Chapter Twenty-Three: Entering the World

After refining the medicinal power of the second Essence Pill, Ye Yun’s brows furrowed once more. Its effect was clearly inferior to the first, at most equivalent to ten days of arduous cultivation. He did not continue taking the Essence Pills to cultivate but rose to his feet and paced the study. Drawing upon his memory, he took out an old, yellow-paged book from the shelf and flipped it open.

“So that’s it. Pills that enhance cultivation cannot be taken consecutively. One must allow intervals for the medicinal power to settle, else the effect will not remain stable.” Ye Yun found the answer within the pages. The books and jade slips in the study contained not only records of rare fruits and immortal herbs but also much knowledge about alchemy.

The Essence Pill was the most ordinary first-grade spirit pill. The Ye clan allotted only three per year, precisely considering this factor. After taking one pill, one must wait more than three months before ingesting the next, otherwise the efficacy would greatly diminish. This was because the body naturally develops resistance to external forces, and the power of the pill is precisely such an external force.

However, there was no such issue between different kinds of pills. With this understanding, Ye Yun stored away the last Essence Pill and took out the Marrow-Cleansing Pill. As its name suggested, this pill purified and strengthened the body’s marrow. Among first-grade spirit pills, its ingredients were more precious, making it of even greater value than three Essence Pills.

Once the Marrow-Cleansing Pill entered his mouth, Ye Yun immediately refined it, channeling the medicinal power deep into his body. Flesh, muscles, and bones were nourished, making him feel lighter, his skeleton stronger, and his strength much increased. His bones resonated, tendons quivered—a single Marrow-Cleansing Pill nearly doubled his physical power.

“No wonder alchemists are revered among cultivators. With pills to aid cultivation, the results far surpass mere hard work!” Ye Yun marveled inwardly. Yet, while pills brought great benefits, pill poison was a nightmare for countless cultivators. Even knowing its harm, they still had to rely on pills to progress.

To reach a high realm through pure cultivation without pills was nearly impossible. The limitation of lifespan was the fundamental obstacle for cultivators. Taking pills sped up cultivation, allowing one to reach a higher realm in the shortest time and thereby gain more years of life. As long as one lived, endless possibilities remained, granting time to strive for even greater heights.

However, pill poison was not a concern for Ye Yun—a miraculous advantage he was not yet aware of. If word of this spread, the world would be shocked!

Unknowingly, as Ye Yun emerged from his cultivation, dawn had broken and a day had passed. The morning sun was about to rise, purple energy coming from the east—a prime moment for refining energy. Ye Yun would not let it slip by. He pushed open the door, faced east, and practiced the Crimson Flame Demon Technique, absorbing the essence of heaven and earth.

In just one day, the flow of his internal energy had increased greatly; his meridians, nourished by medicine, were wider and could store and circulate much more energy. Ye Yun rejoiced, thinking, “The Essence Pill was ordinary, but the Marrow-Cleansing Pill worked wonders, enhancing my physical abilities considerably.”

At that moment, he noticed the filth caked on his body, foul and pungent. He hurried out of the courtyard, found a pond, and leapt into the water, quickly cleansing himself. Feeling refreshed, he dried himself with his internal energy.

“Ye Yun, what are you doing here?”

Just then, a young maiden appeared, stepping out from Elder Ye Min’s courtyard—it was Ye Qian. As half a year ago, she wore a fiery red dress, radiating passion, but her pretty face was cold, still bearing a grudge against Ye Yun and clearly displeased.

“Qian? Out so early—are you heading somewhere?” Ye Yun said awkwardly. For the past six months, he had wanted to explain to her, but Ye Qian was stubborn and refused to listen.

Moreover, Ye Yun spent most of his time in the study learning alchemy, leaving little chance for the two to meet. Thus, the misunderstanding persisted.

“Hmph! Don’t address me so familiarly—I hardly know you!” Ye Qian shot Ye Yun a cold glance, her tone sharp. She knew well that the incident at Sunset Mountain was a misunderstanding, but continued to make things difficult for Ye Yun because she had suffered a loss back then.

Ye Qian, the only true disciple of Elder Ye Min and a first-grade alchemist among the younger generation of the Ye clan, had gone to Sunset Mountain for training after mastering energy refining. Yet, not only was she defeated by Ye Yun, he’d managed to take advantage of her, pinching her shapely rear—a humiliation she could not easily let go.

Faced with her cold shoulder, Ye Yun wisely refrained from pressing further. Shaking his head, he passed Ye Qian, intending to return to the study and continue his cultivation.

“Wait!”

Ye Qian suddenly called out.

“Is there something you need?” Ye Yun turned back.

“Fan Family Village has been attacked by monsters, many dead and wounded. The lord has issued a bounty task—Ye clan disciples are to go and quell the chaos. Do you dare go?” Ye Qian’s eyes gleamed as she spoke.

“Monsters? Any Foundation Establishment-level beasts?” Ye Yun’s interest was piqued.

“Foundation Establishment beasts?” Ye Qian scoffed. “If there were, we mere energy-refining disciples would be marching to our deaths!”

“No…?” Hearing this, Ye Yun looked disappointed.

Seeing Ye Yun's expression, Ye Qian grew indignant. “What, do you actually wish there were Foundation Establishment monsters?”

She thought Ye Yun was naive and arrogant; the gap between Foundation Establishment and Energy Refining was immense, and he, merely at the peak of Energy Refining, dared to aim so high?

Yet she did not know that Ye Yun truly entertained the idea of challenging such monsters.

Having cultivated the ancient Crimson Flame Demon Technique and reached the peak of Energy Refining, Ye Yun found few equals in his realm. He wished to test himself against Foundation Establishment monsters—to temper his skills and gauge his power against theirs.

“Are you going or not? The more beasts you slay, the more pills you can exchange for at the treasury,” Ye Qian said impatiently.

“Exchange for pills?” Having tasted the benefits of pills, Ye Yun was instantly interested in this monster-hunting task.

Yunshui City, sprawling over ten thousand miles in the northwest of the Sacred Dragon Dynasty, was poor in resources compared to fertile lands, its terrain mostly wild mountains and forests—natural breeding grounds for monsters.

With Yunshui City at its heart, thirty-six towns formed a protective ring, ready to respond swiftly to crises. Each town housed Foundation Establishment experts, but villages and settlements were far less secure. When monsters rampaged from the forests, destroying a village or settlement was all too easy.

Those places were home to the weak; the powerful cultivators of the thirty-six towns and Yunshui City cared little for their fate.

So it was now—Fan Family Village had been attacked, most of its people slaughtered, only a few escaping with their lives.

The Ye clan’s main household merely issued a task, sending young disciples to hunt monsters as a training opportunity.

Of course, every Ye clan disciple admitted to the main household was gifted and cultivable; losing one was a loss. Thus, whenever such events occurred, experts guarded them in secret to prevent Foundation Establishment-level monsters from suddenly appearing and decimating the elite youth.

“These damned beasts!”

An hour later, Ye Yun and Ye Qian arrived at the ruins of Fan Family Village. Blood and mud had dried together into dark patches, severed limbs scattered everywhere. Even infants in swaddling clothes had been bitten, lifeless in their mothers’ arms.

Ye Qian was furious, her eyes nearly aflame—no corpse was whole; the village had been wiped out.

“Humans kill monsters, monsters eat humans…” Ye Yun shook his head. Such was the law of survival—survival of the fittest. His father and master had taught him this since childhood.

“Near Fan Family Village lies an old forest. Since the attack was recent, many monsters likely still lurk nearby.”

Ye Yun spoke as he gazed around; many Ye clan disciples had already arrived. Some were unfazed, clearly seasoned by bloodshed, while others were pale, frightened by the carnage.

Though he had experienced life-and-death struggles himself, now, feeling the vast, desolate aura of the land, he truly understood the cruelty of nature’s laws.

“Perhaps this is what Master called entering the world…”

PS: To those reading on mobile, I’ve seen your messages. I am truly glad, grateful, and appreciative—thank you for your unwavering support. I love you all!