Breaking free

"Water, water..."

In the dim light, the man lying on the bed called out weakly.

Through his blurred vision, that same figure in white approached from afar, reached out, and gently poured sweet water into his mouth.

Am I still in the Heavenly Prison... How many days has it been?

The thought had barely surfaced when his vision gradually sharpened, the blur fading away.

Ye Wuyou abruptly jolted upright. The movement was so sudden that he knocked the teacup before him onto the floor, drawing an annoyed complaint from the woman beside him.

"Oh, young master! I was kind enough to give you water, and look what you've done!"

"Sorry." The habitual apology slipped out as Ye Wuyou looked around, somewhat bewildered.

An unfamiliar setting, a clean room, and a shaft of warm sunlight spilling through the window.

"Where is this?" he murmured instinctively.

The woman was crouching on the floor, picking up the broken teacup. At his question, she answered irritably.

"Lord Zhao's home."

"Which Lord Zhao?" Ye Wuyou asked in confusion.

"Lord Zhao Changhe. Aren't you from the Heavenly Prison? Don't tell me you don't know him."

Ye Wuyou said nothing more.

Zhao Changhe?

Who's that? I really don't know him.

Wasn't I on the Eighth Layer of the Heavenly Prison? Then I finally managed to escape into a cell, only to encounter an eerie blue entity that could conceal itself?

Did I get eaten?

Ye Wuyou suddenly pressed a hand to his forehead. As he awoke, scenes streamed through his mind like a film.

Devouring Xia Anmeng's soul power, that inexplicable exchange with the eerie entity, then walking out of the cell...

Finally, there was his conversation with the Prison Warden.

I even fought him?

Ye Wuyou clutched his head, his eyes vacant.

Was that really me?

Yet he immediately felt certain that it had indeed been him, because everything that had happened remained clear in his mind.

But in many ways, he had seemed more like someone else.

His personality, his way of thinking, his manner of speech-all had changed drastically.

"I have stepped into Formlessness to seek my true self."

The words he had spoken then still echoed in his mind.

Back then, he had been more like the "him" that damned narrator described: arrogant beyond measure, utterly conceited, and holding everything in contempt.

The Formless Heart Sutra...

What exactly was this cultivation method? Why could it disturb a person's mind?

Ye Wuyou felt somewhat unsettled, with a thread of worry deep inside.

If the Prison Warden hadn't appeared then, what else would I have done?

Would I have stayed that way?

Ye Wuyou waved a hand. Vital Breath flowed faintly within him, weak to the extreme.

After briefly examining his internal condition, Ye Wuyou couldn't help giving a bitter smile, even though he had expected this.

Sure enough, without Xia Anmeng's soul power supporting him, his cultivation had returned to its starting point. Compared to before, only a little residual Vital Breath remained.

Still at Body Tempering...

Right, what about Xia Anmeng and Lu Caiwei?

"Oh, since you're awake, I should tell you: a woman came looking for you two days ago. You were still unconscious then, so she left a few things and asked me to give them to you when you woke up."

"Was her name Lu Caiwei?"

Having finished clearing away the teacup fragments, the woman was now leaning by the door. At his question, she replied.

"Oh~ So her name's Lu Caiwei? Hehe, I didn't know, but she's quite pretty."

Only then did Ye Wuyou turn to look at her.

The woman was dressed very simply, in what appeared to be an ordinary white training outfit. Its faded hems suggested it was quite old, but it was clean. Her hair was tied into a neat, high ponytail, and her eyes sparkled with liveliness. Standing by the doorframe, she wore a faint smile, as though enjoying the unfolding gossip.

Sunlight fell over her, and she brimmed with vitality.

[Survive a great calamity, and blessings are sure to follow. You narrowly escaped the perilous Heavenly Prison-that was your calamity. Thus, the woman before you is your ensuing blessing.]

[A mere woman, with both room and bed conveniently at hand. Pick her up in your arms now and enjoy this gift with a clear conscience.]

Ye Wuyou quickly withdrew his gaze, fell silent for a while, then punched himself in the head.

Keep barking, you dog! Keep barking! Keep barking!

This startled the woman by the door, and even her voice trembled slightly.

"Young master... Even if you've had a quarrel with Miss Lu, you shouldn't hurt yourself. Perhaps you should look at what she left you first? Just wait a moment. I'll fetch it for you."

With that, she darted away.

A short while later, she returned and handed Ye Wuyou two sealed books and a letter.

"Here, this is everything. I didn't look at any of it. Besides these, there's also a pile of medicinal herbs. I put them in the courtyard."

Ye Wuyou nodded and thanked her. Considerately, the woman left the room, leaving him alone.

After a moment's thought, Ye Wuyou opened the two books first.

These were... cultivation methods.

Two cultivation methods capable of taking someone all the way to the Sixth Realm, and clearly not the sort of rubbish sold at roadside stalls.

Perhaps because Xia Anmeng knew that Ye Wuyou's soul was naturally stronger than most people's, one of them was even a method dedicated to cultivating the soul.

But after briefly leafing through them, Ye Wuyou tossed them aside.

I can't understand them. I can't understand a thing.

Better to let them automatically become nourishment for advancing the Formless Heart Sutra.

Of the two cultivation methods, the Formless Heart Sutra converted only one, then evolved into a method that could carry him to the Third Realm.

As for what came after, Ye Wuyou sensed that he would have to reach the Third Realm himself before he could unlock it.

Ye Wuyou clicked his tongue.

A cultivation method capable of reaching the Sixth Realm only added two stages to the Formless Heart Sutra?

Wasn't that a little too demanding?

How many cultivation methods would he have to trade for this one Formless Heart Sutra further down the line?

Even so, having experienced the mysteries of the Formless Heart Sutra, Ye Wuyou had no intention of switching to another cultivation method.

Opening the letter, Ye Wuyou read the first line and broke into a cold sweat.

(Ye Wuyou, my master is very angry. She says she's going to kill you.)

(Did you make her angry? But my master is very weak right now, so she can't kill you.)

(But don't worry. I won't let you die. (ov)/)

(I'm going out on a mission and will be away for a while. Take care and recover from your injuries.)

(Thank you for saving me. I still owe you one favor.)

(My master told me to give you the cultivation methods. I thought it was strange, since she was clearly so angry, but she said one matter was separate from the other.)

(I don't know what you need right now, but I bought you some medicinal herbs. They can help you with Body Tempering.)

(Left by Lu Caiwei.)

Ye Wuyou gazed at the letter for a long time.

The girl stammered when she spoke, yet she expressed far more emotion in writing than in speech.

But she'd gone out on another mission?

That made sense. A lot had happened in the Heavenly Prison, after all...

Speaking of the Heavenly Prison.

Ye Wuyou thought hard for a while, then recalled his conversation with the Prison Warden.

Back then, his arrogance seemed to have known no bounds.

Oh no. Have I lost my job?