C13 The Enthusiastic Senior Brother

Lee Zhenfeng was blissfully unaware that his image as a peerless hero had crumbled in Ye Chen's eyes due to his portly stature.

With fervor in his gaze, he addressed Ye Chen, "Junior Brother Ye Chen, while I'm on duty at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, feel free to seek me out if you encounter any cultivation issues. I'll be there to guide you."

Lee Zhenfeng saw that Ye Chen was only at the Body Tempering Realm and decided to take advantage of his time at the temple to help his junior brother advance his cultivation.

As the most gifted of his generation and the eldest senior brother of the Polaris Holy Land, he felt it was his duty to offer guidance to a junior brother whose cultivation was lacking.

Thus, Lee Zhenfeng resolved to assist Ye Chen in enhancing his cultivation over the coming period. He aimed to at least bring him to the perfection stage of Body Tempering. He believed that once he helped Ye Chen reach this level, his junior brother would hold him in even higher esteem.

"I'll surprise Master Zi Yuan when he emerges from seclusion, making up for the trouble I've caused at the temple," he thought, content with his plan.

Lee Zhenfeng intended to pass on some swordsmanship and martial skills to Ye Chen during his Body Tempering training to bolster his combat abilities.

In Lee Zhenfeng's mind, Ye Chen would surely be thrilled with the boost in cultivation he was offering. After all, increased strength meant a longer lifespan, and even if one couldn't break through to a higher realm, being stronger was always beneficial for self-defense.

However, these were Lee Zhenfeng's assumptions. Ye Chen was entirely disinterested. He was confident that it wouldn't take long for him to catch up to his rotund eldest senior brother without any assistance.

Life went on as usual for the pair. Ye Chen continued his daily tasks. Then, with Lee Zhenfeng's eager guidance, he practiced cultivation for some time and learned the sword techniques his senior brother shared.

Throughout this time, Ye Chen carefully concealed his talents, responding to the eldest senior brother's warmth with only a cursory effort, as he wasn't ready for anyone to discover his abilities just yet.

And so, time continued to slip away swiftly.

Each day, Ye Chen never missed an opportunity to check in. Once he finished tidying up the Imperial Ancestral Temple, he would go about checking in at various locations.

He had traversed nearly every mountain range, taking the chance to check in while meandering through the area.

Ye Chen's check-ins were primarily at the Imperial Mausoleum, mainly because the eldest senior brother was there, keeping a watchful eye on him daily, which restricted his ability to freely venture out.

Whenever he tried to leave without engaging in cultivation, Lee Zhenfeng would assert his authority as the eldest senior brother and insist that Ye Chen practice cultivation alongside him.

The sight of the portly eldest senior brother asserting his authority was somewhat comical to Ye Chen.

It was akin to a charmingly fierce pet, whose attempts at intimidation were endearing rather than imposing.

If it weren't for the need to keep his power under wraps and to ensure his continued growth, Ye Chen would have long since unleashed his full strength and sparred with the eldest senior brother for three hundred rounds, just to show that he wasn't the novice in the Body Tempering Realm that the senior brother perceived him to be.

Of course, Ye Chen was aware that his current level of cultivation was far from weak, but he also knew that he would likely be defeated in a confrontation with the eldest senior brother.

Being in the middle period of Soul Nurturing and lacking significant battle experience, it was a tall order to challenge someone in the late period of Soul Nurturing who had weathered countless battles. The odds of victory were slim.

Instead of challenging the eldest senior brother's authority, Ye Chen acquiesced to his demands, following the training regimen laid out for him.

Ye Chen's plan was to humor the eldest senior brother, biding his time. If they ended up becoming friends, that would be a bonus. At the very least, he would have made his first friend in the Polaris Holy Land.

While guarding the Imperial Ancestral Temple, Lee Zhenfeng sought out Ye Chen numerous times, eager to impart martial skills and assist in enhancing his cultivation.

It seemed as though Lee Zhenfeng couldn't rest until he had significantly boosted Ye Chen's strength.

Lee Zhenfeng procured a substantial number of Body Tempering Pills and handed them over to Ye Chen, encouraging him to use these pills for his cultivation.

He was quite generous, suggesting that there was an abundance of them to consume.

It was clear that he was intent on advancing Ye Chen's cultivation to the pinnacle of the Body Tempering stage.

Had Ye Chen actually been at the Body Tempering stage, the sight of so many Body Tempering Pills would have thrilled him. Unfortunately, that was not the case. His actual cultivation level had reached the middle period of the Soul Nurturing stage, and he was on the cusp of breaking through to the late period. Thus, no matter how many Body Tempering Pills he had, they would be of no use to him.

Despite this, faced with the eldest senior brother's fervor, Ye Chen had no choice but to graciously accept his kindness.

Lee Zhenfeng made it clear: refusing the pills would be tantamount to disrespecting him as the eldest senior brother and rejecting his friendship.

In addition to the Body Tempering Pills, Lee Zhenfeng imparted a sword technique to Ye Chen. This was a profound Xuan level technique, with formidable power. Mastered to its full potential, it could rival earthly level sword techniques in might.

Yet, Ye Chen had already mastered an array of martial skills far superior to this sword technique, and he lacked the interest to dedicate himself to its practice. He went through the motions, practicing half-heartedly just to appease his eldest senior brother.

Even with a half-hearted effort, Ye Chen's cultivation at the middle period of the Soul Nurturing stage, combined with the innate abilities of his Yin-Yang Holy Body, made significant progress with the sword technique, leaving Lee Zhenfeng astounded. He marveled at Ye Chen's natural aptitude for swordsmanship, deeming him a prodigious talent.

Ye Chen couldn't help but feel a bit helpless in the face of his eldest senior brother's astonishment.

Nevertheless, he deeply appreciated the genuine goodwill, knowing that the eldest senior brother meant well.

Through his time with Lee Zhenfeng, Ye Chen recognized the remarkable talent of his senior. While not quite on par with his own Yin-Yang Holy Body, it was still exceptionally rare within the ranks of the Polaris.

The eldest senior brother had joined the Polaris at a young age, quickly rising to become a personal disciple within just a few years. His strength and renown grew steadily, and now he had risen to the esteemed position of the eldest senior brother within the Polaris.

Despite his portly appearance, Lee Zhenfeng was truly a dragon among men, a hidden dragon in the depths, awaiting the moment to soar into the heavens.

While Zi Yuan was in seclusion, Lee Zhenfeng's days were mostly spent in front of the Imperial Ancestral Temple, serving as its guardian, aside from teaching Ye Chen martial arts.

Lee Zhenfeng's presence didn't significantly disrupt Ye Chen's routine. He maintained his usual duties, tidying the Imperial Ancestral Temple, replenishing the lamp oil, and practicing his cultivation—nothing out of the ordinary.

However, Ye Chen's dedication to his training intensified. Aware of the demon's infiltration of the Imperial Ancestral Temple, he understood the importance of gaining combat experience to prepare for any future threats.

Seizing an opportunity, Ye Chen stealthily made his way to the Fellbeast trial grounds, specially constructed by the Polaris Holy Land.

The trial grounds were home to numerous Fellbeasts, captured by the Polaris for disciples to hone their skills against.

Once there, Ye Chen unleashed various martial techniques he had acquired, such as the Thirteen Swords of Pursuit, decisively dispatching the Fellbeasts.

Armed with his spiritual weapon, Ye Chen could swiftly vanquish early-stage Soul Nurturing realm beasts. Only those in the middle stage could withstand his attacks for a brief time.

Nevertheless, Ye Chen exercised caution, avoiding any Fellbeasts beyond his capability to ensure his safety.

His life consisted of daily check-ins and occasional visits to the trial grounds to challenge Fellbeasts, sharpening his martial skills. Through this regimen, his strength continued to grow steadily, never ceasing.

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