The moment Ye Chen plunged into the small pool, he felt every sinew and bone in his body ripple. Countless mysterious energies, like swarms of tiny insects, poured through his pores, coursing through his limbs.

Under the migration of these strange energies, the bones within him underwent earth-shattering changes, rapidly transforming as if coated in a hard enamel, making his physical form intensely robust.

Ye Chen knew the limits of the situation; he didn't linger. Once he felt the transformation settle, he vaulted swiftly from the pool and dashed into the room. He stripped off his clothes, retrieved a vessel from his Rune Space, wrung his damp garments tightly, and squeezed out the Celestial Spring Water.

Before long, he had managed to collect about half a basinful.

Ye Chen’s eyes flashed brightly. He quickly secured the vessel, along with its contents, into his Rune Space, storing it in the Rune Starship for cold preservation. This Celestial Spring Water, having bathed his body, rendered him immune to all poisons, and he himself could now neutralize any toxin.

This immunity was not generalized; it specifically referred to the one hundred most terrifying poisons of the Ancient World.

Having seen to this, Ye Chen donned the peak Divine Set he had acquired from the Demon God Palace, activating its camouflage mode so it appeared as plain, unremarkable clothing.

For the next few days, Ye Chen rested within the dwelling. While meditating, he discovered that cultivating atop the Epoch Divine Wood increased the circulation speed of energy within his body by over a hundredfold. His bones were shedding their old forms at an astonishing rate, and his lifespan was skyrocketing. Previously, consuming the Longevity Grass had added 100,000 years to his life.

Later, in the Demon God Palace, he had spent 500 years of that lifespan.

Now, sitting cross-legged on the Epoch Divine Wood, merely two days of cultivation made him feel as though he had gained 2,000 years of life!

The shock Ye Chen felt was beyond measure. If he cultivated here for a full year, wouldn't his lifespan increase by hundreds of thousands of years?

During these two days, he retrieved one of the Nine Lives Leaves from the Nine-Life Tree and swallowed it. This leaf could only be consumed once; further ingestion would trigger immunity unless one consumed a Divine-level Nine-Life Leaf.

Once swallowed, the leaf was not dry but smooth and supple, sliding down his throat effortlessly before transforming into a surge of vigorous vitality that expanded throughout his body, suffusing every limb and bone. He felt as if every pore was breathing, suffused with an indescribable pleasure.

Ye Chen sensed his skin subtly tightening, becoming tougher, smoother, and exceptionally elastic.

“My current lifespan has reached 200,000 years, surpassing that of an ordinary Pseudo-God expert! When the usual Demigod expert undergoes their breakthrough transformation, nourished by the cosmos, they are granted 20,000 years of longevity. Upon breaking through to Pseudo-God, their lifespan balloons to 100,000 years!”

Ye Chen clenched his fists, his eyes blazing with keen light. “With a 200,000-year lifespan, activating Blood God Mode amplifies my strength by 2,000 times! Stacking this with my other secret arts, my current total secret art amplification reaches 20 million times!”

Twenty million times!

Even within the Supreme Genius Hall, that placed him squarely in the middle tiers!

Benefiting from the Nine Lives Leaf experience, Ye Chen quickly entered the virtual world and began searching under the "Longevity Potions" category. He found countless items capable of extending life—a dense, uncountable variety.

Ye Chen’s eyes swam from the sheer volume, but he noticed that many of these life-extending medicines shared identical attributes. For instance, after consuming the Nine Lives Leaf, any consumption of ordinary medicinal herbs with similar properties was instantly neutralized.

Lifespan was the ultimate cheat.

The laws of the cosmos dictated birth, aging, sickness, and death—the cycle of reincarnation.

Anything that extended lifespan inherently defied the Heavenly Way; its very existence was a rare occurrence, which is why most such items shared attributes and could not be stacked.

As for the drugs that didn't stack, most only added a few thousand years. Those capable of adding tens or even hundreds of thousands of years existed, but their prices were outrageously steep.

“Hm?” Ye Chen suddenly spotted an item tucked away in a corner of the virtual window: “Dragon Bone Flower. It adds 1 million years to lifespan. The consumer’s constitution must reach Divine strength, or their meridians will self-destruct, resulting in an explosive death.”

“Price: 6,000 True God Stones!”

Ye Chen pondered for a moment, then decisively chose to purchase.

“Six thousand True God Stones could buy sixty intermediate Divine artifacts. The price of this Dragon Bone Flower is anything but ordinary, but it is one of the few longevity-enhancing drugs that doesn't share the attributes of the Nine Lives Leaf and the Longevity Grass.”

Ye Chen felt a pang of financial pain, but he quickly navigated to the Demon God Palace’s warehouse, finding it stacked with numerous divine stones. He immediately instructed Zixiang to count out 6,000 stones, retrieved them, secured them in his Rune Space, and set the transaction delivery address to his residence within the Supreme Genius Hall of the Yan God Empire.

“Once I return and pay the stones, I’ll receive the Dragon Bone Flower.” Ye Chen’s eyes brightened. With this flower, his lifespan would increase by 1 million years. Under Blood God Mode, his secret art amplification factor could jump to 11,000 times!

At that point, the total sum of his secret art amplification would instantly skyrocket to hundreds of millions of times!

“Ordinary people’s secret arts absolutely cannot achieve such terrifying cultivation speed. Alas, this Blood God Secret Art was created by my Heavenly Dao Master; it is rare in this world. As long as lifespan is sufficient, it can ascend indefinitely. Perhaps even Master Bai Ya never imagined the art could grow this fast.”

Ye Chen’s heart thrilled. Once the multiplier reached hundreds of millions, he could become a member of the Blazing Dragon Hall, truly cementing his status as an ultimate genius, renowned across the entire Ancient World and drawing intense scrutiny from other nations.

It would be something the Supreme Genius Hall could never hope to compare with.

A few days later, Elder Han, who had been expected, finally returned. He was a white-bearded old man clad in simple blue robes, possessing a benevolent expression. Upon entering the courtyard and spotting Venerable Bai Ya, his eyes lit up. He smiled warmly, “You must be Elder Bai Ya of the Yan God Empire. I have heard your name often. Your slaying of the Three-Headed Beast God from the Dark Great World back at the Red River in the South Sea shook the world; I remember your face!”

Bai Ya smiled faintly. “Those are past matters, hardly worth mentioning.”

“Don’t be so modest.” Elder Han smiled slightly, his gaze falling upon Ye Chen nearby. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. “Is this your apprentice?”

“Indeed.” Venerable Bai Ya smiled. “This time, I have brought my young disciple here because I have a favor to ask.”

Elder Han glanced at Ye Chen, pondered for a moment, and said, “Speak freely.”

Venerable Bai Ya looked at Ye Chen and gave a slight nod.

Ye Chen understood immediately. He stepped forward, looking up at the white-haired, white-bearded Elder Han. Despite the elder’s deliberate attempt to restrain himself, Ye Chen still felt a stifling pressure emanating from him. He bowed slightly and said sincerely, “Esteemed Elder Han, I am Ye Chen. I have come here with a request: I wish to see Miss Bai Yijun of your noble family.”

Elder Han’s face snapped taut. His eyes fixed intently on Ye Chen as he frowned, “You wish to see the Third Miss?”

“Yes.” Ye Chen bowed his head sincerely. “I beg Elder Han to grant me an introduction. I will be eternally grateful and repay the favor someday!”

Elder Han scrutinized him for a moment, then slowly shook his head. “It is not that I refuse to help, but that I cannot allow it! Several years ago, the Third Miss was suddenly taken by the Clan Head to the Medicine Realm. It is said she cultivates within, and no one is permitted to disturb her. If you wish to see her, you may return in four months.”

“The Medicine Realm?” Ye Chen’s heart sank. Thinking of the virus that once afflicted Bai Yijun, a sharp pain pierced his chest. Suddenly realizing something, he blurted out, “Why can I see her in four months?”

Elder Han frowned. “I am not entirely clear on the specifics, but it was said by the Third Miss herself when she entered the Medicine Realm. She declared that the Young Hero Tournament would be postponed by five years. Thus, in four months, the five-year period will conclude, and you may come to witness the Young Hero Tournament, and you will see the Third Miss then.”

Ye Chen’s spirit jolted. He clenched his fists, his blood boiling, his expression complex. After a long pause, he asked, “What is the Young Hero Tournament?”

Elder Han smiled gently. “This was arranged by the Clan Head. The Third Miss has reached a marriageable age, and princes from various nations have come presenting betrothal gifts. However, the number of talented young men is too great to choose from easily, so the Clan Head organized the Young Hero Tournament. Only the victorious hero will earn the favor of the Third Miss!”

Ye Chen was deeply shaken. A savage fury surged from the depths of his soul, his entire body wreathed in a menacing aura. His fists cracked as he squeezed them.

Startled by the sudden eruption of emotion, Elder Han quickly recovered and smiled faintly. “I see the divine power within you is mighty, like charging horses. During the Young Hero Tournament, you will surely stand out. Perhaps you can even break into the top ten, which would qualify you for a cup of wine with the Third Miss.”

Ye Chen’s eyes shone with a chilling light, and his voice was low and rough. “Elder Han, who exactly are the contestants entering this event?”

Elder Han didn’t overthink it and replied cheerfully, “They come from all corners—many geniuses from great civilizations, princes from other Empires, and perhaps even members from the Ten Great Divine Temples. Countless people across the Ancient World wish to marry the Third Miss. However, the minimum requirement to participate in the Young Hero Tournament is an amplification factor of 10 million times, and the participant must be at the Demigod realm!”

Ye Chen’s pupils contracted; his internal rage burned.

A minimum of 10 million times amplification?

With the Bai family’s influence, they had likely attracted truly rare, top-tier geniuses.

Ye Chen gritted his teeth, his muscles tense. His fingernails dug deep into his palms; the fury threatened to consume his rational mind.

“Do your best!” Elder Han said with a slight smile, then nodded to Venerable Bai Ya.

Venerable Bai Ya glanced at Ye Chen, sighed internally, waved his hand, and said, “Let’s go!”

“Farewell, safe travels,” Elder Han called out cheerfully.

Venerable Bai Ya returned the courtesy, then whisked Ye Chen away, his speed like the wind, descending the mountain slope. They soon reached the city gate, where the man in white was on duty. They walked over immediately. “We are leaving.”

The man in white smiled. “Staying a few more days?”

“Next time,” Venerable Bai Ya sighed.