Chapter 288: Extreme Training

Yun Che succeeded, but only he truly knew the pain and peril involved. It was a miracle that he survived consuming so much fresh Royal Profound Dragon blood with a Spirit Profound Realm body and managed to refine most of its energy, even with his Evil God Profound Veins and the Great Way of the Buddha. Without this miraculous survival, Yun Che's fate would have been absolute death.

Yet, having just escaped the abyss of pain and death, Yun Che, as if driven by madness, once again plunged himself into the same ordeal.

Just minutes later, Yun Che's bones and body ruptured once more. His skin instantly turned a terrifying charred black, and his life force was reduced to a mere flicker. Yet, just like before, this faint spark of life stubbornly refused to be extinguished.

The peculiar silver tower reappeared, and the entire process unfolded almost identically to the previous time.

The difference was that this time, Yun Che rose to his feet in just six and a half hours. The blackness receded from his body, signifying a second rebirth of his entire physique!

His profound strength also surged to the early stage of the Spirit Profound Realm Level Three!

The Demon Man stared intently at Yun Che, exclaiming in shock, "How did you... do that!"

The majestic Demon King of the Illusory Demon Realm was asking a mere seventeen-year-old boy "How did you do that!" with an astonished tone.

Before today, not only others but even he himself would never have believed he would utter such words to a junior.

What Yun Che demonstrated at this moment unleashed an unquenchable torrent of shock within him.

The blood and flesh of high-level profound beasts are not to be consumed carelessly. Even a Sovereign must be extremely cautious when partaking of a Royal Profound Beast's flesh and blood. For a Sovereign, this serves as an excellent tonic, capable of significantly boosting their profound strength without requiring arduous cultivation. Furthermore, it is virtually impossible for a Sovereign to hunt a Royal Profound Beast of the same level alone. Even a peak Royal Profound Realm expert would find it easy to defeat but exceedingly difficult to hunt the lowest-tier Royal Profound Beast.

Consequently, even a Sovereign has very few opportunities in their lifetime to partake in the treasures derived from a Royal Profound Beast.

Yet Yun Che, a mere Spirit Profound Realm practitioner, was drinking the blood and eating the meat of a dragon-type Royal Profound Beast... and miraculously survived! The outcome of this unbelievable, unimaginable feat was, naturally, incredibly astonishing. In less than a single day, Yun Che's profound strength had directly surged by two levels!

As the Demon Man watched Yun Che stand, with the colossal Flaming Dragon behind him, a thought uncontrollably surfaced in his mind: Could Yun Che be slowly consuming the entire Flaming Dragon, transforming it into his own power?

After two immense perils and two near-death rebirths, Yun Che felt that his flesh and skin, far from becoming weaker, were now brimming with even greater power. His bones, tempered by the impact of dragon blood and meat, had grown tougher, his blood slightly thicker, and even his internal organs possessed a strange new sensation of power.

The nightmarish hunger he had experienced completely vanished. Looking at his reborn body and feeling the surge of power, Yun Che grinned. It seemed heaven was constantly favoring him; every time he gambled with his life, it concluded in victory. Such triumphs, unique in all the world, could only happen to him. Any other individual with comparable profound strength would have long since been reduced to a pile of charred remains.

He looked at the Demon Man and said in a low voice, "I have no obligation to answer your question. I'll tell you again: to get out of here, I will... kill you!"

Watching Yun Che's resolute gaze, the Demon Man fell silent for a moment, then chuckled softly. "Good! I suddenly find myself looking forward to that day! My profound strength is currently suppressed to the Royal Profound Realm. Do you truly believe the gap between the Spirit Profound and Royal Profound realms is so easily bridged?"

Yun Che said no more. He put away the Flaming Dragon's body, picked up Dragon Fault, and unleashed his full profound strength, swinging the sword with ferocious power. Each strike whistled deafeningly, demonstrating unparalleled might.

The immensely heavy Dragon Fault swept through the air in Yun Che's hands, stirring up vast grey shadows. The suppressed underground space began to fill with continuous gales. To consolidate his surging profound strength, the best method was to unleash it repeatedly with full force. At this moment, Yun Che solidified his objective: to elevate his profound strength, the only thing he could and must do in this place.

An hour later, Yun Che was breathless. He strapped Dragon Fault to his back, sat down, and quickly entered a meditative state. All fifty-four profound entrances of his profound veins opened, and a torrent of profound energy rapidly circulated within his body.

Time passed swiftly in meditation. Eight hours went by unnoticed. Yun Che opened his eyes; his body was once again filled with profound energy, but hunger pangs gnawed at his stomach.

"I'm hungry again," Yun Che murmured, touching his stomach. Under the Demon Man's watchful eyes, he summoned the Flaming Dragon again, cut a large piece of meat from its colossal tail, drained the dragon blood, and held it in his hand, beginning to roast it with profound fire. This time, however, his hunger was not as intense as yesterday's. He roasted the meat unhurriedly and methodically, and soon, its delicious aroma filled the air, making Yun Che's mouth water.

The exquisite taste of dragon meat is world-renowned, unmatched by any other profound beast. However, few individuals across the entire Profound Sky Continent are fortunate enough to experience it. The subtle, indescribable aroma of the dragon meat wafted gently towards the Demon Man, making his nostrils twitch and his fingers convulse. For a demon who hadn't eaten in a hundred years, this most luxurious scent in the world was an undeniable and overwhelming temptation, enough to make him lose control.

But how could a dignified Demon King beg for food from a junior? He bit the tip of his tongue, turned his face away, and blocked his sense of smell. Yet immediately, he heard the sounds of Yun Che's teeth tearing and chewing the dragon meat, and his fingers trembled so violently they almost flew off their joints.

The side effects soon followed, and Yun Che immediately faced another baptism of endless pain and risk. This time, however, Yun Che was not only still incredibly resolute but also appeared more at ease. As the power of the dragon meat surged, he even casually drank the drained bowl of dragon blood.

The Flaming Dragon, instantly killed by Jasmine and almost forgotten by Yun Che after more than a year in the Sky Poison Pearl, proved invaluable in this underground space. It not only saved him from starvation but also provided a method to rapidly enhance his profound strength, despite the immense pain. As the Demon Man had predicted, after his first and second successes, Yun Che's body ruptured under the third energy impact. This time, however, he only needed five and a half hours to absorb the dragon's power and restore his body. From then on, he began a relentless cycle of sword practice, meditation, sword practice, meditation. He ate dragon meat when hungry and drank dragon blood when thirsty, repeating this incredible process over and over.

Throughout this process, Yun Che's profound strength rapidly escalated at a speed that could only be described as defying the heavens.

In terms of pure power enhancement, this place was ideal for Yun Che. In the outside world, he could never have focused without distractions; various people and events would constantly hinder or disturb him. Here, however, it was dim, quiet, and isolated. No one could bother or distract him, and the only person present was also bound. Crucially, everyone connected to him in the outside world became the driving force for him to rapidly increase his power and break free from this place.

Therefore, he dedicated all his time to cultivation—cultivating with a single-minded frenzy! His sole objective was to kill the Demon Man and escape this place as quickly as possible. To achieve this, he suppressed all worries and longing, focusing on nothing else.

Profound Cloud Continent, behind the Tai Su Gate.

The emerald bamboo forest and the small bamboo hut they had built together were Su Ling'er's favorite places to visit. Although Su Hengshan repeatedly warned her not to come here alone, she couldn't help but sneak over, often sitting in front of the hut for an entire afternoon. Just sitting there, basking in the bamboo forest's breeze, repeatedly thinking of that night with him, filled her with happiness.

On this particular afternoon, just like many times before, she secretly came here alone. Leaning against the bamboo hut, hands supporting her tender cheeks, her watery eyes gazed at the swaying green bamboo. Occasionally, she'd let out a silly giggle, lost in thought.

Time slowly passed, and as dusk approached, it was time for her to leave. Su Ling'er stood up, looking down at herself—her small hands, small feet, delicate body, and a chest that hadn't yet begun to develop. Her lips pouted, and she said wistfully, "Oh... when will I grow up? I wish I could grow up tomorrow, then Brother Yun Che would come and marry me."

Lost in these maidenly daydreams, Su Ling'er mused with a mix of longing and happiness. Just then, a grating voice suddenly broke through the quiet.

"Oh? Isn't this my dear sister? Why are you here alone? Ah, I know! Are you here again, missing your... Brother Yun Che?" Su Haoran emerged from nowhere, slowly approaching Su Ling'er with a smirk.

"Brother..." Su Ling'er had always felt distant, even somewhat repulsed, by Su Haoran, yet she politely addressed him. Then, with an obedient tone, she added, "Yes! I think about Brother Yun Che every day and wait for him to come back soon."

"Hahahahahaha!" Su Haoran burst into laughter as if he'd heard the funniest joke. "Oh, my silly sister, you truly make me laugh uncontrollably... Sigh! Well, everyone understands some things, but no one wants to be the one to tell you. Since I'm your brother, I should at least consider your well-being, so I'll be the bad guy here. I advise you to abandon these unnecessary fantasies. Your 'Brother Yun Che' will never come back for you. His promise to marry you, made to Father, was merely a temporary excuse concocted at the time to deal with your second uncle, Su Hengyue."

Su Ling'er instantly lifted her head, her small face flushing with anger. "You're lying! Brother Yun Che told me he would marry me when I grew up... You're lying! You're lying!"

"Heh, only an ignorant little girl like you would believe such lies," Su Haoran sneered, curling his lip. "That Yun Che's background is many times superior to our Tai Su Gate. And his wife... Hmph!" Su Haoran gritted his teeth in envy. "Not only does she look like a fairy, but her strength surpasses even our great-grandfather's! What part of you can compare to her? With such a perfectly flawless companion by his side, why would he ever take notice of a mere ten-year-old girl like you! Forget him, no one would claim to marry a ten-year-old girl after just a day. What he said was simply a whim, a charade acted out to casually help Father resolve the issue with your second uncle, and only you would believe it."

As for the reason, it was probably because that beautiful woman was injured and unconscious, and Father allowed them to stay and recuperate. Naturally, people from such transcendent families wouldn't want to owe a favor to someone like us, whom they consider a low-tier family. So, he simply offered a small assistance as repayment for the favor, yet you actually fantasize that he will truly return to marry you. Most likely, he has already forgotten the very name 'Tai Su Gate' by now, let alone remembering you.