Ye Chu’s arm struck the boulder. In an instant, the massive stone shattered into pieces. Fragments exploded outwards, shooting in all directions. The rocks that had once blocked Ye Chu were instantly pulverised.
A surging force burst from Ye Chu’s arm. It roared outwards, carrying an unstoppable intent. With devastating power, it tore through every obstacle in its path ahead.
“Ah…” Shrieks rang out from the other side of the boulder. The cultivators who had been pushing it were directly obliterated by the force.
The overwhelming power thundered on. Such a majestic intent could only belong to a great cultivator. That single strike was comparable to one unleashed by a great cultivator himself.
Not only was Tan Miaotong left standing in stunned silence, even Ye Chu found it unbelievable. He had only felt his arm was about to explode moments earlier. He had smashed it against the boulder out of sheer frustration, never expecting such a terrifying surge of power to erupt.
Ye Chu looked at his now-normal arm and could not help clicking his tongue in astonishment. He thought to himself that the old madman’s bizarre set of movements had truly worked. If that explosive force had remained trapped in his arm, it would have blown him apart.
Ye Chu could sense that all the intent within his arm had been unleashed. His mind cleared completely. The violent rampage from the Primal Spirit True Source had vanished. What remained was only the gentle aura of the great cultivator, slowly integrating into his body. Of course, Ye Chu could not refine it all in the short term. That would require time and gradual absorption.
Even so, Ye Chu could already feel the transformation within himself. He wanted to carefully sense his changes and understand exactly what he had gained from refining the Primal Spirit True Source. But now was clearly not the time. He grabbed Tan Miaotong and dashed towards the newly opened path.
“Ye Chu! Did you really refine the Primal Spirit True Source?” Tan Miaotong stared at him in disbelief. At the same time, curiosity surged within her. If Ye Chu had absorbed even a portion of a great cultivator’s primal spirit essence, his transformation would be terrifying. Perhaps he had even gained some of the great cultivator’s techniques. She wondered whether he might have obtained the great cultivator’s intent as well.
Ye Chu had no time to answer Tan Miaotong’s question. He pulled her along at full speed. Having finally broken through the boulders, this was the perfect chance to escape the cave. If they were blocked again, it would be another ordeal.
“Stop right there!” Although that single strike had killed several cultivators, some had still survived by luck. Seeing Ye Chu running out, they brandished their weapons and thrust them fiercely towards him, trying to block his path.
“Get lost!” Ye Chu shouted. His arm swept directly towards their weapons. Using only the power of his flesh, he sent their blades flying. Two cultivators who had not even reached the Innate Realm cried out in pain and smashed against the cave wall, fainting instantly.
Tan Miaotong’s beautiful eyes flickered. She could not help turning her gaze to Ye Chu’s arm. She thought to herself that Ye Chu had indeed gained immense benefits. Otherwise, with his previous strength, it would have been impossible for him to block sharp weapons with his bare flesh and remain completely unharmed.
“Follow me!” Ye Chu pulled Tan Miaotong out of the passage and back into the maze of interconnected tunnels. He immediately darted into another tunnel and shot towards the outside.
“After him!” The cultivators could never have imagined that such a hopeless situation would allow their prey to escape. Furious roars echoed as they called for the others to give chase.
But the passages had been blocked by boulders. By the time they detoured around the obstacles, considerable time had passed. When the group finally caught up, Ye Chu’s figure was nowhere to be seen.
“Take the jade box and meet up with Qing Wenting!” After running for a while, Ye Chu handed the jade box to Tan Miaotong. “Remember to find them and leave this place immediately.”
“What about you?” Tan Miaotong asked in confusion.
“Those people will definitely come after us. I need to draw their attention away,” Ye Chu said to her.
“That is too dangerous!” Tan Miaotong shook her head. “Come with us instead. Qing Wenting and Ye Jingyun are both strong. With them here, they can share the pressure with you.”
Ye Chu smiled. “I have only just refined the True Source. I need to find a quiet place to meditate in order to make the most of it. Travelling right now is not suitable. Do not worry, I know what I am doing.”
“You…”
Tan Miaotong wanted to say more, but Ye Chu cut her off and pushed the jade box into her hands. “Go. If I have to bring you along, I will not be able to move at full speed. I cannot draw all their attention onto us.”
Tan Miaotong took the jade box and finally nodded. “Be careful. If you run into them, do not fight head-on.”
After sending Tan Miaotong away, Ye Chu turned his gaze towards the direction from which the pursuers were coming. His eyes grew sharp. He had been looking for someone to help him temper the intent he had just gained from the True Source. Now they were delivering themselves right to him.
A group soon caught up. Among them were the two Innate Realm cultivators who had previously clashed with Ye Chu. The crowd surrounded him. The two men stared at Ye Chu with dark expressions. “What exactly was that technique you used? How were you able to shatter the boulder and heavily injure our clansmen?”
Ye Chu laughed. Looking at the menacing crowd, he said, “You want to know?”
“Please enlighten us!” The two men could not help feeling shaken inside. They had thought the opponent was doomed for certain, yet he had somehow produced a method to instantly destroy the boulder. Seeing that the beautiful, delicate woman beside him was gone, they frowned. They decided they needed to end this quickly, then chase after the woman and eliminate her as well, so the secret of this place would not leak out.
“Since you want to know, I will tell you right now.” Ye Chu roared. His arm swept straight outwards. As the strike came down, the surrounding heaven-and-earth spiritual energy surged into motion. Like a howling gale, it rushed straight towards the two men.
At the same time, a vast, oceanic intent erupted forth. The moment this intent appeared, light blazed brilliantly. In the cave, it was as though a blazing sun had risen. The pressure carried an unstoppable momentum and slammed outwards.
The two men’s expressions changed. They exchanged a glance, then both shot forward at once. Unleashing their full power, they attacked Ye Chu with domineering moves.
“Do you still think I am the same as before?”
Ye Chu sneered. His words left the two men puzzled. But when Ye Chu’s strike landed on them, they finally understood. Their faces filled with horror. The terrifying force made them hurriedly retract their palms and retreat.
But it was already too late. Ye Chu’s power exploded outwards. The two men were sent flying backwards. They cried out in pain, their eyes filled with terror.
“You… you…”
One of them staggered to his feet and pointed at Ye Chu, but no words came out. The two of them had attacked together, yet they were still sent reeling with churning blood and qi. How could the opponent’s strength have surged to such a terrifying level in such a short time?
Not only were they horrified, the entire crowd surrounding Ye Chu was equally stunned. When Ye Chu’s gaze swept towards them, they retreated in fear.