The Martial Emperor with Dragon Blood Chapter 3: The Rising Dragon Pillar

Since Ye Qing’s tragic decline, Ye Mo’s standing in the clan has plummeted, leaving him to endure a life of harsh poverty.

Initially, the clan provided Ye Mo with a monthly stipend of ten silver coins. However, once word spread throughout the village that Ye Qing’s recovery was impossible, those funds were abruptly cut off. To make matters worse, he was demoted to the role of an assistant for the Ye Clan’s alchemist.

To survive, both Ye Mo and Uncle Fu were forced to take on whatever simple labor they could find.

News of Ye Qing’s passing remained quiet, kept within the knowledge of only a few select individuals inside the Ye Clan.

Ye Zhantian made certain that Ye Qing was laid to rest at the local hills where the Ye ancestors resided. He offered his condolences to Ye Mo, as he and Ye Qing had shared a long friendship, making him one of the few who still occasionally watched over the boy.

While Ye Zhantian understood the root cause of why Ye Mo struggled to open his Mortal Gates, he knew that five years of stunted growth was essentially a death sentence for a cultivation career. These specific years represented the prime of youthful training; once the body fully matures, the efficiency of any subsequent training drops significantly.

Returning to his room, Ye Mo found it humble and weathered, though kept impressively clean by Uncle Fu.

Having served Ye Qing for decades, Uncle Fu was as close to a family member as Ye Mo had left in the world.

“Master Ye once brought tremendous honor to the Ye Clan. Now that he has passed, not a single person comes to pay their respects. It is truly heart-wrenching to witness!”

“Even if I am five years behind everyone else, I will put in five or even ten times the effort. I will ensure those who once tormented me regret every insult. I will avenge my father and uncover the whereabouts of my mother.”

Ye Mo understood that only by exerting effort far beyond the average could he hope to bridge the gap with those so-called geniuses and earn his way into the Door of Desolation.

Revenge would only become a possibility once he had passed through those gates.

Closing his eyes, Ye Mo sat atop his bed and began to focus on his Energy Center, pulling in the Yuan Chi of Heaven and Earth from the surrounding atmosphere.

The essence of Cultivation lies in this vital process: utilizing one’s Energy Center to draw in ambient Yuan Chi, converting it into Yuanli, and storing that power within the Dantian.

“I wonder what is so special about this Rising Dragon Pillar...”

Ever since he had gained the ability to peer into his own Energy Center, he had been aware of the massive pillar seated within. It was a legendary relic that his mother, Zi Ning, had scavenged from the Divine Realm.

The Divine Realm stood as the pinnacle of all possible planes—a place where one could shift the foundations of the heavens, raze cities, and wield control over life and death itself.

When Zi Ning was carrying Ye Mo, the artifact seemed to recognize the child as its destined master, embedding itself deep within his body.

Immediately following Ye Mo’s birth, a mysterious and formidable being arrived, forcibly abducting Zi Ning and cruelly mocking Ye Qing.

Now that he had officially set foot on his path of Cultivation, he was eager to uncover the true potential of the Rising Dragon Pillar.

Directing his focus inward, he studied the monolith. Its surface was covered in countless black dragons, twisted and coiled as if they were trapped in an eternal struggle against the pillar itself.

Though he couldn't count the exact number, there seemed to be as many as stars in the night sky. He felt the artifact radiating an ancient, primal power—the energy to dominate dragons and ascend to the heavens.

Drawing a deep breath, he pulled in more Yuan Chi, guiding it toward his Energy Center to synthesize Yuanli.

As the conversion began, the pillar groaned and trembled. The deafening roars of thousands of dragons echoed within him, throwing the Yuan Chi into turmoil. Gradually, however, the newly formed Yuanli was consumed by the dragon at the base of the pillar.

The dragon began to emit a soft, flickering luminescence.

“It has the ability to absorb Yuan Chi,” Ye Mo realized.

Driven by this discovery, he redoubled his efforts to bring in more Yuan Chi, though the pillar greedily devoured the Yuanli as fast as he could produce it.

He spent the next two hours experimenting, refining his ability to refine Yuan Chi into Yuanli. With continued effort, the dragon at the base pulsed with a brilliant glow. With a thunderous roar, it detached itself from the pillar and began to orbit his Energy Center.

Sensing that the entity would respond to his will, Ye Mo guided it through his meridians toward his right hand. A sharp, numbing sensation washed over his arm upon contact.

When a practitioner begins their journey in the Spirit Cultivating Realm, their goal is to break open the Five Gates. This draconic energy was proving to be a massive advantage for him.

“Incredible! This pillar is truly extraordinary.”

Dragons were ancient creatures, the monarchs of all beasts. Their legends spoke of power sufficient to level mountains and alter the courses of rivers, bordering closely on the divine.

Ye Mo gazed at the pillar with reverence. The power contained within these black dragons clearly eclipsed standard Yuanli. He spent his entire morning feeding the relic with Yuan Chi, watching as the base of the pillar shone with an obsidian light and birthed yet another draconic manifestation of Yuanli.

He concentrated on directing the dragon to strike his right-hand Gate. After hours of relentless practice, his hand felt heavy, dense with untapped potential.

He knew the Gate was on the verge of collapsing under the pressure.

Creak—

Uncle Fu entered, carrying a meal. Ye Mo’s eyes flickered to the tray as he quickly wiped his mouth, his concentration broken.

He hurried to the table and began to wolf down the food with newfound vigor.

Seeing his appetite improved, Uncle Fu felt a wave of relief, having feared that the aftermath of the funeral would leave Ye Mo listless. Today, however, the boy seemed full of spirit.

“Young Master, please eat slowly, or you might choke.”

“Don’t worry, Uncle Fu. Once I finish, I have to report to Elder Yin to tend to the furnaces. I cannot be late!”

Finished with his meal, he dashed toward the workshop.

Elder Yin served as a Phase 2 alchemist within the Ye Clan and commanded a great deal of respect. Ye Mo’s duty of maintaining the flames was grueling, intense labor, but he performed it without complaint.

Upon reaching the Pill Refining Chamber, he let out a sigh of relief to see the door shut. If Elder Yin had arrived first, he would surely be berated.

Fumbling with the key, he let himself inside.

He was greeted not by an empty room, but by two figures rifling through the herb cabinets. They froze at the sound of the door, but their faces reverted to arrogant composure upon seeing it was only Ye Mo.

“Ye Mo, you had better forget that you saw anything here. Otherwise, you’ll suffer the same fate as last time.”

Ye Ming and Ye Xiaotian were clutching stolen, premium herbs. After issuing their threat, they scurried past him and fled the chamber.

Ye Ming was a member of the Main Branch and, frequently aided by Ye Xiaotian, he made a hobby of tormenting Ye Mo. They had a history of stealing medicinal supplies; the stash they carried today was worth ten silver pieces—a significant fortune for a typical martial artist.

Ye Mo had previously reported their thievery to Elder Yin, which only resulted in a brutal beating from the two thugs afterward.

Watching them disappear, he muttered with a cold, hardened gaze, “Just wait. The moment I force these Gates open, I will make certain you pay for every transgression.”