Martial Conquest of the Nine Desolates-Chapter 1 - 00: Young Xiao Ye

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Early in the morning, when the first sliver of light just appeared on the horizon.

At the head of Xiao Family Village, over thirty young boys and girls were already standing in line, practicing a fist skill known as 'Fierce Tiger Fist'. The roaring wind from their fists swept through the air, creating an impressive scene.

Among the group, a young man with delicate features, dressed in coarse hemp clothing, stood out distinctly.

This young man appeared to be only about fifteen years old, but his fist technique flowed like liquid mercury, relentless, a notch above everyone else.

Even the notoriously strict instructor among the young, Xiao Dashan, couldn't help but reveal an extremely rare smile.

"Brother Ye is truly deserving of his reputation. Watching him perform the Fierce Tiger Fist is every bit as strong as Uncle Shan."

"Of course, Brother Ye has the strength of Body Refining Eighth Layer, and within the younger generation of the village, only Xiao Teng can compare with Brother Ye."

"Xiao Teng is also at the strength of Body Refining Eighth Layer. Who do you think is stronger between him and Brother Ye?" A young boy suddenly spoke up.

As soon as these words were said, it immediately piqued the interest of others.

Martial Arts begins with the Body Refinement Realm, focusing on tempering the body, divided into One to Nine Layers. Most in the younger generation of the village had only managed to reach around the Body Refining Sixth Level.

"Pfft, Xiao Teng's current strength is only because his father is the captain of the Beast Hunting Team and he gets to enjoy cultivation resources. Brother Ye, however, cultivated on his own through hardship. How can he be compared to Brother Ye?" A young girl retorted.

"You can't say that. After all, Xiao Teng also has the strength of a Body Refining Eighth Layer, and it may not necessarily be weaker than Brother Ye," another young boy said leisurely.

...

"Me versus Xiao Teng, who is stronger?" Listening to the discussions of the people around him, Xiao Ye wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled faintly.

He had heard this kind of talk countless times before.

He and Xiao Teng were regarded as the two most outstanding youths in the village, so it was inevitable they would be compared with each other.

If it was before, Xiao Teng indeed qualified as his rival, but what others didn't know was that last night, he had already broken through to the Ninth Body Refining Realm.

However, this news was something Xiao Ye had yet to announce in a hurry, only Xiao Dashan knew.

"Hmph, you all want to be punished, huh?"

Xiao Dashan, a well-built man, had eyes like lightning. He swept his gaze over the young boys and girls who were engrossed in discussion, causing them to shiver and promptly continue practicing their punches.

Xiao Dashan, as the instructor for the younger generation, was known for his strictness in the village, so naturally, they did not dare to defy him.

At this moment, standing among the group, was a tall young man with a resentful look on his face as he watched Xiao Ye.

He was Xiao Teng, a standout among the village youths, on par with Xiao Ye at the Body Refining Eighth Layer before the breakthrough.

"I am no less strong than you, why does everyone always think I am inferior to you?" Xiao Teng stared at Xiao Ye with a heart full of resentment.

If there was anyone Xiao Teng resented the most in Xiao Family Village, it was obviously Xiao Ye.

Xiao Teng's father was the captain of Xiao Family Village's Beast Hunting Team, often bringing back the most benefits and frequently exchanged for various medicinal materials to cultivate him vigorously.

Yet Xiao Ye's family was the poorest in the entire village, rarely even having meat to eat.

In such circumstances, Xiao Ye was still on par with him, and many villagers spoke in private, claiming Xiao Ye was actually the number one genius of Xiao Family Village. How could Xiao Teng not feel resentful?

"Hmph, wait until my father buys the Body Refining Pill, allowing me to break through to the Ninth Body Refining Realm. Then, in front of the whole village, I will defeat you and let everyone know that I am the true number one genius of Xiao Family Village!"

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...

In the group, Xiao Ye practiced the Fierce Tiger Fist, his thoughts churning.

"My strength may be called the first among Xiao Family Village's youth, but what is the use if I cannot enter Chongyang Sect to obtain the spiritual elixir needed to cure my father's chronic illness!"

Xiao Ye thought of his family's dire situation and clenched his fists tightly.

His father, Xiao Yang, suffered an accident, with all meridians shattered, changing from a powerful Martial Artist to a sickly invalid, curable only by a spiritual elixir.

However, Xiao Family Village was located in Green Sun Town of Black Dragon Country, a barren land. Where would one find such an elixir?

By chance, he learned from an ancient book in the village about the Martial Arts Holy Land known as Chongyang Sect.

Chongyang Sect was one of the most powerful Sects in Black Dragon Country, with over ten thousand disciples and many famous and strong individuals having emerged from it. It was rumored that within the sect existed spiritual elixirs that could repair a Martial Artist's meridians.

Every three years, Chongyang Sect would select a batch of new disciples to join, replenishing fresh blood.

"Chongyang Sect is a Holy Land of Martial Arts. Every time it selects disciples, youths from all over Black Dragon Country will go there."

"Black Dragon Country has a vast and diverse landscape with countless descendants from prestigious families. For them, taking medicinal materials to aid their Body Refinement from a young age and breaking through to the Ninth Body Refinement Realm is not difficult!"

Xiao Ye felt a tremendous pressure in his heart. He knew that these scions of prestigious families had much higher starting points than him. To pass the entry-level assessment of Chongyang Sect with the strength of Nine Layers was a remote possibility...

While the village youth were fixated on the title of number one genius, Xiao Ye was already looking towards the whole of Black Dragon Country.

"To secure entry into Chongyang Sect, the only way is if I could break through to the Postnatal Realm!" Xiao Ye muttered quietly, "But breaking through to the Postnatal Realm is truly too difficult!"

Once the body is tempered to a certain extent, True Qi will begin to emerge in the body, and that is the Postnatal Realm.

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The Postnatal Realm and the Body Refining Realm are two completely different levels; even a martial artist who has just entered the Postnatal Realm can wipe out a large group of Body Refining Realm martial artists with the wave of a hand, there is simply no comparison between the two.

But to break through to the Postnatal Realm is very difficult!

In Xiao Family Village, which has a total of two hundred households big and small, practicing martial arts is a generational tradition, yet there are only a handful of Postnatal Realm martial artists, and all of them entered that realm after the age of thirty.

It is precisely because the village has several Postnatal Martial Artists that Xiao Family Village can be one of the strong villages in Green Sun Town.

Xiao Ye and Xiao Teng, as the most outstanding youths in the village, are predicted by the villagers to possibly break through to the Postnatal Realm only after the age of twenty at the earliest.

"If... my strange illness could flare up once more, maybe I could break through to the Postnatal Realm," Xiao Ye suddenly grinned.

He had a secret that no one else knew about.

When he was nine years old, he contracted a strange illness that caused indescribable pain each time it flared up. But with each bout of the illness, his cultivation speed would strangely increase a lot, which allowed him, despite his poor family situation, to surpass Xiao Teng who enjoyed all kinds of medicinal herbs.

Last night, the strange illness struck for the third time, allowing him to break through to the Ninth Body Refining Realm in one go.

Of course, this secret was not something Xiao Ye dared to share publicly, otherwise, he would definitely be treated as a freak.

Soon, amidst the huffing and puffing sounds of practicing fists, the morning passed.

"Today's training is over, you're all dismissed!" Xiao Dashan announced loudly.

Upon hearing his words, the young ones of Xiao Family Village burst into cheers and scattered like birds and beasts.

"Xiao Ye!"

Xiao Dashan walked over to Xiao Ye with a smile on his face.

Among the younger generation of Xiao Family Village, only Xiao Ye received such treatment from him.

"Keep it up, break through to the Postnatal Realm soon, and bring glory to our village!"

Having learned that Xiao Ye had broken through to the Ninth Body Refining Realm, his expectations for Xiao Ye greatly increased, and he was eager to find out if Xiao Ye could break through to the Postnatal Realm before the age of twenty.

"What a pity that the village chief is in seclusion, otherwise, I would have informed him and made him happy too," Xiao Dashan said with a sigh, before waving his hand and leaving.

Xiao Ye returned home, quickly ate his meal, and then practiced the Fierce Tiger Fist in his own courtyard.

There was only one year left until the Chongyang Sect's entry-level assessment, and he had to make the most of his time to cultivate.

Combat techniques in the world are divided into nine grades, and this Fierce Tiger Fist, being just the most basic combat technique, did not even count as first grade, but it had extraordinary effects in refining the physique and was the main fist skill practiced by the younger generation of Xiao Family Village.

"Cough cough!"

A middle-aged man with a pale and sickly complexion walked out of the house, it was Xiao Ye's father, Xiao Yang.

Seeing his father's appearance, Xiao Ye's face showed even more concern.

Knowing Xiao Ye's worry, Xiao Yang waved his hand with some expectations, "My injury is nothing serious, but what about you? Are you confident in the selection for Chongyang Sect a year from now?"

As a father, he naturally hoped his child would stand out from the rest.

Hearing this, Xiao Ye revealed a splendid smile: "Dad, don't worry, I am fully confident."

Facing his father's expectations, Xiao Ye told a white lie.

However, with Xiao Yang's insight, he immediately saw through Xiao Ye's lack of confidence, but he did not expose it and walked into the house with a lonely figure.

"Dad, you don't worry, I will definitely enter the Chongyang Sect, find a spiritual elixir for you, and help you recover your strength!" Watching his father's back, Xiao Ye slowly clenched his fist tight.

His father used to be in the Postnatal Realm, the strongest after the village chief. But due to shattered meridians, he couldn't even display the power of the Body Refinement Realm.

Although Xiao Yang did not speak of it, the unintentional revealing of his desolation was always remembered by Xiao Ye.

"Bang!"

At this moment, the courtyard door was pushed open, and a young man rushed in panting, "Brother Ye, Liu Yiyi is back from Chongyang Sect, she is at the village chief's house right now!"

Boom!

Upon hearing the name Liu Yiyi, Xiao Ye's mind thundered, and the feelings hidden deep inside him erupted like a flood.

Liu Yiyi was a girl adopted by Xiao Family Village, who grew up with Xiao Ye, and they were childhood sweethearts. The villagers often joked about their relationship, saying that when they came of age, they would be married.

Although it was half-joking, Xiao Ye's parents had long treated Liu Yiyi as their future daughter-in-law.

But two years ago, she was noticed by an elder from Chongyang Sect who was traveling outside and was taken back to the sect for cultivation, never to return.

It could be said that Xiao Ye's strong desire to enter Chongyang Sect was partly because of Liu Yiyi.

The affection of childhood sweethearts was indeed profound.

Xiao Ye originally thought he would have to enter Chongyang Sect before he could see Liu Yiyi again, but unexpectedly, she had returned.

The girl who had left him for two years was finally back!

Xiao Ye suppressed the excitement in his heart and hurried towards the village chief's home.

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