Six Years of Hard Training Bring Him to Xiantian; the Prince's Mansion Is Shaken as They Seek the Immortal Master

Spring turned to autumn, cold gave way to heat, and six and a half years passed in the blink of an eye.

In the private courtyard on Cloud Mist Mountain, the Spirit Gathering Array continued to operate without pause. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth was so dense it seemed almost tangible, nourishing the boy who trained tirelessly within the courtyard.

Twelve-year-old Qin Yu had long since shed the innocence of childhood. Tall and straight, with handsome features, he carried himself with a steady, refined air. Every movement revealed a composure and sharpness beyond his years. After six and a half years of day-and-night training, he had cultivated the Heaven-Reaching Chart to the sixth level. Today was the crucial moment when he would attempt to break through to the Xiantian realm in External Martial Arts.

Qin Yu sat cross-legged with his eyes shut. Spiritual energy surged wildly around him, flowing rapidly through his limbs and bones along the Heaven-Reaching Chart's cultivation route. It continually washed over his muscles, bones, and meridians, nourishing his still-peculiar but increasingly resilient dantian.

Yun Ce sat nearby on a stone stool, his expression calm. Spiritual energy gathered at his fingertips, ready to be released, as he silently protected Qin Yu through the breakthrough. Over the past six and a half years, he had watched Qin Yu grow from an ignorant child into the young cultivator he was now, and had seen him break through one realm after another. Yun Ce's own cultivation had also steadily advanced alongside Qin Yu's growth. Now, with Qin Yu on the verge of reaching Xiantian, Yun Ce's cultivation had quietly stabilized at the peak of the Nascent Soul Late Stage, just one step away from the Void-Piercing Realm.

[ Ding! The host's disciple, Qin Yu, is about to break through to the Xiantian realm in External Martial Arts. Temporary mission triggered! ]

[Mission requirement: Help Qin Yu successfully break through to Xiantian and stabilize his realm.]

[Mission reward: Lifespan +300 years, Spirit Power Purification Pill ×2]

Yun Ce's heart stirred. He lightly tapped a finger, sending a gentle thread of Nascent Soul-stage spiritual energy into Qin Yu's body. Like a guiding light, it helped him sort out his chaotic aura and directed the spiritual energy to flow smoothly as it pressed steadily against the barrier to the Xiantian realm.

"Haah!"

Qin Yu gave a low shout, and his aura suddenly surged. A force far beyond the peak of Houtian burst from within him. The ground trembled slightly, and the fallen leaves scattered around the courtyard were swept up by an invisible wave of energy. Spiritual energy from the Spirit Gathering Array poured into his body, transforming into strength that nourished his physique.

Crack—

It was as if an invisible barrier had shattered. Qin Yu's aura instantly grew more refined, and a faint sheen appeared on his skin. His physical strength and reaction speed had both undergone a qualitative leap. He had reached the Xiantian realm in External Martial Arts!

Qin Yu slowly opened his eyes, a flash of brilliance in his gaze. He raised a hand and swung it, sending a howling fist wind packed with immense force toward a boulder nearby. Fine cracks spread across its surface.

"Master, I... I broke through! I reached the Xiantian realm!" Qin Yu turned and bowed to Yun Ce, his voice brimming with excitement and joy. Six and a half years of hard training had finally borne fruit.

[ Ding! Qin Yu has successfully broken through to the Xiantian realm in External Martial Arts! ]

[The host's cultivation has synchronized. Current realm unchanged.]

[Temporary mission completed. Rewards have been issued!]

A purer force surged into Yun Ce's body. He felt the Nascent Soul in his dantian grow more solid, and his spiritual energy become richer. His cultivation at the peak of the Nascent Soul Late Stage grew even more stable. Looking at Qin Yu, he smiled with satisfaction. "Well done, Yu'er. Six and a half years of hard training have brought you to Xiantian. You've lived up to your efforts and the legacy of that mysterious figure from ancient times."

Qin Yu nodded firmly, his eyes full of resolve. "I owe everything I've achieved to your careful guidance, Master. I won't stop here. I'll keep cultivating the Heaven-Reaching Chart and strive to grasp all its secrets as soon as possible!"

As the master and disciple rejoiced, a figure stood quietly not far beyond the courtyard, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief. It was Lian Yan, steward of Cloud Mist Villa and a Xiantian Great Perfection expert of the Qin Family.

Lian Yan had come to Cloud Mist Mountain from time to time on the orders of Prince Qin De, to check on Qin Yu. Each time, he had seen Qin Yu training in the courtyard. Though his aura had steadily improved, he had remained at the Houtian realm, and Lian Yan had assumed he was simply working hard to master the Basic Body Tempering Method.

But today, the moment he approached the courtyard, he felt that mighty aura far beyond Houtian. He had watched Qin Yu crack a boulder with one punch. The pressure of that Xiantian aura was unmistakable!

"Xiantian... Young Yu actually reached the Xiantian realm?" Lian Yan was rocked by a storm of disbelief. "Back then, Senior Feng said Young Yu's dantian was peculiar and that he couldn't cultivate internal energy. He could barely make progress even in External Martial Arts. Yet in only six and a half years, he's reached Xiantian! It's a miracle!"

Lian Yan didn't dare delay. He understood what Qin Yu's breakthrough meant to the Eastern Suppressing Prince Mansion. He turned and hurried down the mountain toward the mansion, focused on one thing alone: informing Prince Qin De as quickly as possible!

The Eastern Suppressing Prince Mansion, the council hall.

Prince Qin De sat at the head of the hall, his face dignified and an air of authority radiating from him. The Qin Family's core members and trusted officers stood in two rows below. Qin De toyed with a jade pendant in his hand, a hint of worry barely visible between his brows. It wasn't that he hadn't cared about Qin Yu over the years. But whenever he heard that Qin Yu couldn't cultivate internal energy and could only train in External Martial Arts, he was filled with helplessness and guilt. He had assumed his son would spend his life as an ordinary martial artist.

"Your Highness, something terrible has happened! No, it's wonderful news!"

Lian Yan hurried into the hall, bowed, and spoke with barely concealed excitement.

Qin De frowned and said sternly, "Why are you rushing around in such a panic? What could have happened to make you lose your composure?"

"Your Highness, it's Young Yu! His Highness, Qin Yu!" Lian Yan took a deep breath and continued, "I just went to Cloud Mist Mountain to check on him. I saw him break through with my own eyes. He's now reached the Xiantian realm in External Martial Arts! He can crack a boulder with one punch, and his aura is refined. There's no mistaking it!"

"What?!"

Qin De shot to his feet. The jade pendant slipped from his hand and hit the floor with a clack. Shock replaced the authority on his face. "What did you say? Yu'er... Yu'er reached the Xiantian realm? That's impossible! His dantian is peculiar, and he can't store internal energy. How could he possibly break through to Xiantian?"

Qin De wasn't the only one shocked. Everyone in the hall stared in disbelief, and voices rose around them.

"The Xiantian realm? His Highness Qin Yu actually broke through to Xiantian? That's unbelievable!"

"Immortal Feng Yuzi himself said back then that His Highness Qin Yu would struggle to advance even in Houtian External Martial Arts. Reaching Xiantian in just six and a half years is incredible!"

"Could some expert have helped him? With His Highness Qin Yu's dantian, there's no way he could have reached Xiantian otherwise!"

Qin De took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He fixed his gaze on Lian Yan. "Lian Yan, are you certain? You didn't mistake what you saw?" In his excitement, he even forgot that Lian Yan was his elder.

"This subordinate wouldn't dare deceive Your Highness!" Lian Yan bowed. "I saw it with my own eyes and heard it with my own ears. Young Yu's aura surged when he broke through, and the pressure he gave off was immense. No Houtian cultivator could possess such power. Moreover, outside the courtyard, I sensed the unfathomable aura of a cultivator. It must belong to the expert General Zhao mentioned—the one teaching the Little Prince to cultivate!"

"An expert?" A look of realization flashed through Qin De's eyes. "No wonder Yu'er could reach Xiantian. So he had an expert guiding him!"

His guilt and helplessness vanished in an instant, replaced by joy and gratitude. Qin Yu was his son and the hope of the Qin Family. Now he had reached Xiantian, cast off the label of "useless," and might even be able to embark on the path of cultivation. For Qin De—and for the entire Eastern Suppressing Prince Mansion—this was wonderful news beyond measure!

"Guards!" Qin De ordered. "Prepare a carriage at once, and invite Immortal Feng Yuzi as well! I will personally visit Cloud Mist Villa and pay my respects to the expert teaching Yu'er!"

Feng Yuzi was the Qin Family's consecrated immortal, a Golden Core Mid Stage cultivator with formidable strength. He was the cultivator Qin De respected most and the Qin Family's strongest backing. Qin De had specifically asked him to accompany him on this visit to show their sincerity and to confirm the expert's identity and strength.

Half an hour later, Qin De, dressed in his prince's robes, set off for Cloud Mist Villa in a carriage with Feng Yuzi and several trusted members of the Qin Family. Qin De could hardly hide his excitement, while Feng Yuzi rested with his eyes closed, though curiosity stirred within him. To teach a child with a peculiar dantian to reach the Xiantian realm in External Martial Arts in just six and a half years—this expert was certainly no ordinary cultivator.

At Cloud Mist Villa, in Qin Yu's courtyard.

Under Yun Ce's guidance, Qin Yu was stabilizing his Xiantian realm and practicing the moves of the sixth level of the Heaven-Reaching Chart. Each movement grew more fluid, and his aura steadier.

"Master, the power of the Xiantian realm really is completely different from Houtian. I feel like I'm full of strength!" Qin Yu said as he practiced, his eyes alight with excitement.

Yun Ce nodded calmly. "Xiantian is only the beginning. The Heaven-Reaching Chart has four more levels for you to break through. Don't let success make you complacent. Once you've mastered the sixth level, I'll pass on the seventh."

"I'll remember your teachings, Master!"

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the courtyard, accompanied by Lian Yan's voice. "His Highness Qin Yu, Senior Yun Ce, the Prince and Immortal Feng Yuzi are here!"

Qin Yu's heart stirred. He stopped practicing and looked at Yun Ce. "Master, Father has arrived!"

Yun Ce remained calm and nodded slightly. "Mm. Since he's here, let's go greet him."

The master and disciple walked out of the courtyard and saw Qin De standing outside the gate with Feng Yuzi and the others. Their bearing was respectful. Qin De's gaze fell on Qin Yu. Seeing his son standing tall and carrying himself with a steady air, Qin De's eyes filled with affection and satisfaction. Then he turned to Yun Ce. Feeling the unfathomable pressure emanating from him, Qin De's heart jolted, and he hurriedly bowed. "Prince Qin De of the Eastern Suppressing Prince Mansion pays his respects to the immortal master! Thank you for teaching my son. I'm deeply grateful!"

Feng Yuzi, too, put aside his earlier doubts and bowed to Yun Ce, his voice solemn. "Feng Yuzi, a Golden Core Mid Stage cultivator, pays his respects to Senior! Your cultivation is unfathomable. I'm deeply impressed!"

He could clearly sense that Yun Ce's aura far surpassed his own. Yun Ce was at least a Nascent Soul Early Stage cultivator. That such a formidable expert would live in seclusion at Cloud Mist Villa and teach Qin Yu how to cultivate left Feng Yuzi shocked and perplexed.

Yun Ce casually raised a hand, his tone even. "There's no need for formalities. Qin Yu is my disciple, so teaching him to cultivate is simply my duty. There's no need to be so polite, Prince."

Qin De looked up at Yun Ce, gratitude filling his eyes. "You're too kind, immortal master! My son was born with a peculiar dantian, and everyone said he couldn't cultivate. You didn't turn him away. You taught him with such care that he reached Xiantian and regained the chance to cultivate! The Qin Family will never forget this kindness! If you ever need anything, I, Qin De, will do everything in my power to help. I won't refuse!"

Qin Yu stepped forward and bowed to Qin De. "Greetings, Father."

Qin De looked at Qin Yu with affection and patted him on the shoulder. "Good, good! You're truly my son! Stay with the immortal master and train hard. Don't let all his effort go to waste!"

Feng Yuzi looked at Qin Yu, admiration in his eyes. "The Little Prince has remarkable talent, and with the immortal master's careful guidance, he'll surely achieve great things. Xiantian is only the starting point. Given time, he'll surely reach even higher realms of cultivation!"

Watching the scene, Yun Ce nodded to himself. Qin De was both respectful and sincere, and Feng Yuzi knew how to behave. Their visit wouldn't disrupt Qin Yu's training. On the contrary, it would lay a solid foundation for Qin Yu to establish himself in the Qin Family.

The sun set, casting golden light across the courtyard. Qin De and Feng Yuzi chatted with Yun Ce, their words full of respect and gratitude. Qin Yu stood to one side and listened quietly, his resolve to continue cultivating under Yun Ce growing ever stronger.