Ye Feng stood beside the stone table in the small courtyard, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the hilt of his sword as he repeatedly collated his recent cultivation insights in his mind.
From the Qi Gathering Realm to the True Condensation Realm, the leap in strength brought about by the system's modifications had made Ye Feng deeply understand one principle.
The deeper one's martial foundation, the more significant the improvement would be when using the system to modify the years.
Although he had now reached the peak of the tenth layer of the True Condensation realm, his Bone Root Talent was still his weak point.
If he could optimize his talent further, then the next time he used the Millennium Time Limit, he might be able to break through the bottleneck of the Origin Embracing Realm in one go.
"Before breaking through to the Origin Embracing Realm, I need to learn more Sword Techniques and Fist Techniques and accumulate enough martial knowledge." Ye Feng made up his mind and no longer rushed to use the system.
"The Origin Embracing Realm is a huge watershed on the path of cultivation. Countless prodigies have fallen at this step. No matter how strong I am, I still have to make every possible preparation."
The more crucial the breakthrough, the less one could advance recklessly.
"Knock, knock."
Just as Ye Feng was pondering, a knock suddenly came from outside the courtyard gate.
Ye Feng rose and opened the door, only to see a disciple dressed in Inner Sect attire standing outside.
The instant he saw Ye Feng, the visitor hurriedly lowered his head and saluted, speaking respectfully. "Senior Brother Ye, this disciple was ordered to deliver a message."
"What is it?" Ye Feng asked indifferently.
"The sect has announced that all True Disciples must immediately head to the Sovereign's Hall to assemble. The Sovereign has important arrangements." The Inner Sect disciple replied with his head bowed.
"This disciple is only responsible for showing you the way. As for the specific matter, you will have to hear the Sovereign's instructions inside the hall. This disciple's status is lowly, and I have no qualification to enter the Sovereign's Hall."
Ye Feng was slightly surprised.
He had not been a True Disciple for long, and this was the first time he had encountered the sect summoning all the True Disciples.
It seemed there had to be some important action.
His strength had just risen dramatically during this period, and he was itching for a fight.
He happened to want to see how strong the other True Disciples were!
"Lead the way." Ye Feng nodded.
The Inner Sect disciple acknowledged him and led Ye Feng all the way to the entrance of the Sovereign's Hall before bowing and taking his leave. "Senior Brother Ye, please enter the hall. This disciple will wait here."
Ye Feng glanced at the hall doors and walked inside.
Looking up, he saw that the Sovereign's Hall was actually a grand and imposing palace-style structure.
The roof was covered in Glazed Tiles that shimmered brilliantly beneath the sunlight. The stone pillars before the hall doors were carved with lifelike Dragon Patterns. Its extravagance far surpassed that of any building in the Inner Sect, and it was even several times more magnificent than the palaces of the ancient monarchs on Earth.
"Good heavens, the foundation of the Feiyun Sect is even deeper than I imagined." Ye Feng was secretly astonished.
The instant he stepped through the hall doors, Ye Feng felt several gazes focus on him.
He swept his eyes across the hall and saw quite a few True Disciples already standing on either side.
There were not many of them, but their auras far surpassed those of the Inner Sect disciples.
Even the weakest possessed cultivation at the third layer of the True Condensation realm, while the strongest had reached the peak of the tenth layer of the True Condensation realm. His aura was so dense that it almost seemed ready to congeal into substance, and he was only one step away from the Origin Embracing Realm.
"Junior Brother Ye?" a gentle voice called out.
Ye Feng turned toward the voice and saw a handsome young man in white robes striding over. He wore a kindly smile and extended his hand.
"I am Li Yunfeng, also a True Disciple of the sect. I heard the sect had welcomed a junior brother of extraordinary talent. Having met you today, I see that your bearing is indeed extraordinary."
Ye Feng paused slightly, then reached out and briefly shook Li Yunfeng's hand. "Ye Feng."
The two had barely exchanged a few pleasantries when the surrounding True Disciples could not help whispering among themselves:
"So this is Junior Brother Ye Feng? He became a True Disciple at just seventeen—truly a dragon among men!"
"I heard he killed Li Yue in the Earth Sun Secret Realm and defeated Zhao Yu as well. He even comprehended Thirty Percent Sword Intent and Twenty Percent Fist Intent. Is that true?"
"If so, that's far too exaggerated! It took me three years just to comprehend Ten Percent Sword Intent. His comprehension is simply heaven-defying!"
Though the discussion was quiet, it entered Ye Feng's ears clearly.
Unlike the wariness and hostility among the Inner Sect disciples, the voices of these True Disciples held more curiosity and admiration. The atmosphere was unexpectedly harmonious.
Just as Ye Feng was feeling puzzled, Li Yunfeng seemed to see through his thoughts and explained with a smile, "Junior Brother Ye, you need not find it strange. True Disciples are the core of the sect, and what the Sovereign values most is our harmony."
"If the core disciples turn against one another, the sect's decline will not be far behind."
"Besides, the sect has always treated us fairly. The stronger we are, the more resources we can obtain. Everyone only competes, without any fundamental conflict of interest, so naturally we can get along harmoniously."
Ye Feng nodded in understanding.
So that was why. No wonder the way these True Disciples interacted was worlds apart from the Inner Sect.
Just then, a steady gaze fell upon Ye Feng.
Ye Feng looked toward it and saw a young man in a plain, elegant azure robe slowly approaching. His features were ordinary, but his aura was astonishingly dense. With one glance, Ye Feng judged that he too was at the peak of the tenth layer of the True Condensation realm. His true strength was completely different from the apparent strength Ye Feng had chosen to reveal.
"So you are Junior Brother Ye?" the azure-robed young man asked, his voice calm yet carrying a trace of barely perceptible surprise.
"I heard that you became a True Disciple only a month ago, yet had already broken through to the third layer of the True Condensation realm. Such speed truly befits a genius whom the Sovereign personally promoted as an exception."
Li Yunfeng hurriedly stepped forward to introduce him. "Junior Brother Ye, this is Senior Brother Liu Tianxiang, the strongest among all the True Disciples of our Feiyun Sect, and also the First True Disciple!"
Li Yunfeng paused, then added, "Senior Brother Liu has also comprehended Thirty Percent Sword Intent, just like you, and his strength is unfathomable. By the way, Senior Brother Liu is actually already thirty years old. It was only after breaking through to the True Condensation realm and gaining a lifespan of two hundred years that his appearance remained around twenty. This is also one of the reasons we martial artists fight desperately to break through to the True Condensation realm. Not only does our strength undergo a qualitative transformation, but our lifespan also increases greatly."
Ye Feng's heart stirred slightly.
Liu Tianxiang, at the peak of the tenth layer of the True Condensation realm, with Thirty Percent Sword Intent—he was indeed a good reference point.
Just as the True Disciples in the hall were whispering among themselves, a sudden dry cough rang throughout the entire Sovereign's Hall. The sound was not loud, yet carried an invisible majesty.
All the True Disciples instantly fell silent and looked up toward the direction from which the sound had come.
On the main seat deep within the hall, a figure slowly rose to his feet.
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