224: Chapter 224 Power Realm

Inside the inn room, Ye Tian locked the doors and windows, carefully checked the few small Restriction arrays he had set up, and after confirming everything was fine, he took out the little void boat from his qingxuan ring.

The eyes watching from outside had not dispersed, but they didn't dare to barge in for the time being; they were likely just monitoring his movements.

He didn't plan to Cultivate any Great Circulation tonight; he needed to carefully plan his path forward, and also... test out his newly acquired treasure.

The body of the boat was only the size of a palm, streamlined, shining with a soft silver light. It felt cool and smooth to the touch, and one could faintly sense the spatial fluctuations contained within.

According to Wanbao Tower, as long as one refined it and moved their mind, injecting True Qi, it could instantly grow larger, carry people in flight, and even had the miraculous effect of concealing one's form.

"One million seven hundred thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones... It better be worth the price."

Ye Tian muttered, feeling a bit of heartache. He used his Divine Sense to carefully inspect it inside and out several times. Only after confirming there were no traces of tampering did he feel relieved and begin the preliminary refinement.

The process was not complicated; it mainly involved leaving his own Divine Sense imprint.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he felt a subtle connection established between himself and the small boat.

Then, with a thought, the small boat instantly shrank and was stored away into his qingxuan ring.

With this thing, he had an extra trump card for traveling and escaping in the future. This one million seven hundred thousand, was it... worth it after all?

Ye Tian could only comfort himself like this.

But the moment he thought of that last Divine Soul Golden Lotus Seed being snatched away by the person in the Heaven-class No. 3 private room for a sky-high price of over ten million, his heart felt blocked, as if by a stone, leaving him feeling stifled.

That kind of rare treasure of heaven and earth that could solidify one's Dao Foundation and assist in a Breakthrough was not something one could encounter just by working hard.

"Money... I'm still poor!"

Ye Tian clenched his fists, having never been so desperate for Spirit Stones.

If he had enough financial resources, or the strength to shock the entire audience, how could the Golden Lotus Seed have fallen into someone else's hands?

This intense unwillingness instead made him calm down.

He took a deep breath and, from the deepest part of his qingxuan ring, took out the treasure he had risked so much to obtain at Hedgehog Mountain.

A fruit emitting a hazy Dao aura and an exotic fragrance appeared in his hand.

It was the innate dao fruit!

The greatest efficacy of this item was to temper one's Martial Dao Will!

And this was precisely the Bottleneck Ye Tian most needed to break through right now!

His Martial Dao Will had already formed a prototype, but progress had been slow ever since.

Now, he was just one step away from entering the true "Power Realm."

Once successful, the improvement to his combat power would be far beyond a simple increase in True Qi; it was a deeper, more perfect control over combat!

"If I can't get the Golden Lotus Seed, perhaps the Opportunity hasn't arrived. But this dao fruit can equally bring me immense benefits!"

He did not hesitate any longer. After elevating his state to its peak, he picked up the innate dao fruit and swallowed it.

After entering his mouth, the dao fruit turned into a stream of heat that rushed directly into the depths of his Sea of Consciousness.

It was not like the Medicinal Pill class of the soul sculpting pill, nor was it a rare Cultivation Technique for training one's Divine Sense like the Illusory Sea Heart Sutra; rather, it strengthened the Martial Artist's insights into the Dao!

This was an indescribable state.

"Boom!"

Ye Tian felt as if a thunderclap had exploded in his mind!

The scene before his eyes changed instantly, placing him in a void of Chaos.

Countless fragments of insight regarding the Origin of "power" flooded into his consciousness.

There was the fierce strength capable of uprooting mountains, the cleverness of using four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds, the tenacity of water dripping through stone, and the explosive power of a thunderbolt...

He practiced in his mind while absorbing them rapidly.

At the same time, combining it with the Illusory Sea Heart Sutra, he comprehended this Dao aura, merging it with his own will.

He did not know how much time had passed, but the chaotic scene gradually became clear. All the fragments of insight began to converge, finally condensing into an imprint of will containing terrifying power, etched into the core of his Sea of Consciousness!

Ye Tian suddenly opened his eyes, a flash of brilliance passing through his pupils!

His Martial Dao Will had finally entered the first realm, the Power Realm!

He lightly clenched his fist. His strength hadn't surged explosively, but he had a feeling that his efficiency in mobilizing and using True Qi had increased by at least thirty percent compared to before!

With a shift of his mind, power could instantly condense at a single point, as easy as moving one's own arm!

If he were to face opponents of the level of Blood Blade or Yan Yang now, he was confident he could defeat them head-on without using too many trump cards!

"Too good! This innate dao fruit truly lives up to its reputation!"

Ye Tian felt joyful in his heart, the gloom from missing out on the Golden Lotus Seed swept away.

The improvement of strength was what mattered most.

He looked out the window; the sky was already beginning to brighten.

The digestion of this night had far exceeded his expectations.

Waking up Hou Xiaojie, who was still fast asleep next door, and that Mini Dragon Ape curled into a ball, Ye Tian settled the room bill and led them out of the inn.

In the early morning of Liuli City, there were not many pedestrians on the streets, and the air was fresh.

Ye Tian did not leave the city immediately.

He first took Hou Xiaojie for a few rounds around the city and entered a few different shops. After confirming he had shaken off most of the tails, he arrived at a "Wanxiang Pavilion" that appeared to specialize in selling maps and gazetteers.

"Shopkeeper, do you have a more detailed map of the Northern Region? The more detailed the better, especially those marked with dangerous locations, the spheres of influence of Sects, and major trade routes."

Ye Tian said to an old man behind the counter who was wearing crystal glasses and burying his head in drawing something.

The old man raised his head, pushed up his glasses, sized up Ye Tian, and slowly pulled a thick scroll from under the counter.

"'Detailed Map of Northern Region Mountains and Features,' hand-drawn by the Great Master of this establishment, guaranteed to be accurate, with a complimentary list of power profiles. It will be five hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

"Five hundred?" Hou Xiaojie clicked his tongue. "A map is this expensive?"

"Fair prices for all." The old man didn't even lift his eyelids.

Ye Tian didn't say much and paid the Spirit Stones directly.

Opening the map, it was indeed very detailed. Mountains, rivers, cities, villages, Sect distributions, and known dangerous locations and Forbidden Grounds were all clearly marked with different symbols, with dense small annotations on the side.

It was countless times more detailed than the standard maps issued by the Sect.

His gaze swept across the map, and he quickly found Liuli City, then moved his finger in the direction of east-by-south.

After passing over a forest marked as a "Land of Miasma" and several mountain ranges, his finger stopped on the name of a city marked in slightly larger font - Cangya County.

"Cangya County..." Ye Tian murmured.

According to the annotations on the side, this county city was not as large as Liuli City, but its geographical location was quite important; it was one of the transportation hubs connecting the central and eastern regions of the Northern Region.

Therefore, trade caravans traveled back and forth frequently, and people from all walks of life gathered there, making it well-informed.

The annotation at the end also mentioned: "In recent years, due to the frequent anomalies of the nearby 'Ancient Sword Mansion Ruins,' many young prodigies have been attracted there for training, and disciples from prestigious families often appear in the county city."

"Ancient Sword Mansion Ruins? Young prodigies?" Ye Tian's heart stirred.

What he urgently needed now was actual combat experience and to broaden his horizons. Staying near the Liuli Xuan Sect or blindly cultivating in the deep mountains would only make his progress slower and slower.

Going to a place like Cangya County, where all sorts of people were mixed together and Prodigies from various places appeared, was a very good choice.

It would not only allow him to avoid the main ambushes of the Blood Blade Sect around Liuli City, but also allow him to meet other young experts, and perhaps even find some Opportunity at the Ancient Sword Mansion Ruins.

"Good, the next stop will be this Cangya County."

Ye Tian put away the map, having made his decision.

He took Hou Xiaojie and the Mini Dragon Ape, replenished some dry rations and fresh water in the city, bought Hou Xiaojie a decent refined steel longsword for self-defense, and finally, unhurriedly, walked towards the East Gate of Liuli City.

The closer he got to the city gate, the more focused Ye Tian's mind became.

He knew that an ambush outside the city was unavoidable.

The people from the Blood Blade Sect were definitely already waiting on the only path he could take.

Perhaps, there might even be other "surprises."

Walking to the city gate, the guards on duty were the same ones from two days ago. Seeing the iconic Mini Dragon Ape on Ye Tian's shoulder, they all showed expressions of understanding, didn't ask any more questions, and let him pass directly.

Stepping out of the tall city gate, before him was the wide official road and the distant, rolling mountains.

In the early morning, there were few pedestrians on the official road, making it appear somewhat desolate.

Ye Tian walked seemingly casually, but his Divine Sense had already spread out in all directions.

Indeed, just after walking less than five miles from the city gate and entering a section of the official road where the woods on both sides were becoming denser, Ye Tian's footsteps paused slightly.

"Xiao Jie, follow me closely. We have guests."

He said in a low voice to Hou Xiaojie beside him, his eyes instantly sharp as knives.

Hou Xiaojie shuddered, immediately gripping his newly bought longsword, nervously looking around.

The Mini Dragon Ape also seemed to sense something. It lifted its head from Ye Tian's shoulder, a low "wooing" sound coming from its throat, the fur on its body slightly bristling.

In the thin mist ahead, a dozen figures dressed in dark red martial attire, holding weapons, slowly walked out and blocked the path.

The leader, slightly burly in stature with a fierce expression and a heavy long saber strapped to his waist, was none other than Xue Wuya!

"Little bastard, I've been waiting for you for a long time!"

Xue Wuya stared fixedly at Ye Tian, his voice like a cold wind. "You killed my Li'er; today, you will pay in blood!"

Ye Tian looked at the other party, his face showing not a hint of fear, but instead a cold, sharp smile.

He just happened to need a battle to test exactly how strong his newly broken through "Power Realm" Will was!

"Enough talk! If you want my life, let's see if you have the ability to take it!"