Chapter Two: The Mysterious Realm

Old Xie had left, and Yang Ze did not ask many questions. Having lived through two lifetimes, he knew enough to guess the gist of things. Yang De Yi, a man who had never gotten along with him, and not just for a day or two. Yang De Yi was the grandson of one of the Yang clan's elders, about the same age as Yang Ze, but being from a collateral branch, he received far fewer resources within the family than Yang Ze did.

Yet his talent surpassed Yang Ze's. Using fewer resources, he cultivated the Sea Heart Technique, and just a few months ago had already brought the first level to its peak. With but a single step, he could generate true energy and master the second level, entering the Qi Induction Realm.

At the same time, Yang De Yi had eagerly attached himself to Yang Ze’s eldest brother, Yang Hai. In order to curry favor with Yang Hai, he spared no effort, knowing Yang Hai disliked Yang Ze, so he often targeted Yang Ze as well.

Thus, whenever Yang Ze heard unfavorable rumors about himself within the clan, he could instantly guess who was behind them.

But this time the matter seemed more serious. Managing the Yang clan’s industries appeared to be a promotion, but in truth, it was a maneuver to remove him from the clan’s inner circle. The brothers were still young; if one was sidelined now, his standing within the family would diminish, and it would become ever harder to grasp the reins of power in the future.

“No, that’s not right. Though Father seldom values me, he wouldn’t do something like this. He wouldn’t support my elder brother’s rise so soon. There must be someone working behind the scenes!” Yang Ze murmured, faces flashing swiftly through his mind.

“Yang De Yi’s grandfather!”

He quickly concluded. The degree to which Yang Hai was favored was well known in the clan, and many had already forged ties with him. Though Yang De Yi’s grandfather, as an elder, had no need to befriend a potential future patriarch, it did not prevent him from helping his grandson.

If he spoke to Yang Yuan Zhen, with his position, he could influence Yang Yuan Zhen and credit the favor to his grandson.

“This is no small trouble. It seems these people want to move me out because my skills are shallow. If my strength improves, I should be able to stop this. Luckily, I now have the black stone. With another visit to it, my Sea Heart Technique will break through to the second level. Then I’ll have a chance to display my abilities—I cannot leave the family now!”

It wasn’t that Yang Ze coveted the patriarch’s position, but the Yang clan’s current treatment was too good. He need not worry about anything. If he left the estate to manage those many industries, his cultivation time would inevitably decrease. Moreover, he understood the outside world was not so peaceful; without the clan’s protection, life would certainly be harder.

With these thoughts, Yang Ze took out the black stone once more.

A quarter the size of his palm, the black stone lay in his left hand, his gaze fixed upon it.

At that moment, it seemed as if endless black light erupted from the stone’s surface, twisting together and pouring into Yang Ze’s mind.

Before he could react, a wave of dizziness surged from deep within his consciousness. When his awareness returned, he found himself in a pitch-black space.

The entire process happened in an instant; Yang Ze’s mind had been swept away by the black stone to another place.

He gazed at the boundless, dark space. Even though he had seen it several times before, his heart could not help but stir. What kind of power could create such a black stone?

Moments after Yang Ze appeared, a gray light flickered in the darkness, and a gray figure abruptly emerged before him.

The figure’s appearance was identical to Yang Ze’s, but it lacked any sign of vitality, as lifeless as a corpse.

The first time he saw this gray figure, Yang Ze had been startled, but now he knew its purpose.

A point of white light suddenly appeared within the gray figure, which then sat cross-legged. A slender beam of light radiated from the point, coursing through the figure’s interior.

“The Sea Heart Technique’s first level circulation route!” Yang Ze mused.

This gray figure was the best teacher the black stone could provide, for it perfectly replicated the cultivation technique he practiced, and Yang Ze could follow its demonstration to cultivate.

Whether it was a flawless replication, Yang Ze couldn’t be certain, but the way the gray figure practiced the Sea Heart Technique was indeed more refined than what was written in the manual.

Still, he needed to find an opportunity to probe his father and verify it.

Under Yang Ze’s gaze, the gray figure soon completed a cycle of the Sea Heart Technique’s first level, then began again without pause.

Yang Ze couldn’t understand this, perhaps because he himself had only mastered the first level, so the figure could only replicate that.

Yang Ze also sat cross-legged, following the cultivation path shown by the gray figure.

Previously, his practice of the Sea Heart Technique had left many flaws, but during this period, Yang Ze had used the black stone to correct them, and he was close to breaking through to the second level.

Now, as he circulated the Sea Heart Technique, the pores on his skin rapidly closed and opened, again and again.

The speed at which Yang Ze practiced was nearly equal to the gray figure’s.

Soon, he completed one cycle, but did not stop, instead continuing to cultivate alongside the gray figure.

He had resolved that, upon entering the black stone this time, he would not stop until he broke through to the Qi Induction Realm.

He did not know how many cycles he had completed, but the fleeting strand of true energy that had formed within him now raced through his body, stimulating his pores to open.

Yang Ze, like an old monk in meditation, focused solely on cultivation. At last, at a certain moment, that strand of true energy settled within him.

Just then, the slender beam of light inside the gray figure shifted its path and traced a new route.

After one cycle, a white light shot out from the figure, rushing into Yang Ze’s body. He shuddered, his aura surged, and he had broken through!

Simultaneously, lines of text appeared in his mind—the second level of the Sea Heart Technique. It was far more detailed than what the manual recorded.

Before he could rejoice, as soon as Yang Ze opened his eyes, his consciousness blurred, the world spun, and the space vanished before him.

Back in the side courtyard, Yang Ze abruptly opened his eyes, his aura surging, and a strand of true energy now resided within him.

“I did it! I succeeded!” Yang Ze’s face flushed with excitement at the breakthrough.

The black stone truly nourished its user. Cultivating in the mysterious space was not only twice as effective, but the gray figure, empowered by the stone, had helped him break through, giving him a taste of what it meant to have an external aid.

“I must never let this be known—this is my greatest secret!”

Yang Ze thought, putting away the black stone. The perfected version of the Sea Heart Technique he practiced must never be divulged, or disaster would surely follow!

After calming himself, Yang Ze seized the now cold food and devoured it hungrily. Cultivation consumed much energy, and he needed to replenish it quickly. Even the specially prepared ginseng he ate without hesitation.

After he finished, a sudden warmth spread from the black stone at his chest, and Yang Ze felt a part of his internal energy rapidly digested.

At the same time, a hot current arose in his abdomen, spreading to his limbs and nourishing his body.

A tingling, pleasant sensation crept over him, and Yang Ze felt much more comfortable, his new realm stabilized, and the fatigue from over-cultivation faded.

The feeling of having an external aid was wonderful. Give me time, and no one in the Yang clan will threaten me again. Then, perhaps, I could carve out a legacy for myself in Yuyang City.

This era was far from peaceful. Only personal strength was true strength. If possible, Yang Ze would never let his fate rest in another’s hands!

But clearly, it was too soon to consider such things. He washed up and went to sleep.

...

Early the next morning, just as Yang Ze rose, his door was opened, and a black-clad middle-aged man with bushy brows and a square face entered.

Seeing this man, Yang Ze’s heart gave a jolt. This was his father, the patriarch of the Yang clan, Yang Yuan Zhen!

He was also the clan’s greatest expert. The entire foundation of the Yang family was largely built by him.

Yang Yuan Zhen’s arrival was abrupt. Yang Ze had not sensed it at all—the gap in their abilities was still too great. Yang Ze was puzzled as to why his father had come now.

“Old Xie wasn’t lying, it seems. You really are more diligent these days. In the past, you wouldn’t have gotten up so early. Sit down. I’ve come today because there’s something I want to discuss with you.”

With those words, Yang Ze sat down together with Yang Yuan Zhen.

“Your complexion is rosy, your breath steady. Clearly your practice has borne fruit. Tell me, is there anything in your cultivation you don’t understand? Feel free to ask—I’ll help you with any doubts today.”