"I am only just re-entering the path of cultivation. Despite my reawakened strong aptitude, I barely possess any accumulated spiritual power. Reaching the Golden Core realm from my current state… it will undoubtedly take a very, very long time."
"Hmph, do not dare to underestimate your master's peerless guidance, Little Fan!" the Saint King snorted, a hint of ancient pride in his tone.
"The techniques, the insights, the cultivation arts I possess are heirlooms from an era far grander, far more resplendent in its understanding of the Dao, than this current, somewhat declined age.
While the resources of the Tianshang Holy Land's Outer Sect are undoubtedly meager by true standards, they are a necessary starting point.
With my targeted tutelage, cultivation arts specifically tailored to your current situation and your reawakened strong aptitude, reaching the Foundation Building stage within one or two months is not an idle boast – it is an entirely feasible objective. Perhaps even faster, should a minor fortuitous encounter or a hidden opportunity present itself, as they so often do for those blessed by fate."
Ye Fan's confidence, momentarily dented, surged anew, hotter and more potent than before. "Yes! With your peerless guidance, Master, and whatever resources I can seize or earn, I will definitely break through to the Foundation Building realm within a single month! And the Golden Core realm will not remain a distant dream for long after that!"
"Good. Cultivate that ambition, let it burn brightly. But first, you must successfully navigate the next trial. It is almost certainly a test of your Dao Heart – a rigorous examination of your mental fortitude, your unwavering willpower, your unshakeable determination to walk the arduous path of cultivation. They will likely employ powerful, cunning illusion arrays designed to confuse, to tempt, to break the spirit and trap the aspirants in their own mental constructs. You must remain focused, your will like tempered steel.
Should you encounter any illusions or mental constructs that prove too challenging for your current nascent soul strength, I will lend you a sliver of my own residual soul power to help you shatter them. So, do not worry unduly. Face it with courage."
"Thank you, Master," Ye Fan said, a thread of genuine gratitude weaving through his ambitious thoughts. "I will keep your invaluable teachings firmly etched in my mind."
He cast another lingering, deeply possessive glance towards Ning Youxi on the Fairy Peak platform, his eyes tracing her graceful silhouette before he expertly schooled his features back into an expression of humble anticipation for the announcement of the next stage of the recruitment process.
Unseen by Ye Fan, high on the viewing platform, Su Chan had been observing him with a calm, chillingly analytical gaze. He had meticulously noted Ye Fan's prolonged, unnervingly focused stare towards Fairy Peak, specifically towards Ning Youxi. He had also caught the fleeting, almost imperceptible predatory smile that had briefly twisted Ye Fan's lips. Having lived through the "novel" in his past life, Su Chan knew with absolute, sickening certainty what machinations were currently transpiring within Ye Fan's ambitious mind, and what poisonous whispers were being fed to him by the ancient entity residing within his ring.
A glint of glacial coldness flashed deep within Su Chan's own eyes. He focused his intent, his consciousness dipping into the silent, private sanctuary of his mental diary.
[Diary Entry – Day 2, Continued]
[ If my memories of the original plot serve me correctly, and they have been disturbingly accurate thus far, then Ye Fan's lecherous old ring grandpa has just pinpointed Third Junior Sister Ning Youxi's Primordial Yin-Yang Attunement Body. He's undoubtedly spewing a torrent of depraved suggestions into Ye Fan's ear right now – visions of dual cultivation, of effortless breakthroughs, of using her as a mere tool, a shortcut to power. That predatory, almost bestial gleam I saw in Ye Fan's eyes when he looked at Youxi just now… it was unmistakable. He's already begun to weave his disgusting, manipulative plans to 'win her over,' which, in his twisted lexicon, translates to ensnare, exploit, defile, and ultimately discard once her inherent value to him is exhausted.
But with me here, a variable the original script never accounted for, armed with this damning foreknowledge and my own rapidly augmenting strength, what chance does his pathetic, predictable little scheme truly have of succeeding against my sisters? Absolutely none. I will make it my sworn duty to ensure Ning Youxi, and indeed all of them who are fated to be his "heroines," are kept safe from his insidious clutches. I will kill him. It may be sooner, it may be later, but his death is an inevitability I will bring about. Once his ridiculously inflated Luck Value finally plummets – most likely after I've systematically dismantled his destined opportunities and perhaps… re-routed a few key "heroines" from his fated path – to a point where Heaven's Way can no longer so blatantly shield its 'darling son,' his very existence will be forfeit. ]
Speaking of that damnable Luck Value, let's check his current stats again. It's always prudent to keep a close watch on the target's vital signs, even if no significant change is expected just yet. Constant vigilance is key.
System, display Ye Fan's information panel.
The familiar, translucent panel shimmered into existence within Su Chan's mind.
[Son of Destiny Information Panel]
[Name: Ye Fan
Cultivation: Qi Refining Realm – 2nd Level (Aptitude for Cultivation: Strong - Reawakening)
Gold Finger: Ancient Saint King Remnant Soul (Ring)
Targeted Physique (Ning Youxi): Primordial Yin-Yang Attunement Body
Luck Value: 10,000 (Extremely High – Blessed by Heaven's Way)
Recent Events: No significant fated opportunities gained or lost yet.]
Su Chan's eyebrow twitched, almost imperceptibly. The panel now even listed Ye Fan's targeted physique. The system was thorough, if nothing else. Still stubbornly at 10,000. As I suspected. Mere mockery from insignificant cannon fodder, while undoubtedly infuriating for someone with his monumental ego, isn't nearly enough to dent the formidable protection afforded by Heaven's Way. It will require concrete, decisive actions on my part – the systematic interception of his fated encounters, the strategic seizure of his destined treasures, and the thorough derailment of his attempts to ensnare the heroines into his toxic orbit – to truly begin chipping away at that colossal, almost mocking, number. This public display, this minor drama, hasn't cost him anything tangible in terms of his destiny's overarching trajectory. Not yet, anyway.
A small, cold, almost predatory smile of his own touched Su Chan's lips. The path ahead was undoubtedly long, arduous, and fraught with peril. But the objective was crystal clear, and the rules of this deadly game, even those favoring the so-called Son of Destiny, were slowly becoming apparent. Su Chan was learning, adapting, and preparing to play his own hand with patience, precision, and an utterly ruthless determination.
..........
Talent (Innate Potential):
Cultivation Aptitude/Spiritual Affinity: Innate gift for sensing, absorbing, and refining spiritual energy, dictating cultivation speed.
Aptitude in Specific Areas/Arts: Natural talent for swordsmanship, alchemy, formations, elemental manipulation, soul arts, etc.
Comprehension : Ability to learn techniques and insights quickly and deeply.
Special Bodies/Physiques & Bloodlines:
Remain key. Innate conditions granting significant advantages, unique abilities, or defining specialization (e.g., Chaos Divine Body, Holy Body, Furnace Body, Sword Bone). They often dictate a person's specialty and can make their cultivation speed in related areas exceptionally fast.