Chapter Eleven: Advancement to the Third Tier

Along the way, Yun Yufeng encountered several third-tier magical beasts. Though there were moments of danger, he managed to deal with them all without incident.

The sound of rushing water echoed ahead, and Yun Yufeng felt a surge of delight. He had been on the road for a month and had not once bathed. For someone who detested filth, this was pure torment. Every day he endured the bloodshed of battle, his body often stained with gore. Occasionally, he would stand in the rain to rinse off, but he dared not change clothes unless they were truly tattered, for the mercenaries themselves carried only a few sets. Who knew how long it would take to get out of the wilderness? What tragedy it would be to discover one day that there were no clothes left to wear!

So, whenever he heard the sound of flowing water, his spirits soared. At last, he could have a proper bath. Most infuriating of all was the little Greedy Wolf who accompanied him daily; its fur remained as pristine as ever, untouched by the grime that clung to Yun Yufeng, making it seem quite unique. Clearly, this little Greedy Wolf was no ordinary creature.

Pushing through the thicket, he came upon a stream ten meters wide. The water was so clear he could see straight to the bottom. Fat fish darted freely through the current, occasionally leaping from the surface to create sparkling sprays beneath the sunlight.

"Hey, Greedy Wolf, let's go take a bath," Yun Yufeng called.

Greedy Wolf let out two whimpers, casting Yun Yufeng a distinctly human-like sidelong glance, as if to say, "What does your bath have to do with me? I’m not as filthy as you. I don’t need to bathe."

But in the next moment, Greedy Wolf cried out in terror, clinging tightly to Yun Yufeng’s chest. Yun Yufeng had jumped straight from the bank into the river, sending water flying everywhere. He failed to notice, however, that upstream, a three-meter-long black-scaled giant crocodile was silently emerging from its cave and swimming toward him.

Yun Yufeng stripped off his ragged clothes and tossed them into the river. Greedy Wolf, gradually acclimating to the water, became less frightened and began to paddle leisurely with its four paws. Magical beasts were far superior to domesticated animals; in just a month, Greedy Wolf was lively and agile, though still quite tiny.

The pair, one large and one small, frolicked freely in the water, sending ripples outward in every direction. Under the sunlight, the shimmering waves were beautiful, but they also provided perfect cover for the approaching black-scaled giant crocodile.

As Yun Yufeng scrubbed away the grime from his body, the playful Greedy Wolf suddenly froze for a split second, then desperately paddled toward him, its front paws wrapping around his neck.

Yun Yufeng grabbed it, intending to toss it playfully, when suddenly a surge of water erupted before him—a gaping maw filled with teeth lunged straight for his head, the fetid stench overwhelming and nauseating.

"Damn!" Yun Yufeng cursed, thoroughly vexed. His pleasant mood ruined by this monster, not to mention its grotesquely long snout.

He closed his fingers, extended his arm, and swiftly pressed down on the crocodile’s lower jaw. With a forceful slap, the beast’s jaws snapped shut with a crisp crack, and its teeth shattered and fell away.

Wracked with pain, the crocodile thrashed violently, its meter-long tail lashing furiously at Yun Yufeng. Only moments ago, it had been smug about approaching its prey undetected, but now it found itself in dire straits.

Seized by a sudden impulse, Yun Yufeng tossed Greedy Wolf behind him and attacked. His hands alternated between fists and open palms, landing blow after blow. The muffled thuds of flesh meeting force resounded continuously. The crocodile reeled, its fury mounting, intent on tearing Yun Yufeng apart, refusing even to flee, doggedly lashing out with its tail.

Yun Yufeng laughed heartily, battle energy coursing through him. His bare arms glowed faintly with purple light, and his palms took on a crystalline violet hue.

He fought with fervor, while the black-scaled crocodile was so miserable it could have coughed up blood. Within his dantian, violet energy surged, flooding through his meridians. The purple energy along his arms grew stronger, winding across his muscles, gradually spreading to his shoulders, pausing briefly before crossing them and extending toward his chest. Soon, his entire arm gleamed like violet crystal, exuding an aura of noble elegance.

A look of joy crossed Yun Yufeng’s face. At last, the Violet Emperor’s Heart Technique had broken through the shoulder joint barrier, marking his advancement to the third layer.

The Violet Emperor’s Heart Technique consisted of nine layers. The third layer was signified by breaking through the shoulder joints—a crucial and difficult hurdle in its cultivation.

With both hands linked to the heart, entering the third layer meant the technique would strengthen the heart itself, starting from the chest and moving downward until the feet were fortified, before finally focusing on the most challenging and vital part: the brain, which required powerful spiritual energy to succeed.

With this breakthrough, Yun Yufeng’s battle energy flowed even faster through his meridians, constantly absorbing energy from the surroundings.

At that moment, the sun blazed overhead. Fire energy in the air and life energy from the forest poured into Yun Yufeng’s body like a storm. Normally inaccessible minor meridians were instantly opened, the impurities and waste flushed out rapidly.

Purple battle energy surged within his meridians, and droplets of violet energy fell into his dantian. Already at the peak of the second tier, his dantian was saturated with energy. Now, as vast amounts of energy flooded in, his dantian began to expand, causing bouts of pain that Yun Yufeng endured through gritted teeth.

Such was the nature of breakthrough: pushing the dantian beyond its limits, enlarging it to transcend previous boundaries and ascend to a new level. It was a risky process, for enlarging a previously stable dantian meant instability until it could be repaired and solidified.

Cultivation was like sailing against the current—progress or perish. Succeed, and one advanced; fail, and one’s power was lost, reduced to an ordinary person. With luck, one might retain their cultivation; with none, their soul would be scattered.

As more violet droplets gathered in his dantian, it expanded further, the pain intensifying. Yun Yufeng’s face was pale, but he remained motionless, running the Violet Emperor’s Heart Technique with all his might. Meanwhile, the Life Force Formula worked swiftly, nourishing and repairing meridians damaged by the rapid flow of battle energy.

The Violet Emperor’s Heart Technique seemed remarkably inclusive. Normally colorless life energy, when circulating with the technique, was tinted noble purple like fire energy. Once the technique ceased, the energies reverted to their original colors, clearly differentiated. Within his dantian, there was a mirrored division: one half colorless, the other fiery red.

Time ticked by. At its limit, Yun Yufeng’s dantian suddenly expanded again, and he broke through the peak of the second tier. The inner walls of his dantian became as thin as a cicada’s wing; the liquid energy boiled, transforming instantly into a misty violet, accelerating the repair of the dantian walls. With the addition of life energy, the walls thickened rapidly, soon regaining their previous solidity.

His dantian now measured twenty times its original size. Where it had been full, it was now empty, save for two thin layers of energy liquid. Though the quantity was unchanged, it was scant in comparison to the enlarged vessel.

Yun Yufeng was astonished by the change. Hadn’t it always been that each advancement expanded the dantian tenfold? Now his had increased twentyfold. Did this mean his fire battle energy and life energy were each twice as abundant as others at the same level? Moreover, thanks to the technique’s inclusiveness, his usable energy was quadruple that of his peers. He marveled at the thought—who among his level could match his reserves?

Of course, while the quantity had increased, the quality remained unchanged. Four times the energy meant only a slight increase in power, but endurance and stamina were quadrupled. Imagine unleashing powerful battle techniques with ease, while your opponent waited for your energy to run dry—their despair would be palpable.

Riding the momentum of his breakthrough, Yun Yufeng absorbed energy from his surroundings with renewed vigor.

This was the law of the Purple Firmament Continent: when any profession advanced, their soul’s energy absorption rate or magical spirit’s power increased ten thousandfold, without burden or harm. It was a reward from heaven and earth for cultivators. Though it lasted only about two minutes, it was equivalent to half a month of tireless cultivation.

The river’s surface rippled as if swept by a gale, droplets scattering everywhere, and waves churned violently. Above, the energy of heaven and earth grew wild, forming a massive vortex that poured into Yun Yufeng’s crown. Under the Violet Emperor’s Heart Technique, his entire body absorbed energy like a black hole devouring everything around him.

By these rules, even those of mediocre talent could absorb energy ten thousand times faster; how much more so for someone of extraordinary aptitude? Yun Yufeng, transformed by primordial chaos energy, was among the rarest of prodigies. Coupled with the technique’s powerful absorption, his speed was astonishing.

His soul had first traversed to a place deep and unknown, the source of all things—a realm saturated with the origins of life, death, time, space, and the chaotic mother energy that combined all elements.

The energy storm lasted nearly five minutes before gradually subsiding, returning to normal cultivation speed. Yun Yufeng did not understand why it lasted twice as long, for throughout history, the process had always been two minutes. He simply attributed it to his mutated dantian.

After this five-minute session, Yun Yufeng realized he had absorbed nearly two months’ worth of energy, his vast dantian now more than half full with energy droplets.

He grinned—what a harvest! In just one session, he had advanced from the second tier to the middle of the third. He wondered if his mother would praise him when he returned. Ever since he had inherited the memories of that wayward young master, Yun Yufeng had begun to embrace the role.

Though he felt little sense of belonging, the former young master had his own obsessions and protective instincts—especially for his younger brother Yun Yulan, his sister Tong, and his endlessly loving mother.