Return to the Village

Faced with the prospect of only being able to cultivate to the seventh level of Qi Refining,

Ye Fei simply could not accept it.

His heart seethed with defiance.

"No, I have to try again."

Ye Fei gritted his teeth and pushed the circulation speed of the Free and Easy True Formula within his body to its limit.

Streams of spiritual energy were rapidly converted into true qi by the Free and Easy True Formula and flowed into Ye Fei's dantian.

To his frustration, the true qi entering his dantian could not circulate through his body at all.

After flowing into his meridians, it scattered throughout his body.

Then it escaped through his pores, going entirely to waste.

He tried repeatedly, but the result was always the same.

In the end, Ye Fei could only accept this reality.

Left with no other choice, he emerged from the Azure Dragon Sword and returned to his Cave Abode.

What should I do next?

Ye Fei frowned in thought, pacing back and forth inside his Cave Abode. For the moment, he had lost his direction.

By his reckoning, he had been cultivating for a year and a half as of today.

Reaching his current cultivation level was no small accomplishment. He had already surpassed the vast majority of people.

Dad, I may end up letting you down.

Whenever he thought of the eyes Ye Canglong had sacrificed for him, pain stabbed through Ye Fei's heart.

For the first time, he felt a profound longing for Ye Canglong, along with deep guilt.

Although Azure Dragon had said Ye Canglong was no ordinary man, in Ye Fei's eyes, he was merely an ordinary mortal who had lost both eyes.

I should go back for a visit.

After a long period of deliberation, Ye Fei made his decision.

Over these five months, he had watered the spirit medicines whenever he took a break from cultivating.

As a result, the spirit medicines in the Medicine Field were all thriving.

Many had already matured ahead of time, and Ye Fei had also obtained quite a few seeds for mid-tier and high-tier spirit medicines.

After watering the spirit medicines once more and clearing out the weeds, Ye Fei arrived outside Jiang Mengyun's Cave Abode.

"Your martial nephew requests an audience, Uncle-Master Jiang."

Ye Fei bowed toward the interior of the Cave Abode.

"Come in."

Only a moment later, Jiang Mengyun's voice came from within.

When Ye Fei entered the sitting room, he saw Jiang Mengyun seated upright in the place of honor.

"There's no need for such formalities. Sit."

Seeing Ye Fei about to bow again, Jiang Mengyun quickly waved him off and pointed to the seat on her left.

Ye Fei could only give an awkward smile and obediently sit down.

"What brings you here?"

Jiang Mengyun asked first.

"I'd like to go home for a visit. Please grant me permission, Uncle-Master Jiang."

Ye Fei concealed nothing and answered honestly.

"Go home?"

"What is it? Do you miss your father?"

Jiang Mengyun smiled faintly, a trace of affection flashing through her lovely eyes.

"I'm afraid you must find me rather embarrassing, Uncle-Master Jiang."

Ye Fei scratched his head awkwardly.

"Not at all. Such feelings are only natural. If you want to go back, then go. You have my permission."

"Besides, your cultivation has improved so much in just over a year. It's time you went out to gain some experience and broaden your horizons."

"If you keep your head down and cultivate alone all the time, you can easily run into a bottleneck. That would do you more harm than good."

Jiang Yiyun did not mock Ye Fei. Instead, she patiently offered him guidance.

"Thank you for your guidance, Uncle-Master Jiang."

Ye Fei thanked her sincerely.

"Take this map Jade Slip and Golden Sword Talisman Treasure. They may come in handy."

Jiang Mengyun merely nodded at his thanks, then flicked her slender finger. A Jade Slip and a yellow, sword-shaped jade talisman flew over to Ye Fei.

"Thank you for bestowing these treasures, Uncle-Master Jiang."

Ye Fei hurriedly stood and bowed to Jiang Mengyun before putting the two items into his Storage Pouch.

"No need to be so polite. This Golden Sword Talisman Treasure is more than enough to deal with an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator. Keep it safe."

"In the Cultivation World, the strong devour the weak, and deceit lurks everywhere. Be watchful in everything you do, and never grow careless."

"All right, I won't say any more. Go down the mountain."

After patiently giving him a few more words of advice, Jiang Mengyun waved her hand and dismissed Ye Fei.

After leaving Jiang Mengyun's Cave Abode, Ye Fei summoned the Flying Sword he had obtained from Liu Yishan.

He stepped onto it and flew toward the northern side of the Free and Easy Gate.

Ye Fei had finished refining this Flying Sword, along with the other two Spirit Artifact swords, two months earlier.

Although the Flying Sword consumed a tremendous amount of true qi,

Ye Fei could still afford it for the short distance within the Free and Easy Gate.

A little under an hour later, once Ye Fei had flown beyond the Free and Easy Gate's Mountain-Guarding Formation, he swapped the Flying Sword for the Black Disc.

Compared with the Flying Sword, the Black Disc consumed much less true qi, allowing him to fly for long stretches.

Having previously refined dozens of batches of Qi-Replenishing Pills, Ye Fei was not worried about exhausting his true qi.

Throughout the journey, he kept taking Qi-Replenishing Pills.

Thus, he flew the Black Disc north toward Mount Hongcang without pausing for a moment.

Though slower than the Flying Sword, the Black Disc could still cover more than a hundred and fifty li in two hours.

It was many times faster than when he had first made the journey.

After just nine days, he stood beside a fairly sizable mountain village at the foot of Mount Hongcang.

This mountain village was Hidden Dragon Village.

The place where he had grown up.

Hidden Dragon Village was not much different from when he had left.

At that moment, Ye Fei stood before a ridge of farmland, his expression dark.

He clearly remembered that just over a year ago, a small courtyard had stood here, along with a dilapidated wooden house.

But now, all of it had vanished, and with it, the father who had brought him into the world and raised him.

As Ye Fei recalled the little moments of his life with Ye Canglong, a sallow-faced man in his fifties slowly approached from the village.

It was Liu Qianqian's father, Liu Dashuan.

He had come to check how the crops in this field were growing, never expecting to spot a familiar figure.

"Are you Ye Fei?"

Liu Dashuan's voice trembled slightly with agitation.

Hearing the voice, Ye Fei immediately pulled himself out of his thoughts.

When he realized the newcomer was Liu Dashuan, his eyes narrowed.

"Uncle Liu, it's been a long time!"

The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, and his tone was utterly calm.

It was as though all his former hatred for Liu Dashuan had vanished.

He did hate Liu Dashuan.

After all, Liu Dashuan deserved much of the credit for separating him from Liu Qianqian.

But the Ye Fei of today could no longer be bothered to settle that score.

"Well, well, Ye Fei! You beat up my fine son-in-law, and you still dare come back? You must have a death wish!"

"I'll go tell the Wang Household right now and make sure they kill you this time!"

Once he confirmed that the person before him was Ye Fei, Liu Dashuan's face twisted viciously, and he turned and ran toward the village.

He did not consider Ye Fei a threat in the slightest.

"Hmph. Kill me? Let's see if they have what it takes."

Ye Fei snorted coldly, his face filled with disdain.

Watching Liu Dashuan's retreating figure disappear, a vicious anger gradually rose in his heart.

What a joke. He was now a genuine cultivator.

Dealing with these mortals would be as easy as chopping melons and slicing vegetables.

About a quarter of an hour later,

a group of men in gray cloth garments marched menacingly toward Ye Fei, led by a middle-aged man dressed in brocade and wearing a patterned cap.

The brocade-clad middle-aged man was Wang Hai's father, Wang Lin.

The moment he reached Ye Fei, he assumed an overbearing air.

"To think you'd actually dare come back, brat. You clearly have no respect for my Wang Household."

"In that case, today I'll show you the strength of a Cultivation Lineage."

"Surround him!"

Wang Lin gave Ye Fei no chance to speak. As soon as he arrived, he rattled off a string of threats, then swept his hand out and ordered the men to surround Ye Fei.

"Where's my father?"

Ignoring the men, Ye Fei asked in an icy voice.

"That blind man?"

"I was about to ask you! After killing the immortal master, he fled without a trace, leaving my Wang Household to bear the immortal masters' wrath."

"Now that you're back, you can tell me exactly where that blind father of yours is, so I can send our household's immortal masters to kill him."

At the mention of Ye Canglong, Wang Lin instantly grew agitated, and his eyes filled with murderous intent as he looked at Ye Fei.