"Grandfather, with his strength, can he even protect himself?"
Just as Lin Chu was about to agree, a clear voice called out from outside the house.
Lin Chu let out a wry smile. As the voice faded, a young woman entered.
"Heh heh, Xia'er, although this little fellow is weak now, his future is uncertain. What I value in him is his secret. Besides, you know my time is short. Entrusting him to you, I can depart with peace of mind."
The old man smiled, his eyes, filled with mirth, seemed to sweep over Lin Chu unintentionally, giving him the illusion of being seen through.
"Grandfather..." Hearing his words, the young woman's expression turned melancholic, and her gaze towards him was filled with affection.
"Alright, people have their joys and sorrows. I've lived this long, and I've lived enough," the old man chuckled, as if having long come to terms with life and death.
Seeing this, Lin Chu became serious and said, "Senior's life-saving grace, I, Lin Chu, shall repay it. Whatever Senior entrusts me with, I will do my utmost! If anyone dares to harm this sister Xia, they will have to step over my dead body!"
As Lin Chu finished speaking, the young woman looked at him with a hint of surprise. Even the old man's eyes flashed with satisfaction.
"However..." Seeing their expressions, Lin Chu's tone shifted, and he looked at the old man with a hint of difficulty.
The old man, intrigued, looked at Lin Chu and asked, "However what?"
Lin Chu grinned and said, "However, as this sister Xia rightly pointed out, my current strength is barely enough to protect myself. To protect this sister Xia, who is as beautiful as a celestial being, I fear I might be out of my depth."
From their conversation, Lin Chu had deduced that the old man, despite having no spiritual energy fluctuations, was undoubtedly a powerful figure. The absence of discernible spiritual energy did not mean others were not cultivators.
Lin Chu knew that in this world, those who could completely conceal their aura possessed unfathomable strength. His own strength was indeed lacking, and he wouldn't pass up such a good opportunity.
Furthermore, Lin Chu wasn't worried about the old man harboring ill intentions. From their time together, Lin Chu had a general understanding of the old man's character.
"You indeed know how to seize opportunities, you rascal," the old man said with a smile, without a hint of reprimand.
However, the young woman rolled her eyes at Lin Chu and said, "I knew there was no such thing as a noble person in this world. Grandfather, are you sure he can protect me?"
"Heh heh, Xia'er, this boy has many secrets. The seal in his mind alone, I cannot break. His future is a mystery. Whoever could set such a powerful seal, this boy will not be weak in the future."
"Entrusting you to him, I can rest assured."
The old man smiled and then looked at Lin Chu, "Speak, what do you want from me?"
Lin Chu's eyes lit up. "My current cultivation seems to have reached a bottleneck. Also, although I have my own set of techniques, I feel a sense of inadequacy. There is so little I can truly utilize. So, do you have any suitable cultivation methods for me at this stage?"
The old man scrutinized Lin Chu. "To obtain my cultivation methods is not a difficult matter. However, my lineage has two requirements: either one must be my clansman or my disciple. Currently, you meet neither condition."
"Disciple Lin Chu, greets Master." Hearing this, Lin Chu knew the old man's unspoken meaning. He moved swiftly and knelt before the old man.
"You're quite good at striking while the iron is hot," the young woman couldn't help but smile.
Though feeling a flush of embarrassment, Lin Chu's gaze towards the old man was one of firm resolve.
"Hmm, good. Quite astute. My legacy will not be buried if passed to you. Since you have performed the ceremony, I shall pass on my legacy to you."
"Lin Chu, your background is unclear to me, and I dare not delve into it. Perhaps, your life holds an astonishing story. However, your strength is too weak for now. Coupled with my dwindling time and my urgent need for someone to protect Xia'er, your appearance might be a chance sent by the heavens."
The old man paused for a moment, then continued, "My name is Yang Song. Since you have become my disciple, you should know my name. As for Xia'er, you have already met her. I need not introduce her. And you will be spending a long time together, so I am not worried."
"Xia'er, from now on, I won't be by your side. You must protect yourself. Although this boy is still weak, his future depends on his own fortune. I can rest assured of your safety on this Anwu Continent. Alright, boy, follow me." Yang Song said, then turned and walked away.
Lin Chu quickly followed.
Upon exiting the thatched hut, Lin Chu was startled. Outside the hut stood several powerful beasts. As he appeared, these beasts turned their gaze upon him.
With just a glance, Lin Chu felt a dizziness cloud his mind. Clearly, these beasts were of no low order.
"Quiet down, all of you. This is my disciple. Don't accidentally swallow him," Yang Song said calmly, seemingly sensing Lin Chu's shock.
As Yang Song finished speaking, the beasts immediately restrained their beastly aura and lowered their heads.
Hiss!
Lin Chu gasped. The beasts before him were almost all sixth-tier existences, and they were so obedient to Yang Song.
However, witnessing this scene, Lin Chu's anticipation of Yang Song's strength grew. And remembering the young woman's words about barely being able to protect himself, Lin Chu now fully believed them. He suspected he would be no match for any one of these beasts.
"Alright, follow me," Yang Song said with a smile, glancing at Lin Chu. It seemed as if subduing these sixth-tier beasts was not a significant feat for him.
Lin Chu hurried to follow, a hint of confusion in his eyes. Where was his Master Yang Song taking him?
Around Lin Chu's previous hut were only two other thatched huts of the same size. Yet, Yang Song was heading in the opposite direction, not towards either of them.
The location of these three huts, as indicated by the floating clouds, was at the very peak of the mountain. And now, Yang Song was heading into the depths of the clouds.
Hmm?
As they entered the cloud-shrouded area, Lin Chu felt an extraordinary density of spiritual energy around him. Even before he could activate his Chaos Dragon Breath Technique, this seemingly extreme concentration of spiritual energy involuntarily surged into his body.
"There's a barrier I've set up here, so you can absorb the spiritual energy without needing to circulate it," Yang Song's voice came from ahead, as if sensing Lin Chu's surprise. Lin Chu then understood.
"This is where I usually meditate and cultivate. I've also set up numerous formations around it. Teaching you my legacy here will aid your absorption and cultivation," Yang Song said, stopping at an open area and turning to face Lin Chu. Lin Chu nodded slightly, now understanding why Yang Song had brought him here.
Yang Song walked directly to the center and sat down cross-legged, then nodded to Lin Chu. "Sit down as well. I've observed your combat, and your fighting techniques and foundation are not weak. Your moves, however, seem somewhat limited. Even your killing blow against the Azure Serpent consumed an excessive amount of spiritual energy, didn't it?"
Lin Chu nodded emphatically. "As Master said, if I hadn't broken through to the intermediate stage of the Initial Spirit Realm, I might not have been able to execute it a second time."
Yang Song nodded and continued, "The path of cultivation is divided into two major categories. One is the cultivation of the spirit and soul, using the ethereal to achieve the peak of power. The other is based on the physical body, which, when cultivated to its extreme, can shatter all things with a single force, posing no less of a threat than spirit and soul cultivators."
"However, the two can complement each other, so cultivators in the world, more or less, have a rudimentary grasp of both."
"What the world does not know is that there is actually another category of cultivators. Initially, this category was known as 'Fu Shi,' or 'Qi Fu Master.' They exist within the mind. The stronger the Qi Fu, the purer one's spiritual energy becomes."
"The divine abilities and techniques displayed will naturally be more potent. However, the cultivation methods for Qi Fu have gradually faded with the passage of time. Therefore, the world today only has the two cultivation paths of spirit and body."
"Qi Fu? May I ask Master, how does the extreme cultivation of Qi Fu compare to cultivators who primarily focus on spirit and body?" Lin Chu felt his horizons broadening once again.
"How does it compare to spirit and body cultivators? My disciple, you only need to remember one sentence: 'When Qi Fu is absent, spirit reigns supreme. When Qi Fu appears, no one can stand against them!'"
As Yang Song spoke, an invincible aura emanated from him, causing the surrounding spiritual energy to disperse significantly. Lin Chu felt a domineering aura surge towards him like a tidal wave. Fortunately, this aura appeared and vanished as quickly as it arrived. It was so brief that Lin Chu would have dismissed it as an illusion if the spiritual energy hadn't noticeably thinned.
"Master, since Qi Fu cultivators are so powerful, why has their cultivation method disappeared?" Lin Chu asked curiously after a moment.
As Lin Chu finished speaking, a hint of sadness flickered across Yang Song's face.
Seeing this, Lin Chu fell silent, daring not to ask further.
After a moment, a glint returned to Yang Song's eyes, and he looked at Lin Chu with a complex expression. "Those who primarily cultivate Qi Fu require immense perseverance and wisdom. Thus, many cultivators are unable to condense their Qi Fu."
"As the years passed, the Qi Fu lineage became rarely pursued. However, even so, those who achieve Qi Fu cultivation have few opponents of the same rank, and they are not afraid to fight even against those of higher cultivation."
"Of course, a towering tree is prone to destruction by the wind. Because those who primarily cultivate Qi Fu were too exceptional, other powerful individuals, driven by fear and jealousy, conspired against them. Various factions and experts united to eradicate the few Qi Fu cultivators that still existed."
"Even Qi Fu cultivators at the Spirit Realm level were not spared. Under this great upheaval, in the Ten Directions Heavens, Qi Fu cultivators were almost wiped out. The few surviving cultivators, whose strength was still weak, dared not utter a word and thus reverted to other cultivation paths."
"This, is the reason why Qi Fu cultivators gradually faded from people's sight. After more than five thousand years, this is the first time I speak of what happened back then. My disciple, remember this: unless absolutely necessary, never reveal this secret."
Seeing Yang Song fall silent once more, Lin Chu waited a moment, then nodded before speaking again. "Master, since those who primarily cultivate Qi Fu have been 'dealt with,' how do you know all this?"
Although Lin Chu had a general idea of Yang Song's origins, he was naturally curious without confirmation. Moreover, Yang Song was his master, and it felt improper not to know his master's background.
"You must have guessed it. Indeed, I am one of those weak survivors from back then." Yang Song spoke as if recalling a painful memory, his expression shifting from distress to deep melancholy.
Lin Chu's shock intensified. Such a secret he had never heard of in his sect. Clearly, this secret was from an era long past, and if his Master Yang Song had existed then, he must be over five thousand years old.
"Alright, I have told you my origin. Next, I will teach you the Qi Fu cultivation method. Do you dare to accept it?" Yang Song asked, his eyes casually falling on Lin Chu.
Lin Chu's initial eagerness cooled somewhat. However, remembering that his own origins were still a mystery, his gaze gradually firmed.
He then knelt before Yang Song and said, "My enemies are all stronger than I am. Although cultivating Qi Fu carries danger, I have no other choice at present. As long as I can reach the peak of power, what is there to fear!"
Hearing Lin Chu's words, Yang Song nodded slightly. "Since you have chosen to accept, then open your mind and sit down."
Lin Chu immediately sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and opened his mind.
Yang Song's eyes flashed with admiration. He then waved his large hand, and Lin Chu's body instantly moved before him. Countless lights flickered and, under Yang Song's guidance, surged into Lin Chu's forehead, vanishing without a trace.
As Yang Song placed a finger on Lin Chu's forehead, his eyes slowly closed, mirroring Lin Chu's. At this moment, Lin Chu's mind felt as if something had been added, and with a surge, a vast amount of information poured in.
As the grogginess quickly faded, Lin Chu looked intently, and a radiant light suddenly ignited.
"Qi Fu Induction, Divine Refining Method..."