Earth Sun Secret Realm

Inside the Mission Hall, Steward Li stared at Ye Feng, his face still carrying the drowsiness of just waking up.

Hearing the words "turn in the mission," he couldn't help but laugh: "Junior Ye Feng, you must be mistaken? You only accepted the 'Eliminate the Black Forest Mountain Bandits' mission this morning—it's only been a few hours. How could it possibly be done?"

In his view, even a Qi Gathering Realm seventh-layer disciple would need at least three to five days to finish this mission. Ye Feng was only at Qi Gathering Realm second-layer—forget completing it, it was hard to say if he'd even make it back alive.

Ye Feng didn't explain much. He simply reached into his storage ring and pulled out three bloody heads, dropping them onto the table.

They belonged to the three bosses of the Black Forest Mountain Stronghold.

Looking at the stunned Steward Li, he said seriously, "Steward Li, the mission is complete. These are the proof."

Steward Li's smile froze on his face. His eyes went wide as saucers. He reached out with a trembling hand, picked up one of the heads, examined it, and his expression shifted completely: "This... the First Boss is actually at Qi Gathering Realm ninth-layer? And the other two are at seventh-layer? You... a Qi Gathering Realm second-layer, how could you take them down so fast?"

He had assumed the mission targets were just ordinary Qi Gathering Realm seventh-layer bandits, never expecting a ninth-layer tough nut among them. Ye Feng finishing it in a single day completely shattered his understanding of cultivation realms.

Ye Feng didn't answer the question. He just looked at him.

Steward Li snapped back to reality, quickly grabbed the Inner Court Jade Tablet, registered 1,000 contribution points, and handed it back to Ye Feng. His voice was full of awe: "This mission was extremely difficult. Even an Inner Court disciple finishing it in three days would be fast. You did it in one day—truly rare."

"Oh, right," Ye Feng added before leaving, as if remembering something. "The mission intel might be a bit off. The First Boss wasn't Qi Gathering Realm seventh-layer—he was ninth-layer. And there were two seventh-layer bosses."

With that, he turned and left, leaving Steward Li standing there in a daze.

Steward Li examined the three heads again. Confirming the First Boss was indeed Qi Gathering Realm ninth-layer and the other two were seventh-layer, he fell completely silent.

After a long moment, he muttered to himself, "No wonder Ding Hao lost without a fight. This Ye Feng isn't just a genius—he's a monster! No wonder the Inner Court elders admire him so much. There's good reason."

Leaving the Mission Hall, Ye Feng didn't exchange his 1,000 contribution points for Spirit Stones. Instead, he headed straight to the Hundred Treasures Hall.

His top priority now was breaking through to Qi Gathering Realm third-layer. Rather than trading for Spirit Stones and cultivating slowly, it was safer to exchange for a pill that could boost his breakthrough success rate.

"Shopkeeper, I want to exchange for a Qi Condensing Pill," Ye Feng said to the shopkeeper of the Hundred Treasures Hall.

The shopkeeper checked the contribution point list and smiled, nodding: "A Qi Condensing Pill costs 500 contribution points—just enough. This pill is very helpful for breaking through to Qi Gathering Realm third-layer. Good choice, young friend."

Ye Feng paid the contribution points, took the porcelain bottle containing the Qi Condensing Pill, and returned to his Single Courtyard.

For the next half-month, Ye Feng stayed indoors, using the pill's medicinal power to push with all his might toward Qi Gathering Realm third-layer.

The Qi Condensing Pill's effect was indeed remarkable. The bottleneck that would have taken more time to break through gradually loosened under the pill's aid.

Half a month later, a surge of powerful True Qi erupted from the small courtyard. Ye Feng opened his eyes, a glimmer of insight flashing within them.

Ye Feng had successfully broken through to Qi Gathering Realm third-layer!

He spent a few more days stabilizing his cultivation before stepping out of the courtyard.

Only then did he remember that the Azure Origin Art and Wind Shadow Sword Art he'd borrowed from the Inner Court Martial Pavilion still hadn't been returned. He quickly changed into clean clothes, grabbed the two books, and headed to the Martial Pavilion.

The Pavilion Guard Elder was dozing at the entrance. When he saw Ye Feng approach, he opened his eyes, recognized him, and broke into a smile: "Ah, Ye Feng. What's this, returning books?"

"Yes, Elder." Ye Feng bowed respectfully and handed over the two books. "I'm here to return Azure Origin Art and Wind Shadow Sword Art."

The elder took the books, flipped through them, and asked curiously, "How's your progress on Wind Shadow Sword Art? That Sword Technique is easy to start but hard to master. I thought it'd take you at least half a year to reach perfection—a month just to get the basics would be decent."

Ye Feng recalled how he'd mastered Wind Shadow Sword Art in just over ten minutes, but he didn't show it on his face. He only said calmly, "It's going alright."

The elder assumed he hadn't reached perfection yet and smiled reassuringly: "That's fine—take your time. Wind Shadow Sword Art is all about the artistic conception; you can't rush it. Keep pondering it, and you'll get there eventually."

With that, he placed the books back on the Martial Pavilion's shelves.

Ye Feng found it amusing but didn't explain.

He didn't want to stand out too much right now. Low-key cultivation was the way to go.

Just as he was about to leave, the Pavilion Guard Elder suddenly called out, "Ye Feng, wait a moment."

Ye Feng stopped and looked at him with confusion.

The elder gave him a once-over, confirmed he was at Qi Gathering Realm third-layer, and nodded: "Not bad—you broke through quickly. When you were at Qi Gathering Realm first-layer, you could already defeat Ding Hao across realms. That kind of strength stands out even among Inner Court disciples."

He paused, then continued: "The Earth Sun Secret Realm will be opening soon. I thought I'd let you know. It's located in the nearby Liuyang Valley, always shrouded in miasma. Even Origin Embracing Realm experts don't dare enter lightly. But once a year, the miasma fades and weakens—that's the best time to go in."

"There are plenty of opportunities and Cultivation Resources inside, but the danger is extreme. Every year at this time, Feiyun Sect's Inner Court genius disciples give it a shot, and the neighboring Baiyang Sect sends people too. By the rules, participants need at least Qi Gathering Realm seventh-layer, but your case is special. I don't think the Inner Court elders will refuse you."

Ye Feng's eyes lit up.

The Earth Sun Secret Realm?

This was a golden chance to seize opportunities!

Hearing this, Ye Feng quickly cupped his hands: "Thank you for telling me, Elder. I'll come back in three days to register."

"Good." The elder nodded with a smile. "Use these three days to prepare well. I hope you reap a good harvest in the secret realm."

Walking away from the Martial Pavilion, Ye Feng felt a swell of emotion.

This was the privilege of a genius.

If he were just an ordinary Inner Court disciple, he wouldn't even qualify to know about the Earth Sun Secret Realm, let alone participate.

He clenched his fist, filled with anticipation for the upcoming Earth Sun Secret Realm. And since Baiyang Sect would be sending people too, he might even run into some old acquaintances. Then, he could finally test just how strong he really was now.