Yun Xi felt a bit curious and asked, “How do you want to test it?”
“We will fight each other,” Ye Qiu said. “It will be a pure contest of strength, with no other methods used.”
Yun Xi smiled. “If we do not use other methods, and rely on strength alone, you are no match for me.”
“Do not forget, I am at the peak of Cave Heaven.”
“No matter, let us compare.” Ye Qiu wanted to test the gap between his pure strength and that of a peak Cave Heaven expert.
“Very well!” Yun Xi saw Ye Qiu insist, so she stopped talking nonsense. At once, the two stood facing each other.
“Make your move!” Yun Xi said.
Ye Qiu said, “You go first. Remember, do not hold back.”
“Alright.” Yun Xi agreed with her words, but in her heart she feared hurting Ye Qiu, so she only used fifty percent of her power. With one palm, she struck towards Ye Qiu.
Ye Qiu followed with one punch.
“Bang!”
Fist met palm.
“Ouch!” Yun Xi let out a sharp cry. Her body flew backwards like a kite with its string cut.
Ye Qiu paused in shock, then he flashed forward quickly and caught Yun Xi. He asked, “Are you alright?”
“I am fine.” Yun Xi gave Ye Qiu a strange look and said, “Again.”
This time, Yun Xi held nothing back. She used all the power of the peak of Cave Heaven directly. With one palm, she struck towards Ye Qiu.
The terrifying power was like raging waves and billows. It surged vast and mighty from Yun Xi’s palm and crushed towards Ye Qiu.
Ye Qiu circulated his power. With one punch, he struck towards Yun Xi’s palm.
“Bang!”
As soon as fist and palm touched, Yun Xi felt Ye Qiu’s fist filled with endless power. It was like mountains toppling and seas overturning. Her body flew sideways against her will.
“What?”
As Yun Xi flew out, her face was full of shock. Ye Qiu’s power went far beyond her imagination.
Seeing Yun Xi’s body about to hit the ground, Ye Qiu rushed forward at once and caught her.
At this moment, blood trickled from the corner of Yun Xi’s mouth. Inside her chest, qi and blood churned.
Ye Qiu quickly sent true qi into Yun Xi’s body. In a blink, Yun Xi’s condition improved.
“Was that all your power?” Yun Xi asked.
Ye Qiu shook his head and said, “I only used seventy percent.”
What!
Yun Xi’s eyes widened. She looked at Ye Qiu in disbelief.
When Ye Qiu had sent her flying just now, she had thought his power was too frightening. Yet she never imagined he had used only seventy percent.
In other words, in terms of power, Ye Qiu could already crush those at the peak of Cave Heaven completely.
“What is wrong?” Ye Qiu saw Yun Xi stare at him without speaking, so he asked in confusion.
“Your power is very strong. If we compare only strength, few cultivators at the peak of Cave Heaven would be your match.” When Yun Xi said this, she added, “No, to be fair, with such great power, your realm should have broken through long ago.”
Her words had just fallen.
A power that made the heart race spread out.
Ye Qiu looked up. He saw thunder clouds rolling in the nine heavens above. It was clearly the sign of heavenly tribulation about to descend.
“Oh no, heavenly tribulation is coming!”
Ye Qiu quickly withdrew his power and suppressed the impulse to break through.
“Why do you not cross the tribulation?” Yun Xi found it unbelievable. Once he crossed it, Ye Qiu could become an expert of the Cave Heaven realm.
“I am not ready yet.” Ye Qiu spoke the truth. He said, “Also, I do not even know how to open a Cave Heaven.”
“Opening and closing a Cave Heaven is simple. I will teach you.” Yun Xi shared her experience of opening a Cave Heaven with Ye Qiu.
After he listened, Ye Qiu had a rough understanding of how to open a Cave Heaven. Still, he did not cross the tribulation.
Among the cultivators who entered Undying Mountain, the strongest were only at the peak of Cave Heaven. With Ye Qiu’s current skills, those people posed no threat to him at all. So crossing the tribulation could wait.
“Let us still search for the divine medicine. Once we find the divine medicine and save the Qilin cub, I will think about crossing the tribulation.”
After he spoke, Ye Qiu counted the Thunder Fruits. He found eighteen left.
“I focused too much on raising my power earlier. The Thunder Fruits were used up too quickly.” Ye Qiu took out six Thunder Fruits and handed them to Yun Xi. He said, “These are for you.”
“I do not need them now.” Yun Xi said, “When you raised your power before, I ate dozens of Thunder Fruits. Eating more will not help me much.”
“But I still thank you.”
Yun Xi felt very happy. Ye Qiu was willing to give her the Thunder Fruits. To her, it meant he cared for her.
“Oh.” Ye Qiu thought for a moment. He said, “Then please help me take these Thunder Fruits back to Yue’er!”
Yun Xi stored the six Thunder Fruits away. In a sour tone, she said, “You are quite good to her.”
Ye Qiu glanced at her and smiled. “Jealous?”
“No.” Yun Xi’s face turned bright red.
“Is that so? Then why is your face red?” Ye Qiu changed the topic. He said, “The rest of these fruits, I want to take out and give to the old man, Big Bird, and the others.”
Then, Ye Qiu’s gaze fell on the Thunder Ancient Tree.
“This ancient tree is fine. Shall we take it?” Ye Qiu muttered.
When Yun Xi heard his words, she said, “The Thunder Ancient Tree is good material for refining tools. In future, when you reach a certain level of cultivation, you can use the Thunder Ancient Tree to refine a holy artefact.”
Ye Qiu did not hesitate any more. He used the Qiankun Bag to collect the Thunder Ancient Tree at once. Then he and Yun Xi went forward together. They searched for the divine medicine.
He did not know how long they walked. At last, they reached the end of the secret realm.
The end of the secret realm was a bare sheer cliff. On the cliff was a cave.
A strong breath of life came from the cave mouth.
It was clear the cave held something good.
“The divine medicine may be in the cave. Let us go in and look.” After Ye Qiu spoke, he held Yun Xi’s hand. The pair leaped up and entered the cave directly.
As expected.
As soon as they entered the cave, Ye Qiu sensed a strong breath of life. It came from deep inside the cave.
“What a vast breath of life!” Yun Xi said in surprise.
“The divine medicine is most likely inside. Be careful.” After Ye Qiu spoke, he walked forward.
Yun Xi glanced at Ye Qiu. She saw he still held her hand. A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth in secret.
As they walked on, the temperature rose higher and higher.
Bit by bit, sweat beaded on both their foreheads.
“Why is it so hot?” Yun Xi said in wonder.
Ye Qiu said, “There must be something ahead.”
They pressed on.
The cave was very deep. The two walked for nearly an hour. The scorching breath grew thicker and thicker. Even Ye Qiu felt his skin as if burned. It was as if they sat inside a furnace now.
Buzz!
Yun Xi formed seals with both hands. At once, her ice-blue long skirt shone with soft light. It shielded Ye Qiu in an instant.
Ye Qiu felt cool all over his body right away.
“Thanks.” Ye Qiu said his thanks.
“No need to stand on ceremony with me.” Yun Xi smiled.
The two kept going deeper into the cave. After another ten or so minutes, all of a sudden, Ye Qiu stopped. His eyes fixed hard on what lay ahead. He held his breath.
