301: Chapter 301 Breakthrough to the Ninth Level of True Martial Arts

Before his words even finished, Venerable Jiehuo, controlling Ye Tian's body, suddenly bit the tip of his tongue (Ye Tian's own tongue) and spat a mouthful of essence blood onto sword!

At the same time, his hands formed seals and slammed them onto the ground!

"Using the Soul as a guide, Thunder Fiend Explosion!"

*Rumble!*

Deep within the entire abandoned mine, a dull, thunderous roar suddenly echoed!

A violent surge of Earth Fire Evil Qi was forcibly ignited by Venerable Jiehuo, erupting from beneath Ye Tian's feet and the cracks in the rock walls!

Additionally, sword, having absorbed Ye Tian's essence blood, burst forth with blinding lightning. The power of thunder and the Earth Fire Evil Qi triggered a chain reaction!

A series of explosions occurred throughout the mine; flames, lightning, black smoke, and debris instantly filled the entire space!

Everyone's vision was obscured, and their spiritual senses were severely interfered with!

"Ah! My eyes!"

"Is it an earthquake?!"

"Retreat! Get out of here quickly!"

The surviving Sword Pavilion Disciples immediately wailed in terror, trampling over each other as they fled for their lives toward the entrance.

Ling Juexiao was also caught off guard by this sudden explosion. He propped up his protective True Yuan to deflect the debris, his spiritual sense desperately scanning to lock onto Ye Tian's position, but the turbulent energy everywhere made it impossible to distinguish anything for a moment.

"The little animal wants to run?!"

Ling Juexiao roared, swinging his sword to cut through the obstacles in front of him, intending to rush toward Ye Tian's last known location.

By now, Venerable Jiehuo's consciousness had receded, and Ye Tian instantly regained control of his body. He felt as if his entire frame was falling apart, his Meridians were about to burst, and a tearing pain radiated from his Soul.

Enduring the excruciating pain without hesitation, he turned and lunged toward the Ore pile where Hou Xiaojie and the Dragon Ape were hiding.

"Xiao Jie, hold onto Little Dragon tightly!"

Ye Tian barked softly, scooping up Hou Xiaojie—who was clutching the Mini Dragon Ape—and shot toward the secret ventilation shaft like a bolt of lightning!

Along the way, he knocked aside several dazed Grey Clothing Society captives, seemingly Wang Wu and his group, but he couldn't care less about their survival.

At this moment, time was life!

"You want to leave? Stay here!"

Through the smoke and flames came Ling Juexiao's furious roar, as a sharp Sword Qi pierced through the chaos, slashing toward Ye Tian's back!

Although the interference caused the aim to be off, the power was still terrifying.

Without looking back, Ye Tian threw sword behind him. It transformed into purple lightning and collided with the Sword Qi, producing a loud bang and providing a brief delay.

Using the recoil force, Ye Tian's speed increased again, and he instantly plunged into the ventilation shaft, disappearing from sight.

"Chase him! Chase him for me! Block all exits! Dig three feet into the ground if you have to, but find him!" Ling Juexiao roared in exasperation!

However, when the explosions subsided and the smoke cleared, Ling Juexiao led Ling Jianming and the remaining Disciples to the ventilation shaft, only to find no trace of Ye Tian.

"Father, he escaped..."

Ling Jianming looked at the opening, his heart still pounding with lingering fear, yet filled with resentment.

Ling Juexiao's face was ashen, his chest heaving. Looking at the heavily damaged mine and the dying Yan Feng on the ground, an unprecedented rage burned within him.

He, Ling Juexiao, the Sect Master of the Wanren Sword Pavilion and a Huahai Realm expert, had set an inescapable net and personally acted, yet he had let a True Martial Realm junior escape right under his nose once again!

And it had cost him an Elder and numerous Disciples!

What a disgrace!

It was simply a monumental humiliation!

"Run? He can't run!"

Ling Juexiao's voice was ice-cold, every word dripping with killing intent. "Pass down my command: mobilize the entire Wanren Sword Pavilion and collaborate with the Shadow Calamity Tower to increase the bounty on the hunt order by tenfold!

Anyone within the Northern Region who provides Ye Tian's exact location will be rewarded with a million Mid-Grade Spirit Stones and their choice of any Earth Rank Cultivation Technique!

Whoever brings his head can enter the Sword Pavilion's Secret Treasury, choose any three treasures, and receive personal guidance from this Sect Master!

Anyone who shelters or hides him will have their entire clan exterminated, leaving not even a chicken or dog alive!"

"Also, notify Leng Wenzhou of the Xuanjing Division that he can no longer stay out of this! If he continues to be perfunctory, he will be an enemy of my Wanren Sword Pavilion!"

"Furthermore, send people to keep a close watch on the Land of Flowing Fire, the Earth Fire Demon Abyss, and all other fire-attributed dangerous lands!

That boy has the remnant Soul of an old monster skilled in fire-type Divine Abilities by his side; he will definitely seek out fire-attributed treasures or a place to heal!"

Ling Juexiao roared repeatedly. This time, he would crush Ye Tian, this serious hidden threat, at any cost!

Meanwhile, deep within the ventilation tunnel stretching into the unknown, the fire jade essence in Ye Tian's bosom had dimmed. After Venerable Jiehuo triggered the Earth Fire Thunder Fiend Explosion, his remnant Soul's power was nearly exhausted, and he had fallen into a deep slumber, unsure of when he would wake.

Beside him, Hou Xiaojie curled up in a corner. Despite having taken Medicinal Pills and receiving True Yuan from Ye Tian, the repeated scares, heavy injuries, and flight had left him exhausted. He had fallen into a deep sleep, though his brow was furrowed, his rest uneasy.

In his arms, the Dragon Ape remained in its palm-sized mini form, its aura extremely weak.

They were already deep within the ventilation tunnel, at least ten miles away from the abandoned mine.

The passage became narrow here, and the sound of wind could be heard faintly ahead, though it was unclear where it led.

Ye Tian didn't dare go further; his current state was also on the brink of collapse.

Venerable Jiehuo's forced borrowing of his body to exert power had placed a massive burden and caused damage to his Meridians; cracks had appeared in several places, sending jolts of stinging pain through him.

More serious was the damage to his Soul, as waves of dizziness and weakness washed over him.

Inside his Dantian, his True Yuan was depleted, his strength spent.

"I must heal immediately... otherwise, I'll collapse before the pursuers even find me."

Ye Tian took out a huiyuan pill and swallowed it. After checking on Hou Xiaojie and the Dragon Ape and confirming they were not in immediate mortal danger, he began to treat his own injuries.

He sat cross-legged and circulated the Star Qi Induction Art, repairing his Meridians bit by bit.

In this pitch-black underground, Ye Tian didn't know how long he had been meditating.

When hungry, he could only endure; when thirsty, he collected water droplets seeping from the rock walls.

Hou Xiaojie woke up a few times. Seeing Ye Tian healing, he obediently did not disturb him, merely holding the Dragon Ape silently and listening warily to the surroundings, his eyes filled with lingering fear.

Only when the cracks in his Meridians had stabilized and stopped worsening, and some True Yuan had returned to his Dantian, did Ye Tian breathe a small sigh of relief.

But his injuries were still heavy, especially the Soul damage, which was the most troublesome.

Furthermore, with Ling Juexiao's constant pursuit looming, this place was not safe.

Ye Tian opened his eyes, which were bloodshot.

He needed to head to the "Land of Flowing Fire" mentioned by Venerable Jiehuo.

But in his current state, let alone traveling three thousand miles, even getting out of this underground passage would be difficult.

"Unless I can achieve a Breakthrough!"

A thought rose in Ye Tian's mind.

He had been at the True Martial Realm eighth stage for some time. Having experienced several life-and-death battles with Qiu Qianchuan and Ling Juexiao, refined the Dragon Slaying Blood Cloud Fruit, and received the fire spirit power from Venerable Jiehuo not long ago, he had actually already touched the threshold of the True Martial Realm ninth stage.

It was only due to the series of incidents, heavy injuries, and his flight that he had no time to attempt the impact.

Now, though in a desperate situation, it might just be an opportunity!

"Right here, I will impact the ninth stage!"

Ye Tian took out his remaining Mid-Grade Spirit Stones from the qingxuan ring, along with the last small piece of blood fiend crystal he had obtained in the Dragon Slaying Abyss.

He prepared to take a gamble, using the energy of the blood fiend crystal to forcibly break through the Bottleneck!

"Xiao Jie, move further back. No matter what happens, do not come close," Ye Tian instructed Hou Xiaojie.

Hou Xiaojie nodded, and clutching the Dragon Ape, he retreated deeper into the passage.

Ye Tian placed a pile of Mid-Grade Spirit Stones around him, formed hand seals to set up a small Spirit Gathering Array, and held the half-piece of blood fiend crystal in his mouth, using the chaos bead to refine and absorb it to avoid being eroded by the murderous intent.

He closed his eyes and circulated the Star Qi Induction Art, beginning to frantically absorb the Spiritual Qi gathering from the surroundings while guiding the refined energy from the blood fiend crystal into his Meridians!

*Boom!*

The unhealed Meridians within Ye Tian's body once again endured a massive impact. The intense pain made his entire body tremble violently, and sweat poured down like rain.