Chapter 2

Yan Xiu's origin is very mysterious. Thousands of years ago, there was once a Buddhist sect in the cultivation world. The people of the Buddhist sect had a massive conflict with cultivators. After a shocking battle on the vast plains, the Buddhist sect completely disappeared. After several hundred years, Yan Xiu appeared in the cultivation world.

Yan Xiu's cultivation methods are similar to those of the Buddhist sect in many ways. Cultivators were hostile to the Buddhist sect, and as a result, Yan Xiu was also implicated. Conflicts often occurred between the two, which made it unbearable for Luo Mei and her husband to send their child to Yan Xiu.

Moreover, Yan Xiu's methods are quite monotonous, relying solely on the power of true words for cultivation. Compared to cultivators, they are far inferior, which made the proud couple even more intolerant.

What Luo Mei found most frustrating was that Yan Xiu often engaged in ascetic practices. They were not the high and mighty cultivators; they preferred to establish their sects in places where ordinary people lived, with extremely simple and crude living conditions. In the cultivation world, Yan Xiu had the nickname "Flower Sect," which essentially meant "Beggar Sect."

Of course, this was the derogatory term used by cultivators. In reality, Yan Xiu was not so despicable.

When the eight demon spirits and 108 fierce ghosts were all consumed, the couple looked at each other and smiled bitterly. Although Luo Mei's face showed a bitter smile, tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I, I... my son to the Yan Sect, to Yan Xiu? I..."

Mi Youran was also unwilling. He rubbed his hands hard.

"I will recalculate!"

Luo Mei shook her head and cried. She had already accepted Mi Youran's calculations in her heart.

"Don't calculate anymore... sniff, I really can't bear it! But if it can save my son's life, even if he has to leave... I, I will accept it!"

Mi Youran felt a deep sorrow in his heart. He knew that when they had seized the Yan treasures, although they hadn't killed anyone, they had injured countless Yan realm experts, including a super expert with a Yan Dragon position, who was also injured by the couple.

The Yan realm was the most concerned with cause and effect, so all the consequences would be borne by their son. According to the calculations, if their son cultivated, his chances of survival were very slim, regardless of whether the couple was by his side. However, if he entered the Yan Sect for cultivation, he would have a chance to survive.

Both the couple were highly skilled in Daoist arts and understood this principle. However, Luo Mei, out of deep love for her son, had lost her composure. Once she regained a bit of rationality, she realized that this path was necessary for her son, and there was no other way.

She truly couldn't bear to part with him. Having cultivated to the Great Ascension stage, her talent was among the best in the cultivation world. But once it involved her only son, she lost all her rationality and intelligence.

Mi Youran, on the other hand, was more concerned about his son's future.

"As long as my son can survive, any price is worth paying!"

Luo Mei instantly lost her composure, raised her hand to strike, and roared, "That's my son! I don't want him to suffer, I don't want him to leave... I would rather I pay the price, not my son!"

Mi Youran could only let his wife vent her anger by hitting him. Fortunately, although Luo Mei was furious, she knew not to use her cultivation power. Even without using her power, she still beat Mi Youran until his nose and eyes were bruised. Mi Youran did not use his cultivation power to defend himself, hoping to calm his wife's anger.

After a beating, Luo Mei regained her composure and immediately regretted it, pulling on Mi Youran's sleeve, "Idiot, why didn't you dodge!"

Mi Youran reached out to hug Luo Mei.

"I understand, don't worry, I'm here." Although he was not good at comforting, Luo Mei still found his words comforting.

Luo Mei was on the verge of tears. The key was that within two years, she had to send her child away as soon as possible, with no contact with the couple, or it would endanger the child. This was hard for her to accept, especially since once she let go, she couldn't even see her child, which made her extremely distressed.

Mi Youran continued to calculate, trying to find the best location to ensure that his son would be adopted and safe. This kind of calculation was mentally exhausting, even for someone at the Fusion stage, and he needed his wife's help.

Needless to say, Luo Mei was also doing her best. She only wanted to find the best solution, and her husband's calculations were crucial, just as they had been in the past. The couple had reached their current cultivation level and dominated the cultivation world largely due to Mi Youran's expertise in the I Ching and the Eight Trigrams.

Finally, Mi Youran looked up.

"I've found it! I've found the right place!"

********************

The bleak autumn wind swept over the mountains, dyeing the earth with vibrant colors—golden yellow, deep brown, bright red, and speckled with remnants of green. Layer upon layer, the forest and the earth seemed to be dressed in a colorful new coat.

As the wind blew, red, yellow, and brown leaves fell, piling up a thick layer of golden yellow on the forest floor.

Sunlight filtered through the branches, casting dappled golden spots on the ground, radiating a faint warmth.

The mountain wind rustled through the treetops, startling a flock of crows that cawed and circled upward.

In the evening, the distant sound of the evening drum from the Western Yan Sect echoed, accompanied by the faint chanting of true words and the tinkling of bells, which reverberated through the valley. The gentle smoke from the sect rose into the air.

It was a tranquil and peaceful autumn.

Behind the Western Yan Sect lay the famous Western Mountain, at the foot of which stretched an endless expanse of maple forest. In autumn, the maple forest was a sea of red, the leaves glowing like leaping flames under the sunset, appearing exceptionally bright and vivid.

A young man in white emerged from the picturesque maple forest.

The scene was beautiful, but upon closer inspection, the young man looked a bit disheveled. His hair, tied in a bun, was now somewhat messy, and his white robe, actually a patchwork of many patches, was washed gray and worn, with many tears and rips.

The young man in white was Mi Xiaojing, a Yan Xiu disciple of the Western Yan Sect. He still had a look of fear in his eyes, recalling the scene on the mountain.

This was the first time Mi Xiaojing, at the age of thirteen, had encountered a lone wolf. Even as a Yan Xiu, he was terrified.

There were wolves on Western Mountain, but this was not a new thing. In the past, wolves were most active in winter when food was scarce, and they would search and attack everywhere. In autumn, wolves rarely attacked humans because food was abundant, and wolves were generally smart enough not to attack humans unless absolutely necessary.

However, this time, Mi Xiaojing encountered a lone wolf, and a hungry one at that. He had to face it alone. The wolf, driven by hunger, had no other thoughts but to eat the fresh meat in front of it.