Rapidly Increasing Strength (Two-in-One)

(The chapters couldn't be split, so I've combined two chapters into one, 6,000 words. That's all for today's update. There won't be any more tonight, so don't wait up. Every time I say this, people ask me why there's another update, lol. I really have trouble expressing myself. I had to make up for the missed updates at the company's annual meeting a few days ago, and I haven't recovered yet. Regular updates are really difficult for me. Let me recover for a few days first.)

"Report to the elder?" Yi Yun hesitated for a moment, calculating the time in his mind. "Um, how long will it take you to report to the elder?"

"Huh? Why are you asking this?"

The Woman surnamed Wang was taken aback. Many of the elders of the Divine City lived in the Central Divine Tower, and some were in seclusion. Given the level of the Woman surnamed Wang, it would indeed take some time for the report to be submitted through the various levels.

"Oh... I see. As I said before, I have something to take care of. Could I leave for a moment?"

Yi Yun didn't want to just wait here idly. He remembered the assessment that Qin the Bald had set a month ago. Originally, Yi Yun had devoted himself to preparing to collect Primordial Relic Medicine. In order to catch the Day of Great Yin at the beginning of the month, he applied for a seven-day continuous herb-collecting period. So, he initially planned to give up on this assessment.

However, his process of capturing and absorbing the Primordial Relic Medicine went surprisingly smoothly, and he returned in just three and a half days.

So Yi Yun figured he could still make it to the assessment.

The reward for one hour of cultivation time in the Desolate God Hall is a thousand Dragon Scale Rune.

A hundred or two Dragon Scale Rune are fine, but losing a thousand Dragon Scale Rune like that still makes Yi Yun feel a little heartbroken.

Although he would receive a considerable reward after handing over the Primordial Relic Medicine, in this Tai'a Divine City, all resources had to be purchased with Dragon Scale Rune, so he had to save money wherever possible.

"What is it?" the Woman surnamed Wang asked Yi Yun. At this point, what could be more important than the Primordial Relic Medicine?

Yi Yun told the Woman surnamed Wang about the assessment.

Upon hearing this, the Woman surnamed Wang said irritably, "It's just an hour of cultivation time, I can reward you with that. The elder might want to see you this time!"

Upon hearing this, Yi Yun was overjoyed. "Thank you, Sister Wang. I had heard people say that you were a bit stingy, but it seems that was just a rumor. Look, you've rewarded me with an hour of cultivation time, and I'll take Instructor Qin's reward too. If the elders see me, I'll stop whatever I'm doing and rush to the Central Divine Tower immediately, without any delay, right?"

Yi Yun seized the opportunity, accepting the gift from the Woman surnamed Wang, and not wanting to waste the one from Instructor Qin either. He took two hours of cultivation time, which amounted to two thousand Dragon Scale Rune.

The Woman surnamed Wang was speechless. She had never realized this kid was so cunning before, but thinking about it, it made sense. As long as the elder summoned him, the journey would be about the same whether he went from the servants' quarters or the drill ground. It certainly wouldn't waste any time.

As for the reward, the words had already been spoken, and the Woman surnamed Wang couldn't take them back. After all, Yi Yun had brought back a Primordial Relic Medicine, such a great contribution—wasn't it worth an extra hour of cultivation time in the Desolate God Hall as a reward?

"You have fifteen minutes to resolve this, and hurry up!"

The Woman surnamed Wang spoke stiffly, but her gaze towards Yi Yun now held an undisguised admiration. Although everything Yi Yun described sounded like good luck, neither his various judgments at the time nor the arrow he shot based on instinct could be explained by luck alone.

If it weren't Yi Yun, but someone else, even if they weren't turned into an idiot by the Heavenly Auspicious Purple Sun Ginseng, they would definitely have gained nothing and wasted that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"Thank you, Sister Wang!" Yi Yun said with a grin, then turned and ran towards the training ground.

Meanwhile, ten miles away, on the training ground, Instructor Qin and a group of teenagers were undergoing a heated assessment.

"Put it in! Put it in!"

A group of energetic teenagers were shouting like animals in heat. A burly, strong teenager, holding a Primordial Arrow with veins bulging on his forehead, let out a loud shout and struggled to plant the Primordial Arrow into the Purple Tungsten Steel Wall.

"Clang!"

With a loud metallic clang, the arrowhead of the Primordial Arrow struggled to penetrate the Purple Tungsten Steel Wall.

Although it was a little wobbly, it was finally inserted.

In today's assessment, nearly half of the team of one hundred people were able to plant a Primordial Arrow into the Purple Tungsten Steel Wall.

This result is incomparable to what it was a month ago.

This is because, over the past month, these people have indeed grown a lot.

Secondly, it was because these teenagers had just entered the Desolate God Hall a month ago and then carried heavy loads while doing frog jumps for ten miles, which had exhausted their physical strength.

Today, they are all at their peak.

"Brother Kui, well done, that's your second one!"

Someone shouted that the burly youth who had just inserted the Primordial Arrow was Zhou Kui, the strongest among the hundred people. Zhou Kui had inserted the first Primordial Arrow with relative ease, but the second one was a bit of a struggle.

Next is the third one, and the most crucial one!

If you insert it, you'll have an hour to cultivate; if you can't insert it, all your previous efforts will be wasted.

Zhou Kui was working with all his might. In the past month, he had forged iron hundreds of thousands of times in the weapon-refining room, his palms worn raw countless times, all to prove himself!

Today, regardless of whether the third Primordial Arrow can be planted, Zhou Kui feels like a winner because he has overcome his past self.

Just as Zhou Kui took several deep breaths, preparing to raise the third Primordial Arrow, someone let out a soft exclamation.

"Isn't that Yi Yun?"

Upon hearing the sound, people turned to look, and saw a Linen-clothed Youth walking towards them from not far from the training ground.

The boy's hair was disheveled, and his clothes were torn in many places, making him look quite disheveled.

This naturally happened when he was collecting the Primordial Relic Medicine. The shockwave from the explosion of the Heavenly Fiend Bead also affected Yi Yun. After absorbing the Medicinal Power of the Primordial Relic Medicine, he rushed back to Tai'a Divine City without having time to tidy up.

That herb-gathering kid actually came back at this time!

"Hmm?" Upon seeing Yi Yun, Instructor Qin frowned slightly, but he noticed that Yi Yun's cultivation had broken through.

A month ago, he was at the early stage of Purple Blood. Now, he is at the middle stage of Purple Blood.

"Instructor Qin, new recruit Yi Yun reporting for duty!" Yi Yun gave Qin the Bald a standard military salute from the Tai'a Divine Kingdom.

"You're half an hour late!" Instructor Qin stared sternly at Yi Yun. Just that look alone would make most new recruits feel their legs go weak.

"I'm sorry, Instructor, I didn't have time to gather herbs earlier..." Yi Yun explained with difficulty.

Upon hearing this, everyone couldn't help but want to laugh.

He was delayed by gathering herbs; Yi Yun had truly dedicated his youth and life to it, which was probably his pursuit.

People simply couldn't understand it. This herb gathering was a menial job, done by women, so why was Yi Yun so dedicated to it?

"Hey, Yi Yun, you've come at the right time! Let's have another match today. I've already planted two Primordial Arrow, and now it's the third!"

Upon seeing Yi Yun appear, Zhou Kui excitedly licked his lips. He had been quite disappointed not to see Yi Yun earlier that day, as his strength had surged and his power had increased dramatically, and it was time for him to prove himself.

Yi Yun is undoubtedly the best opponent!

A month ago, he was outdone by Yi Yun. Today, he wanted to surpass Yi Yun and get revenge, but Yi Yun didn't come. He felt like he had punched cotton.

"Um... Instructor Qin, if I arrive now, will it still be in time for the assessment?" Yi Yun asked the Qin the Bald tentatively.

Being so late, Qin the Bald could very well have disqualified him from the assessment.

Qin the Bald snorted coldly, "Go up, and don't forget why you came to Tai'a Divine City!"

Qin the Bald reminded Yi Yun again not to neglect his cultivation because of some boring work. He really couldn't understand why Yi Yun liked gathering herbs so much.

"Haha, come on!" Zhou Kui was the most excited. "How was it? You've been gathering herbs for a month, not bad, right? I heard you were going to gather herbs for seven days straight this time, why did you come back early?"

Zhou Kui smiled at Yi Yun, his arms crossed over his chest, casually leaning against a Primordial Arrow —the very arrow he had stuck there.

Of the two Primordial Arrow he planted, one was firmly planted in the Purple Tungsten Steel Wall, while the other was not planted very firmly, with the end of the shaft drooping slightly.

Even so, this is still a remarkable achievement. Zhou Kui is the only one among the hundred to have planted the second Primordial Arrow.

"I came back early because I had some good results," Yi Yun said casually.

"Harvest? A bumper harvest of herbs? Heh heh." Zhou Kui found it amusing. He had only picked a few herbs; was such a harvest really "not bad"? What was there to be happy about?

"Yi Yun, you've been gathering herbs for a month. It wouldn't be fair for me to defeat you, but it's your own choice, and you can't blame anyone else. Today, I'll show you what true harvest is!"

Zhou Kui Zhou Kui clenched his fist. Over the past month, countless blisters had burst on his hands. Blood mixed with sweat, enveloping the scorching forging hammer. The excruciating pain was etched in Zhou Kui's memory, but it also stirred a surge of pride within him.

This is what a man's life should be like, isn't it?

How can her womanly lifestyle of gathering herbs compare to his?

At this moment, Yi Yun said, "No need, I'll go with you. I'm in a hurry; someone might want to see me later."

As Yi Yun spoke, he was already standing next to the large iron box containing the Primordial Arrow. His tone was casual, but this casualness made Zhou Kui frown and feel very displeased. He felt that Yi Yun didn't care much about this competition at all.

This kid! Who does he think he is? Does he think someone wants to see him? Is it the herb-gathering apprentice who always goes with him?

He's become quite a figure, he's keeping himself very busy!

Zhou Kui rubbed his wrist, took a deep breath, bent down, and hugged the third Primordial Arrow.

Today, I'll show you the results of my month-long, round-the-clock, devilish training!

Zhou Kui assumed a firm horse stance, his feet firmly planted in the ground like nails. Once he was sure his lower body was stable, he used his legs to drive his waist, transferring power from his spine to his shoulders and then to his arms!

His muscles bulged, veins stood out, and just as he was about to shout and raise the third Primordial Arrow, he heard a deafening clang that nearly made him lose his breath!

What happened?

Zhou Kui turned around and his eyes widened in shock.

Behind him, a Primordial Arrow was driven deep into the Purple Tungsten Steel Wall. The tail of the arrow shaft trembled, not because it was not firmly planted, but because the force was too great; the enormous impact had nowhere to dissipate, and it turned into a trembling force!

With that kind of trembling force, anyone who gets too close and gets hit will be injured!

This Primordial Arrow pierced through at least three feet!

Wh... what?

Zhou Kui was momentarily dumbfounded. Had Yi Yun planted that arrow?

How could it be so fast!?

It takes him at least ten breaths to insert an arrow. Especially when he lifts the arrow up, he has a lot of time to gather his strength.

But just now, he only bent over, and before he even raised the arrow, Yi Yun had already finished inserting it!?

At this moment, Yi Yun was already fiddling with the second Primordial Arrow next to the large iron box.

Around Yi Yun, the other youths were also slightly agape, stunned. They had just watched as Yi Yun effortlessly lifted the first Primordial Arrow with both arms as if it were a log.

Then, he charged towards the Purple Tungsten Steel Wall with the Primordial Arrow in his hand, and like skewering lamb, he pierced the arrow deep into the wall!

From beginning to end, the arrow Yi Yun shot didn't even tremble!

Steady! Fast! Ruthless!

While everyone was still dumbfounded and hadn't reacted, Yi Yun had already picked up the second Primordial Arrow with great effort.

At this moment, energy flowed throughout Yi Yun's body, and warm currents surged into his limbs and bones like a tide. This was the power brought by absorbing the Heavenly Auspicious Purple Sun Ginseng!

Furthermore, since Yi Yun had already broken through to the mid-stage of the Purple Blood realm, he poured all his strength into inserting a Primordial Arrow. Far from feeling exhausted, he instead felt a sense of exhilaration!

However, as he held the second Primordial Arrow, Yi Yun suddenly paused. "Hmm? It seems there's something wrong with how my power is flowing..."

When using all his strength, Yi Yun had a feeling that although the power brought by the Primordial Relic Medicine was strong, it was like a wild horse that had broken free of its reins, making it difficult for him to control.

He had always used the "Dragon Marrow Tiger Bones Fist" technique to control the power within his body, but now he was slowly feeling that the "Dragon Marrow Tiger Bones Fist" was becoming somewhat inadequate.

The power of the Primordial Relic Medicine is too strong. After all, the "Dragon Marrow Tiger Bones Fist" is a technique from before the Purple Blood Realm, and it is becoming increasingly inadequate.

When Yi Yun stopped, everyone was speechless.

It was incredibly difficult for people to even lift the Primordial Arrow. When they finally managed to lift Primordial Arrow, its immense weight nearly broke their arms. At that moment, they would eagerly thrust the arrow out of their hands to conserve their energy.

Who else would stop like Yi Yun, holding the Primordial Arrow, as if contemplating the meaning of life?

That's way too extravagant!

As people were pondering this, Yi Yun seemed to suddenly realize something. Without further hesitation, he picked up the Primordial Arrow and charged towards the Purple Tungsten Steel Wall.

"Clang!"

With a second deafening roar, the second Primordial Arrow also firmly planted itself in the ground!

The arrowhead still penetrated more than three feet into the wall, and the tail of the arrow shaft shook violently.

Even Qin the Bald, who was watching this scene from not far away, was somewhat stunned by what he saw.

What's wrong with this kid...?

He'd only been gathering herbs for a month, so how could his strength have increased so much? While it might be related to his breakthrough to the mid-stage of Purple Blood, a mere advancement of one small realm from the early to the mid-stage of Purple Blood shouldn't have made him this powerful...

Qin the Bald was Human Race Hegemon, but now he couldn't understand Yi Yun at all.

"Second one! Still so easy!"

People trembled in their hearts; Yi Yun's power was far beyond theirs!

Yi Yun licked his lips, feeling very excited. Earning those thousand Dragon Scale Rune was easy!

Yi Yun casually rubbed his wrist, bent down, and touched the third Primordial Arrow.

There was absolutely no pause or rest in between; it was all done in one go!

"Again!"

With a clear shout, Yi Yun steadily lifted the Primordial Arrow with both hands!

Feeling the flow of power within his body once more, the feeling of disharmony still lingered, but it didn't affect Yi Yun's ability to exert force.

The third one, right!

Yi Yun roared, his blood seemed to boil, and the power of the Primordial Relic Medicine erupted like a volcano!

At this moment, Yi Yun felt that his power had reached its limit, and he couldn't wait to unleash it!

He held the Primordial Arrow, channeling all the power of his body into Primordial Arrow, and thrust it out with all his might!

"Clang!"

A thunderous sound rolled out, soaring into the sky!

Even the Purple Tungsten Steel Wall trembled slightly!

The third Primordial Arrow was driven firmly into the wall, its tremors at the tail creating afterimages.

This arrow pierced through the wall by more than four feet!

It was more than twice as powerful as the previous two arrows!

All the surrounding teenagers were dumbfounded. What kind of power was this...?

How so?

The Yi Yun before me is practically a humanoid beast!

Zhou Kui stood there dumbfounded. The boundless pride that had surged within him had vanished without a trace. The declaration of manhood he had prepared, which he had been waiting to deliver upon his victory, had now become a joke.

Yi Yun... didn't he go to gather herbs?

Can one's cultivation level improve this quickly just by gathering herbs?

This group of people—some blacksmithing, some sparring partners—have toiled hard for a month. Some swing their forging hammers until their muscles feel like they're broken, their palms covered in blisters and blood; others spar with others, constantly getting beaten until they're covered in bruises, then applying ointment, only to get up and be beaten again...

They worked so hard, and the Dragon Scale Rune they painstakingly accumulated were all exchanged at the Myriad Treasures Pagoda for cultivation relics and pills. It must be said that the relics and pills in Tai'a Divine City were much better than what they used to eat in their Lineage.

Their progress was obvious, but compared to Yi Yun, they were utterly pathetic.

Comparing people is a recipe for disaster; comparing goods is a recipe for discarding them.

"You... how have you improved so much... how is that possible..."

Zhou Kui couldn't believe it. He hadn't slacked off for a single moment in the past month, yet he couldn't compare to Yi Yun in gathering herbs at the medicinal mountain?

Yi Yun smiled. For the past month, hadn't he also been racing against time?

Besides gathering herbs, he would wear Flowing Silver Shirt weighing two hundred dings every day, climbing up and down the herb mountain to train his strength and Movement Technique.

When I got home at night, I would meditate until dawn, and I never lay down in bed to sleep.

In the Tai'a Divine City, sleeping is too luxurious; meditation is the better alternative, allowing one's cultivation to slowly increase even while resting.

In the past few days, when capturing the Primordial Relic Medicine, Yi Yun had to scheme and face numerous dangers. In the face of extreme danger and difficulties, he seized that one in a thousand chance and won this incredible opportunity that others thought was almost impossible to obtain!

This is something that cannot be surpassed simply by wielding a forging hammer to forge iron and diligently sparring with others.

Of course, Yi Yun wouldn't tell any of this.

He grinned and said to Zhou Kui, "All of this is because..."

Yi Yun drew out his words, building up everyone's curiosity, and finally uttered three words—

"Good luck..."

Zhou Kui was so angry he almost vomited blood!

He felt that Yi Yun was playing him for a fool. All their hard work over the past month was dismissed by Yi Yun with a simple "good luck".

Zhou Kui was truly enraged. Ignoring the difference in strength between himself and Yi Yun, he said rudely, "Stop trying to fool me! What good luck? You're just gathering herbs, that's a woman's job. You just coast along every day, how can you possibly gain strength? How can you improve your cultivation? What exactly are you...?"

Before Zhou Kui could finish speaking, several men dressed in black cloaks suddenly walked over from the edge of the training ground.

These people were strangely dressed and exuded a mysterious aura. They seemed to be moving around casually and slowly, but the space beneath their feet seemed to shrink. In just a few steps, they arrived at the center of the training ground.

Among them, the Woman surnamed Wang from the herb-gathering station was following closely behind these people. The Woman surnamed Wang, who usually didn't give anyone a friendly look, was unusually respectful at this moment, clearly showing great respect for the people in front of her.

Upon seeing these people, even Instructor Qin became serious, and his hands, which had been behind his back, fell to his sides.

"Enforcement Envoy!" Qin the Bald bowed slightly. His status in Tai'a Divine City was somewhat lower than that of these people.

Enforcement Envoy?

The teenagers present were all taken aback. What kind of position was Enforcement Envoy?

Although they didn't know the cultivation level of these men in black, their aura alone gave them a sense of suppressed power.

Moreover, Instructor Qin's attitude also indicated that these people, known as "Enforcement Envoy," were all extraordinary individuals.

Many of the teenagers instinctively straightened up. Qin the Bald was also puzzled. What were the Enforcement Envoy of the Central Divine Tower doing at the new recruit training ground?

Several men in black cloaks, led by a middle-aged man, removed their hoods, revealing a gaunt face with three shocking, parallel scars that looked as if they had been slashed by the claws of some wild beast.

He glanced at the more than one hundred teenagers present and said calmly, "Who is Yi Yun?"

...(To be continued~^~)