The legendary genius Ye Youran

At this moment, in a concealed cave outside of Changhe County, Ye Youran stood in shock, staring at the scene before him.

He had never expected that while fleeing for his life, he would accidentally stumble upon such a place.

Before him was a blood lake the size of a small body of water. It was hard to believe that this vast lake had been formed from a single drop of blood!

He couldn't forget the message he had received from the jade slip.

"Young descendant of the human race, I am the Thunder Emperor. This lake of blood is transformed from a single drop of my essence blood, which I have modified. It can reshape your body and grant you a physique connected to thunder. What kind of fortune you gain will depend on your fate. I hope that in the future, you will lead the human race to continue conquering the ancient starry paths and pacify the forbidden regions!"

Ye Youran had no idea what level the Thunder Emperor had reached, but the notion that a single drop of essence blood could transform into a lake was beyond anything he had ever heard of.

Without needing to think, he knew he had stumbled upon an extraordinary opportunity.

Without hesitation, he gritted his teeth and plunged into the blood lake.

Immediately, a torrent of thunderous energy surged into his body. The terrifying power of the lightning left him numb, and he almost lost consciousness.

However, he remembered the instructions given to him, he had to stay conscious, no matter what, because losing consciousness would mean only one thing: death, as he would be assimilated by the blood lake.

Time passed slowly, and it was unclear how much time had elapsed, but when the last bit of blood from the lake merged into Ye Youran's body, he finally opened his eyes.

A bolt of lightning flickered within his pupils. At that moment, he realized his entire body seemed to have transformed into thunder itself, terrifying and awe-inspiring!

"The Thunder Sacred Physique! It's the most powerful physique connected to thunder! I succeeded!"

Ye Youran's eyes gleamed with determination. He had not only acquired the Thunder Sacred Physique but also inherited some of the Thunder Emperor's legacy.

"The Thunder Sacred Codex! It contains numerous thunder-attribute martial arts and techniques that the Thunder Emperor happened to acquire. Now, it's mine!"

"Unfortunately, the Thunder Emperor repeatedly warned me not to reveal the existence of the Thunder Sacred Codex, not even to those I trust. If I do, everyone connected to me will die!"

"If only the entire family could cultivate this technique, the strength of the Ye family would skyrocket!"

Thinking this, he shook his head in regret.

"I should finish this mission and then take some time to return home. I need to visit my father and thank the patriarch. Without the sword energy sealed within me at the ninth level of the Postnatal realm, I would've died long ago and missed out on this fortune."

"With the Thunder Physique now refining my body, I've reached the third level of the Postnatal realm. I should now be considered one of the top experts in the family. With the Thunder Physique's support, I feel confident in defeating anyone except the patriarch!"

Clenching his fists, a proud look flashed in Ye Youran's eyes.

The Thunder Physique hadn't just transformed his body, it had altered his mindset as well.

Yet, he was unaware that the Ye family had also changed since he left.

Sensing the search party made up entirely of Postnatal realm cultivators outside the cave, a cold smirk appeared on Ye Youran's lips.

That was the spread of his killing intent.

The next moment, his body shot out of the cave and appeared in front of the search party.

When the group saw Ye Youran, they were momentarily stunned, then overjoyed.

"Hahaha! Ye Youran, you've run out of places to hide!"

"No more talking! Kill him and claim our reward!"

"Today, even if you had wings, you couldn't escape!"

In an instant, the three leading Postnatal realm cultivators attacked, forming a triangle formation and charging at him.

In the past, Ye Youran, at the peak of the Houtian realm, would have been alarmed. But now, he saw the flaws in their attacks.

Without any unnecessary words, a cold light flashed, and boundless lightning surged from his body.

"Today, I will use you as the stepping stones on my path to greatness!"

With that, he unleashed the full power of his lightning, suppressing the heavens. His majestic aura roared into the sky, and endless lightning essence erupted from his body.

"Kill!"

The battle raged on for half an hour. In the end, Ye Youran walked away without a scratch.

Behind him, the ground was scarred from the lightning, and the bodies of the entire search party lay strewn about.

Half a day later, a man at the peak of the Postnatal realm arrived, and upon seeing the bodies, his face turned grim.

"That bastard! He got away!"

The next moment, he unleashed his power, collapsing the area before leaving.

Ye Youran returned, completed his mission, and applied for two months of leave. He then set off for Donglai County.

Meanwhile, at Zilin Sect, something else was happening!

When news of Ye Daocang killing Elder Ziji and his group reached the sect, Zilin Sect was thrown into an uproar.

No one had expected that what seemed like a sure success would end in such a deadly outcome.

Especially when they learned that Ye Daocang possessed seventh-level Grandmaster cultivation and had comprehended Sword Intent, they finally understood the reason for Elder Ziji's death.

At first, they were furious, shouting for revenge. But upon learning that Ye Daocang had comprehended Sword Intent, they fell silent.

A Grandmaster with Sword Intent was almost impossible to contend with. Only a Grandmaster who had also grasped Sword Intent or someone in the Spirit Bridge realm could deal with him.

Thus, they all gathered at the rear mountain, awaiting the one person who could help. Unfortunately, the sect's Grand Elder had been in closed-door cultivation for over three months.

They waited for a full month before feeling a surge of energy from the rear mountain. Hastily, they gathered outside.

"Three months of effort, and I've finally taken that step. I've reached the fourth level of the Spirit Bridge realm, the mid-Spirit Bridge stage!"

An elderly voice echoed, and a moment later, a white-haired, child-faced elder in purple robes, exuding an aura of immortality, emerged.

He was none other than Wang Shouti, the Zilin Sect's strongest cultivator.

At that moment, he looked at the crowd with joy in his eyes.

He assumed they had sensed his breakthrough and had come to congratulate him.

However, upon noticing their joyful yet troubled expressions, he immediately realized something had gone wrong.

"What happened?" he asked in a deep voice.

The sect master of Zilin Sect sighed and recounted the entire story.

As expected, when he finished, Wang Shouti was furious.

"Good! Very good! I haven't made a move in years, and it seems people in Donglai County have forgotten my reputation. To kill members of my sect and one of our top geniuses is unforgivable!"

As his Spirit Bridge realm energy exploded, the heavens seemed to tremble, and the world itself shifted.

Without hesitation, Wang Shouti waved his hand.

"Pass down my orders: leave the Grand Elder to guard the sect. Everyone else, follow me to crush the Fengling Ye family!"

At his command, the entire Zilin Sect stood solemnly.

"As you command, Grand Elder!" they replied in unison

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