Translator: CinderTL
Even though Xu Sanyan had only used eighty percent of his power without transforming, it was still a force to be reckoned with.
The Stone General instantly shrank into a stone puppet and fell into Luo Yu's hand. Xu Sanyan let out a long sigh, feigning exhaustion.
"Hahaha... Junior Brother Xu, you're truly remarkable!" Luo Yu strode forward, laughing heartily. He had sensed that Xu Sanyan hadn't exerted his full strength, but this suited him even better. As long as Xu Sanyan's power remained within his control, the stronger he was, the more useful he would be.
But if it ever surpassed that limit... Luo Yu's smile turned icy. Then there would be no choice but to eliminate the threat entirely!
Chi Yu gently waved his palm-leaf fan, a cunning smile spreading across his face as he adopted the demeanor of a shrewd strategist. "Congratulations, Senior Brother Luo. With Junior Brother Xu's assistance, you've truly gained wings like a tiger!"
"Hahaha, excellent, excellent!" Luo Yu roared with laughter. Turning to his servants, he bellowed, "Prepare a feast! Bring out my treasured Three-Colored Chicken!"
"Yes, sir," a servant responded from nearby.
"Junior Brother Xu, don't leave tonight. Let's drink our fill and stay here," Luo Yu said warmly, stepping forward to grasp Xu Sanyan's hand with a show of familiarity.
"Then I humbly accept your kind invitation. Thank you, Senior Brother Luo," Xu Sanyan replied with a grateful smile.
The three men settled into the hall, raising their cups in lively toasts. Below them, ten beautiful women danced, their figures swaying gracefully beneath billowing silk veils. Their gazes shifted between seductive glances and bashful blushes, embodying earthly perfection.
"Junior Brother Xu, which one catches your eye? Your senior brother will gift her to you!" Luo Yu declared, his face flushed with wine, gesturing dismissively toward the dancers. He treated them as mere commodities, valuing neither their personhood nor their dignity.
In this world, respect was reserved for those of equal strength or shared interests. To these men, women with beauty but no power were no different from merchandise.
Xu Sanyan shook his head with a wry smile. "Thank you for your kind offer, Senior Brother. A gentleman doesn't seize what others hold dear. I'll pass."
"Hahaha! What a noble gentleman! Then let us drain this goblet in his honor..."
None of the three men present had the slightest connection to the concept of gentlemanly conduct.
The next morning, a white mist steamed from the mountains, and birds and beasts occasionally darted through the clouds, their piercing cries echoing through the valleys.
Xu Sanyan bid farewell to Luo Yu and walked toward the Back Mountain with Chi Yu.
Chi Yu tilted his chin toward the four mountain peaks and remarked casually, "Our Crimson Heart Faction resides on Crimson Dragon Mountain. The Joyous Union Lineage occupies Joyous Harmony Mountain, and the Blood Refinement Branch dwells on Blood Refinement Mountain."
Pointing to the tallest peak in the center, Chi Yu continued, "That's Harmonious Heart Mountain, home to the Sect Leader Faction. It's also the origin of our Harmonious Heart Holy Sect's name, symbolizing the unity of the Four Factions."
Four Factions united? Xu Sanyan wondered. Why would a single sect be divided into four distinct branches? He suspected there was more to the story.
Chi Yu lowered his voice. "The sole surviving Holy Son from the previous generation resides with the Sect Leader Faction. He's also the Sect Leader's son."
"A Holy Son from the previous generation is still alive?" Xu Sanyan asked in surprise. He had assumed they had all perished.
"Of course. He's the Sect Leader's son. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he'll likely become the next Sect Leader..." Chi Yu trailed off, hesitant to elaborate further. Xu Sanyan nodded knowingly, understanding the implications without needing further explanation.
"Senior Brother Chi, do you happen to know a woman named Qin Manyang?" Xu Sanyan suddenly asked.
"Hmm? You know Elder Qin?" Chi Yu glanced sideways at him, surprised.
"Elder?" Xu Sanyan paused, taken aback.
Chi Yu nodded. "Elder Qin is at the Dao Seeking Realm. I heard she went down the mountain to seek enlightenment. I don't know when she'll return. How do you know her?"
"We met by chance and traveled together for a while," Xu Sanyan replied casually.
Chi Yu sized Xu Sanyan up and down, a look of admiration on his face. "Junior Brother Xu, you truly are blessed with extraordinary fortune."
"Huh? What do you mean, Senior Brother?"
"To travel with Elder Qin and come out alive? Isn't that the very definition of extraordinary fortune?" Chi Yu's expression was hard to describe.
Xu Sanyan pursed his lips. "Senior Brother Chi, please be more explicit. The more you talk, the more confused I become."
"Heh..." Chi Yu chuckled. "Elder Qin's Cultivation Method causes her mind to wander. Sometimes she's calm and amiable, other times brutally cruel. She's manageable most of the time, but if you catch her during an episode..." He shook his head. "She's practically the greatest killing machine in our entire Crimson Heart Faction!"
Xu Sanyan felt a lingering fear. Was that woman truly so unstable?
How dare she accuse the Crimson Heart Faction of being a bunch of lunatics who slaughter entire villages on a whim? Sounds like she was describing herself!
And what did Qin Manyang mean by "descending the mountain to seek the Dao"?
Xu Sanyan had heard that phrase more than once. Lan Yue had mentioned it in passing, but never elaborated. Now that Xu Sanyan was approaching that stage himself, he decided it was best to learn more in advance. He clasped his hands respectfully and said, "Senior Brother Chi, could you enlighten this junior brother on the Dao Seeking Realm?"
Chi Yu hesitated for a moment before sighing. "These are confidential matters, not meant for general knowledge. If anyone else asked, I wouldn't say a word. But since you've inquired, Junior Brother, I'll tell you."
Xu Sanyan's face lit up with gratitude. "Thank you, Senior Brother."
"The Dao Seeking Realm, also known as the Lost Path stage, is reached when a cultivator's progress stagnates. As time passes without progress, they inevitably grow anxious and confused, which severely undermines their resolve to pursue the Dao."
Chi Yu squatted down and drew a bottle on the ground. "This bottle represents the cultivator himself."
Chi Yu drew a horizontal line across the middle of the bottle and pointed to it. "This line represents your 'realm,' or what you might call your 'mindset.' Your cultivation level can never surpass this boundary."
"Your cultivation level is exactly where this line is. If your 'mind cultivation' doesn't progress even an inch, neither will your cultivation level. Take Elder Qin, for example. She's been trapped in the Dao Seeking Realm for nearly thirty years, and her purpose in descending the mountain this time is precisely to cultivate her mind."
Xu Sanyan nodded thoughtfully. Chi Yu's explanation was thorough, and he grasped some of it.
"First, you must find your own 'Dao.' Once you've determined your path, you can break through Foundation Establishment and enter the Dao Seeking Realm. Then, you continue along that path until..."
Chi Yu crushed the bottle under his foot. "Break through this bottle, and you can 'see your soul'!"
"See my soul?"
"In other words, reach the Soul Refining Realm."
"But... we can already sense our divine souls," Xu Sanyan protested, puzzled. He could already condense his divine soul power and unleash the Lu Clan's Spirit Refining Force.
"It's different now. You're merely perceiving your divine soul; you can't see it or easily wield it."
Xu Sanyan wanted to press further, but Chi Yu waved him off dismissively. "I'm just a Foundation Establishment cultivator myself. That's all I know."
Having finally cornered him, Xu Sanyan wasn't about to let go. He shifted his line of questioning. "Senior Brother, how does one cultivate the mind?"
"That depends entirely on yourself. Mind cultivation is the most intricate and elusive of all practices. Every individual's path is unique, and I can't offer universal guidance. Otherwise, Elder Qin wouldn't have been stuck in the Dao Seeking Realm for thirty years."
Feeling he'd said enough, Chi Yu changed the subject. "Let's go. I'll take you to choose some maids."
Sensing Chi Yu's growing impatience, Xu Sanyan didn't press further. Chi Yu had only shared so much out of a desire to build rapport before their upcoming joint operation. In ordinary circumstances, he wouldn't waste his breath.
This information was invaluable, likely worth a small fortune. Xu Sanyan now owed Chi Yu a favor.
Of course, Xu Sanyan had never placed much stock in such obligations.
The two continued their lighthearted conversation as they made their way to the Back Mountain, where the servant disciples and Outer Sect Disciples resided.
(End of the Chapter)
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