Chapter 9: Parting

The Ice Piercing spell was originally a basic Five Elements technique for novice cultivators, but the person who had launched the sneak attack clearly possessed a cultivation far exceeding Liang Yan's. The ice spike lodged in his lower abdomen remained solid and unmelting, emitting waves of chilling frost that seemed to freeze the very blood in his veins.

Gritting his teeth, Liang Yan scanned his surroundings. Under the shroud of night, the trees swayed in the darkness, and not a single soul was in sight. Clearly, his assailant was a cultivator skilled in the arts of stealth and assassination.

Realizing this, Liang Yan flipped himself up. He held his upper body suspended and leaning back, supporting his head with his left hand and arching his back with his right, assuming the "Napping Stance."

As the Nameless Incantation circulated through his entire body, everything within a ten-mile radius—from massive trees and boulders to tiny flowers and insects—was mapped into his mind with unerring precision.

Liang Yan saw clearly that behind a certain large tree, a tall youth was lurking stealthily, staring at him with eyes full of vigilance. This person was none other than Chen Chong's elder brother, Chen Hu!

It turned out Chen Chong had quite an appetite; he had long planned to conspire with Tang Yan and Xu Kun to scheme against Liang Yan, only to have his cousin Chen Hu act as the "oriole behind the mantis" to eliminate Tang Yan and Xu Kun as well.

However, Chen Hu was naturally cautious. Despite being at the third level of Qi Refinement, he did not rush to strike, choosing instead to observe from the shadows. Seeing Liang Yan's strange and divine abilities, he secretly concluded that even if he struck, he had no absolute guarantee of victory, so he resolved to wait for a moment to launch a sneak attack.

Chen Hu had always been detached from family ties. Seeing his cousin lose his life, he remained unmoved; instead, he waited for the moment when Liang Yan had just slain a powerful enemy and his mental state was at its most relaxed, striking like thunder to heavily wound him.

"This kid has a powerful physical body; he must be a body cultivator. It is unwise to clash with him head-on."

"He was hit by my enhanced Ice Piercing spell, so the cold poison should be permeating his body. I only need to hide in the shadows and deny him the chance to meditate and regulate his breath. Once he is exhausted, I will deliver the fatal blow! Hehe, when that time comes, all their storage bags will be mine."

As Chen Hu was blissfully plotting, his gaze suddenly flickered. He saw Liang Yan kick off the ground and charge toward him with great strides.

"Damn! Could this kid actually see through my hiding place?"

Liang Yan was incredibly fast. Before Chen Hu could think, the boy had already closed within thirty feet. Panic surged in Chen Hu's heart as he rapidly performed hand seals. *Puff, puff!* Two ice pillars condensed instantly, shooting toward Liang Yan.

By casting two Ice Piercing spells simultaneously, Chen Hu's face turned pale, yet he still dared not be careless, leaping backward to retreat.

Liang Yan did not dodge or evade. He charged straight toward the two ice spikes, merely tilting his body slightly to avoid his vital points. *Puchi, puchi!* Two more ice spikes struck his body. Gritting his teeth against the pain, Liang Yan dropped into a horse stance with an arched back, his left hand resting on his right arm as his right hand thrust forward with full force—the "One-Punch Stance."

"Is this kid insane?" The thought flashed through Chen Hu's mind. He hurriedly performed a seal to shoot another ice spike while simultaneously condensing an ice crystal in front of him. Then, the whistling wind of the punch arrived. The ice spike and ice crystal shattered like paper into ice shards. The momentum of the fist did not diminish in the slightest, slamming directly into Chen Chong's chest. It pulverized the protective inner armor gifted by his sect, entering through the front and exiting through the back. Chen Hu's eyes bulged; he died instantly.

It is said that "appearance stems from the heart." For the old monk, however, it worked in reverse. Liang Yan was naturally a cautious person who did not take risks with lives easily. Yet, the moment he employed the "One-Punch Stance," his body and mind were influenced by the dharma image, giving rise to an inexplicable aura of looking down upon the world, as if he were the sole master of his destiny. He felt that no matter how vast the world was, it could not withstand this single punch of his right hand. By the time he regained his senses, Chen Hu was already dead.

Liang Yan let out a long breath, sat cross-legged, and secretly circulated the Nameless Incantation to expel the cold poison from his body.

It was deep into the night, and the sky was as black as ink, with barely a few stars visible. For Liang Yan, this night had been far too long. Since following the old monk to learn the arts, he had never fought a cultivator before. He hadn't expected his first encounter to be a siege by three people, followed by a sneak attack. It had been a harrowing experience; even for someone as mature for his age as Liang Yan, he could not help but feel a wave of lingering fear.

"Though this is a deep forest, many people are coming for the auction tonight. After that battle, I fear I might attract others with ill intentions. I should leave as soon as possible." With this thought, Liang Yan hurriedly suppressed his injuries, stood up to collect everyone's storage bags, and hurried toward the small town.

In the Cloud-Drifting Inn of the town halfway up the mountain, a set of hurried footsteps echoed through the elegant corridor and stopped before a guest room. Immediately after, the door was pushed open, and a boy of about ten entered, his face covered in blood and his expression exhausted.

This was Liang Yan. He had just escaped a fierce battle and had been filled with dread the entire way. As he pushed open the door, he saw a withered old monk sitting cross-legged beside a dim oil lamp, looking at him with concern.

Only now did Liang Yan's tense mind relax, and a sense of surviving a catastrophe washed over him.

"Good child, come here."

"Yes." Liang Yan walked to his side as instructed.

The old monk raised his hand and drew a circle in the air, then guided it with a single-handed seal. A golden lotus emerged out of thin air, its petals unfurling with a sense of vibrant life. It spun rapidly before drifting into Liang Yan's body following the monk's gesture.

As the lotus entered his body, Liang Yan felt a tearing pain through his flesh, but simultaneously, his injuries began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Liang Yan gasped from the pain and grimaced at the monk, "Old monk, are you saving me or slaughtering a pig?" As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized they were inappropriate; he was truly confused today, even cursing himself.

This was the first time the old monk had seen him lose his composure so completely, and he guessed that the boy must have endured a brutal battle tonight.

"How many did you kill?"

Liang Yan froze, then replied, "Four."

"Were they meant to die?"

"They were!" Liang Yan answered without hesitation.

Unexpectedly, the old monk did not lecture him today; instead, he nodded silently.

Liang Yan could not gauge his intentions and remained silent. Under the flickering oil lamp in the dim guest room, the old man and the youth fell into a sudden silence.

After a long while, the old monk finally broke the silence, looking at Liang Yan and saying slowly

"Our fate has reached its end. It is time to part ways."

Upon hearing this, Liang Yan felt as if he had been struck by lightning, standing frozen on the spot. His family had suffered a great catastrophe; had it not been for the old monk's help, he would be nothing but a pile of bones by now. Over the following year, under the monk's dedicated teaching, Liang Yan had come to view him as both a teacher and a father in his heart, even if he never said it aloud. Hearing the monk's intent to part, he asked in a choked voice

"Why? Is it because my aptitude is too poor, a piece of rotten wood that cannot be carved?"

The old monk had said more than once that his spiritual roots were too mixed and his aptitude too low, and that he would need ten times the perseverance of an ordinary person to have even a slim chance of attaining the Great Dao.

The old monk sighed and said, "It is not that. Though your aptitude is poor, you are intelligent, possess a spark of wisdom, and have a resilient character. In the future, you may not be unable to comprehend the Great Dao."

"Then why, exactly?"

"An enemy I have been tracking has recently surfaced. Years ago, I fought this person several times, and we were evenly matched. I have no guarantee of victory in a fight now. My life or death in this journey is unknown; I truly cannot bring you along." After saying this, he gave him a look of great regret.

"What kind of enemy is so powerful? If you take me, perhaps..."

Before he could finish, the old monk waved his hand sternly. "No!"

Liang Yan's heart went cold. He knew that although the old monk was easygoing, once he made a decision, he never wavered. Thinking of their parting today and the uncertainty of life and death hereafter, he blurted out, "Master!"

He knelt on the ground and performed three loud, heavy kowtows.

Although the old monk had never allowed him to call him "Master," he did not correct him this time. Instead, he patted his head and said gently, "Good child, stand up."

As Liang Yan rose, the old monk suddenly performed a hand seal and tapped him on his lower abdomen, at the Dantian.

Liang Yan felt a sharp pain in his Dantian, and his spiritual energy began to swirl chaotically. Immediately after, a bead the size of a ring flew out from his Dantian. It was half-black and half-white, with two colors of energy slowly circulating, creating a nebula-like mist around it.

Liang Yan stood stunned. Then he heard the old monk say

"This is the object that caused the deaths of the three hundred and thirty-six mortals in Huaiyuan Town, and it is also the object sought by Blind Yan. This object is called the Heavenly Mystery Bead. Its origins are quite mysterious, and I am not entirely sure of its specific functions. However, one thing is certain: it can obscure heavenly secrets. As long as this bead is with you, no one can detect your true cultivation level unless their realm is far higher than yours."

"When you were heavily injured and unconscious back then, I intervened to drive away the Yama of Fire and seized this bead. Later, while you were unconscious, I refined it into your body."

Liang Yan was stunned, then looked at the precious bead with a complex expression.

Knowing his thoughts, the old monk said slowly, "Is there right or wrong in a divine weapon? Grudges and emotions exist only in the mortal realm. This object may bring you disaster, but it may also bring you opportunity in the future. Whether it is a blessing or a curse depends entirely on yourself."

Liang Yan took a deep breath and nodded solemnly. "This disciple has learned."

The old monk looked satisfied and added, "You must keep this object safe. Never reveal it in front of others. You must know—"

Before he could finish, a sudden change occurred. Liang Yan's storage bag vibrated violently without warning, and a wooden fish flew out from within.

As if sensing something, the Heavenly Mystery Bead shot a ray of light onto the wooden fish.

*Crack, crack...* Visible cracks began to appear on the wooden fish until it finally could not withstand the pressure and shattered. A cloud of black gas flew out, and within the gas, a human face was faintly visible, with two horns on its head and fangs in its mouth.

"Hahaha! That Flowery Monk trapped me for a hundred years, but I have finally escaped!" As soon as the face appeared, it laughed toward the sky, then glared fiercely at Liang Yan and the monk. "Hmph, one mortal and one junior at the first level of Qi Refinement. Even as blood food, you aren't enough to fill my teeth, but since I have just escaped, I shall settle for consuming you both!"

With that, it opened its mouth and spat out a rolling wave of demonic qi toward the two.

The old monk frowned, about to strike. Unexpectedly, the Heavenly Mystery Bead reacted even faster than the monk. Almost the moment the demonic qi appeared, it shot out a beam of black and white light. Upon meeting the light, the demonic qi dissolved instantly. The face within the demonic qi acted as if it had met its natural predator, turning to flee immediately.

However, the black and white light was faster, catching the face and sweeping it back.

The Heavenly Mystery Bead began to spin rapidly, circling the face. Whether it was an illusion or not, the bead gave Liang Yan the feeling of a lion inspecting its prey.

After a moment, the Heavenly Mystery Bead shook slightly, seemingly unsatisfied with the prey before it, and shot a black light from within the bead at the face. The face twisted and struggled before instantly turning to ash, leaving only a wisp of faint demonic qi, which was sucked into the bead. Immediately after, four black spheres of light appeared around the bead, slowly rotating around it. One of them faintly revealed the character "Demon," but the light was dim and vanished instantly.

Seeing this, the old monk performed a hand seal, and the Heavenly Mystery Bead spun once before flying back into Liang Yan's Dantian and disappearing.

As soon as the bead entered his body, Liang Yan felt a warm current rise from his Dantian, spreading through his meridians to his limbs and bones. His entire body felt incredibly warm and comfortable.

Suddenly, the old monk shouted, "Boy, your opportunity has arrived! Quickly calm your mind, circulate your cultivation technique, and prepare to break through to the second level of Qi Refinement!"

Hearing this, Liang Yan obeyed immediately. He focused his mind and silently circulated the Nameless Incantation. Waves of warmth surged from his Dantian, helping him cleanse the impurities in his meridians, and his internal aura continued to rise steadily.

After an unknown amount of time, Liang Yan slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of turbid air. Outside the window, the sun was rising, birds and beasts were singing, and a ray of morning light fell lazily upon him. The old monk sat cross-legged opposite him, looking at him with a smile in his eyes.

"Peak of the second level of Qi Refinement. Not bad."