"Tch! Him? Grandpa, if it were anyone else, I might still believe that anything is possible! But Ye Qingchen..."
Ye Ying shook her head, a look of certainty in her beautiful eyes. "I'm not looking down on him! He's been stuck at the first level of Martial Apprentice for ten whole years. If he had any real ability, he would have advanced by now instead of being such a waste! In my opinion, he'll never have a chance to turn his life around!"
The Second Elder stroked his beard and smiled. "Child, you are indeed still too young, too naive. Do you know that on our Heaven Desolate Continent, there is a type of legendary bird that neither flies nor chirps for a hundred years, remaining utterly silent? However, though it does not fly, when it does, it soars to the heavens; though it does not chirp, when it does, it astounds the world! If a bird can soar after a hundred years of silence, how can you be so sure that Ye Qingchen won't shock everyone after a mere ten?"
Ye Ying remained unconvinced, pursing her small lips. "Grandpa, you'd have a better chance of seeing his movement technique surpass mine than you would of seeing him shock the world!"
As soon as Ye Qingchen returned to his small courtyard, he saw Xiao Xiao bustling about.
Upon seeing him, Xiao Xiao proudly lifted the large porcelain basin in her hands. "Young Master, you're back? Look at this big chicken I made! Come and eat!"
With that, she placed the large basin on the stone table in the courtyard and pulled Ye Qingchen down to sit on a stone stool.
RIP!
She tore off a golden, juicy chicken leg and handed it to him. "Young Master, have a taste!"
The rich aroma wafted over, and Ye Qingchen's appetite was instantly piqued. He took the chicken leg and devoured it in a few bites.
"Tsk, tsk, this flavor... Even the head chef at the Food God Pavilion in Qingyun Town can't match your cooking!" Ye Qingchen said, giving Xiao Xiao a thumbs-up as he licked the golden grease from his fingers.
Xiao Xiao beamed with pride. "Of course! My chicken is in a league of its own. I guarantee the Young Master will be so captivated he'll remember this taste for the rest of his life!"
The two chatted and laughed, making the meal feel exceptionally delicious.
After they finished, Xiao Xiao cleared the table while Ye Qingchen stood to the side and, following the memories in his mind, began to practice the Mystifying Steps. One step to the left, another to the right. As he performed the movement technique, his figure began to flicker unpredictably, making it impossible to guess where his next step would land.
At first, Ye Qingchen's movements were somewhat clumsy and slow. Before long, however, his speed increased rapidly until he was leaving a trail of afterimages behind him!
"Wow, Young Master, you're so cool!" Xiao Xiao, having finished her chores, stood in a corner of the courtyard with stars in her eyes, unable to stop herself from clapping in admiration.
The Young Master's movement technique was not only incredibly stylish but also lightning-fast. His footwork was so dazzling that it was impossible to predict where he would appear next! In the entire Ye Family, Xiao Xiao had never seen anyone perform such a formidable movement technique.
Finally, Ye Qingchen stopped, his head covered in sweat as he panted heavily, his face alight with excitement.
Xiao Xiao quickly handed him a towel. While watching him wipe his sweat, she asked curiously, "Young Master, what kind of movement technique is that? It looks so powerful."
After wiping his brow, Ye Qingchen gave the towel back to Xiao Xiao and smiled. "The perfected Mystifying Steps, a Mysterious Rank, Lower Grade Martial Technique!"
With the enhancement of the Dual Pupil Martial Soul, the incomplete manuscript for the Mystifying Steps was perfectly repaired. Its grade was raised by two levels, going from Yellow Rank, Mid Grade straight to Mysterious Rank, Lower Grade!
What made Ye Qingchen most ecstatic was that, thanks to the comprehension granted by his Dual Pupil Martial Soul, he didn't need to train tirelessly like others to improve his proficiency. After just that short practice session, he could already execute the Mystifying Steps at the ultimate stage of seamless mastery!
"A Mysterious Rank, Lower Grade Martial Technique!" Xiao Xiao subconsciously covered her mouth. Although she wasn't a Martial Artist herself, having grown up in the Ye Family, she knew that their strongest martial technique was merely Yellow Rank, Upper Grade. The Young Master was now practicing a powerful martial technique that even the Ye Family didn't possess!
Ye Qingchen rested for a moment, then stood up in the center of the courtyard. He closed his eyes and focused his mind, and the Picking Leaf Hand Martial Technique he had observed earlier began to surface in his thoughts. At the same time, his Dual Pupil Martial Soul activated!
Just as Ye Qingchen had anticipated, a small soul-like figure appeared in his sea of consciousness and began to execute the Picking Leaf Hand. Moreover, the Picking Leaf Hand this figure performed was clearly far more powerful than the version he had previously mastered!
The perfected Picking Leaf Hand! Its grade had been elevated from Yellow Rank, Upper Grade to Mysterious Rank, Lower Grade!
The next moment, Ye Qingchen's eyes snapped open! At the same instant, he moved!
BANG!
He struck the trunk of a tree in the courtyard, sending leaves fluttering down instantly! Amidst the swirling foliage, Ye Qingchen's hands moved like the wind—swift, sharp, and dazzling to the eye! A few moments later, he stopped, a thick stack of fallen leaves held between his fingers. Of the hundreds of leaves that had filled the air, not a single one had touched the ground!
"Young Master, what is this Martial Technique? It seems even more powerful!" Xiao Xiao was completely mesmerized.
"Picking Leaf Hand, a Mysterious Rank, Lower Grade offensive Martial Technique!" Ye Qingchen said with a smile. With the aid of his Dual Pupil Martial Soul, he had also mastered the Picking Leaf Hand to the point of seamless integration in a short time.
"They're both Mysterious Rank, Lower Grade!" Xiao Xiao was stunned once again.
Mysterious Rank Martial Techniques were far more powerful than those of the Yellow Rank. They were extraordinarily rare and so valuable they couldn't be bought on the open market! As far as Xiao Xiao knew, none of the three major families in Qingyun Town possessed any Mysterious Rank Martial Techniques. If word got out about either of the two Mysterious Rank Martial Techniques the Young Master had just demonstrated, the three major families would fight madly to acquire them!
After practicing his Martial Techniques, Ye Qingchen returned to his room, consumed a Spirit Gathering Pill, and began to circulate his Cultivation Technique, entering a state of cultivation. Time was of the essence; he had to increase his strength as quickly as possible!
「Li Family.」
「In Li Zhe's study.」
At this moment, Li Zhe's face was incredibly grim. The mole in the Ye Family, the Third Elder, and his entire faction had all lost contact. There had been no news for many days. Clearly, the mission for the Third Elder to kill Ye Qingchen had failed.
Because of that trash Ye Qingchen, the spies I painstakingly cultivated within the Ye Family for years are all lost! Damn it! Li Zhe's heart was bleeding.
Just as he was seething with anger, a servant's voice came from outside the study. "Patriarch, the Young Miss's cousin, Liu Haizhou, is here!"
"Liu Haizhou is here? Let him in at once!" Li Zhe's eyes immediately brightened.
Liu Haizhou had awakened the Seven-Star Silver Spear Martial Soul. Exceptionally talented, he had been recruited as an outer disciple by the Northern Desolate Country's second-largest sect, the Heavenly Profound Sect, at a young age. At only seventeen, his cultivation had already reached the peak of the Ninth Layer of Martial Apprentice! Most importantly, Liu Haizhou had always been a suitor of Li Susu and had long despised Ye Qingchen!
Footsteps sounded, and soon a tall young man strode in, followed by a middle-aged man with a powerful aura.
"Haizhou!" Li Zhe quickly stood up to greet him.
"Uncle!" the young man said, his face filled with indignation as he got straight to the point. "What in the world happened? Why was Su Su's Dantian destroyed?"
Hearing this, Li Zhe let out a long sigh and said with grief and fury, "It's all my fault for being careless and trusting that bastard, Ye Qingchen! He tried to dishonor Su Su. When she refused, he became enraged and caught her off guard, stealthily attacking and destroying her Dantian! You really can't judge a person by their appearance!"
Liu Haizhou's eyes went wide. "The culprit is that piece of trash, Ye Qingchen? How dare he?"
"Hmph! He dared to humiliate my cousin and destroy her Dantian! I'm going to the Ye Family right now to kill that trash!"