Chapter Sixty-Seven: The Awakening of the Little Leek

Over the course of a single night, Xu Chen advanced the current Three Cicada Transformation Arts to their highest level. An exuberant vitality surged forth from deep within him. As the force of the Three Cicada Transformation Arts circulated, that vigorous life energy gathered within his organs, heart, and blood.

Gazing at the sky tinged crimson in the east, Xu Chen suppressed the urge to immediately challenge the Twelve Overlapping Waves avatar. Daytime was for cultivation; the night belonged to his “cheat.” On the mountaintop, he guided his blood energy, drawing the first rays of morning sunlight into his body. The pain, sharp as a knife’s edge, made him only slightly furrow his brow.

“I wonder when I’ll finally break through,” he mused, lifting his head to stare at the newly risen sun.

After a morning of training, Xu Chen had just descended the mountain when he was approached by Ye Bai, who had come specifically to find him. Xu Chen’s eyes brightened; no one ever disliked having more spirit coins. Though delighted inwardly, his expression grew solemn.

“What brings you here?” Xu Chen feigned a hint of hostility in his tone.

“I’m here to settle the karma between us,” Ye Bai replied. “But after thinking it over, you’re only of ordinary talent. Sooner or later, I’ll defeat you. Even if you resent me now and retaliate in the future, I’m not afraid. I’ve realized that my previous behavior during our fight was childish. That’s why I’ve come.”

Ye Bai walked toward Xu Chen, the strength of his aura and blood energy intensifying with each step.

“I just wanted to tell you that our feud ends here. I’m no longer an eleven-year-old kid and won’t be so immature as before. If you wish for revenge, you can come find me.”

Like someone freeing himself from inner demons, Ye Bai exhaled deeply, looking at Xu Chen with a calm demeanor.

Such a hot-blooded, reckless youth—who taught him to be this way? Xu Chen couldn’t help but grumble to himself.

“Well, do you have anything else to say? If not, the road lies before us—we’ll each go our own way.” Ye Bai cupped his hands to Xu Chen. Seeing no response, he simply boarded his spirit vessel and flew off.

“My carefully cultivated chives…” Xu Chen watched Ye Bai’s departing figure with a hint of reluctance.

On the small square outside the gate, Xu Chen saw Little Fox Yue practicing her cultivation. At that moment, she was dancing—a style sometimes soft and feminine, sometimes bold and masculine, with a faint undercurrent of murderous intent.

“The Three-Colored Fox Clan’s blood-qi foundation method looks rather complex,” Xu Chen observed.

Little Fox Yue had just finished her practice.

“Brother Xu, this is the Blood-Qi Foundation Dance of my Three-Colored Fox Clan—the Moon-Slaying Dance. I’ve just begun to grasp it recently.”

---

Fox Yue looked at Xu Chen with watery eyes. “If you have something to say, say it.”

“Brother Xu, could you spar with me? Lower your strength to match my realm,” Little Fox Yue begged, hands together in pleading.

“That’s easy enough, but if I hurt you, don’t cry,” Xu Chen laughed.

“Alright, Brother Xu. I currently have the strength of three tigers,” Little Fox Yue declared, rushing at him.

In less than half a quarter of an hour, Little Fox Yue returned home in tears.

“Perhaps I was too forceful just now?” Xu Chen rubbed his chin, deciding to be gentler next time.

That afternoon, Xu Chen devoted himself to training the Twelve Overlapping Waves Body-Strengthening Method, his mind drifting to how he would tackle the avatar that night.

Twilight arrived in a blink, and as Xu Chen prepared to finish for the day, a dark shadow swooped down from the sky.

A Thunder Eagle landed nearby, clutching a letter in its beak.

“Mail has arrived!” Xu Chen said with delight, taking the letter from the eagle.

Back home, he eagerly opened it.

“The patriarch of the Wei family is celebrating his ten-thousandth birthday. Mother wants me to attend for the festivities, hoping to snag a red envelope,” Xu Chen frowned, having little fondness for the Wei family.

Whenever he visited, his mother acted especially humble. Aside from being spared the chores of a servant, she was treated little better than one. The Wei family was prosperous, with many distant relatives like him, but he was considered the least talented, never once receiving a proper glance from anyone there.

Of course, there were none of those melodramatic scenes of abuse found in cliché novels.

“Should I go?”

“If I don’t, Mother will be disappointed. After all, she always hoped the Wei family might secure a future for me.”

“I’ll go—at worst, I’ll just be invisible again.”

As Xu Chen made his decision, another immortal crane descended from the sky, delivering a strange letter into his hands.

Xu Chen opened it to find his unreliable grandfather inviting him to attend the Wei patriarch’s grand celebration. The format made it clear it was a mass invitation.

“Five days from now, then—I’ll go.”

Night fell, and in the Sacred White Space, Xu Chen shouldered the Thousand-Forge Blade and pushed open the wooden door to the Twelve Overlapping Waves Body-Strengthening Method. He coated the blade in Corrosive Blood Juice, and held a Burning Blood Pill and Seven Wounds Balm in his palm.

The Twelve Overlapping Waves avatar regarded Xu Chen with calm, detached eyes.

“Looks like you’re quite confident this time.”

“Of course.”

Without further words, Xu Chen charged at the avatar, blade in hand.

---

This time, Xu Chen went all out. With every step toward the avatar, a barely perceptible force flowed from the earth to his opponent. His blood energy surged to the limit, hearing and vision heightened to the maximum.

The avatar sensed the special force flowing from the earth into his body, and his expression grew serious.

“You’re quite strong now,” he remarked, then rushed Xu Chen, his aura transforming into a raging sea—layer upon layer of invisible waves crashing toward him.

“I have my own tricks!” Xu Chen retorted.

A phantom Sacred Ape appeared behind Xu Chen. The battle erupted instantly.

Because Xu Chen wielded a blade, the Twelve Overlapping Waves avatar could only counter with force, shaking the air to block his weapon.

“Waves surge to the sky!” the avatar shouted, unleashing his strongest palm strike. Xu Chen, instead of advancing, retreated; risking grave injury, he seized the opportunity to slash the avatar’s chest.

A loud bang echoed as both retreated. The Twelve Overlapping Waves force exploded within Xu Chen’s body.

With the protective power of the Vajra Five Forms, the avatar’s force was halved. The remaining energy burst within Xu Chen, damaging his organs and meridians instantly—but after the injury, a rich vitality healed his wounds.

Xu Chen spat a mouthful of blood, wiped his lips, and, gritting his teeth, charged at the avatar once more with his blade.

The avatar’s expression twisted with pain. Xu Chen’s slash had pierced his heart, and the poison from the Corrosive Blood Juice on the blade now saturated his heart.

“Were you waiting for this strike?”

“You guessed right,” Xu Chen replied.

His powerful vitality stabilized his wounds, allowing him to fight on.

“I thought I could torment you a while longer—what a shame!” the avatar forced his energy to move, launching another attack at Xu Chen.

“Fall, this is your fate!” Xu Chen declared.

He began to entangle the avatar, knowing that the longer the battle lasted, the greater his advantage.

The poison spread through the avatar’s heart and organs. His speed slowed, his strength waned.

With a dull thud, the avatar could no longer hold out and knelt before Xu Chen.