Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, three days had passed. For these three days, Ye Tian had stayed in his room, doing nothing but cultivating. First, he consolidated his Power Realm, and then he mentally rehearsed the Fifth Form of the Flowing Cloud Sword Technique countless times.
Ye Tian discovered that this Fifth Form was far from simple. Its resulting moves had almost fifty percent more variations than the Fourth Form, and its power was vastly greater—a fact he knew from firsthand experience.
After the Fifth Form came the Sixth Form. Only by completely mastering all six forms would his cultivation of the Flowing Cloud Sword Technique be considered complete. But as for when he could begin cultivating the Sixth Form, he had no idea; he currently had no inkling or concept of it in his mind.
'By now, Elder Qing should have returned with the Eight-winged Golden Scale Python,' Ye Tian thought. 'I wonder what Ye Lin will look like with his second wing. One thing's for sure, his power must have increased significantly.'
'If Ye Lin fought that elder from the Liu Family now, I'm sure he could defeat or even kill him with ease.'
Ye Tian got out of bed and decided to go take a look outside. The Ye Family now stood alone at the top, their status in Lisha City higher than ever. There was no longer any need to worry about anyone having designs on them.
After opening the door, Ye Tian walked out. It was mid-morning. He found himself wandering over to the Martial Arts Training Ground, where many of the family's disciples were still training diligently.
However, when they saw Ye Tian, every one of them looked at him with reverence. Without Ye Tian, the Ye Family might have ceased to exist long ago. They were all deeply grateful to him.
The family disciples were also envious of Ye Tian's fearsome talent. In such a short time, he had shot up from being a lowly Outer Disciple to a Core Disciple, becoming the foremost expert of Lisha City's younger generation.
Ye Tian didn't feel awkward under their gazes and walked slowly across the Martial Arts Training Ground. Just as he was leaving, Elder Qing's voice echoed in his mind, "Young Master, return to your residence!"
Joy bloomed in Ye Tian's heart. He knew Elder Qing must have returned with the Eight-winged Golden Scale Python. With a flash, he vanished, leaving an afterimage as he sped toward his residence.
Ye Tian arrived in no time. He saw Elder Qing standing at the doorway, and hovering above his head was the Eight-winged Golden Scale Python. Except now, it had sprouted two wings.
"Thank you for your hard work, Elder Qing! Let's talk inside," Ye Tian said, opening the door and stepping in.
"Young Master, it was a stroke of luck that the Eight-winged Golden Scale Python managed to break through successfully. I was only fifty percent confident, so I never expected it to actually succeed. Now, I can leave feeling much more at ease," said Elder Qing.
"Was it difficult helping Ye Lin break through? I'm sure you must have paid a heavy price, Elder Qing!" Ye Tian said at once, noticing that the elder looked somewhat fatigued.
After all, Elder Qing was a supreme expert. For him to show any sign of fatigue was highly unusual. It was hard to imagine what he must have endured.
"It was nothing much. I merely expended some of my Spiritual Power. The key was the Eight-winged Golden Scale Python himself. If he hadn't been able to endure the pain of sprouting his second wing, it would have been useless no matter how much Spiritual Power I spent," said Elder Qing.
Ye Tian glanced at the Eight-winged Golden Scale Python and smiled. "Congratulations, Ye Lin! With two wings, your power must have increased significantly!"
"Boss, if I hadn't met you and Elder Qing, I wouldn't be where I am today. Elder Qing expended more than half of his body's Spiritual Power this time. It will take him at least several days to recover.
I'll have no problem taking on a Late Four Veins expert now, and I can even put up a fight against an Early Five Veins expert!" the Eight-winged Golden Scale Python said.
Ye Tian froze, stunned. He looked at the Eight-winged Golden Scale Python, then at Elder Qing, his face a mask of confusion. "Is Ye Lin speaking to me directly right now? And not through spiritual communication?"
"That's correct. When an Eight-winged Golden Scale Python grows its second wing, it gains the ability to speak. If it manages to grow a Third Wing, it can even take on human form. So he can now communicate with anyone," Elder Qing explained with a smile.
Joy filled Ye Tian's heart. 'That's fantastic! If Ye Lin can grow his Third Wing, he'll be able to accompany me out in the open. It will be so much more convenient for us brothers to get things done.'
"Young Master, Ye Lin's matter is now resolved, which means it's time for me to depart. While my protection is important, my constant presence is also a great hindrance to your growth. Now that Ye Lin is here with you, I can rest easy.
As long as you don't run into any supreme experts, I believe no one will be able to threaten you. Shen Li Palace still requires my attention, so I plan to leave shortly," said Elder Qing.
Ye Tian understood Elder Qing's intentions. "I understand. Rest assured, Elder Qing. I will work hard. One day, I will make Shen Li Palace the most powerful Sect in the Holy Land. I am confident of this, because I possess the world's one and only War Dragon Bloodline."
"That sets my mind at ease, Young Master. Before I leave, allow me to do one last thing for you. It will make things more convenient for you in the future," said Elder Qing.
Ye Tian blinked, confused about what else Elder Qing planned to do, and watched him with a puzzled expression.
"Ye Lin, come here. Endure the pain; it will be over quickly," Elder Qing said.
Immediately, a light flared in both of his palms. He began making rapid gestures, and the light gradually converged into a single mass. A few breaths later, a hexagram pattern appeared before Ye Tian.
This hexagram pattern was different from the one that had appeared when he and the Eight-winged Golden Scale Python formed their Soul Contract, but Ye Tian knew this was something profound.
The Eight-winged Golden Scale Python flew over and plunged straight into the hexagram pattern.
The hexagram instantly began to spin rapidly, its light growing so dazzling that Ye Tian, standing nearby, could barely keep his eyes open.
Ye Tian grew even more bewildered by Elder Qing's actions, but he could only watch in silence, waiting to see what the elder intended to do to Ye Lin.
After a moment, a pained cry echoed from within the hexagram. Ye Tian knew it was Ye Lin's voice; for him to cry out like that, the pain had to be immense.
A few moments later, the cries began to fade, but then Elder Qing commanded, "Young Master, take off your clothes! Quickly!"
Ye Tian didn't understand why Elder Qing was asking this of him, but he didn't hesitate for a second. He immediately stripped off his upper garments, revealing skin as smooth and fair as a young maiden's.
Elder Qing let out a great shout. "Go!" The hexagram pattern instantly stopped spinning. Immediately after, the form of the Eight-winged Golden Scale Python emerged, but its shape had changed—it had become as thin as a sheet of paper.
It then shot rapidly toward Ye Tian's body, and a searing pain instantly spread throughout his being. Ye Tian gritted his teeth and endured it, knowing this was no time for questions.
However, the searing pain lasted only for a few breaths before vanishing. Ye Tian looked down and discovered the image of an Eight-winged Golden Scale Python emblazoned on his chest. He suddenly understood. 'The Eight-winged Golden Scale Python... it must have entered my body directly…'
(Not feeling very inspired today! Come on, everyone, show some enthusiasm! Thanks so much!)