"Yes. Everything I have done since waking up—my strength, my knowledge, my ability to fight those wolves—is because I've lived another life before this. I am still Yi Chang, but I carry the memories and power of my past life. The truth is, I'm not like other people in this world. I'm a cultivator."
The silence that followed was deafening. Old Man Feng stood there, trying to process what he had just heard. His Young Master, the boy he had raised and cared for, was not just an ordinary human. He was something else entirely—a reincarnated cultivator from another world.
Seeing the old man's confusion, Yi Chang softened his tone. "I understand if this is too much for you. If you want to leave, I won't hold it against you. You've served me and my family faithfully for years, you have looked out for me even after my father's death and you don't have to stay if this is too much. I won't stop you."
Old Man Feng remained silent for a moment, his mind racing. His instincts told him to run—to get away from something so far beyond his understanding. But at the same time, his heart told him something else. He looked at Yi Chang, the boy he had known for so long. Whether he was still the same or not, one thing remained—the bond between them.
Finally, Old Man Feng spoke, his voice steady despite the turmoil within him. "Young Master... or whatever you may be now, it doesn't matter to me. I have served you since you were a child, and I have watched you grow. Whether you are truly the Yi Chang I've always known or some reincarnated cultivator, you are still my Young Master. I will continue to serve you, just as I always have. Please... don't reject me."
Yi Chang was silent for a moment, watching the old man's determined expression. A rare smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Very well, Old Man Feng. If that's your decision, I won't reject you."
Old Man Feng let out a sigh of relief, a small smile of his own appearing on his face. "Thank you, Young Master. I'll follow you, no matter what."
Yi Chang nodded, feeling a strange sense of comfort knowing that despite everything, Old Man Feng still remained loyal. The truth had been revealed, and yet their relationship remained unchanged.
With the corpses of the wolves dissected and the beast core safely set aside, Yi Chang picked up the egg again, cradling it carefully in his hands. Whatever mysteries lay within it, they would uncover together. And now, with Old Man Feng by his side, Yi Chang felt ready to face whatever came next.
After the dissection was complete, Yi Chang stood for a moment, his thoughts wandering as he considered what to do with the animal materials laid before him. The wolf corpses, while valuable, didn't hold much use for his own cultivation. He could concoct a blood soup or refine the materials into a broth to strengthen his body, but such measures seemed unnecessary.
His Chaos-Cosmos Coherent Cultivation Technique, which refined both his dantian and body simultaneously, rendered such methods less impactful. The animal qi contained within the wolves was simply too weak to provide any significant benefit to someone like him. However, the Grade 2 beast core was different. It held a denser, more potent source of qi, typically valuable to a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
But for Yi Chang, who was still in the Qi Gathering Realm, it seem just right for him, it could help push him further maybe to the peak of qi gathering realm atleast, though he wasn't certain how much progress it could bring forth, but this is a grade 2 beast about to breakthrough to mid grade 2, it would be too much for a normal cultivator to breakthrough to foundation establishment stage.
He glanced at Old Man Feng, who stood nearby, observing the remains of the wolves with quiet curiosity. A thought crossed Yi Chang's mind—perhaps the animal materials would benefit Old Man Feng more than himself. The old steward was a loyal companion and had been by his side since childhood.
However, Feng was getting older, nearing the latter stages of his mortal life. If he was going to stay by Yi Chang's side and continue as his butler, he would need more than just loyalty—he would need longevity, and the only way to achieve that was through cultivation. Yi Chang had no doubt that Old Man Feng's loyalty was genuine, but even if it wavered, the old man would be easy enough to handle if necessary.
After a brief moment of consideration, Yi Chang broke the silence. "Old Man Feng," he began, his voice thoughtful, "what do you think of cultivation? Have you ever come into contact with it?"
Old Man Feng, who had been lost in thought himself, looked up in mild surprise. Yi Chang could tell that despite the steward's earlier shock, something about cultivation wasn't entirely foreign to him. Feng paused before answering, as though carefully considering his response.
"Well, Young Master," he said slowly, "I have heard of cultivation before. It isn't exactly like you, but I've come across martial artists who seemed to have some ability to absorb spiritual qi, though in a much different way. They could use that energy to strengthen their bodies—make themselves more powerful than any ordinary human, I have always been jealous of them ever since I knew of them. When you first gave me that list of herbs, I suspected you were involved with someone like that, but I never imagined you were... well, a true cultivator."
Yi Chang nodded, listening intently. "These martial artists you mentioned… their abilities, do they involve body refinement?"
Old Man Feng's eyes narrowed slightly as he recalled his experiences. "Yes, that's what it seems like. They refine their bodies using the qi they gather, which makes them stronger, faster, and more resilient than ordinary people. But it's different from what you've shown me today. Their power is impressive, but it's nowhere near what you demonstrated. They're often practitioners of various forms of ancient techniques like Kung Fu, but none of them could stand up to what you did to those wolves."
Yi Chang absorbed this information, deepening his understanding of the world he now found himself in. Based on Old Man Feng's descriptions, it seemed these martial artists were akin to Body Refinement Cultivators. Unlike typical cultivators who focused on developing their dantian to accumulate qi, these martial artists appeared to emphasize physical strength through the qi they absorbed.
In a way, Yi Chang could also be considered a body refiner. His Chaos-Cosmos Coherent Cultivation Technique did more than gather and refine qi—it strengthened his body in ways that normal cultivators could only dream of. He could feel the chaotic yet potent qi coursing through his body, enhancing his strength, endurance, and even his senses.
"It makes sense now," Yi Chang said, half to himself. "These martial artists you've encountered are a form of body refiners. They gather qi to strengthen their physical bodies, much like I do, though their methods are rudimentary compared to what I practice."
Old Man Feng's brow furrowed. "You refine your body as well?"
Yi Chang nodded, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Yes. My cultivation technique allows me to store qi into my dantian and refine my physical form simultaneously. The qi I absorb, the Qi is far more potent than the spiritual qi those martial artists use. Though it also makes the consumption of resources very enormous."
Old Man Feng seemed to process this slowly, his mind racing with the implications. He had recently became aware that Yi Chang was exceptional, but to learn that his young master had such terrifying power at his disposal was both awe-inspiring and humbling.