Chapter 19: Chapter #19: Preparation for the Competition
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Ye Chen set out for the cultivation grounds, accompanied by a royal escort the guided him.
The journey took them through lush landscapes and valleys, each step brought them closer to the Empire's most sacred place for cultivation. As they arrived, Ye Chen was struck by the sheer beauty and richness of the land. The air was thick with spiritual energy, and the ground was breaming with life.
If you looked above, you can see a translucent lines made out of aura, and if you look closely, on the very centre of where those lines gathered, a huge vortex was formed that transfers the aura that was absorbed outside, into the garden.
Ye Chen took a deep breath, feeling the pure spiritual energy filling his. Spiritual Herbs of various kinds grew in abundance, their leaves glistening with dew that sparkled like tiny jewels because of the sunlight. Majestic Spiritual Beasts roamed on the other side of the grounds, their eyes glowing with intelligence and power.
Ye Chen knew that this was the perfect place for this next retreat. Despite having the circle turned off, he could already feel his cultivation circle resonating with the environment which then amplified his connection to the natural energies around him.
On the area, there's a bunch of guards that patrolled the huge grounds, Ye Chen knew that they were already given the word about what he'll do next.
...
Somewhere on the grounds, he set up his temporary residence near a pond surrounded by ancient trees. The area was quiet and secluded, which then provided the perfect atmosphere for deep meditation and cultivation
'Activate.' Ye Chen gave the system a go signal after dropping off the mountains of stones right around him.
The moment Ye Chen activated the circle, after a few seconds, a series of breathtaking events began to unfold. The ground beneath him started to hum with energy, sending ripples through the earth. The air grew thick with spiritual energy, vibrating with power.
Above him, the sky darkened as clouds began to gather. They swirled and churned, forming a huge vortex directly above Ye Chen's. The wind picked up, whipping through the giant, towering trees and creating a symphony of rustling leave and howling gusts while lightning crackled within the dark clouds that who knows came from nowhere which then casted brilliant flashes of light across the landscape...
The ground beneath him began to tremble and rumble as if they are responding to a call. Cracks formed in the ground, glowing with an ethereal light that seeped out from deep in the ground. The trees around the pond swayed and groaned under the force of the wind, their leaves scattered in the turbulent, chaotic air.
Time seemed to distort, the area around Ye Chen bending and warping. Moments stretched and compressed, space itself seemed to twist and fold, causing distant objects to appear closer and nearby ones to seem far away. The entire area felt like it was caught in a powerful, swirling vortex of elemental forces.
Golden runes and symbols appeared in the air around Ye Chen. The circle, expanded, its glowing lines stretched outwards, covering more and more of the ground. The runes pulsed with light growing brighter with each passing moment.
The guards on patrol stopped in their tracks, their faces pale with fear and astonishment. "What on earth...???" one of the muttered, his voice was barely audible over the roar of the wind and the rumbling in the sky.
Another guard with his eyes with terror, said, "I've never seen anything like this. This power... it's beyond anything we've ever encountered.
Even the King, who use his Spiritual sense felt the tremors far away. He stood at the window, his expression filled with disbelief. "This... this is Ye Chen's?" he murmured to himself. "Such a level of energy... even I cannot create something like that, even if I pushed myself to it's limits."
The royal guards and other members of the court gathered around the King, "Your majesty, what should we do?" one of the advisors asked.
The King took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon where the epicenter of the disturbance was. "We wait," he said. "My niece is cultivating. I trust in his abilities and I'm sure that he can control this power. So I'm sure he wouldn't be careless and ask for permission to be able to train in our Sacred Garden."
Back at the cultivation grounds, the elemental forces continued to converge around Ye Chen, their intensity growing with each passing second. The light from the runes became blinding, the air was thick with energy, crackling and humming with power.
Despite the chaos around. Ye Chen remained calm and focused, his mind and spirit in perfect harmony. He could feel the immense power flowing in his veins, and he knew that he was on his way to another breakthrough. With determination in his mind, he continued to channel the energy from within, pushing his limits to another level.
Taking a look around him, the stones started to flicker. They began to absorb the excess aura that seeped out of him, quickly turning into low-tier Spirit stones. The transformation continued rapidly, with the stones becoming medium-tier, and then high tier. However, as they approached the top-tier quality of Spirit stones, it began to slow down dramatically, but the energy within them continued to grow.
Ye Chen's retreat lasted until a month before the Imperial Competition starts. During this time, the entire Sacred Garden underwent a transformation. The plants developed elemental abilities, with some sprouting flames, others crackling with lightning, and a few became vibrant with earth-based powers. These alone can multiply the value by more than 10x. The Spiritual Beasts, also adapted to the new environment, some exhibited elemental abilities that made them even more majestic and powerful.
Behind Ye Chen, a golden diagram appeared, shimmering with nine different symbols, each representing a different level in the Sky Immortal Realm. In the middle of the diagram was the tenth symbol, unique and more intricate than the other nine. This tenth symbol represented the pinnacle of the Sky Immortal Realm, indicating that Ye Chen had reached the very last level before the next stage, the Divine Lord Realm. Achieving this realm would drastically increase his strength by more than a hundredfold, and his lifespan reaching a million years.
As the golden light began to fade and the elemental disturbances subsided, Ye Chen opened his eyes. He felt an immense power running through his veins. He knew that he had pushed his boundaries yet again.
The energy around continued to hum, and he felt a deep connection to the natural world. The wind rustles through the trees. The ground beneath his feet felt solid and brimming with energy. The sky became clear, with the last remnants of the thunderstorm quickly dissipating.
Just then, he noticed Ye Wenling standing a short distance away, her arms crossed and a cute, angry expression on her face.
"Brother," she said, her voice filled with annoyance, "You never told me that you're gonna retreat again. Do you know how long I've been waiting for you to come out?"
Ye Chen scratched that back of his head explained. "Well, Wenling, you know that there's the Imperial Competition happening right? That's why I've been preparing."
Ye Wenling's eyes lit up with excitement as she remembered something. "I saw the prize for the competition at the castle," she said, her voice filled with awe. "It's a Heaven-rank sword! It looks majestic and beautiful! If what you did right now is for the competition, then you have to win it for me, brother. If you don't, I'll hate you forever!" She pouted cutely, her expression looked adorable.
Ye Chen: "..."
Ye Chen chuckled at his sister's liveliness, he reached out to ruffle her hair. "Don't worry, Wenling. I'll do my best to win that sword for you."
She looked up at him with wide, hopeful eyes. "Promise?"
"Promise," Ye Chen replied, his smile widening. "I'll surely win it for you." he patted his chest.
'What a joke! Even my previous self before this retreat, I'm sure I can defeat them all!' Ye Chen thought.
As he reassured his sister, Ye Chen felt a renewed sense of purpose ahead of him. He knew that he would do everything in his power to fulfill his promise. The Imperial Competition was not just a test of strength and skill, but, it is also an opportunity to prove himself and protect those he loved. He knew that everyone around him probably despised them the moment they stepped foot in the Empire.
The next day, Ye Chen spent time with his sister, buying her all the things that she likes thanks to the Spirit stones that he had Transformed. From clothing, food, weapons and all that. He bought it all as long as his sister took a glance at it.
At his room, Ye Chen sighed, knowing that his departure at the Empire is coming sooner than what he has expected. He knew that his strength was already considered at the pinnacle in the Empire. The resources can no longer help his rapidly increasing strength.
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Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
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