Unbeknownst to him, the red sun had gradually risen, bathing the sky in shades of dawn.
Ye Fan, who was sitting cross-legged on a rock under the morning glow, slowly opened his eyes, ending a night of cultivation.
Unlike entry-level martial artists who can only practice through punching, physical training, and such, Ye Fan, who had achieved the status of a "Postnatal Great Perfection" strong person, now mainly cultivated through meditation.
Meditation, as it were, requires martial artists to remain calm and collected, using special breathing techniques to allow the air to flow in and out of their bodies like a stream. With each breath, their bodies are cleansed, impurities are unconsciously expelled, strengthening their muscles and bones, and their internal organs, making them more robust and their vitality more vigorous.
While dispelling impurities from the body, the vigorous vital energy simultaneously gives rise to Essence Qi, which in turn is transformed into Power.
Power is far beyond what mere physical strength can compare to!
This directly leads to whether one can meditate being a true mark of a martial artist, as a saying in the Martial Arts World goes, "A day without meditation, is a day not being a martial artist"—without the ability to meditate, one cannot generate Power within their body and can only fight with physical strength!
Generally speaking, only when a martial artist reaches the Postnatal Great Success Realm do they begin to grasp meditation, but that doesn't rule out some martial arts geniuses who can meditate right upon entering the doors of martial arts.
In a sense, Ye Fan could blow those so-called martial arts geniuses out of the water.
Because... he had learned to meditate when he was very young!
At the age of six, a Cultivation Technique called "Nine Heavens Profound Skill" emerged in his mind.
Unlike ordinary Cultivation Techniques, it was more like a Taoist script focused on the cultivation of life energy and breathing, with no specific moves.
Out of curiosity, Ye Fan tried the breathing methods described in the "Nine Heavens Profound Skill," and he effortlessly learned to meditate.
At that time, Chu Xuanji was astonished by Ye Fan's ability to meditate and was too happy to question the reasons behind it. Later, Chu Ji did ask once, and Ye Fan jokingly said, "The life of a genius needs no explanation," which resulted in Chu Ji tossing him into the pool beneath a waterfall.
As Ye Fan displayed monstrous talent in other areas as well, Chu Xuanji and Chu Ji either became numb to the shock or guessed the reason behind it, as they no longer seemed surprised.
"Awoo..."
Little Wolf, who was daydreaming against the backdrop of the blue sky and green clouds, saw Ye Fan open his eyes and excitedly howled.
"Let's go, time to fetch water!"
Ye Fan laughed and patted Little Wolf's head, then stood up and leaped toward the wooden hut, preparing to take Little Wolf to fetch water.
Like the Meditation Cultivation, this was something Ye Fan had to do every day—Meditation Cultivation saturated his body with power, and he had to release this power to form a cycle and thus enhance his strength.
Returning to the wooden hut and picking up two water buckets, Ye Fan activated the power from the Yongquan point in his feet and dashed towards the waterfall, dozens of kilometers away.
Although Ye Fan had originally fed Little Wolf a large amount of rare medicinal herbs in an attempt to save its life, improving Little Wolf's physique and making it much faster than an ordinary wolf, it was still slow compared to Ye Fan by a factor of three.
For this reason, to accommodate Little Wolf, Ye Fan had to intentionally slow down his pace.
When the red sun was high in the sky, Ye Fan and Little Wolf reached the mouth of the waterfall.
"Are you going down yourself, or shall I help you?"
Holding the water buckets, Ye Fan looked at Little Wolf with a teasing smile. He treated Little Wolf as his little buddy, and his mood was always exceptionally relaxed when together with it.
"Woo... Woo..."
Little Wolf whimpered pitifully twice, voluntarily closed its eyes, and with a push of its hind legs, jumped into the waterfall below like a 'diving wolf.'
"Haha, here I come."
Ye Fan laughed and followed by jumping after Little Wolf.
"Splash!"
"Splash!"
Both man and wolf plunged into the pool below, causing several splashes.
"Awoo..."
Little Wolf, now a drenched wolf, emerged with its head out of the water, growled, and then playfully splashed water at Ye Fan with its paws as if to get back at him for making it dive.
"I bet you want to drink some water, huh?"
Ye Fan chided jokingly, first tossing the buckets onto the shore, then, with a push from his legs full of power, instantly reached beside Little Wolf and dunked it into the water.
"Huff... Huff..."
It took a good two minutes before Little Wolf could escape Ye Fan's grasp. It first panted heavily, then looked at Ye Fan with a pitiful gaze, softly whimpering for mercy, "Woo... Woo..."
"Playing the pity card again?"
Ye Fan teased as he hugged Little Wolf into his embrace and began to stroke its head, unable to help but sigh and said, "Little Wolf, these past few years I am so thankful for your company. I wouldn't know how to get by without you."
While he spoke, visions of bustling cities sprang up in Ye Fan's mind.
"Little Wolf, do you know? The outside world is vast, splendid, and bustling. There are skyscrapers, cars, airplanes, and many other fun things to do. In the outside world, people my age are mostly in schools studying. After graduating from the university, they will take up jobs, get married, and have children."
As Ye Fan spoke, it seemed to stir up unpleasant memories, and his tone became particularly bitter, "But I'm different from them. Not only can I not go to school like them, fall in love, but I don't even know who my parents are."
Little Wolf seemed to sense Ye Fan's loneliness and loss and licked Ye Fan's ear in an attempt to comfort him.
"Master said he found me in an alley behind a hospital. I was abandoned by my biological parents."
Feeling Little Wolf's comfort, Ye Fan couldn't help but laugh at himself bitterly, "If they hadn't abandoned me, I guess I would be in college like everyone else at my age, right?"
"Little Wolf, what do you think? If they didn't want me, why did they bring me into this world?"
Ye Fan looked up into the azure sky, his eyes filled with profound sadness, as if he was asking Little Wolf, but perhaps even more so himself, "I have to leave this mountain to find them, to have them tell me face to face why they did this!"
As his words fell, Ye Fan's expression was no longer one of sorrow but was replaced by a look of unwavering determination.
Such determination that even if the sky fell, it would not change!
...
Dozens of kilometers away, Chu Ji, like a gentle breeze, arrived in front of the wooden house.
"Master!"
Unlike Ye Fan, who was casually irreverent in front of Chu Xuanji, Chu Ji immediately paid her respects upon seeing him, her attitude extremely respectful.
"You're back?" Chu Xuanji put down the ancient book of 'Qimen Dunjia' he was holding, his tone neither cold nor warm.
"I missed Master and Xiao Fan, so I came back to see you."
Chu Ji was not surprised by Chu Xuanji's attitude. On one hand, she knew that Ye Fan was the only person in the world who could make Chu Xuanji smile. On the other hand, she was aware that Chu Xuanji still harbored resentment over a decision she had made years ago.
Chu Xuanji remained silent.
"Did Xiao Fan go to fetch water again?" Chu Ji noticed the two water buckets were missing and asked again.
"Mhm."
"Master, Xiao Fan should be the number one person under the Innate Realm by now, right?" Seeing Chu Xuanji nod, Chu Ji thought of how Ye Fan was cultivating in this manner.
At the mention of this, Chu Xuanji couldn't help but recall Ye Fan's frustrated look from last night, because he wasn't allowed to go down the mountain.
"Master, you know better than I do that breaking through to the Innate Realm isn't about how much Power there is in the body or how exquisitely one can control that Power; it's about spiritual cultivation and the insight into Martial Arts."
Chu Ji hesitated for a moment then said, "Ye Fan's talent could be described as monstrous. The only reason he has not entered the Innate Realm in the past two years is because of his inner demons. He wishes to live a commoner's life among the secular world—although you've been sending him on those missions over the past two years, that hardly counts as living among the secular world."
Chu Xuanji kept his silence.
"Why don't you let him satisfy his desire to live a commoner's life and resolve his inner demons?"
Mustering her courage, Chu Ji continued to press, "With his nature, even if he lived as a commoner, he wouldn't give up cultivation. Once he resolves his inner demons and steps into the Innate Realm, it would be a sure thing."
"Do I need you to tell me that?"
Chu Xuanji's eyebrows raised as he replied coldly, "The Postnatal Realm is the stage where a Martial Artist lays down their foundation. How solid that foundation is will determine their future achievements. Even though he is extraordinarily talented, it's not right to rush him. Besides, do you think his inner demons are just about wanting to live a commoner's life?"
"What are they then?"
Chu Ji was startled. She remembered that each time she returned, Ye Fan would sweet-talk her into pleading with Chu Xuanji on his behalf to let him go down the mountain. Over time, she subconsciously took this as Ye Fan's biggest wish and his inner demon.
"His real inner demon comes from believing that he was abandoned by his parents," Chu Xuanji said gravely, "His desire to live a commoner's life is just a manifestation of yearning for paternal and maternal love, to escape his loneliness."
Chu Ji awakened as if from a dream, her eyes filling with a hint of sorrow.
"I have not let him leave the mountain not only to ensure that he solidifies his foundation, but also as a test of his will. Otherwise, when the truth comes to light one day, it will be a nightmare for him!"
By the end, Chu Xuanji raised his voice, his expression becoming more grave than ever, "Then, not to mention having him do that task, with his loyal and righteous nature, it's uncertain whether he can even step out of that shadow!"
"It seems Ji has been shortsighted," Chu Ji sighed, thinking of the task Chu Xuanji mentioned. She added, "So, when you secretly protect him and send him on those missions, besides letting him witness the cruel realities of life and the bloodiness of battles, preparing him for life amongst the secular, is it also to ensure he becomes decisive in killing?"
"Do you think it's appropriate to let him go down the mountain now?" Chu Xuanji countered.
Hmm?
Possibly not expecting Chu Xuanji to make such a sudden shift, Chu Ji was first startled, then guessed what was coming and asked, "Master, have you changed your mind about letting him go down the mountain?"
"Perhaps it's time," Chu Xuanji said, glancing at the Jade Qilin on the table, heaving a long sigh of relief then frowning again, "Only ... I've told him before that unless he reaches the Innate Realm, he's not allowed down the mountain, so what reason should I use to let him go now?"
"Master, I have an idea," Chu Ji quickly responded, an idea sparking in her mind.
"What is it?"
"Just now, at the foot of the mountain, I encountered someone seeking you for medical help, for a girl who possesses an Extreme Yin Body," Chu Ji hurriedly explained.
"Extreme Yin Body?"
These four words visibly moved Chu Xuanji, who then flashed a look of insight, instinctively thinking of a particular Cultivation Technique.
"People with an Extreme Yin Body must practice a Yang Cultivation Technique from a young age, otherwise yin and yang will be imbalanced, and eventually, they'll be consumed by yin energy. The other solution is Unification with a man who possesses an Extremely Yang Body."
Chu Ji continued, "You can have Xiao Fan go down the mountain to treat that girl. She's a strong-willed and dominant girl; for Xiao Fan to Unify with her, it might be harder than reaching the heavens. Moreover, even if that girl agrees to Unify, you can tell Xiao Fan that as long as he completes this task, he may stay in the secular world."
"We'll do it your way," Chu Xuanji nodded, then thoughtfully added, "But you'll need to find a way to conceal his identity, lest it become exposed too soon and the truth surfaces."
"Additionally, don't help him from the shadows; let him fend for himself."
Saying this, Chu Xuanji's aura suddenly changed, as sharp as an unsheathed treasure sword, "However, I don't wish for him to return missing an arm or a leg!"
"Please be assured, Master, Ji knows what to do."
Chu Xuanji's protectiveness made Chu Ji smile bitterly. At the same time, she was looking forward to seeing how Ye Fan would create a storm in the bustling city!