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Ten days had quietly passed since Ye Chen entered closed-door cultivation.
On the main peak of the Misty Cloud Sect, the early morning wind blew gently across the stone pathways.
The breeze carried with it faint whispers of gossip.....soft, cautious voices that scattered as soon as someone turned to listen.
Inside the quiet jade hall at the top of the peak, Sect Master Yun Yun stood alone.
She was positioned at the highest balcony, looking out across the endless mountain ranges that stretched into the clouds.
Her long white robes fluttered softly in the wind, and her hair flowed like silk behind her. Yet her eyes remained sharp, and her expression unreadable.
Normally, Yun Yun was calm and composed, always focused on her duties.
But today, something weighed on her mind. A strange feeling...concern, perhaps even worry----lingered in her heart.
A few days ago, one of the elders had quietly approached her.
The elder had been hesitant, even nervous, but eventually spoke up:
"...Sect Master, in the past several nights, Nalan Yanran has been visiting Ye Chen's residence.
She was seen leaving just before sunrise."
Yun Yun had listened without showing any emotion.
She simply gave a small nod and dismissed the elder without a word.
Now, with no one around, she allowed herself to close her eyes and breathe deeply as the mountain wind brushed her face.
She wasn't foolish.
She had already noticed the changes between Ye Chen and Nalan Yanran long ago.
They were no longer just disciples training under the same roof. Their feelings for each other were growing....deepening.
The way they looked at each other, the way they spoke.....there was something more there. Something real.
She had seen it many times before. Affection slowly turning into attachment… then into desire.
It was only a matter of time.
But even though she expected it, she had hoped they would be more careful.
The Misty Cloud Sect had its rules. Appearances mattered. Reputation, respect, and timing were all important....especially for disciples who were being groomed for leadership.
Nalan Yanran was the pride of the younger generation, and Ye Chen… Ye Chen was different.
She turned away from the balcony and slowly walked across the hall, her hands folded behind her back.
In just a few months, Ye Chen's cultivation had skyrocketed.
Faster than anyone had imagined. She had first assumed he was just exceptionally talented, perhaps with a rare elemental affinity or a high-grade technique.
But now, she wasn't so sure.
There was something about Ye Chen's body.....something powerful and mysterious. His energy was not only strong, but wild. The pressure around him felt ancient, like a sleeping beast trying to wake.
She had sensed it once when she personally checked his meridians.
His spiritual power was deep. Too deep.
"That boy... what are you hiding?"
She had never pressed him for answers. Not yet. But she was watching closely.
And now, with him and Nalan Yanran becoming intimate, a new worry took root in her heart.
This wasn't just about two young people in love.
If Ye Chen really possessed some rare or divine physique.....as she suspected—then he might not be able to fully control his strength, especially during moments of passion.
And if he lost control...
She didn't want to think about it.
Nalan Yanran was more than just her disciple. She was like family....a daughter in all but blood.
And Ye Chen, despite all his secrets, was someone she had begun to trust. Someone she had high hopes for.
But love, even when sincere, could be dangerous.
She stepped closer to the balcony edge again, looking down the mountain trail that led toward Ye Chen's secluded residence.
"If he really carries a powerful physique," she thought, "then that means stronger emotions… stronger urges. And sometimes, no matter how pure the intention, strength can hurt."
She let out a slow breath, the wind playing with the ends of her sleeves.
"Ye Chen…" she said softly. "Don't be reckless. Don't lose yourself."
Her voice was almost lost in the breeze, but the weight behind her words was heavy.
She didn't want to separate them. If it was real love, then she would accept it. But if it put them----or the sect----+in danger… she wouldn't hesitate to act.
The sect needed balance. Leaders who could guide others without being blinded by emotion.
"You must learn to control both your power and your heart," she whispered, her tone firm yet full of care.
Her gaze shifted again toward the eastern peak, where clouds gathered thick around Ye Chen's training grounds.
"If you truly care for her," she murmured, "then protect her. Even from yourself."
With one final look, Yun Yun turned and walked back into the jade hall. Her steps were calm, but her thoughts continued to swirl like the mountain mist around her.
Far from the Sect Master's hall, on the quiet eastern peak, Ye Chen's residence sat hidden among tall trees and drifting mist.
His courtyard was peaceful, filled with a faint spiritual energy that pulsed gently in the air....like the calm surface of a deep lake.
Inside the room, Ye Chen sat cross-legged on a stone platform.
His chest was bare, muscles firm and glowing faintly with power.
In his hands, he held a rare violet-colored beast core—an inner essence crystal from a high-grade magical beast.
With each breath, he activated the [Swallowing Origin Art].
Energy flowed from the core into his body like a rushing river.
It filled his meridians, refining and expanding them.
His bones creaked softly as they strengthened, and his blood seemed to boil with new life.
Outside, the sun dipped below the mountains, turning the sky from golden orange to deep twilight blue.
As night arrived, Ye Chen slowly opened his eyes.
A low boom echoed in the room....the sound of a breakthrough.
He had advanced again.
"Five-star Dou Practitioner," he whispered to himself, pleased.