Yun Ce Exits Seclusion, Qin Yu Battles the Demonic Ape

Within the golden barrier of the Thunder Mountain Residence training room, starlight swirled incessantly, with the faint rhythm of the Hongmeng Dao flowing through the air. Yun Ce sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, his aura becoming increasingly refined and mellow. With every breath, the power of the stars from heaven and earth quietly surged into his body, nourishing the Mustard Seed World and the pure Stellar True Essence within his dantian. Since beginning his seclusion, he had immersed himself entirely in the insights of the fifth stage of the Hongmeng Stellar Art, "Void-Piercing Creation," digesting the Void-Piercing Early Stage cultivation base converted by the system, polishing the newly formed pure Stellar True Essence, and studying the method of using this essence to manipulate spatial power, steadily solidifying his current realm and driving the initial evolution of the embryonic universe within him.

In the past, ordinary Void-Piercing Realm cultivators could only catch a glimpse of spatial mysteries; touching the spatial barrier was difficult, let alone tearing it. But the Hongmeng Stellar Art was heaven-defying and extraordinary. The foundation of the fifth stage, Void-Piercing Creation, used stars as its base to simulate the principles of Hongmeng evolution, allowing Yun Ce to wield spatial power with pure Stellar True Essence even at the Void-Piercing Early Stage. This talent and strength far exceeded those of his peers, and this opportunity was entirely a gift from the system.

He sank his consciousness into his dantian to carefully perceive the Mustard Seed World that had just formed—the embryonic universe within him. Although it was only a tiny space, it contained the principles of the Starry Path and the evolution of Hongmeng. Inside, starlight flickered, marking the traces of stellar power condensing and driving the evolution of his internal universe. As his divine sense stirred, the Mustard Seed World trembled slightly, emitting faint spatial fluctuations. Yun Ce attempted to mobilize the pure Stellar True Essence within his body, guiding the spatial power to gather at his fingertips. As his fingers moved slightly, ripples appeared in the surrounding air, and an almost invisible spatial crack quietly emerged, only to slowly close under his control without a single trace of energy leaking out.

"Hahaha, it's done!" Yun Ce slowly opened his eyes, a brilliant starlight flashing in his pupils as the spatial fluctuations at his fingertips gradually subsided. He could clearly feel that he was now able to initially control spatial power with his pure Stellar True Essence. Although he could not perform large-scale spatial teleportation, he could tear through the space of the mortal world at will, and even use the Mustard Seed World to briefly conceal his presence. This level of strength could be considered top-tier even among cultivators at the Void-Piercing Late Stage.

One must know that in this mortal world, those capable of tearing space were all high-level Loose Immortals comparable to Heavenly Immortals of the upper realm. Those Loose Immortals had spent thousands of years of tempering to barely master the ability to tear the space of the mortal world. Yet he, Yun Ce, was only at the Void-Piercing Early Stage, and by relying on the heaven-defying foundation of the Hongmeng Stellar Art, he had achieved this with pure Stellar True Essence alone. This opportunity was truly heaven-defying, making him even more expectant for the subsequent realms to be unlocked and the continued evolution of his internal universe.

Yun Ce stood up, his stellar aura retracting and expanding at will. With a wave of his hand, the golden barrier around him dissipated quietly, as if it had never existed. He felt the surging yet docile and controllable pure Stellar True Essence within his body, as well as the spatial power lingering at his fingertips, and felt fully confident. Now, on the Hidden Dragon Continent, he had sufficient power to protect himself. Even if he encountered an expert at the Emptiness Realm, he would have the strength to fight and could ensure the safety of Qin Yu and Black Feather.

"Xiao Yu and Black Feather must have been cultivating for quite some time. I wonder how long I've been in seclusion; it's time to go see them." A smile curled at the corner of Yun Ce's mouth. His footsteps shifted slightly, his pure Stellar True Essence quietly circulated, and the spatial power of the fifth stage was activated. His figure vanished from the training room like a ghost, and when he reappeared, he was already standing outside the main gate of the Thunder Mountain Residence. His teleportation did not stir even the slightest fluctuation of spiritual energy, showing how increasingly proficient he had become in controlling his Stellar True Essence and spatial power.

Outside the Thunder Mountain Residence, the spiritual energy in the depths of the Great Wilderness remained dense. In the distance, the mountains and forests were lush with towering ancient trees. Occasionally, the roars of demonic beasts could be heard, carrying a hint of danger but also full of vitality. Yun Ce moved his divine sense, and it spread out like a tide, covering an area of several thousand miles. The divine sense of a Void-Piercing Early Stage cultivator was already far beyond that of the Nascent Soul Realm, and with the added benefit of the Hongmeng Stellar Art nourishing his soul with stellar power, his range was several times that of an ordinary Void-Piercing cultivator. Even the swaying of grass and the breathing of demonic beasts were clearly discernible.

A moment later, Yun Ce's gaze shifted slightly, and a knowing smile appeared on his lips. His divine sense clearly detected that Qin Yu and Black Feather were in a valley in the Great Wilderness, more than a thousand miles away from the Thunder Mountain Residence, engaged in a fierce battle with a demonic beast. The man and the eagle were working in perfect harmony; although they appeared slightly strained, they showed no signs of panic.

"They certainly have a mind of their own, heading out to train without waiting for me to come out of seclusion." Yun Ce whispered, his eyes full of gratification. His footsteps shifted again, the spatial power pushed to the limit, and with a flash, he swept toward the valley. His speed was so fast that it almost broke through spatial constraints, arriving outside the valley in an instant. He stood quietly, not disturbing the battle within.

In the valley, the fierce battle was in full swing.

A massive Great Strength Demon Ape was roaring and waving its thick arms, smashing toward Qin Yu. Every swing carried a whistling gale, causing the ground to tremble slightly. This Great Strength Demon Ape was pitch black, its fur standing up like steel needles. It stood over three zhang tall, its muscles knotted, radiating a violent earth-attribute spiritual energy. Its eyes, as large as copper bells, were filled with murderous intent, its fangs exposed, and its aura was ferocious—it was indeed a Golden Core Mid Stage demonic beast, and one with innate talent, its physical strength far exceeding that of other beasts of the same rank.

Qin Yu held a high-grade spirit sword, nimbly dodging the Great Strength Demon Ape's attacks. His body was surrounded by purple Nebula True Qi, and every time he swung his sword, he unleashed a sharp sword qi containing stellar power, slashing toward the beast. Black Feather spread its huge wings, soaring in mid-air, occasionally spitting out a stream of thunder-fire. The thunder-fire was mixed with wind-attribute spiritual energy, doubling its power as it attacked the back of the Great Strength Demon Ape. Coordinating with Qin Yu's attacks, they advanced and retreated in an orderly fashion, giving the beast no chance to catch its breath.

Yun Ce stood at the entrance of the valley, hands behind his back, watching the battle with a calm gaze, nodding inwardly. He judged at a glance that although this Great Strength Demon Ape was a Golden Core Mid Stage beast, its attack and defense far exceeded those of its peers, comparable to a human cultivator at the Golden Core Late Stage. The Great Strength Demon Ape was known for its powerful body and immense strength, and this one was particularly gifted, its physical toughness comparable to a mid-grade spirit weapon. Ordinary Golden Core Mid Stage cultivators would be no match for it and would be severely injured or slaughtered if they were not careful.

Yet, Qin Yu's performance far exceeded Yun Ce's expectations.

Qin Yu was currently only at the Nebula Early Stage (Golden Core Early Stage), but relying on the pure Nebula True Qi condensed by Stellar Transformations and his powerful body, which had been cultivated to perfection through the Three Heaven-Reaching Charts, he was locked in a stalemate with the Great Strength Demon Ape. His movements were agile, his sword technique sharp, and every sword qi contained rich stellar power. Although he could not directly break through the beast's defense, he could leave faint wounds on its body, constantly draining its stamina. His own body even withstood several attacks from the beast, resulting only in torn clothes and shallow red marks on his skin, without any real damage. This level of physical toughness was difficult for even Golden Core Mid Stage cultivators to match.

"Good lad, you've made quite some progress." Yun Ce felt gratified, a trace of approval flashing in his eyes. "With his current strength, barring any accidents, he will certainly be able to slay this Great Strength Demon Ape. This practical training is perfect for him; it can temper his body and improve his application of stellar power."

In the valley, Qin Yu dodged a heavy punch from the Great Strength Demon Ape, using the momentum to retreat several steps. He panted slightly, beads of sweat seeping from his forehead, but his eyes were full of determination, showing no intention of retreating. He could feel that the Great Strength Demon Ape's power was immense and its defense extremely tough; killing it would not be easy. However, his dedicated cultivation during this period had not only made his stellar foundation more solid but had also made his state of mind more composed. Facing a strong enemy, he felt more calm and collected rather than panicked.

"Xiao Hei, coordinate with me! It's time to end this!" Qin Yu sent a spiritual message to Black Feather in mid-air. His Nebula True Qi began to surge wildly, and he was ready for an all-out strike.

"Understood!" Black Feather's voice came through the spiritual sense, a sharp glint in its eyes. Its wings flapped violently, and a wild wind roared, kicking up dust. At the same time, it spat out a ball of dense thunder-fire. Inside the thunder-fire was a cone-shaped spirit weapon, emitting a faint glow. It transformed into a fire dragon, smashing toward the head of the Great Strength Demon Ape to distract it. This was the Thunder Shadow Awl, a high-grade spirit weapon that Xiao Hei had borrowed from the Thunder Mountain Residence's forging room.

Seeing this, the Great Strength Demon Ape roared, a trace of mania flashing in its eyes. It raised its thick arms to swat at the thunder-fire. With a loud bang, the thunder-fire was scattered, sparks flying everywhere, but it also left a scorched mark on its arm and was pierced by the Thunder Shadow Awl. The burning pain and the piercing wound made the Great Strength Demon Ape even more violent. Ignoring its own injuries, it rushed toward Qin Yu again, swinging both fists, determined to smash him into meat paste. The black eagle in the air was too fast, and it could not make an effective attack, so it had to focus its target on this damned human.

Qin Yu's eyes narrowed. He stopped dodging, and his Nebula True Qi surged, all of it gathering on the high-grade spirit sword in his hand. The blade glowed with a dazzling purple light, stellar power and Nebula True Qi intertwining.

"Starry Domain! Open!"

Qin Yu shouted.

Patterns of the celestial stars faintly appeared on the sword. A sharp sword qi, far exceeding the previous ones, carried a piercing sound as it tore through the air, slashing toward the chest of the Great Strength Demon Ape.

This strike condensed all of Qin Yu's power and was a perfect application of the power of Stellar Transformations—the agility of Nebula True Qi, the dominance of the Starry Domain, and the sharpness of the high-grade spirit weapon. Combined, they were infinitely powerful, enough to break through the defense of this Golden Core Mid Stage Great Strength Demon Ape.

The Great Strength Demon Ape sensed the fatal threat of this sword, a trace of wariness flashing in its eyes, but it still did not retreat. The violence in its bones made it stiffen its chest, wanting to rely on its powerful body to withstand the blow.

Puchi—

The sword qi slammed into the chest of the Great Strength Demon Ape, instantly breaking through its tough fur and muscles, leaving a deep wound. Black blood gushed out, emitting a faint, fishy smell. The Great Strength Demon Ape let out a shrill roar, its massive body staggering back several steps. The murderous light in its eyes gradually faded, replaced by a trace of fear and lethargy, and its aura weakened by more than half in an instant.

Qin Yu did not give it a chance to catch its breath. His figure flashed, rushing to the front of the Great Strength Demon Ape like a ghost. The sword in his hand swung out again, and sharp sword qi slashed out one after another, each strike precisely hitting the beast's wound, constantly draining its vitality and giving it no chance to counterattack.

Black Feather in mid-air also took the opportunity to launch a fierce attack. Thunder-fire and wind-attribute spiritual energy intertwined, and attacks continuously bombarded the back of the Great Strength Demon Ape, making its situation worse. Its injuries became increasingly severe, and its massive body began to sway, unable to hold on.

Yun Ce stood at the entrance of the valley, having no intention of intervening. He knew clearly that this battle was an excellent practical training for Qin Yu. It could test his cultivation results during this period, allow him to grow rapidly in battle, familiarize himself with the use of stellar power, and temper his state of mind, laying a solid stellar foundation for his future adventures in the depths of the Great Wilderness and the cultivation world. If he were to intervene rashly, he would miss this opportunity for training.

He had already calculated everything—the Hidden Dragon Continent was only the starting point for Qin Yu's growth. In the future, the Undersea Demon Cultivator World, the Turbulent Star Sea, and even the Soaring Dragon Continent, those worlds gathering millions of cultivators and hidden talents, were the places where the master and disciple would truly shine. Now that he had mastered spatial power with pure Stellar True Essence, relying on the heaven-defying strength of the Hongmeng Stellar Art to "build a foundation with stars and evolve Hongmeng," he was enough to protect Qin Yu. Once Qin Yu and Black Feather's strength improved a bit more, breaking through to the Golden Core Mid Stage and solidifying their stellar foundation, they would set off for the undersea demonic beast world to seize several opportunities before embarking on a brand-new journey to the Soaring Dragon Continent.

In the valley, the battle was nearing its end. The Great Strength Demon Ape was covered in wounds, its aura withered to the extreme. It no longer had its previous violence, its eyes filled with despair. Its massive body swayed, and even standing had become difficult. Qin Yu's eyes were firm, the sword in his hand held high, and the Nebula True Qi around his body gathered once more. The purple light on the sword became increasingly dazzling, and the stellar power condensed to the limit, ready to deliver the final blow to the Great Strength Demon Ape and end the battle once and for all.