Chapter 41: Swift Shadow Thousand Illusions

## Chapter 41: Speed Shadow Thousand Illusions

The battle on the Wind Cloud Platform sent ripples throughout the outer sect, and Ye Chen's name now resonated with shocking clarity.

A probationary disciple at the Qi Condensation realm, yet within a single month, he had successively vanquished three core disciples from the main peaks, one of whom even hailed from the Human Origin realm. This was a feat destined to become a long-standing legend.

As night fell, the mood within the various peaks was anything but calm.

On Heaven Yang Peak, Old Zhong clutched his chest in anguish, lamenting the loss of a potential genius disciple. The pain in his heart was palpable.

On Earth Yang Peak, Ge Hong let out a cold, mocking laugh. "Old Qing Yang, compared to my Earth Yang Peak, your Human Yang Peak has suffered a far more crushing defeat!"

On Human Yang Peak, Qi Hao, now awake, roared incessantly like a mad dog. "Kill, kill, I will kill him!"

"Silence!" Qing Yang Zhenren's single, sharp reprimand cut through the noise. His face was ashen, his expression terrifyingly grim. "You couldn't even defeat a Qi Condensation realm cultivator. I have truly wasted my efforts teaching you."

"Master, that Ye Chen is too insidious," Su Xin Yue muttered from the side, her voice laced with hatred.

"Say no more. For the next month, you will all remain on the mountain. Do not shame me again during the outer sect grand competition."

Within the Small Spirit Garden, Ye Chen had been diligently circulating the Barbarian Desolate Refining Body for over six hours. The clash on the Wind Cloud Platform had left him significantly wounded, his body covered in numerous scars, most notably the two bloody punctures on his left shoulder and right chest.

However, compared to the fiery whip punishment he had endured in the Disciplinary Hall, these injuries were trifling. Under the efficacy of the Barbarian Desolate Refining Body, his wounds healed with astonishing speed. By the time he emerged from his room, his vitality had been fully restored.

"I'll be damned!" No sooner had Ye Chen stepped out than he was greeted by a sound like a wolf's howl. He then realized that besides Tiger Kid and Zhang Fengnian, there was another lump of fat meat, or rather, a person, in the Small Spirit Garden.

This person was, of course, Bear Two.

"Are you even human?" Bear Two lunged forward, scrutinizing Ye Chen's body. Finding not a single trace of injury, he was utterly bewildered.

"Hand it over," Ye Chen extended his palm.

"Relax, I won't shortchange you," Bear Two rolled his eyes at Ye Chen, knowing he was asking for the spirit stones won from the Wind Cloud outer gamble. This time, the sum was considerable, and Bear Two had no intention of keeping it all. After all, most of the effort had been Ye Chen's.

"Same as before, a fifty-fifty split. Forty thousand each." Bear Two handed a storage bag to Ye Chen.

Receiving the storage bag, Ye Chen glanced inside. It contained exactly forty thousand spirit stones, neither more nor less, and he promptly tucked it into his robes. The Wind Cloud confrontation had indeed yielded him a substantial windfall. Forty thousand spirit stones was a sum that would easily place him on the rich list among outer sect disciples of the Hengyue Sect.

Bear Two, still lingering nearby, stepped closer, clearly not yet ready to depart. "Boy," he whispered, "have you ever been to the Netherworld Black Market?"

"No," Ye Chen replied, shaking his head slightly.

"Then would you like to go with me for a look?" Bear Two winked and gestured towards Ye Chen. "In a few days, the Netherworld Black Market's triennial auction is about to begin. I hear many treasures will be up for bid."

As he spoke, he produced his wolf tooth club. "See this? I got this wolf tooth club at the previous auction in Youdu Black Market. It's a triennial event! If you miss it, you'll have to wait another three years."

"But I heard that place isn't very peaceful," Ye Chen mused, stroking his chin.

"Seeking wealth in danger, that's how it is!" Bear Two quickly added. "Besides, during the auction period, fighting is strictly prohibited. We're just going for a look. If it really doesn't suit us, we can just leave after browsing. How about it? Will you go or not?"

Hearing Bear Two's words, Ye Chen again touched his chin. "Perhaps we can go take a look?"

"Excellent! It's decided then. I'll go get some Snow Jade Orchid. Tomorrow, back mountain, our usual spot. Don't be late."

Bear Two sprang up, patted his backside, and scurried out of the Small Spirit Garden.

After Bear Two's departure, Ye Chen once again secluded himself in his room. He placed the purple gold small gourd by his bedside to absorb the heaven and earth spiritual energy, then produced Qi Hao's storage bag.

Opening the storage bag, even Ye Chen, known for his composure, couldn't help but express admiration. Qi Hao was indeed a young talent of the cultivation world, greatly favored by his family and specifically cultivated by Qing Yang Zhenren. The treasures within this storage bag were exceptionally abundant.

Firstly, the storage bag contained over thirty thousand spirit stones alone.

Secondly, it held various kinds of spiritual liquids, including those that nourished meridians, prolonged life, and strengthened the body – truly a rich assortment.

Furthermore, the storage bag contained numerous spiritual herbs and spiritual tools, many of which Ye Chen had never seen before, undoubtedly belonging to the precious category. As for the spiritual tools, they were all of superior quality, with several even comparable to his Chixiao Sword.

Finally, only a solitary, broken turtle shell remained at the bottom of the storage bag.

"This turtle shell..."

Under the flickering candlelight, Ye Chen carefully examined the turtle shell in his hand. Its surface was mottled, and it was only about the size of his palm. Several unrecognizable runes were faintly visible, and the entire piece emanated an indescribable feeling, a sense of ancient vicissitude.

It was precisely this ancient aura that drew Ye Chen's attention.

Buzz!

But just as Ye Chen was silently pondering, the purple gold small gourd by his bedside trembled. Before Ye Chen could react, the ancient turtle shell was sucked away from his hand. The vortex at the mouth of the purple gold gourd opened wide, directly swallowing the turtle shell.

"What's going on with you?" Ye Chen quickly grabbed the purple gold small gourd and peered inside. To his surprise, after the turtle shell was swallowed by the small gourd, it was actually melted by a strange power within the gourd, eventually transforming into a stream of *qi*.

This scene left Ye Chen utterly astonished.

In his daze, the purple gold small gourd trembled again. The stream of *qi* that had been the turtle shell was expelled all at once, pouring directly into Ye Chen's eyes without deviation.

Wah!

Ye Chen felt his eyes go black, and his brain subsequently boomed.

He didn't know how long had passed before he shook his head and opened his eyes. However, his eyes had become very peculiar. If one looked closely, they could see rows of tiny characters flashing within them.

"Speed Shadow Thousand Illusions."

"Speed of infinity, follow the form like a shadow, a thousand unique variations, follow the heart like an illusion."

As Ye Chen murmured these words, he closed his eyes again, entering a wondrous state.

Silence descended upon the room, broken only by the swaying candlelight.

He didn't know when it happened, but Ye Chen, who was now standing on the ground, lightly took a step. This step, though seemingly ordinary, contained a subtle difference.

After taking the step, Ye Chen did not stop. He moved as if in a trance, his steps slow, continuously circling the room, sometimes moving forward, sometimes inexplicably retreating backward.

He didn't know how long had passed, but a rapid flow of *qi* began to surge at his feet, and his stepping speed also accelerated, even leaving a lingering afterimage behind him.

Time, in this inadvertent fashion, slipped away.

Ye Chen walked for an entire night within the room.

As dawn arrived, the room door suddenly opened, and Ye Chen stepped out, striding freely in the garden. Sometimes his steps were steady, like a Xuanwu paving the way, and sometimes he moved like a fleeting breeze, coming and going without a trace.

Each step he took contained an indescribable *qi*. His footwork was so mysterious it defied comprehension, and his speed was so great that one could not keep pace.

He didn't know when it happened, but Ye Chen finally paused slightly, his eyes slowly opening. However, his gaze now shone with ecstatic light.

"Speed of infinity, follow the form like a shadow, a thousand unique variations, follow the heart like an illusion. Good, good indeed is the Speed Shadow Thousand Illusions."

(End of Chapter 41)