Chapter 3

As the sun gradually set, the western sky was dyed a deep red, and the flowers, grass, and trees on Ling Mountain were bathed in a golden glow, shimmering and outlining a beautiful scene.

"I hope you will know when to retreat."

Yefan, carrying an old black canvas bag, stood on a hilltop, seemingly admiring the scenery below, but in fact, he was observing the maze set up by Chu Xuanji. Having been raised by Chu Xuanji, Yefan knew very well that the man, revered as a divine doctor by outsiders, was not just a master of medicine but also had profound knowledge in many fields, such as the Eight Trigrams, martial arts, and even the Eight Outer Gates.

In the past, those high-ranking officials and nobles could not find Chu Xuanji's residence, trapped in the maze, wandering around Ling Mountain aimlessly, and eventually leaving in disappointment.

"Roar!"

Just as Yefan was recalling Su Liuli and the others, a loud howl broke the tranquility of Ling Mountain.

"Little Wolf!"

The sudden howl snapped Yefan back to reality. His face lit up, and he quickly looked in the direction of the sound, only to see a wolf sprinting towards him at an incredible speed.

"Whine... Whine..."

In no time, the little wolf reached Yefan, barking joyfully, circling around him, and playfully jumping up, extending its paws in the air, as if asking for a hug.

"Missed me, huh?"

Yefan smiled and squatted down, first smoothing out the little wolf's wind-tousled fur, then gently patting its face. In front of Yefan, the little wolf lost its usual ferocity and behaved like a playful dog, whining and licking Yefan's hand.

Feeling the little wolf's affection, Yefan felt a warm glow in his heart. To him, if there was anything on Ling Mountain that he cherished, it was the old man who had raised him from a young age, and the little wolf before him.

He had found the little wolf on a snowy night when it was just a few days old. Its mother had fallen off a cliff while searching for food.

He brought the nearly dead little wolf back to the old man's residence and saved it. Since then, the little wolf had treated him like a mother wolf, becoming extremely dependent on him, while he treated the little wolf like a companion.

"How many times have I told you to be clean?"

Yefan playfully scolded the little wolf, wiping the saliva off his hand, and asked habitually, "Is the old man around?"

The little wolf, though it didn't understand "be clean," understood the term "old man" that Yefan had been calling for years, and nodded with a whine.

"Let's go find the old man!"

Yefan stood up, patted the little wolf's head, and leaped into the depths of the forest. The little wolf howled and followed closely behind.

When the sun had completely set, Yefan arrived at a clearing deep in Ling Mountain. Several wooden huts stood on the clearing, and one of them had a candle lit inside. The white-haired Chu Xuanji sat in a chair, holding an ancient book, his expression intensely focused.

"Old man, ignoring me?"

Entering the hut, Yefan saw that Chu Xuanji was completely engrossed in the ancient book, treating him as if he were air. Yefan said irritably.

"Hmm... You're back."

Hearing Yefan's words, Chu Xuanji, known for his eccentric and reclusive personality, did not get angry. Instead, he put the ancient book, which he had been treating like a beloved lover, on the table and looked at the black canvas bag in Yefan's hand with a smile, asking, "Did you bring the item back?"

"Stop pretending?"

Yefan, who had been raised by Chu Xuanji, was used to being informal with him. He rolled his eyes and tossed the black canvas bag to Chu Xuanji as if it were trash, saying, "It's just a broken Qilin. Was it really necessary for me to risk my life to snatch it from the Thieves' Guild?"

"You know nothing, kid."

Chu Xuanji took the black canvas bag, pulled out a white jade Qilin, and said, "If this jade Qilin falls into the hands of those collectors, they would probably die of joy."

"Old man, I remember you weren't interested in these trinkets before. Why are you interested in this jade Qilin now?"

Seeing Chu Xuanji holding the jade Qilin as if it were a lover, Yefan asked his question. In his view, with Chu Xuanji's "merits," if he wanted these antiques, those big shots would turn the earth upside down to get them for him.

"Can't I just have a whim?"

Hearing Yefan's words, Chu Xuanji's smile froze for a moment before he laughed and scolded, seemingly trying to hide something.

"Your eyes tell me you're lying."

Despite Chu Xuanji's good cover, Yefan caught it. He deliberately chuckled, trying to get Chu Xuanji to talk. He had always felt that the old man was hiding many things from him.

Chu Xuanji deliberately put on a stern face: "Do you want a beating?"

"Pfft, apart from showing off your martial prowess, what else can you do to me?"

Yefan looked disdainful. All his skills were taught by the old man. So far, except in the martial arts field where the old man had outshone him, he had surpassed the old man in other areas.

"Hmm..."

Hearing this, Chu Xuanji recalled some unpleasant memories, and his face turned slightly red.

Yefan pressed on, smiling, "Old man, I want to discuss something with you..."

"Unless you reach the Xiantian realm, no discussion."

Chu Xuanji, seeing through Yefan's intentions, interrupted him.

"Xiantian... Xiantian, heaven, I've been stuck at the threshold of Xiantian for almost two years. When will this end?"

Yefan helplessly slapped his forehead, feeling very frustrated. Since childhood, Chu Xuanji had told him that martial artists were divided into Houtian and Xiantian realms, each with four stages: beginner, accomplished, peak, and great perfection.

As he had said, two years ago, he had reached the great perfection stage of the Houtian realm. In the eyes of ordinary people, he was an absolute expert, and even in the entire martial arts world, he was a strong figure. However, Chu Xuanji required him to reach the Xiantian realm before he could leave the mountain.

But—

In the past two years, no matter how hard he tried, he could not break through to the Xiantian realm.

To help him, Chu Xuanji had assigned him many difficult tasks over the past two years, hoping that he would break through in fierce battles, but it was all in vain.

Seeing Yefan's frustrated expression, Chu Xuanji did not criticize him as he usually did. Instead, he showed a rare, complex expression, his eyes flickering.

At this moment, he seemed to be making a decision.

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