Fengyun Wujie followed closely behind Zhao Wuji, walking calmly as he stepped into the deep, dark cave. The cave wasn't very deep, and its walls were smooth, with not a speck of dust on the floor. It was far cleaner than Fengyun Wujie had imagined. In fact, this cave was exceptionally neat.
As they moved further in, the true form of the cave's owner appeared before Fengyun Wujie. The man had long hair, with a hairpin holding it in place. His face was ancient, with wrinkles that spoke of the long years he had lived. He wore a wide gray robe that wrapped around his thin body, and his legs, crossed in meditation, were hidden beneath the robe's pale, gray folds.
Above his head, at the top of the cave, hung a large, smooth jade pearl, roughly the size of an egg, emitting a faint glow. Fengyun Wujie immediately recognized it—it was a "Wall Dust Pearl," something he had seen before in the world prior to his ascension.
Inside the cave, apart from the stone seat the man was sitting on, there was nothing else—its simplicity was striking. The life of a cultivator was simple and monotonous; everything was kept to a minimum.
"Make yourself at home," the cave's owner said, extending a hand from beneath his sleeve to gesture to the space beside him. The hand quickly disappeared back into the wide sleeve, but in that fleeting moment, Fengyun Wujie noticed something odd. The hand that had just gestured was completely different from the man's withered appearance. It was translucent and crystal-clear, almost like it was made of jade, and much more delicate than that of a woman's.
Zhao Wuji gave a slight flick of his robe and sat down beside the cave's owner, then turned to Fengyun Wujie with a look that clearly said, "Do as I do."
Fengyun Wujie hesitated, looking at the cold, hard floor, but after thinking for a moment, he sat down beside Zhao Wuji.
"I hear you're a newly ascended cultivator?" the cave's owner suddenly opened his eyes, and their sharp gaze seemed to explode like stars. For a brief moment, the cave was lit up as if it were daytime.
"Yes," Fengyun Wujie replied.
The cave's owner studied him with a strange expression. Though there was no malice in his gaze, it was uncomfortable to be watched so intently. Thankfully, the man finally averted his gaze, letting out a long sigh. "How many years has it been? In this cave, time doesn't matter. It's been so long since I've heard of anyone ascended. Over these years, ascended ones have become fewer... but I suppose fewer is better than none."
"Do your best. You have potential. Cultivation in this world is unlike the one you came from—there are no shortcuts. If you want to survive in this cruel world, there's only one path: hard cultivation. Of course, maybe you don't fully understand what I mean by 'cruel,' but that's not important. If you stay here long enough, you'll understand. There's a Spirit Gathering Array here. Cultivating here will be much more efficient. You might as well stay here for a while," the cave's owner said, before closing his eyes again and returning to his meditative state. The cave seemed to dim once more.
"Thank you, senior!" Zhao Wuji, clearly not a first-time visitor, expressed his gratitude before turning to Fengyun Wujie. "Senior, the Demon Slayer, is like this—whenever he has time, he retreats into meditation. We're fortunate he's even opened his eyes to speak to us today. Actually, it's not just him—many others are the same. The longer you stay here, the more you'll understand that a cultivator's achievements come only from the passage of time."
After finishing his words, Zhao Wuji placed his hands on his knees, closed his eyes, and began his own meditation. A faint white mist began to emanate from his body, swirling around him.
From start to finish, Fengyun Wujie had only exchanged two words with the Demon Slayer. After that, the man ignored him completely. This left Fengyun Wujie feeling a bit surprised and uncomfortable. Looking over at Zhao Wuji, who had already immersed himself in meditation, Fengyun Wujie, with nothing else to do, reluctantly settled into a cross-legged position.
As promised, the spiritual energy here was indeed incredibly abundant—richer even than the aura surrounding the Holy Temple. The primal energy of the world seemed to flow into his body like a solid mass, transforming into swirling true qi. It was an exhilarating sensation. Gradually, Fengyun Wujie also sank into his own meditation, feeling a sense of calm as time passed.
He didn't know how long had passed, but when he half-awoke, he heard a familiar voice from outside the cave, shouting and cursing. "Zhao Wuji, you little bastard, and that idiot with him, come out! I know you're hiding here in the Hidden Valley. If you don't hand over the first part of the Xuanming Manual, don't expect any peaceful days! No matter where you run, I'll find you. Come out, come out! I know you two little punks are in here, don't think you can escape. Damn it, if you don't come out, I'll come in myself and search."
At these words, Fengyun Wujie was fully awake. The voice belonged to You Wuxie, a name he knew well. It seemed You Wuxie was extremely familiar with Zhao Wuji, easily tracking him to this place.
Fengyun Wujie quickly turned to wake Zhao Wuji, but as he did, their eyes met. Zhao Wuji had already opened his eyes.
"Shh! You Wuxie is scheming. There are countless caves in this valley. No matter how strong his martial skills are, he wouldn't dare to act recklessly here. If he tries anything, there will be people to handle him." Zhao Wuji, now fully awake, immediately understood Fengyun Wujie's intentions and stopped him from moving.
Sure enough, an earth-shattering roar echoed from outside the cave: "Who's causing a ruckus in my domain!" Clearly, the cave's owner, disturbed by You Wuxie's intrusion, was enraged.
"Humph. Old man, have you seen anyone in a white robe, around forty years old, but looks like a young man? If you tell me, I'll leave. Otherwise, you'll regret it!" You Wuxie's voice was loud enough to reverberate throughout the entire Hidden Valley.
"Scoundrel! My cultivation is in no way dependent on the outside world!" The cave's owner, now furious, shouted.
"Ha! You think I'm an idiot? Even though cultivators close their senses during meditation, those with great power always leave a thread of spiritual awareness. There's no way you wouldn't know what's happening in the valley. Damn old man, take this!" You Wuxie's voice was filled with malice.
"You dare! This is..." The cave's owner's words cut off abruptly, and after a brief, almost imperceptible pause, a thunderous crash echoed, and a powerful gust of wind surged into the cave, like a tidal wave crashing toward Fengyun Wujie.
Ugh! Fengyun Wujie groaned as he was lifted off the ground by an overwhelming force, slamming into the wall with a tremendous impact. It felt as though he had been nailed to the stone. His chest burned with pain, and a stream of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
Just a simple gust of wind, the force from a punch, had already left Fengyun Wujie severely injured. Compared to him, Zhao Wuji fared much better—his face was pale, but he was otherwise fine. The cave's owner, however, seemed completely unaffected. The powerful shockwave of the clash didn't even stir the folds of his gray-white robe.
"Is this... the absolute difference in strength?" The crushing realization hit Fengyun Wujie, intensifying his injuries. A mouthful of blood sprayed from his lips as he slid down the wall and collapsed to the ground.