"It's not important that how many paths i open. What is important is what we will do next. From what you've told me and from the information I have, Feng Yin was strong, but he is even more mysterious." Hearing Shan Yan's words, Su Lin started recalling past events with Feng Yin. After a few breaths, he looked in Shan Yan's direction and said solemnly,
"As you mentioned it again, I think it was really strange. He approached me and showed me kindness. After that, he captured Uncle Hong just to make me go with him, but then he killed Uncle Hong. Later, when I escaped in front of him, he just stood there, still as if... as if..." After thinking about his guess, Su Lin felt a deep chill spread throughout his whole spine because this idea was too absurd to think.
"Yes, you are thinking it right. I think there may also be two answers to our question. First is that he was really someone who got interested in you because of those world fluctuations during your exam. And the other one is that he is someone who wanted to kill Elder Hong from the start and made you his pawn just to kill him, but this has a very low chance."
"But what the answer is no longer matters to me. What matters is that I want my revenge, and one day I will take it." When Shan Yan heard Su Lin's words, he could sense a sharp killing intent coming from Su Lin.
After seeing Su Lin in this state, Shan Yan move and stood in front of Su Lin, looking into his eyes.
"This killing intent is good, but there is something lacking in it." Seeing Shan Yan's actions, before Su Lin could think about something, Shan Yan's voice came to his ears once again.
"Do you know what it is lacking? Let's exchange a few moves. Come."
Seeing Shan Yan's strange behavior, Su Lin was about to say something, but when he saw Shan Yan standing at a distance, waiting for him to come, he moved his body and gradually, step by step, stood opposite Shan Yan. Looking at Shan Yan, he closed his fingers and made fists, putting himself in a fighting position. On the other hand, Shan Yan was just standing there without doing anything, his whole body as relaxed as water in a lake.
In this sort of situation, one is like a tiger, ready to annihilate all life forms, while the other is like a phoenix, showing his embodiment of royalty.
"What are you waiting for, Su Lin? If you are not going to attack, then I will do that." When Su Lin heard Shan Yan's words, he was about to move forward, but before he could, Shan Yan moved in his direction. Seeing Shan Yan's action, he immediately assumed a defensive stance.
'What is he going to do? Will he attack from my left side or from the right?' In his defensive state, Su Lin saw Shan Yan pause for a moment in front of him, then prepare to kick him from his left side. Seeing his actions, Su Lin tightened his defense to block it.
"Remember my words, Su Lin. first to win a fight seizes the initiative." After hearing those words, he did not feel any kick coming toward him, nor could he see Shan Yan in front of him. But in the next second, something hard hit his legs, causing him to fall. Before hitting the surface, he saw Shan Yan moving horizontally to regain his balance, his face looking directly at him.
When he fell backward, he tried to stand up, but before he could make any move, Shan Yan grabbed his hands and hooked his arm's behind his knees. He then sat on Su Lin's chest and looked at him with a cold expression.
"Second, never give any chance to your opponent." Saying this, Shan Yan grabbed Su Lin's face by the chin and started punching him in the face. Intense pain spread through his body, but because Shan Yan had blocked his paths of retreat, he could not do anything other than take the hits and clench his teeth.
"You want revenge, yet you can't even protect yourself. How do you expect to kill the person who killed your uncle?"
Slowly, Su Lin's consciousness became clouded. Despite that, he once again heard Shan Yan's voice.
"And lastly, never underestimate your opponent, just as you are doing with me. And Feng Yin—did you really think you could kill him with your mortal body? It's harsh, but true. You are just an insect in his eyes. Remember, the world of cultivation is a jungle, and in this jungle, only the strong will survive." After that, Su Lin lost consciousness.
Su Lin's body lies motionless on the ground.
Looking at him, Shan Yan falls into deep thought. After a while, he turns his face toward the moon hanging high in the night sky and speaks in a low voice.
"Su Lin, whether you believe me or not, when the time comes, you will understand everything. You will understand why Elder Hong chose to save you... and why the period you are going through right now is so important."
He pauses for a moment before a faint smile appears on his face.
"As for that Feng Yin..."
His eyes gradually become sharper as he gazes at the distant moon.
"I am just as eager to meet him."
At this moment, Su Lin lies on a stone, his body covered in bandages. Suddenly, a stream of water splashes across his face.
His eyes twitch slightly, but he shows no other movement.
Before he can react, an entire bucket of cold water is poured over his body.
"Ah!"
Su Lin jolts upright in shock.
Still confused, he looks around and sees Shan Yan standing in front of him, holding the empty bucket and laughing.
"Hey, what happened? Someone just poured some water on you to wake you up. Come on, get up. It's time for us to leave."
Shan Yan's words pass over Su Lin's head as he continues staring blankly, still trying to understand what just happened.
Only after a few moments does he finally realize what Shan Yan has done.
Before Su Lin can even say a word, however, Shan Yan has already left to prepare for their departure.
Su Lin doesn't care about what Shan Yan has just done to him. He still clearly remembers what happened before he lost consciousness.
Compared to that, this is nothing.
After some time, Su Lin and Shan Yan continue their journey.
"Su Lin, until now, I haven't told you where we are going or how the awakening ceremony works. So listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you."
Hearing this, Su Lin immediately focuses on Shan Yan's words and listens attentively.
"Every human body possesses a cultivation foundation known as the dantian. However, it is said that the dantian exists in an illusory form. As you already know, the dantian is where we store our spiritual energy.
"But do you know that dantians also come in different types?" When Su Lin hears this, he is completely stunned.
Until now, he has always believed that cultivation is a straight path, with everyone following the same route toward greater realms.
But now, he realizes that cultivation isn't a straight line at all.
It is more like a vast spider web, with countless different paths intertwined with one another.
"Tell me one thing. You said that this ceremony is meant to open the paths within our dantian. But now you're saying that the ceremony is also related to the illusory form of the dantian and its type?"
When Shan Yan hears Su Lin's question, a surprised look briefly appears on his face. However, it disappears almost instantly.
"You're not wrong. But let me ask you something. When our dantian transforms from its illusory form into a corporeal form, what do you think it is made of?"
Shan Yan pauses for a moment before continuing.
"Surely you don't think it is made of flesh and bone, do you?"
After hearing Shan Yan's words, Su Lin doesn't say anything. He simply stares at him, sinking into deep thought.
Just then, Shan Yan's voice reaches his ears once again.
"Don't think about it too much. That thing is called Qi. And Qi itself comes in many different types. For now, just understand this much—the reason I don't use my cultivation base very often is because of this Qi.
"For any Qi Refining Stage cultivator, Qi is like the throne of a king. It is the foundation that supports their cultivation base.
"As for me, I currently possess three different types of Qi. And all three of them will be of great use to you."
Hearing this, Su Lin looks at Shan Yan's smile.
Despite spending so much time with him, Su Lin still can't figure out what Shan Yan is thinking.
Shan Yan has already told him that he is only at the fifth layer of the Qi Refining Stage. Yet now, after explaining how important Qi is to every Qi Refining Stage cultivator, Su Lin can't help but feel confused.
If Qi is really that important, then why is Shan Yan giving his Qi to him?