the edge of the Dantian, a ball of crimson flame lay dormant: the Ember.

"One Star Blood Crystal!" After the span of an incense stick, a hint of joy appeared on Ye Cheng’s face. The vortex had vanished, replaced by three circulating blood crystals pulsing with immense power.

"The speed of condensing these crystals is dozens of times faster than last time." Ye Cheng was satisfied with his progress. He was not surprised, however, as his previous attempt had been largely spent in trial and error. This time, he had followed a proven method, skipping the exploratory phase entirely.

"The teacher’s calculations were truly precise. I only used half of the energy to condense this one, and there is still plenty left. Enough to forge yet another," Ye Cheng thought, sensing the remaining compressed energy flowing through his limbs.

He paused for a moment, glancing through the cabin window at the sky. "It must be the day of the competition, but judging by the light, the sun has only just risen. There is still some time." Although he had remained in the cabin for four days, he kept a keen awareness of the passage of time whenever he emerged from his meditative state. Moreover, he knew the Nangong family would notify him, so there was no risk of missing the event. Since condensing a crystal took only an hour, he decided to forge one more.

He was unaware that outside his cabin door, two delicate young women were hesitating, debating whether to knock.

...

In a pavilion belonging to the Nangong family, Nangong Xue sat by an ice bed, her beautiful eyes fixed on the middle-aged man in embroidered robes lying upon it. "Father," she whispered, "when will you finally wake up?"

Nangong Xiong offered no response. Though the black mist had been purged and the poison of the Five-Insect Powder dispelled, and despite his healthy, rosy complexion, he remained in a deep slumber.

"Little Xue, the competition begins in just over two hours. You should prepare yourself to head to the martial arena," Nangong Hao said as he entered the room.

"Grandfather Hao, it has been days. Why hasn't Father woken up? Is something wrong?" Nangong Xue asked anxiously.

Nangong Hao stepped forward, placing two fingers on Nangong Xiong’s wrist to probe his condition with his spiritual sense. Once a martial artist entered the Origin Realm, they developed spiritual sense; as their cultivation grew, this sense expanded. Upon reaching the Spirit Origin Realm, this would evolve into divine sense, capable of unseen attacks—killing with a mere thought.

After a moment, Nangong Hao withdrew his hand and smiled. "Do not worry. Your father is perfectly fine; he simply needs a little more time."

Nangong Xue nodded, relieved.

"By the way, that young man you brought back has not appeared yet. He is likely still in meditation and has lost track of time. Go and fetch him; we leave shortly," Nangong Hao instructed.

"Yes, of course."

Nangong Xue rose and left the pavilion, heading toward the bamboo grove where Ye Cheng was sequestered. Watching her leave, Nangong Hao wore an intriguing smile. "This girl is always so cold to the younger generation, but she seems quite different when it comes to this young man." He glanced once more at the ice bed before turning to depart.

He did not notice that, after he left, the eyelashes of the man on the ice bed flickered ever so slightly.