Chapter 12 - The Sixth Stage! (2/2)

Ye Kongyan triggered his Celestial Chi via the Inner Thunderclap Energy Cultivation and gave a low snarl before lurching himself at Ye Chen. His palm cut through the air toward his target, emitting sounds of thunder from the force of his attack.

There was a strong gale before his enemy’s offense.

“Careful, Big Brother!” Ye Kongyan cried out before he hit him, still thinking of putting up a display of courtesy at this moment. After all, a Successor Chief should always show some grace and courtly manners before his clansmen!

‘He’s at the peak of the Fifth Stage!’ Ye Chen thought.

Ye Chen may have only attained an early Celestial Chi Fifth Stage but he had an unexpected advantage — the Celestial Chi coursing within his body was uniquely pure. In other words, Ye Chen could perhaps overcome Ye Kongyan!

‘Who would have expected this fella to have mastered the Roaring Thunder Fist to such a potent degree?’ In a split second, Ye Chen understood innately that Ye Kongyan had never once ceased training throughout these three years.

He sidestepped a little, evading the trajectory of Ye Kongyan’s powerful attack and in return, attacked him with his own Roaring Thunder Fist.

They were both performing the most basic of their family martial arts, and the two of them were equally good at seizing the others’ openings. It seemed that no one was slightly more advantageous in the melee by this point.

Meanwhile, watching from the higher stage where the altar was located, Ye Zhanlong and the rest of the Elders were more than pleasantly surprised.

“Didn’t Chen’er just recover, Big Brother? Yet look at him. His powers have recovered to that level! I’m more than positive that he’s going to break through the Sixth Stage in no time!” Ye Zhanlong exclaimed in elation.

“When it comes to martial arts acumen, no one would better suit the title of ‘Number One’ in their cohort than Chen’er himself!” Ye Zhanxiong chimed in just as happily.

Ye Zhantian laughed heartily as he stroked his beard. The best thing a father could ask for in his life was to see his son worthy enough to succeed him!

Ye Moyang’s eyebrows quaked furiously as their jubilant chatters caught his ears, his mind was far from the state of being calm. He still could not get past the revelation that Ye Chen’s meridian channels had recovered. How was he supposed to stomach this completely-out-of-the-blue fact that Ye Chen had managed to recover so much in such a short period of time? Ye Moyang smirked. ‘Do not speak too soon. The best part of the show hasn’t even started’

Ye Changxuan, however, had been quiet the whole time. As he watched the two duel on the ring, his expression was pensive. Ye Changxuan could feel that every one of Ye Chen’s Roaring Thunder Fists was flawlessly executed. Despite this martial arts technique being one of the most basic of their family techniques, Ye Chen had managed to execute it so tantalizingly that he had elevated it to a whole new level. ‘Could it be that the Ye clan is witnessing the rise of a true martial art prodigy?’

There was a loud peal in the air as Ye Chen’s and Ye Kongyan’s palms met. Ye Kongyan stumbled a few steps away but Ye Chen had only shuddered a little.

‘Did Ye Chen just gained an upper-hand?’ The clansmen had their mouths agape. ‘Had Ye Chen already reached the peak of the Fifth Stage?!’

Ye Kongyan was quite annoyed at the turn of the event. He may not have used all of his strength but he did not hold back so much to only look like a fool. He could tell that Ye Chen was truly at the peak of the Fifth Stage — perhaps even a small line to leap before the Sixth Stage. The feeling of Ye Chen catching up to him in a race was starting to throw his mind into a whirlpool of emotions.

Ye Chen’s meridian channels had been in shambles for three whole years, and now here he was, already getting so close to Ye Kongyan’s prowess despite just recovering. At this point, Ye Kongyan couldn’t help but ask, ‘Am I really this inferior?’ If it wasn’t for the aid of the Chi Deposition Pill, he would have already lost the match!

He took a deep breath to calm the tempest within him. Then, looking at Ye Chen, Ye Kongyan grumbled, “I didn’t expect for you to have achieved the peak of the Fifth Stage so soon, Big Brother Ye Chen. If that is the case, there will be no mercy!”

He gave a low growl and an uncontrollable explosion of Celestial Chi suddenly burst out from his body, blowing and flapping his clothes wildly into a rattle.

A gale-force chi expulsion? This could only mean that Ye Kongyan had already attained the Sixth Stage. Among their generation, Ye Kongyan had become the second Sixth Stage fighter after Ye Xuan!

The audience was turned into a furor. The Sixth Stage was considered in the league of masters. If the individual continued to develop himself, he could likely reach the Eighth Stage by the age of forty or fifty years old. Moreover, if they were naturally gifted, they could even reach the Ninth Stage! There were two Sixth Stage fighters in the family now which was the greatest thing this family had ever witnessed! Once Ye Chen broke through the rank barrier and attained the Sixth Stage, there would be three of them in the family. The future of the Ye clan was bright!

“Who would’ve known that Ye Kongyan had reached the Sixth Stage too? Congratulations, Elder Ye Moyang!”

The Elders quickly turned to Ye Moyang to express their praise, while Ye Moyang replied them with a grateful Baoquan gesture; he was smiling so wide that his face looked cramped. Yet, deep inside, he was feeling surly — had it not been that Chi Deposition Pill, Ye Kongyan may have never been able to break through to the Sixth Stage even after two or three years. What they were seeing now was just the result of a Chi Deposition Pill combined with Ye Moyang himself pumping his own Celestial Chi into his son’s body to force him to that stage. Meanwhile, Ye Chen had always been prodigious before the incident, and now, so soon after his recovery, he had managed to reach the peak of the Fifth Stage yet again! How could Ye Moyang not feel depressed at the thought that his son was just too inferior when compared to Ye Chen?

Seeing Ye Kongyan’s gale-force chi expulsion, Ye Chen furrowed his eyebrows. ‘I didn’t expect this fellow to have advanced to the Sixth Stage too,’ he thought. After all, the chasm between the Fifth and the Sixth was far wider than the gaps between other Stages. If it was not for that, there would not be that many people stuck on the plateau of the Fifth Stage.

Now, even with the abnormally pure Celestial Chi within his body, Ye Chen was not exactly sure that he could prevail over a Sixth Stage pugilist.

“Be careful now, Big Brother Ye Chen!” A flash of bellicosity sparked in Ye Kongyan’s eyes. The impact of chi gales was well-known to all pugilists. Combined with the fact that Ye Kongyan had only attained the Sixth Stage not long ago, it would not be his fault to lose acute control of his own strength. ‘In other words,’ Ye Kongyan added in his mind, ‘don’t blame me if I accidentally hurt you!’

Of course, Ye Kongyan had aimed to leave a little more than scratches on his opponent. If he could inflict just a little bit of internal damage on Ye Chen’s body, it was all the better for him.

A huge sweep of wind tore through the air and Ye Chen could feel every part of his skin stung as if needles were forcefully prodded into him. The Celestial Chi within him was thrashing wildly too. It seemed that a gale-force chi expulsion was pretty lethal to Fifth Stage fighters!

Now, Ye Chen was akin to a little rowing boat in the midst of an ocean storm. His state was very precarious indeed!

The crowd was sweating cold for Ye Chen. The difference between a Fifth Stage and Sixth Stage fighter was beyond measuring the amount of Celestial Chi stored in a body. In fact, five or six Fifth Stage fighters might not even be able to win one Sixth Stage rookie!

From where they were sitting, Ye Zhantian’s eyes had not moved from the scene. His right hand was gripping the side of his chair tightly as droplets of sweat glistened on his skin. Every calmness he had in his heart had completely left him. However, he was not the only one. Ye Rou, Ye Xuan, and everyone else was fearing for Ye Chen as well!