After Ye Xuan slew the shadowy figure, the martial arena suddenly turned illusory.
He stopped, closing his eyes slowly.
After an unknown time, he opened them again, finding himself in a graveyard.
The graveyard of the Hell Clan.
Soon, nearly a hundred soul entities appeared before him.
These were the ancestral souls of the Hell Clan.
They all scrutinized Ye Xuan, frowning upon realizing he wasn’t one of their own.
The leading soul entity stared at him, “Who are you?”
Ye Xuan smiled, “Ye Xuan!”
The soul entity fixed its gaze on him, “You’re not from our Hell Clan!”
Ye Xuan nodded.
The soul furrowed its brow, “If you’re not one of us, how did you come here?”
Ye Xuan grinned, “I’m here for training!”
He glanced at the souls, then said, “Is this another test?”
The leading soul looked at him, “This is the final test, but since you’re not from our clan, we don’t agree to you taking it!”
Ye Xuan thought for a moment, then nodded, “Alright, I’ll leave!”
He turned to go.
Just then, a black-robed elder in the distance called out, “Wait!”
The souls turned to the elder, hesitant to speak.
Ye Xuan looked at the elder, noting the reverence in the other souls’ eyes.
Clearly, this was a big shot.
The black-robed elder looked at Ye Xuan, “You may take this test!”
Ye Xuan didn’t ask why, simply nodding, “Good!”
The other souls froze at the elder’s words but dared not object.
The elder smiled at Ye Xuan, “This test strengthens your soul, mental fortitude, and willpower. Are you ready?”
Ye Xuan nodded.
The elder glanced at the souls, “Begin!”
As his voice fell, the souls transformed into beams of white light, surging into Ye Xuan’s brow.
Boom!
Ye Xuan’s eyes widened, veins bulging, his head feeling like it would explode.
Countless pieces of information flooded his mind—these were the souls’ memories, specifically their cultivation experiences.
His body trembled violently, the influx overwhelming, nearly unbearable.
But he gritted his teeth and endured.
He knew this was an opportunity.
The Hell Clan!
Once stronger than the Tai Ling Clan, these ancestors were at least Ten Thousand Tribulations Realm experts. Their cultivation insights and memories were invaluable.
This was akin to an inheritance.
Ye Xuan’s hands clenched, his body shaking uncontrollably.
He held on.
His willpower, strengthened from his earlier battle with the mysterious figure, sustained him.
Never yield!
Never give up!
Time passed slowly.
Half a month later, Ye Xuan’s body calmed, his soul and mental fortitude adapting.
After an unknown time, white lights emerged from his brow, and the souls reappeared before him.
The black-robed elder looked at him, “How was it?”
Ye Xuan opened his eyes, bowing deeply, “Thank you, seniors!”
The elder nodded, “Do you have Cosmic Veins?”
Ye Xuan nodded, “Yes!”
The elder said, “Burn your Cosmic Origin Veins, and we’ll guide you to reach Thousand Tribulations Realm!”
Ye Xuan was stunned, then overjoyed, bowing deeply, “Thank you!”
He sat cross-legged and began burning his Cosmic Origin Veins.
Cosmic Origin Veins!
He realized Cosmic Veins were less useful to him now.
As he burned them, spiritual energy surged into his body like a tide.
The elder watched, “Thousand Tribulations Realm means enduring a thousand heart tribulations. Life is a journey of cultivation, filled with trials. Most don’t deeply experience these trials. Each tribulation is a form of training, each breakthrough in mindset a cultivation breakthrough…”
In the days that followed, Ye Xuan meditated and sought understanding.
Whenever he had questions, these powerful souls could answer.
His Human Sword Intent, aligned with the Great Dao of the human world, made cultivating Thousand Tribulations Realm easier.
To his delight, during cultivation, his Human Sword Intent began to transform qualitatively.
Six months passed, and Ye Xuan, sitting like an old monk in meditation, had strands of white hair appearing, growing more numerous.
After an unknown time, he opened his eyes, their depths reflecting a weathered vicissitude.
For half a year, he experienced one tribulation daily, each a different life. With the souls’ guidance, he lived a thousand lives, enduring a thousand tribulations.
The black-robed elder smiled faintly, “How do you feel?”
Ye Xuan stood, opening his palm, a sword intent drifting out.
Seeing it, the elder and others’ expressions shifted.
This sword intent was at least ten times stronger than before.
Ten times!
More crucially, his Human Sword Intent was no longer singular; it now encompassed much more.
At this moment, Ye Xuan had advanced from True Self Realm to Thousand Tribulations Realm.
He looked at the elder, bowing deeply, “Thank you, seniors!”
The elder said, “Though not of our clan, you’ve received our inheritance. Our clan is in dire straits. In the future, please lend a hand!”
Ye Xuan nodded, “Of course!”
The elder smiled, “Take care!”
With that, he and the other souls began to fade.
Clearly, he sought to forge a bond with Ye Xuan, or rather, for the Hell Clan.
Soon, the elder and others vanished completely.
Ye Xuan bowed deeply to the graveyard again.
The surrounding space became illusory, and when he opened his eyes, he was back at the Hell Trial’s entrance, facing Tianyu.
Tianyu smiled, “Congratulations!”
Ye Xuan grinned, “Thank you!”
Tianyu studied him, “You’ve given me a big surprise!”
Ye Xuan smiled, then asked, “Can I beat Wu Jun now?”
Tianyu shook her head, “No!”
Ye Xuan fell silent.
Tianyu smiled, “Do you know her background?”
Ye Xuan shook his head.
Tianyu said softly, “She’s a true prodigy. Her cultivation speed is the fastest in Tai Ling Clan history, with unmatched talent. What’s scarier is she works harder than most. In True Self Realm, she could defeat the previous Wu Jun two realms above her. Her most astonishing record was beating an opponent three realms higher, and that opponent was no weakling—a super prodigy who could also fight two realms above!”
She looked at Ye Xuan, “Challenging her across realms is tough!”
Ye Xuan grinned, “No matter! One day, I’ll make her kneel and sing defeat!”
Tianyu blinked, then laughed, “That’s the spirit! Haha!”
Ye Xuan said gravely, “Senior, those seniors in the graveyard were Hell Clan ancestors, right?”
Tianyu nodded.
Ye Xuan asked, “They were all Ten Thousand Tribulations Realm?”
Tianyu smiled, “Not true Ten Thousand Tribulations Realm, only pseudo. True ones are hard to kill. Wu Jun is true Ten Thousand Tribulations Realm.”
Ye Xuan grinned, “And you?”
Tianyu blinked, “What do you think?”
Ye Xuan smiled, “You’re probably Ten Thousand Tribulations Realm too, right?”
Tianyu smiled faintly, “Young Master Ye, do you know the overall strength of the Boundless Universe?”
Ye Xuan shook his head, “I’ve only encountered the Tai Ling Clan!”
Tianyu looked at him, “The Tai Ling Clan is just the tip of the iceberg.”
Ye Xuan fell silent.
Tianyu said softly, “The Tai Ling Clan ranks third among the Boundless Universe’s clans because of Wu Jun. She alone can rival at least ten Ten Thousand Tribulations Realm experts! But remember, she’s not the strongest in the Boundless Universe!”
Ye Xuan asked gravely, “Who’s the strongest?”
Tianyu smiled, “I don’t know the strongest, but three are definitely above Wu Jun. First, the mysterious Priestess, master of ancient divine arts, her strength unfathomable! Second, the Boundless Lord, a highly enigmatic figure who, after that great war, retreated to the Boundless Tomb and hasn’t reappeared.”
The Tomb!
Ye Xuan said gravely, “He didn’t die in that war?”
Tianyu shook her head, “No! He even fought the master of the Dao Brush!”
The Dao Brush’s master!
Ye Xuan frowned, “The master of the Dao Brush’s master?”
Tianyu nodded, “No one knows who won. But everyone knows that after that war, all Boundless Land’s powerhouses retreated, and the Boundless Lord secluded himself in the Tomb, never emerging again!”
Ye Xuan was silent for a moment, then asked, “The third?”
Tianyu’s expression grew cold, “The third is the Moro Clan’s leader, an unparalleled genius. His prodigy level surpasses Wu Jun and the Priestess. Under his rule, the Moro Clan, after that war, didn’t weaken but grew stronger. No, it’s the strongest it’s ever been!”
She closed her eyes slowly.
Ye Xuan nodded, saying no more.
Tianyu looked at him, “You don’t seem scared at all!”
Ye Xuan thought, then said, “They have numbers, but I have people too!”
Tianyu smiled, “Your people?”
Ye Xuan nodded, “I’ve figured it out! As long as they don’t go too far, I won’t call for help. But if they want to outnumber me…”
He shrugged, “To be honest, when it comes to having backing, I’ve never lost!”
Tianyu: “…”
