Chapter #24: Sudden realisation

...

The morning sun peeked over the horizon. Ye Chen stood by the window of his room, looking at the lush gardens and bustling activity below.

He took a deep breath then decided he would retreat and attempt to break through to the Heaven Immortal Realm.

Ye Chen gathered his supplies and carefully arranged them in his room. Spirit Stones, rare herbs, and various pills were placed right next to his bed. Before he started his retreat, Ye Chen went to inform his family.

He found them in the courtyard, enjoying breakfast together. His mother, Ye Xinyue, looked up and smiled as he approached.

"Chen'er, you're up early. Come, join us for breakfast."

Ye Chen smiled and shook his head. "I wish I could, mom. But today, I planned to retreat and attempt by breakthrough to the Heaven Immortal Realm.

All of them looked at each other then nodded. "Okay, I wish you luck, son." 

"Good luck, big brother." Ye Wenling hugged him tightly.

Ye Chen chuckled lightly then gently ruffled her hair.

...

Ye Chen picked up the items he needed from his room. Then he made his way to the family's Spiritual Garden.

The moment Ye Chen stepped into the garden, the familiar feeling came again. The plants seemed to respond to his presence, their leaves swayed gently as if they were welcoming him. He found the secluded area he's been using which is located near an ancient tree, whose massive roots intertwined with the earth, which then created a perfect sanctuary for his retreat.

Ye Chen sat down cross legged, arranging a bunch of herbs around him in a precise formation. He took a deep breath, turned on the circle, then closed his eyes. He began to channel the energy from his circle. The golden diagram within him resonated with the natural energy of heaven and earth.

As he delved deeper into his cultivation, Ye Chen extended his senses to the plants and herbs around him. Using his Elemental abilities, he manipulated the elements, infusing the garden with pure, concentrated aura. The plants absorbed this energy, their leaves glowing with a vibrant light as their quality and energy potency increased.

The spiritual beasts in the garden also benefited form his Cultivation. They roamed closer, their eyes reflecting a newfound intelligence and strength. Some of them began to exhibit elemental abilities, flames flickering around their bodies, lightning crackling in their eyes, and the earth itself responded to their presence.

...

Days turned into weeks, and the energy around Ye Chen intensified. A vortex of pure aura formed above him, swirling with incredible force. It drew in the surrounding energy, creating a powerful cyclone the engulfed a large part of the garden. The sky darkened, and bolts of lighting swayed and danced across the vortex.

The ground beneath him rumbled, and the air hummed with energy. The vortex grew larger, swallowing up the aura from miles around. The spiritual plants and beasts thrived in this environment.

Months passed...

The vortex began to diminish. The intense movements slowly subsided, and then the familiar serene and tranquil atmosphere re-appeared on the garden again. Ye Chen's cultivation had reached a critical point, and he felt the barriers of the middle Heaven Immortal Realm cracking.

With a final surge of power, the barriers shattered, and Ye Chen's aura exploded outward. He had successfully broken through to the middle Heaven Immortal Realm.

Ye Chen opened his eyes, feeling the immense power coursing through his veins. He looked around the garden, which had transformed into a paradise of unparalleled energy and beauty. He then turned his attention to the Spirit Stones he had been cultivating.

Using his enhanced abilities, Ye Chen transformed thousands of regular stones into Sky-Tier Spirit stones. He also managed to create a significant number of Tier 1 Elemental stones, each imbued with the essence of a specific element. He counted the stones, and there's 23 kinds of Elemental stones.

Ye Chen stood up, stretching his limbs and feeling the new strength within him. He had achieved another breakthrough, both in his cultivation and in enhancing the family's potential resources. The Spiritual Garden can now harbor plants and herbs to cultivate pills on the peak of Earth Rank.

He looked around at the thriving plants and powerful beasts, feeling a sense of accomplishment.

...

Ye Chen made his way back to the family estate. Upon entering the main hall, he found his family gathered for their usual evening discussion.

"I'm back." Ye Chen called out, "My retreat has come to an end. It's time to begin the harvest."

The next morning, the entire family gathered in the Spiritual Garden. The sight of the lush vegetation, glowing with vibrant energy, filled them with awe. The spiritual beasts roamed peacefully, their presence adding to the mystical atmosphere of the garden.

At this moment, Ye Chen decided to place half of his Spirit stones into the circle.

...

46,393,525 Square meter!

Because of Ye Chen's OCD, he decided to make it balanced.

50,003,525 Square meter.

Looking at the number, Ye Chen smiled. "Much better. And I'm halfway there already."

As the Ye Family's influence and prosperity grew, it inevitably attracted the attention of the major families within the Empire. These families, are long-established, and deeply rooted in their very own power and prestige, the have long noticed the Ye Family's sudden emergence and rapid rise with jealousy.

In a dimly lit room, representatives from the major families gathered around.

"The Ye Family's prestige is rising at an alarming speed." one elder said, his voice dripping with contempt. "We cannot allow them to surpass us."

"My spies have told me that they have the support of the Imperial family. " another pointed out, his tone was cautious. "Anyways, I will not be participating in this action."

A group decided to leave to meeting room.

One of them gave them a sneer. "The Zhu family is really timid, no wonder they're weakest amongst us four."

The head of the meeting, an influential figure from one of the most powerful families, leaned forward. "We will sabotage their operations. A few 'setbacks' and I'm sure their reputation will crumble. We must also ensure they cannot recover."

...

The next day, just as their plotting was about to set in motion, the King's advisors caught wind of their schemes. They immediately took action, knowing the implications of such a conspiracy.

An emergency meeting was quickly convened in the royal palace. The advisors, with their official robes, stood before the King.

"Your majesty, we have received intelligence about a plat against the Ye Family." one advisor reported. "Except for the Zhu Family, the other major families are planning to sabotage their operations."

The King's expression darkened. "Didn't I already gave them hints about my support for the Ye family? Tell them, tell them that I will not tolerate such underhanded tactics towards them."

The King stood, "Send a clear message to them. Inform them that any attempt to harm the Ye Family will be considered an act of treason against the Imperial Family."

...

The words travelled quickly. The major families received the warning with a mixture of shock the fear. The King's wrath was pretty well-know, an ancestor of a Major family, after breaking through the Divine Lord realm was directly beheaded by the King after he tried to rebel against the Imperial family.

In their luxurious halls, the leaders of the major families convened once more, this time with a much different tone."

We cannot go against the King," one elder said, his voice filled with resignation.

"It seems we have underestimated the Ye Family and it's connection to the Imperial Family." another muttered.

Unaware of the machinations that had nearly brought them down, the Ye Family continued their work.

With the King's support and their own strength, the Ye Family moved forward, undeterred by the threats that loomed in the shadows. Their prosperity and influence continued to grow, and they are now a force that can rival those Major families in the Empire.

Ye Chen's confidence soared. And he decided to breakthrough to the Divine Lord realm after he had reached the seventh milestone.

"I can't believe that it's only been a couple of months, and I can already complete another milestone." he muttered to himself.

...

Back at the Spiritual Garden, as he ventured into the depths of their Spiritual Garden. A realization hit him.

Despite all his achievements, his circle still is not able to cover a significant portion of the vast expanse of their family's spiritual garden, which stretched tens of thousands of miles in diameter.

His confidence turned into frustration real quick. "I guess I still have so much to do before I leave this Empire huh." he muttered as he sat on one of the branches of a large tree.

The scale of the garden is like a constant reminder of how much further he still had to go before he officially departs on the Empire. He knew by doing this, he could leave the family and Empire with great confidence.

...