astral

Ye Chen's Astral Body was far stronger than Little Tanuki's thought. That made the critter a little eager to investigate its own Astral Body. Having since absorbed traces of Ye Chen's Celestial Chi, Little Tanuki had developed its own Astral Body. Now, it had both Psyche and Astral Body together, working in tandem. It wondered what bouts of effects that would bring.

Ye Chen's eyes met the cool Raven Hawk. After a moment, he said, "You've got a Fluffy One, Fluffy Two, and Fluffy Three before you. From now on, we'll call you Fluffy Four." Feathers were considered furs too so it made sense to call it Fluffy and it was easier to remember too.

Ye Chen tossed a high tier Spirit Pill to the hawk, gave it an order, and left it to cultivate on its own.

Maybe there would be another beast that would walk into the place. If that was the case, Ye Chen would tame the subsequent beast too! If he could not do it, he would have Little Tanuki try in his place. If it were a Celestial Beast that set foot in here, then there would be no way for him to enslave it. Celestial Beasts possessed a stronger Psyche, they could not be as easily enslaved as a beast.

What would a Celestial Beast's Psyche look like? Ye Chen wondered. He set forth his Astral Body, locating the Lioness in the process and then seeping into her consciousness for a look.

The Lioness was cultivating. The moment she had sensed Ye Chen's Astral Body, it froze.

As Ye Chen's Astral Body scanned its consciousness, he realized a beast's Psyche tends to clump together so they were all the same. So long as he imprinted his Psyche on them, he would bring them under his control. On the other hand, Celestial Beasts had a slightly different Psyche structure. Their Psyche was scattered and loose like clusters of meteorites circling in a formation in the consciousness. The concentration in their Psyche was greater than a Beast's. It was not highly malleable but also rather scattered. Thus, foreign Psyche could not possibly invade their minds to enslave them.

That explained why beasts were so easily enslaved yet Celestial Beasts were not! Their constitutions were vastly different, both mind and body.

With that newfound knowledge, Ye Chen recalled his Astral Body.

After Ye Chen's Astral Body had left, the Lioness heaved a sigh of relief, fortunate to have lived once more.

Having arrived at the bottleneck of peak Ninth Level, the Celestial Chi could no longer break through any further for the time being. Ye Chen continued to hone Heavenly King Rupturing the Sun.

Recently, Ye Chen's cultivation base and martial arts technique had soared in level. As far as his spiritual prowess was concerned, however, there were no significant progression. Ye Chen may have learned about the Dao Trance but it was all at the surface level only. He still struggled to learn the nuances of it.

Perhaps now would be the best time for Ye Chen to learn about the nuances.

Ye Chen felt the Chi flow in his surroundings and the changes that had occurred. Slowly, he descended into a meditative state. The Nine Astra in him had an interesting rhythm. It kept orbiting like it was changing.

Ever since Ye Chen had consolidated nine Chi Vortexes, he was used to cultivating the systems together. The nine cultivation systems tended to increase in level with one another. The Nine Astra Skies was a truly mysterious system. No amount of words could ever describe it.

During cultivation, Ye Chen had also developed a greater understanding of the Chi-amassing Formation. The formation of the rocks appeared in his consciousness and they spun in a rather mesmerizing manner.

The Chi-amassing Formation was an interesting entity like no other. Without needing any form of force or energy to activate it, it could just seamlessly integrate itself into the surroundings.

Ye Chen had all orders of the Chi-amassing Formation memorized clearly. He thought about whether he could construct a similar formation back at the Ye Castle.

As if disappearing into time itself, Ye Chen had forgotten about the present.

Time ticked away slowly. In the blink of an eye, Ye Chen had been in the Sunken Jade Tower for a full month now.

The Second-rank Prince's Palace in Donglin.

As Qiu Ying and the rest returned, their clothes were disheveled like hobos on the streets. Pitiful was an understatement. Thankfully, Qiu Ying, Liu Kan, and Liu Xun were in one piece. The death of their peak Ninth Level bodyguards did not matter to them.

After freshening up, it was as if they had returned to civilization.

The broken shards of armor and weapons they had scavenged from the tower were made into two impressive long swords. If they ever produced an Artifact Spirit some day, they could imbue the swords with it, which would make it a decent weapon. Apart from the two swords, they had managed to obtain a martial manual named Nightfall – a level five cultivation system that contained instructions to three, level five martial arts techniques. However, the manual was missing a few pages and if they were to make amendments to it, they would have to go through a great deal of trouble. For what it was worth, Qiu Ying and his men were satisfied with the outcome. At the very least, their journey to the Sunken Jade Tower was not a complete waste.

"Are you heading back to the capital now, Prime Minister?" Liu Xun was polite though deep down, he was a little frantic.

"Indeed. I'm still required back at the capital." Qiu Ying nodded. He shot a look at Liu Xun. "Whatever it is you have to say, out with it now."

"It's about the Ye Clan. The boy lives there. Initially, the clan had the most insignificant power among the Eighteen Houses of Lianyun. At most, they had a low Ninth Level defender. Later on, for reasons unknown, Ye Chen the prodigy appeared and clan's powers increased. They even went on to have two Ninth Level beasts in due time and are now one of our kingdom's concerns. The boy may be gone now but that doesn't mean the Ye Clan should be spared." Liu Xun paused in between his words to gauge Qiu Ying's reaction.

"Have you ever looked into the reason as to how the Ye Clan had suddenly experience an immense rise in power?" Qiu Ying tapped his fingers on the table, deep in thought.

Liu Xun was increasingly bitter about the Ye Clan's might. Not long ago, Ye Zhantian and his men had received some thousand-year Flaming Serpent Berry along with other gifts. By now, the gifts would have been consumed and it was very likely their powers would grow tremendously in the near future. That gave the Second-rank Prince of Donglin many sleepless nights. Plus, he had previously humiliated Ye Zhantian and he was certain it was not a grudge that could be easily resolved. In time when the Ye Clan rose to the top, Liu Xun would surely experience more days of fear. He spoke again, "I heard the Ye Clan has an unnamed powerful figure backing them out though I don't know the person's background."

"An unnamed powerful figure?"

"If said person is truly powerful, why keep his identity a secret? Could they be worried that the Great Emperor Mingwu might summon him?" Liu Kan weighed in. Typically, any Tenth Level combatants in the human world were often banished to the Exclusion Zone if the Great Emperor Mingwu ever learned of their existence. That or they were hunted, sometimes they would even murder the combatant's family members.

In all of the Xiwu Empire, none was still worthy of an opponent for the emperor.

Liu Kan looked toward Qiu Ying, though he remained silent, waiting for his answers.

"Prime Minister, what's your take on this?" Liu Kan consulted Qiu Ying. He had learned from Liu Xun that the Second Prince's Palace had backed the Yun Clan previously. The Yun Clan had previously nearly annihilated them and thus, the Ye Clan was sure to harbor a grudge toward the Second-rank Prince of Donglin. They would never rest until the Second Prince's Palace was thoroughly obliterated. As Liu Xun's father, he had to speak up for him.

"If the said powerful figure is attempting to evade the Great Emperor's summon, then there are many ways for us to overcome the problem. Only, my concern is the person's powers are so extraordinary that it would be unwise for us to provoke him. Besides, that person hasn't appeared in the Ye Castle at all recently, we can't tell if truly such a person exists. Here's what I suggest. You guys mobilize the Dark Troopers and have them surround the castle, say it's a part of a protection program. Then, you get on their good side and look into the Ye Clan. If the figure appears again, so long as everyone's still in one piece, there'll certainly be a way for us to talk things out. If he's a Tenth Level combatant or even an Earth-level Venerable One, I'll personally have the Great Emperor Mingwu summon him and have him expelled to the Exclusion Zone. Then, you guys can take care of the Ye Clan yourself." Qiu Ying assured with a slight smile.

"What happens if that person never appears?" Liu Kan's eyes widened. He had an idea too.

"If the figure fails to show up in ten days, it shows the Ye Clan couldn't possibly get him to come to their aid or that he doesn't have that good of a relationship with them. Or maybe the said figure never existed to begin with and that it was a part of a story cooked up by the Ye Clan. If that's the case, you may take matters into your own hands." Qiu Ying's smile turned into a maniacal laugh.

"Always a genius, Prime Minister!" Liu Kan stroked his beard as he smiled.

"May I suggest that you remain in Donglin County for a month, Prime Minister? I heard the Ye Clan had received lots of gifts from various clans. Once we have the Ye Clan under our control, you can have all their possessions. What say you?" Liu Kan cheekily suggested.

Liu Kan threw a stern look at the two. Sly bastards, he thought to himself. If he remained, he would be their scapegoat if anything were to happen. He would never fall for that trick. Calmly, he smiled. "It's not that I don't wish to stay, only that the capital has many matters waiting my attending. Don't you worry, I'll be sure to be extra attentive toward Donglin County. The moment you have anything to report, you may have your messenger hawk relay the news to me. As for the Ye Clan's treasure, I couldn't possibly take it all for myself. Once you've seized control of the clan, you may distribute half of the loot to me. I'll handle the rest regarding the Great Emperor. It's late now, I must return for my rest. Tomorrow will be a hectic journey."

As Qiu Ying got up, Liu Kan and Liu Xun stood up to see him off.

The moment Qiu Ying's silhouette disappeared into the alleyway, Liu Kan cursed him. "Qiu Ying you old fart, you're such a sly fox!"

Liu Xun could only force a smile. If Qiu Ying wanted to leave, no one could hold him back. The reason Qiu Ying left the palace in such a hurry was to draw a clear line in their relationship. If Liu Xun and Liu Kan were to mess with the wrong guy, Qiu Ying would be unaffected. If it were a Tenth Level or Earth-level Venerable One, Qiu Ying would have the Great Emperor Mingwu summon him and then he would earn the recognition from the emperor, along with the Second-rank Prince of Donglin's gratitude. It was a win-win for him. Liu Xun and Liu Kan had no regard for the treasures in the Ye Clan's vault. Regardless, half of it was Qiu Ying's cut. If there were far too little treasures to be distributed, they would add up some possessions from their side. After all, they had no one else but him to speak on their behalf during the royal court.

"It's fine if he refuses to stay but I can't believe he wants a cut out of the treasures." Liu Xun retorted. Alas, there was nothing they could change. Who else but Qiu Ying to appeal after all, right? The mission had to go on and the Ye Clan needed to be taken out. The boy was dead anyway and it did not matter if anyone saw his body in the Sunken Jade Tower. If Master Apothecary Xuanyi needed to blame someone, it would not be him.

While they were concerned about the powerful force, they were truly left with no other choice. If they waited till the Ye Clan had risen in power, they would never be able to obliterate them.

At the square in the Second Prince's Palace, a thousand of Level Seven knights clad in black armor sat on Level Three black horses known as Nightwinds. The troops had carefully formed a phalanx. Even the Nightwinds donned thick armor. They were armed to the teeth.

Under the Second-rank Prince of Donglin's order, the thousand knights set out. The sands from the ground were kicked up and the ground vibrated. A thunderous sound echoed. The troops were headed for the Ye Castle.

The mobilization of the Dark Troopers had the citizens of Donglin County in a heated discussion. This was the first time the prince had mobilized the troopers in three years. Could something be happening? Could there be a rebellion somewhere in Donglin County? Maybe some clans were about to meet their end?

At the Ye Castle, a messenger hawk flew in.

Ye Zhantian's expression changed drastically as he read the message in the letter. He

passed the letter to Ye Changxuan.

"What are we going to do, Sixth Uncle?" Ye Zhantian was anxious. The Ye Clan had grown tremendously from their olden days in terms of power yet they were far from mighty to battle a force like the Second-rank Prince of Donglin.

"We can't leave the castle. If we do that, we would never outrun the Dark Trooper's steed. The Second-rank Prince of Donglin has many Ninth Level combatants but he only possesses three peak Ninth Levels. We'll stand and hold our ground. At most, we'll just die defending our home!" Ye Changxuan's expression was somber. When push came to shove and the Second-Prince's Palace gave them no choice, they would respond accordingly. What Ye Changxuan did not know, however, was that Second-rank Prince Liu Xun was already a low Tenth Level and his father, who had recently arrived at Donglin County, was a mid-Tenth Level.

"We're one step away from low Tenth Level. If anyone manages to advance to the Tenth Level, we need not be pushovers." Ye Zhantian was displeased with the circumstances. Sadly, advancing to another rank was easier said than done, even if the clan willed for it.

Ye Changxuan did not hesitate with his answer. "Get the needy to the cellar, the rest will defend the castle!"

The people in the Ye Castle began to move. Thankfully, due to the financial situation of the clan, they had already managed to stock up on necessities like fire arrows and oil.

After two days of preparation, the Ye Clan was in a battle-ready mode. To prevent the Dark Trooper's steeds from advancing into the castle, all alleyways were barricaded with an iron fence.

At noon, the sun burned violently.

Dum, dum, dum. Sounds of horses galloping could be heard from afar. Those who resided in the Ye Castle felt as if their reckoning had come.

The men from the Second-Prince's Palace had arrived!

Ding, ding, ding!

The alarm bells in the Ye castle went off. Like a volley of arrows, Ye Zhantian and his men leaped on to the castle wall to look outside. Groups of black horses charged toward them. The troops were clad in armor but the weight did not slow their horses down. The horses ran on slopes as if they would on ordinary ground.

The Dark Troopers were getting close. Like death knocking on their doors, the expressions of the people atop the castle wall changed. There were at least a thousand of Dark Troopers, all rank seven and above and they were masters of warfare, having participated in twenty to thirty massacres that had taken millions of lives!

Even the ten Ninth Level combatants of the Ye Clan could never push back the onslaught of the troops! There was a silent acknowledgment on their faces. They knew once the fight started, there would be casualties involved but a true member of the Ye Clan would fight to their deaths, never to live an undignified life!

Ye Zhantian and Ye Changxuan clenched their fists as they channeled their Celestial Chi. They had been stuck at peak Ninth Level for the longest time and were one step away from advancing to the Tenth Level. If only they had a half month, they would have accomplished it. Alas, time waited for no man and the troopers from the Second-Prince's Palace had arrived!

At the forefront of the Dark Troopers was a soldier clad in seamless black gold armor with a halberd in his hand. The Nightwind that he rode was comparatively bigger and mightier than the other Nightwinds too. It was Liu Xun. Liu Xun had led the troops to conquer numerous countries in the past. He was a valiant general. Apart from having strong cultivation, he was also an experienced commander.

At the wave of Liu Xun's hand, the Dark Troopers charged even quicker to the Ye Castle and surrounded it. Far up ahead, apart from the Dark Trooper were countless soldiers who helped surround every nook and cranny of the castle. The formation of the soldiers was impeccable and swift, offering a breathless sight.

"Listen up citizens of the Ye Castle. There has been a series of bandit cases breaking out in Donglin County and they're said to be close to the Ye Castle. Out of worry for the castle's safety, the king has sent troops to protect the Ye Clan!" Liu Xun's deep, loud voice echoed in the Ye Castle.

"What is Liu Xun up to?" Ye Zhantian's eyebrow twitched. The Second-rank Prince of Donglin had countless of siege engines. Most large cities could never defend against them too. There was no way the Ye Castle could stop the Dark Troopers. One word from Liu Xun was all it took to break their castle walls and then the war would begin. Why the long-winded talk? They could have just quelled the bandits!

"Unless… I got it!" Ye Changxuan suddenly understood the situation. "Liu Xun must be afraid that we have some hidden powerful figure behind us and so he dare not attack us. Instead, he's trying to test the waters. If the powerful figure doesn't show up after some time, he would begin the siege."

"That makes sense." The crowd agreed with Ye Changxuan's words.

"Thank you kindly for the concern, Second-rank Prince of Donglin. The Ye Clan is perfectly capable of looking after themselves so you need not worry about us. Please take your leave," Ye Zhantian spoke at the top of his lungs.

"I treat my people as if they were my sons. The Ye Castle falls under my territory, how could I possibly just sit around and watch? For the next few days, I advise you to remain in your castle, never to set foot outside. You may have to wait for my further orders!" Liu Xun smiled. "I heard the Ye Clan has many strong combatants. I was wondering if there'd be someone in the clan whom I could learn from."

Ye Changxuan's face turned cold upon hearing Liu Xun's words. Liu Xun was giving them an order!

"Of course. With your enthusiasm, how could we possibly refuse?" Ye Changxuan channeled his Thunder Emperor Discourse. Sounds of thunder enveloped him. He leaped to the skies, dazzling brightly, a wave of Heaven Thunder Rend reached out for Liu Xun.

The technique was a remade version of Ye Chen's Crimson Cloud Searing Skies, a Rank Six martial arts technique. The technique mirrored a thunder strike. In terms of power, it was not lacking when compared to Crimson Cloud Searing Skies. Unfortunately, Ye Changxuan had yet to fully grasp the foundation of the technique.

"Impressive!" Liu Xun placed his halberd down. Bam. The halberd was driven into a large rock. The tip went into the rock while the back of the handle buzzed vigorously. He leaped from his horse. He could not help but feel jealous when he saw Ye Changxuan's magnificent display of martial arts technique. He did not hold back. Tenth Level Celestial Chi pour forth from his body as he leaped to the skies and struck Ye Changxuan.

Solar Eclipse of the Tiger!

The Celestial Chi took the shape of a humongous tiger. A strike went out as if the vicious tiger had exited its cave.

The tiger clashed against Ye Changxuan's thunder. An explosion ensued and the shockwave of Celestial Chi swept across the radius, tumbling trees in its wake. A truly terrifying display of power.

Even the Nightwinds that stood their grounds were scared off their feet. Liu Xun got down from his horse. He showed no signs of exhaustion or panic as if all seemed fine.

Borrowing the impact of the blast, Ye Changxuan catapulted himself back to the castle wall. He was nearly on his knees. Ye Zhantian and the rest had to hold him steady. The old man's face was pale and he let out a few coughs. It looked like he had suffered some internal injuries.

"How'd it go, Sixth Uncle?" the clansmen asked.

Ye Changxuan finally regained his senses after a moment. He struggled to speak. "Liu Xun has already hit the Tenth Level!"

Ye Changxuan was already at the limit of peak Ninth Level. Only a Tenth Level could ever hope to dent him! It all explained how Liu Xun was so bold. He was already at the Tenth Level!

"All hail the unsurpassable Second-rank Prince!"

"All hail the mighty Second-rank Prince!"

The Dark Troopers cheered like the roar of thunder in a symphony of waves.

"Ahaha! Anyone else in the Ye Clan up for a challenge?" Liu Xun laughed maniacally.

The Ye Clan members clenched their fists tightly and gritted their teeth. If it were not for Ye Zhantian's intervention, they would have charged outward long ago. They could only sit idly and watch as Liu Xun bragged about his powers in front of the castle.

Liu Xun barely made a move following the clash with Ye Changxuan. He only ordered the Dark Troopers to set up a base close to the Ye Castle and have them cornered. No going easy on the Ye Clan and not allowing anyone to leave the castle grounds.

Back at the Sunken Jade Tower, Ye Chen was nearing the critical moment of his cultivation. Tenth Level was a mere foot from him and he had gained a deeper understanding of the Dao Trance. Having remained in the state for some time, he had nearly forgotten about who he was as he was so engrossed with his cultivation. His cultivation speed had also increased ten-fold too. Then again, it was not easy for him to tune out to the surroundings most of the time and he could only do so for a short period of time. If only he could maintain a longer period of focus, his cultivation would improve significantly.

Ye Chen continued to sit in a meditative posture, harvesting Celestial Chi and gradually descending into his consciousness. The Flying Dagger had appeared before him, his mind came into contact with the entity. A voice ruptured in his head like the sound of thunder greeting the ears. He felt a moment of fear. What was going on?

Ye Chen felt like he had discovered something new. The thing was far stronger than the Astral Body but it only appeared for a mere second. When he tried to search for it once more, it was no longer there and the thunderous ring in his head was gone.

Ye Chen had depleted his Celestial Chi. He was sweating at the back and his face was pale. He was out of energy.

Until Ye Chen had attained a better cultivation base, it was best that he did not activate the Flying Dagger randomly.

Ye Chen was curious about what he had felt. The large force that he had sensed was not Celestial Chi but more akin to an Astral Body though it seemed far superior than one. If he could grasp its concept, it would surely bring him great power. Alas, it disappeared far too quickly before he had a chance to catch hold of it.

Flying Dagger oh Flying Dagger, just exactly what was it? After what Tian Yuan said, Ye Chen could feel the mysterious presence of the object.

Ye Chen sat down to take a rest, the Celestial Chi in him was returning once more.

Ye Chen suddenly had an epiphany. He had consolidated his Celestial Chi and let it out from his body, converging on him. Gradually, the Celestial Chi assumed the form of the Flying Dagger and hover an inch above him. It bore a resemblance to the real thing. Of course, the dagger was nothing more but a specter conjured out of fun by Ye Chen. It yielded no practical purposes.

Under the guidance of Ye Chen's Celestial Chi, the specter spun at various angles in the air, to which Ye Chen carefully observed its features. While the dagger may be manifested from Ye Chen's Celestial Chi, it bore a resemblance to the actual thing judging from its size and all. Differences if any, were minimal.

While Ye Chen studied the flying dagger intently, he felt a chill pierced his heart, causing Ye Chen's heart to stop for a split second.

Impossible. How could a flying dagger manifested from Celestial Chi be so captivating?

What Ye Chen did not know was that while he was studying the dagger, he had unconsciously transferred some of the actual Flying Dagger's consciousness onto the replica.

Another idea came to Ye Chen's mind. Once he had reached a strong cultivation base, could he conjure the Flying Dagger outside of his body using Celestial Chi to kill? It was just a thought but it was going to be a challenge to make it happen. The dagger manifested before him was not the real thing.

After studying the object for half the day, Ye Chen still could not discover anything new. With a wave from his right hand, the Celestial Chi Flying Dagger disappeared.

Ye Chen must have remained in the Sunken Jade Tower for a good ten days, had he not? He had figured ten days was still a short time so there would not be any harm if he chose to remain for a full month. However, he did not know that the Sunken Jade Tower lacked the cycle of day and night. The moment he began meditating, a few days had already well passed. It was difficult for one to tell the time when they were meditating. Days had passed but he thought it was just a couple of hours. By the time a month had gone by, he had thought it was just ten days.

Time flew rapidly.

While meditating, the volume of Celestial Chi in Ye Chen had reached a critical point. He heard a loud bang. The barrier to the advancement of the next rank had shattered. After such a long time of cultivation, Ye Chen's power levels had gone from peak Ninth Level to low Tenth Level. His Celestial Chi had risen so much that it was difficult for him to tell.

The gap between the Ninth Level and ten was akin to the length of the Yangtze River. It was not as if Ye Chen had suddenly arrived at mid or peak Tenth Level after he had advanced to the said rank. There was still a long way to go before he could attain so.

Although Ye Chen was only a low Tenth Level, the concentration of Celestial Chi in him was on the level of a peak Tenth Level. After attaining the Tenth Level, channeling Celestial Chi had become an easy feat. It was also stronger. One random punch and he could reduce rocks to rubble.

Ye Chen was superbly excited at his new strength. He had no idea that the human body was capable of such a feat.

If the Tenth Level was this powerful, just imagine how much more powerful the higher ranks would likely be?

Ye Chen was overjoyed from the advancement in rank. With so much power in him, fate was finally in his hands. Without it, it was possible to gain a foothold in a dog eat dog world.

After attaining the Tenth Level, Crimson Cloud Searing Skies, Fury of Shattering, Kunlun Sundering the Mountains, and Heavenly King Rupturing Sun rose tremendously in power. When performing Heavenly King Rupturing Sun, Ye Chen no longer faced the problem of depleting his Celestial Chi in one sitting though it still required a great deal of energy, which meant he could not simply use it.

Ye Chen was happy but he continued to focus on his rank. He had to ensure that he had a firm grasp of the foundation since there was a long way to go. The faster his cultivation had risen, the more worried Ye Chen became. He did not dare to be reckless.

While Ye Chen focused on his cultivation, he scouted the outside with his Astral Body. A number of beasts and Celestial Beasts were still trying to break through the Chi-amassing Formation. As for the humans, they lacked the strength to do so and thus did so intermittently.

The beasts and Celestial Beasts did not know the meaning of exhaustion. A thought flashed across Ye Chen's mind. It would be difficult for him to head out and tame beasts and Celestial Beasts at the same time. Perhaps if they managed to break into the formation, he would have an easier time taming them. Ye Chen wanted to see just how many beasts he could enslave!

After having that thought, Ye Chen slowly directed his Astral Body to creep toward the beasts and Celestial Beasts. If he masked his Astral Body well, the low ranking beasts and Celestial Beasts would not know that he was observing them.

The beasts and Celestial Beasts kept charging ahead to battle the evil spirits. One of the peak Ninth Level Vermillion Spirit Condor used its talons to attack one of the evil spirits. The evil spirit merely dodged to the side and the Condor was sucked into the Chi-amassing Formation.

The Condor was a little perplexed upon entering the formation. There were so many other beasts out there that were attacking the formation who failed to get in yet the Condor got in just fine. It was truly a strange matter. It had no idea that it was Ye Chen who had let it in. As the Condor dove to attack the evil spirit, Ye Chen used his Astral Body to halt the evil spirit.

Like a flaming arrow, the Condor flew directly into the Chi-amassing Formation.

Just as the Condor was nearing the center of the Chi-amassing Formation, Ye Chen's Astral Body slowly wrapped around it, holding Vermillion Spirit Condor still. A fragment of his Psyche seeped into the Condor's mind. Likewise, the Condor belonged to somebody else but after a moment, it had recognized its new owner, becoming one of Ye Chen's new pets.

The Vermillion Spirit Condor was larger than the Raven Hawk. It wings were four to five meters long with a shade of crimson red just like flames that burned brilliantly. It was a fire elemental creature that spouted flames and was extremely majestic. On a one-on-one battle, the Condor stood no chance against the Raven Hawk, given its large but weak constitution. In a skirmish, however, the Condor was sure to outperform the hawk.

Little Tanuki looked at Ye Chen in awe. Ye Chen had achieved his fifth pet! It could not understand how Ye Chen had managed to tame so many beasts!

After taming the Condor, it was named Fluffy Five by Ye Chen. The boy was not satisfied still so he continued to hunt for newer pets. Ye Chen had no care for low Tenth Level beasts, only peak Tenth Levels.

So long as Ye Chen liked what he saw, he would use his Astral Body to lure them in. Unfortunately, there were no Earth-Rank Adept Stage Celestial Beasts as Ye Chen wanted to know if his Astral Body could enslave one.

After the Vermillion Spirit Condor came a Blizzard Leopard, a Zephyr White Ape, and a Crimson Gold Hound – all which were swiftly enslaved by Ye Chen. They were all peak Tenth Level beasts. The Blizzard Leopard was rather lithe and small, almost the size of Little Tanuki but it was blindingly fast with razor-sharp fangs. It was ferocious and did not lag in its ability to kill compared to bigger beasts like the Lynx. Similar to the Lynx, the Crimson Gold Hound was a large-sized beast. It had a shade of red on its body and golden-colored eyes that gave off a menacing stare. Compared to the rest of the large beasts, it was the weakest but it had a keen sense of smell, which proved invaluable in tracking down adversaries.

Perhaps the haul of the day was the Zephyr White Ape. The ape was four or five meters with a large hand and extremely shredded front limbs like a supersized gorilla. Its body was as hard as gold, sturdy, and strong. Its iron fist was as strong as a war hammer. One strike down could easily squash a Tenth Level combatant.

After enslaving so many beasts, Ye Chen's Astral Body finally began to feel tired. Having to control so many peak Tenth Level beasts at once was not a simple matter of segregating some Astral Bodies. It took a lot of energy to control them. Ye Chen was satisfied with the number of the beasts he had. Once his powers had reached a greater height, he would capture more!

Five peak Tenth Level beasts surrounded the golden Chi-amassing Formation. Ye Chen could practically open a mini zoo now.

Once Ye Chen was back at Donglin County, just these five top Tenth Level beasts alone were enough to make the Second-rank Prince of Donglin to drink himself to sleep.

With so many Tenth Level beasts watching over them, would the Ye Clan be the stronghold that they were meant to be?

Initially surprised at Ye Chen's ability to capture so many peak Tenth Level beasts, Little Tanuki eventually got used to it. Most Celestial Beasts could only enslave three beasts. If they wanted to catch a new one, they would have to forego one of the older pets or it would put a toll on their Psyche. However, the cap did not apply to Ye Chen. Up to that point, he had already gained eight beasts! The strength of Ye Chen's Astral Body was immeasurable.

After capturing the beasts, Ye Chen continued to cultivate and consolidated his cultivation. His Astral Body too, continued to grow stronger as it absorbed the residual souls.

The Chi-amassing Formation began to spin rapidly again. The moment it spun, the level of Celestial Chi and residual souls congregate within. Outside the Chi-amassing Formation, all beasts, Celestial Beasts, and humans gathered to cultivate too.

During that moment of silence, neither being attacked the formation.

In the formation, Ye Chen regressed into a meditative state once more.

Just then, a group of Tenth Level combatants ran toward the formation. While running, the man shouted, "Listen up members of the Taiyi Sword Sect, we have orders from the Third Elder. All Tenth Level disciples come with me!"

Everyone could tell there seemed to be an urgency in his voice.

The Tenth Level members stood up one by one and ran to him. There were about twenty of them.

"What happened to the sect?"

"The path here leads to the second level of the Sunken Jade Tower. Maybe something happened down there."

The sect members discussed among themselves.

There were three major sects in the Xiwu Empire – the Emerald Cloud Sect, the Tianyi Sword Sect, and the Stalwarts of the Heavenly Stars Sect – all similar in power. Then, there were certain subsects to the major sects like the Tianji sect or the Supreme Magic Sect. All three major sects in the Xiwu Empire shared a complicated relationship and were extremely powerful. Even the Great Emperor Mingwu did not dare to provoke them.

A large commotion like twenty Tenth Level combatants running caught Ye Chen's attention. He used his Astral Body to investigate. He could see the Tianyi clansmen making haste. He wondered what was the matter.

After a brief period, another Tenth Level combatant came over.

"Tenth Level members of the Stalwarts of the Heavenly Stars Sect, come with me. We're going to the second level of the Sunken Jade Tower!"

The members of the Four Heavenly Stars Sect followed suit. Just as they left, the Emerald Cloud Sect came over. The sect's Tenth Level members also left. The rest of the Tenth Level beasts and Celestial Beasts were just as equally curious. They followed the crowd into the second level.

Ye Chen pondered for a moment. He fired his Astral Body to drive the evil spirits away. Then, the Raven Hawk and Vermillion Spirit Condor took to the air like an arrow and followed the humans.

After so many days, Ye Chen's cultivation had been strengthened. Apart from cultivating his martial arts techniques, it was pointless for him to remain in the formation. Maybe he should check out what was happening at the second level of the Sunken Jade Tower?

Then again, with all three sect members heading there, Ye Chen could not possibly loot any treasures if he ever found one. After all, his power was still weak.

Based on their reaction though, if they had indeed encountered a treasure, it must be some out of the world treasure.

Maybe Ye Chen could check things out and retreat if things got complicated?

"Shall we take a look, Little Tanuki?" Ye Chen consulted Little Tanuki.

Squeak, squeak. Little Tanuki responded. It was just as curious as Ye Chen about what lied below at the second level of the Sunken Jade Tower.

Ye Chen could not wait any longer. A few minutes later, the formation had stopped spinning. He brought three beasts with him. Just as the group of beings did not notice them, he slipped from the south exit of the formation.

Once in a while, the Raven Hawk and Vermillion Spirit Condor would relay messages to Ye Chen as he tailed behind.

About thirty minutes later, Ye Chen arrived at a big pothole. It was pitch-black with no indication of where it led to. This was where the Tenth Level combatants leaped into. Ye Chen contemplated for a moment. If the Tenth Level combatants dove in, it was probably safe. He dove in too.

There were towering cliffs to the side. Ye Chen continued to fall. After a few hundred meters in, he scanned the surroundings using his Astral Body. A large puddle awaited beneath. It was blood red. The men who had arrived there first swam to the shore. Once they were on land, they continued running.

Plop. Ye Chen fell into the puddle. His Astral Body scanned the bottom of the puddle. It was ten meters deep with shells mirroring eggs. The puddle must have been home to some beasts but the humans had cleaned the spot.

Nothing new. Ye Chan swam to the shore. Once he had gotten on land, a majestic sight beheld Ye Chen.

The second level of the tower was a vast world though it differed in landscape and scenery compared to the first level. There were thick linings of limestone formation. In between the slits of the limestone, black smoke spewed out. Beneath the limestones were molten red liquid. Life was all around the limestone. There were red plants, mirroring the shade of blood. Right up ahead in the pitch-black darkness was a faint red flow, like the stars of the night. It was mesmerizing.

Who would have guessed that there was such a view in the Sunken Jade Tower?

Coo coo. A few bird calls came from afar. There were sounds of a battle breaking out.

"Found the three major sects. Let's go, Little Tanuki!" Ye Chen ran ahead with Little Tanuki and three Tenth Level beasts by his side toward the direction of the noise.