The Zhou Sacred King went to visit the College Chief as soon as he arrived at the Nine State College.
As the sacred king of the Great Zhou Sacred King, his status was definitely not something Ye Futian, as he was then, could have matched. It was difficult for Ye Futian to see Saint Jiang or the college chief, but the sacred king was easily able to see both. That would have lasted unless Ye Futian became a saint.
By then, Ye Futian would have been more than simply a lord of a holy land. Once he truly became a saint, his status would have equaled to that of any lords of holy lands from a certain perspective. The awkward treatment they have received back in Nine State Forum would have naturally been no more.
He would have finished his first stage of medicine tests if he would last for another nine days. Sage Douzhan’s passing of his divine catastrophe was near as well. Furthermore, it was near the end of the year and the Nine State City seemed to be brewing a storm in secret, and it was only a matter of time before something was about to happen in said city.
Ye Futian, while he was in the Herb Garden, knew of the sacred king’s arrival and was able to feel something brewing.
His teacher would have passed the ordeal soon and once Sage Douzhan became a saint, the sacred king would have been allowed to kill his teacher personally, per the rules of the sacred war.
The sacred king was there for Ye Futian’s teacher.
Ye Futian performed a set of martial arts movements in the early morning. His Imperial Fist was massively powerful. While he had only perform the set with their forms instead of invoking their true powers, but the vague force imbued within was unmistakable. Dazzling sheen glowed throughout his body, making him look regal and holy.
A sonic boom was heard in the air. Ye Futian clenched his fist and a powerful current of rules flowed around his body, as if the light of the stars enclosed his fist. However, the light seemed to have been transformed into particles, yet every single particle bore immense mass. The air trembled when a punch was launched.
It was apparent that he had developed a new kind of power—the Rule of Particles. The particles themselves were devoid of any offensive powers. They could have only been devastating when combined with powers of other types.
Booming trembles were heard in the compound and Ye Futian only stopped after going on for a while. There were sweat all over his body, yet he had never felt so refreshed before.
He took a deep breath and his expression looked electrified. His body seemed to be filled with immense power. The testing processes that he had been enduring for 72 days had rendered his body and spiritual will far more powerful that they had ever been. Every single test brought forth considerable change, and the end of every stage marked a rebirth.
There was only the last stage of tests remained. The round of tests were considered complete after another nine days.
“Futian.” A figure was seen walking by and it was none other than Little Butterfly.
Having gone through 72 days of medicine tests meant that he became very familiar with Little Butterfly. They have spent 72 days being near each other after all.
“You’re early,” Ye Futian smiled and said.
“You’re at the last stage now. The stage would be over if you would be able to last this day,” Little Butterfly said to Ye Futian. It seemed as if she had been more concerned than Ye Futian for over the past two months, as she was by his side as he went through the tests.
She was finally able to get the mental burden off her shoulders after today.
As with before, the first day of every stage was the most difficult. So long as he was able to make it past the first day, his life would have no longer been in danger.
As such, that day with the most important.
“The preparations are done?” Ye Futian asked.
“Yeah, I’m just waiting for you to get there,” Little Butterlfy answered.
“Let’s go then.” Ye Futian smiled and called, “Yu Sheng.”
Yu Sheng stepped out and followed them. He had been by Ye Futian’s side every day as Ye Futian went for the tests.
Both of them came to the pool and Little Butterfly stopped moving altogether. Ye Futian turned around and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I’m not going in. I’ll be waiting for you outside instead,” Little Butterfly smiled and said to Ye Futian.
Ye Futian was puzzled, but he quickly nodded after seeing the smile in her eyes. “Alright, I’d be off then.”
“Right.” Little Butterfly smiled and nodded.
Ye Futian and Yu Sheng walked inside and made it to the pool.
Little Butterfly simply sat at the steps outside with her back facing the pool. She did not look at what was going on, but she was able to peer with her spiritual powers nonetheless.
Her eyes were locked forward while her hands were on her knees, as she stood quietly at the steps.
A painful grunt was heard from the pool and she shuddered in response. However, she struggled to keep herself from turning around to look, as she dared not see what was actually happening.
That was the last life and death ordeal, and furthermore, one that was far more forceful than any of the tests that came before.
She was simply pretending to be relaxed when she was talking to him earlier. Even though Ye Futian had been able to endure the eight stages prior, she still did not have absolute certainty of his survivability in the one he was about to face.
She grew reluctant to face the test, and it was probably due exactly to it being the last stage. If he was unable to make it, that would have been a cruel twist of fate.
Voices continued to be heard, and they were all suppressed grunts of pain from Ye Futian. Despite sitting outside, she nonetheless felt very tense. Every single voice she heard wound her tighter.
Time passed very slowly.
Voices were still heard from Ye Futian, which was a good sign as it proved that he was still alive and well. That was until everything turned silent all of a sudden.
Little Butterfly felt tense when she heard voices, yet when everything turned silent, she had gotten even more tense instead. Her hands were held together tightly.
“Boom!” At that moment, a huge boom was heard and it seemed as if the medicinal pool was boiling in rage as well, as if a storm was whipped up.
She was unable to sit around any longer and stood up, turning around and headed straight for the medicinal pool.
She was then dumbfounded at the edge of the pool before what she saw.
Her breathing was somewhat rushed. She seemed to have thought that something bad had happened to him right before that.
However, a terrifying storm was seen brewing within the pool. Spiritual Qi ran amok and boundless power gushed into his body, which became to very center of a frightening vortex.
The power of the pool was being devoured by his body in a frenzy, refining it and making it increasingly perfect. His entire body glowed as a result.
Ye Futian’s breath was getting stronger.
That was the sign of him breaking into the next plane.
A beaming smile was seen in her eyes. Her eyes were still reddened, but she was smiling and they looked beautiful.
She knew that all of that ordeal was behind them now.
That round of tests did not end up taking away Ye Futian’s life. That mental burden she had been shouldering for so long was finally lifted.
It was a sense of relief like no other.
After spending so many days together, she came to consider Ye Futian, the sunny and funny man he was, to be a good friend of hers. If he were to die in the medicinal pool that she concocted personally, the resulting suffering that she would have had to endure would have been unimaginable.
It was fortunate that everything turned out just fine.
Not only did Ye Futian not die during the process of medicine testing, he had actually broken into the next plane, becoming a upper level sage. Coupled with refinement of his body during the months he had spent in the Herb Garden, his powers had grown to a totally new level compared what they were before he came to the Herb Garden.
Yu Sheng’s fists loosened unconsciously. He knew that if Ye Futian was able to make it through that day, there was nothing to be worried about in the next eight. Ye Futian’s life would have no longer been in any danger.
The violent currents within the pool subsided after some time and Ye Futian walked out from the pool. He got himself dressed and smiled at both Yu Sheng and Little Butterfly.
That round of medicine tests did not claim his life; it had enabled him to break into the next plane instead. His body had undergone rebirths throughout the processes as well.
At the level of Sage Plane he was then, even if he were to simply stand around and do nothing, there were few at his current plane that were capable of harming him.
“You did it,” Little Burtterfly smiled and said.
“Yeah.” Ye Futian nodded and continued, “Thank you for everything so far.”
Little Butterfly had been around all the while when he was undergoing those tests. She even had to craft the medicines personally.
“Your teacher would soon make it pass his ordeal as well. When this stage is over, I’d tell teacher to allow you to leave, and maybe he would forget about the next two rounds,” Little Butterfly said.
“Well, it’s been quite a ride and I’m going to miss it.” Ye Futian shrugged and said with a smile, “Spending my days here bathing and having someone pretty to attend to me. Some treatment indeed, eh?”
“Well then, I’d tell teacher to continue with the rest then. You don’t look like you need any rests given how much you’re enjoying the experience,” Little Butterfly smiled and replied.
“Nonononono…” Ye Futian shuddered at the thought of it. He looked at her sheepish expression and wondered when did she learn how to do that.
“Let’s go. We’ll go see teacher,” Little Butterfly said.
“Alright.” He nodded. He had ended up getting something beneficial from the calamities that he had to endure, and he was wondering if he should thank Saint Jiang personally.
All three of them came to Saint Jiang’s side. Sage Douzhan and Xu Chehan were there as well.
Xu Chehan knew at the very instant he saw Ye Futian that the Palace Lord from the Barren State had successfully made it past that round of tests. Ye Futian had accomplished something that no one had been able to accomplish before.
Saint Jiang took a good look at Ye Futian and said, “It seems that this round of tests would no longer be able to threaten you in any way. Congratulations.”
“Thank you for taking of me and my teacher for so long,” Ye Futian said as he bowed slightly.
“Don’t get excited so early.” Saint Jiang continued, “Your teacher is now fully capable of making it through his ordeal now, and of course, he can continue to refine his body to have even better chances at it. However, I’m calling him here to deliver a bad news. Since you’re here now, I might as well tell you at the same time.”
Ye Futian’s eyes grew severe. Bad news?
“The sacred king was here at the Nine State College and he had paid a visit to the college chief. Said chief came to see me just moments ago,” Saint Jiang said.
Ye Futian’s expression went cold. What did the sacred king do?
“You should know well that the sacred war between the Great Zhou Sacred Dynasty and the Barren State was sanctioned by Emperor Xia. The Nine State College was in an inconvenient position to interfere, but I was helping Douzhan because you agreed to undergo the medicine tests. The sacred king did not interfere with how I went about my business as well.” Saint Jiang continued further, “However, if I were to help Douzhan refine his body further, that would have meant that I interfered in the affairs between you people and the sacred dynasty. The college chief said that if you wanted to still stay around as guests, you were more than welcomed to do so. But if Douzhan intends to continue making it through the divine catastrophe, it would be inconvenient for him to continue doing so in the college.”
Ye Futian knew what Saint Jiang meant with his words. The sacred king was a sovereign after all, and he would not have been stupid enough to interfere with what Saint Jiang was doing. He had no right to do so and Saint Jiang would not have entertained him as well.
However, it was inconvenient for the college chief to refuse Sage Douzhan and tell him not to pass his ordeal outside of the college’s grounds. It was unthinkable for the college to deliberately cover for them while the war was still ongoing after all.
It was as Ye Futian had expected. The sacred king was here for his teacher!