Time passed quickly, and several months had flown by in a blink. During this period, Ye Chen's strength steadily improved with the assistance of the Spiritual Heart Fruit and had reached the peak of the ninth stage of the Lingchu Realm, being only one step away from breaking through to the Lingju Realm. At this time, the annual family competition of the Ye Family was approaching. This was an important stage for the younger generation of the Ye Family to showcase their strength and compete for resources, and all the Ye Family disciples were making final preparations for this competition. Ye Chen was no exception. He knew well that this was a good opportunity to prove himself. After the hard training during this period, he was confident of achieving excellent results in the competition. The day of the competition finally arrived. The martial arts arena of the Ye Family was crowded with people and extremely lively. The elders of the family were sitting on the high platform, watching the young disciples below. "For this family competition, the rules remain the same. All participating disciples determine their opponents by drawing lots and have one-on-one battles. The winners advance until the final champion is decided. The champion will receive generous rewards for cultivation resources." A family elder announced loudly. Ye Chen took a deep breath and walked forward to draw his lot number. "In the first round, Ye Chen versus Ye Feng." As the elder's voice sounded, Ye Chen walked onto the martial arts arena. Ye Feng was an ordinary disciple of the Ye Family, with a strength at the seventh stage of the Lingchu Realm. Seeing that his opponent was Ye Chen, Ye Feng couldn't help feeling a little nervous. "Brother Ye Chen, please show mercy." Ye Feng said. Ye Chen smiled slightly and said, "Do your best." The competition began. Ye Feng took the initiative to attack. He flashed his figure and rushed towards Ye Chen, with spiritual energy condensed on his fist. Ye Chen remained calm, dodged Ye Feng's attack sideways, and at the same time counterattacked with a punch, hitting Ye Feng's shoulder. Ye Feng winced in pain and retreated several steps. But he didn't give up and launched another attack. Ye Chen dealt with each move, easily化解 Ye Feng's offensive. After several rounds, Ye Feng was already breathing heavily, while Ye Chen seemed to be at ease. "Brother Ye Chen, you have really become much stronger." Ye Feng said. Ye Chen said, "You're not bad either. Keep working hard." After saying that, Ye Chen suddenly exerted force and punched Ye Feng backward. Ye Feng fell to the ground and lost his combat ability. "Ye Chen wins!" The elder announced. Ye Chen smoothly advanced to the next round. In the following competitions, Ye Chen passed through the rounds one after another, easily defeating one opponent after another. His performance attracted the attention of the elders of the family. "This Ye Chen seems to have regained his former talent." One elder said. "Yes, it seems that his efforts during this period have not been in vain." Another elder nodded and said. Finally, the semi-finals arrived. Ye Chen's opponent was a genius disciple of the Ye Family, Ye Yun, whose strength had reached the ninth stage of the Lingchu Realm. "Ye Chen, I didn't expect you to reach this step, but it ends here." Ye Yun said. Ye Chen smiled and said, "Let's give it a try." The competition began. Ye Yun and Ye Chen launched attacks simultaneously, and the two instantly engaged in a fierce battle. The sounds of the collisions of spiritual energy kept ringing out on the martial arts arena, and the two fought evenly. Ye Yun displayed his strongest spiritual skill, attempting to defeat Ye Chen in one fell swoop. Ye Chen felt the pressure but did not retreat. At a critical moment, he had a sudden inspiration, avoided Ye Yun's attack, and then took the opportunity to kick Ye Yun in the abdomen when he was unprepared. Ye Yun let out a muffled groan and retreated several steps. Ye Chen seized the opportunity and launched a fierce attack. Ye Yun gradually fell into a disadvantageous position. Ultimately, Ye Chen defeated Ye Yun with a narrow margin and successfully advanced to the finals. The final opponent was the strongest among the younger generation of the Ye Family, Ye Hao. Ye Hao had already broken through to the first stage of the Lingju Realm and was extremely powerful. "Ye Chen, it's already remarkable that you can reach the finals. But the champion is mine." Ye Hao said. Ye Chen said, "How do you know without giving it a try?" The final began. Ye Hao showed his powerful strength from the beginning and suppressed Ye Chen. Ye Chen constantly dodged Ye Hao's attacks, looking for an opportunity to counterattack. "Humph, do you think you can resist with just you?" Ye Hao said disdainfully. Ye Chen ignored him. Suddenly, he discovered a flaw in Ye Hao and instantly rushed forward. Ye Hao didn't expect Ye Chen to be so decisive and was caught off guard for a moment. Ye Chen took the opportunity to launch an attack and engaged in a fierce confrontation with Ye Hao. In the end, with Ye Chen's tenacious persistence, the two ended in a draw. After discussion among the elders of the family, it was decided to split the champion's rewards equally between Ye Chen and Ye Hao. Ye Chen stood on the martial arts arena, his heart filled with emotions. Although he didn't win the championship, he knew that he had taken an important step. "Wait, Lin Family. I will make you regret." Ye Chen secretly vowed.