The curiosity and awe shimmering in Elder Wang Shen's deep, wrinkled eyes were denser than the mist clinging to that cold corridor. His aged face, which had witnessed three hundred years of cultivation's shifting tides, was now filled with the wide-eyed wonder of a small child.
The yellow flame of the lantern hanging on the manor wall flickered slightly, casting deeper shadows upon them all. Yan Kai Long's grip on his sword-hilt loosened, yet his gaze remained anchored to Ye Fang's every micro-expression. City Lord Wang Long retracted the oppressive aura of his 'Spiritual Infant Peak' realm, though the skepticism etched on his face had not yet fully vanished. Wang Mei and Wang Ling stood with bated breath, as if waiting for the unveiling of a primordial secret.
Elder Wang Shen stroked his frost-white beard once more with trembling fingers. A dry, heavy voice escaped his throat, cutting through the corridor's silence like a blade:
"So... it is a 'Nameless Technique.' A path without title... one that transcends the very boundaries of the Heavenly Laws." The Elder narrowed his eyes, a flicker of incredulity gleaming within them. "Ye Fang, my child... is your Master truly so extraordinary, so unimaginably powerful, that he no longer requires the fundamental essence of cultivation—Qi? To unleash such catastrophic destruction through pure physical force and the raw power of the mortal shell, without a single drop of spiritual energy... is such a thing even possible?"
Every gaze was now pinned on Ye Fang. The air grew heavy, almost suffocating. Even the Little System stood before them, her large eyes wide with anticipation, watching her Host with sheer amusement. She was thoroughly enjoying the spectacle of her 'smart' Host trying to climb out of this new pit he had dug for himself.
But Ye Fang's demeanor shifted; his eyes turned a haunting shade of crimson.
His mind was racing like a supercomputer, processing millions of thoughts per second. Hearing the Elder's solemn and weighty question, Ye Fang's internal self began to laugh hysterically. Peering into the deepest recesses of his mind, he thought:
'Oh man! Old Man! Why must you always jump straight to the seventh heaven with your theories! "Is your Master truly that powerful?"... Forget my Master, there isn't even a Master here! And as for this "unimaginable power" and "Qi-less technique" you're trying to decipher—if you ever learned the truth, I wouldn't be surprised if your remaining cultivation evaporated on the spot!'
Ye Fang mentally clutched his head in agony as his thoughts spiraled:
'First of all, Old Man... that day when you tried to scan my soul and received a backlash that nearly blew your lungs out? That wasn't some "Mysterious Master"! That was just my high-maintenance, pink-nightdress-wearing assistant—the Little System—triggering her security protocols because you poked where you shouldn't have! It was your own bad luck. And secondly... the devastation here, the blackened walls, the smoke rising from my hair? It wasn't caused by some divine "Nameless Technique"! It happened because that piece of junk, that jinxed stone I bought at the market, exploded in my face because I was arrogant enough to think it was the "Greatest Artifact in the Universe"! The tables have turned. The junk was truly junk, and it blew up right in my face!'
Having vented this internal storm, Ye Fang realized that preserving his dignity before these 'Great' warriors of the cultivation world was his most critical task. If he admitted he had blackened his face with a mere firecracker of a stone, his 'Savage' reputation would be so thoroughly trashed that he wouldn't be able to show his face in Sanmiao City again.
He suppressed the panic hiding behind the soot on his face. He straightened his spine, gave his sleeves a sharp flick, and brought back that deep, mysterious void into his eyes—the same emptiness he had displayed while grinding the titans of the arena into the dust.
He looked toward Elder Wang Shen, whose face was still strained with the desperate need for an answer. Ye Fang spoke in a voice that was calm, grave, and profoundly philosophical:
"Elder... what you have surmised is a hundred percent true. I salute your sharp intellect and vast experience."
The moment this first line left Ye Fang's lips, a strange sense of satisfaction and even deeper curiosity flooded the faces of Elder Wang Shen, the City Lord, and Yan Kai Long.
Ye Fang continued, a faint, enigmatic smile playing on his soot-covered lips, "My Master truly exists at a level where the common laws of cultivation no longer apply. To him, this creation, this physical world, and the Qi that flows through it are merely mediums—not boundaries. Upon reaching his height, a being no longer requires the crutches of established cultivation rules. He can manifest energy from the very Void itself."
The guards and Yan Kai Long held their collective breath. "Creation from the Void!" These were words spoken only in legends or in reference to ancient deities within the cultivation world.
Ye Fang patted himself on the back inwardly. 'Bravo, Ye Fang! What a magnificent load of garbage you've spun! These cultivators are truly bizarre—the grander and more cryptic the lie, the more they swallow it as absolute truth.'
Adopting a solemn posture once more, he continued, "However... Elder, the reality is that I am still light-years away from that peak. My Master did indeed bestow this knowledge upon me, but as you witnessed... I have yet to achieve true mastery over this Nameless Technique. My physical vessel and mortal frame are not yet resilient enough to contain such violent surges of energy without external stabilization."
He looked down at his hands, still stained with soot, and exhaled a long, staged sigh of exhaustion.
"That is why, during my tempering, the equilibrium of energy faltered slightly, resulting in this... trivial detonation. I have much work to do to refine this art. I must improve, ensuring that in the future, I do not bring shame to my Master's venerable name. The path of cultivation is infinite, and I am but a humble wanderer standing upon its very first step."
Ye Fang's display of extreme humility, coupled with his mysterious explanation, elevated the atmosphere of the corridor to an entirely new level of reverence.
Elder Wang Shen's eyes filled with profound respect. He mused that if a youth backed by a Master capable of such Qi-less destruction remained this modest and unassuming, he was truly a paragon of virtue! To call such terrifying power a "minor error" and "need for improvement" was the mark of a true genius.
"Marvelous... truly marvelous!" Elder Wang Shen exclaimed, overcome with emotion. "Ye Fang, your humility is the greatest testament to the fact that you are the disciple of a supreme power. Cultivators who are not blinded by their own strength are the ones who eventually touch the summit of the Heavenly Dao. We are honored to have you as our guest in Sanmiao City."
City Lord Wang Long bowed his head respectfully. "Indeed, Ye Fang. Your journey is an inspiration to us all. Please, continue to refine your technique within our manor without any hesitation."
Meanwhile, Yan Kai Long let out a silent, cold breath. The burning rivalry in his eyes had transformed into deep, unshakeable respect. He thought, 'This boy is truly leagues ahead of me. His techniques seem more ancient and profound than even the secret arts of my own Sect. I must accelerate my own cultivation.'
In the midst of this grand spectacle, the Little System manifested before Ye Fang and remarked:
"Host... honestly, witnessing your talent for deception makes me feel like I should take lessons from you! 'Creation from the Void'? 'Humble wanderer'? You are literally spewing absolute nonsense, and these people are listening as if you are some Immortal Sage!"
Ye Fang glared at the System within his mind and grumbled, 'Shut it! If I hadn't spun this tale, they'd be laughing at my charred face right now. At least my dignity is intact! Now, find me a way out of here before this Old Man asks for a live demonstration!'