I Just Wanted To Live but I Somehow Became Better Than the Protagonist

They were immensely curious about how Ye Yong had managed to acquire this literary aura during his brief return; if possible, they too wished to obtain it.

Unfortunately, throughout his recounting, Ye Yong had not mentioned the crux of the matter, rambling on without substance. The painting beauty ended up doing the work for him, helping to package the gifts.

Over a hundred gifts—Ye Yong alone would take quite some time to sort them all.

“Thank you, sisters, for your help.”

Ye Yong returned the gift boxes to his ring, planning to present them to the senior and junior sisters of the Yinhua Hall when the banquet began later.

The painting beauty was not one to give up so easily. Seeing Ye Yong sit down to rest, Hua Ming immediately moved behind him to knead his shoulders, while Hua Xin prepared tea beside him.

Ye Yong enjoyed the moment, but it was still best to resolve any issues at the first opportunity.

“Given our level of familiarity, there’s no harm in speaking plainly.”

Hua Ming and Hua Xin exchanged glances, as if silently urging the other to speak. After a moment, Hua Xin shyly placed the brewed tea before Ye Yong and said, “I wonder if you’ve noticed, Brother Ye, that you’ve acquired a certain aura of literary Dao?”

“Well… I really hadn’t noticed,” Ye Yong replied, thinking at first that his spirit pet had merely consumed an experience pack, leaving him with no benefits. Now, reminded, he realized it was his soul that had gained something.

When a living being touches upon a certain Dao, they generate an aura unique to that Dao, commonly referred to as Dao Yun. This aura deepens one’s understanding of the Dao, enhances the techniques employed, and allows others to enjoy a bit of the benefits. After all, comprehending the Dao under the influence of Dao Yun can yield twice the result with half the effort.

It’s no wonder that certain secret realms, magical artifacts, and ancient relics drive people to madness; they carry the Dao Yun of powerful beings. If one can successfully comprehend it, a rapid rise in cultivation is not merely a dream.

For ordinary cultivators to generate Dao Yun within themselves, they must reach the Nascent Soul stage to begin understanding the Dao. Yet here was Ye Yong, still in the Stone Stage, already possessing it. A brief trip home, and it was no wonder Hua Meiren was so unsettled.

“Did you gain some kind of opportunity, or…” Hua Xin quickly added, “We’re not asking you to answer; we’re simply curious. If it’s something you can’t share, please don’t feel pressured.”

“Actually, it’s not much of a secret. A few days ago, on a whim, I composed a poem and inadvertently triggered a resonance with the Great Dao.”

“A whim?” “Inadvertently triggered?”

Hua Ming and Hua Xin exchanged looks, while Ye Yong spoke as if it were the simplest thing in the world. If it were truly that easy, the number of literary cultivators wouldn’t be so few.

“May I hear the content of the poem?” This question came from Mu Qingyin through Hua Ming’s lips.

Hua Meiren had come to find Ye Yong not at her behest, but it was rare for the two paintings to act with such autonomy. She allowed Hua Meiren to proceed, observing in secret, never expecting to receive such explosive news.

A poem capable of invoking a resonance with the Great Dao must surely be a timeless masterpiece. At this moment, Mu Qingyin, a literary enthusiast, was even more eager to know than Hua Ming and Hua Xin.

Ye Yong cleared his throat, and with the subtle vibrations of the air, he recited the lines. The living room quickly fell into silence.

This wasn’t the first time he had encountered such a situation, and he gave them ample time to react.

After a moment, a system notification indicated a change in favorability: Mu Qingyin +3.

“Truly a timeless masterpiece,” Mu Qingyin mused, increasingly unable to see through Ye Yong. He seemed to bring new surprises at every turn. Yet, considering the future, as the hall master, she felt compelled to offer a few words of caution: “You possess extraordinary talent, but…”

It was much like what the elders of the Ye family would say—essentially, she wanted Ye Yong to avoid losing himself and to remain steadfast on a single path.

Ye Yong nodded earnestly, and seeing his humble demeanor, Mu Qingyin felt a sense of relief. If other young people possessed such talent, their noses would likely be in the air by now.

With an additional 2 points of favorability gained, Mu Qingyin withdrew her thoughts, allowing Hua Ming and the others to praise Ye Yong as they pleased.

Lunch was no different from usual, but after gifts were distributed to everyone, the spirits of the senior and junior sisters soared, singing and dancing until nightfall. Ye Yong spent the entire time surrounded by women.

He deeply understood why kings avoid morning court and indulge in wine and feasting.

Amidst the intoxicating scents and melodious voices, it was truly difficult for a normal man to remain composed. Fortunately, Ye Yong had cultivated a divine body, his spirit firm; otherwise, any other cultivator might have already succumbed to temptation. As for the consequences of such actions… heh…

When the banquet concluded, Ye Yong informed everyone of his intention to enter seclusion. He then used a communication stone to notify Qin Shiming and Liang Xiaorou of this news. Finally, he reserved ample cultivation resources for Wu Xue and Hua Ningyan before locking himself in the seclusion chamber, drinking spirit liquid and gnawing on pills.

To be honest, the spirit liquid was quite delicious, sweet and rich in flavor, but even the finest things can become tiresome with frequent consumption.

Fortunately, after reaching the Crystal Stage, Ye Yong could alternate between spirit liquid and pills; otherwise, he might have faced the same situation as during his Foundation Establishment period, where he overindulged in pills to the point of nausea.

The eighth spirit vein remained as gluttonous as ever, and Ye Yong’s conversion of spiritual power was not fast enough to keep up with its appetite. However, when he noticed its absorption rate slowing, he knew he was on the verge of a breakthrough.

For some reason, he had the odd illusion that his cultivation was influenced by the loud release of gas from his eighth spirit vein after it had overeaten. After the release, it continued to feast, entering another cycle.

Twenty days passed in the blink of an eye, or so it seemed.

After enduring twenty torturous days, with a rumble within his body, Ye Yong successfully broke through to the fourth layer of the Crystal Stage.

—

110 News of the Secret Realm

Twenty days to reach the fourth layer of the Crystal Stage—truth be told, this speed was not slow. However, without considering the foundation and the excessive resources consumed, this progress was merely passable. An ordinary cultivator could at least reach the fifth layer, while those with better aptitude could surpass that.

Yet, there were both drawbacks and benefits. Ye Yong’s eighth spirit vein consumed a great deal, but at critical moments, it also released a significant amount of spiritual power. This allowed him to wield heavenly-level sword techniques at the Crystal Stage, and it was indispensable. Not to mention strength, just in terms of spiritual power storage, Ye Yong believed that the combined capacity of his eight spirit veins had reached the mid-stage of the Golden Core level.

Having been in seclusion for quite some time, Ye Yong calculated the days and realized that only two days remained until the secret realm opened. It was time for him to prepare.

Stepping out of the seclusion chamber, he found it was afternoon. The harsh winter had passed, and warm spring had arrived, with the sunlight just right. The yard was free of snow, and the previously bare trees began to sprout tender leaves, everything as beautifully depicted in poetry.

Wu Xue was certainly engaged in practical training, while Xia Shiqi and Xia Shijia were temporarily out of sight, likely off wandering somewhere. As a wolf pet with a high sense of self-management, it was quite normal for them to entertain themselves. Moreover, Ye Yong was not worried about them encountering trouble at Echo Peak; it was more accurate to say he hoped they wouldn’t cause any.

Stepping into the room, Hua Ningyan sat with her eyes closed, immersed in her cultivation. Ye Yong sensed her level of mastery—it remained at the seventh layer of crystallization—but the spiritual energy within her was in a state of remarkable abundance, clearly striving to solidify her foundation, unwilling to risk a careless breakthrough.