C15 The Terrifying Foundation Stage

"Sigh, dealing with such a disciple leaves me no choice..." The Third Elder was at a loss for words, unable to offer an explanation. Resigned, he positioned the Profound Sword Formation beside him, "Well, this is for the best. Today, we'll settle both old and new scores. You're well aware of the depth of my regret over the years. It's fitting that both of us should meet our end here on Chaos Origin Mountain."

"It seems you've grown weary of life, forsaking virtuous offerings to instead challenge me. Hmph!"

The Void Returning Taoist was incensed. He propelled the Cloud Chasing Sword into a fierce engagement with the Profound Sword Formation. Ye Chen was not idle either; he quickly ingested a Spiritual Pill and assisted his master.

But as a Foundation Establishment expert, even gravely wounded, he was beyond the capabilities of a Qi Refining Cultivator. Within fifteen minutes, the four Yellow Dragon Swords were dispersed, and the Third Elder plummeted from the sky, his vitality fading.

"You and your disciple are quite the strategists, but sadly, no one can halt my pursuit of cultivation."

At the Void Returning Taoist's words, Ye Chen burst into laughter, a hint of pleasure in his demeanor, "Hehe, Master, we've exerted so much effort, how could we simply accept defeat?"

"Do you really think you have a chance to reverse the situation? Your mana is depleted, you've exhausted all your strategies, and even old man Zhou here is incapacitated. If you have any last words, best speak them now."

Ye Chen didn't let him finish. He reached back and pulled out the pouch he'd been carrying. The Void Returning Taoist felt a tremor of apprehension. Before the Third Elder had made his appearance, this young man had been on the brink of death, yet he'd been intent on retrieving that worn pouch. What could possibly be inside?

"Old thief, you may have overlooked the fact that, despite my master's lesser cultivation, he hails from the esteemed Xiao family. How could they not possess a lifesaving ace up their sleeve?" Ye Chen brandished the pouch, which appeared to be filled with numerous items.

"Behold the forbidden weapon Master has concealed for over thirty years—the Celestial Net Seal!"

The Third Elder, "?"

Void Returning Taoist, "?"

It's no surprise that the young man refused to back down and was prepared to fight to the death. He had the Xiao family's secret treasure for protection.

The Void Returning Taoist knew something about the Third Elder's family's past strength. There had been a half-step Core Formation Stage powerhouse among them. Was it possible that the secret treasure, passed down to the Xiao family's descendants, was crafted by that very ancestor?

With this thought, a gleam of understanding flashed in the Void Returning Taoist's eyes. He gestured, and a streak of crimson light surged forward, heading straight for the Third Elder.

"Master!"

Ye Chen, witnessing the scene, took off running. Seizing the moment, the Void Returning Taoist feigned a move and summoned the pocket to his hand.

"Hahaha, Old Zhou, you're quite the hoarder. To think you had a half-step Core Formation Stage artifact. The Xiao family has seen better days; perhaps I should take this off your hands..."

He was cut off mid-sentence as he opened the pocket. Immediately, he sensed something was amiss, and the contents turned his face deathly pale.

"Explode!"

In that instant, Ye Chen, with the Third Elder on his back, had already sprinted into the distance. He activated the Golden Fire Talisman within the pocket, setting off five hundred talismans in a fiery blast that turned the sky red and leveled the forbidden area on the back mountain.

"Cough, cough!"

Eventually, the shockwaves subsided. Ye Chen coughed, expelling some of the dust from his lungs. Despite having run a considerable distance, he was still caught within the radius of the blast. His Heart Protection Mirror was shattered, and the hastily erected light shield had dissipated, but he had narrowly escaped with his life.

The Third Elder had been through a rough ordeal. Instinctively, he sensed that Ye Chen was keeping secrets from him. The sheer number of Golden Fire Talismans couldn't possibly have been refined by normal means.

"Ye Chen, you..."

He started to speak but paused, gazing at the enormous crater behind them. The Third Elder sighed deeply. He had lived over a century and weathered many storms, yet his disciple remained an enigma to him.

"Master, I actually have a..."

Ye Chen hesitated for a moment, about to reveal to the Third Elder the secret of his jar with the replication ability, which was the only way he could account for refining so many Golden Fire Talismans. However, the Third Elder gestured for him to stop.

"Don't speak of it. Whatever fortune you've come across, do not follow in your master's footsteps until you possess sufficient strength."

Had it not been for the Treasure Refining Art, the young master of the Xiao family would not have ended up in such dire straits.

Hearing his master's voice growing fainter, Ye Chen tried to lift him up and return to the valley, but the Third Elder shook his head, releasing the hand that had been clutching his chest, causing Ye Chen's head to reel.

The Cloud Chasing Sword had pierced the Third Elder's chest, black threads weaving a deadly pattern, threatening to claim his life.

"Hey, I didn't have many years left anyway. If you hadn't come along, my grave might have been overgrown by now."

With that, the Third Elder pointed to the Treasure Refining Art and said, "Given your rate of cultivation, you won't need this for long. Remember to find a worthy successor for me."

With those final words, the Third Elder closed his eyes and passed away, leaving Ye Chen holding his master's body, motionless for a long time.

Originally, joining the Void Returning Sect was a death sentence for Ye Chen—facing certain death at the hands of bandits or being turned into a Pill by the Void Returning Taoist. But becoming a disciple of his master had given him a new lease on life, saving him when he least expected it.

Eventually, Ye Chen composed himself, bowed deeply three times to his master's body, and placed it into the Storage Bag. With his mana partially restored, he made his way to the epicenter of the explosion, now a vast crater nearly a hundred feet across.

Scattered bones, likely those of children consumed by the Void Returning Taoist over the years, littered the area, along with severed limbs. Fortunately, it didn't take Ye Chen much effort to locate the Cloud Chasing Sword. The sword, once a Cultivator's Life Magic Treasure, had lost its spirit, signifying the death of its owner.

Ye Chen exhaled deeply. Regardless, he had at last avenged his brother and simultaneously eradicated a malignant growth that had troubled the Northern Chu for decades.

Next, he came across the Storage Bag belonging to the Void Returning Taoist. After a brief inspection, he discovered only a handful of Spiritual Pills remained. The other materials were not particularly rare, some so unremarkable that Ye Chen scarcely gave them a second glance.

It made sense, though, considering the Void Returning Taoist had founded the Void Returning Sect himself. Plus, his regular crafting of Qi Shou Pills meant it was expected for him to have a scant reserve of Spirit Items. Ye Chen's greatest joy, however, was in finding the intact Void Returning Divine Arts, which had miraculously survived the recent fierce battle.

As Ye Chen casually flipped through the text, his expression soured. It appeared to be incomplete as well, detailing only the divine powers and circulation methods for the Foundation Stage. There was nothing on the Core Formation Stage—it seemed to have been deliberately truncated.