At this moment.
Upon Ye Yunfei's peak.
Inside the palace.
Inside the refining cauldron, fire blazed fiercely.
Ye Yunfei sat cross-legged before the cauldron, patiently controlling the heat within. In truth, the patience required for artifact refinement exceeded that needed for alchemy. Therefore, Ye Yunfei wasn't in a hurry. He waited slowly.
Finally, after two days.
Buzz…
Within the cauldron, the five long swords began to vibrate intensely, like five serpent-dragons of different colors whirling and circling within the cauldron's space.
"One last step remains," Ye Yunfei said to himself.
Artifact refinement often required using the artisan's own essence blood to consecrate the artifact. In this way, the refined magical treasure would possess greater spirituality and power. And because it contained the artisan's own essence blood, controlling it would also become more seamless.
Ye Yunfei tapped a finger on his chest. A stream of blood shot forth, splashing onto the five long swords inside the cauldron.
Buzz…
The five long swords erupted with even more astonishing sword radiance, their humming rising to a crescendo, like five serpent-dragons roaring to the heavens.
At a certain moment.
Finally.
Buzz…
The five long swords soared into the sky, instantly shredding the palace's roof into fragments and shooting straight into the clouds. Beams of sword radiance tore through the sky.
Five swords of different colors, like five serpent-dragons, soared joyfully across the heavens. At that moment, within Hudao Academy, countless gazes stared with mouths agape in shock at the five swords high in the sky.
"Could it be enemies are attacking again?" Many students couldn't help but think with nervous palpitations of fear. The great battle two days prior had left a deep impression on these students.
"Boss!
It must be Boss!" From within his small courtyard, Wu Heishan raised his head and shouted excitedly. Having seen Ye Yunfei wield these five spirit swords before, he recognized them immediately.
"Could it be Dean Ye?" Xie Changkong, the six Guardian Elders, and Dean Zhou all looked up, speaking with astonishment and bewilderment.
"Is it possible… Dean Ye knows artifact refinement? Impossible! Artifact refiners have long vanished from the Tianxuan Continent. It must be a mistaken thought." A notion of sheer disbelief flashed through Xie Changkong's mind, but he quickly shook his head, dismissing it.
"Not bad. Refining dozens of Desolate Artifacts into these five spirit swords has indeed made them much more powerful." Ye Yunfei stood with hands clasped behind his back, looking up at the five spirit swords hanging high in the air, nodding in satisfaction.
"Return!" Ye Yunfei uttered a soft command.
Swoosh…
The five spirit swords descended from the heavens, plunging into Ye Yunfei's body and vanishing from sight.
"Time to raise my spirit power realm," Ye Yunfei murmured.
Thus, Ye Yunfei entered a secluded cultivation chamber within the palace and then stepped into the Phantom Tower. The flow of time inside the Phantom Tower differed from the outside world, granting Ye Yunfei ample time for cultivation.
In the blink of an eye.
Another day passed.
Upon Dean Shangguan's peak.
Inside a secluded cultivation chamber.
Boom!
A torrent of majestic spirit power surged outwards, instantly filling the entire chamber, threatening to burst it apart.
"I've broken through!
Hahaha…
I'm now at the Second-Level Grotto-Heaven Realm!" Dean Shangguan's laughter carried far and wide.
After consuming two Heaven-Horn Origin Elixirs, he had cultivated for only three days before breaking through!
Swish, swish…
Figures with imposing auras landed upon Dean Shangguan's peak. Xie Changkong, the six Guardian Elders, and Dean Zhou—these topmost leaders of the academy—had all arrived.
Dean Shangguan also emerged from his chamber.
"Dean Shangguan! Not only are your injuries fully healed, but you've also made a breakthrough! This is nothing short of a miracle!" Xie Changkong sensed the spirit power fluctuations emanating from Dean Shangguan, feeling both pleasantly surprised yet somewhat unable to believe it.
"Indeed! Dean Shangguan, the speed of your recovery is far too fast; it's downright astonishing!" The other leaders also spoke in shock.
"The reason my injuries healed so swiftly and I could break through… is entirely due to Dean Ye," Dean Shangguan replied with a smile. Currently, his mood was excellent.
"Because of Dean Ye?" The other leaders were momentarily stunned.
"Correct. Dean Ye gave me five healing treasure pills, allowing my injuries to fully recover in half a day. He also gave me two treasure pills to aid cultivation, enabling me to break through within three days," Dean Shangguan answered.
"What tier were these treasure pills?" Xie Changkong couldn't help but ask.
"All were Second-Grade Treasure Pills. However, their efficacy far surpassed that of ordinary Second-Grade pills."
"Ah, right. Dean Zhou, these two treasure pills are for you, from Dean Ye. I consumed two pills just like these and broke through within three days. You should return to secluded cultivation immediately; see if you can achieve a breakthrough." Dean Shangguan took out two Heaven-Horn Origin Elixirs and handed them to Dean Zhou.
"I have some too?!" Dean Zhou was overjoyed. He immediately received the two treasure pills with both hands, his breathing becoming heavy. Stuck at the First-Level Grotto-Heaven Realm for nearly a decade, seeing the hope of a breakthrough suddenly ignited intense excitement within him.
"They are indeed Second-Grade Treasure Pills, but… I have never seen such pills before," Xie Changkong remarked after examining them.
"What are these pills called?" The six Guardian Elders were also extremely curious, for they had never seen them either.
There simply was no recipe for the Heaven-Horn Origin Elixir on the Tianxuan Continent. Let alone the upper echelons of Hudao Academy, even the ancient alchemists of the Central Continent's Dan Pagoda probably wouldn't recognize the origins of these treasure pills.
"I don't know either. Dean Ye just handed these pills to me and said nothing more," Dean Shangguan said with a bitter smile.
"I'm returning to secluded cultivation first!" By now, Dean Zhou could hardly contain himself. He soared into the air, rushing back towards his own peak.
"Dean Ye is truly too mysterious. Even I cannot see through him," Xie Changkong said with a wry smile.
"However, one thing is certain. Dean Ye is a rare and monstrous genius among the younger generation. Otherwise, our Academy's Founder would not have chosen him," one Guardian Elder stated.
"True." The other leaders all nodded in agreement.
Time flew by.
In the blink of an eye, another three days passed.
Upon Ye Yunfei's peak.
Inside the secluded cultivation chamber, within the Phantom Tower.
Ye Yunfei sat cross-legged.
Boom…
Suddenly, a powerful spiritual pressure erupted from Ye Yunfei's body.
"Middle phase of Yuan Foundation Realm. Let's leave it at that for now." Ye Yunfei slowly opened his eyes and spoke.
Through this session of secluded cultivation, Ye Yunfei's spirit power realm had directly broken through from the middle phase of Condensation Truth Realm to the middle phase of Yuan Foundation Realm.
Nearly at the same moment.
Upon Dean Zhou's peak.
Inside a secluded cultivation chamber.
Boom…
A mighty spiritual pressure, like a collapsing mountain or raging sea, erupted from within Dean Zhou's body.
"I've finally broken through!
Second-Level Grotto-Heaven Realm!" Dean Zhou roared in exhilaration.
Xie Changkong and the other academy leaders had been keeping an eye on the situation at Dean Zhou's location these past few days. Therefore, they were the first to move, rushing over as fast as they could, landing upon Dean Zhou's peak.
"Dean Shangguan! Those two treasure pills Dean Ye gave… they are too miraculous! I also broke through in just three days!" Dean Zhou ran out from his chamber, crying out excitedly.
"How truly miraculous!" Xie Changkong, the six Guardian Elders, and Dean Shangguan all exclaimed in wonder.