Chapter 58: North Pavilion Peak

North Peak…

Gu Yiling slammed his fist hard onto the table and cursed, "Jian Yichen, I don't know where you managed to find this helper again. Once I track you down, I'll definitely teach you a lesson!"

Yufan slowly turned around, staring ahead at the wretched-looking Jian Yichen, and said, "Whose heart are you trying to capture this time? Did some lover of yours actually come looking for you on your doorstep?"

Jian Yichen slowly turned around to gaze at the moon. The wind fluttered the hem of his robes as he replied, "Back in the day, I was far too handsome in our village. Whenever I walked past the village entrance, countless maidens would swoon. Yufan, once you stand where I stand, you will understand."

"Understand my foot! Did you come here to learn talisman arts, or did you come here to have a beauty contest?" Yufan felt a boundless wave of helplessness inside. The urge to swing his punch was something ordinary people could never comprehend.

"Alright~ Let's go!" Yufan forced himself to calm down and spoke.

"No~ This isn't real!" Jian Yichen spun around to retort.

Yufan's cheeks flushed crimson, as if inadvertently ignited by the lingering rays of the setting sun. The redness spread up to the tips of his ears, and even his neck quietly took on a rosy hue.

His eyes widened wide, flashing with a complex mix of emotions—embarrassment, indignation, and a trace of imperceptible panic.

The surrounding air seemed to freeze, and even breathing became cautious, fearing that the slightest sound might shatter this delicate balance.

Unconsciously, he raised a hand to lightly touch his cheek. The warm sensation transmitting from his fingertips made him even more certain that this sudden wave of heat was no illusion.

Yufan's gaze shifted between Jian Yichen and the hazy moonlight in the distance.

"Damn it, are you leaving or not?" Yufan turned on his heel and walked away toward the thatched cottage.

Jian Yichen slowly waved a hand at Yufan, signaling him to leave. He still intended to stay here and clear his mind.

"Fine! Go on and stay here to nurse your heartache!" Yufan shouted loudly without looking back, heading straight toward the thatched cottage.

After a short while… Yufan looked up at the thatched cottage, where a faint, dim light flickered across the paper window screens.

Standing at the doorway, Yufan gently knocked on the wooden door.

"You're back, Brother Yu," Xingchenzi said softly.

"Hmm~ Has the Senior Sister fallen asleep?" Yufan stepped inside, gazed at the oil lamp, and slowly spoke to Xingchenzi.

"Mm~" Xingchenzi smiled faintly and slowly walked toward the table.

The light inside the room was soft, and an oil lamp flickered with a dim yellow glow.

Xingchenzi sat by the table, holding a yellowed manual of the Boundless Realm. Her gaze was focused and deep, as though she were immersed in a story from another time and space.

Yufan walked quietly to the table, his gaze inevitably drawn to the yellowed "Boundless Realm Manual." He reached out, his fingertips gently brushing against the cover, feeling the heavy sedimentation of time.

Xingchenzi looked up and smiled lightly, her eyes sparkling with a gentle radiance. She softly pushed the book toward Yufan, her voice as gentle as a spring breeze: "This book records the secrets of the swordsmanship you taught me. I've written them down, but the path of cultivation requires a mind as calm as water in order to comprehend its true essence."

Yufan accepted the book, his fingertips lightly tracing the edges of every page. Although the paper was old, it exuded an undeniable charm.

He slowly opened it to find the pages densely illustrated with complex patterns of sword movements, every single stroke imbued with endless profundity.

The light and shadow of the oil lamp danced across the pages. Yufan took a deep breath, catching the faint scent of ink radiating from the book.

"Alright, Xing Yichen, I won't disturb you any longer. I'm heading back to my room. Take your time reading and get to sleep early," Yufan said.

"Mm~"

Yufan returned to his room and slowly climbed onto the bed…

Closing his eyes slightly, Yufan sat cross-legged in the center of the simple yet tidy room, his entire body enveloped in a faint layer of glowing luminescence.

Holding the precious elixir in his mouth, a warm and potent medicinal force melted from the tip of his tongue, flowing like a gentle stream to quietly permeate his limbs and bones.

As the medicinal power spread, the true qi within his body awoke like a slumbering dragon, beginning to surge and course through his meridians.

Every circulation was accompanied by a faint booming sound—the prelude to the awakening of power.

Within the room, the previously flickering light of the oil lamp seemed infected by this surging true qi, becoming steady and brilliant, casting a long shadow of Yufan's figure.

Yufan's breathing gradually grew long and deep, every inhalation and exhalation resonating with the primordial energy of heaven and earth, causing the surrounding air to tremble softly in rhythm with his breath.

Slowly withdrawing his qi, Yufan suddenly opened his eyes. A brilliance never seen before flashed within his pupils, as if he could perceive the very essence of all things in the world.

He gently exhaled a breath of stale air. The breath transformed into a wisp of light smoke that slowly rose under the dim lamplight before finally dissipating into nothingness.

The faint luminescence surrounding his body gradually faded, merging back into his physique and leaving behind only a warm, lustrous glow.

The very first ray of dawn quietly probed through the gaps of the thatched cottage, draping a layer of thin golden gauze over the humble space.

Yufan slowly reined in his true qi, feeling that his Grandmaster Realm foundation had grown slightly more stable, though further practice was still required for perfection.

Tidying up, he drifted off to sleep, leaving only Xingchenzi to study the swordsmanship in the book through the quiet night.

Xingchenzi was abruptly awakened by the urgent knocking outside the door, a lingering haze of sleep still clouding her eyes.

Rising stealthily to avoid disturbing Yufan, who was fast asleep nearby, she draped an outer garment over her shoulders and walked slowly toward the door.

The creak of the turning door hinges sounded exceptionally clear in the morning stillness. As Xingchenzi pulled open the wooden door, the morning light rushed in like a tide, illuminating a face outside that bore a mix of eagerness and excitement—Jian Yichen. With his hands on his hips, a smug smile hung on the corners of his lips.

"Wake up! Wake up! The sun is already scorching our backsides! Are we going to practice the talisman arts or not?" Jian Yichen's voice echoed in the morning light, carrying an undeniable vitality.

His gaze bounced back and forth between Xingchenzi and Yufan, who was just walking out behind her while rubbing his eyes.

Standing at the doorway, Jian Yichen's upright figure was outlined by the morning light, and the smug smile at the corner of his mouth appeared even more dazzling, making the sun itself seem somewhat pale by comparison. With his hands on his hips, his gaze rapidly shifted between Yufan and Xingchenzi, his eyes flashing with unquestionable determination. "What are you standing there for? The sun is right above our heads, and the mysteries of the talisman arts aren't going to fly into your brains on their own!"

Yufan rubbed his sleep-heavy eyes and glared resentfully at Jian Yichen, but was immediately captivated by the collection of talismans, a flash of yearning crossing his eyes.

Jumping abruptly to his feet, he strode up to Jian Yichen and reached out to grab the talisman collection, only for Jian Yichen to deftly dodge him.

Yufan turned around and smiled mischievously at Xingchenzi, who was still adjusting her robes inside the room: "Senior Sister, time to wake up! That kid Jian Yichen is acting like our lives are on the line, and practicing the talisman arts definitely cannot do without the guidance of our great Senior Sister."

With that, he deliberately slowed his pace as he stepped out of the thatched cottage, a triumphant smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

"Senior Sister, wake up! We're leaving now," Yufan called out as he hurried forward. He went to check whether the manual he desired was there. In the morning light, Yufan's figure was drawn out long as he skipped lightly along the path through the rice paddies, turning back from time to time to look at Xingchenzi behind him with expectation gleaming in his eyes. Xingchenzi followed closely behind; though her steps were steady, she could hardly conceal a trace of a smile in her eyes.

Jian Yichen walked at the very front with a brisk stride, turning around every now and then to urge them on, his face overflowing with an infinite passion for the talisman arts.

Yufan and Xingchenzi followed closely behind, yet their eyes still stole glances toward the cover of the manual from time to time, secretly scheming on how to obtain the precious manual of Longwu Mountain so as to return and complete their mission. His pace carried a hint of urgency, yet remained steadfast and composed.