Inside the quiet room, Ye Chen sat cross-legged on the bed, eyes closed and expression calm. His palms were pressed together, and between them hovered a glowing Tier-3 Magic Core, pulsing with wild elemental energy.
A low hum resonated in the air as his Swallowing Origin Art activated. Instantly, a powerful suction force emerged from his hands, drawing the chaotic energy out of the core.
Like a vortex, it spiraled into his meridians, surging through his body in violent waves.
This was no ordinary cultivation method.
The raw energy within a magic core was notoriously unstable.
Attempting to absorb it directly was like holding a fireball inside one's chest. Even skilled Dou Shi cultivators would risk backlash, severe injury, or worse detonation from within.
But Ye Chen wasn't afraid.
The Swallowing Origin Art was like a bottomless abyss.
As soon as the energy entered his body, it was tamed, broken down, and swiftly refined into pure Dou Qi.
The once-turbulent elemental storm now flowed like a calm river under his control.
He could feel the refined energy traveling through his limbs, nourishing every part of his body. Eventually, it gathered at his dantian, where it condensed and settled into his foundation.
At that moment, Ye Chen's mind became completely still.
He forgot the world outside forgot time, hunger, emotion. His focus sharpened to a blade's edge. It wasn't something he forced; it was simply who he was.
When he set his sights on something, he pursued it with relentless determination.
In his past life, he had once spent three sleepless days grinding a game dungeon for a rare drop ignoring meals, social calls, and even sleep. That same obsessive dedication now drove his path as a cultivator.
His Nine-Star Dou Zhe foundation had only just stabilized a few weeks ago, but now with the Swallowing Origin Art, he was advancing at a rate that defied logic.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the room dimmed into shades of twilight. Candles flickered in the corners, casting long shadows across the floor.
Suddenly
BOOM!
A muffled explosion echoed from deep within Ye Chen's body.
His entire frame shuddered as a wave of powerful aura burst out of him, shaking the bed beneath. A storm of silver energy danced across his skin, crackling faintly like lightning.
Ye Chen's eyes snapped open.
His pupils glowed faintly with spiritual light, and a quiet smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
"I broke through… just like that?"
There was disbelief in his voice.
Only half a month ago, he had reached the Nine-Star Dou Zhe stage.
It had taken patience and effort just to stabilize that level. And now after absorbing only one magic core he had already broken through to the Dou Shi realm!
He slowly stood up, still getting used to the rush of newfound power coursing through him.
"The Swallowing Origin Art…" he murmured, glancing at the jade scroll resting on his desk, "is truly heaven-tier for a reason."
Using elemental cores as cultivation fuel was like skipping steps on a staircase unfair, yet incredibly effective. And with the Swallowing Origin Art, Ye Chen had the perfect tool to consume what others feared to touch.
His cultivation speed… had become monstrous.
Ye Chen raised his right hand, clenching it into a fist.
In an instant, a shimmering layer of silver Dou Qi surged over his body like a second skin. It was sleek, fluid, and humming with energy.
Tiny arcs of lightning crackled across it, dancing along his arms and shoulders with raw intensity.
Dou Qi Battle Robe the hallmark of a Dou Shi level cultivator.
Ye Chen marveled at the feeling.
With a grin, he shifted into a combat stance and threw out a few punches into the air.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Each strike split the air with a sharp sound, carrying power that could break stone.
His movements were swift and fluid, his control precise. Every punch left a faint shockwave behind, a testament to his enhanced strength.
After a few rounds of shadowboxing, he relaxed his stance and let the silver Dou Qi dissipate, revealing his usual robes underneath.
But even though his body was calm, there was a growing storm inside him.
Ever since awakening the Dragon Elephant Physique, he had felt a strange tension in his muscles like he was holding back a dam of untapped power. No matter how much he cultivated, the sensation didn't fade. It only grew stronger.
A restless hunger gnawed at his core.
He needed a real fight needed to release this excess strength.
Then, suddenly, a memory rose unbidden to the surface.
A warm night. The softness of skin. A quiet confession under moonlight.
Nalan Yanran.
He sighed and sat back down on the edge of the bed.
"She hasn't come since that night…"
He could still remember the way she had looked at him before falling asleep at his side.
The closeness, the intimacy it was real. But after being caught by Yun Yun, everything had changed.
Nalan Yanran had been avoiding him ever since.
As the proud heir of the Nalan Clan, she had her dignity.
Being discovered in Ye Chen's room that night had been a blow to her pride especially when her own master had given her a stern warning to stay away.
"She must've taken her teacher's words to heart," he muttered under his breath.
And how could she not? Yun Yun wasn't just her master she was her role model, her guide, almost a mother figure. To go against her would be no small thing.
Still… Ye Chen couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
That night had meant something to him.
Maybe it meant something to her too.
He looked up at the portrait of Yun Yun hanging above his bed. Her calm, graceful image watched over him in silence.
A strange mix of emotions swirled in his chest gratefulness, longing, and something else he couldn't name.
With a shake of his head, he closed his eyes and focused once more on his breathing.
There's no time for distractions.
He had broken through to Dou Shi. That meant it was time to start preparing for the challenges ahead especially the one waiting in Wutan City.
The engagement.
Xiao Yan.
Sooner or later, they would meet.
And Ye Chen would have to prove… that Nalan Yanran's future no longer belonged to the past.