Stepping out of the shop, Ye Bai turned and walked toward the front yard. Moments later, a vast and imposing square appeared before him. The ground was entirely paved with bronze, engraved with lifelike carvings of various flying birds and mythical beasts, the details so intricate that they were almost countless. The entire square was surrounded by a railing made of pure white marble, extending beyond the eye's reach. Below the railing, people hurried by, but not a single soul dared step onto the square. It felt as if there was something forbidden about it, something unspoken that kept everyone away.
In the center of the massive white marble square stood a solitary ancient pavilion. Its flying eaves stretched like bird wings, rising five stories high. From below, one could only feel a heavy, ancient aura rising from it, as if the building itself exhaled centuries of history. Anyone who stood beneath it couldn't help but experience an instinctual tremor deep in their soul, a pressure that felt like a mountain pressing down on their shoulders. All disciples who passed by would walk around it, casting envious, longing, or reverent glances, but no one dared to offend it.
This was the Xuánwǔ Pavilion of the Ye family, where the family had stored its most precious martial arts and mysterious cultivation methods for hundreds of years. It housed countless powerful techniques, all of which were the foundation of the Ye family's power in Huoyun City. Every year, the Xuánwǔ Pavilion was open to the public for only three days, with the rest of the time it being locked away. Surrounding the pavilion were said to be 81 layers of complex formations and forbidden restrictions. Anyone who dared step onto the square without permission would trigger these restrictions and face certain death!
This place was the very heart of the Ye family. Even the head of the family could not enter without the consent of the Elders' Council. This spoke volumes about the strict rules governing the Xuánwǔ Pavilion. It was the most coveted place for all Ye family members—whether high-ranking heads of the family, or lowly disciples like Ye Bai.
Three months from now, the Ye family would hold its annual exchange ceremony, and it would be held within this very pavilion. As long as the outer sect disciples accumulated enough family contribution points, they could enter and use their points to exchange for a martial art manual or a technique.
That time was always the most exciting, the most fervent time of the year for the Ye family. For Ye Bai, it was the moment he had been waiting for—three years in total—just for the chance to enter!
Ye Bai stopped in his tracks and stood there, staring up at the ancient pavilion, feeling a mix of emotions. For a long time, he didn't know what to think or feel. He subconsciously reached for the token hidden in his chest pocket. After a long while, Ye Bai suddenly turned and, with heavy steps, walked away.
He bypassed the majestic outer yard of the Ye family and followed a dim, old alley until he arrived at a row of dilapidated houses. He pushed open a wooden door, entered, and lit an oil lamp.
Inside, the place was sparse. Apart from a wooden bed and a small wooden table, there was nothing else. Ye Bai closed the door, walked to the bed, and after a moment's hesitation, bent down and lifted a corner of the mattress. Beneath it, there was a small hidden compartment. Reaching in, Ye Bai took out a wooden plank, his eyes landing on a small black bag underneath. He let out a quiet sigh of relief and smiled.
He opened the black bag, revealing three pieces of strange red-colored ore, the same as the one he had handed to Ye Lao earlier. These pieces were the Cold Light Iron—crimson with purple streaks running through them, and they gave off a chilling aura, as though mercury flowed within.
Ye Bai had not told the old man that he didn't just possess a single piece of Cold Light Iron, but four in total. He had initially not known what the material was, so he decided to take one piece to Ye Lao, hoping to test the waters. Upon hearing Ye Lao's excited reaction and learning that the Cold Light Iron was a third-tier material, Ye Bai decided then and there that, unless absolutely necessary or unless he was sure of his ability to protect it, he would not let anyone else know he had three more pieces hidden away.
As the saying goes, "A common man's fault is having a jewel—treasure brings disaster." Ye Bai understood this deeply. The Cold Light Iron was a rare and crucial material for crafting mid-tier mystical weapons. Even the Ye family didn't have many of these, so if someone were to find out, it could lead to disaster. Given his low strength and lack of strong backing, Ye Bai knew that if word spread, there were people who would kill him for these treasures without hesitation. Ye Bai certainly didn't want to risk his life for a moment of carelessness.
Even if the Cold Light Iron wasn't immediately needed, it would serve other purposes in the future. Perhaps one day, he would have a weapon of his own, and integrating this precious metal into it could greatly enhance its power. This was a rare and irreplaceable treasure—one that money could not buy.
Moreover, Ye Bai had not shared with Ye Lao that the Cold Light Iron wasn't something he had found in the Cold Ice River, but rather in the Ice Punishment Forest, a third-tier forbidden area. Ye Bai, understanding how alluring treasures could be, knew not to give anyone such specific information. He felt a bit guilty for deceiving Ye Lao, as the old man was one of the few in the family who treated him kindly. But for his own safety, Ye Bai had no choice but to keep this secret. He would make it up to Ye Lao later if he ever had the chance.
Thinking this, Ye Bai carefully packed the three pieces of Cold Light Iron back into the hidden compartment, replacing the wooden board over it. After a moment's thought, he wasn't entirely convinced it was safe enough. He went to the corner of the room and pulled out a lacquered bucket, which he used to coat the bed with fresh lacquer, making it impossible to discern any hidden compartments. From the outside, no one would suspect that such a secret lay beneath his humble bed. The alley was already secluded, and no one from the Ye family would come to this part of the compound, so Ye Bai was confident it was safe—this was just an extra precaution, something he had learned from his years of surviving in the family.
Once he was done, Ye Bai frowned at the lingering scent of lacquer in the room. After a brief moment of thought, he reached into his robe and pulled out a small wooden bottle, from which he poured out some powder. He sprinkled it around the room, and within moments, the pungent smell dissipated, leaving behind a fresh, clean scent.
The powder was called Tongxin Flower, something Ye Bai had discovered by accident. It had the ability to eliminate odors, and he had collected quite a bit of it for use in hiding his tracks when traveling through dangerous areas where animals might be able to track him. But today, he had found a new use for it—to rid his room of the harsh smell of lacquer.
Once he had settled the room, Ye Bai realized the bed was still not usable. Fortunately, he didn't need much sleep due to his cultivation, so he took out a meditation mat from under the bed and sat down cross-legged. His face immediately grew solemn, and his demeanor became focused.
He slowly reached for the small cloth bag containing the three Illusion Heart Grass he had obtained from Ye Lao. As he unwrapped it, three pale white herbs appeared before him—Illusion Heart Grass, a low-level first-tier spiritual herb.
Without hesitation, Ye Bai broke off a small piece of one herb, placed it in his mouth, and closed his eyes. He began to slowly cultivate, as if drawing energy from the very illusionary dreams the herb invoked.
The Illusion Heart Grass, which was generally avoided by most people due to its hallucinatory properties, was an unlikely tool for cultivation. But Ye Bai wasn't most people.
If anyone were to witness this, they would be shocked beyond belief.
However, Ye Bai was unaware of the astonishment that this scene would evoke. His mind was already fully immersed in the endless illusions conjured by the herb. The hallucinations of the Illusion Heart Grass could easily torment even high-tier cultivators to death.
Sweat began to bead on his forehead, each drop soaking his robes, but Ye Bai remained unaware. His face turned an intense shade of red. As time passed, his appearance became more disordered, fluctuating between emotions—joy, anger, grief, frustration, and despair. His body trembled involuntarily, and the expressions on his face flickered as though he were enduring an intense inner struggle.
Minutes stretched into what seemed like hours. The pain from the illusions was overwhelming, but Ye Bai's willpower held firm. It was clear that he was reaching the critical point, fighting through what seemed like a lifetime of trials. Time moved excruciatingly slowly, but in the end, Ye Bai finally overcame the hallucinations. He opened his eyes with a sudden burst of focus, and his gaze, sharp and bright, cut through the dim light of the early morning.
The oil lamp beside his bed had long since been extinguished, and the first rays of dawn filtered through the small window. Ye Bai took a deep breath, relieved, his body drenched in sweat, his face filled with a sense of accomplishment and exhaustion.
The strange feeling of exhaustion after overcoming the hallucinations was almost euphoric. His cultivation had made another leap, and he was now just one step away from reaching the peak of the 8th level of Qi Gathering.
Every time he survived the hallucinations, he felt reborn, with a new appreciation for life, cultivation, and his own resilience. It was a grueling path, but it was the only one he could take.
"Even though I don't want to experience this pain, for the sake of power... for the sake of not falling behind others... I have no other choice. But... I made it through again!" he thought, smiling slightly despite the exhaustion.
No one knew his secret. His special method—using the Illusion Heart Grass to fuel his cultivation—was something only he would ever understand.