While Ye Qingchen was cultivating, trouble was brewing in the Li Family manor. In Li Susu's room, Mrs. Li sat by the bed, her eyes red and swollen from crying. Li Susu herself lay on the bed, staring vacantly at the ceiling.
CREAK!
The door flew open, and Li Zhe barged in furiously.
Mrs. Li hurried over to him, her face full of anticipation. "How did it go? Did you kill that bastard Ye Qingchen and avenge Su Su?"
Li Zhe glanced at Li Susu, his heart aching with pity, and stamped his foot in anger. "That little bastard is extremely cunning! I was on the verge of taking him away, but he presented a high-grade Yellow-rank Martial Technique to the Ye Family, and now they're protecting him!"
Hearing Ye Qingchen's name, a light suddenly sparked in Li Susu's eyes. She sat up abruptly, her tearless eyes filled with rage. "Father, no matter what, I want Ye Qingchen dead!"
Ye Qingchen had violated her, ruined her Dantian, and destroyed her Cultivation. Li Susu wished she could have him sliced into a thousand pieces.
Seeing Li Susu's pale face, Li Zhe's heart ached even more. "Rest assured, Su Su!" he said through clenched teeth. "Even though the Ye Family is protecting him and I can't act myself, I planted our people in the Ye Family long ago! The person I planted has considerable strength and status within their ranks!
"I'll send the order now. They will make a move within the Ye Family and eliminate Ye Qingchen!"
Li Susu scoffed coldly. "He turned me into a cripple. Killing him directly is letting him off too easily!"
Li Zhe quickly tried to comfort her. "Su Su, don't despair. On my way back, I contacted your cousin. Unlike ordinary Martial Artists who awaken their Martial Souls on their own, your six-star Vermilion Bird Martial Soul is a Heaven-Gifted Martial Spirit. His Sect might have a way to rebuild your Dantian!"
"Rebuild my Dantian? That's wonderful!" Mrs. Li rejoiced.
A glimmer of light appeared in Li Susu's previously dim eyes as hope was rekindled in her heart.
「In the Ye Family, inside Ye Qingchen's room.」
Nature's spiritual energy swirled around Ye Qingchen like a whale inhaling water. It was so dense that it formed faint layers of Spiritual Fog around him. Under the nourishment of this Spiritual Fog, his aura strengthened at an alarming rate.
A moment later, Ye Qingchen's eyes snapped open. The effects of one Spirit Gathering Pill had been completely consumed, and his cultivation speed slowed.
Others can use a single Spirit Gathering Pill for a full day, but I've exhausted one in less than an hour! Ye Qingchen couldn't help but be astonished. My cultivation rate has increased by at least tenfold, but so has the consumption!
Just as he was about to take out another Spirit Gathering Pill to continue cultivating, the gaze of his Double Pupils fell upon his own body. He suddenly noticed black spots appearing along his meridians and at his joints. Around these black spots, golden threads appeared, seemingly guiding something.
The Dual Pupil Martial Soul is helping me perfect my Cultivation Method!
Ye Qingchen was overjoyed. He quickly followed the paths of the golden threads to circulate his Cultivation Technique. Immediately, the rate at which the surrounding spiritual energy rushed into his body doubled.
He was ecstatic. Twice the speed! This means one hour of my cultivation is equivalent to two hours for others! The Ye Family's Cultivation Method is mid-grade Yellow-rank, but after being perfected by my Double Pupils, the quality of this Cultivation Technique has reached at least low-grade Xuan-rank, or perhaps even higher!
Without any delay, Ye Qingchen swiftly took out another Spirit Gathering Pill, ingested it, and resumed cultivating with the perfected technique.
Now, his cultivation speed was double what it was before. Just one hour later, his aura surged, and he broke through to the Fifth Layer of Martial Apprentice.
Without rest, Ye Qingchen continued to cultivate like a man possessed. As the eastern sky showed the fish-belly white of dawn, the aura in his room surged once again. He had broken through again. His Cultivation had reached the Sixth Layer of Martial Apprentice.
The upgraded Cultivation Technique, the Spirit Gathering Pills he had swindled from Li Zhe, and the substantial essence of Soul Power he had obtained from Li Susu—all these combined allowed him to advance two entire layers in a single night.
This is incredibly heaven-defying!
Just as Ye Qingchen was about to continue cultivating, a commotion arose from the small courtyard outside.
"Hey, you wild girl, where's your useless young master?" a taunting voice called out.
Ye Qingchen's brow furrowed slightly. He was very familiar with that voice. It belonged to Ye Quan, the eldest grandson of the Ye Family's Third Elder. At twenty-something years old, Ye Quan had already reached the Seventh Layer of Martial Apprentice. Backed by the Third Elder, he was arrogant and overbearing, had committed many misdeeds, and had frequently bullied both Ye Qingchen and Xiao Xiao in the past. He walked at the front, followed by three of his henchmen.
"My young master is not home! If you need something, tell me, and I'll pass the message along!" Xiao Xiao knew Ye Quan's visit meant trouble. Afraid he would disturb Ye Qingchen's cultivation, she quickly stood up to block the doorway.
However, her actions betrayed her words. Ye Quan's pupils contracted slightly. He realized Ye Qingchen must have returned.
But he didn't rush into the courtyard. Instead, he took a rotten cloth shoe from his robes. "You wild girl, still haven't learned your lesson, stealing my chicken! Hmph! Today, I must teach you a harsh one!
"You three, go! Use this wild girl's body to compensate me for my stolen chicken!"
Without waiting for Xiao Xiao to respond, Ye Quan gestured to the men behind him. The three henchmen advanced on her with malicious grins. The girl was quite attractive, and more importantly, they had never had a taste of someone so young. The thought of being able to defile such a beauty filled their hearts with glee.
Xiao Xiao's face turned pale. She backed away until she was cornered against the courtyard wall, where she stumbled and fell to the ground. The three men surrounded her, and one of them reached out for her fair face.
"No, don't!" Xiao Xiao cried out in panic. She tried to flee, but she was trapped.