Chapter 83: Ninth Level of Qi Condensation

## Chapter 83: Condensing Qi Ninth Level

After Xu Fu’s departure, Ye Chen closed his eyes.

Standing before the alchemy furnace, he continuously replayed the descriptions on the elixir formula and Xu Fu’s demonstration in his mind, seeking the perfect synthesis.

He knew not how long had passed before he slowly opened his eyes.

"True Fire, manifest!"

With a soft cry, he channeled his true fire into the alchemy furnace. Subsequently, he cast medicinal herbs into the furnace without adherence to any specific order, his mind meticulously controlling the flames.

This was a lengthy process, one that heavily taxed his spiritual power.

*Buzz!*

*Buzz!*

The alchemy furnace hummed incessantly, a testament to Ye Chen’s repeated failures.

The night passed in silence, dawn arriving in the blink of an eye.

When Qi Yue emerged from the side hall, Ye Chen still stood before the alchemy furnace.

A night of continuous alchemy had left his eye sockets sunken, his eyeballs webbed with crimson, and a stubble of beard shadowing his jaw.

Without a word, Qi Yue quietly observed Ye Chen’s back, catching a glimpse of the stubborn resolve etched upon his otherwise handsome face.

*Buzz!*

At this moment, the alchemy furnace trembled once more, the spiritual herbs within again reduced to ash.

Ye Chen staggered backward, nearly collapsing to the ground.

"Haste makes waste, rest a bit," Qi Yue finally descended the stone steps, her tone, though still cool, held a touch more warmth than before.

"Alchemy is indeed a skilled craft!" Ye Chen smacked his lips, furiously tilting a flask of spiritual liquid to his mouth.

"I hear you're still an outer disciple?" Qi Yue paused before the alchemy furnace, turning her head slightly to regard Ye Chen.

Ye Chen shrugged, "No other choice. The heads of the three main peaks were all present that day, and none were willing to take me. So, outer disciple it is."

"They must be regretting it immensely now!"

"Whether they regret it or not, I've been thoroughly vexed by them these past few days," Ye Chen rubbed his brow.

"With your strength, entering the inner sect should not be difficult," Qi Yue said lightly, not forgetting to cast a meaningful glance at Ye Chen. "Your strength, among the outer disciples, is already within the top ten ranks."

Upon hearing this, Ye Chen set down the purple-gold gourd and looked at Qi Yue with curiosity, "Senior Sister, who are the top ten ranked outer disciples? Please tell me!"

"Among the top ten ranked outer disciples, besides myself, the three main peaks each claim one. The first disciple of the Disciplinary Hall, Yin Zhi Ping, is one. The first disciple of the Spiritual Fruit Garden, Wang Lin. The first disciple of the Law Enforcement Hall, Xiao Jing. The first disciple of the Scripture Pavilion, Lu Xuan Er. The first disciple of the Task Pavilion, Huo Teng..."

Qi Yue listed the top ten outer disciples with remarkable patience, even detailing their strengths and cultivation levels.

Once she had finished, she looked at Ye Chen, "In the outer sect grand competition, if you don't encounter them, you should mostly be fine. Of course, if luck is poor and you do, it cannot be avoided."

"Understood." Ye Chen leaped to his feet, feeling rejuvenated after consuming the spiritual liquid. He resumed his alchemy.

"Truly a strange one," Qi Yue murmured.

Ye Chen remained before the alchemy furnace for the entire day.

During this time, Xu Fu quietly visited several times, a touch of disappointment in his eyes when he saw Ye Chen had yet to successfully refine a Soul Elixir.

Time flowed slowly.

In a flash, the night sky began to deepen once more.

Within the inner hall, Xu Fu handed a jade box to Qi Yue, "This is a True Yang Pill. Perhaps it can help you break through to the True Yang Realm."

"Many thanks, Master," Qi Yue accepted it with haste, a bright smile gracing her lips.

"Moon Child, what do you think of that boy?" Xu Fu stroked his beard, glancing at Ye Chen outside before returning his gaze to Qi Yue.

"He has surprised me greatly."

"I'm not asking about that. I'm asking about him as a person."

Upon hearing this, Qi Yue finally understood. Her master, once again, wished to matchmake her with Ye Chen.

"Oh, Master, you're bringing this up again!" Qi Yue stamped her foot, a blush quietly blooming on her cheeks, whether from shyness or anger she knew not. Compared to their first encounter, her expression was far more complex.

This trace of anomaly did not escape Xu Fu’s notice. It seemed he had already found the answer on Qi Yue’s face.

"Elixir Out!"

Just at this moment, a soft cry came from outside the hall.

"Refined it?" Hearing the sound, Xu Fu stepped out of the inner hall.

Qi Yue, also filled with surprise, followed suit.

Outside the hall, Ye Chen sat heavily on the ground, his hair disheveled, his form slovenly. Yet, he laughed heartily, a green spirit elixir clutched in his hand.

The spirit elixir, like the first Returning Profound Pill he had refined, was not perfectly round, even slightly pitted. The lingering elixir qi seemed faint and ethereal. But despite its imperfections, he had ultimately succeeded.

Xu Fu glanced at the ash of the spirit herbs on the ground, surprise still evident in his eyes, "To refine it with only fifty portions of spirit herbs... this boy's talent is monstrous!"

Hehe!

Hehehe!

Ye Chen sat on the ground, gazing at the spirit elixir in his hand and laughing foolishly, his eyes shining.

Observing the Soul Elixir at such close range, and particularly inhaling its medicinal fragrance, left him feeling refreshed.

Subsequently, he opened his mouth and swallowed the Soul Elixir.

Upon entering his body, the Soul Elixir immediately melted, flowing through him like a clear spring. His entire body's fatigue rapidly dissipated. Being a medicine specifically for nourishing the soul, he distinctly felt his soul undergo a sublimation.

"Not bad, not bad," Ye Chen smiled again, his deep eyes becoming watery.

*Bo!*

Just then, a sound like a broken barrier emanated from his body.

"He broke through," Xu Fu and Qi Yue both exclaimed.

"An unexpected blessing," Ye Chen hurriedly sat cross-legged on the ground.

Soon, dense spiritual qi from heaven and earth, centered around him, poured into his body through all his pores, forming a thick spiritual qi vortex which he swallowed like a whale.

"He merely broke through to the Condensing Qi Ninth Level, yet he requires such massive spiritual qi," witnessing the majestic surge of spiritual qi into Ye Chen's body, Qi Yue's eyes widened in surprise.

"His Dantian is much larger than that of ordinary people," Xu Fu said from the side, stroking his beard, "Perhaps, it is precisely this large capacity Dantian that grants him the power to challenge those of higher levels."

"No wonder," Qi Yue murmured, glancing at Ye Chen.

It took a full three hours for the dense spiritual qi from heaven and earth to slowly disperse.

And Ye Chen, at this moment, slowly opened his eyes, their pupils shining with a light that was both brighter and more subtle than before.

Looking within his body, he saw that with his cultivation advanced, his meridians had also thickened accordingly. Especially his Dan Sea, which had expanded by more than double, his surging true qi rampaging within like an ocean.

"Very good." Clenching his fist, feeling the power contained within, Ye Chen displayed a relieved smile.

......

Late at night, in the Bloodthirsty Hall, over a dozen figures walked into a majestic great hall.

"Our informants within the three sects and various families have searched for news regarding that half of the Heavenly Silence Pill," a majestic voice echoed within the great hall.

"No... no."

"Waste, all waste!" An angry roar caused the entire great hall to tremble.

"Search, search for me again! Search meticulously!"