Chapter Fifty-Eight: Elevation of the Heart

The Spirit Emperor, once a figure at the very pinnacle of the Martial Soul Continent, now resembled a lamb awaiting slaughter—imprisoned in the void, quietly awaiting the arrival of death.

Fifth Master’s expression remained unfathomably calm. The arrival of these people had never been beyond his grasp. With Ye Feng about to enter the imperial capital, it was inevitable that certain individuals would grow restless, dispatching assassins as a matter of course. Rather than waiting passively, it was better to present a deliberate flaw—luring the fish to bite. After all, this was his own territory, and acting here posed little inconvenience.

Clearly, this was a carefully laid snare. Using Ye Feng as bait to draw out such formidable enemies was entirely worthwhile, especially with Fifth Master present—there was simply no one capable of harming Ye Feng.

Crunch, crunch...

As expected, the two Spirit Emperors suspended in the void were devoured in a mere two bites by the giant ape. For it, Spirit Emperor-level humans were an unparalleled delicacy.

Elsewhere, Ye Tianya and Elder Xiao had also concluded their battles; both Spirit Kings fell, their deaths unsurprising.

Whereas not a single Spirit Emperor had fallen in the past centuries, in just these past two days, they had perished like shooting stars. Should news of this spread, it would surely cause a tremendous upheaval.

Yet, it was clear that none present intended to publicize these events. Once the battlefield was cleared, Fifth Master erased the memories of all the guards, and everyone returned to their rooms, resuming their sleep as if waking from a dream.

Back in his room, Ye Feng’s once-restless heart finally found rare tranquility. Those Spirit Kings and Emperors he had long regarded as godlike proved so pitifully powerless—before Fifth Master, they were as fragile as newborn children.

He could not help but imagine Fifth Master’s realm, filled with longing and aspiration.

After a while, Ye Feng suddenly laughed. “I almost lost my way. On the path of cultivation, who hasn’t advanced step by step, painstakingly? There’s no such thing as soaring to the heavens in a single bound.”

“But it is time to head for the capital. Many have been unable to restrain themselves, coming to investigate, and by now, the display of power has surely delivered its intended effect.”

With a faint smile, Ye Feng sat cross-legged. All that had transpired today had shaken him deeply. In this moment, his mind finally opened up.

No matter how shrewd one’s mind, before absolute strength, everything else is of little consequence.

He exhaled slowly, entering a meditative state.

A rosy glow radiated from his body, his skin shimmering with a crystalline luster. Beneath the surface, spiritual power flowed, tangible and substantial, wrapping him completely. The vital essence of heaven and earth gathered from all around, surging toward Ye Feng.

As he cultivated, the flowers and grasses in the courtyard, even the trees along the paths, began to emit faint green lights. On this late autumn night, when branches and leaves should have been withered, new shoots unfurled and tender leaves emerged. Ye Feng’s body seemed to possess great magnetism, drawing in the world’s spiritual energy.

After two hours, golden flames blazed from his body, radiant as if a fire were burning. The spiritual power stored in every acupoint surged forth, each point brimming with inexhaustible vitality that slowly seeped into his limbs and bones, refining his flesh anew.

Ye Feng relaxed, his mind immersed in an ethereal state—soon, he seemed to become illusory, merging with the void, united with heaven and earth.

Outside, the giant ape stared unblinking at the trembling flora. Countless new buds and shoots burst forth, as if streaks of green light were drifting about.

As time passed, the verdant life force became visible to the naked eye—a misty green fog enshrouded Ye Feng’s room.

Two days elapsed, yet Ye Feng remained seated in meditation, the surrounding spiritual energy growing ever denser, misty as vapor.

Power surged within him like a tide, and Ye Feng persisted in his cultivation, repeatedly tempering his body.

At nightfall, moonlight poured softly down; distant beasts howled, but Ye Feng remained as calm as a mountain, his heart utterly serene. The spiritual techniques he had mastered imprinted themselves upon his soul, deepening his understanding.

The path of cultivation was elusive and hard to grasp, but the realm could be approached gradually, experienced with a clear and ethereal state of mind.

This was a revelation, an experience—Ye Feng felt his spirit ascending, his mind moving though his body sat still, the world brightening before him.

Sensations flooded over him.

Suddenly, he felt himself like a meteor, flashing through the river of time. The world changed, the ages passed—who would remember such a fleeting life?

Compared to the eternal heavens and earth, the experiences of a single lifetime were utterly insignificant.

“Meteors are brief, yet they shine with the most brilliant splendor. If a life can burn as brightly as a meteor, then let it illuminate a single path forever.

Life, too, can be eternal!

Though the founder of the Star Palace belonged to ancient times, even now, none dare forget.”

“To leave beauty in the world, one must possess sufficient confidence.” Ye Feng grasped a thread of true meaning, discovering the eternal direction for his cultivation. Breaking through the fog, his state of mind rose to a new level.

Time flowed swiftly—seven days passed in a blink.

Under the watery moonlight, in the same world, Ye Feng’s state of mind had utterly transformed.

These seven days felt timeless, as if he had merged with heaven and earth, his body and spirit blending into this very space. He could vaguely perceive strands in time and space itself—the purest spiritual energy, the very foundation of all supernatural arts.

A streak of dawn split the void.

Golden rays poured across the land. Infinite vitality rippled outward—apes howled, tigers roared, birds sang, insects chirped—the living world vividly unfolded within Ye Feng’s mind as he fully awakened.

Even with his eyes closed, he could see everything nearby.

He saw the giant ape standing motionless by the door, the guards at their posts, the early risers on the streets—and even those still entwined in their quilts at dawn.

With a single thought, his spiritual sense swept outward and returned at lightning speed. He released it again and again. Whatever this power was, he understood that it would give him a decisive advantage in future confrontations.

His heart and mind had ascended. The rest would follow naturally. From the Demon King’s Domain, he produced a “Dragon Essence Fruit” and swallowed it whole—a torrent of spiritual energy coursed through his body like a dragon.

Endless spiritual energy rushed through his flesh over and over, until it condensed into a spear, striking against the barrier within.

Agony!

It was as if ten thousand blades and swords pierced through his flesh and bones, tempering his sinews and meridians again and again.

Another seven days passed. The spiritual energy slowly dispersed, returning to serenity, as if nothing at all had happened.

On this day, Ye Feng pushed open his door and stepped outside. His journey to the capital was imminent. Now, he finally possessed the strength to stand proud among the younger generation!