「Two days later.」
Ye Tian finally woke up. His head was groggy, and a dull ache lingered in his chest.
He slowly stood up and gazed at the river before him, carefully recalling what had happened. It had all been too sudden, too unbelievable. If not for the very real pain in his chest, Ye Tian would have thought he was dreaming.
'The golden pearl!' Ye Tian suddenly remembered the golden pearl flying toward him, the sharp pain that had shot through his chest, and then losing consciousness. He instinctively turned his senses inward, focusing on his chest.
A Martial Artist could inspect their own body as long as they had broken through the first Dragon Vein, so Ye Tian was naturally capable of doing so. But what he saw gave him a terrible fright. The golden pearl was hovering silently inside his Dantian, its stillness unnervingly strange.
What surprised him even more was the faint voice that suddenly echoed in his mind. "Kid, don't make such a fuss. This is my Dragon Pearl—the War Dragon Pearl, the most powerful of the Dragon Race. As your strength increases, you'll be able to use the Energy within it. However, you're too weak to wield its power right now.
"My Divine Soul is also far too weak and must enter a deep slumber. Whether or not you can awaken the Energy inside the Dragon Pearl will depend on your own destiny!"
It was the voice of the Divine Dragon's phantom. A storm of shock crashed through Ye Tian's mind. 'I actually got the Dragon Pearl! This is something countless experts on the Celestial Dragon Continent have only dreamed of. Even more incredible, I got the most powerful of them all—the War Dragon Pearl!'
'With the War Dragon Pearl, I could become the most powerful expert on this continent!' The thought sent a jolt of excitement through him. 'I can't believe such a wonderful thing happened to me. It's completely unexpected.'
'I even rejected the Divine Dragon's offer at first. If he had taken it back, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life. I just don't know what his last wish was. Now that I have his Dragon Pearl, I wonder when I'll be strong enough to fulfill it for him.'
Ye Tian shook his head, pushing aside these troubling thoughts. He had been gone for a long time. It was time to head back so his parents wouldn't worry.
When he returned, his parents didn't scold him. He often went out to practice for a day or two at a time, so being gone for that long was normal. In fact, they were pleased with his diligence.
After the Dragon Pearl entered his body, Ye Tian discovered a significant problem: his Cultivation had become completely ineffective. Every time he absorbed Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, the amount stored in his Dantian would slowly diminish. As a result, he remained stuck at the same Realm for half a year.
However, there was one thing that pleased Ye Tian. His sight and hearing had become much sharper than before. If he calmed his mind and listened carefully, he could hear birds chirping several miles away. He could even see ants crawling slowly on a tree, something that would have been impossible for him in the past.
Even after arriving in Lisha City, he made no further progress. But his stubborn nature refused to admit defeat. He continued to wake up early every day for his morning training, hoping that one day he would be able to wield the Energy within the Dragon Pearl. Perhaps then, he would finally make a name for himself...
Ye Tian continued to throw punches. He was currently practicing the Ye Family's lowest-tier Fist Technique, the Thunderbolt Fist. The Thunderbolt Fist consisted of three moves, each with three variations. When fully mastered, one's punches would carry the sound of wind and thunder, and their power was incredibly domineering.
Although it was a Low Tier Fist Technique, Ye Tian had yet to fully master it. The main issue was his low Dragon Vein Realm. As it stood, he could barely manage to execute the first move of the Thunderbolt Fist.
"Brother Tian, you're still stuck on the first move of the Thunderbolt Fist? You have to work harder, or next month's family test will be very dangerous. Xue'er doesn't want you to leave the Ye Family so soon," a sweet voice said, reaching Ye Tian's ears.
Ye Tian was very familiar with that voice. The newcomer was none other than Ye Shixue, his childhood sweetheart and the genius girl who had come with him from a branch of the Ye Family to Lisha City.
Ye Shixue wasn't actually a direct descendant of the Ye Family. She was an adopted daughter that Ye Tian's second uncle had brought back from the outside. She was less than two years old at the time, and Ye Tian was only three. Because his second uncle's wife had died early and his family's financial situation was average, he never remarried and dedicated himself to raising Ye Shixue.
Ye Tian and Ye Shixue grew up together. Both sets of parents saw this and believed they would likely end up together, often creating opportunities for the two. Ye Shixue's beauty was a rare sight in the world, and Ye Tian also harbored indescribable feelings for her.
Ye Tian stopped his Cultivation. He looked at the beautiful girl before him and smiled. "Sister Xue, I won't let you down! Don't you worry!"
Ye Shixue's expression was somewhat cold. She glanced at Ye Tian and said with a slight smile, "I hope you can. I've already broken through to the Fourth Layer. You really need to work harder. Otherwise, no one will be able to help you."
"Hahahaha! Sister Xue, why are you wasting so many words on a piece of trash? This must be the Ye Tian you mentioned! He's nothing special. You should stop associating with him. Just stick with me, and I guarantee you'll break through to the Fifth Layer, or even higher, in no time," a handsome youth said as he walked up to Ye Shixue's side.
Ye Tian recognized the newcomer. The youth's name was Ye Feng, son of the Ye Family's Third Elder. He had already reached the Sixth Layer of his first Dragon Vein and was a core disciple of the Ye Family. He was typically arrogant and domineering, mainly because he had his father's backing. He often bullied the Outer Sect disciples, who were all fuming but dared not speak out against him.
His words made it obvious he had designs on Ye Shixue. Seeing that she didn't refute him suggested that she had tacitly approved. This was a considerable blow to Ye Tian.
"Sister Xue, you and him..." Ye Tian couldn't help but ask.
"Brother Tian, it seems you've already figured it out. That's right, he and I have started seeing each other. You should just forget about me. Maybe we can still be friends. In terms of Cultivation, Brother Feng can look out for you a little and give you a chance to break through to the Fourth Layer so you can stay here," Ye Shixue said slowly, looking at Ye Tian.
Her voice was sweet, but to Ye Tian's ears, it was agonizing. The woman he loved was looking down on him. Their past vows of eternal love had vanished like smoke, and for a moment, he found it hard to accept. A sharp, aching pain bloomed in his chest.
"Kid, for Sister Xue's sake, I can give you a Spirit Charm Pill. As long as you work hard, you should be able to break through to the Fourth Layer. Losing a woman but gaining a higher Realm isn't necessarily a bad thing," the young Ye Feng said with a smirk.
The onlookers all stared at Ye Tian. This might actually be a good thing for him. A Spirit Charm Pill was an extremely expensive Elixir that many could only dream of possessing. They never expected Ye Feng to be so generous just for a woman.
Just as everyone thought Ye Tian would accept the offer, he declared, "You think a mere Spirit Charm Pill is enough to make me give up Sister Xue? You underestimate me! Even without your Elixir, I will still break through to the Fourth Layer."
"Ye Tian, why are you being so stubborn? It's impossible between us! I don't want to spend my life with a failure. If you could actually become someone of high standing, maybe I would have agreed. But right now, you are just too, too weak. I feel ashamed just being with you," Ye Shixue said.