Volume One: Entering the Path Chapter Seventy: Astonishing All with Skill

Returning once more to the stone tablet, Ye Junze did not rush to begin the test. Instead, he nodded toward Sun Yu, who stood nearby, and said, “Teacher, I’m about to start the new test. You can begin timing on your side as well.”

Sun Yu nodded in response, indicating his understanding, and replied, “Alright, do your best.”

With that, Sun Yu stepped back, preparing to observe Ye Junze’s next assessment, his gaze now even more focused.

Seeing this, Ye Junze no longer spoke, concentrating on the stone tablet before him, which still bore a shallow indentation from the previous test.

“Let’s hope I can achieve the ideal result this time,” Ye Junze thought to himself.

He shook his head, suppressing all distracting thoughts, and prepared to devote himself entirely to the trial ahead.

Ye Junze recalled the method for controlling the little cauldron, which he had learned when it first took shape. As he recollected the instructions, he began to act in accordance. His hands moved ceaselessly, and as he performed these actions, the cauldron in his grasp seemed to be drawn by some unseen force. It floated slowly from his palms, rising until it was level with his head, then hovering steadily before him.

Witnessing this, Ye Junze breathed a slight sigh of relief, though his hands continued their motions, faster than before. With his intensified efforts, the little cauldron began to change anew. Flickers of light emanated intermittently from its surface; at times it swelled, at times it contracted. Bathed in this radiance, the cauldron seemed to grow larger overall.

Among the crowd, a few who had been watching Ye Junze since the start noticed that the cauldron, previously about the size of a human head, now appeared even bigger. Doubting their own eyes, they rubbed them, only to find upon looking again that the change was real. As Ye Junze’s hands moved, the cauldron continued to expand, far surpassing its earlier size.

The witnesses’ gazes were filled with wonder, curiosity stirring in their hearts, though they knew there would be no answer to the mystery.

Ye Junze, absorbed in his control of the cauldron, was unaware of their reactions. Seeing the cauldron grow as the instructions described, he felt secretly pleased, inwardly marveling. He focused even more intently, knowing this was only the beginning, and that the transformation was far from complete.

With his efforts, the cauldron’s change became unmistakable to the naked eye. Once the size of a human head, it now seemed to have expanded severalfold, its width comparable to an adult’s waist. If before it could be called head-sized, now it was half the size of a person. It looked as though it could easily contain someone of similar stature.

This tangible transformation was not only evident to the onlookers, but Ye Junze himself felt it most keenly.

After so long in motion, Ye Junze sensed a faint pressure building in his hands.

“I think this is enough. Any more and it might be counterproductive,” he murmured.

His hands, which had been moving ceaselessly, finally stilled. Gazing at the imposing cauldron hovering overhead, Ye Junze nodded with satisfaction, thinking, “Let it be so. Now, show me your power.”

No sooner had he finished this thought than the crowd saw him raise his hands to the base of the cauldron, as if preparing to lift it. Those with a clear view noticed a subtle gap between his hands and the cauldron—he was not actually touching it.

What the crowd could see, Ye Junze himself was even more aware of, but this was not for show. Only he understood his purpose.

Then, they watched as Ye Junze, his hands poised beneath the cauldron, thrust them forward with force, uttering a sharp command, “Go!” It was as if he hurled the cauldron forward with all his might.

The cauldron responded instantly, gathering what seemed like boundless energy, surging with irresistible force toward the stone tablet before him!

A thunderous roar erupted—deafening, relentless. Those students closest to the impact instinctively covered their ears, unable to bear the noise. Sun Yu, though surprised, showed no other reaction. Seeing some in the crowd dazed by the blast, he quickly formed a seal with his hands, and a transparent barrier silently enveloped the area, protecting everyone inside. Once the barrier appeared, the deafening sound vanished at once, and those affected gradually regained their senses. With everyone unharmed, Sun Yu relaxed and continued observing Ye Junze.

“This boy, who would have thought he could cause such a commotion? Luckily I reacted quickly, or we’d have another disaster on our hands,” Sun Yu thought to himself.

Accompanying the uproar, smoke billowed endlessly. As time passed, the noise faded, and the smoke thinned, dispersing.

When the last wisps of smoke vanished, everyone—including Ye Junze and Sun Yu—turned their eyes to the stone tablet.

The massive cauldron had disappeared, as expected; the strike had exhausted its power, and its dissolution was no surprise. No one lingered over this, for what followed was enough to shock them to their core.

As they gazed at the stone tablet, they saw a hole the size of the cauldron, piercing straight through from front to back, with cracks radiating from the edges. It looked as though a mere touch would shatter the whole tablet into pieces.

Though the stone tablet had not splintered as Sun Yu had done earlier, the scene was enough to astound the crowd. Such destructive force was utterly beyond their capabilities, and they could not help but regard Ye Junze with strange, complicated emotions.

Sun Yu’s appraisal of Ye Junze rose once more as he witnessed the scene.

“Is he really just a student still in the Qi Refinement stage? Even some who’ve reached Foundation Establishment might not be capable of this,” Sun Yu pondered.

“Are there truly such prodigies in cultivation? If someone had told me so before, I wouldn’t have believed it. But after seeing this child, I have no choice but to believe.”

Ye Junze, the cause of their astonishment, remained unaware. Seeing the large hole in the tablet, he gave a barely perceptible shake of his head, seemingly dissatisfied with his own achievement.

“To think that even a full-force strike couldn’t match what Teacher accomplished. Still, I did my best. For now, this is good enough. Next time, I’ll strive for a greater breakthrough,” he reassured himself, resolving to train even harder.

He seemed to forget the gap in cultivation between himself and Sun Yu. Though Sun Yu had suppressed his power when striking the tablet, Ye Junze was still far from comparable. If Sun Yu knew Ye Junze’s thoughts, he would surely give him a sharp knock to dispel them. After all, for a Qi Refinement student to compare himself to a teacher was laughable.

Shaking his head, Ye Junze stopped dwelling on it and considered instead, “I didn’t expect the cauldron to expend all its spiritual energy and vanish, but at least it can be manifested again. With this experience, the next cauldron should be even better.”

“Thank you for your hard work,” Ye Junze murmured softly to the hole in the tablet, as if expressing gratitude to the cauldron that had helped him accomplish all this.

After his shock, Sun Yu naturally shifted his gaze from the tablet to Ye Junze. Seeing Ye Junze standing there as if stunned, Sun Yu smiled, thinking, “Is he so surprised at his own achievement that he’s been frightened silly?”

He shook his head, saying to himself, “Impossible. I must be mistaken.”

Then Sun Yu walked over to Ye Junze, and upon reaching him, patted him on the shoulder. “What are you thinking about, so lost in thought?”

Noticing Sun Yu’s approach, Ye Junze replied, “Teacher.” Then he added, “Nothing really.”

“That’s good. I thought you’d been scared silly, but it seems I was worried for nothing. As long as you’re alright,” Sun Yu said.

Ye Junze scratched his head, a bit embarrassed, and said, “No such thing, sorry to make you worry.”

Sun Yu waved his hand, signaling there was no need for thanks, then praised, “Well done. To achieve this in the Qi Refinement stage, there are only a handful in Anze’s history.”

“Teacher, you flatter me. It’s thanks to your guidance that I could advance so quickly,” Ye Junze replied modestly, not forgetting to credit Sun Yu for his success.

Sun Yu smiled in satisfaction. “You’re good with words. Alright, go rest for a bit; I assume you don’t plan to attempt the test again?”

Ye Junze shook his head, indicating he did not.

“Then head over there. I’ve already calculated your results; once the other students finish, you’ll receive your reward,” Sun Yu said.

“Alright, thank you, Teacher,” Ye Junze nodded, then followed Sun Yu’s instructions and moved away.