Chapter 110: The Yuan Dan Condensed, the Beginning of the Journey
The aftermath of the Northern Territory Youth Competition, like a boulder dropped into a lake, ripples lingered for months. Ye Li and Qin Yixuan tied for first place, both hailed as the "peerless prides" of the Northern Territory's youth, their fame reaching unprecedented heights. The Xuanyun Sect and the Bishui Pavilion also solidified their positions within the Northern Territory Alliance thanks to their outstanding performance in the competition, securing substantial resources.
The bustle of Tianshu City gradually faded as the various sects' teams returned. The Xuanyun Sect's flying boat darted through the clouds, but the atmosphere aboard was vastly different from when they arrived. There was less pre-battle tension, more joy and relaxation, a sense of triumph. Disciples gathered in groups of three or four, excitedly discussing the highlights of the competition, their gazes occasionally cast in awe at the lone figure at the bow of the boat.
Ye Li still loved standing by the side of the boat, gazing at the vast expanse of land below. Though her all-out clash with Qin Yixuan ended in a draw, her gains far surpassed a championship token. Under such extreme pressure, she reached new heights in the integration and control of her own power, and many previously obscure and difficult techniques suddenly became clear. More importantly, through her "Dao" struggle with Qin Yixuan, she gained a clearer understanding of her own Dao—that extreme cold wasn't simply about destruction and confinement, but also held vitality and protection; that the ultimate meaning of power lay in controlling one's destiny and protecting what one cherishes.
When the flying boat arrived at Xuanyun Sect, it was greeted with a heroic welcome. Sect leader Xuan Chengzi personally led the elders to greet them at the mountain gate, showering Ye Li, Xuan Tianzi, and other participating disciples with high praise and generous rewards.
The rewards Ye Li received were particularly generous. In addition to the championship resources of the competition itself, the sect also rewarded her with a large number of rare elixirs and natural treasures that could help her break through the Yuandan realm, as well as an opportunity to enter the sect's secret place, the "Starry Enlightenment Pond", to practice.
Returning to her cave abode on Yundan Peak, Ye Li didn't dwell on the honor, but immediately began a new round of seclusion. The Northern Territory Youth Competition was merely a stop on her path to cultivation; her sights had long since been set on more distant lands and more powerful foes. The Yuandan realm was a crucial watershed on the path of cultivation. Only by condensing the Yuandan could one truly enter the realm of high-level cultivators and be qualified to explore the secrets of the Samsara Mirror and the truth of past lives.
She first entered the "Starry Enlightenment Pond." This mysterious realm, its waters crystal clear, reflecting the celestial constellations, imbued with the rich power of the stars and the rhythm of the universe. Ye Li immersed herself in the water, emptying her mind and body. Her consciousness resonated with the celestial bodies, as she continuously reviewed her gains from the competition, consolidating her peak Spiritual Mansion Realm cultivation and making final preparations for condensing the Yuan Dan.
Half a month later, Ye Li's condition adjusted to the peak and he began to formally impact the Yuandan realm.
Within the cave, the formation was fully activated, and the spiritual energy was so dense it transformed into a tangible mist. Ye Li sat cross-legged at the core of the spirit gathering formation, several bottles of precious pill-forming aids placed before her. She held her breath and concentrated, reciting the "Emperor's Scripture of the Netherworld" and the "Ice Emperor's Sealing Heaven Art." The vast spiritual energy within her body surged like a rushing river, frantically converging towards the sea of qi in her dantian.
Condensing the Yuan Dan is a process of extremely compressing and condensing gaseous and liquid spiritual energy, ultimately solidifying it into a "seed" containing the essence of a cultivator's lifelong cultivation and understanding of the Great Dao. It is an extremely dangerous process. If control is not effective, the spiritual energy will lose control, and at best, the cultivation will be completely destroyed, or at worst, the body will explode and die.
Ye Li's mind sank into her dantian, guiding the vast vortex of spiritual energy to continuously rotate and compress. The fragments of the Samsara Mirror emanated a soft glow within her sea of consciousness, stabilizing her mind, enhancing her understanding, and allowing her to achieve a profound control over her spiritual energy. In her mind, the experiences of past lives, the insights of this life, and especially the clarity of her own path gained during her confrontation with Qin Yixuan, flowed like a trickle, flowing into the compressed spiritual energy and imbuing it with a unique "rhythm of the Dao."
Time passed. Outside the cave, Lay Buddhist Muyun stood guard, his expression solemn. He could sense the spiritual energy emanating from the cave becoming increasingly intense, sometimes like raging waves, sometimes like frozen abyss. Clearly, the most critical moment had arrived.
On this day, a full-moon night, at midnight, above Yundan Peak, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth suddenly and frantically converged towards Ye Li's cave, forming a massive spiritual energy vortex! In the center of the vortex, a faint interweaving of ice-blue and starlight shone, and a powerful pressure permeated, attracting the attention of countless masters within the sect!
"It's almost done!" A light of surprise flashed in Mr. Muyun's eyes.
Inside the cave, within Ye Li's Dantian, at the center of the vortex of spiritual energy compressed to the extreme, a brilliant, indestructible point of light suddenly lit up! Then, the light rapidly expanded, devouring the surrounding spiritual energy, and eventually transformed into a golden elixir the size of a longan, round and deep ice-blue, with countless tiny star runes flowing on its surface!
Yuandan, done!
The moment the Yuan Dan condensed successfully, Ye Li felt a tremor throughout her body, as if some kind of shackles had been broken, and her life level had leaped forward! The power of her spiritual consciousness skyrocketed, and the range it could cover expanded by more than tenfold! The speed at which she could sense and absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth also underwent a qualitative change! More importantly, her control over her own power reached an unprecedented level of refinement.
She slowly opened her eyes, and there seemed to be a disillusioned galaxy and a vast expanse of ice in her eyes. A powerful aura belonging to a Yuandan realm cultivator naturally emanated from her, but she quickly absorbed it into her body.
"The Yuandan realm... I've finally reached this point." Ye Li felt the slowly spinning golden elixir within her body, brimming with immense power, and a surge of pride welled up in her heart. From now on, she truly had the qualifications to gain a foothold in this vast spiritual world and pursue those hidden secrets.
After emerging from retreat, news of Ye Li's initial Yuan Dan success spread rapidly throughout the sect, causing another sensation. Reaching the Yuan Dan realm before the age of twenty is a rare occurrence, even in the entire history of the Northern Territory! The entire Xuanyun Sect was filled with jubilation, and Ye Li's reputation was at its peak.
However, Ye Li wasn't complacent. She knew the Yuan Dan realm was only the starting point. The fragments of the Samsara Mirror were still scattered across the world, her past life's enemies still lurked in the shadows, the truth behind her parents' disappearance was shrouded in mystery, and there was also the mysterious prophecy of the "Eclipse Realm" and the "Returning Land"... All of this spurred her on to continue.
One day, she came to the cave of Mr. Muyun and told him her decision.
"Master, I have already condensed the Yuan Dan and want to leave the Northern Territory and travel around." Ye Li's tone was calm, but with an unchangeable firmness.
Master Muyun looked at his disciple with a complex mixture of emotions in his eyes. Pride, reluctance, and even deep worry. He had long seen that Ye Li was no ordinary creature. The skies of the Northern Territory were, after all, too small.
"Have you thought about it? The Thousand Realms Spiritual Realm is vast and boundless, with powerful people everywhere and dangers lurking on all sides. It is far from comparable to the Northern Realm." Mr. Muyun said in a deep voice.
"Disciple understands." Ye Li nodded, "Precisely because of this, we need to go out even more. If we work in isolation, we will never achieve great things. Disciple needs to seek more opportunities, hone himself, and also... explore the truth of some things." She did not explicitly mention the reincarnation mirror and past lives, but Master Muyun could feel the heaviness in her words.
Mr. Muyun was silent for a long time, and finally sighed: "Forget it, the young eagle must eventually leave the nest and fly. You have to walk your own path. Here in the sect, I am here with you, so you don't have to worry. When you travel outside, be careful in everything, and remember, protecting yourself is the most important thing."
"Thank you, Master!" Ye Li bowed deeply. Master's understanding and support warmed her heart.
Shortly after Ye Li made her decision to travel, news arrived from Shuiyunjian. After Qin Yixuan had completely recovered from her injuries and her cultivation, she made a similar request to the higher-ups at the Bishui Pavilion. She felt the pull of divine essence within her, as if some mysterious mission or opportunity was calling her from a distant land. She needed to leave the Northern Territory to travel, gain experience, and pursue a higher realm of the Great Dao.
Two peerless geniuses, almost at the same time, had the idea of leaving the Northern Territory and traveling across the Thousand Territories. Was this a coincidence, or was it fate?
A few days later, Ye Li was packing her luggage and planning her travel route in her cave when a sound transmission note flew in. It was Qin Yixuan.
"Ye Li, I heard that you have condensed the Yuan Dan. Congratulations. I will soon leave the sect to travel. Perhaps... one day in the vast Thousand Realms, you and I will meet again. Take care."
The voice in the sound transmission note was still cold, but it carried a subtle hint of melancholy and expectation.
Ye Li held the sound transmission talisman and looked towards Shuiyunjian, her heart stirring. The vastness of the Thousand Realms and the unknown path ahead, but if only she could walk with him...
An idea quietly took root in her heart.
The Yuan Dan condenses, and the journey begins. A new chapter is about to unfold in the vast spiritual world of the Thousand Realms. Will the destinies of the two girls intersect again in a distant foreign land? No one knows, but the future is filled with infinite possibilities due to their decisions.
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