50: Chapter 50 Going Against the Current

Since the assassination incident that night, the Black Cloud Stronghold and the Lin Family had unexpectedly gone quiet.

There were no more provocations in the market, and the outer industries of the Ye Family had temporarily returned to peace.

However, this calm did not make Ye Qingtian feel at ease; instead, it made him even more vigilant.

He understood Lin Batian too well; that man was absolutely a hungry wolf who would never give up until he achieved his goal!

He must be brewing a greater conspiracy!

However, with the enemy in the shadows and them in the light, and the Grand Elder hiding like a time bomb within the Family that could explode at any moment, Ye Qingtian could only strengthen their defenses while secretly adjusting their deployments, walking on thin ice.

Meanwhile, in his own courtyard, Ye Tian also felt immense pressure.

He cultivated day and night. With the Nine Revolutions Purple Heart Art combined with the chaos bead, his cultivation speed far exceeded that of ordinary people. His True Qi was becoming increasingly pure and thick, and he was faintly touching the threshold of the Qi Gathering Realm - Level 7 Middle Stage.

But the more he cultivated, the more clearly he realized that the further one progressed in the Qi Gathering Realm, the more massive the amount of Spiritual Qi required for a Breakthrough.

The progression from Level 7 to Level 8 was a huge watershed; without an Opportunity, ordinary Martial Artists often needed years or even longer of painstaking accumulation.

And the thing he lacked most was time!

The Ye Family was beset by internal and external troubles, with crises lurking everywhere; he could not possibly seclude himself in peace for years.

The Medicinal Pill he had exchanged for in the market had long since been exhausted, and relying solely on breathing in the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi was simply too slow.

"I must go to the Black Cloud Mountains again!" Ye Tian made up his mind.

Although it was dangerous there, it was also a place of Opportunity.

Only by engaging in life-and-death battles and searching for Heaven And Earth Treasure could he achieve a rapid leap in strength!

He was not a reckless person and knew the risks of this trip well.

Before setting off, he first went to see the Second Elder, Ye Wenshan.

"What? You still want to go to the Black Cloud Mountains?"

Upon hearing Ye Tian's plan, the Second Elder frowned deeply, his face filled with worry. "No! It's too dangerous! Have you forgotten the last assassination? The Black Cloud Stronghold and the Lin Family will certainly not let this go. If you go out now, aren't you just walking right into their trap?"

Ye Tian's expression was calm, his gaze resolute: "Second Elder, I understand your concern. But a towering tree cannot be grown in a greenhouse. If I just hide within the Family, my cultivation will hardly make any progress. When the real crisis arrives, I will still be powerless to change anything. Only by tempering myself in dangerous environments can I improve my strength faster."

He looked at the Second Elder and continued: "I will act with caution and will not go deep into the core area. Besides, with my current strength, as long as I don't encounter a Ningyuan Realm expert, I should be able to protect myself."

The Second Elder looked at Ye Tian's resolute eyes and knew that his mind was made up. He understood this youth; his determination far exceeded that of his peers. After a long silence, he sighed heavily, his face full of helplessness.

"Fine... if you insist on going, I cannot stop you."

The Second Elder stopped trying to dissuade him and instead took out a jade bottle and a piece of soft inner armor shimmering with silver light from his bosom.

"In this bottle are Rejuvenation Pills and Pulse Protection Pills, used for healing and saving your life. This silver silk soft armor was something I obtained by chance when I was young. It has accompanied me for many years and can withstand a full-strength blow from a Peak Qi Gathering Realm Martial Artist. Wear it close to your body."

The Second Elder shoved the items into Ye Tian's hands.

Feeling the medicinal fragrance emanating from the jade bottle and the Spiritual Qi fluctuations from the inner armor, a warm current surged in Ye Tian's heart. He quickly declined: "Second Elder, this is too precious! Especially this inner armor; it is your protective item, I absolutely cannot accept it!"

"If I tell you to take it, then take it!" The Second Elder's tone was unquestionable. "I am old, and these external items are of little use to me now. But you are different; you are the future of the Ye Family! Remember, while cultivation is important, preserving your life is fundamental! If your life is gone, everything is nothing! This inner armor might save your life at a critical moment!"

Seeing the look of care in the Second Elder's eyes, Ye Tian felt a slight soreness in his nose. He stopped declining, solemnly accepted the Medicinal Pill and the inner armor, and bowed deeply: "This Disciple will remember the Second Elder's teachings! I will definitely not let you down!"

"Go, be careful. Return as soon as possible." The Second Elder patted Ye Tian on the shoulder.

Returning to his courtyard, Ye Tian immediately put on the silver silk soft armor close to his body.

The soft armor was woven from some unknown material; it was as light and thin as if it were nothing, yet exceptionally tough. After injecting a trace of True Qi, a layer of flowing light appeared on the surface, its defensive power astonishing.

This undoubtedly greatly enhanced his ability to save his own life.

After preparing enough dry rations, fresh water, and essential items, Ye Tian went to say goodbye to his mother.

He did not say exactly what he was going to do, only that he was going out for some training for a period of time.

Although Lady Liu was worried, she knew her son's character and could only give him a thousand instructions to be careful in everything.

The next morning, the sky was slightly bright.

Ye Tian changed into a green martial outfit, shouldered his pack, left the Ye Family compound again, and galloped towards the Black Cloud Mountains.

His goal was clear: to find an Opportunity, break through the Bottleneck, and before the storm completely arrived, use all his strength to improve his cultivation!

After entering the Black Cloud Mountains, Ye Tian spent several consecutive days hunting Vicious Beast on the outskirts of the mountains. However, the ones he encountered were all Tier 3 or 4 Vicious Beast, which posed absolutely no threat to him. He resolved them in a few moves, which failed to provide any effect in improving his actual combat skills.

Moreover, the items from these low-level Vicious Beast were of little use to him at the moment.

As for Spiritual Plant and spiritual fruits, he had encountered some, but they were all of low grade. They were still useful for those below the Qi Gathering Realm - Level 5, but for him, the effect was negligible.

Ye Tian felt helpless; he really couldn't find anything good on the outskirts. If things continued like this, even if he hunted for another ten days or half a month, his cultivation would hardly make any progress.

He then looked towards the depths of the mountains. Originally, he had promised the Second Elder not to go into the depths of the mountains, but now he might have to break his word.

Ye Tian's eyes shone brightly, and finally, hardening his heart, he galloped towards the inside.

After entering the depths of the Black Cloud Mountains, the harvest was indeed far greater than on the outskirts.

Not only did he pick a quite precious Red Sun Flower, but he also discovered a few pieces of Earth Spirit Stones containing pure earth-attribute Spiritual Qi in a crevice of a cliff. Although the grade was not very high, it was still of great benefit to his cultivation.

However, just as he was preparing to continue deeper, a burst of intense fighting sounds came from not far away.

"Someone?" Ye Tian's heart tightened, and he immediately became alert.

Deep in these Black Cloud Mountains, most of what one encountered were Vicious Beast; other than that, there were only people from the Black Cloud Stronghold!

He concealed his aura and quietly approached, and the scene before him made him startle.

He saw a pack of about a dozen Tier 5 Vicious Beast, Wind Wolves, circling and constantly launching attacks.

And in the middle of the circle was a young girl in a green dress.

The young girl's movement technique was agile, and her sword light flickered, but she was clearly struggling to cope. She had multiple injuries on her body, blood had stained her green skirt, her breathing was rapid, and it looked like she was about to be unable to hold on.

"It's her? That girl from the Chen Family?"

Ye Tian recognized the young girl; it was Chen Xue, whom he had met once at the Family Sacrifice Ceremony. She was the outstanding talent of the younger generation of the Chen Family, and it was said that her talent was second only to Ye Long.

How could she have come alone to the depths of the Black Cloud Mountains?

Ye Tian quickly weighed the options in his heart.

The relationship between the Chen Family and the Ye Family was subtle; they were not enemies, but they were definitely not allies either.

Risking a battle with this pack of fierce Wind Wolves for an unrelated person did not seem worthwhile.

Furthermore, the number of wolves in the pack was not small; even if he could win, it would inevitably consume a huge amount of energy, and he might even be injured.

"Better to avoid trouble than to invite it."

Ye Tian shook his head and quietly retreated.