Chapter Sixty-One: Return

That was why Yi'an had vanished without a trace.

Li Zhihhe thought to himself.

"You must have been worried. I merely had a moment of insight, so I chose to make a breakthrough right where I was. I lost track of time, and when everything was over, I realized several days had already passed." Yi'an pondered for a moment. The matter of the East Sea Dragon Clan was so extraordinary that mortals could hardly imagine it, and it was not suitable for ordinary people to know. Moreover, even if Li Zhihhe were told, it would do him no good, and might even let slip the secret, inviting disaster.

Therefore, Yi'an could only find a reliable excuse, which happened to coincide with what Xuanyangzi had said.

As for the East Sea Dragon Clan, Yi'an resolved to keep it forever buried in his heart.

"So that's how it was. No wonder." Li Zhihhe was suddenly enlightened. For him, every breakthrough was no less significant than a scholar passing the imperial examination, especially in the later stages, where each step forward was rare and precious—let alone Yi'an, who was already an Innate Grandmaster!

An Innate Grandmaster stood at the peak of martial arts. At that stage, advancing further was as difficult as reaching the heavens. If he imagined himself having reached that point, Li Zhihhe would not hesitate to pay any price to take the next step, let alone such a minor cost.

Yet Li Zhihhe could not imagine what power might lie beyond the Innate realm.

Before reaching that level, it was beyond his comprehension. He couldn't help but ask curiously, "So, Yi'an, are there even stronger martial artists beyond the Innate realm? How strong are you now?"

Though Li Zhihhe knew his question was somewhat naive.

It was common knowledge that the peak of martial arts was undoubtedly the Innate realm. As for what came after, opinions varied among martial artists, but the vast majority believed that martial arts ended with the Innate realm. After all, throughout history, no one had ever surpassed it—without evidence, such claims were baseless. Only strong proof could be accepted as fact.

Still, a small number believed that the path of martial arts had no end, but most lacked the heart to explore the unknown.

"As far as I know, the Innate realm is not the end. Beyond it, there are many powerful martial artists who can split mountains and calm seas. Throughout history, their figures can be seen." Yi'an explained.

Those who sanctify their physical bodies are not inferior to some immortals and gods. Immortals rely mostly on the path of spells, but martial artists strengthen themselves through real effort. Relying solely on the power of their bodies, they possess tremendous might. Even if martial artists are not as versatile in magical techniques as those on the path of immortality, achieving sanctity of the flesh has its own merits.

"Is that truly so?"

Li Zhihhe's eyes lit up. He had no doubt of Yi'an's words; perhaps it was a mysterious trust.

Yet his excitement faded quickly—he had not even touched the edge of the Innate realm, so any higher realm was merely a distant dream.

Still, it didn't stop him from fantasizing.

"Why would I lie to you? Pursuing the ultimate in martial arts is no easy matter. No matter which path you take, you must progress step by step. Brother Li, don't be too eager for instant results, blindly chasing after illusory realms. Sometimes, your foundation is even more important than the realm you show outwardly." Yi'an cautioned, fearing Li Zhihhe might stray down the wrong path.

"I understand all that. In the future, I'll surely need your guidance." Li Zhihhe smiled warmly. Yi'an was both mentor and friend; if at first he befriended him for Wei Liang's sake, now his admiration was genuine.

When Wei Liang and Xuanyangzi heard the commotion outside, they came out one after another, immediately seeing Yi'an chatting happily with Li Zhihhe. Wei Liang secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Yi'an had been entrusted to him; if anything happened under his care, even if the one who entrusted him would not blame him, his own conscience would be troubled.

Moreover, after spending so much time with Yi'an, even a block of wood would develop feelings.

In his heart, Yi'an was like a spiritual successor, upholding his lineage's ideals and serving the country in his stead.

Xuanyangzi, on the other hand, cared little for whether Yi'an had returned. His attention was instantly drawn to the subtle aura emanating from Yi'an.

If Yi'an's internal energy had once been abundant and flowing, now it felt steady and restrained, far stronger than before.

If he guessed correctly, Yi'an had succeeded in breaking through and stepped into the Returning Origin realm.

Xuanyangzi sighed quietly, truly worthy of being favored by heaven.

Breaking through was as simple as eating or drinking, and even the aura after his breakthrough far surpassed others.

Upon reflection, when he first entered the Returning Origin realm, he was nowhere near as steady and restrained as Yi'an. He had advanced step by step, only reaching that level in the middle phase of the Returning Origin realm.

Xuanyangzi felt a pang of envy.

He wondered whether staying here was right or wrong—lately, his spiritual resolve seemed unstable.

Xuanyangzi shook his head, clearing his mind of distractions.

Having just finished answering Li Zhihhe's questions, Wei Liang threw out several more, though they were much the same, so Yi'an replied as he had to Li Zhihhe.

"Tomorrow is the day the provincial exam results will be posted. Success or failure will be decided then." Wei Liang reminded.

Yi'an nodded, not overly concerned; barring any accident, his essay should be fine. Don't ask why—he simply had a mysterious confidence.

They chatted a while longer about trivial matters, and finally Wei Liang and Li Zhihhe took their leave. Xuanyangzi, however, followed Yi'an to the door of his room.

"Daoist, do you have something else to discuss?" Yi'an asked, puzzled.

"I see your aura is steady and restrained—you've already broken through to the Returning Origin realm. Congratulations. Did you have some extraordinary encounter these past few days?" Xuanyangzi had long wanted to ask, but refrained while Wei Liang and Li Zhihhe were present. Now, with only the two of them, he spoke openly.

If Yi'an wished to share, he would do so; otherwise, no matter how Xuanyangzi tried, Yi'an would not reveal anything lightly.

Yi'an was favored by heaven, with remarkable talent, but breaking through realms was no simple matter. The hardships involved were not to be taken lightly. Xuanyangzi understood Yi'an's strength; while he had reached the late Foundation Establishment stage before, breaking through to Returning Origin should have taken at least a year or more, even with exceptional talent. For ordinary people, they might be stuck at that stage for years, or even longer.