The Letter from Old Ent

"Boom, boom, boom!" Several great trees crashed down amid a surging wave of air. Violent energy ripples spread outward, and the surrounding forest rustled fiercely. A fifth-order lower-tier Wolfhorn Beast was sent flying far away, blood spraying wildly from its mouth.

"Is this the strength of a fifth-order Body Grandmaster?" Chen Yun murmured as he looked at the Wolfhorn Beast lying on the ground, unable to fight. With just one punch, he had knocked a fifth-order lower-tier Wolfhorn Beast down.

Internal cultivation was the name Chen Yun had given to his body cultivation. Like the levels of Battle Qi cultivation, he had now reached the fifth order, so he called himself a Body Grandmaster.

Chen Yun's Battle Qi had now reached the fourth order, making him a Battle King. However, he had not deliberately cultivated Battle Qi. He felt that as his physical cultivation improved, his Battle Qi rose along with it, and its speed of improvement was no slower than deliberate cultivation. This result delighted and astonished him—truly, it was like killing two birds with one stone!

At the same time, he vaguely sensed a faint connection between the Battle Qi and Internal Qi within his body. That connection came and went, as though something was missing. It was extremely obscure, and sometimes even Chen Yun wondered whether it was merely an illusion.

As for the day Chen Yun broke through to the fifth order, it had truly given Xili quite a shock.

When Chen Yun transformed, his clothes had been stretched into tatters, and Xili had laughed at him for it. Although Xili was his elder, Chen Yun was only twelve years old by any reckoning and seemed like a child. Yet his mind belonged to an adult, so he was naturally very embarrassed.

Chen Yun had only barely managed to transform after fumbling his way through it over the past two years. In actual use, however, he was terribly awkward, and the transformation could last only about five minutes.

The Dragon Blood Warrior physique was, after all, an existence that defied heaven. It was not easy to master completely. Chen Yun would have to hone it slowly in the future!

Chen Yun's physical cultivation had now reached the fifth order, while his Battle Qi had reached the Fourth Order Middle Tier. His overall combat strength could contend with an ordinary Battle Emperor. After transforming, he could even fight a War Emperor Peak expert. Unfortunately, his transformation lasted too briefly, and the Dragon Blood physique was simply too difficult to master.

Even so, Chen Yun's current achievements absolutely made him a genius among geniuses. After all, he was only twelve years old! For Chen Yun, who had once been called the continent's greatest good-for-nothing, the contrast was truly enormous.

Strictly speaking, it was both correct and incorrect to say that Chen Yun had once been unable to sense Battle Qi. His body had been extremely healthy since childhood, several times stronger than those of his peers. With such an excellent physique, he should have been a genius at cultivating Battle Qi.

Yet Battle Qi cultivation required another indispensable factor: the cultivator's soul. Sensing Battle Qi relied on the soul, while the body merely served as its vessel. Chen Yun's soul, however, did not belong to this world. It had come from another world, so it could not completely merge with the War God Continent. In other words, his soul had not received this world's acknowledgment. That was why he had been unable to sense Battle Qi.

Everything changed after his Dragon Bloodline awakened. The awakening forcibly merged Chen Yun's soul with this world, allowing it to gain the acknowledgment of this space. Only then could he sense Battle Qi. The Dragon Bloodline truly defied heaven, and there was no doubt that its talent was astonishing!

Today was the War God Continent's Year-End Festival, held to commemorate and celebrate the year that had passed. It was also the day for the whole family to reunite, much like New Year's Eve in Chen Yun's previous life.

Chen Yun silently gazed at everything inside the house. Now, he was the only one left at home. His grandfather had left two years ago and still had not sent any news. Suddenly, Chen Yun felt a wave of loneliness. He had already been in this world for twelve years, hadn't he?

Back then, Old Ent had found him. When his consciousness finally cleared, he had discovered himself lying beside a mountain stream. That was when Old Ent had found him and carried him home. Chen Yun had no idea what had happened to him before that.

Speaking of which, Old Ent was Chen Yun's only relative in this world. Among his peers in the village, he had no close friends. After all, his soul belonged to an adult, and it was difficult for him to mix with a group of children.

Moreover, the disappointments of his previous and present lives had made him extremely withdrawn and unwilling to communicate with others. Later, the awakening of his Dragon Bloodline had suddenly given him astonishing talent, brightening his personality somewhat, but it could not change everything. That solitary nature had been built over many years. In both his previous and present lives, its roots had already sunk deep into his bones.

Because of his talent, he had always been subjected to scorn, filling him with despair toward the world. The formation of such a personality had therefore been unavoidable. Chen Yun's fate could be called terribly arduous. Fortunately, fortune had finally turned in his favor. It seemed Heaven still had eyes!

Holding his bowl, he ate quietly by himself. There were three dishes on the table. Since he was alone, he simply made do; there was no need to prepare an elaborate meal.

The scene made him think of how he and Old Ent used to eat together at this time of year, and a little warmth tinged with bitterness rose in his heart. He then thought of his parents in his previous life, of the family gathered around a small square table on New Year's Eve. It had been so warm. Even though he had been born with an intellectual deficiency, they had loved him as always, no matter how others mocked him.

At that thought, a sour ache welled up in Chen Yun's heart, and tears slipped down his face. He probably would never see them again. Ah... His heart was a tangled mess of emotions, clogged and miserable.

"Little Chen! Little Chen, are you home?" Xili's voice suddenly came from outside, interrupting Chen Yun's thoughts.

Chen Yun quickly came back to himself, wiped his tears, composed his expression, rose, and hurried out to greet him.

Chen Yun respected Xili quite a bit. Xili was the village's sage, a good man, and very kind to Chen Yun. From time to time, he came to visit and brought him tasty food.

Even tonight, on the Year-End Festival, Xili had still come to see him. A warm current flowed through Chen Yun's heart.

"Grandpa Xili, what brings you here? Please, come inside and sit!" Chen Yun invited Xili in with an obedient smile.

Then Chen Yun said, "Grandpa Xili, eat with me. I'll serve you some food!"

Xili nodded with a beaming smile. "All right. Today I'll spend the Year-End Festival with Little Chen. Bring out a few more bowls—I brought you something to eat!"

As Chen Yun served him rice, he said, "How could I accept this? Grandpa Xili, it's enough that you came to visit. You even brought things!"

"Hehe, it's nothing. In any case, you call me Grandpa, don't you?" Chen Yun could only smile and place two more bowls on the table.

Xili opened the large bag he was carrying, and an enticing fragrance immediately filled the room. Inside was a roasted ordinary beast that looked like a wild rabbit, along with some dried meat. The dried meat was also Magic Beast meat, squeezed dry, mixed with various seasonings, and then braised in a sealed hot boiler. There was also a special dipping sauce to go with it. A little sauce on the dried meat made it exceptionally delicious.

Besides that, Xili had brought some vegetables and, more importantly, two bottles of Blazing Fire Wine. As its name suggested, Blazing Fire Wine was an extremely strong liquor. At first, it did not feel like much, but moments later, a sudden heat would surge through the body like a blazing fire.

Blazing Fire Wine was the favorite liquor of the continent's male warriors. Its fierceness suited their wildness and boldness!

"Grandpa Xili, how could you bring so many things? I'm really embarrassed!" Chen Yun was deeply moved when he saw Xili take so many items from the bag.

"Hehe, Little Chen, don't be polite! Your grandfather has gone away, leaving you all alone at home. You're a member of our village! Don't be polite with your grandpa, or I'll get angry!" As he spoke, Xili deliberately stiffened his face.

Chen Yun could only nod helplessly. Xili picked up a bottle of Blazing Fire Wine and poured two bowls. "Come, Little Chen, have some wine too!"

"Um... Grandpa Xili, I'm still so young. I don't know how to drink." Chen Yun shook his head. Chen Yun in his previous life had not drunk either, and he had naturally carried that habit into this life.

Xili glared slightly. "So what if you're young? A warrior who can't drink will be laughed at. Your Grandpa Xili started drinking when he was eight. You're already twelve. Your grandfather only knew how to teach you cultivation, so today Grandpa Xili will teach you how to drink! Ah! Hahaha!" He threw back his head and laughed heartily.

Chen Yun was drenched in cold sweat. Grandpa Xili really is something. What elder teaches a junior to drink? Still, Chen Yun could not keep refusing and had no choice but to go along with Xili.

The wine went down, and a searing sensation traveled from his mouth all the way into his stomach, jolting Chen Yun's spirits. Then intense heat surged through his belly, as if a ball of fire were burning there, rushing straight to his head. Chen Yun could not help narrowing his eyes.

Drinking wine felt completely different from his previous life. Perhaps his body was far stronger than before. The wine made his entire body feel relaxed, as though he might float away. Even the muscles tightened by years of cultivation slowly loosened. This was Chen Yun's first time drinking, yet it brought him such a wonderful feeling.

At that moment, Chen Yun unknowingly fell in love with drinking.

Chen Yun slowly opened his eyes. The sensation had already faded.

"How does it feel?" Xili asked with a beaming smile when he saw Chen Yun open his eyes.

"Mmm, good wine! No wonder it's called Blazing Fire Wine—its name truly matches it! I feel comfortable from the inside out!" Chen Yun praised it sincerely.

"Haha, of course! My wine isn't something those ordinary brews on the continent can compare with. I added several precious medicinal ingredients to Blazing Fire Wine, then spent several years researching the recipe before brewing it. It retains the original wine's properties while being even fiercer. More importantly, it can cleanse the body and spirit, expel impurities, and loosen the stiff muscles formed through years of cultivation, strengthening the body's flexibility. Even your grandfather used to come beg me for it!" Xili stroked his beard with considerable pride.

Chen Yun stared in astonishment. He had never imagined the wine had so many effects. Yet Xili had not exaggerated—the sensation he had just experienced proved it.

Wine this good was certainly precious. Fine liquor was not easy to brew, yet Xili had brought it for him to drink.

Thus Chen Yun said gratefully, "Grandpa Xili, thank you for the wine. It must be very precious!"

"Hehe, it's nothing. Don't say such polite things!" Xili replied cheerfully.

Chen Yun nodded, silently engraving Xili's kindness in his heart.

Afterward, Chen Yun and Xili chatted about cultivation. Although Chen Yun focused mainly on physical cultivation, he did not intend to neglect Battle Qi cultivation either.

After all, this was a world centered on Battle Qi. His body was powerful, but Chen Yun did not want to become an oddity. As the saying went, when a tree rises above the forest, the wind will surely tear it down. Thus, Chen Yun planned to conceal his body cultivation as a trump card. He had also decided to leave the village after the Year-End Festival, travel the continent to gain experience, and search for news of his grandfather.

"When are you planning to leave?" Xili suddenly asked.

"Hm? Grandpa Xili, how did you know I was planning to leave?" Chen Yun asked in confusion. He had never told anyone about his plans.

Xili smiled knowingly. "Do you even need to ask? You've already reached fifth-order strength. With your special qualities, you can probably contend with even a Battle Emperor. Besides, your grandfather once said that you should go out after reaching the fifth order. He's been gone for more than two years, so it's hardly strange that you want to leave."

"Oh." Chen Yun nodded. "Grandpa Xili, I plan to leave tomorrow. Also, have you heard anything about my grandfather? I'm really worried about him. He's been gone for two years. He told me he'd be back soon!"

"Alas!" Xili sighed slowly. "I don't know much either. Your grandfather didn't tell me anything. He only asked me before leaving to give these things to you once you reached the fifth order. There's also a letter he left for you."

As he spoke, Old Ent took a small bundle from his robes and handed it to Chen Yun. When Chen Yun heard that Old Ent had left him a letter, he jolted and hurriedly opened the bundle. Besides a letter, there was also a book. He had no time to see what book it was before eagerly unfolding Old Ent's letter.

"Little Chen! By the time you open this letter, you should have reached the fifth order. Hehe, this makes Grandpa very gratified. That I, Ente Augustin, could have a grandson like you is the greatest pride of my life."

"Don't blame Grandpa for being gone so long. I truly have matters that must be settled. Don't worry about me either. What you need to do now is rapidly increase your strength. You've reached the point where you can travel the continent and gain experience. Although you're already fifth order and should be able to contend with a Sixth Order Battle Emperor in terms of combat strength, don't let that make you think you're impressive."

"The War God Continent is vast. There are always people beyond people and heavens beyond heavens. The number of people stronger than you is beyond counting, and there are also those with better talent than yours. The vast world contains every marvel. Your Dragon Bloodline may be incomparably powerful, but it is not invincible."

"After leaving the village, go north all the way to the War God Academy and study there. The War God Academy is a famous warrior academy on the continent, and countless experts have risen from it. You will certainly learn many things there. Although its admission requirements are extremely strict, they pose no problem for you now."

"If everything goes smoothly, Grandpa will come find you at the War God Academy. But if I haven't come after five years, don't come looking for me. That is Grandpa's request. You must listen to me, understand? You must work hard to increase your strength. Many things can only be learned once you reach a certain level of strength."

"If you reach the Ninth Order Venerable Rank one day, you may go to a place called the Dark Tower. Perhaps we will meet again there. Remember, you must truly reach the Ninth Order Venerable Rank. Otherwise, going there will mean certain death!"

"Alas! Here, Grandpa apologizes to you. I never explained the continent's circumstances in detail, and now there is no time to tell you. Ask Xili instead. I have also left you a Battle Qi Art. It is considered a top-tier cultivation art and was something I cultivated back then. Later, my Battle Qi was crippled, so I put it away. Now I'm giving it to you. You must take Battle Qi cultivation seriously. In the past, I neglected your Battle Qi cultivation and focused solely on training your body. But now you must pay attention to it. After all, Battle Qi remains the mainstream of this continent."

"Moreover, your talent is extremely high. If you cultivate both Battle Qi and Internal Qi, your future achievements will certainly be tremendous! There is one more thing you must remember: on the continent, you must protect the secret of your body cultivation. Do not use the power of Internal Qi unless absolutely necessary. Otherwise, if certain people discover it, you will face endless trouble. Remember this, remember it well!—Your grandfather, Ente."

Chen Yun stared blankly at the letter, his heart unable to calm for a long time. What identity did his grandfather possess? Why had he always refused to tell Chen Yun? What had happened to put him in such a difficult position? Ninth Order Venerable Rank! Chen Yun's heart was shaken violently. What kind of place was it to be so terrifying?

(A five-thousand-word chapter delivered! Chen Yun is about to leave the mountain—stay tuned!)