The Gap

After choosing his retainers, Ye Qingxuan planned to set off at once and hurry back to Xuantian Sect.

But when he considered the journey from the Ye Family to Qingmu Prefecture City, Ye Qingxuan shamelessly asked Ye Yuhong to give him a ride. He also exchanged Sound Transmission Talismans with Ye Yuhong.

Ye Yuhong did not refuse Ye Qingxuan's request.

The group arrived outside the hall. Just as Ye Yuhong was about to take out the flying boat and send Ye Qingxuan's group to Qingmu Prefecture City, he suddenly spotted a figure hurrying toward them.

"Ye Qingxuan, you coward! You still dared to come back?"

Hearing the newcomer's words, Ye Yuhong looked at Ye Qingxuan with a strange expression, his eyes carrying a meaningful gleam.

Feeling Ye Yuhong's gaze, Ye Qingxuan looked toward the slender figure hurrying over, utterly baffled!

He remembered that he had never provoked any girl.

In mere moments, the slender figure had reached them. Her breathtakingly beautiful face was puffed up with anger as her eyes glared fiercely at Ye Qingxuan.

Looking at the maiden before him, whose temperament was extraordinary, Ye Qingxuan hesitated and asked:

"Who are you?"

To his surprise, the maiden flew into a rage at once upon hearing his question and said indignantly:

"Ye Qingxuan, you really dare pretend not to know me! We agreed to compete in Cultivation Speed, yet you sneaked off by yourself!"

If she had not unexpectedly received news of Ye Qingxuan's return this time, she would not even have known that this coward had secretly come back again!

Hearing this, Ye Qingxuan suddenly reacted. As he examined the maiden before him, memories from years ago surfaced in his mind, and he asked uncertainly:

"You are... Ye Qingshuang?"

He found it hard to connect the breathtaking maiden before him with the aloof little girl from over twenty years ago.

Ye Qingshuang had changed far too much. For a time, Ye Qingxuan had failed to recognize her.

Seeing that Ye Qingxuan had only now recognized her, Ye Qingshuang grew even angrier and demanded:

"We agreed to compete in Cultivation Speed back then, so why did you secretly run away? Hmph, coward!"

Hearing Ye Qingshuang's words, Ye Qingxuan innocently shrugged.

"I never agreed to compete in Cultivation Speed with you. I'm not competing with you."

Hearing this, Ye Qingshuang stamped her foot and said angrily:

"Hmph, I don't care! You beat me in the assessment back then, so I have to beat you in Cultivation Speed to win it back! I'm already at Qi Refining Layer 9 now—you definitely can't compare to me!"

At the end, the corner of the mouth curled slightly upward, her tone carrying a trace of pride.

Among the Three-element Spirit Roots recorded by the Ye Family, the fastest person before her had needed twenty-five years to reach Qi Refining Layer 9.

Yet she had taken less than twenty-three years to break the Lineage's record.

Seeing the corner of the mouth slightly raised, Ye Qingxuan smiled to himself but said nothing.

Just as Ye Qingshuang was feeling pleased with herself, Ye Yuhong suddenly cut in.

"Qingshuang, Qingxuan is already at Qi Refining Perfection and will soon break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm. If you truly compare Cultivation Speed, he is still a little faster than you!"

Ye Qingshuang was the Grand Elder's granddaughter, so Ye Yuhong naturally knew her.

Hearing Ye Yuhong's words, Ye Qingshuang's little mouth fell open, and her pupils instantly widened. After she reacted, she immediately questioned:

"That's impossible!"

She remembered that Ye Qingxuan clearly possessed only a Single Element Spiritual Root. How could his Cultivation Speed possibly surpass hers?

Seeing that Ye Qingshuang did not believe him, Ye Yuhong could only shake his head.

"Qingxuan!"

Hearing the Patriarch call him, Ye Qingxuan understood and could only helplessly release his aura.

Their cultivation levels were nearly identical. If he did not release his aura, Ye Qingshuang would not be able to sense his exact realm.

After Ye Qingxuan released his aura, Ye Qingshuang confirmed his cultivation and immediately revealed an expression of disbelief.

Ye Qingxuan's talent was clearly only a Single Element Spiritual Root, while she had a Three-element Spirit Root. How could her Cultivation Speed be slower than his?

Seeing Ye Qingshuang's expression, Ye Yuhong sighed.

"You girl are simply too competitive. You've cultivated so desperately all these years—so this was the reason?"

That old guy, the Grand Elder, had always bragged to him about how diligently his granddaughter cultivated. So this was why?

Seeing Ye Qingshuang's dazed expression, Ye Qingxuan could not bear it. No matter what, she had once been his companion, so he casually said:

"Ye Qingshuang, you lost this time. How about we compete to see who reaches the Purple Mansion Realm first? You've already lost twice. Don't lose this third time as well!"

There was no need to compare Foundation Establishment anymore. Once he Return to Xuantian Sect and Contract Blessed Land, he could break through immediately. They might as well compete over the Purple Mansion Realm—it could also give Ye Qingshuang some motivation.

Sure enough, after hearing Ye Qingxuan's words, light began to shine in Ye Qingshuang's eyes once more. After regaining her confidence, she said with utter certainty:

"Ye Qingxuan, just wait! The third time, I definitely won't lose again!"

After delivering that threat, Ye Qingshuang Turned Into a streak of rosy cloud and left this place.

What she did not know was that this parting might perhaps be forever!

Seeing that Ye Qingshuang had left, Ye Qingxuan did not mind it. With a slight smile, he said:

"Patriarch, let's go!"

Ye Yuhong slightly shook his head. Young people these days—he truly could not understand them!

Afterward, he took out a Fourth-Rank Flying Boat, brought Ye Qingxuan, Ye Zhaoheng, and Ye Zhaoyu aboard, and piloted the flying boat toward Qingmu Prefecture City.

Flying Boats were products formed from the combination of Artifact Crafting and Formations. They differed from Magic Treasures, so they were divided into Tier One to Ten, corresponding one-to-one with Cultivation Realms!

After Ye Qingxuan departed, Ye Qingshuang returned to her Cave Mansion and began cultivating even more diligently.

In truth, it was perfectly normal that Ye Qingshuang could not accept the result that her Cultivation Speed was inferior to Ye Qingxuan's.

Under normal circumstances, every additional Spirit Root element doubled a cultivator's Cultivation Speed from its original basis.

If the Cultivation Speed of a Single Element Spiritual Root was 1, then a Dual Element Spiritual Root's Cultivation Speed was 2, while a Three-element Spirit Root's Cultivation Speed was 4, and so on.

In theory, her Cultivation Speed should have been four times Ye Qingxuan's!

The more Spirit Roots one possessed, the effect would far surpass that of one plus one being greater than two.

However, that was merely the theoretical Cultivation Speed under normal circumstances. Cultivation Speed could also vary due to External Objects.

A cultivator's daily cultivation time, supply of cultivation resources, external spiritual energy density, physical strength, the toughness of their meridians, and so on would all affect their Cultivation Speed.

Take Ye Qingxiao, for example. As someone with a Five Element Spirit Root, his Cultivation Speed should theoretically have been Sixteen Times Ye Qingxuan's.

Yet because Ye Qingxiao had been affected by his early stage Menial Tasks, insufficient Cultivation Resources, his body being unable to withstand overly powerful Spiritual Energy Impacts, and other factors, his overall Cultivation Speed was only about one time faster than Ye Qingxuan's.

For those true Prodigies, the factor that most greatly affected Cultivation Speed in the early stage was not those External Objects, but rather their own physical strength and the toughness of their meridians.

As cultivation rose, or as one practiced certain Body Refining Cultivation Methods, their physical condition improved. Only then would the gap truly brought about by talent become increasingly obvious—and increasingly despairing.

The further one advanced in realm, the more immense the required energy became. Many cultivators were not incapable of breaking through bottlenecks, but their own talent dragged down their Cultivation Speed, leaving them without enough lifespan to accumulate the energy needed for a breakthrough.

Although Ye Qingxuan possessed Eternal Lifespan and could ignore this issue, one should be prepared for danger in times of peace. Since there was a method to Increase Own Spirit Root, he would naturally fight for it with everything he had.

Spirit Roots had far too great an impact on cultivators. Talent was sometimes simply an unreasonable thing.

And resources were the second most important factor affecting cultivation.

As it happened, after choosing to Become A Blessed Cultivator, Ye Qingxuan could easily obtain both of these things.

This was also one of the reasons why Ye Qingxuan had previously chosen to Become A Blessed Cultivator upon learning that a Blessed Land could Increase Own Spirit Root.

Of course, he had only made that decision in the end because he had the Eternal Turtle Clone and the Mysterious Bead in his mind as his safety nets.

Tomorrow, he would Contract Blessed Land, and the Earth Immortal Legacy everyone had been longing for would also appear!