All of this happened extremely quickly. No one could clearly see what transpired. What they witnessed was only that Ye Chu had been enveloped by the killing aura, yet the killing aura grew thinner and thinner. At some point, the killing spider had vanished without a trace.
The crowd was stunned. They looked around in every direction, searching for the killing spider, but found no sign of it. Their gazes involuntarily shifted to Ye Chu. Could it be that Ye Chu had dealt with the killing spider?
But the moment this thought arose, everyone dismissed it as impossible. Even Qing Wenting felt the same. No matter how special Ye Chu’s physique was, it was inconceivable for him to subdue such a creature. After all, even terrifying killing aura practitioners with extraordinary methods would find it extremely difficult to handle the Three-Yin Coloured Pattern Killing Spider, let alone Ye Chu.
Yet strangely, the killing spider’s aura had indeed disappeared completely. All that remained was the killing aura still flowing around Ye Chu’s body.
The killing aura lingering on Ye Chu was still terrifying, far stronger than his own spiritual energy. Ye Chu sat cross-legged, ignoring the pain from his swollen and reddened body. He used his primordial spirit to frantically circulate his blood. At this moment, he had no other method. Only through his blood could he transform between the yin and yang acupoints.
The killing aura was continuously absorbed by Ye Chu’s body. His strength rose at an astonishing speed.
Although the Three-Yin Coloured Pattern Killing Spider was curled up within his qi sea, the vast killing aura it had unleashed earlier still remained terrifying and abundant. This killing aura was more than ten times stronger than his spiritual energy.
Ruoshui and the others watched Ye Chu. They saw strands of killing aura continuously merge into his body. They watched the swollen areas on Ye Chu’s body gradually subside. All of them found the sight utterly inconceivable.
“A killing aura practitioner?”
Qing Wenting furrowed her brows. Refining killing aura for one’s own use was a method unique to killing aura practitioners. Yet she had never heard of anyone who could directly absorb killing aura into their body and then refine it. The danger of doing so was at least ten times greater.
Ji Die had always treated Ye Chu with indifference, but now even she could not help turning her head to watch. A trace of surprise flickered in her clear, watery eyes.
Without the threat of the Three-Yin Coloured Pattern Killing Spider, these people turned their attention to the artifacts within the general’s tomb. Greed surged once more. One after another, they lunged forward madly. Some even cast covetous glances towards Ruoshui, Qing Wenting, and the others. The true treasures were in their hands.
But though they were greedy, the cold looks in these women’s eyes made them hesitate to act rashly. These few appeared heavily injured, yet who could guarantee they had no final trump card? Each of them wielded a heaven and earth artifact or possessed extraordinary strength of their own.
Those fortunate enough to have survived now fought desperately over the artifacts. The sounds of battle rang out once again.
Ye Chu paid them no attention. He was fully focused on absorbing the killing aura. The killing aura transformed into spiritual energy and merged with his own, flowing into his body.
“Third level of the Innate Realm!”
Qing Wenting watched Ye Chu’s strength rise frantically. She saw that the killing aura still enveloping him remained abundant. Curiosity filled her heart. Just how far could Ye Chu advance this time?
The killing aura of the Three-Yin Coloured Pattern Killing Spider was pure and terrifying. If he could truly refine it, Ye Chu’s strength would surely experience an extraordinary leap. This was an opportunity impossible for others. Who could refine the Three-Yin Coloured Pattern Killing Spider while still at the Innate Realm?
Only Ye Chu’s unique physique made it possible. If he could truly refine such terrifying killing aura and make it his own, it would be impossible for his strength not to surge explosively.
Qing Wenting stared at Ye Chu curiously, eager to see exactly how far he could advance. Breaking through one or two levels was already beyond any doubt. If such abundant killing aura could only help him advance one or two levels, it would be far too wasteful.
What Qing Wenting truly wanted to know was whether Ye Chu could break through three levels and step into the fifth level he had long desired!
Qing Wenting clenched her fists. Her eyes blazed as she watched Ye Chu, witnessing his growth.
“Fourth level of the Innate Realm!”
Qing Wenting looked at Ye Chu, her heart filled with anticipation. She hoped he could break through even further.
Ye Chu’s strength continued to climb. The killing aura around him kept merging into his body. The swollen areas on his body gradually subsided, returning to normal. His clothes hung in tattered, corroded shreds.
“Peak of the fourth level of the Innate Realm!” Qing Wenting saw that the killing aura around Ye Chu was finally thinning. She could not help shaking her head inwardly. Breaking into the fifth level seemed difficult now. There was not enough killing aura left for another breakthrough.
But amid Qing Wenting’s sigh, Ye Chu suddenly let out a low shout. The remaining killing aura poured completely into his body. At the same moment, the spiritual energy from the outside world surged in as well.
This sight left Qing Wenting utterly stunned. Killing aura and spiritual energy entering his body simultaneously. These two opposing forces clashing inside him. Could his body withstand it?
Yet the result defied everyone’s expectations. Ye Chu broke through the bottleneck of the fourth level of the Innate Realm in one go. He stepped into the fifth level. A momentum far stronger than before erupted from his body.
“Fifth level of the Innate Realm!”
Some who saw it could not help looking at Ye Chu in astonishment. It was not that this level of strength was particularly impressive. What was shocking was the terrifying speed of Ye Chu’s advancement. In such a short time, he had broken through three entire levels. This pace filled them with envy.
Normally, advancing even one realm took them at least half a year or more. Yet he had broken through three levels so easily.
Of course, everyone now viewed Ye Chu as a killing aura practitioner. Only killing aura practitioners could utilise killing aura in such a way.
“Let’s go!” Seeing Ye Chu open his eyes, Qing Wenting and Ruoshui spoke in unison to Ye Chu. Though they did not know where the killing spider had gone, they feared it might return. Leaving this place was the safest option. They had already obtained what they came for. Nothing else mattered.
Qing Wenting noticed Ye Chu glancing at those still fighting desperately over the artifacts. She wanted to help Ye Chu seize some for himself, but considering her current injuries, clashing with great cultivators was unwise.
“Let’s go.”
Seeing Ye Chu agree to leave with her, Qing Wenting looked at him with some confusion. Ye Chu had entered this place and, aside from his explosive increase in strength, had obtained nothing else of value. Yet his mindset was surprisingly calm. This was not like Ye Chu at all.
Qing Wenting naturally did not know that Ye Chu’s heart was already overflowing with joy. Though he did not know what the black iron was, the fact that it could force the Three-Yin Coloured Pattern Killing Spider to curl up motionless and remain suppressed proved its extraordinary value.
Especially when he thought of how his primordial spirit had throbbed wildly the moment his mind touched the black iron, Ye Chu became even more convinced that this was no ordinary object.
Although it was a pity he had not obtained the golden page, not everything in the world belonged to him. Obtaining such an item was already enough to excite him. Moreover, the killing spider was now within his body, constantly leaking killing aura for him to cultivate. Such an opportunity was rare beyond measure.
Though Ruoshui had been cleansed of the killing aura by Ye Chu, her injuries remained serious. Dragging her weakened body, she walked out together with Qing Wenting and Ye Chu.
Ji Die and the empire’s prince saw this and also headed outward. As they stepped away from the archway entrance, the tomb suddenly rumbled loudly. The jade coffin began sinking into the ground. Cracks appeared one after another across the originally solid jade stone tomb.
“Hurry! The tomb is collapsing!”
Everyone’s hearts raced with urgency. Though some artifacts still remained unclaimed, they dared not delay any longer. Gritting their teeth against the pain, they rushed towards the exit.