chapter 8 Breakthrough to the third level of warrior ===

"Cruel? I'd like to see for myself how cruel you can be." Lily Zhao showed no fear and said to Tom Ye. As her words fell, she advanced towards him.

This time, she drew a long sword directly from her waist and swung it towards Tom Ye. The cold glint flew through the air, transforming into sword energy, heading straight for Tom Ye.

"Mid-level Flood-grade martial arts skill, Flying Star Sword Technique," Tom Ye's pupils suddenly contracted. This move was a martial skill of the Qi Yun Sect, and it could only be learned by outer disciples with status and identity. Flying Star Sword Technique.

Tom Ye hadn't expected that Lily Zhao had actually mastered such a powerful sword technique.

Swish! The sword glints shot towards him, and Tom Ye felt the tremendous pressure. Facing a fourth-level warrior like Lily Zhao, he was struggling.

Not to mention, Lily Zhao was using a yellow-grade intermediate-level sword technique.

He carefully observed the gaps in Lily Zhao's attacks, then swiftly lunged forward, delivering a punch.

Lily Zhao hastily raised her long sword to guard herself, managing to block the strike.

Clang! However, a sharp clang resounded, and her arm was actually numb from the impact. She looked at Tom Ye with astonishment.

But in the next moment, Tom Ye immediately turned and charged madly down the mountain.

Lily Zhao was too powerful; he was no match for her now. He needed to temporarily avoid her sharp edge.

"I'll remember this grudge. One day, I'll make you pay!" He left behind these words and disappeared in front of Lily Zhao.

Lily Zhao had just thought of pursuing when she realized that Tom Ye's speed was unbelievably fast. In the blink of an eye, he vanished from her sight.

"Not only has his strength increased, but his physical body is as tough as steel. What has he been through?" Lily Zhao's chest heaved slightly with agitation, her eyes filled with disbelief and a hint of unease.

She couldn't fathom that Tom Ye could have such a turnaround, and this time, the transformation was so powerful.

Being only a second-level warrior, he was able to hold his own against her, a fourth-level warrior, and even escape unharmed. This was truly terrifying.

"You will die for this." Lily Zhao gripped her long sword tightly, making a silent determination.

Since she had forsaken Tom Ye, she wouldn't regret it. She was determined to end his life with her own hands.

Tom Ye ran all the way and, upon reaching the foot of the Qi Yun Sect's mountain, leaned against a large tree and stopped.

When he realized that Lily Zhao hadn't pursued him, he breathed a sigh of relief.

This woman was truly cunning. If it weren't for Luo Lan's timely appearance today, he would have been ambushed and killed by Lily Zhao once again.

And once he thought about how this woman had attempted to harm him twice in secret, an immense rage surged within Tom Ye.

"Now, returning to the sect will surely be dangerous. Perhaps it's better to go back to Cumulus Town and visit Mother." Tom Ye looked at the peak ahead, not intending to return to the sect.

Today, since Lily Zhao's assassination attempt had failed, she would undoubtedly use Yao Hu's strength to gather a large force and ambush him at the outer gates.

At his current level of weakness, he wasn’t contended with Lily Zhao and Yao Hu. He needed to have enough strength.

After making this decision, he prepared to make a trip back to Cumulus Town. He hadn't visited his hometown in a long time, and it was about time to see his mother.

But just a few steps later, suddenly, the spiritual energy of the surrounding world began to rapidly swirl, forming into tiny spirit dragons that surged towards him.

His diaphragm was instantly filled with this spiritual energy, and his muscles started to wriggle.

A premonition of a breakthrough emerged in his heart.

"Am I actually going to break through?" Tom Ye's face showed a pleasant surprise. He could hardly believe what was happening. He was about to make a breakthrough in his cultivation.

He immediately sat down cross-legged, wasting no time, and began the breakthrough. He didn't want to miss such a golden opportunity.

And not long after, Tom Ye let out a long breath. He had actually reached the stage of being a third-level warrior.

"This is great." Tom Ye clenched his fists tightly, feeling the vigorous spiritual energy in his body and the increased toughness of his body. He felt extremely pleased.

After the previous battle, he had unexpectedly gained insight into a higher level, breaking through the bottleneck without any hindrance.

"My current comprehension ability is terrifying." Tom Ye's face was filled with shock as he murmured to himself.

Since he had practiced the Indestructible Golden Body Technique, his understanding of martial arts had deepened significantly. In just two days, he had broken through two levels, reaching the third level.

This speed of cultivation could be considered monstrous. Even the true monstrous disciples of the inner sect of Qi Yun Sect might not have the same cultivation speed as Tom Ye.

However, after reaching the third level of martial arts, Tom Ye could sense that his diaphragm had expanded several dozen times.

While a larger diaphragm, it meant he had more spiritual energy to support him when facing enemies, it also meant that he would need twice as much spiritual energy to break through in the future.

"It seems that I'll have to find a way to acquire more cultivation resources in the future." Tom Ye's face showed a touch of helplessness. However, that helplessness quickly turned into joy.

Although he would need a large number of resources for future cultivation, his powerful physique and this formidable diaphragm capacity were priceless and couldn't be obtained through resources alone.

He headed straight towards Cumulus Town. He wanted to return to his hometown before sunset.

Cumulus Town wasn't very far from Qi Yun Sect, only two hundred miles away. At the foot of the Qi Yun Sect's mountain, there were many small towns like Cumulus Town.

These towns were under the influence of the Imperial Dynasty and controlled by the county cities below the Imperial Dynasty.

Every year, the small towns had to pay tribute and taxes to the county cities in order to continue their development. Otherwise, they would be expelled and destroyed by the Imperial Dynasty.

In this world, the law of the jungle prevailed, and strength was the ultimate authority. This was also why the Imperial Dynasty could be so dominant.

And this was also the reason why Tom Ye and Lily Zhao were sent from Cumulus Town to Qi Yun Sect for martial arts training.

Tom Ye rushed all the way, and by dusk, he had returned to Cumulus Town. Having not been back to his hometown for several months, a look of nostalgia appeared on his face. Cumulus Town was still the same, every sight and sound evoked a sense of familiarity.

Tom Ye walked into the town and headed towards his own home, eager to see his mother.

"You...you're not dead?" Just then, a voice filled with surprise and suspicion rang out. At the town's entrance stood a guard in silver armour, looking at him in astonishment.

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