SWNOVELXO chapter 402
Having consumed a speed-enhancing elixir, and employing the top-tier Dragon’s Glide technique, Ye Yong’s burst of speed was astonishing. Yet, the drain on his spiritual energy was equally terrifying. Fortunately, he had solidified his core. With a large stone in his dantian to store spiritual energy, and eight spiritual veins, he managed to run for dozens of kilometers, achieving what crystallization alone could not.
With most of his energy spent, Ye Yong feared that he might not cope with any sudden threats. Glancing back and seeing no pursuers, he swiftly dove into a thicket, retrieved a small magic carpet, set up a concealment charm, and, ensuring his safety, leisurely took off.
Hua Ningyan was buffeted by the wind, her fur tousled. She leaped from Ye Yong’s embrace, shaking herself off. “Master, who are those people?”
“Bad people. Very bad people.”
“Can’t Master defeat them?” The little fox still believed her master to be an otherworldly sage, immensely powerful.
“I can, but it will take time.” Ye Yong pulled out a comb, placing the little fox on his lap to groom her fur.
The little fox relished the attention, squinting her eyes in delight, lazily saying, “If even Master is wary, could they be from the Void Realm? The Great Ascension?”
“The Transformation Stage is held up; those chasing us are Golden Core and Nascent Soul.”
“Um… Golden Core and Nascent Soul shouldn’t be much for Master, right?” Hua Ningyan recalled the attitude of Xiang Gao, the lord of Qirong City, towards Ye Yong.
“Without relying on external aids, relying solely on my own strength, I am currently unable to cope.”
“Why not?”
“Because I have just crystallized to the first layer.”
—
“Crystallization, a layer?” The little fox suddenly opened its eyes wide, utterly stunned.
—
Return to the Sect
“Master, you must be joking. How could you possibly just be crystallizing now?”
“Why is that impossible?” Ye Yong felt that the little fox had likely misunderstood something.
“The people who want to capture the spirit fox treat you with such respect, and if you truly are crystallizing, it’s absurd that so many Yuan Ying and Golden Core cultivators would come after you, not to mention even those at the Transformation stage. Isn’t that a bit exaggerated?”
“Exaggerated? I think you completely misunderstand, don’t you?”
“Understand? What is there to understand?”
“How far do you think you can grow in the future?”
“Yuan Ying, I suppose. But having met you, the Transformation stage shouldn’t be a problem.”
“What if I told you that you could become a celestial fox and transcend to immortality?”
“That’s impossible…”
Ye Yong chuckled as he ruffled the little fox’s head, round and small, fluffy and delightful to the touch. “Why is it impossible? You have that potential. Now, here’s the question: if others knew you had this potential, wouldn’t they do everything in their power to capture you?”
Hua Ningyan wasn’t foolish; it quickly grasped the implication. “So those bad people are after you because of your high potential?”
“Though it sounds arrogant to say, as long as I don’t die, becoming an immortal is just the beginning; the Celestial Emperor is not the end.”
At these words, Hua Ningyan was profoundly shaken. What kind of ambition must one possess to utter such grand declarations?
Becoming an immortal is just the beginning; the Celestial Emperor is not the end?
Hua Ningyan had previously felt satisfied with the prospect of reaching the Transformation stage, but now, compared to Ye Yong, it felt as insignificant as an ant wishing to find a morsel of food today.
Perhaps to become strong, one must first possess a heart that transcends strength.
Boom! At that moment, the sky erupted with a thunderous roar, clouds absent yet lightning crackled, as if the very heavens were responding to Ye Yong’s grand ambitions.
A fierce surge of determination welled up within Hua Ningyan. With a master like this, her aspirations could no longer be mere transformations into the Nascent Soul; she must aim for ascension itself.
Unlike the inspired Hua Ningyan, Ye Yong flinched at the sound of thunder—not from physical fright, but from a jolt within his soul.
“One mustn’t feign bravado, especially in a world of the fantastical. I nearly got struck by lightning.”
Ye Yong murmured softly, relieved he hadn’t boasted of punching the Immortal Emperor or kicking the Great Luo Golden Immortal; otherwise, he might have already faced heavenly tribulation, reduced to cinders.
“Ahhh!!” A sharp birdcall diverted the attention of Ye Yong and Hua Ningyan. They turned to see a massive, fierce-looking bird squawking in their direction, with several Nascent Soul cultivators perched upon its back, clad in black robes—clearly the pursuers from the demonic sect.
“The Spirit Wind Eagle’s cries indicate Ye Yong is just ahead, yet we see no sign of him. How strange.”
“I’ve expanded my divine sense to its maximum, yet I too find no trace of Ye Yong.”
“Ahhh!!” The great bird continued to call towards a certain direction.
“Ye Yong must be using some kind of treasure to conceal himself. No matter, let’s attack! The Supreme Elder has decreed that this time we either bring Ye Yong back or eliminate him.”
Though Ye Yong couldn’t hear their words, the incessant calling of the bird confirmed his presence had been detected. The illusion array could deceive those at the Transformation stage, but a mere Nascent Soul eagle could not see through it. Thus, there was only one possibility: they were tracking him by scent.
The Nascent Soul cultivators from the Blood Flame Sect began their assault. Even without sighting Ye Yong, as long as their attacks were wide enough and frequent, they would surely affect him.
Ye Yong quickly maneuvered, slithering like a serpent, while deploying a scent-eliminating item, spraying it over his small demonic carpet.