"Ye Haochuan, you are indeed remarkable, but you can only last for the duration of one incense stick! An incense stick is fleeting. If you don't cease your resistance, you will fall into a deep coma before the heavenly tribulation destroys you!"
Zhou Yan sneered and continued.
Upon hearing this, Ye Haochuan's expression changed.
What Zhou Yan said was indeed the truth.
The heavenly tribulation faced by a Heavenly Gang realm expert was far beyond what he, a cultivator in the middle stage of Soul Condensation, could endure.
Moreover, Zhou Yan was right; after an incense stick's time, he would surely die!
"Zhou Yan, you just wait. One day, I, Ye Haochuan, will make you wish you were dead!"
Ye Haochuan gritted his teeth fiercely in his heart, then focused all his energy internally.
At this moment, he discovered that the vital energy within his body had begun to deplete, seemingly on the verge of ceasing its flow.
"This is bad, am I, Ye Haochuan, truly going to perish here today?"
Thinking of this, Ye Haochuan's mood worsened considerably.
At this critical juncture, a ball of flame suddenly erupted from his dantian. The flame formed a massive vortex, drawing in the vital energy within Ye Haochuan's body, bit by bit.
After absorbing Ye Haochuan's vital energy, the giant vortex formed by the flames became even more scorching hot.
"Hoo~"
The enormous flame surged, instantly engulfing the entire rock and casting the entire cave in a fiery red glow.
At this time, Ye Haochuan's complexion gradually returned to normal.
He found that his vital energy had recovered eighty percent.
Not only that, but as his vital energy recovered, his strength had actually advanced by a small realm, reaching the late stage of Soul Condensation.
"What a fortunate encounter!"
Ye Haochuan rejoiced.
He hadn't expected that there would be such a great fortune here!
"Kid, stay here and cultivate obediently. Don't ever dream of leaving this place for the rest of your life!"
With that, Zhou Yan turned and left.
"You beast, you dare to deceive me?"
Ye Haochuan roared in fury.
"Heh heh, I'm a beast? Kid, don't forget who saved me in the first place!"
Zhou Yan sneered and then disappeared at the cave entrance.
Seeing Zhou Yan leave, Ye Haochuan paid no heed to anything else and immediately sat cross-legged, entering a state of closed-door cultivation.
"Kid, you're still sensible. Otherwise, you'll die before I do!"
As Ye Haochuan was concentrating on his cultivation, a familiar voice echoed in his ear.
Ye Haochuan's eyes snapped open, and he saw Zhou Yan looking at him with a smile.
Ye Haochuan's heart tightened, "Kid, don't even think about escaping. If you try to flee, your fate will be even more miserable!"
Ye Haochuan was momentarily stunned.
"Haha, alright, kid, just focus on your cultivation!"
With that, Zhou Yan flashed and left the cave.
With Zhou Yan gone, Ye Haochuan's pressure immediately lessened considerably.
Ye Haochuan finally breathed a sigh of relief and began to cultivate in earnest.
Time passed slowly.
In the blink of an eye, three incense sticks had passed.
Ye Haochuan remained motionless.
A mocking expression appeared on Zhou Yan's face, "Heh heh, kid, no matter how hard you try, you'll never break through the Soul Condensation realm in this lifetime!"
At this time, the vital energy within Ye Haochuan was almost exhausted, with only a tiny amount circulating within his body.
He felt powerless all over.
His heart sank to the bottom.
"It seems I have no choice but to give up!"
Thinking this, Ye Haochuan sighed and prepared to completely abandon this opportunity.
However, just as he stood up, he heard a violent roar from outside the cave.
Rumble~!
Deafening thunder rolled like crashing waves, causing rocks to fall piece by piece from the mountain at the cave entrance.
Immediately after, Ye Haochuan's heart skipped a few beats.
That majestic and vast heavenly might descended like a great mountain pressing down on him.
Ye Haochuan's expression slightly changed, "This... is a heavenly tribulation?"
"How could this kid attract a heavenly tribulation? Could this guy be the host of the tribulation?"
Zhou Yan was also slightly taken aback.
He was an existence at the Heavenly Immortal level!
How could a heavenly tribulation appear on a human?
Unbelievable!
A heavenly tribulation was something that Immortals endured, so how could it appear on a mortal?
Could it be that this kid was a freak?
Zhou Yan couldn't figure it out, nor did he dare to think too much. He quickly took out a bottle of Immortal Spirit Wine from his storage ring and took a large gulp.
Immortal Spirit Wine was an ancient delicacy, containing immense medicinal properties.
After a cup, Zhou Yan felt a warmth spread throughout his body, as comfortable as bathing in hot springs.
"Refreshing! So refreshing!"
Zhou Yan laughed heartily at the sky.
After the Immortal Spirit Wine entered his stomach, he felt his entire body filled with boundless power.
His physical body was incredibly strong, to the point where even the attacks of the heavenly tribulation could not harm him.
"The strength of this kid's physical body is probably comparable to a Heavenly Immortal!"
Zhou Yan mused inwardly.
"What a shame. If he could advance to the Golden Core stage, then with the strength of his physical body, his combat power would be much greater than before. Even if he encountered an expert at the Heavenly Immortal level, he wouldn't be afraid!"
Zhou Yan lamented.
However, no matter how strong this kid was, he couldn't possibly break through to the Golden Core stage in such a short time, could he?
"You've gotten lucky this time. When you get out, I will definitely hand this treasure over to the Sect Master, and see how the Sect Master rewards me!"
Zhou Yan laughed heartily, his figure flashed, and he completely departed from this place.
After Zhou Yan left, Ye Haochuan sat cross-legged and began to adjust the chaotic vital energy within his body.
Ye Haochuan's body was on the verge of collapse. If he continued to cultivate, it would eventually explode.
Therefore, he decided to first stabilize his condition.
One night passed, and the next morning.
Ye Haochuan slowly woke up.
A ray of sunlight pierced through the volcanic cave wall, shining on Ye Haochuan's cheeks.
It stung his eyes, causing a slight pain.
Throughout the night, Ye Haochuan had remained in the same posture, unmoving.
"Hoo!"
Ye Haochuan exhaled a long breath of stale air, and his heart relaxed.
Although he hadn't cultivated, his spiritual power had already recovered to its peak.
He knew that the cultivation from last night was definitely worth it.
Ye Haochuan stood up from the volcanic cave wall.
"Kid, you're finally awake?"
At this moment, a sinister voice suddenly came from a corner of the cave.
Ye Haochuan immediately became vigilant.
"Who?"
Zhou Yan laughed heartily, "Kid, do you think your mere Soul Condensation cultivation can contend with me? Stop dreaming. If you know what's good for you, just hand over the item obediently, otherwise, I won't care who you are!"
"Hmph, I think you're the one who's dreaming! How can I, Ye Haochuan, be an ant that you can crush as you please?"
"Ant? Hahahaha......"
Zhou Yan burst into laughter, "Since that's the case, I'll send you on your way!"
As he spoke, a monstrous killing intent erupted from his body.
Ye Haochuan's heart sank.
This guy hadn't left yet!
Ye Haochuan took a deep breath, circulated the last trace of vital energy within his body, and pushed the "Taiyi Chaos Art" to its extreme.