Breakthrough, a strong man in the Spirit Bridge Realm

"Both of you, perhaps, this may have a significant connection to the patriarch!" Ye Muxiu said in a deep voice.

The other two immediately nodded. Ever since Ye Daocang broke through to the Grandmaster realm, they had sensed something different about him.

Ye Zhantian also shared Ye Chen's peculiar behavior with the two, and upon hearing it, they were even more astonished.

"It seems that the patriarch's secrets run deeper than we imagined!"

"In my opinion, the patriarch has likely been suppressing these secrets for many years. Now that the time is ripe, he dares to reveal them. We shouldn't dwell on it, as long as his heart is set on the Ye family."

"Elder Muxiu is right, everything is for the sake of the family!"

After speaking, the three exchanged glances, then smiled at each other.

After leaving, none of them mentioned their changes.

Overnight, the Ye family gained three more Grandmaster-level powerhouses. With the support of their spiritual bodies, they could even face those at the third level of the Grandmaster realm without defeat.

Soon, when Ye Daocang's perfect-grade Body Enhancement Pill landed in Ye Muxiu's hands, he was even more shocked.

This old man, who was nearly sixty, now looked like someone in his forties or fifties after breaking through to the Grandmaster realm and was visibly thrilled.

"A perfect-grade Body Enhancement Pill, my heavens! With this, the younger generation of the family won't have to expel pill toxins, and it can save them nearly three to five times the amount of time!"

At this moment, as he thought about Ye Daocang directly handing him the pill formula, he immediately realized that Ye Daocang was aware of the changes they had undergone in the Enlightenment Chamber.

At this moment, Ye Muxiu's respect for Ye Daocang came from the heart.

But Ye Daocang didn't have time to worry about any of this.

By now, he was preparing to break through to the Spirit Bridge realm.

The cultivation rewarded by the system was no different from the breakthroughs he achieved through his own practice; there was no need to stabilize it.

With his cultivation at the peak of the ninth level of the Grandmaster realm, after a brief adjustment, he began preparations for the next breakthrough.

The Spirit Bridge realm was vastly different from the Grandmaster realm.

First, it involved constructing a bridge of spiritual energy in the dantian. Second, it required transforming true essence from gas to liquid.

If successful, one's combat power would soar a hundredfold, and defeating a Grandmaster at the peak would be effortless.

A Spirit Bridge realm cultivator could suppress a clan or be the pillar of a sect.

On the vast mainland, only families and sects with a Spirit Bridge realm cultivator seated at their core were acknowledged by the world. Others were regarded as insignificant.

Returning to the back mountain, this time without the Mirror of Breakthrough's assistance, he spent 300 exchange points to purchase a Foundation Pill from the system's shop.

The Foundation Pill is a specific pill taken by Grandmasters to increase their chances of breaking through to the Spirit Bridge realm.

At this moment, with his Chaotic Dao Body, peak Grandmaster level cultivation, and heavenly-grade cultivation techniques in operation, he was confident that he would break through to the Spirit Bridge realm.

Swallowing the pill, endless spiritual energy surged into his dantian, constantly compressing and concentrating.

At this time, only a few core elders knew that Ye Daocang had begun his breakthrough.

The other elders, apart from the three Grandmasters, who had been preparing for their own breakthroughs, halted their efforts in light of Ye Daocang's attempt.

After all, Ye Daocang's breakthrough was far more important.

As the Ye family rapidly developed in a booming manner, rumors of Ye Daocang killing Elder Ziji and members of the Zilin Sect spread throughout Donglai County and the surrounding areas.

Upon hearing the news, many were astonished.

In Donglai County, within the Reno Army, Yun Zhan, the commander of the Reno Army, sat in the deputy seat, while a man occupied the main seat, which originally belonged to Yun Zhan.

Despite this, Yun Zhan showed great respect toward the man.

Everyone knew Yun Zhan was a peak ninth-level Grandmaster and the commander of an army of tens of thousands, but the man before him was someone even he treated with reverence. The reason was simple.

The man was a Spirit Bridge realm cultivator!

Yun Zhan glanced at the report in his hand and couldn't help but marvel.

"This Ye family from Fengling has something extraordinary. That Ye Daocang actually killed Elder Ziji and even comprehended Sword Intent. With such talent, his future is limitless!"

Then, he looked toward the main seat. "Cousin, with Da Qian in turmoil and all sides vying for power, it's uncertain who will come out on top. Our Yun family, being one of the Eight Great Families, is in need of talented individuals. Perhaps Ye Daocang could be a great asset!"

"Oh?" The man Yun Zhan referred to as "cousin" raised an eyebrow upon hearing this.

"To think that someone in a small county would have comprehended Sword Intent. Remarkable!"

A hint of surprise flashed in the man's eyes, clearly astonished by Ye Daocang's anomaly.

But soon, he shook his head and glanced at Yun Zhan, shaking his head again.

Sensing Yun Zhan's confusion, the man sighed and explained.

"Although this person is promising, he hasn't entered the Spirit Bridge realm. In the future battles of Da Qian, only those in the Spirit Bridge realm will decide the outcome. Whether a Grandmaster is present or not makes little difference!"

"Moreover, my mission in Donglai County is to establish ties with the leading sect, the Zilin Sect. Since this person has killed members of the Zilin Sect, it wouldn't be wise to form connections with him, as it would sour our relationship with the Zilin Sect."

"If we associate with him, the Zilin Sect might resent us and even turn to others. For his sake, it's not worth it."

"But this person has comprehended Sword Intent!" Yun Zhan couldn't help but interject.

In the Yun family, one of the Eight Great Families, very few had ever achieved Sword Intent.

But his cousin still shook his head. "If he were only in his twenties, I would certainly oppose the Zilin Sect to recruit him. He would be a peerless genius. But he's nearly fifty. Even with Sword Intent, his chances of breaking through to the Spirit Bridge realm in the future are slim. He's not worth the risk."

Hearing his cousin's explanation, Yun Zhan slowly nodded.

Then he asked, "Since we've decided to align with the Zilin Sect, should we seize the Ye family as a gesture of goodwill to the Zilin Sect?"

"No need!" His cousin shook his head slowly.

"A small sect like the Zilin Sect doesn't warrant such efforts. Their Spirit Bridge elder is quite old and has remained at the third level of the Spirit Bridge realm for some time. The help they can offer us is limited. There's no need to take action for their sake."

His cousin stared at the battle report in his hand and, after a moment of silence, said, "It seems that someone from the Ye family is serving in the Dongyun Army in Changhe County. I've heard he's quite talented. His name is Ye Youran, and your elder brother, Yun Ge, has mentioned him before!"

After some thought, his cousin made a decision. "Let's wait and see how this plays out between the Ye family and the Zilin Sect. We won't interfere for now. Ye Daocang killed Elder Ziji, and the Zilin Sect won't take it lightly!"

He ultimately decided not to intervene in the matter.

Meanwhile, Ye Youran, the member of the Ye family mentioned, seemed to be undergoing an extraordinary transformation.

Ye Youran, also from the Ye family, had once defied his father Ye Wuqing's wishes and joined the Dongyun Army for training. Now, he had reached the peak of the ninth level of the Postnatal realm.

This time, while leading a reconnaissance team on a mission, he encountered an unexpected situation and narrowly escaped death.

​