I Just Wanted To Live but I Somehow Became Better Than the Protagonist

Is there some blind fool who dares to offend you?

After Qin Shidream and the others departed, Ye Yong made his way to the back mountain of the Ye family. Here lay a grand sixth-grade Spirit Gathering Array, laid out by the ancestors of Dongxu thousands of years ago.

Once, the Ye family had their own Dongxu, belonging to Ye Yong’s great-grandfather’s great-grandfather. Along with his brothers, there were as many as four Dongxu, marking the peak of the Ye family’s glory.

However, five thousand years ago, when an ancient secret realm opened in the Western Continent, they decided to venture into that realm, hoping for fortune, but they never returned. Many others, including powerful Dongxu and even saints, shared the same fate.

What secrets lay hidden in that ancient realm? Only a small fraction of the surviving Dongxu and saints knew, yet they remained tight-lipped about their experiences, turning the matter into a mystery in the hearts of the people.

Of course, as five thousand years passed, the new generation of cultivators remained unaware of this history, including the elders of the Ye family.

After all, the oldest among them, Ye Zhe, who was Ye Mao’s biological grandfather, was barely over a thousand years old. Aside from Ye Yong, the only one in the Ye family who knew of that ancient secret realm was his great-grandfather, who was over two thousand years old and had reached the pinnacle of the tenth layer of the Transformation God stage. Yet, even he had only heard vague mentions from his deceased father and knew little of the details.

As for what lay within the secret realm, it was, in essence, related to demons and monsters. To summarize it simply, demons had invaded this world more than once. That realm was an ancient battlefield where humanity fought against these creatures, filled with miasma, demonic energy, and resentment, all brewing for millennia. Even a saint could fall victim to its corruption if they were not careful.

Once infected, one would either die instantly, succumb to an incurable illness, or go mad, killing indiscriminately before being slain in turn.

Yet, high risk often brings high reward. When it came to opportunities, the realm was indeed rich. High-level resources and heavenly-grade treasures were abundant, and even saint-grade artifacts could be found.

It is not hard to imagine the madness that gripped the cultivators who entered when the secret realm first opened five thousand years ago.

Murder and treasure theft, mutual persecution—these were among the reasons so few emerged alive.

In the future, the main character, Long Tian, would venture into the realm several times. The first time was after he broke through to Dongxu; the dangers were so great that he only penetrated a third of the way in, yet he still reaped considerable benefits. The second time, after breaking through to the Great Ascension, he ventured two-thirds of the way, acquiring even more treasures. The third and final time, after reaching the Semi-Saint level, he delved to the deepest depths and obtained the realm’s ultimate treasure.

Ye Yong glanced at the system shop; that ultimate treasure was priced at one hundred fifty thousand reversal points. As a Semi-Saint level artifact, the price was quite reasonable. Well, in truth, it was Ye Yong’s lack of reversal points that made it seem reasonable—no matter how high the price, it was of no concern to him.

No longer dwelling on distant matters, Ye Yong presented the elder’s token, and the guards immediately granted him passage.

Due to the sixth-grade Spirit Gathering Array, the spiritual energy in the back mountain was several times more abundant than in other areas of the Ye family. There were seven peaks in total, two of which were designated for spiritual root cultivation. Essentially, cultivators would choose corresponding elemental formations based on their spiritual root attributes to practice within, enhancing their adaptability.

In the realm of spirit root cultivation, chambers like this exist in every major sect, though their scales vary greatly.

The other five mountains serve as retreat spaces, each peak divided into eight chambers, totaling forty.

Each chamber is equipped with corresponding elemental arrays, yet only two of the forty benefit those with wood spirit roots, which are quite rare. Currently, aside from Lin Wei, no other Nascent Soul in the Ye family possesses a wood spirit root, making one of these chambers exclusively hers.

As a villainous family often trampled upon by the protagonist, the novel does not delve into the intricate layout of the Ye family’s facilities. However, as a newcomer to the back mountains, Ye Yong could inquire about the path without raising suspicion.

Soon directed by a guide, Ye Yong approached a mountain, climbing to its midsection, arriving at a stone chamber marked with the emblem of spirit wood.

A thick layer of snow had accumulated near the heavy stone door, indicating that no one had entered or exited for quite some time. To the side, a green orb of light pulsed, signaling that the array within was active, and that the person inside was still alive.

Yet being alive does not guarantee safety; it could mean severe injury or even madness.

Ye Yong brushed away the snow with his spiritual energy, took a deep breath, and silently prayed for nothing amiss to occur. He raised his hand and slowly pressed the switch on the door.

If no one were inside, this switch would directly open the chamber. If someone were present, it would serve as a doorbell.

There were methods to forcibly open the chamber, but they were complex. Besides, it was still uncertain what Lin Wei’s condition was, so there was no need for such measures.

After pressing the switch, there was no immediate response. Ye Yong, feeling a twinge of anxiety, paced back and forth at the entrance. Half an hour passed with still no reaction. He pressed the switch again and sat down at a nearby pavilion.

Another half hour slipped by, and Ye Yong’s patience wore thin. Even if he needed to adjust his breath and stabilize the fluctuations of his newly attained soul and spiritual energy, it should be about time.

If he waited another hour without a response, he would seek out an elder from the Ye family to forcibly open the door.

Fortunately, he did not have to wait that long. Soon, the stone door rumbled, accompanied by a cloud of dust, and a woman who appeared to be in her twenties stepped out.

The moment she spotted Ye Yong standing in the pavilion, her initially puzzled eyes lit up with joy: “Yong’er!”

She hurried towards him.

Seeing his youthful mother unharmed, without any signs of injury or madness, Ye Yong let out a sigh of relief: “Mother, I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“What could possibly happen to me?” Lin Wei scrutinized Ye Yong closely, a hint of surprise in her voice: “Have I been in seclusion for decades?”

“No, it’s only been four months. Why do you ask that?”

“Only four months? But Yong’er, your transformation feels like it’s been much longer than that.”

15 The Elder

Ye Yong was puzzled. “Change? In what way?”

“The aura in your every gesture.” Lin Wei gently touched Ye Yong’s face. “Though your appearance hasn’t altered, you now give me a sense of being able to stand tall against the heavens.”

Ye Yong believed it must be due to the divine body. Even the sacred body could shift a person’s aura, making them appear extraordinary; let alone the divine body. His Return to Primordial Chaos technique had already reached the second layer, and with the automatic cultivation alongside his own efforts, his progress was indeed notable.

“Mother, please sit.” Ye Yong turned his face away, feeling a bit shy from her touch, and busied himself with the tea set, pretending to be occupied.

Lin Wei felt no discomfort. After sitting down, she kept her gaze fixed on Ye Yong, her eyes filled with satisfaction and affection. “Are you getting used to life in Tianluo Sect? Has anyone dared to offend you?”

“No, no.” Ye Yong felt a flush of embarrassment; truly, she was a protective mother, immediately concerned if he had been bullied. “Calling you out of seclusion was purely out of worry for your well-being. After all, it’s a brand new technique, full of uncertainties, and you’ve been in seclusion for quite a long time…”

—

“Four months isn’t too long.” Lin Wei didn’t scold Ye Yong for his alarm at interrupting her retreat; rather, she felt joy at his concern. “The technique you provided is profoundly intricate; I’ve only grasped a third of it so far. Yet, even so, I’ve successfully broken through to the fifth layer of the Nascent Soul.”