Chương 376: Chapter 375: Victim of Vicious Competition!

After a long while, An Miaoli rose gracefully. With a surge of spiritual energy, the white dress clinging to her delicate frame, soaked from the hot spring, instantly dried and softened, restoring her ethereal, immortal-like appearance. Ye Chen stretched leisurely, his mood buoyant. Though he couldn't make An Miaoli his cultivation partner, the experience with her was still exceptional.

"I'll be entering seclusion to break through to the mid-Nascent Soul stage," An Miaoli said lightly.

"If Fellow Daoist Ye feels unwell, you can seek out Yuyi." Her tone was as calm as ever. Ye Chen nodded, seeing her off. Before leaving, he glanced at the Enlightenment Tea Tree. It needed to be transplanted elsewhere. Its proximity forced a "shutdown" of his desires, rendering the Star Pool he'd prepared for his master half-useless. Suddenly, he slapped his forehead. When he'd met his master at the Sword Sect, he'd forgotten to bring her to see the pool. What a missed opportunity.

The next day, An Miaoli entered seclusion to break through to the mid-Nascent Soul stage. Such a minor advancement wouldn't take long—ten days to half a month at most. Meanwhile, Ye Chen received a summons from the Heavenly Evolution Holy Lord and flew to the Cloud Summit Divine Palace. Upon seeing Feng Baiyu, the Holy Lord, Ye Chen noted his unchanged scholarly demeanor, lacking the imposing aura one might expect. Over the years, Ye Chen had heard rumors about Feng Baiyu: pale-faced, cunning, and shameless.

His reputation was abysmal, yet surviving such criticism and rising to Holy Lord spoke volumes of his formidable strength. Ye Chen bowed respectfully. Feng Baiyu looked at him with a smile.

"Holy Son Ye, you've elevated our Holy Land's prestige. Slaying the Heavenly Intention legacy disciple decisively and destroying their Holy Son's incarnation—I'm greatly pleased! Heavenly Evolution Holy Land rewards merit and punishes faults clearly. Your achievements must be rewarded. We once worried your talent might not translate to combat prowess, unable to rival your peers. Clearly, we underestimated you. Speak—what do you need for your cultivation?" Ye Chen grinned.

Just as his senior brother predicted, rewards were forthcoming—or rather, investment in his proven potential. Without hesitation, he said, "I'll inevitably face the Heavenly Intention Holy Son in the future. His mastery of lightning techniques is astounding, like a thunder god descended. To uphold our Holy Land's honor, I hope to obtain a move from the Thunder Emperor Treasure Technique. It would deepen my understanding of the lightning path, allowing me to face him confidently and suppress him in time."

Feng Baiyu's smile twitched.

"Hua Yunfei told you I have the Thunder Emperor Treasure Technique, didn't he?" Ye Chen wouldn't betray his senior brother.

"No, I just thought, with our Holy Land's vast resources, we might have it, so I asked." Feng Baiyu nodded, his face serious.

"In that case, the Holy Land doesn't have it." Ye Chen: "…" Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Feng Baiyu broke into a smile.

"I do indeed possess the Thunder Emperor Treasure Technique, but it's my personal fortune and not something I pass on lightly. However, your feats—slaying this generation's Heavenly Intention legacy disciple and destroying their Holy Son's incarnation—have greatly pleased me.

"Back in my day, I defeated my generation's Heavenly Intention Holy Son, swelling his face with bruises. On my way back, humming a tune, I was ambushed by some old monster from the Heavenly Intention Holy Land. Definitely a Mahayana stage cultivator. Nearly slapped me to death with one blow. I was only at the peak of the Deity Transformation stage, not even at the Integration stage.

"Can you imagine the psychological shadow that left on me? They struck decisively, erasing all traces, leaving no evidence. Our Heavenly Evolution Holy Land couldn't retaliate, and that Heavenly Intention Holy Son hid from me afterward, denying me my revenge. When I ascend to immortality, I'll snap their Heavenly Intention Spear and end their legacy. That old bastard who struck me—I'll pay him back a trillionfold!" Feng Baiyu's voice grew heated. Ye Chen was startled, learning of the Holy Lord's past.

In the cultivation world, major powers followed an unspoken rule: the younger generation competed, while the older generation could only intervene to save lives, not attack rival prodigies. This wasn't about morality but pragmatism. If elders constantly targeted the young, retaliation would follow. If one sect's prodigies were wiped out, they'd question why their rivals' survived. The result? No sect would have prodigies left.

Those who emerged would be too scared to leave their Holy Lands, and even the greatest talents would waste away in confinement. Such incidents had occurred before, leading to the realization that this vicious cycle benefited no one and hindered the cultivation world's growth. Thus, the unspoken rule emerged. But it didn't mean no one broke it—just that they couldn't leave evidence. Feng Baiyu was clearly a victim. Ye Chen was still shaken. The higher the cultivation realm, the greater the gap.

For a Deity Transformation cultivator to survive a Mahayana stage attack was a testament to Feng Baiyu's prowess.

"Holy Lord, to withstand a full blow from a Mahayana cultivator at the Deity Transformation stage—your talent is astonishing! I thought my aptitude was unmatched, but today I see there are always greater heights. If we were of the same generation, your brilliance would surely outshine mine!" Ye Chen didn't hesitate to flatter. Feng Baiyu chuckled, waving a hand.

"Enough, enough! Your slaying of the Heavenly Intention legacy disciple has vented some of my frustration. As the Heavenly Evolution Holy Son, it's my duty as Holy Lord to bolster your strength. I'll grant you one move of the Thunder Emperor Treasure Technique. If you can suppress—or even kill—the Heavenly Intention Holy Son in the future, I'll give you every move I know. What's the harm in that?" Feng Baiyu spoke with grand generosity.

Ye Chen promptly displayed admiration, praising the Holy Lord's care for his disciples and his magnanimous spirit. Inwardly, though, he dismissed the latter promise. One move was enough—through his system, it would yield the entire technique. When that happened, the Holy Lord could come to him for guidance on the Thunder Emperor Treasure Technique. Ye Chen's flattery hit the mark, further lifting Feng Baiyu's spirits. With an especially generous gesture, he pointed a finger.

"I know seven moves of the Thunder Emperor Treasure Technique. Choose one: Thunder Emperor Fist, Thunder Emperor Finger, Thunder Emperor Speed, Thunder Emperor Soul Purification Technique, Nine Heavens Tribulation Light, Heavenly Punishment Mysterious Thunder…" He even provided thoughtful explanations for each. Ye Chen scanned the options and, without hesitation, declared, "I choose the Thunder Emperor Soul Purification Technique!" Feng Baiyu was surprised. He'd expected Ye Chen to pick a more destructive move.

The Soul Purification Technique offered little direct boost to combat strength. Why this choice?