The Legend of Futian Chapter 4 - His Life Spirit Was the Sun

Ye Futian felt a surge of astonishment at the sheer force of his strike. In the midst of his delight over this achievement, a sudden realization flashed through his mind. Closing his eyes, he allowed his consciousness to drift into his Life Palace.

Standing beneath the World Tree, Ye Futian’s spectral form appeared, his gaze brimming with fervor. At that moment, the emerald tree was bathed in a faint glow of embers, radiating intense fire-element Qi. What startled Ye Futian even more was the presence of a luminous, sun-like entity suspended in the sky. It emitted a breathtaking heat, though it lacked the blinding brilliance of the actual sun.

The inner world of a true cultivator typically housed some form of artifact within the Life Palace. For many, it took the shape of a mountain or a river. For Ye Futian, it was a blazing sun.

The power felt so immense that it seemed to drink in the very essence of the heavens and earth. Staring at the sun within his Life Palace, Ye Futian was struck with awe. Suddenly, he felt an identification with it, as if he himself were the sun. The Spiritual Qi of the entire universe surged into him, flowing directly into his constellation and the World Tree.

Flames now danced upon the World Tree, and the sun above grew even more radiant.

Heavens, this searing sensation. Ye Futian felt as though he were standing in the heart of a star; his joints, muscles, and bones were being relentlessly tempered by the solar flames.

“My spirit resides within my Life Palace…” Ye Futian whispered to himself. Suddenly, a possibility occurred to him. He focused his intent, and shortly after, a solar glow erupted from his head, illuminating his surroundings. The light bestowed a sense of holiness upon his features.

“The spirit in your Life Palace—is it a sun?” Yu Sheng inquired, standing at his side.

Ye Futian’s eyes snapped open, and the radiance vanished instantly. He looked at Yu Sheng with a hint of confusion before muttering, “It seems I am able to manifest a spirit within the palace…”

He understood now that the sun in his Life Palace was undeniably his spirit. it had accelerated his cultivation and even provided a marked enhancement to his physical body.

Yu Sheng was ecstatic, his eyes widening in shock. He looked at Ye Futian and asked with total sincerity, “Then please, can you create one for me?”

Ye Futian was left speechless. Yu Sheng was being completely absurd. How could he possibly expect Ye Futian to simply manufacture a palace spirit for him just because he was excited?

“Go easy on the imagination, buddy,” Ye Futian said with a nod, turning to walk away.

Yu Sheng was puzzled once more. “Where are we going?”

“It is time to cultivate. We need to observe some animals.” Ye Futian laughed, appearing to be in high spirits. The sun was propelling him through the planes so rapidly that leaping from the Adamant Plane to the Juggernaut Plane seemed entirely possible. Though it required the perfect synchronization of strength and spirit, reaching the Juggernaut Plane would allow him to unify his mind, power, and soul. Every technique and movement would reach a superior level of lethality once he entered the Juggernaut Plane. He had to give it his all.

Mount Tianyao was teeming with demon herds, even along its outskirts. Not long after entering the mountain range, Ye Futian and Yu Sheng encountered a level four Swift Demon Panther.

“Yu Sheng, move ahead to intercept her; I will provide the chase.” Ye Futian directed his companion. At the command, Yu Sheng shot forward like a bolt, his momentum seemingly vibrating the earth. Sensing the danger, the Panther immediately attempted to flee like a streak of lightning.

“Soul generates mind, mind guides strength; creator of the universe, shatter your limits and release all your power…”

Ye Futian murmured the incantations to unleash his cultivation. As he sprinted, a phantom of the Panther took shape in his mind, dashing forward. It felt as though every twitch and bound of the beast was being mirrored and slowed down in his consciousness.

Gradually, his body began to instinctively mimic the Panther’s movements. When he leaped, his right leg coiled slightly to provide a more explosive burst for the next stride. It was almost as if he had become the Panther himself. Though his speed was great, he lacked the beast’s natural proficiency, allowing the Panther to nearly slip away. Fortunately, Yu Sheng managed to block its path.

It isn't just raw strength; it is the power of the wind. Ye Futian could sense the wind-element energy enveloping the Panther. He began to feel his own body absorbing the wind’s essence; his robes billowed, and his motions turned fluid. After half an hour, he had synchronized with the wind, just like the predator before him.

“Yu Sheng, let her go. I have finished.” Ye Futian ceased his run, and Yu Sheng released the Panther.

“You are an incredible imitator,” Yu Sheng remarked. He had watched Ye Futian master the essence of the Panther’s agility in a mere thirty minutes.

“I have a connection to wind-element power. If I train my techniques as that Panther does, I will match her speed. However, it is still not enough. It seems you will have quite a bit of work to do for me in the coming days,” Ye Futian chuckled. Yu Sheng said nothing, simply following behind in silence.

Throughout the following days, Ye Futian trained within Mount Tianyao. He studied and copied the movement styles of apes, tigers, lions, and even birds. His progress was visible every single day.

On the tenth day, he successfully broke through to the fifth plane of awakening: the Juggernaut Plane. That afternoon, as Ye Futian and Yu Sheng ventured deep into the woods, the ground began to tremble slightly, as did the surrounding trees. A terrifying roar thundered in their ears.

Exchanging a quick look to reach a decision, they moved toward the source of the sound. The tremors intensified. Finally, they spotted a massive, enraged beast standing over five meters tall.

“Wow, that is a level nine demon; a Furious Ape.” Yu Sheng’s gaze turned sharp. The colossus posed a genuine threat to him. However, what was truly shocking was the sight of a graceful beauty standing directly in front of the beast.

The girl was clad in pure white. Her hair and skirt fluttered in the wind. Her features were so flawless that she would surely be considered a peerless beauty as she grew older.

“That is Hua Jieyu. I recognize her.” This girl was a living legend at Qingzhou Academy. Ye Futian was struck by her elegance.

“Should we intervene?” Yu Sheng asked.

“Wait, the Ape is already wounded.” Ye Futian pointed out that the beast was covered in injuries, while the girl remained unharmed.

“Hua!” With a thunderous roar, the Ape lunged toward the girl. Given the disparity in size, it seemed impossible for her to survive a single blow. Yet, Hua Jieyu glided effortlessly toward a tree to dodge the strike.

The Ape smashed the tree down, then hoisted the trunk like a club to swing at her. The force of the throw was immense.

The girl remained poised. She leaped through the air with ease, using fallen leaves as her weapons. The leaves whistled through the air like sharp blades, charging toward the Ape.

The Ape attempted to shield itself with the tree trunk. But the leaves were everywhere, and before long, the wood had been shredded to splinters.

Debris and stones flew in all directions. Hua Jieyu landed behind another tree and shut her eyes. Suddenly, the flying rubble swirled and launched toward the Ape. Each shard acted like a small knife, chipping away at the beast's defenses and cutting its skin. Even more terrifying was a massive, razor-sharp lance made of stone that Hua Jieyu’s Qi had manifested, aimed directly at the monster.

Such a formidable spell. Ye Futian was utterly stunned. A moment later, he saw the lance drive straight through the Ape’s eye. The giant beast howled in agony and fled, crashing through every tree in its path.

The girl did not pursue the creature. She drifted slowly to the earth, looking like a Goddess descending to the mortal realm.

“Did you enjoy the performance?” Hua Jieyu asked with a soft smile. Ye Futian and Yu Sheng emerged from their hiding spot, staring at the girl—who was their own age—in disbelief.

“You are a multi-elemental mage? Are you for real?” Ye Futian asked.

“I know who you are.” Hua Jieyu did not answer his question, choosing instead to study him.

“It seems I have some fame.” Ye Futian smiled back. He felt genuinely flattered to be recognized by the academy’s legendary beauty.

“It was three years ago during the academy’s Entry Test. I happened to overhear what you said when we first crossed paths.”

“Uh…” Ye Futian felt a wave of awkwardness, but he quickly regained his composure and asked, “And what was it that I said?”

Hua Jieyu gave him a sweet smile that nearly stole his breath away.

“You asked if I was a fairy.” She continued to smile, then turned and headed back into the forest.

Of course. Ye Futian was stunned for a moment, then nodded at her disappearing figure.

“It looks like you remember it now.” Yu Sheng also watched her depart.

Ye Futian thought back to three years prior. When he had first seen the twelve-year-old Hua Jieyu, he had told Yu Sheng, “She is too beautiful to be human. In a few years, she will be a fairy, and very dangerous for men.”

“They say she has already reached the ninth plane of awakening and excels in both physical strength and magic. I can’t believe how powerful those spells were; most people at the ninth plane can’t do what she did. There are rumors that she is a Mandate Sorcerer. Some grandmaster in the academy has already taken her as a personal disciple. Plenty of guys are chasing her, but none can even come close to her talent or beauty,” Yu Sheng muttered.

“She’s captured your heart, hasn't she?” Ye Futian teased.

Yu Sheng shook his head, replying solemnly, “I think she came here specifically for you.”

“Oh, please,” Ye Futian said, patting Yu Sheng on the head. “Just stop overthinking things.”

He turned around, suddenly grinning like a child. “To be honest, I do want to marry her. She is definitely qualified to be a candidate for my wife,” Ye Futian laughed.

Yu Sheng nearly tripped upon hearing this. He stared at Ye Futian’s back. Just a candidate? What an arrogant joke.