Chapter Twenty: Breakthrough, Entry Level

Chapter 20: Breakthrough, Entry Level

Ye Bai walked ahead while Ye Mu followed behind, both of them silent. At that moment, Zhang Lei sat alone in Ao Han’s office; there wasn’t another soul in the entire martial hall.

“Xiaowei, qualified,” Zhang Lei spoke into the empty office. Immediately, azure lines began to shimmer across his bronze arm, weaving together in the air to form the image of a young girl.

“Yes, Master,” replied the girl, who was only the size of Zhang Lei’s palm. Upon appearing, streams of data flickered ceaselessly in her eyes. Before long, a chart materialized before them, and the virtual Xiaowei issued a cutesy, animated voice.

On the “Purple Star Talent Chart” were the names Li Fei, Ye Bai, Xiao Mo, and one person yet to be tested. Li Fei’s name had already been marked “passed,” but next to Ye Bai was “qualified,” while beside Xiao Mo were only question marks.

Zhang Lei extended a finger and pressed beneath Ye Bai’s name, leaving his fingerprint—signifying that this person had passed his review. The information was instantly transmitted, leaving behind only blue ripples undulating in the air.

As the intelligent brain Xiaowei faded, Zhang Lei left as well, preparing to assess the next candidate.

Ye Bai, now alone, sat quietly cross-legged in the basement. After returning, Li Fei had hurried over—Ye Bai had informed him earlier of Mo’er’s disappearance, but with Bai Hua’s sudden arrival, there had been no time to wait, and he’d gone straight to the martial hall. Through Li Fei, Ye Bai was nearly certain that the person both he and Li Fei had encountered was one and the same, though Zhang Lei’s motives remained a mystery.

After settling his sister and seeing Li Fei off, Ye Bai descended to the basement.

He sat atop the tawny cotton cushion where he usually rested, drawing slow, steady breaths—the air flowed in and out through his nose and throat, again and again, as if with every exhalation, the distractions in his mind were expelled as well.

At this moment, Ye Bai’s mind was utterly clear, as if he were a meditative monk, and he began to attempt a breakthrough. He recalled the way Zhang Lei’s elemental force moved during their duel.

In truth, once a person reached the peak of body forging, a wisp of unaligned elemental force would naturally arise within them. This wisp served as a primer—when breaking through, it would trigger the emergence of the natural element most attuned to one’s body. Ye Bai had read this in a book, though no one could truly say how the spark was kindled.

Ye Bai tried, as he had during the duel, to guide the elemental force along his mind’s primary meridians—compressing, releasing. He felt a sudden boom in his mind, like thunder exploding in his ears or a thousand horses galloping through his thoughts. In an instant, he lost all sensation, his brain numbed.

Ye Bai opened his eyes and steadied himself, spotting the elixirs his mother had prepared for him. The determination on his face grew even firmer. He took out a Strength Grass—one of the medicinal herbs Xiao Mo had given, able to boost inner power for a short while.

After swallowing the Strength Grass, he compressed and released the force once more. This time, the elemental energy within him was much stronger.

A crash.

Ye Bai felt as though he’d been struck head-on by several Wood Guardians; his vision turned into a static-filled black-and-white blur, like a television with no signal. But soon, the darkness deepened, and from its farthest reaches, a blue phosphorescence emerged, followed by yellow, green, red, and countless other glows, each drawing him in to varying degrees.

A sudden hiss—like a broken transmission—and Ye Bai opened his eyes to find nothing around him had changed, though the experience had felt so real.

He realized his blood and energy were beginning to surge; a wisp of elemental force roamed restlessly through his boiling veins, searching for a way to break through. He unsealed the elixir and downed it in one gulp, swallowing the prepared herbs as well.

Sitting quietly, Ye Bai recalled the scenes he had just witnessed, waiting for the medicines to take effect. This time, the process felt familiar; passing through the black-and-white snowstorm, he stood beneath the pitch-black firmament, awaiting the appearance of the glowing sprites.

Blue light appeared first, emerging from the deepest void, lingering closest to him. Previously, it had vanished too quickly for him to see it clearly. Now, as he drew near, he realized it was a tiny figure radiating blue light, much like a Smurf, but with horns on its head and a little tail, circling around him.

The blue sprite flitted before him, wagging its tail and sticking out its tongue in a pout. Ye Bai found it adorable and reached out a finger to touch it. Before he could, the sprite vanished.

Suddenly, blue phosphorescence lit up on Ye Bai’s arm, flickering bright and dim before fading into his mind’s depths.

One by one, sprites of various hues appeared in the dark sky. Ye Bai approached the green sprite, but as before, it disappeared before he could reach it; the same occurred with yellow and red. Just as Ye Bai was about to approach the golden sprite, a voice echoed from the darkness:

“Insignificant ant, how dare you pry into the domain of gods.”

The voice filled the entire space, yet seemed to arise from the very depths of Ye Bai’s soul. The black sky was torn asunder, and from the rift emerged a colossal arm, reaching for Ye Bai while the sprites vanished without a trace.

Had someone witnessed Ye Bai at that moment, they would have seen four colors of light flickering across his body, shrouded in an outer layer of white substance that condensed into a transparent arm before him, which entered his brow and disappeared into his brain.

The giant arm from the heavens reached for Ye Bai, one massive finger aimed straight at him, as if to crush him into the earth. Ye Bai was dumbfounded; he wanted to flee but had nowhere to go—this entire space seemed under the voice’s control. As the finger readied to squash him like an ant, Ye Bai felt a surge of regret. That he wasn’t killed in battle but in this unknown place, during a breakthrough no less—if Fatty ever heard, he would laugh himself to death, for no one had ever died in a breakthrough; at worst, they failed and regressed.

Closing his eyes, Ye Bai recalled bits and pieces from his childhood, worrying for his sister who had no one else to care for her. The giant finger pressed down—it was already above his head, the pressure irresistible.

Ye Bai did not notice a white arm emerging from between his brows—ordinary in size, but it effortlessly blocked the giant finger. The white palm, radiant with a jade-like glow, illuminated the entire space upon contact, revealing a scene of unimaginable violence.

With his eyes closed, Ye Bai felt as if the ground beneath him was collapsing, the space tearing open. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself back in the basement.

He sat dazed on the cotton cushion, unable to comprehend what had just happened—where had he been, what were those colored sprites, the black, sky-piercing arm, and how had he returned? One question after another flooded his mind.

Suddenly, he sensed a warm current spreading from his abdomen, which now shone with blue, yellow, green, and red. The four colors blended and swept through his body, filling him with warmth.

Looking down, he saw the childhood scar on his palm fading away. Ye Bai felt as if he were shedding the dust of his former self, transformed, four colors of light gently flowing around him as he sat cross-legged like a deity descended.

He exhaled deeply, flexed his fingers, and felt the newfound power within. Standing slowly, his spine straight, his bones seemed to have been reforged, crackling within, while four distinct elemental forces cycled through his fists.

“I’ve broken through. I’ve broken through!” Ye Bai shouted in excitement, the sound echoing through the basement.

Suddenly, the basement door swung open. Ye Mu, having heard the commotion, ran in and threw her arms around her brother, a bright smile on her face.