Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 166 Questioning the Knot in One's Heart (Seeking Subscriptions of 10,000 Words)

After making a five-year agreement with Yuanlan, Chen Ye's cultivation life underwent a dramatic change.

He moved his cultivation location directly to a quiet room that Yuanlan had personally prepared for him, next to the Immortal Cave on the back mountain.

This secluded room is located behind a waterfall, and the concentration of spiritual energy inside is almost to the point of being mist-like, more than ten times denser than the outside world.

Chen Ye could feel his cultivation level slowly increasing just by sitting here every day without doing anything.

Yuanlan also kept his promise and began to cram resources into Chen Ye's life.

"This item is called Star Essence Jade. It is a rare treasure formed from the essence of stars falling to earth and taking hundreds of years to condense. When you hold it in your hand during cultivation, you can draw upon the power of the stars ten times faster and it can also help you purify your soul."

Chen Ye took the Star Marrow Jade. As soon as he touched it, he felt a cool sensation that penetrated his soul, which invigorated him.

When he sat cross-legged and practiced the Star River Qi Refining Technique, the effect left him speechless.

In the past, he needed to concentrate fully to draw down wisps of stellar power from the heavens.

Now, holding the Star Marrow Jade, Chen Ye felt as if he had become a giant magnet. The starlight in the sky seemed to be summoned, turning into beams of light visible to the naked eye, and surging wildly into his body.

His cultivation speed increased by more than ten times; just one night of cultivation was equivalent to a month of hard work in the past!
The true essence in the dantian and dantian becomes condensed and pure at a speed visible to the naked eye, shimmering with brilliant starlight.

In addition to providing incredible cultivation aids, Yuanlan also became Chen Ye's sparring partner.

The Southern Wilderness Mountains are never short of powerful demonic beasts.

"To attain the Inner Realm of Dao, you need to familiarize yourself with and master it through constant practical combat; otherwise, theoretical discussions will ultimately be nothing more than castles in the air."

As soon as Yuanlan finished speaking, a pangolin-like monster, as big as a small mountain and covered in thick stone armor, roared and burst out of the ground.

This pangolin monster actually possessed the cultivation level of the Sea Condensation Realm. Its stone armor was indestructible, and even ordinary magical artifacts could hardly break through its defenses.

"Go, fight with your sword," Yuanlan's voice rang out softly from the side.

Without saying a word, Chen Ye drew his sword and charged.

With the Eye of Calamity activated, the pangolin monster's massive body was covered with dense gray threads. These threads represented the weak points in its body structure, but most of them were hidden under thick stone armor.

Chen Ye moved swiftly, circling the pangolin, dodging its powerful claw strikes and tail whips, while his eyes remained fixed on the flowing lines of lightning.

The battle lasted for a full hour.

Chen Ye was already wounded and had exhausted most of his true energy, but he fought with increasing ferocity and his eyes grew brighter.

Finally, in the instant the pangolin turned around, Chen Ye seized a fleeting opportunity!

He saw a patch of stone armor below the pangolin's neck, where the markings were the thinnest and brightest!
That's it!

"A needle!"

Chen Ye roared, gathering all his true energy at the tip of the blade. He transformed into a streak of light, stabbing at that weak point with incredible precision from an unbelievable angle!
"Pfft!"

The tip of the Jingzhe Blade pierced into the gap in the stone armor without any hindrance.

A strange vibration emanated from the tip of the knife.

The next second, the line of calamity that had been touched snapped.

Then a chain reaction occurred!
Centered on the broken line of destruction, countless cracks spread like a spider web across the pangolin monster's entire stone armor.

boom!
With a deafening roar, the seemingly indestructible stone armor shattered, turning into countless pieces of rock.

The pangolin monster, having lost the protection of its stone armor, stiffened its massive body and then collapsed to the ground, its life extinguished.

Chen Ye leaned on his knife, panting heavily, but an excited smile appeared on his face.

This is the power of the Eye of Calamity: it ignores defenses, strikes directly at the essence, and kills instantly!
“Not bad.” Yuan Lan’s figure appeared beside him and nodded. “You have mastered the basics of swordsmanship, but your sword speed is still too slow and your true energy is not concentrated enough. If you were to face a true master of the same level, you would not have the opportunity to find weaknesses so easily.”

Yuanlan's comments were incisive, which dampened Chen Ye's excitement considerably, but he was not discouraged. Instead, he became even more diligent and hardworking.

And so, Chen Ye began his arduous training.

During the day, under Yuanlan's arrangement, he fought against various powerful demonic beasts, honing his swordsmanship and the use of the Eye of Calamity.

That night, he used the Star Essence Jade to frantically absorb the power of the stars and improve his cultivation.

Every so often, Yuanlan would personally step in and use his insights from the Core Formation stage to explain various difficulties in Chen Ye's cultivation.

He would point out the subtle flaws in Chen Ye's internal energy circulation and analyze the shortcomings in Chen Ye's swordsmanship.

This kind of guidance from a higher level was more precious to Chen Ye than any rare and precious treasure.

After all, although Yuan Lan is a demon, as a Core Formation Realm being, his knowledge and vision are far beyond those of ordinary people. Sometimes, a casual word of guidance from him can save Chen Ye a lot of time to figure things out.

This is what Chen Ye values ​​most.

Time stands still in the mountains, with the passing of cold and heat.

Three years have passed in the blink of an eye.

During those three years, Chen Ye hardly had a single day off.

He was like a sponge, frantically absorbing all the nutrients that could make him stronger.

As a result, Chen Ye's temperament underwent a tremendous change, gaining a sharp edge like a drawn blade amidst his original composure.

On this day, Chen Ye slowly opened his eyes in the quiet room.

He exhaled a breath of stale air, which condensed in the air and did not dissipate, transforming into a small knife shape, which hovered for a moment before slowly dissipating.

Then Chen Ye opened the system panel that he hadn't looked at for a long time.

Name: Chen Ye

[Cultivation Realm: Sea Condensation (Peak)]

[Profession: Hundred Tribulations Blade Master Lv3 (Your understanding of the blade has transcended the realm of technique, beginning to touch upon the essence of the Dao. What you see is no longer simple slashing, but the inherent tribulations within all things. Your blade no longer seeks to cut, but to ignite this innate tribulation.)]

[Talent: Eye of Calamity - Your eyes can see through the flow of energy and perceive the karmic threads that entwine all things. These threads are the most fundamental weaknesses of things; once touched by your blade, they will trigger a chain reaction of destruction that defies common sense.]

[Techniques: Star River Qi Refining Technique Lv8, Golden Toad Qi Absorption Technique Lv5]

[Martial Arts: Needle Blade Technique Lv9]

Over the course of three years, he made significant progress in all his skill levels.

The professional Hundred Calamities Blade has been upgraded to level 3, making him even more adept at controlling the Calamity Eye.

His Star River Qi Refining Technique leveled up several times, reaching level 8, and his speed of absorbing stellar power was several times faster than it had been two years ago.

The biggest change is in the Needle Blade Technique. Through countless life-and-death battles, he has refined this blade technique, which pursues the ultimate defense-breaking ability, to level 9, and is only one step away from the maximum level.

Although he is still at the Sea Condensation Realm, his actual combat strength is enough to rival that of cultivators at the Inner Realm.

"How are you feeling?" Yuanlan's voice rang out from outside the quiet room.

Chen Ye got up and walked out of the quiet room, bowing respectfully to the imposing figure outside the waterfall.

"It feels better than ever before," Chen Ye said confidently. "I feel like I can break through that barrier at any moment."

He could clearly feel that the true essence in his dantian had been condensed to an extreme. That star-like dantian was vast and boundless, and the power it contained was more than ten times stronger than it had been two years ago.

Chen Ye had a strong premonition that, given the right opportunity, he could bring about a qualitative change in this sea of ​​qi and create his own inner world.

However, Yuanlan simply shook his head upon hearing this.

"No, you're still far from it."

"Still far from it?"

Chen Ye was stunned, somewhat confused by Yuan Lan's meaning.

“Your foundation has indeed been honed to an incredibly solid level. In terms of the sheer volume and purity of your true essence, you have even surpassed many inner realm cultivators.” Yuan Lan’s voice came from outside the waterfall, his tone calm. “But this is only at the level of technique.”

"From the Sea of ​​Condensation to the Inner Realm, it is not a simple accumulation of power; it is a leap in the level of life, a sublimation of the Dao."

"What you need to do is not to make your dantian bigger, but to make your heart resonate with this world, so as to open up an inner landscape that belongs to you in your dantian."

"But your heart is not calm or pure enough right now."

Yuanlan's words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Chen Ye's head.

Is your mind not calm enough?

Chen Ye frowned. He believed that his two years of arduous cultivation in the mountains had already tempered his mind to a state of perfect tranquility.

But what happened next proved Yuanlan right.

From that day on, Chen Ye realized that he had encountered a bottleneck, a bottleneck he had never encountered before.

He sat cross-legged, trying to break through that invisible barrier, but every time he concentrated his mind to the extreme, some random thoughts would inexplicably appear in his mind, causing him to fail at the last minute.

His cultivation level was stuck at the peak of the Condensing Sea Realm, as if blocked by an invisible wall, and he could not advance any further.

"How could this be?"

This feeling of being unable to exert his strength drove Chen Ye crazy. He could feel that the gate to the Inner Realm was right in front of him, within reach, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't push it open.

He began to become restless and even irritable. Once, a mountain snake, oblivious to his surroundings, wandered into his cultivation area. Normally, Chen Ye would have simply chased it away, but that day he was completely enraged. He unleashed a sword strike that cleaved the mountain snake in two.

Chen Ye was jolted awake when blood splattered on his face.

He looked at his hands and a chill ran through him.

What's wrong with me? How could I have such murderous thoughts over such a trivial matter?

This is no longer a simple bottleneck, but a problem with one's mindset. If this continues, there is a risk of going astray.

He remembered what Ah Shan had once told him.

Experienced hunters would never go into the mountains if they felt uneasy before a hunt. They would put down their bows and arrows, have a good drink, and take a nap until they felt the evil fire in their hearts had subsided before setting off again.

Perhaps it's time for me to stop and think things through.

Having made up his mind, Chen Ye left the quiet room behind the waterfall and came to the Fairy Cave again.

"You came."

Yuanlan seemed to have anticipated his arrival, and his voice rang out calmly.

Chen Ye walked into the cave and looked at the figure floating in mid-air, a bitter smile appearing on his face.

"I'm in trouble."

“I see.” Yuanlan nodded. “Your heart is in turmoil.”

"I don't know why this is happening," Chen Ye said dejectedly. "I feel like I'm ready, but I just can't break through. The more anxious I get, the more chaotic my mind becomes."

"That's because there's a knot in your heart that you haven't untied," Yuanlan pointed out the crux of the problem incisively.

"Knot?"

“That’s right.” Yuanlan explained, “The path of cultivation is not only about cultivating true essence, but also about cultivating one’s state of mind. Especially the stage from the Sea of ​​Condensation to the Inner Realm, the requirements for one’s state of mind are extremely high. One must be able to achieve a state of mind that is clear and unobstructed, so as to resonate with heaven and earth and open up the Inner Realm.”

"There is an unresolved matter in your heart. This obsession is like a demon in your heart. It will jump out and cause trouble when you are breaking through the barriers, hindering your path. This is your knot in your heart."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ye was struck dumb, as if by lightning.

Yuanlan's words were like a bolt of lightning, cleaving through the fog in his mind.

He finally understood the root of his problem.

"I can provide you with endless resources, guide you in your cultivation, and even clear away all obstacles on your path." Yuanlan's voice became serious.

"But I can't help you untangle your knot in your heart. Cutting off your inner demons is your own business. This is a battle you must face alone."

"Go back." Yuanlan waved his hand. "Ask your heart carefully. What is it that your sword is still aggrieved about? Who is it that you are still resentful of?"

"When you figure things out, that's when you'll have a chance to resolve your inner conflict."

Chen Ye remained silent for a moment, then bowed deeply to Yuan Lan, turned around and left the Immortal Cave.

Instead of returning to the quiet room behind the waterfall, he went back to Kawa Village and the small wooden house where he had originally lived.

After closing the door, Chen Ye sat cross-legged on the bed and closed his eyes.

The whole world seemed to fall silent at that moment.

Chen Ye wanted to see what exactly was causing his inner conflict.

Scenes flashed rapidly through Chen Ye's mind like a revolving lantern.

I first woke up in a dilapidated temple, and awakened my job panel in the face of the threat of green-haired zombies. I then slayed the zombies and was reborn.

Chen Ye asked himself: Is there anything I'm worried about in this matter?

The heart replied: No, that is survival, that is the starting point, that is rebirth.

The scene shifts back to Yuhuo County, where, in the Deyilou Pavilion, he personally kills the traitor Gong Chen.

Chen Ye asked himself: Is there any injustice in this matter?

The heart replied: No, that's revenge, it's settling things down, it's pleasure.

The eeriness of Black Wind Stronghold, the hospitality in the willow forest, slaying the rooted tree demon on the withered bone slope, and breaking through to the realm of no obstacles.

Chen Ye asked himself: Is there any regret?

The heart replied: No, that's experience, growth, and opportunity.

In the Wind-Filled Tower, Cong Bo confronted the cultivators from White Bone Mountain. He then made a move, forcefully suppressing them. On the mass grave, he ambushed and killed Lü Song cleanly and swiftly.

Chen Ye asked his own heart: Is there any fear?

The mind replied: No, that is killing, decisiveness, and establishing authority.

The puppet tragedy in Wangjia Village, the ghost bride in Black Buddha Temple, the life-or-death battle with the remnants of the Puppet Sect, and finally the transformation into the Asura of the Killing Blade, with a metamorphosis of talent.

Chen Ye asked his own heart: Has it wavered?

The heart replied: No, that is perseverance, breaking the deadlock, and transformation.

Inside Qingzhou City, he cursed and killed Li Gu, then drifted away despite being surrounded.

Chen Ye asked himself: Is there any resentment about this?

The heart replied: No, that's a counterattack, a way to gain fame, a dashing attitude.

One by one, Chen Ye dissected and examined his past carefully.

He has killed people, slain demons, and destroyed ghosts.

He was quick to avenge wrongs and decisive in killing. He believed that although his hands were stained with blood, every cut was clear and his mind was clear.

So none of these are his inner conflicts.

So... what exactly is this knot in my heart?
Chen Ye's thoughts continued to sink, arriving at the dense forest that had changed his fate.

In the scene, Xiao Zhanbai appears. He is an elite disciple of Tianjian Manor, with superb swordsmanship and an arrogant demeanor.

The two fought to the death, and he broke through in the midst of the battle, advancing to the Sea Condensation Realm.

Finally, in the instant when the enemy thought reinforcements had arrived and their guard was down, he decisively drew his sword and beheaded them with a single blow!

Chen Ye asked himself: After killing Xiao Zhanbai, do you regret it?

My heart replied: No regrets. If she wants to kill me, then I will kill her! In a life-or-death struggle, we shall each accept our fate. If I hesitate, I will be the one who dies.

Since there is no regret, then it is not a knot in the heart.

However, at the very moment Xiao Zhanbai's head hit the ground, an extremely dazzling sword light tore through the sky and came hurtling through the air!

It's the Fierce Tiger Sword!

Chen Ye's mind jolted!
That terrifying, despair-inducing pressure, that sharpness that seemed capable of cutting through everything, that absolute power that suppressed him to the point of not even having the thought of resistance!

Faced with that sword, he, who had just broken through to the Sea Condensation Realm and was full of vigor, was like a toddler learning to walk facing a strong man wielding a giant axe.

He didn't even see the other person before he was forced to flee in a sorry state by that sword energy, not daring to even look back!
An indescribable sense of shame surged up from the deepest part of Chen Ye's heart!

He could accept dying in battle, but he could not accept fleeing without a fight!
He can accept being less skilled than others, but he cannot accept being so frightened that he has to flee for his life without even seeing the other person's face!

This is not just a difference in strength, but also a crushing defeat in terms of dignity!

From then on, he hid in various places, disguised himself as a peddler, concealed all his presence, and finally escaped to this desolate mountain in the south.

It turns out to be this!
This is what's bothering me!
My resentment and injustice stem from this!

It's not that I can't get over other things, but that I can't get over the hurdle of being driven to the brink of despair by Jian Wuchen!

The moment Chen Ye understood all of this, he felt as if a thunderclap had exploded in his mind.

The boundless darkness was instantly torn apart, and a ray of light shone in.

Inside the wooden house, Chen Ye suddenly opened his eyes.

The previous restlessness and confusion were gone from his eyes; in their place was an unprecedented clarity and sharpness.

Then Chen Ye let out a long breath, got up, walked to the window, and opened it.

The bright sunlight outside made him squint slightly.

Kawa Village remains a peaceful place.

Children chased and played, women hung animal hides to dry, and from the distant mountains came the sound of horns signaling the return of a hunting party.

Everything is the same as it was when he first came here five years ago.

But Chen Ye knew that something had changed.

Chen Ye then went to the back mountain again and met the mountain god Yuan Lan. He calmly said to him, "I have figured out my inner conflict, so I am going down the mountain now..."

Chen Ye paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, "Go kill someone!"

(End of this chapter)