Chapter 339: Breakthrough, Mid Astral Reaching Realm
Chapter 339: Breakthrough, Mid Astral Reaching Realm
Translator: Swammped Editor: Hitesh_
The Blood Demon Battlefield had many treasures. One could find more than two low-grade artifacts almost every day. After so much time, Ye Chen's storage ring had dozens of low-grade artifacts; blades, spears, swords, staffs, hammers, pikes, short spears, all kinds of artifacts. If he were to sell them, his low-grade spirit stone collection would at least be increased by six or seven hundred thousand stones. It was a speed with which even the peak rank seven schools couldn't earn.
Of course, greater the strength, the easier one would find it to earn spirit stones. Ye Chen had no problem roaming through the Blood Demon Battlefield. The people who had joined Ye Chen all had bountiful gains. The low-grade artifacts they had harvested amounted to the harvest of several months. More importantly, in the past, they earned spirit stones with their lives on their palms. However, currently, as long as their luck wasn't too bad, the chances of them dying were quite low.
However, the Blood Demon Battlefield also didn't have inexhaustible artifacts. After a period of time, low-grade artifacts also became rare. However, their combat experience always continued to increase.
'Low-grade artifacts are aplenty, but I found only three mid-grade ones altogether. Two back then, the axe and Streamlight armor, and then a purple gold Rapier. It seems like finding a mid-grade treasured sword won't be so easy.' Inside his room, Ye Chen shook his head while storing away the axe and purple gold rapier."
With a mid-grade treasured sword, Ye Chen's attack power would be at par with peak level Astral Reaching experts. Even if his opponent had a mid-grade artifact, he wouldn't have to worry about his sword sustaining damage. For a sword artist, losing their sword was indeed a huge problem, and Ye Chen was no exception.
"Oh well, let's have some barbecue first!"
Opening his room, Ye Chen awe-inspiringly appeared on Demon Defiance Fort's fourth floor.
After defeating Ice Blade, everybody believed Ye Chen had the qualifications to live on the fourth floor. Nobody challenged it. Ye Chen, however, didn't have much to say about it. The fourth floor of Demon Defiance Fort was an empty place, cold and desolate, with not a single person in sight. It didn't really matter if he lived here or not.
On the metal ground of the first floor, Red North Twins and others had already started the barbecue. The meat's aroma mixed with wine's fragrance, pervading throughout the Demon Defiance castle.
"Ye Chen, hurry up! Barbecue's cooked!"
Ye Chen went down and laughed, "Big North, you guys can really eat." Big Red North was the older one amongst Red North Twins, while the second one was called Little North. Both's names had the word North. Moreover, they also shared the same hometown, Red Corn town. Therefore, the martial artists named them Red North Twins.
Big North was tall and husky, and in his forties, "Before you came, we ate rice every day, without any flavor at all. Who could have imagined your storage ring would have so much meat and other things!"
"Hehe, it's better to be prepared." Ye Chen had two low-grade storage rings carrying specifically various food items, packed to the full.
As Ye Chen picked up a roasted meat piece and started to chew on it, an idea occurred to him, "You guys have been roaming Blood Demon battlefield for so long. Do you know which region has a higher amount of artifacts, especially mid grade artifacts?"
Red North Twins' faces changed, and Little North gravely said, "I know a region with a high chance of getting a mid-grade artifact."
"Oh! Which region?"
Ye Chen prepared himself.
"That region lies in the center of the Blood Demon Battlefield, and also at the center of three Demon Defiance Forts, known as Chaotic Burial Mound. Many Astral Reaching realm experts have died there. As for why it has artifacts, it's primarily because of a great war that occurred in the ancient era, with over a million Astral Reaching experts taking part in it. In the later years, many Astral Reaching experts have gone there and cleaned the treasures. However, a portion of these experts died, leaving behind the artifacts. In this manner, the cycle continues, and treasures inside haven't been reduced.
Ye Chen understood the meaning behind Big North's words. The mid-grade treasures from the ancient era certainly couldn't be used now. However, the multitude of people who went in afterward and left their treasures behind would attract even more people, creating a snowball effect and increasing the treasures inside. Of course, the majority of these treasures would be useless. But, there was not much to be done about that.
"How come you didn't tell me this before?" Ye Chen asked in puzzlement.
Little North bitterly smiled, "It's not that I didn't want to tell you. That's one frightening place. If only one out of three survives the Blood Demon battlefield, the danger there is further doubled. Moreover, I myself haven't ever gone there, so I'm not too sure of the specifics. I'm afraid that by telling you, I would have simply brought harm to you."
"Many thanks for telling me!" Ye Chen smiled. He'd never been afraid of any danger, let alone a danger which was within his scope.
Big North tore a huge bite, then spoke ambiguously, "You really want to go? That place is called Chaotic Burial Mound not just for the sake of the name."
"I must go, but not right now." Ye Chen had his own plan. These days, he had been feeling the bottleneck of mid Astral Reaching realm loosening up. He planned to make a breakthrough using this opportunity. With a cultivation base of mid Astral Reaching realm, the things on Blood Demon Battlefield that could threaten him would be extremely rare.
…
Blood Demon Battlefield didn't have day and night. After eating the barbecue, Ye Chen stood on his balcony, enjoying the distinct scenery and relaxing his mind.
"Earth Star Pill isn't that significant in breakthroughs, but let's take it nonetheless. Only with medicinal power will I have a chance of breaking through into the mid Astral Reaching realm. Otherwise, I'll have to wait more."
If Ye Chen's body was a bottle, the Green Lotus True Yuan was like water. At the moment, the bottle was full, and adding more water would be impossible. The bottle must be enlarged before adding any more water. Ye Chen was intending to proceed the opposite way. He was intending to add more water, forcing the bottle to transform and enlarge, which would automatically make him break through into the mid Astral Reaching realm.
This method came with a huge danger. The body itself might not be able to hold out and burst, leaving heavy injuries behind. Rarely did people ever choose this method to increase the speed of breaking through the realms. It indeed was not worth the risk.
"My body has already attained the limits of Astral Reaching realm. There should no significant danger to my body, though I'm not sure if I'll succeed in breaking through."
Ye Chen had opted this method based on self-confidence. First of all, the bottleneck had been loosened; it was not sturdy, and could be broken through. His body's inner vitality was extremely strong, and could sustain the majority of backlash. The impact of being unsuccessful wouldn't be big on him, but the opposite case would allow him to enter the mid Astral Reaching realm.
"Let's do this!"
With a deep breath, Ye Chen returned to the cultivation room. The milky white light had a soothing effect, allowing him to soon enter a state of calmness. He took out an Earth Star pill and swallowed it without a moment's hesitation.
Gugugu….
The Earth Star Pill dissolved as soon as it made contact with the Green Lotus True Yuan, converting into powerful waves of medicinal power, surging and billowing like torrential rainwater.
"Refine!"
Surging Green Lotus True Yuan enveloped the medicinal power, forcefully refining it. After an unknown time, Ye Chen's body felt slightly swollen.
"This feeling is like a balloon being filled with gas. No wonder so little people try this."
After refining the medicinal power of the Earth Star Pill, the True Yuan inside Ye Chen's body could no longer be described as surging. It was completely berserk, overflowing out from time to time.
At this moment, the powerful spirit power rose to its absolute potential,m suppressing the chaotically revolting Green Lotus True Yuan, not letting it get out of control.
"Second Earth Star Pill!"
Taking out the second Earth Star Pill, Ye Chen swallowed it without hesitation.
Creak!
Ye Chen's body further expanded a little more.
"Third!"
…
"Fourth!"
…
As the fourth Earth Star pill was merely refined by half, Ye Chen felt his body had become an explosive barrel that could explode at any moment. Astonishing True Yuan ripples flooded the training room, but were incapable of being transmitted out.
"Ah! Compress!"
Spirit Power's might exploded to the extreme, revealing bulging blue veins on Ye Chen's forehead and squeezing the Green Lotus True Yuan towards the middle.
Peng!
Suddenly, a small explosion happened towards Ye Chen's left. It was a wisp of berserk Green Lotus True Yuan that had leaked out and exploded.
Fortunately, the milky white light could destroy its energies and impurities, allowing Ye Chen to only suffer a small impact. Otherwise, even if his own True Yuan exploded, he would have suffered some vibrations.
Apparently, that wisp of Green Lotus True Yuan was surplus. The following process was a lot smoother. At the very least, Ye Chen felt the pressure on his spirit power decreasing somewhat.
Days passed by, and in a blink of an eye, it was the fourth day.
Buzz!
The True Yuan fluctuations within the training room were intense like raging waves. Fortunately, the training room was isolated, and the milky white light could suppress True Yuan fluctuations. Otherwise, everybody in Demon Defiance Fort would have discovered Ye Chen's breakthrough.
Ye Chen slowly opened his eyes, which shone with a fierce light. It was like a sword, peerlessly sharp.
Opening his palm, he swiftly clenched it.
Boom!
A muffled sound rang in the sky, as if a small bomb had exploded in his palm.
"I've finally broken through into mid Astral Reaching realm. Despite being a little dangerous, the benefits are frightening. I've saved at least two months of time."
For Ye Chen, time was life itself. Those who wished to kill him were not just a mere few.
Ye Chen stood up and thought out loud, "When I entered Astral Reaching realm, I was a peak Astral Reaching expert… No, I was a little stronger than ordinary peak Astral Reaching experts. At the peak of early Astral Reaching expert, I could contend against Ice Blade. Now, the quality and amount of True Yuan have been vastly increased. My battle power has increased by more than thirty percent, further augmenting in every aspect."
With progress in the realm, battle power could be directly increased. However, with an increase in attack power, the increase in battle power was limited. These two were different concepts.
Opening his training room, Ye Chen walked out.
"Now, it's about time for me to head to the Chaotic Burial Mound. I wonder how powerful the experts I'll run into will be."
On the lower floor, Red North Twins saw Ye Chen, and Little North exclaimed in astonishment, "Ye Chen, you broke through?"
"En!" Ye Chen nodded.
Gasp!
The two gasped. Even before the breakthrough, Ye Chen was powerful enough, so how much more powerful would he be now?
"Tell me the location Chaotic Burial Mounds, you guys." The Blood Demon Battlefield was vast, and Ye Chen had no idea about the specific location of Chaotic Burial Mounds.
"Alright."
…
Finding out the location of Chaotic Burial Mounds, Ye Chen urged his True Yuan and shot off in the distance, not concealing his aura in the slightest.