Ye Feng's aura was still rising wildly within him, his robes fluttering and snapping despite the absence of wind.
The aura of the fourth layer of the Qi Gathering Realm had only stabilized for a moment before being overwhelmed by denser True Qi, sending him straight to the fifth layer of the Qi Gathering Realm.
Immediately afterward, the auras of the sixth, seventh, and eighth layers surged forth like a rising tide. The air across the entire clearing seemed to be stirred by this ever-strengthening power, forming visible vortices of airflow.
In less than a minute, the aura around Ye Feng finally settled at the peak of the ninth layer of the Qi Gathering Realm.
It was exactly the same cultivation level as Yun Hai's!
"My heavens! He... He actually rose straight from the third layer of the Qi Gathering Realm to the peak of the ninth?"
"How is that possible?! Was he hiding his strength, or did he break through on the spot? Who could break through that quickly? It was like riding a rocket!"
"Even taking pills wouldn't be that outrageous, would it? I've never seen anyone cross six minor realms in a minute, with every realm so firmly established!"
The Baiyang Sect disciples were utterly dumbfounded. Their voices rose and fell one after another, their faces filled with disbelief.
Only when the aura around Ye Feng stabilized and ceased fluctuating did everyone fall into dead silence.
They had no choice but to admit that this was absolutely not an effect achievable through conventional cultivation or pills. There had to be an incomprehensible secret hidden within Ye Feng.
Yun Hai clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white, his face filled with shock and confusion.
He stared fixedly at Ye Feng as a question echoed repeatedly through his mind: How did he do it? He didn't swallow any pills, yet his True Qi is so dense and stable, without the slightest sense of being hollow... This simply doesn't make any sense!
He had originally thought Ye Feng was merely a low-realm disciple with decent talent.
But now, it seemed that the other man was far more bizarre than he had imagined.
Ye Feng felt the True Qi surging through his body, but his brows furrowed slightly, his face full of dissatisfaction. "After a century of cultivation, I only reached the peak of the ninth layer of the Qi Gathering Realm? This is way too pathetic, isn't it?"
In Ye Feng's view, a hundred years was enough for an ordinary cultivator to break through from the Qi Gathering Realm to the True Condensation realm. Even if his own talent was poor, he should at least have touched the threshold of the True Condensation realm.
Yet now, he was merely on par with Yun Hai?
He quickly figured out the key.
The problem lay in his Bone Root Talent.
"If I didn't have the system's ability to alter time, with this body's talent, I'd probably be trapped in the Qi Gathering Realm for my entire life, let alone break through to a higher realm."
Ye Feng sighed inwardly, his desire to improve his Bone Root Talent growing ever more urgent.
At the same time, Ye Feng discovered the mechanism behind the system's modification of cultivation.
The cultivation gained this time was based entirely on the most basic speed of "absorbing Heaven and Earth spiritual energy to cultivate." He had not relied on any Spirit Stones or Treasure Herbs, so his True Qi was exceptionally pure and stable, with no adverse effects whatsoever.
"It seems that the better the talent, the greater the gains from altering time. Once I obtain the Bone Tempering Flower and improve my Bone Root Talent, the next time I modify my cultivation, I'll definitely be able to break through to the True Condensation realm!"
Just as Ye Feng was pondering this, Yun Hai suddenly moved.
Yun Hai looked at Ye Feng, a trace of unwillingness and greed flashing through his eyes.
The secret behind Ye Feng's explosive rise in cultivation within a minute was more precious than a Low-grade Spirit Sword!
As long as he killed Ye Feng, he could not only seize the Spirit Sword but also uncover the secret behind his sudden surge in cultivation. By then, his future would be boundless!
"Even if you've reached the peak of the ninth layer of the Qi Gathering Realm, I may not lose!" Yun Hai gritted his teeth, deciding to disregard the strain on his body and use his trump card once more.
His legs slammed into the ground, and his body shot toward Ye Feng like an arrow leaving the bow. At the same time, he gathered all the remaining True Qi in his body into his right fist. A mysterious force similar to the one he had used to kill the Vajra Bear condensed once more.
"Mountain Suppressing Force! Die!"
Yun Hai roared as his fist carried the might to suppress everything, striking straight toward Ye Feng's chest.
Yun Hai had wagered everything on this punch. He not only wanted to kill Ye Feng but also hoped to force out the secret behind his explosive increase in cultivation.
Ye Feng raised his eyes and looked over. Sensing the power in Yun Hai's fist, his face remained utterly unmoved.
When he had still been at the third layer of the Qi Gathering Realm, this punch might have left him scrambling to respond. But now, he was at the peak of the ninth layer. In his eyes, Yun Hai's strength was nothing worth mentioning.
"That's all you've got?" Ye Feng said blandly. He slowly raised his right fist. Without using any martial technique—or even activating Sword Intent or Fist Intent—he relied solely on the basic strength of the peak ninth layer of the Qi Gathering Realm and punched directly toward Yun Hai's fist.
"Bang!"
The two fists collided. There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a deep, muffled boom.
The white True Qi around Yun Hai's fist shattered like glass. Ye Feng's fist pierced through the True Qi without the slightest obstruction and collided directly with Yun Hai's fist.
"Crack!"
A crisp sound of breaking bone rang out. Yun Hai's fist twisted and deformed at a speed visible to the naked eye. The terrifying force spread up his arm, shattering his meridians.
Before Yun Hai could even scream, the force remaining in Ye Feng's fist pierced through his arm and transformed into an invisible fist wind that slammed into his brow.
"Pfft!"
Yun Hai's head exploded like a watermelon. Brain matter mixed with blood splattered through the air, and his corpse fell stiffly to the ground, utterly lifeless.
Until the moment of his death, his Mountain Suppressing Force had never managed to erupt. He had not even understood why he had lost so completely.
The clearing fell utterly silent. The Baiyang Sect disciples looked at Yun Hai's corpse on the ground, then at Ye Feng standing where he was, his entire body radiating a terrifying aura. The shock on their faces instantly turned to panic.
"Run! Senior Brother Yun Hai was killed! We're no match for him!" someone shouted. The Baiyang Sect disciples came to their senses as if awakening from a dream and scattered in all directions, wishing their parents had given them two more legs.
Ye Feng's gaze turned cold.
His trump card—the modification of his cultivation—had been exposed. If he let these people escape, news would reach the Baiyang Sect, inevitably drawing the pursuit of even stronger experts.
Ye Feng did not hesitate in the slightest. He drew the Low-grade Spirit Sword from his waist, and azure True Qi poured into the blade as Sword Intent quietly condensed.
"Trying to run? Too late!"
Ye Feng moved, unleashing Shadow Step at full force. He transformed into a streak of azure afterimages, weaving among the fleeing disciples.
The Spirit Sword flashed. Every sweep of its radiance sent a disciple collapsing to the ground, blood staining the earth red.
In a mere dozen seconds, more than ten Baiyang Sect disciples had all fallen, their corpses strewn across the ground.
Ye Feng put away the Spirit Sword, feeling not the slightest discomfort at the bloody scene before him.
Within a Secret Realm, mercy toward one's enemies was cruelty toward oneself.
Turning around, Ye Feng walked straight toward the crevice in the rock beside the Vajra Bear's corpse.
There, a Bone Tempering Flower of pure golden color was giving off a faint fragrance.
Ye Feng carefully plucked the Bone Tempering Flower. Looking at the Treasure Herb in his hand, his eyes filled with delight.
With this Bone Tempering Flower, he could completely resolve the problem of his Bone Root Talent. In the future, the gains from using the system to modify his cultivation would also increase dramatically.
But he felt a little regretful as well.
If he had been able to swallow the Bone Tempering Flower and improve his talent before modifying a century of cultivation, he might already have broken through to the True Condensation realm by now.
"But it doesn't matter." Ye Feng let out a soft laugh.
"If I hadn't improved my cultivation first and defeated Yun Hai, I wouldn't have obtained this Bone Tempering Flower. Every gain comes with a loss. It was well worth it."
As he spoke, Ye Feng carefully placed the Bone Tempering Flower into his storage ring. Feeling the stable cultivation of the peak ninth layer of the Qi Gathering Realm within him, his gaze sharpened.
Next, he would find a safe place to swallow the Bone Tempering Flower, improve his Bone Root Talent, and then continue exploring the Earth Sun Secret Realm.
Since his strength had already been exposed, there was no need to hide it any longer. He might as well use this opportunity to obtain more opportunities!
Before you continue