Three years passed in the rolling cloud seas of the Ye Clan's Ancestral Land.
With the privileges of Zero Sequence, Ye Tian occupied the core of the Ancestral Land's Chaos Spirit Vein. Every day, he immersed himself in spiritual energy so dense it turned liquid, supplemented by the 100 thousand-year sacred herbs and 10 jin of Chaos Spirit Liquid from the system's sign-in rewards. Coupled with the profoundness of the imperial technique Hongmeng Prison Suppression Art, his cultivation skyrocketed—far outpacing his peers' growth.
The Ye Clan's elders visited every half-month, and each time, they were stunned by Ye Tian's terrifying progress. From a Perfect Physical Body at birth, he broke through Tempered Muscles and Forged Bones at one year old, reached Blood Exchange and Orifice Opening at two, and by three, he was冲击ing the Divine Treasury Realm. This realm required tempering the five internal organs (heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys) to condense Divine Treasury power—ordinary geniuses needed five or more years to perfect it, but Ye Tian reached the threshold in just three.
On this day, inside the Chaos Spirit Vein cave, Ye Tian sat cross-legged on a ten-thousand-year warm jade bed. Golden blood energy wrapped around him as Hongmeng Prison Suppression Art circulated rapidly, refining the last drop of Chaos Spirit Liquid's power.
"Hu—"
He exhaled a stream of turbid air, which shot toward the cave ceiling, shaking loose rock debris. His five internal organs hummed in unison, like five ancient treasure vaults opening at once. Surging spiritual energy flowed through his organs, finally condensing into a concentrated stream of Divine Treasury power that swirled in his dantian.
"Divine Treasury Realm… Perfected!"
Ye Tian opened his eyes, a flash of golden light in his pupils. His aura surged abruptly, leaping from Peak Orifice Opening to Perfect Divine Treasury. He could clearly feel his physical strength had exceeded 600,000 jin—far beyond his baseline three years prior. His organs were as tough as divine iron; ordinary attacks couldn't harm him at all.
[Ding! Detected: Host has perfected the Divine Treasury Realm. Sign-in reward triggered: Holy Body Movement Technique Spirit Rhinoceros Step (Perfected), 30% increase in physical strength, and Imperial-level Divine Treasury Realm Insight!]
The system's voice rang in his mind, and Ye Tian grinned. With Spirit Rhinoceros Step perfected, his movements were as agile as a ghost—even attacks from Spirit Transformation Realm cultivators could be dodged easily. The boost to his physical strength made his Chaos Holy Body even more indestructible, a walking human fortress.
"Grandpa, I broke through." Ye Tian called toward the cave entrance.
Before the words faded, a vigorous old figure pushed the door open: his grandfather, Great Elder Ye Canglan. Over three years, Ye Canglan had devoted most of his energy to Ye Tian. Looking at the tall, calm child before him, his eyes brimmed with pride: "Good grandson! Perfect Divine Treasury! Even our ancestor emperors couldn't match this speed in their youth!"
Ye Canglan stepped forward, inspecting Ye Tian's aura. The more he looked, the more excited he grew: "All five Divine Treasuries are perfect, your blood energy is as condensed as mercury—this foundation is unparalleled in eons! Today's perfect timing: come with me to the Town Mountain Stele to test your strength. Let those skeptical clansmen see the true power of our Zero Sequence Heir!"
Ye Tian agreed readily. The Town Mountain Stele was an ancient artifact of the Ye Clan, forged by an ancestor emperor with supreme divine power. It could accurately measure a cultivator's physical strength and Divine Treasury power, a key benchmark for the clan's younger generation. He also wanted to silence those who resented his "sudden" Zero Sequence status.
They flew to the clan's central arena. The arena spanned a thousand miles, its ground paved with thousand-year black iron mixed with phoenix stone—impossibly hard. At its center stood a hundred-zhang-tall black stele: the Town Mountain Stele. Its surface was covered in obscure ancient runes, which glowed faintly despite the ravages of time, exuding a faint divine pressure that inspired awe.
The arena was already bustling with young Ye Clan members practicing and sparring. When Ye Canglan and Ye Tian arrived, all noise died down. The disciples stopped what they were doing, their gazes a mix of awe and curiosity as they murmured:
"It's the Great Elder and the Young Master!"
"The Young Master's finally out of seclusion! He's been in the Chaos Spirit Vein for three years—wonder how strong he is now?"
"He must be terrifying! He's Zero Sequence, protected by the 18th Ancestor, and a rare Holy Body!"
"Maybe he's just a resource leech with no real skill?"
Amid the whispers, a silver-robed youth stepped forward. He was handsome, with a defiant air—Ye Hao, the Ye Clan's 7th Sequence Genius. At twelve, he'd reached Early Divine Treasury, with 200,000 jin of physical strength: a top talent among his peers. He'd long resented Ye Tian's "sudden" Zero Sequence status and coveted the position.
Seeing Ye Tian, Ye Hao's eyes flashed with disdain. He bowed politely: "Greetings, Great Elder. Is this our clan's 'Qilin Son'? I heard he's been hiding in the Spirit Vein for three years—wonder if he's truly capable… or just a fraud?"
Behind him, a beautiful blue-robed girl stepped forward: Ye Yao, the 5th Sequence Genius. At eleven, she was also Early Divine Treasury, with 150,000 jin of strength. She was proud and close to Ye Hao, so she chimed in: "Young Master is still young. The Town Mountain Stele has great divine power—testing it requires full effort. Don't overexert yourself and get hurt."
Their words were a veiled jab: Ye Tian was a resource-reliant fraud who might not even dare to test the stele. The surrounding disciples caught on, whispering and watching the drama.
Ye Canglan's brow furrowed, ready to rebuke them—but Ye Tian raised a hand to stop him. He looked at Ye Hao and Ye Yao, a faint smile on his lips: "Thanks for the concern, Senior Brother and Sister. I'm here today to test the stele… to prove I deserve the Zero Sequence position."
He ignored them and walked toward the stele. When he was three zhang away, the system's voice rang out:
[Ding! Detected: Host is at the Ancient Town Mountain Stele (contains Imperial Divine Power). Sign-in triggered! Reward: Imperial Fist Technique Myriad Phenomena Fist (Initiate), 20% increase in Divine Treasury power!]
Myriad Phenomena Fist—a technique created by an ancient emperor after observing the world's phenomena. It could channel the power of mountains, rivers, sun, moon, and stars; each punch was like a tide of phenomena, infinitely powerful. The technique's secrets flooded Ye Tian's mind, and he felt his Divine Treasury power condense further, a fist intent rising spontaneously—as if any punch could stir the heavens and earth.
"Arrogant brat, daring to act tough at the stele!" Ye Hao, ignored and provoked, flew into a rage. He circulated his spiritual energy, his aura surging: "Today I'll let you know—Sequence positions aren't earned by background!"
In a flash, he launched the clan's Mountain Splitting Fist, channeling 200,000 jin of physical strength into a punch aimed at Ye Tian's back. The fist wind howled, clearly intended to humiliate Ye Tian in public.
"Presumptuous!" Ye Canglan's face darkened, ready to intervene.
"Grandpa, it's fine." Ye Tian didn't turn around, his voice calm.
Just as Ye Hao's fist was about to hit him, Ye Tian activated Spirit Rhinoceros Step—his figure blurred, dodging like a ghost.
At the same time, golden blood energy surged in his body, channeling all his Divine Treasury power into his right fist. He countered with Myriad Phenomena Fist's basic move: Mountain and River Suppression.
BOOM!
Fists collided. Golden blood energy clashed with Ye Hao's spiritual energy, producing a deafening crash. Ye Hao was sent flying like a broken kite, landing dozens of zhang away, spitting blood. His eyes were wide with disbelief: "How… how can you be this strong?"
Silence fell. No one had expected Ye Hao—top among the younger generation—to lose in one move.
Ye Tian walked to the stele, ignoring the shock around him. He took a deep breath and punched, using only the physical strength of his Perfect Divine Treasury, amplified by Myriad Phenomena Fist. The golden fist light slammed into the stele.
BOOM!
The Town Mountain Stele shook violently. Its ancient runes lit up, and golden characters flashed rapidly—climbing from "500,000 jin" to finally settle on "780,000 jin," glowing brightly across the arena!
"7… 780,000 jin?!" Ye Canglan gaped, his face full of shock. "Perfect Divine Treasury, 780,000 jin of physical strength? This… this is a miracle unseen in eons!"
The Ye Clan's most talented ancestor had only 400,000 jin at the Divine Treasury Realm—Ye Tian had doubled that.
The disciples erupted. They gasped, their gazes now filled with awe and adoration: "Divine Son is invincible!" "780,000 jin! He can match Spirit Transformation Realm cultivators now!" "I was blind to doubt the Young Master—forgive me!"
Ye Yao's face turned pale, her pride gone. She hurried forward, bowing: "Disciple Ye Yao spoke out of turn earlier. Please forgive me, Young Master."
Ye Tian nodded, not holding a grudge. Just then, an elder ran over, anxious: "Great Elder! Young Master! The Black Dragon Nest's Young Master Long Jinghong is here with two Immortal Realm elders—they say they want to 'meet' our Qilin Son. They're clearly here to provoke us!"
Ye Tian's eyes flashed with fighting spirit. The Black Dragon Nest was the Ye Clan's bitter enemy, vying for control of the Yanhuang Continent f