C1 I Am like a Mud Worm Looking up at the Sky!

Ye Feng experienced an incredibly bizarre dream. In it, he found himself transported back to the Nephelo Sect of decades past, where he encountered the youthful visages of many sect teachers and elders. Even more perplexing was his dream-guided sprint to the sect's rear mountain, where he planted a stalk of Spiritual Origin Grass within the hollow of an ancient tree. Upon awakening, Ye Feng initially dismissed the dream as mundane, yet he quickly stumbled upon two unsettling discoveries.

Typically, the details of a dream fade within minutes of waking, leaving only vague impressions. Astonishingly, Ye Feng could recall his dream with crystal clarity, down to the vivid images of each flower and blade of grass he passed while running through the mountain. But the second anomaly defied explanation: mud traces, distinct and undeniable, marked the soles of his feet. In the dream, he had been barefoot, his flesh impervious to the stones, yet the dust of his frantic dash clung to him still. And now, that very same dust was inexplicably present on his feet in the waking world.

Was it possible that he had succumbed to the fabled 'nightwalk,' wandering the night in a somnambulant state? Ye Feng stared at the muddy imprints, dazed for several moments before shaking his head with a wry smile and banishing the odd dream from his thoughts. "Looks like the stress has really been piling up lately!" he mused.

Glancing out the window, Ye Feng observed the moonlight, pristine as if freshly laundered, the moon having scarcely shifted since he'd lain down. "No wonder I've been plagued by such strange dreams, with barely an hour's sleep each night for the past ten days." He chuckled self-deprecatingly, disregarding both the fatigue that enveloped him and the bloodshot weariness in his eyes, as he sat up straight to resume his cultivation.

From a small cloth pouch, he retrieved a herb bathed in a soft green luminescence, his eyes alight with fervent hope. "This is the last stalk of Spiritual Origin Grass. Whether I can advance to the Profound Stage hinges on you." With that declaration, Ye Feng swallowed the herb and closed his eyes to focus on his breathing.

With a swift motion, the crystalline Spirit Grass dissolved the moment it touched his tongue, swiftly transforming into a stream of pure Profound Qi that flowed into his dantian.

Profound Qi is the very essence of martial cultivation on the Qi Martial Continent. Martial cultivators harness their martial prowess to temper their bodies, unlock their Profound Veins, create their spiritual seas, refine myriad laws, and achieve supreme divine powers. This is the ultimate path that every martial cultivator aspires to tread.

Now, Ye Feng was poised to harness the Profound Qi within the Spirit Essence Grass to make the crucial leap from the Body Stage to the Profound Stage.

Inside Ye Feng's dantian, the Profound Qi surged like an endless tide. Any seasoned martial cultivator who might witness the sheer volume of profound energy stored within would surely be astounded.

It was akin to a sea of Profound Qi, vastly exceeding the normal capacity for a martial cultivator at his level. In an ordinary person, such an immense quantity of Profound Qi would undoubtedly cause their dantian to burst many times over. Yet, Ye Feng's dantian stood resilient, a fortress of iron and copper walls, steadfastly containing the massive waves of Profound Qi, allowing no escape, thwarting any breakthrough.

Even more remarkable was the color of the Profound Qi. While most martial cultivators produced a milky white energy, Ye Feng's dantian radiated with boundless golden light, turning it into a shimmering golden sea. Divine brilliance filled the space, and the faint sound of thunder could be discerned. To any onlooker, this phenomenon would be nothing short of miraculous, yet there was no outward sign of disturbance on Ye Feng's body, which remained as serene as ever.

"Break!" Ye Feng commanded with a forceful growl, straining to channel the copious golden profound energy from his dantian into his meridians. Despite the profound energy within reaching a tumultuous peak, roaring like a great deluge against the thin barrier between his dantian and meridians, it stubbornly refused to yield.

As the time it took for an incense stick to burn passed, the last wisp of Profound Qi from the Spirit Essence Grass was depleted, and the once turbulent dantian settled back into a disappointing calm.

"It's still not enough..."

Ye Feng's eyes slowly fluttered open, and a trace of bitterness crept across his lips.

"I'm right on the cusp of the Profound Stage breakthrough, yet I've run out of Spiritual Essence Grass... Tell me, Brother Dantian, what kind of beast are you? Haven't I fed you enough over these eight years?"

His bitter smile eventually gave way to a self-mocking sigh.

Indeed, it had been eight years.

Eight grueling years of cultivation, hundreds of Spiritual Essence Grasses consumed, and an amount of profound energy that far exceeded the limits of an ordinary martial cultivator's capacity—all for naught. None of it had helped Ye Feng cross the threshold into the Profound Stage.

The hardships Ye Feng faced over those eight years were unknown to others. In the Nephelo Sect, where martial prowess was everything, he endured scorn and derision, all the while clinging steadfastly to his path.

While his peers, who had joined the sect alongside him, had taken flight, soaring high, Ye Feng seemed more like a worm struggling on the ground, exhausting every strategy only to gaze wistfully at the sky.

Eight years had transformed a once brilliant prodigy into a mere, unnoticed servant, and had worn down Ye Feng's once sharp-edged spirit to a quiet, resigned acceptance.

Accustomed to repeated failures, Ye Feng had grown used to disappointment. Yet, it was the undying flame of determination in his heart that drove him to keep striving, tirelessly, against all odds. Despite his relentless efforts, fate seemed intent on delivering a crushing blow.

In just three days, the Inner Sect Assessment of the Nephelo Sect would be Ye Feng's final opportunity.

Now sixteen, if he failed to advance to the Mystic Dao, he would be ruthlessly cast out from the sect, forever barred from the path to the Great Dao.

...

Dawn broke with the sun's fiery glow igniting the vibrant life of Nephelo Mountain.

Ye Feng, having spent a sleepless night, left his dormitory and headed to the Herbal Garden, where his day's labor awaited.

As per the Nephelo Sect's tradition, new disciples were granted a three-year period of secluded cultivation to temper their bodies and achieve the Mystic Dao. Those who failed to make the breakthrough within this time were deemed to possess 'ordinary talent' by the sect and were consigned to various menial tasks in service to the sect's needs.

Ye Feng had become what was known as a 'servant disciple,' and had been toiling away for five years.

Each year, just before the Inner Sect Assessment commenced, places like the Herbal Garden would be shrouded in a dismal fog of despair. The servant disciples facing expulsion would lament the cruelty of their fates among the medicinal fields or speculate about their prospects beyond the Nephelo Sect.

Over these five years, Ye Feng thought he had grown accustomed to such sights, but when his own moment came, he found his heart wasn't as light as he'd expected.

"Ye, you're here!"

Approaching the Herbal Garden, Ye Feng was greeted by a chorus of calls.

Having spent five years in this place, he had looked out for the newer servant disciples, earning the status of a respected 'senior' with a solid reputation and good rapport.

With a faint smile, Ye Feng masked the shadows in his eyes. He set about assigning tasks to the group as he always did, then headed to his own section of the medicinal fields to begin the day's planting.

But today, it was clear that spirits were low; many disciples squatted among the herbs, grumbling to one another.

"Damn it! I've trained tirelessly for four years, yet I can't break through to the Profound Stage. I've been cultivating these herbs for a year, and it's as if the heavens are blind!"

While some vented their frustration, others, mired in their own struggles, sought solace in shared misery.

"Heh, you think you've got it bad? There are folks who've been slaving away here for four or five years, and they're getting the boot just like us."

"Xiaowu, what nonsense are you spouting?" The words barely left his lips before a dark-complexioned disciple rose, fixing him with an angry stare.

"Uh... I didn't mean Ye, Lee Xiang!" Realizing his blunder, he hurriedly clarified, "With Ye's abilities, he'd thrive outside the Nephelo Sect, free as a bird..."

"Zip it!" Lee Xiang huffed coldly, squatting down next to Ye Feng.

He had arrived at the Herbal Garden a year after Ye Feng and had also served as a servant for four years. Lee Xiang was one of the few true friends Ye Feng had made in this place.

"Ye, don't pay attention to Xiaowu's nonsense."

"That guy just can't keep his mouth shut. Hehe, no worries!" Ye Feng was weeding around the spiritual herbs, offering Lee Xiang a faint smile. Yet, for some reason, today his smile seemed particularly forced, as if lifting the corners of his mouth was a herculean task.

"Hey, Brother Ye, Xiaowu did have a point. With your skills, you'd have no trouble making a living even outside the Nephelo Sect. My family runs a courier service in the city. Why not come with me? I guarantee you'd make a top-notch bodyguard, living the good life!"

Lee Xiang's family had a notable reputation in Lightdale County, situated at the foot of Nephelo Mountain. They operated one of the largest courier services in the region. Lee Xiang thought he was offering Ye Feng a favor, unaware that his words stung like needles to Ye Feng's heart.

Had he really worked hard for eight years just to become a bodyguard?

That would be a tragic waste.

Just then, a disturbance erupted from beyond the herb field, followed by a startled shout.

"Ah~~ You, why are you hitting him?!"

What was going on?

Ye Feng and Lee Xiang were both taken aback and hurried toward the commotion.

In the clearing in front of the herbal hut, three young men dressed in the attire of outer sect disciples were encircling a servant disciple sprawled on the ground. Two of them stood in the front, their gazes menacing, while a third, hands clasped behind his back, looked on. He appeared to be only thirteen or fourteen years old, with long black hair cascading down his back. Despite his youth, his face bore an air of haughty arrogance, reminiscent of a prince disdainfully regarding the servant disciple below him.

"And what if I did hit you?" sneered one of the taller youths in the front. "Do you know who we are? This is Young Master Jee Fanchen, the champion of the recent New Disciples Competition. We've come to claim the competition's elixirs. How dare you tell me they're not here?"

"Hmph!" The other youth's face was frosty. "You'd better fetch those elixirs for Young Master Jee promptly, or I'll make you regret ever being born!"

That was Jee Fanchen!

A murmur of recognition rippled through Ye Feng's ears.

Jee Fanchen's name had become legendary among the Nephelo Sect's outer disciples over the last couple of years.

Within a year of joining the sect, he had mastered the Body Realm, and in under two years, he had soared through the Profound Stage, outshining many senior disciples. Just a few days ago, he clinched the title in the outer sect competition, emerging as the most brilliant and formidable newcomer of the year.

Yet, Lee Xiang, standing next to Ye Feng, couldn't help but sneer under his breath.

"Pfft! The strongest newcomer? He's nothing but a hollow shell propped up by his family's wealth and elixirs!"

Ye Feng, observing the proud youth from a distance, noted that despite the potent Profound Qi emanating from him, his poise paled in comparison to some of the genuine prodigies he had encountered over the years.

"Exactly," Ye Feng agreed with Lee Xiang. "He may have the cultivation, but he lacks the grace and stature of past figures like Lee Huayu and Yun Xianxian."

Their conversation was quiet, but it was enough to catch the attention of the aloof young man nearby. He turned his icy gaze towards them, his ears pricked to their critique.