A Month of Transformation

The knock at the door interrupted Ye Xingchen's troubled thoughts.

"Senior Brother Ye... no, Elder Ye! Are you in?" Wang Tiezhu's suppressed voice came from outside.

Ye Xingchen put away the jade slip and waved open the door.

Wang Tiezhu stood there with a glowing face, holding a brand-new long robe trimmed in purple and gold, along with a dark-gold token.

"Elder Ye! Great news!" Wang Tiezhu strode inside and placed the items on the table. "Elder Mo has just issued the order. You're now a Third-Rank Artifact Refiner of our Artifact Refining Hall! Your status is equal to an elder's!"

Ye Xingchen raised an eyebrow, picked up the dark-gold token, and weighed it in his hand. It was rather heavy.

"Nothing but an empty title."

"Tiezhu, let's talk about something practical. How much does a Third-Rank Artifact Refiner get paid each month?"

Wang Tiezhu froze, clearly unable to keep up with Ye Xingchen's train of thought. Scratching his head, he said, "Um... according to the rules, a Third-Rank Artifact Refiner can receive one thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones and ten sect contribution points every month.

"Also, you won't need to do menial tasks normally. Unless there is a major artifact-refining request, all your time is yours to arrange."

"One thousand Spirit Stones?" Ye Xingchen's eyes lit up.

That was a long-term meal ticket! It was still a long way from thirty thousand, but even a mosquito's leg was meat.

"Then where do I collect this month's Spirit Stones?" Ye Xingchen immediately got to his feet.

Wang Tiezhu's expression stiffened, and he gave an awkward laugh. "Well... Elder Ye, the sect's rules are that payments are issued monthly. You've only just been promoted, so you'll have to wait until the first day of next month to collect them..."

Ye Xingchen froze halfway through his movement.

"Next month?"

"Yes, next month."

"Tch." Ye Xingchen flopped back onto the bed and rolled his eyes. "So you're just drawing me a big pie? That old Mo looks like such an upright man, yet he can pull this 'coming back from abroad next week' routine too."

Wang Tiezhu had no idea what "coming back from abroad next week" meant and could only smile apologetically.

Ye Xingchen waved a hand. "Fine. Leave the things and go."

Wang Tiezhu nodded repeatedly and slowly withdrew.

After seeing Wang Tiezhu off, Ye Xingchen looked at the purple-and-gold robe on the table and sighed.

Distant water could not quench immediate thirst.

"With insufficient resources, One Qi, Three Purities can't be cultivated for now. Forcing it would be no different from suicide."

"Since I can't do anything with my divine soul for the time being, I'll train my body first."

Ye Xingchen's gaze blazed.

"System, how many Source Points will it cost to One-Click Skip the Tai Chi Fist cultivation process?"

[One-Click Skip for the Tai Chi Fist cultivation process requires 5000 Source Points. Host balance: 10000 points. Would you like to One-Click Skip?]

"Fuck..."

Hearing that skipping Tai Chi Fist would cost five thousand Source Points, Ye Xingchen's heart ached again.

"Ha... skip it!"

The Chaotic Wind Hammer Method was simple and brutal. Ye Xingchen had already mastered it to great completion; now, he only needed to temper his body continuously and adapt to the layered pressure of swinging the hammer to unleash strength far beyond the Qi Refining Stage.

However, this method was riddled with openings in actual combat. It could easily turn him into a stationary live target, unable to show its true effectiveness.

Tai Chi Fist, meanwhile, integrated offense and defense, making it the best choice for now.

[Ding! One-Click Skipping the Tai Chi Fist cultivation process...]

[Congratulations, Host. Tai Chi Fist cultivation process skipped successfully. The Host can now unleash one hundred percent of Tai Chi Fist's power.]

[Note: As the Host's realm rises, Tai Chi Fist skills can be unlocked.]

[Qi Refining Stage: Tai Chi Fist skill 'Yin-Yang Domain.' Within the domain, the opponent's spell attacks are ineffective for ten breaths.]

An unexpected gain.

At the back mountain, Dragon Pool Waterfall.

"Rumble—"

Beneath the waterfall, atop a bluestone polished mirror-smooth by the rushing water, a figure stood bare-chested beneath the crushing force of the cascade, laboriously swinging a wooden hammer.

It was Ye Xingchen.

At that moment, every muscle on his body was taut as iron and stone. His skin had been flushed red by the torrent, making him look like a boiled shrimp.

"Fifty-ninth..."

"Bang!"

The wooden hammer surged upstream, forcefully smashing the thundering waterfall back by a full meter!

Water splashed in all directions like shattered jade bursting apart.

"Awesome!"

Ye Xingchen threw back his head and roared. Though his voice was instantly swallowed by the waterfall's thunder, he could clearly feel the spiritual power within him becoming increasingly refined under such extreme pressure.

During the day, he trained with the hammer beneath the waterfall, tempering his body and control over his strength.

At night, he returned to his small courtyard and practiced Tai Chi beneath the moonlight, harmonizing the turbulent blood and qi within his body while improving his combat skills.

Those days were monotonous and painful, yet Ye Xingchen relished them.

In his previous life, he had worked himself to ruin with 996 schedules just for that meager salary. Now, he was striving for immortality, striving not to be trampled like an ant in this world where people ate people. What the hell was this little hardship?

Time slipped away like sand through one's fingers.

One month later.

Morning sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves and fell upon the edge of Dragon Pool.

On the bluestone, Ye Xingchen slowly drew in his stance. His once somewhat slender body now bore sharply defined lines; every muscle contained explosive power, while faint Flowing Light shimmered beneath his skin.

He casually clenched his fist, and a faint burst of air rang out.

"Seventh Layer of Qi Refining."

Feeling the surging spiritual power within him, Ye Xingchen's lips curved into a wicked smile.

This month, not only had his physical strength doubled, but his cultivation had also naturally broken through two layers.

Now, even if he used the Chaotic Wind Hammer Method and swung sixty-four hammers, his body could fully withstand it.

"I should still keep a low profile and lie low for a while."

"Phew... conceal my breath."

Using the Breath Concealment Method, Ye Xingchen concealed his cultivation at the peak of Qi Refining, Fourth Layer.

The outer sect's martial arts arena was deafeningly noisy.

Several thousand disciples gathered around the arena, rubbing their fists and flexing their palms as spiritual energy churned restlessly through the air.

Ye Xingchen wore a long white robe, his hands tucked into his sleeves as he sauntered leisurely into the venue.

"Look, isn't that Ye Xingchen?"

"Haven't seen him for a month, and he's already become a Third-Rank Artifact Refiner in the Artifact Refining Hall."

"Tsk, tsk... impressive. Li Gui has been in the hall for more than ten years and is still only a First-Rank Artifact Refiner."

"Does he really have talent for artifact refining, or... does he have someone backing him?"

The whispers buzzed like flies.

Three parts envy, seven parts sourness.

"Well, if it isn't our Master Ye?"

A sarcastic voice cut in.

Zhao Kai led several lackeys over, brazenly blocking the way.

His arms were folded across his chest, his chin tilted up at forty-five degrees, his eyes looking at Ye Xingchen as though he were a rat in a gutter.

Sixth Layer of Qi Refining.

Among the outer sect disciples, that truly was enough capital to swagger sideways.

"What, after hiding in that lousy iron workshop for a month, you've finally decided to come out?"

Zhao Kai stepped closer, spittle flying everywhere.

"You didn't even dare attend the assessment test. Were you afraid your cultivation would be exposed, or were you afraid I'd beat you until you went looking for your teeth all over the ground?"

Laughter erupted all around them.

Ye Xingchen stopped.

There was no anger and no defense.

He merely raised his head slightly, his eyelids half-lowered as he gave Zhao Kai a glance.

Just one glance.

The curse words at Zhao Kai's lips suddenly caught in his throat.

The illusion of being locked onto by an abyssal beast exploded through him in an instant.

There was no killing intent, yet the cold pierced straight to the bone.

Zhao Kai's pupils abruptly contracted. His body was more honest than his mind; he instinctively took a step back and nearly stepped on his own heel.

"A good dog doesn't block the road."

Ye Xingchen's voice was calm. He could not even be bothered to pull his hands out of his sleeves.

He brushed past Zhao Kai, stirring a faint breeze.

Only after Ye Xingchen had walked three zhang away did Zhao Kai suddenly snap back to his senses.

Cold sweat had soaked his back.

Damn it!

He had actually been frightened by a piece of trash at the Qi Refining, Fourth Layer?

The gazes around him, which had originally been waiting to enjoy the show, now turned somewhat mocking.

Zhao Kai's face burned, and his shame instantly transformed into fury.

He unconsciously touched his chest.

There was a Black Tier low-grade Ironback Armor there. Its hard, icy feel restored his confidence.

I've got precious armor protecting me. What the hell am I afraid of!

That must have been an illusion!

"Ye Xingchen..."

Zhao Kai gritted his back teeth and stared at that retreating figure. "Once we're on the arena, I'll break every single bone in your body!"