Fragments

Lost in his own thoughts, An Jiu stood with a blank gaze, his expression shifting between pain and struggle, until he finally squatted down and buried his head in his hands to weep bitterly.

His sudden breakdown caught Bai Yang and Little Cat off guard, as they were still preoccupied with the villagers' plight.

"Young Master, what's wrong with him?" Little Cat asked in confusion.

After observing for a moment and recalling An Jiu's earlier muttered words, Bai Yang said thoughtfully, "I'm afraid he has fallen into a Cognitive Obstruction."

"A Cognitive Obstruction?"

"Mm, it's when the mind falls into a kind of cognitive barrier. To put it bluntly, he is starting to doubt the meaning of life. Everyone experiences this to some extent, only the severity varies. His case can be considered quite severe."

"Then is this a good thing or a bad thing for him?"

"It's half and half. He is a divine path cultivator. If he can overcome the Cognitive Obstruction, it will greatly benefit his future cultivation. In our hometown, this is called an epiphany, or gaining the Dao. If he figures it out, his future path will be wide open. If he fails to figure it out and can't get past it, I'm afraid he's done for. After all, how can someone who doesn't even dare confirm whether they truly exist talk about a future?"

After this exchange, Little Cat couldn't bear to watch An Jiu's suffering any longer. She looked at Bai Yang and asked, "Can Young Master help him then? He's rather pitiful."

After a moment of thought, Bai Yang shook his head. "Let's wait a bit longer. It's actually best not to interfere in situations like this. The mind of someone trapped in a Cognitive Obstruction is extremely complex. If the person