"Huh?" Bai Yunfei blinked, thrown off by the old man's abrupt change of subject. "What do you mean?"
The old man's brow furrowed slightly. He concentrated intently for a moment longer before finally releasing Bai Yunfei's wrist. Slowly, he walked back to his original spot and sat down beneath the tree. He then fell completely silent, lowering his head in deep contemplation.
"Senior, you mentioned Ice Elemental Force inside me?" Bai Yunfei pressed, anxiety creeping into his voice at the old man's silence. The brief statement had sounded distinctly ominous. "What does that signify?"
Instead of answering, the old man lifted his head and stared at Bai Yunfei with an intensely peculiar expression. After a long moment, he finally spoke. "How exactly have you been cultivating?"
"How?" Bai Yunfei echoed, confused. "Just according to the cultivation method you gave me in the scroll. Why? Is there... something wrong?"
"Something wrong?" The old man's expression grew even more bizarre. "Do you have any idea what the cultivation speed is like for other Soul Cultivators?"
Bai Yunfei paused, thinking. "Well, yes. I know a friend whose cultivation speed was a bit faster than mine... Uh... Probably my talent just isn't sufficient..." He scratched his head awkwardly here, inwardly thinking that even with the shortcut of his Reinforcement Art, he'd barely reached this level, far behind Li Chengfeng.
"What did you say?!" The old man's eyes practically bulged out again, his voice involuntarily rising sharply. "Someone improved even faster than you?! Who is this person?!"
"Hmm, his name is Li Chengfeng. He's from a village not far east of Luoshi City." Bai Yunfei hesitated, looking slightly guilty. "And... Senior, I... I gave him the cultivation method scroll you gave me, along with the two Soul Skill scrolls... You... you won't be angry with me, will you?"
The old man's face now held a look of utter stupefaction. For someone of his immense power to be this visibly shaken spoke volumes about the magnitude of the shock he'd received.
After another long pause, the old man seemed to suddenly remember something else. He frowned slightly, then, incredibly, stopped paying attention to Bai Yunfei altogether. He leaned back against the tree trunk, head bowed, lost in profound thought.
Seeing him like this, Bai Yunfei didn't dare disturb him. He suppressed his rising anxiety and could only wait patiently nearby, watching the old man intently.
A considerable time later, the old man finally seemed to have resolved something within himself. His expression smoothed into calmness. He lifted his head and addressed Bai Yunfei. "Young fellow, if my deduction is correct, you previously engaged in combat with someone from the Frigid Ice Sect, correct? Was the opponent that Zhang Zhenshan from the Zhang Family?"
"Huh? How do you know that?" Bai Yunfei blurted out, astonished.
"Heh, you forget," the old man chuckled softly, shaking his head. "I was aware of your quest for vengeance. Did I not warn you to be wary of Zhang Zhenshan and the Frigid Ice Sect when you sought Zhang Yang? However..." His tone shifted to one of approval. "For your current strength to have fought Zhang Zhenshan and escaped is already quite remarkable. Though he managed to inflict a hidden injury upon you... since fate has brought you before me again, guided by your own 'Fortune,' I shall assist you this once!"
Bai Yunfei's face lit up with relief. He moved forward eagerly, ready to ask the elder to remove the so-called 'Ice Elemental Force' lurking within him. But the old man waved a dismissive hand before he could speak.
"Calm yourself! Waiting a moment longer won't kill you," the old man chided lightly, his mood seeming to have brightened considerably. He gestured towards the fire. "Look, your sudden appearance nearly caused my rabbit to burn!"
With a casual wave of his hand, the floating fire obediently drifted to the side, stopping about a meter away, now serving purely as a source of light. The old man made a slicing motion through the air. The rabbit, roasted to a perfect golden brown, its skin glistening with juices and its aroma mouthwatering, cleanly split in half. He grabbed one half for himself, while the other floated gently over to Bai Yunfei.
"You look famished. Eat. We can discuss other matters once we've eaten."
Bai Yunfei stared at the half rabbit hovering before him for a few stunned seconds before reaching out to grab it. He glanced back at the old man, who was already unhurriedly eating his portion. Seeing this, and feeling his own stomach growl insistently, Bai Yunfei decided to set his questions aside for now. He began devouring the roast rabbit with large, hungry bites.
Some time later, the old man and the young man sat sprawled lazily on the ground, idly gnawing the last bits of meat from the bones. The old man, in particular, seemed to be in excellent spirits, his usual aura of lofty seniority temporarily set aside.
"Alright," the old man announced, brushing crumbs from his robe. "Come here now. I'll expel that trace of Ice Force from your body."
Hearing this, Bai Yunfei scrambled to his feet, relief washing over him again. He quickly moved in front of the old man, watching him with nervous anticipation.
The old man extended his right hand once more, grasping Bai Yunfei's right wrist firmly. The instant contact was made, Bai Yunfei felt a surge of gently warm Soul Force flood into his wrist from the old man's palm. This energy swiftly circulated through his entire body. Strangely, Bai Yunfei felt no discomfort. Instead, an enveloping warmth spread through his limbs and core, even seeming to cradle his very soul, leaving him feeling profoundly comfortable and at ease.
"Done." The comforting warmth vanished abruptly as the old man's calm voice reached his ears.
"D-Done?" Bai Yunfei stammered, unable to believe it could be so quick and effortless. "Already?"
"It's settled. A minor issue," the old man confirmed dismissively. "You suffered an attack imbued with the power of Heaven and Earth Elemental Force – Ice Force entered your body. While you expelled most of it at the time, a residual amount remained hidden deep within. Your current strength was simply insufficient to detect it. Left untreated, the next time you battled a Soul Cultivator wielding Ice Force, it could trigger an eruption of that latent energy. That... would have been perilous."
"Th-That counts as a minor problem?" Bai Yunfei felt a chill run down his spine despite the elder's nonchalance.
"For me, naturally," the old man replied with a faint smile. "Rest assured, I've already dissolved that Ice Force. It's now transformed into pure energy residing within you. It might even offer a slight benefit to your future cultivation."
Still unconvinced, Bai Yunfei patted himself down, searching for any lingering sensation, but found nothing. Reluctantly, he gave up.
He pondered this danger he'd been completely unaware of, now so mysteriously "resolved," but could make no sense of it. Shaking his head, he decided to let it go for now.
"Ah, Senior," Bai Yunfei suddenly remembered his most pressing issue, his cheeks flushing slightly with embarrassment. "I wish to reach Cui Liu City, but... well, I'm lost. Could you perhaps point me in the right direction?"
"Cui Liu City?" The old man gave him a strange look, then pointed decisively towards the northeast. "Head that way. You should reach it in two days."
"Oh! Thank you, Senior!" Bai Yunfei breathed a quiet sigh of relief, immensely grateful to finally know the correct path. He moved to sit down nearby, his expression turning thoughtful as he gazed at the ground.
"Young fellow," the old man inquired, his curiosity piqued by Bai Yunfei's pensive silence. "You're heading to Cui Liu City now... are you planning to go on to the Northern Rock Province? What takes you there?"
Bai Yunfei looked up. There was no reason to hide this. "This junior intends to travel to the Pingchuan Province, Senior. I wish to join the Artifact Refining Sect and learn their craft." He met the old man's gaze. "I believe by the time I arrive, I should have broken through to the Soul Spirit realm. My knowledge of cultivation is still limited; I've completed the initial three realms from the method you gave me. After that... I will need a master's guidance."
'Break through to the Soul Spirit realm by then? This kid... why does he talk about advancing like it's as simple as eating a meal?' The old man thought incredulously, though he managed to keep his composure this time. Outwardly, he simply nodded. "Hmm, joining the Artifact Refining Sect? That is indeed a wise choice. With your strength, once you reach the Soul Spirit realm, as long as your Innate Soul Nature isn't severely incompatible with Fire Elemental Force, you can choose the Fire path. Joining the Artifact Refining Sect then would offer excellent prospects for your development..."
"Innate Soul Nature?" Bai Yunfei asked, his curiosity immediately sparked. "This junior knows very little about such concepts. Could you enlighten me, Senior?"
"The first three Soul Realms," the old man began, settling into a teacher's role, "are focused on controlling the body. The subsequent three major realms – Soul Spirit, Soul Ancestor, and Soul Venerate – involve manipulating the elemental forces of Heaven and Earth. What lies beyond... you need not concern yourself with for now."
"Elemental Force," he continued, "is the power of the elements that permeates the world. The most common attributes are the Five Elements of Heaven and Earth: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Additionally, Wind and Lightning are also prevalent. Others, such as Ice, Curse, Space... and even the 'Fortune' cultivated by my Destiny's Wheel Sect... are all manifestations of the elemental forces of Heaven and Earth."
"Every person's soul possesses an innate nature," the old man explained, his tone becoming more profound. "This is its most suitable affinity, its elemental predisposition. This Innate Nature comprises at least one attribute, though it can encompass several. Upon reaching the Soul Spirit realm, a cultivator must choose one primary attribute to cultivate – the one they will master most proficiently, the one that will accompany them throughout their life. Naturally, once one's strength grows significantly, it becomes possible to cultivate secondary attributes."
"After entering the Soul Spirit realm," he elaborated, "the process of cultivating Soul Force itself doesn't fundamentally change. What is added is the absorption of Heaven and Earth Elemental Force. During cultivation, you use your soul to sense the elemental energy surrounding you, draw it into your body, and use it to temper the physical body while simultaneously increasing your familiarity and affinity with it. The more familiar and 'closer' your soul becomes to a particular element, the easier it is to control, and the greater its power when wielded."
Bai Yunfei fell silent, absorbing the flood of new information, his brow furrowed in concentration.
After a long while digesting these concepts, Bai Yunfei looked up again. "Regarding Soul Tools and Soul Skills... could you also tell me about them, Senior?"
"You truly are ignorant of the fundamentals..." The old man sighed, though without malice. "Soul Tools are graded into three major tiers: Celestial, Earth, and Mortal. Each tier is further divided into Upper, Middle, and Lower grades. Soul Skills follow the same classification: Celestial, Earth, Mortal tiers, each with Upper, Middle, and Lower ranks."
He gestured towards the spear in Bai Yunfei's hand. "The spear I gave you is an Earth-tier Lower-grade Soul Tool. It contains immensely potent Fire Elemental Force. However, your current strength is insufficient to unleash its true power. Once you reach the Soul Spirit realm, you will be able to wield it properly. Since you intend to join the Artifact Refining Sect, you will inevitably choose to cultivate Fire Elemental Force. In that case..." A satisfied smile touched his lips. "...giving you this Soul Tool back then was indeed the right decision."
Bai Yunfei looked down at the Fire-Tipped Spear in his hands, deep in thought. 'Celestial, Earth, Mortal tiers... The spear's grade is 'Lower Inheritance,' which corresponds to 'Earth-tier Lower-grade.' So, 'Mortal-tier' must correspond to 'Rare,' like the Frigid Ice Thorn and the Golden Silk Soul Armor... And 'Celestial-tier'? I wonder what grade the Reinforcement Art would assign to that...'
Suddenly, another thought struck him mid-contemplation. He looked up, an embarrassed expression on his face. "Ah, that reminds me, Senior... You have shown me immense kindness, yet I still don't even know your name..."
The old man blinked, then burst out laughing. "You little rascal! Only now do you think to ask my name?" His eyes twinkled with amusement. "Well, telling you won't hurt. This old man is Ge Yiyun. I hold a modicum of renown across this continent. Should you encounter minor troubles in the future... consider yourself permitted to use my name to intimidate others..."
"Uh... Thank you, Senior Ge..." Bai Yunfei chuckled awkwardly, his transparent ploy having been seen through.
"Alright, that will suffice for now," Ge Yiyun declared abruptly, standing up without warning. "I have matters to attend to and must depart immediately." He fixed Bai Yunfei with a look that held a strange mixture of expectation and gravity. "Young fellow, you must grow stronger swiftly. Do not disappoint this old man..."
Before Bai Yunfei could even formulate a response, Ge Yiyun turned and strode away without a backward glance. Within the span of a few blinks, his figure had melted into the surrounding darkness of the night.
Bai Yunfei stood rooted to the spot, staring blankly into the empty space where the old man had vanished. He remained utterly motionless, stunned and bewildered by the sudden departure, long after Ge Yiyun was gone.