In the Xuanhuang Star Domain, even the four major powers of the Sacred Domain found it difficult to produce a single Ninth-Grade Dao Pill. But among the dozen or so jade vials Ye Yunfei had taken out, each one contained several Ninth-Grade Dao Pills—adding up to over a score in total!
"Young Friend Ye, where did you get so many Ninth-Grade Dao Pills?"
Chu Ji wondered if he was seeing things.
"How many medium-grade innate treasures can these Ninth-Grade Dao Pills exchange for?" Ye Yunfei asked.
"At least ten pieces.
However, you should be mentally prepared. Although each of these Ninth-Grade Dao Pills is a priceless treasure, on the battlefield, medium-grade innate treasures are far more useful.
Therefore, in these turbulent times, the dozens of Ninth-Grade Dao Pills can probably exchange for five or six pieces at most.
Is that acceptable to you?"
Chu Ji said.
"Yes, I'll trouble you with this."
Ye Yunfei nodded.
These Ninth-Grade Dao Pills were extremely precious to others, but for Ye Yunfei, they were nothing special.
"Good.
I'll go help you exchange for them now!
Wait here."
Chu Ji flicked his sleeves, sweeping up the dozen-plus jade vials Ye Yunfei had produced, then left the palace.
Ye Yunfei sat cross-legged within the palace.
Less than half an hour later, Chu Ji returned.
"Young Friend Ye, mission accomplished. Here are six medium-grade innate treasures."
Chu Ji handed the six medium-grade innate treasures to Ye Yunfei.
"Senior Chu, thank you."
Ye Yunfei stored away the six treasures, feeling a surge of gratitude.
"No need to thank me.
In two days, we'll engage in a decisive battle with the Pang Clan's Expeditionary Army. I hope you can lend your strength to our Five-Domain Allied Army by then."
Chu Ji looked at Ye Yunfei.
"Rest assured, I will contribute," Ye Yunfei affirmed before leaving the palace.
"What a mysterious young man!" Chu Ji watched Ye Yunfei's retreating figure with a sigh.
Returning to his own tent, Ye Yunfei entered the Phantom Tower and retrieved a forging cauldron, five spirit swords, and five medium-grade innate treasures to begin reforging the swords.
He now possessed nine medium-grade innate treasures in total, reserving four for his Imperial Realm slaves, as they formed the backbone of his current forces.
Ye Yunfei suddenly realized just how important it was to nurture his own people. Relying solely on individual effort left many things unresolved—for example, even his father had been captured by others!
For the next two days, Ye Yunfei focused on forging. He successfully melted and infused the five medium-grade innate treasures into the five spirit swords.
All five swords were now medium-grade innate treasures!
Clang! Clang!
The five swords hovered around Ye Yunfei, radiating cold, oppressive sword aura that made the surrounding temperature drop sharply.
"The power of the Five Elements Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation I can currently wield should be enough to defeat a late-stage Imperial Realm expert," Ye Yunfei mused. "Although if my opponent also possesses a medium-grade innate treasure, the battle would likely drag on."
The sword array's power was tied to the user's energy reserves and the grade of the spirit swords. Yet Ye Yunfei knew that his current strength was far from enough to unleash the array's fullest potential.
"I wonder how many variations of the Five Elements Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation I can execute now."
Ye Yunfei glanced at the five swords, then shouted: "Five Elements Sword Intent!"
Clang!
The five swords slashed simultaneously.
Around one sword, a multitude of brilliant flames erupted and roared.
Around another, torrents of blue seawater appeared, endlessly surging.
Around a third, dense vegetation sprouted with lush vitality.
Around a fourth, the spectral images of massive, unbearably heavy mountains loomed.
Around the fifth, an overwhelming assembly of spectral spears, swords, and halberds chimed and resounded—showcasing the Five Elements transformations of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth!
Boom!
The five swords advanced through different angles. In moments, the space ahead teemed with bewildering elemental manifestations, making it impossible to distinguish the blades themselves.
With a wave of his hand, Ye Yunfei recalled the swords and scattered the spectacle entirely.
"Five Swords Unite!"
Pointing a finger, Ye Yunfei condensed the swords into a single massive blade thirty feet long. It tore through space with formidable sword intent radiating outwards.
Then he whispered: "Sword Division Technique!"
Swoosh!
One after another, streams of sword aura poured from the five blades, assembling into hundreds and thousands of identical swords densely encircling Ye Yunfei.
Every replicated blade was indistinguishable from the originals in form and aura—utterly blurring the line between real swords and projected qi.
"For now, three variations suffice," Ye Yunfei declared, calling back the swords until only the five remained.
Having stowed away the blades, he muttered: "Next: cultivate the Gluttonous Beast." A resplendent ring rose behind him, out of which a massive beast—the Gluttonous Beast—leaped forth.
"This time, I must drive its combat power up a level at any cost!"
He stacked masses of crystals, herbs, pills, and exotic treasures into mounds surrounding him.
Whoosh!
The Gluttonous Beast opened its maw wide and began devouring the resources.
A torrent of precious materials streamed into its belly.
The wealth Ye Yunfei had acquired back at the Divine Fall Land was simply staggering—just the items gifted by the Daoist in the Nine-Headed Blood Domain and the Ancient Medicine Clan's patriarch amounted to a veritable fortune!
Boom!
As the Gluttonous Beast devoured increasingly vast quantities of resources, the energy aura radiating from its colossal body intensified dramatically.
In time—two months inside the Phantom Tower—almost one-third of Ye Yunfei's treasury had been consumed by the beast, a sobering expenditure that pricked at his heart.
Yet the Gluttonous Beast's power soared accordingly!
Roar!
It thundered into the void with devastating presence.
"Good—its current strength should be enough to defeat a late-stage Imperial Realm opponent," Ye Yunfei said wryly. "Just barely, considering the fortune it's gobbled up."
"Combining all my techniques, killing a late-stage Imperial Realm expert is nothing difficult now.
But from here on, Star Bridge Realm enemies will likely be my main opposition. So my current strength still isn't quite enough."
Ye Yunfei's brows furrowed briefly.
"At least I can console myself that Star Bridge Realm early-stage foes can no longer crush me with spiritual pressure alone. Even if I can't win against an early-stage Star Bridge Realm expert, escaping through space is always an option.
Meanwhile, Jade Tree Greenwood Emperor Body's perfected realm makes me exceptionally resilient—even Star Bridge Realm mid-stage experts would find it difficult to kill me.
Only when facing late-stage Star Bridge Realm enemies do I need to be cautious and avoid approaching directly, lest I'm trapped."
He sighed, murmuring: "Next, it's time to practice the Nine Tombs Borrowing Heaven Fist properly. Its power exceeds even that of the Five Elements Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation."
For the next month inside the Phantom Tower, Ye Yunfei repeatedly drilled the Nine Tombs Borrowing Heaven Fist.
Then he emerged from the Phantom Tower—only to feel a faint silver light abruptly streak toward his forehead as soon as he returned to his tent.
"Sneak attack!"
Ye Yunfei's face hardened as he instantly activated his Heavenly Shadow Robe and retreated explosively.
Another silver light shot directly at the back of his head.