Chapter 97

In the icy water of the Water Refinement Hell, compared to the intense stimulation he experienced the first time, Hengyi now felt less discomfort and was able to think about other things.

Hengyi was unsure whether it was due to his body's strong adaptability or the improvement in his body's adaptability from the injuries sustained during training.

An elder from the Two Poles Hall flew over the mystic water, passed through the gate of the Water Refinement Hell, and landed in front of Hengyi, looking down at him with only his nose and above exposed above the water. The elder praised, "You have perseverance; there are few who train as you do. I also persisted for a while back then, but later couldn't find a suitable environment and gradually forgot about it."

Hengyi stood up straight, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "Elder."

"Almost finished, right?"

"Yes." Hengyi thought the elder's timing was coincidental, but in reality, the elder had learned from the guards how long Hengyi had been inside and estimated when his training would end.

"Continue your training; no need to be formal." The elder from the Two Poles Hall was gentle. Seeing Hengyi squat down, he added, "We know about the incident with Xu Dafa. The sect leader values talent and won't blame you for the actions of an incompetent Xu Shengtian. However, the deputy sect leader won't let you off. I want to take you as my personal disciple. I've been in the Peak Sect for many years and have some influence. This way, the deputy sect leader will consider my face and won't do anything to you."

"I am already your disciple, Elder." Hengyi didn't understand what a personal disciple meant; the Lake and Sea Sect didn't have such distinctions because of the small number of disciples. But seeing that the elder from the Two Poles Hall was also worried about the deputy sect leader, he felt even more puzzled. "Xu Dafa repeatedly violated the training rules and caused the deaths of many people. Why are you worried about the deputy sect leader punishing me for following the rules? I haven't violated any sect rules or training rules, so the deputy sect leader has no reason to punish me. He might just be upset with me."

"Haha..." The elder from the Two Poles Hall chuckled. "Hengyi, all the third-level Earth Venerables from the Two Poles Hall in the past have been taken by the Eight Trigram Mountain. You are the first top-tier genius I am determined to keep. Your talent alone wouldn't make me do this. Among the top-tier geniuses, only one or two out of ten can reach the level of Star Venerable, and among those, only half can survive to the age of thirty after numerous battles. The Peak Star System has few training opportunities, and the Heaven Above focuses on training. Those who come out of the Heaven Above don't view young geniuses as rare. The Heaven Above, a gathering place for geniuses of human civilization, has many young talents with abilities comparable to or close to yours."

Hengyi nodded in agreement. The Peak Sect had many top-tier geniuses who reached the Earth Venerable realm at sixteen, and the Heaven Above, which gathered elites from many star systems of human civilization, had even more, too many to count.

However, he didn't understand why the elder from the Two Poles Hall was saying these things.

"The sect leader's background is similar to yours. When the Peak Star was just out of the Seed Star stage, the Peak Sect rose from a minor planet sect to the largest divine sect in the Peak Star System. During this process, many people from the Xu family sacrificed their lives, leaving orphans and widows, with countless bloodlines severed. When the sect leader achieved success, he remembered the contributions of those who fought for the sect and tended to be lenient with the descendants of the clan. Whenever someone made a mistake, people would bring up past contributions, and the sect leader couldn't impose severe punishments. I have known the sect leader for a long time and understand his feelings and situation. Over the years, I could only watch the Peak Sect's morals remain mediocre..."

Hengyi couldn't understand the elder's intentions but listened attentively.

"I'm telling you this because you possess qualities rarely seen in the divine sects of the Peak Star System. I don't want you to go to the Eight Trigram Mountain because I fear your qualities will be destroyed. Although I don't know how long this will keep your qualities intact, it's still a good thing to be sent to the Eight Trigram Mountain. I was worried that the incident with Xu Dafa would make you anxious and burdened with too many thoughts. Now, seeing your situation, it seems my visit was unnecessary. Hengyi, remember, you are unique here, but in the Heaven Above, you will find many kindred spirits! Those who follow the tide change with the times, while those who uphold their beliefs create the tide. Some say that only those who remain true to their original intentions have the potential to reach the Dream Space. The world is complex; hold onto yourself and don't let a few incidents make you think the entire human civilization or the universe is like that. As the saying goes, a single leaf can block the view of Mount Tai, and that's exactly what it means."

"Disciple will remember Elder's teachings." Hengyi recalled that he wanted to ask the elder about something and said, "Elder, when you first met me in the Two Poles Hall, you said you knew my situation. I want to know how I can improve my training progress."

"This is not urgent. Your situation is special, and I will discuss it with you in detail later. For now, what you need to learn is to fill the gaps in your common knowledge. I have had some general history of human civilization compiled and sent to your tree house. Read it in your spare time. If you continue like this, you will encounter many unnecessary troubles in the Heaven Above, all because of your limited understanding of the world. Compared to trying to improve your training progress, this is more urgent."

"Disciple will follow Elder's teachings!" Hengyi quickly clasped his hands in a salute. Although he was eager to improve, he believed the elder from the Two Poles Hall knew more and that his words must have a reason.

"Very good. Rest well after your training, and gather at the Two Poles Hall square at Chen hour."

"Send off Elder." Hengyi watched the elder from the Two Poles Hall leave, digesting his words, but not fully understanding them, such as the saying "a single leaf can block the view of Mount Tai," which he had never heard before. But in general, he didn't understand what the elder meant by keeping his qualities intact.

'Back to eating immortal peaches and reading the books the elder prepared...'

Hengyi stopped guessing aimlessly and thought that reading those books would help him fully understand the elder's words.

Outside the clan meeting hall of the Peak Sect, several clan elders emerged one after another. Seeing the elder from the Two Poles Hall, they all greeted him politely. Although the elder from the Two Poles Hall was an outsider, he was Xu Bangwang's sworn brother and had always been the first among the outsider elders. He was known for his humility and lack of interest in trivial matters or power struggles, earning him respect. Many former deputy sect leaders had shown him great respect.

Xu Bangwang had often said in public that the Peak Sect's success was one-quarter his own effort, one-quarter the contributions of the Xu family, one-quarter the efforts of the outsider elders, and one-quarter the contributions of the elder from the Two Poles Hall.

However, the elder from the Two Poles Hall had always refused to serve as deputy sect leader, believing it inappropriate for an outsider to hold such a position and detrimental to the long-term interests of the sect.

Because of this, the Xu family regarded the elder's clan as almost part of their own, maintaining a long-term harmonious and mutually supportive relationship without major conflicts.

The elder's clan was also the most respected clan outside the Xu family in the Peak Star System, known as the second largest family in the Peak Star System.

When Xu Bangwang and Xu Tianfeng emerged together and saw the elder from the Two Poles Hall, Xu Bangwang laughed and said, "See, Tianfeng, I said he would come for Hengyi."

The elder from the Two Poles Hall smiled and clasped his hands in a salute. "You know me well, Sect Leader."

Xu Tianfeng said coolly, "The elder has made a wasted trip."

"This... I know this is too much to ask of the deputy sect leader." The elder from the Two Poles Hall had known the matter was difficult and had been prepared to offend Xu Tianfeng.

Just as he was worrying, Xu Tianfeng suddenly laughed. "I finally got to play a trick on the elder. The elder's trip was in vain because I have already decided not to pursue Hengyi's punishment."

The elder from the Two Poles Hall was stunned, and Xu Bangwang, delighted, put his arm around the elder's shoulder and briefly explained what had happened.

The elder from the Two Poles Hall was both surprised and amazed, never expecting such a perfect resolution. He quickly bowed and congratulated, "The deputy sect leader and his daughter have reconciled, what a joy!"

"Thank you!" Xu Tianfeng was also very happy but then sighed. "However, Zizai's actions for Hengyi are truly incomprehensible. Perhaps Zizai has high hopes for Hengyi. Should Zizai know Hengyi's true situation? If this news spreads, the sect leader will also be in a difficult position!"

The elder from the Two Poles Hall remained silent, understanding Xu Tianfeng's concerns. No one had expected that Chen Zizai, such a person, would develop feelings for Hengyi.

"Your appreciation of this young man is well-founded, and his qualities are beyond doubt. Unfortunately, his constitution is that of a waste, though his innate soul power is strong, he has almost no chance of reaching the Star Venerable realm, which limits his future. Zizai's infatuation not only makes the situation complicated but will also end in disappointment." Xu Tianfeng was deeply worried, as the elder from the Two Poles Hall had mentioned Hengyi's situation before.

Xu Bangwang said, "This matter cannot be rushed. When the opportunity arises, I will talk to Zizai. Since Hengyi is so rare, if we can find a way to repair his soul, we should do our best. It would be a pity if such a talented person cannot even reach the Star Venerable realm."

"The human spirit consists of three souls and seven spirits. The three souls are the Heavenly Soul, the Earthly Soul, and the Life Soul. The seven spirits are the Heavenly Rush, the Spiritual Wisdom, the Qi, the Strength, the Central Hub, the Essence, and the Hero. If only the soul or spirit is damaged, it can be repaired like a table or chair with a missing leg. However, if the table or chair no longer exists, how can it be repaired? Hengyi lacks the Heavenly and Earthly Souls, having only the Life Soul. The Central Hub spirit is located above the Qi Sea. In the case of a waste constitution, the Central Hub spirit can either be damaged or non-existent. If it is damaged, there is a possibility of repair, but Hengyi's situation, lacking the Central Hub spirit, means he cannot cultivate true qi at all!" The elder from the Two Poles Hall looked worried, clearly troubled by this issue for a long time.

"What about the Soul Guiding Technique?" Xu Bangwang knew only the basics of these theories, far less than the elder from the Two Poles Hall, but he remembered hearing about this repair technique.