After leaving behind a statement that stunned the entire hall, Ye Chen turned and left without looking back, heading straight for the family's back mountain.
This was always his favorite place to be. Here, he could see the clear azure sky and drifting clouds, and more importantly, he could quietly ponder matters unknown to others.
Lying in the grass with a blade of grass between his teeth, gazing up at the starry sky, Ye Chen felt no regret over today's wager with Yang Yi. Although leaping from the third level of the Houtian realm to the eighth level within nine months was somewhat difficult, it posed no real problem for him.
Because he possessed the memories of his past life—this was his greatest weapon for rising in this life, bar none.
With the memories of his past life, even though his dantian was shattered and his cultivation lost in this life, he could still find a way to reach the pinnacle of the Great Dao.
Yet, as he gazed at the sky, he suddenly missed the close friends and confidants from his past life.
Sixteen years had passed in the blink of an eye. He didn't know how his old friends from those days were faring, nor did he know whether those few beauties with whom he had exchanged mountain and sea vows, who had shared life and death with him, were still shedding silent tears under the night sky, missing him constantly.
All of this made him miss them even more, hoping to return to their side as soon as possible.
After letting out a deep sigh, Ye Chen suddenly turned his head toward the pitch-black woods not far away and said, "Father, you've come."
Although his cultivation was only at the third level of the Houtian realm, after awakening and merging with his past life's soul, his perception far exceeded his current realm, allowing him to sense even the subtlest fluctuations.
From the dark woods, a middle-aged man walked out slowly. He seemed slightly surprised that Ye Chen could sense his presence, but as he looked at his son's face, a rare trace of affection appeared on his usually stern countenance. He said softly, "Chen'er, it's so late and you're not asleep yet. Be careful not to catch a chill."
His gaze fell on Ye Ao's authoritative face. Although this wasn't his real father, perhaps due to the blood ties of this body, Ye Chen—an orphan in his past life who lacked familial affection—felt a sudden urge to tear up.
Turning his head away so his father wouldn't notice his emotional state, he said softly, "Father, I'm looking at the stars, missing some people... missing those whom I don't know if I'll ever have the chance to see again in this life."
Ye Ao was taken aback. He rarely saw Ye Chen in such a melancholic state, yet he didn't know whom his son was missing. He let out a soft sigh, unsure how to respond.
After a moment of silence, Ye Ao suddenly said, "Chen'er, in nine months, it will be the trial day for Tian Du Academy. You needn't have so many concerns. If the Clear Spirit Pill is gone, then it's gone. After all, they are merely external possessions, nothing of great importance. As the family head, I doubt those old fellows would dare do anything to me."
"So, as long as you are safe and well, that's all that matters. All external things are unimportant. Your father views them lightly."
Ye Chen trembled slightly as he looked at this middle-aged man who always appeared stern in front of others, yet only showed concern in front of him and his mother.
Clearly, he believed today's actions were merely Ye Chen's momentary impulse. If Ye Chen regretted it, he would simply step down as family head and city lord.
Although the position of Luo Feng City's lord was quite prestigious, compared to family... it was insignificant.
Ye Chen's eyes reddened slightly, and he felt the urge to cry. But a man does not shed tears lightly, so he held back the stinging in his eyes and smiled faintly. "Father, don't worry. I will work hard. In nine months, I will definitely pass the trial for Tian Du Academy!"
Unaware of Ye Chen's true circumstances, Ye Ao merely thought this was his son comforting him. Reaching the qualification line for Tian Du Academy's trial within nine months—how was that possible? Yet, unwilling to crush the confidence in cultivation that his son had only managed to rebuild after his suicide attempt, he could only sigh inwardly and gently patted his head. "Alright, it's late. Go back and rest. In the future, if you lack anything, just tell your father. I will support you with all my might."
"Mm..."
A soft sound, worth more than a thousand words. Perhaps this was what true paternal love felt like.
Ye Chen clenched his fists tightly. No matter the reason, this care alone was enough to drive him to strive, to not let his father down.
To truly become strong, the first step was to repair his dantian.
The dantian was the most crucial cultivation site for a cultivator in the early stages. It could store the energy cultivated.
Once shattered, it almost meant that this person's cultivation path for life was ruined.
Of course, this was only true for ordinary people. But for a master alchemist like him, a shattered dantian was no problem at all—there were plenty of ways to repair it.
However, before Ye Chen could even think of a way to repair his dantian, he discovered that over the years, his originally shattered dantian had, for some unknown reason, slowly healed, recovered, and reassembled itself. By now, it had been restored to its original state.
This was also the reason why the last bit of power in his body had never dissipated. It continued to circulate at a pace so slow it was almost imperceptible, maintaining the Great Heavenly Cycle.
This fact greatly surprised Ye Chen. Even after searching through all his memories and inviting famous physicians upon his return, nothing had worked. Yet later, his dantian had mysteriously and autonomously recovered. This was indeed strange.
It was from this point that Ye Chen began to suspect there was something unusual about his physique.
Thud—
While lost in thought in the courtyard, he missed a step while turning a corner and nearly fell. If he hadn't quickly reached out to grab a corner of the rockery, he would have truly taken a tumble—how embarrassing that would have been. Only his finger was scratched.
"Look, isn't that the useless young master? What a disgrace, nearly falling just from walking."
"Hehe, keep your voice down. Don't let him hear, or you might be in for trouble."
"True. Although he's useless, he does have a good father after all."
Some servants were whispering among themselves, pointing from a distance, not believing Ye Chen could hear them. Unfortunately, after merging with his past life's memories, his perception had grown much stronger. Even a fly passing by ten zhang away couldn't escape his notice.
This was his treatment in the Ye family—the treatment of a useless person. Even servants dared to point and whisper about him.
Ye Chen could only smile wryly at this. Life had really taken a turn for the worse. A few years ago, these servants had regarded him as a true young master, their gazes filled with reverence. But once he became a cripple, even the servants no longer held him in any regard.
Indeed, no matter where you went, strength was what commanded respect.
"Hmm?" Ye Chen suddenly let out a sound of surprise because he noticed that the blood flowing from the wound on his finger faintly shimmered with an obscure golden glow, exceptionally eye-catching.
"How strange. Could it be that I have some special physique?" Ye Chen was secretly astonished. Remembering the mysterious recovery of his dantian, he immediately examined a drop of blood carefully.
Under the sunlight, a drop of blood lay quietly in his palm, utterly ordinary.
Yet, with his powerful perception, he discovered that deep within the blood, faint traces of obscure golden radiance were flowing. If one didn't look closely, it would be impossible to notice.
"Blood with a golden hue?"
Ye Chen was greatly shocked. Moreover, with his powerful perception, he could distinctly sense that beneath the blood, there seemed to be a vast and terrifying power lying dormant, full of potential, yet never awakened, no different from ordinary blood.
He felt that once this bloodline was unlocked, it would unleash tremendous potential, even accompanied by formidable power.
In the myriad realms, there was no lack of wonders. There always existed some special physiques, innately and astonishingly powerful. Once the bloodline was activated, it reached a world-shaking level, surpassing Martial Gods and Heavenly Gods as if it were nothing.
There were even some people born with unimaginable strength.
Given who Ye Chen was in his past life, he naturally knew a great deal about this. And in this life, he might very well be one of them.
He studied it carefully until, after a long while, even he couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath. Only then did he shockingly discover a fact filled with overwhelming impact—
Innate Sacred Body!