Chapter 252: The Battle for the Throne

An Miaoli entered seclusion.

After leaving her cave abode, Ye Chen ran into An Yuyi and casually gifted her ten pills. A year had passed, and he sensed a change in her. Besides, her aunt had done so much for him, so he figured he’d give An Yuyi a chance.

To his surprise, it triggered a critical hit. Ten Golden Jade Pills resulted in a thousand top-grade Divine Jade Pills, suitable for mid-Golden Core cultivators. Ye Chen was quite pleased.

Still, he didn’t place much importance on An Yuyi. Even if she could trigger critical hits now, the times had changed. Hundred-fold reward cultivators were now a dime a dozen around him. She’d missed her window.

Auntie was still the best!

…

Back at his cave abode, Ye Chen activated the Kunpeng Wings he’d received. The system’s reward came pre-refined, manifesting as a divine ability already integrated into his back. With a thought, a terrifying aura flooded his cave abode. Massive black wings, ten meters long, unfurled behind him.

In that instant, Ye Chen felt his understanding of space deepen profoundly. A bold sense of freedom surged within him, as if he could traverse the heavens and earth at will.

The cave was too small to test the wings properly. Ye Chen retracted them and left the Divine Will Sect, heading to a secluded spot in the Divine Will Mountain Range.

The Kunpeng Wings spread once more. His figure vanished, reappearing a kilometer away in the blink of an eye. The speed shocked even him. He was already faster than most late Golden Core cultivators, and he hadn’t yet encountered a Nascent Soul cultivator to compare. But with the Kunpeng Wings, his speed had multiplied several times over. He was certain no Nascent Soul expert could match him now.

Next, he tested the wings’ offensive capabilities. Their feathers were tougher than the finest top-grade spiritual artifacts, capable of slicing through nearly anything. The wings also carried various divine abilities: bursts of even greater speed, or the power to pierce arrays using spatial force.

The more he explored, the more astonished he became. The Kunpeng Wings were far more powerful than he’d expected, truly befitting one of the Vicious Ten. They were among the world’s most supreme treasures. If paired with the Kunpeng Treasure Technique, their power would be even more terrifying. He resolved to find a way to trigger that reward in the future.

…

In the days that followed, Ye Chen focused on cultivation. With an abundance of pills and the massive spiritual energy boost from the Netherwater Pool, he broke through to the mid-Golden Core stage after three months.

During this time, An Miaoli remained in seclusion, so Ye Chen gifted items to An Yuyi or Li Feihuang. An Yuyi, noticing his warmer attitude, grew increasingly delighted. Li Feihuang, however, didn’t trigger a single critical hit, so Ye Chen visited her less and less.

…

“Senior Ye, you’ve come out of seclusion?”

“Senior Ye, these are pills I refined. Could you take a look when you have time?”

“Senior Ye, thank you so much for the pills you gave me.”

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“Fellow Daoist Ye, I found some materials while out training, but I don’t recognize them. Since you’re an artifact refiner, I’ll give them to you.”

At Quiet Wonder Peak, Ye Chen was immensely popular. Female cultivators, from disciples to elders, greeted him warmly as he passed. Initially, they’d looked down on him as a male cultivator from a small sect, but now? He was the top choice for a partner among Quiet Wonder Peak’s women.