Black Eagle Accompanies Bitter Cultivation, Star Tears Bestow Opportunity

In the mountains, there is no concept of days or months; when the cold passes, one loses track of the years.

Since the Qin Family set the ten-year deadline for the Conquest of Chu, six years have passed in the blink of an eye. The morning bells and evening drums of Cloud Mist Villa have witnessed Qin Yu grow from a twelve-year-old hot-blooded boy into an eighteen-year-old, strapping young man. The childishness has faded from his face, replaced by a steady composure forged through bitter training. The Xiantian energy swirling around him is no longer the raw, unrefined force of his youth; it is now dense and concentrated, firmly anchored at the Xiantian Late Stage—just one step away from the peak of External Martial Arts.

For these six years, Qin Yu has never slacked off. He rises before dawn every day to practice the Heaven-Reaching Chart within the Spirit Gathering Array, progressing from the sixth to the eighth level. His physical strength has long since surpassed that of other Xiantian cultivators of the same level; even when facing a Xiantian Great Perfection expert, he can hold his own through sheer physical prowess. Yun Ce remains his most solid pillar of support. As a powerhouse at the peak of the Nascent Soul Late Stage, he not only frequently points out the essence of the cultivation techniques to Qin Yu but also occasionally explains the mysteries of the cultivation world and fundamental principles, giving Qin Yu a perspective far beyond that of ordinary noble scions.

During these six years, a special companion has joined Qin Yu—a Black Eagle.

It was one morning three years ago, after finishing his training, that Qin Yu discovered this hungry, chirping chick on a cliff deep within the Cloud Mist Mountains. At the time, its wings were not yet fully grown, and its down was a grayish-black, yet its bright, dark eyes held a hint of intelligence. Its left leg had been scratched by a tree branch, preventing it from flying, and it was shivering in a crevice, looking small and adorable. Moved by pity, Qin Yu brought it back to his small courtyard and cared for it meticulously.

He named the Black Eagle Xiao Hei. At first, Xiao Hei was tiny and could only curl up on Qin Yu's shoulder, surviving on spirit grains and the meat of exotic beasts fed to it by Qin Yu. Now, three years later, Xiao Hei has shed its youthful awkwardness and grown into a majestic eagle with a wingspan of over a zhang. Its feathers are as black as ink and glossy, and its sharp eyes can perceive movement from miles away. It flies with incredible speed and is highly intelligent, capable of understanding Qin Yu's commands.

During the day, when Qin Yu trains, Xiao Hei circles the courtyard as a lookout or perches on the stone table to keep him company. When night falls and Qin Yu rests, Xiao Hei curls up on his windowsill, acting as his guardian. Sometimes, when Qin Yu descends the mountain to visit the Eastern Suppressing Prince Mansion, Xiao Hei spreads its wings to accompany him, soaring over forests and cities, becoming Qin Yu's most loyal companion and a unique sight at Cloud Mist Villa.

On this day, as the night deepened, the bustle of Cloud Mist Villa faded, leaving only the sound of insects and the wind—quiet and distant. Qin Yu finished his day of grueling training but did not rest immediately. Instead, he walked alone to the hillside outside the courtyard and sat cross-legged. Xiao Hei landed on his shoulder, gently rubbing its head against his cheek and letting out low chirps, appearing incredibly docile.

Qin Yu raised his hand to stroke Xiao Hei's feathers, his gaze fixed on the vast starry sky. The night was like ink, filled with twinkling stars, and the Milky Way stretched across the horizon, dazzling and brilliant. Through six years of bitter training, he has never forgotten the blood feud for his mother, nor the ten-year promise. Whenever the night is deep and quiet, looking up at the stars, the conviction in his heart grows firmer—only by becoming stronger can he lead the army to conquer Chu in four years, avenge his mother, and clear the name of the Ying Clan ancestors.

"Xiao Hei, four more years. In four years, we will follow Father and the others on the path to conquer Chu." Qin Yu whispered, his tone filled with expectation and gravity. "By then, I will surely slay Xiang Guang, destroy the Chu Dynasty, and bring peace to my mother's soul in heaven."

Xiao Hei seemed to understand his words, letting out another low chirp and rubbing its head against his palm, as if responding or offering comfort.

Just then, Qin Yu's gaze suddenly froze, a flash of surprise in his eyes. In the distant sky, a brilliant meteor tore through the night, trailing a golden halo as it streaked across the heavens, hurtling toward the direction of Cloud Mist Villa. The meteor moved with incredible speed, its light growing ever more intense. Even from such a distance, one could feel the majestic energy contained within it—warm and pure, completely different from an ordinary meteor.

"What is that?" Qin Yu stood up slightly, his eyes full of confusion. He had never seen such a peculiar meteor; not only was its light dazzling, but it carried an energy that made his heart tremble, as if it held an irresistible attraction for him.

Almost the moment the meteor appeared, in the courtyard of Cloud Mist Villa, Yun Ce, who had been sitting cross-legged, suddenly opened his eyes, a flash of realization and brilliance in them. His divine sense had already spread out, covering the entire Cloud Mist Mountains, and he had captured the meteor the moment it entered the territory of the Hidden Dragon Continent.

"It's here." Yun Ce whispered to himself, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "It really is the Meteor Tear, Qin Yu's first great opportunity, arriving right on schedule."

He knew clearly that this was no ordinary meteor, but the Meteor Tear belonging to Jiang Li, the Divine Realm Princess, which had originated from the Life God King Zuo Qiumei of the Divine Realm. As the only Life God King in the Divine Realm, Zuo Qiumei possessed immense power, but because she was feared by the Eight Great Sacred Emperors, she was besieged and fell. Before her death, she condensed her soul and the essence of her life into two Meteor Tears. One fell into the mortal world to find a fated person to inherit her energy and vitality; the other remained within the body of Jiang Li, becoming the bond that intertwined their destinies. However, Yun Ce did not intend to tell Qin Yu all these secrets of the Divine Realm, only letting him know the function of the Meteor Tear.

The one flying toward Cloud Mist Villa was the one that had fallen into the mortal world, and it was Qin Yu's heaven-defying opportunity. Yun Ce knew that Qin Yu was born with a special dantian and could not practice ordinary internal energy. Even if he practiced the Heaven-Reaching Chart to the peak of External Martial Arts, he would eventually hit a bottleneck. This Meteor Tear was the key to Qin Yu changing his destiny—the powerful life-restoring energy it contained could nourish his body and meridians to the extreme, removing all shackles from his External Martial Arts training, and grant him super-strong recovery abilities and soul-concealing characteristics. It would help him protect himself in danger and lay the groundwork for his future cultivation of special techniques and breakthroughs, though it would not directly push him to a higher realm.

Yun Ce did not stand up to intervene, simply sitting quietly in the courtyard, watching the trajectory of the meteor with his spiritual sense. He knew this was Qin Yu's opportunity, which he had to catch and fuse with himself. If others interfered, it might disturb this fate and even affect the compatibility between the Meteor Tear and Qin Yu.

At this moment, the golden meteor had already approached Cloud Mist Villa. Its light was blinding, but its speed gradually slowed, finally flying precisely toward Qin Yu on the hillside. Qin Yu felt a wave of warmth wash over him, making his whole body feel comfortable, and his previously tense mind became incredibly calm. He did not dodge; instead, he subconsciously reached out his palm, having an inexplicable intuition—this meteor had come for him.

The golden meteor landed in the palm of Qin Yu's hand. It did not dissipate immediately but transformed into a crystal the size of a soybean, golden throughout and emitting a warm glow. It lay steadily in his palm, warmth continuously seeping into his body through his hand. Qin Yu carefully cradled the crystal, his eyes full of wonder. He could clearly feel the majestic life energy contained within it. Even his dantian felt a tingling warmth, yet it remained as strange as ever, showing no signs of being able to store internal energy. Just as he was about to examine it closely, the golden crystal in his palm flashed with light and vanished in an instant!

"Huh?" Qin Yu panicked, hurriedly opening his palm to check repeatedly, but it was empty, as if the golden crystal had never existed. "What happened? It was just here!" He was anxious and immediately thought of Yun Ce. His master was in the courtyard, and with his master's strength at the peak of the Nascent Soul Late Stage, if he wanted to take the crystal, Qin Yu would certainly not have noticed. Thinking of this, Qin Yu could not help but feel a sense of loss and urgency. He subconsciously circulated the energy in his body, only to suddenly feel a warm energy flowing slowly through his chest. It was more mellow than the warmth he had felt from his palm, spreading through his meridians to his entire body. He could clearly feel this energy frantically nourishing his meridians and body. The minor hidden injuries left behind by practicing the Heaven-Reaching Chart healed instantly, and his physical strength and meridian toughness were steadily improving. Even the energy of his Xiantian Late Stage peak became more refined and dense, bringing him closer to the peak of External Martial Arts. Only his dantian remained as strange as ever, unable to store any internal energy—this physical improvement gave him some comfort, but the mystery of the crystal's disappearance and his suspicions about Yun Ce still lingered in his heart.

Xiao Hei landed on Qin Yu's shoulder, looking around vigilantly, but did not make a sound, as if it knew that Qin Yu was at a critical moment and did not want to disturb him.

Yun Ce sat in the courtyard, clearly sensing the changes in Qin Yu's body, his eyes full of gratification. The energy of the Meteor Tear was slowly merging into Qin Yu's body, nourishing his flesh and meridians to the extreme, allowing his External Martial Arts training to break through its shackles. His energy was becoming more refined, yet it did not push him to a higher realm, leaving him still at the Xiantian Late Stage. In time, with the strong body nourished by the Meteor Tear and his steadily polished Xiantian Late Stage cultivation, combined with a technique suited to his dantian, he would be able to steadily break through to higher realms.

Just as the energy of the Meteor Tear completely merged into Qin Yu's body, a cold, mechanical system prompt suddenly rang out in Yun Ce's mind.

[Ding! Detected that Child of Destiny Qin Yu has obtained the core opportunity: Meteor Tear. Triggering special sign-in!]

[Sign-in location: Cloud Mist Villa, where the Meteor Tear fell]

[Sign-in reward issued!]

[Reward special item: Chaos Source Bead, containing the primordial energy from the beginning of the universe, capable of continuously nourishing the body and soul.]

A stream of pure energy instantly poured into Yun Ce's body, nourishing his Nascent Soul. It made his already stable Nascent Soul Late Stage peak realm even more profound, and his soul became more refined, bringing him one step closer to the bottleneck of breaking through to the Void-Piercing Realm early stage—this was the benefit of being bound to the Child of Destiny. When Qin Yu obtained an opportunity and his body and energy improved, he could also synchronously receive system rewards suitable for a Nascent Soul Late Stage peak cultivator. This reward was excellent; with the Chaos Source Bead, a top-tier treasure that automatically nourished his body and soul, his cultivation would surely be smooth sailing.

Yun Ce slowly closed his eyes, refining the reward within his body, the smile on his lips growing richer. Qin Yu had obtained the Meteor Tear, his body and meridians were nourished to the extreme, and his Xiantian Late Stage peak energy was more refined; his future path of cultivation would be smooth. And he, too, had used Qin Yu's opportunity to further stabilize his Nascent Soul Late Stage peak cultivation, laying the foundation for his own breakthrough to the Void-Piercing Realm early stage after Qin Yu broke through to the Golden Core Stage, bringing him one step closer to a higher realm.

On the hillside, Qin Yu slowly opened his eyes, a flash of brilliance in them. The Xiantian Late Stage energy around his body was more refined and dense; although he had not broken through his realm, he was several times stronger than before. What surprised him even more was that he could clearly feel his physical strength and meridian toughness had improved significantly. The sluggishness he felt when practicing the Heaven-Reaching Chart had completely disappeared, and even the circulation of his Xiantian power had become incredibly smooth. However, that golden crystal was still nowhere to be seen, and his dantian remained as strange as ever, unable to store any internal energy. This made the confusion and sense of loss in his heart grow stronger, making him more certain that Yun Ce had taken the crystal.

"My body and energy have actually become so strong! I'm one step closer to the peak of External Martial Arts!" Qin Yu was ecstatic. He raised his hand and swung it, a stream of refined Xiantian power, wrapped in formidable physical strength, striking a nearby boulder. With a "boom," the boulder was instantly shattered, its power several times greater than before. But this joy was soon replaced by a sense of loss. He looked down at his empty palm and whispered, "It's a pity that the crystal is gone... Master must have taken it, but why would Master do that?" He was full of confusion, grateful for the physical and energy improvements brought by the crystal, yet regretful that it had been taken, and even more puzzled by Yun Ce's intentions.

Seeing this, Xiao Hei let out a crisp chirp and spread its wings, circling above Qin Yu's head as if celebrating for him.

Qin Yu raised his hand to stroke Xiao Hei on his shoulder, his eyes full of excitement, confusion, and loss. He could clearly feel the lingering warm energy in his body, still slowly nourishing his flesh and meridians, making him feel full of strength, but the golden crystal that had brought the opportunity had vanished into thin air, and his dantian remained the same. He realized belatedly that he had indeed obtained a massive opportunity, but the disappearance of the crystal and his suspicions about Yun Ce left him full of bewilderment—he dared not directly question his master, yet he could not help but want to know the truth.

"What exactly was that thing... why did it suddenly disappear? Did Master really take it?" Qin Yu whispered, his gaze looking toward the direction where the meteor had fallen, then turning back toward the courtyard, his eyes full of confusion. He subconsciously reached up to touch his chest, feeling the warmth there becoming more and more obvious, as if something was hidden beneath his skin, firmly taking root.

Carrying his confusion, Qin Yu hugged Xiao Hei and turned to walk toward the courtyard. At this time, Yun Ce had finished refining his reward and was standing at the courtyard gate, smiling as he watched him return.

"Master." Qin Yu walked up and bowed, his tone filled with unconcealable excitement, confusion, and a hint of loss. "Just now, that meteor landed in my palm and turned into a golden crystal shaped like a teardrop, but it disappeared after a while. I thought that only Master would have the ability to take it away without a sound. I wonder, Master... why did you take that crystal? I only had it for a moment, but my body and meridians became incredibly strong, and my Xiantian Late Stage energy became more refined, bringing me closer to the peak of External Martial Arts. I want to know what that crystal was."

Yun Ce looked at his expression, which was full of a desire for knowledge mixed with a hint of trepidation, and couldn't help but smile, his tone gentle yet solemn. "Silly child, I did not take that crystal. It was not an ordinary meteor, but a 'Meteor Tear,' a rare crystal of life energy in this world. Its disappearance just now was not because someone took it, but because it actively merged into your body."

"Actively merged into my body?" A flash of surprise and bewilderment crossed Qin Yu's eyes. He subconsciously reached up to press his chest, clearly feeling the warm, gentle heat coming from there. "But I clearly felt it disappear; how could it have merged into my body?"

"The Meteor Tear has a spirit. Once it recognizes its master, it will actively merge into your body, hiding itself to silently nourish your flesh and soul." Yun Ce did not mention the secrets of the Divine Realm and the Life God King, only explaining what Qin Yu could understand. "It originated from the essence of an ancient powerhouse. That powerhouse spent her life cultivating the path of life, and before she fell, she condensed her life energy and vitality into two Meteor Tears, which scattered across the world to find fated people to inherit them. That you could obtain it is your destiny; that it actively merged into your body means it has recognized you as its master."

He paused and continued, "Its function is to nourish your body and soul to the extreme. It can make your Xiantian Late Stage energy more refined, break the shackles of your External Martial Arts training, and bring you closer to the peak of External Martial Arts. It can also grant you super-strong recovery abilities; even if you are seriously injured in the future, you will be able to heal quickly. It can even conceal your soul's energy, making it difficult for enemies to detect your true strength. After it merges into your chest, it will silently nourish your body and meridians and polish your energy, and it will no longer appear in the form of a crystal. As for your dantian, it is not that it cannot be changed, but that your dantian is inherently special. The function of this Meteor Tear is to lay the groundwork for you to practice a special technique in the future and break through your realm, rather than forcibly changing its nature—even if you cannot store internal energy, with the strong body and refined Xiantian power nourished by the Meteor Tear, your combat power will far exceed that of other Xiantian cultivators of the same level."

Qin Yu was stunned, subconsciously pressing his chest again, carefully feeling the warm, gentle heat there. The confusion and sense of loss in his heart instantly dissipated, replaced by deep excitement and relief. He bowed deeply to Yun Ce. "Thank you for telling me, Master! So that's how it is. I actually misunderstood that you had taken the Meteor Tear; I am truly ashamed! I didn't expect it to recognize me as its master and merge into my body. Not only did it help me strengthen my body and refine my energy, but it will also continue to nourish me and polish my cultivation. If it weren't for this Meteor Tear, I wouldn't be so close to the peak of External Martial Arts!"

"No need to thank me; this is your own destiny." Yun Ce nodded slightly, his tone filled with expectation. "The Meteor Tear has helped you strengthen your body and opened the shackles of your External Martial Arts training, bringing you closer to the peak of External Martial Arts, and it has laid the groundwork for your subsequent cultivation and breakthroughs. Your dantian may seem strange, but it is actually a great fortune. In the future, when you encounter that suitable special technique, you will understand its wonders. Even if you cannot store internal energy, you will be able to walk a path of cultivation that belongs to you. For your subsequent cultivation, you still need to be down-to-earth, polish your Xiantian Late Stage peak cultivation, and strive to break through to the peak of External Martial Arts as soon as possible. With the assistance of the Meteor Tear, your cultivation speed will increase significantly. I believe it won't be long before you break through the bottleneck and move toward a higher realm." Yun Ce thought to himself that he would maintain his Nascent Soul Late Stage peak; once Qin Yu completely broke through to the Golden Core Stage, that would be the time for him to advance to the Void-Piercing Realm early stage.

"I will remember your teachings, Master!" Qin Yu nodded heavily, his eyes full of determination. "I will definitely train even harder, not wasting this opportunity, and not failing your expectations. Four years from now, I will surely be able to shoulder the heavy responsibility of conquering Chu and taking revenge!"

What he did not know was that this Meteor Tear had not only changed his destiny but also tightly linked him to Jiang Li, who was far away in the Divine Realm. A bond of fate spanning the heavens had already quietly begun.

Jiang Li must have already arrived in this mortal world by now, Yun Ce thought.

But at this moment, Qin Yu was filled only with thoughts of cultivation and revenge, not deeply considering the deeper meaning behind this opportunity.

Yun Ce looked at Qin Yu's determined expression, a flash of satisfaction in his eyes. The Meteor Tear had arrived; Qin Yu's body and meridians were nourished to the extreme, his Xiantian Late Stage peak energy was more refined, and there were no more shackles in his External Martial Arts training.

Four years. Only four years remained.

Four years later, the Qin Family would officially embark on the path to conquer Chu. The three cultivators of the Xiang Family—Xiang Yang (Nascent Soul Early Stage), Wu Xing (Golden Core Mid Stage), and Wu De (Golden Core Late Stage)—would be easily slain by his current strength at the peak of the Nascent Soul Late Stage, and they would eventually become ghosts under his sword. Four years later, if Qin Yu could break through to the Xiantian peak of External Martial Arts, or even enter the Xiantian Great Perfection, he would be able to stand on the land of the Chu Dynasty with an even stronger posture, helping the Qin Family complete their great cause of revenge.

The night remained deep, the stars remained brilliant, and the wind on Cloud Mist Mountain carried a hint of warmth, blowing Qin Yu's robes and Xiao Hei's wings...