Primordial Divine Emperor-Chapter 65 - 60: Restless Ambitions, Utterly Stunned (Part 2)
In the following days, Dugu Nan continued to leave early and return late, departing from the Divine Sword Sect at dawn and coming back at the third hour of the night. Yet, after nearly half a month of searching, he still hadn’t met the person he wished to see.
Gradually, Dugu Nan gave up and realized that the other party didn’t want to appear, so he stopped insisting.
For a while, the matter of the sect’s ancestor seemed to gradually fade away, like a small interlude.
In the blink of an eye, another half-month passed by.
Since the day he left the Library Pavilion, Ye Xiaofan had not entered again; instead, he spent his days in frenzied cultivation.
On this day.
"Still not a breakthrough?"
Qi Yun and Dugu Nan watched Ye Xiaofan sitting in meditation from afar, both with slightly furrowed brows.
Qi Yun was perplexed: "With such rapid cultivation speed, theoretically, he should have broken through the First Layer of the Profound Sea and entered the Second Realm. Why hasn’t there been any sign of movement?"
Both had puzzled expressions.
With the blessing of thirty-six types of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, Ye Xiaofan’s cultivation speed was more than ten times that of ordinary prodigies.
Now, with the higher-tier cultivation technique "Nameless Technique," according to Dugu Nan’s calculations, he should have reached the breakthrough bottleneck.
However, the reality was that the aura emanating from Ye Xiaofan was not even at the Peak of the First Layer of the Profound Sea Realm, instead stuck at the Middle Stage.
"Let’s wait and see; maybe he’s honing his foundation," Qi Yun comforted Dugu Nan.
But as time passed day by day, three months quickly went by, and finally, Dugu Nan and Qi Yun could no longer sit still.
"Why is he still at the Middle Stage of the First Layer? What is that kid doing?" Qi Yun also frowned.
During those three months, although the boy’s aura was climbing, it still lingered at the Middle Stage of the First Layer.
Dugu Nan also sensed something was wrong; three months plus the preceding two, Ye Xiaofan had been in the Divine Sword Sect for nearly five months.
Within these five months, many newly-promoted prodigies under the enhancement of high-tier techniques had cultivation speeds described as advancing by leaps and bounds, continuously breaking through to the Second Realm, with a few even reaching the Third Realm, challenging the older students.
While the whole Divine Sword Sect’s new disciples were red-hot, Ye Xiaofan seemed to be at a standstill.
More embarrassingly, this news had been spread by someone, though it didn’t take much to know it was most likely the informant Mo Shiyi, who would reveal any secret as long as he was paid.
For a while, the entire circle of sword cultivators in the Divine Sword Sect was in an uproar. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺
"What did you say? The Sword Saint’s heir has been in the sect for five months without breaking through to the Second Realm?"
"Absolutely true, not only has he not broken through, but it’s reported that he is still at the Middle Stage of the First Layer, stagnant for a long time."
"Hahaha, indeed, what good is terrifying Sword Dao Talent without the backing of a strong Martial Soul, ultimately just a Child of Destiny."
"It’s hard to imagine, three months ago that sword beneath South Peak made him famous, but now, three months later, his true form is exposed."
"Does this mean the identity of being the Sword Saint’s heir still has a chance for someone else like me?"
This news stirred action among many prodigies in Sword Dao again, with many even restarting their cultivation of the "Grass Cutting Sword Technique," feeling excited.
At the same time.
Ning Xianyi hearing this news, slightly shook his head with a smile, while Luo Qingxian was speechless.
"Five months at a standstill, I overestimated him." Luo Qingxian’s eyes were full of disappointment, and the bold idea in his heart seemed extinguished by ninety percent.
Moreover, Ning Canghai, upon hearing this fact, also regretted having been blind before.
For a while, the sword cultivator circle of the Divine Sword Sect became active again.
Finally, when Ye Xiaofan once again awakened from his cultivation, Dugu Nan couldn’t hold back.
"Fan’Er, come here."
At the peak of South Peak, Dugu Nan called softly; although his tone was still loving, his brows were knitted into a character of "川" shape.
Ye Xiaofan’s heart sank at these words, as during these three months, Nangong Jianchen and Shangguan Wan’Er had told him about the current cultivation speeds of those new disciples.
Some prodigies with terrifying talent had long entered the Second and Third Realms, even Ye Xiaotian broke through the Profound Sea Shackles a few days ago, yet he remained stationary.
This made Ye Xiaofan somewhat question his existence, thinking perhaps his Martial Soul was merely superficial, though this shouldn’t be the case. However, the reality was before his eyes; no matter how hard he cultivated, his advancement was slow, even falling far behind his fellow new prodigies.
Upon seeing his master’s summon, Ye Xiaofan could easily guess what was about to be said.
Sure enough.
As Ye Xiaofan approached the two, Dugu Nan spoke heavily: "Fan’Er, where has all your Spiritual Power gone during your recent cultivation? Why is there still no sign of breakthrough?"
Ye Xiaofan bowed his head at the words, feeling unable to face Dugu Nan, puzzlingly muttering: "I don’t know either. Clearly, I have been diligently cultivating, yet the Spiritual Liquid I gather never manages to fill the entire Profound Sea."
Ye Xiaofan’s confidence was lacking, even questioning whether his cultivation method was correct. How did those new prodigies manage to fill their Profound Sea and breakthrough in such a short time?
Dugu Nan and Qi Yun were originally deeply concerned, but upon hearing Ye Xiaofan’s murmured words, they both caught onto some information, raising their heads in astonishment.
"Fan’Er, what did you just say? Unable to fill the Profound Sea?" Dugu Nan asked, shocked.
Qi Yun also sensed something was amiss, asking: "What kind of unfilled condition?"
Ye Xiaofan, pressed by their questioning, reluctantly said: "Master, Senior Qi Yun, perhaps my cultivation method is flawed; I have been frantically cultivating, almost non-stop day and night, yet the Profound Sea is simply too vast. Even though Spiritual Liquid gathers daily within the Profound Sea, it’s just a drop in the ocean."
On finishing, Ye Xiaofan lowered his head even further feeling he had disappointed many.
However, Dugu Nan and Qi Yun hearing this, exchanged a glance, both realizing something, seeing an unusual color in each other’s eyes.
"Fan’Er, reflect your Profound Sea for me and Senior Qi Yun to see," Dugu Nan felt his mouth dry, while Qi Yun was eager beside him.
Without hesitation, Ye Xiaofan followed the voice, immediately hiding his Martial Soul within his brow, and under Dugu Nan’s guidance, reflected his inner Profound Sea.
The so-called Profound Sea reflection is actually a kind of imaging technique where a cultivator can project their Profound Sea for others to observe.
Of course, the reflected Profound Sea is not the actual sea but a kind of illusion.
At the moment Ye Xiaofan reflected the Profound Sea Illusion Realm, suddenly, the scene at the peak of South Peak was replaced by a fantasy, the surrounding void faded, covered by another scene.
It was a vast ocean; Ye Xiaofan, Dugu Nan, and Qi Yun seemed to stand in the sea, quietly on the water’s surface.
At this moment, Ye Xiaofan’s Profound Sea was no longer as depleted as before, but inside, it gathered an immense and endless ’ocean.’ Although this ’ocean’ had yet to fill the sea entirely, even less than half complete, within, there were already roaring sea sounds, ears ringing.
Watching the boundless ocean, Dugu Nan and Qi Yun were filled with unprecedented shock and disbelief, staring dazedly at Ye Xiaofan’s Profound Sea Illusion Realm, frozen within the illusory marine vastness.
