Chapter 416: Strengthening the Cultivation Heart (7/10, Autumn Subscription)

At that time, looking at your pitiful 1 point of Comprehension compared to others nearing breakthrough to the next realm, who wouldn't feel heartache? Who could hold on?

This is a matter of personal choice and willpower.

Fang Yue felt, anyway, that very few could endure it, yet Comprehension was so crucial.

To gain power quickly, you either need high Comprehension or constant opportunities.

But luck runs out; most people spend their days in hard cultivation—Comprehension is the foundation, fortune merely auxiliary; if you have it, good; if not, it's fine.

After carefully weighing pros and cons, Fang Yue had largely decided: when breaking through the Innate Third-rate Realm, he would accumulate strength silently and strike with explosive force, laying a solid foundation!

Of course, he must also obtain the most important Internal Energy Heart Method.

Ideally, he'd get a Martial Technique too—his Starfire Blade Technique had been in use for so long, never replaced, simply because he'd never found a suitable one.

Fang Yue used the Flame Heart Method, specializing in fire.

Back when his realm was low, using a Water Sky Blade Technique as a temporary substitute was fine.

Now that his power has risen, he definitely needed a fire-based Blade Technique best—complementary, after all.

"As for Blade Techniques, once you reach the Qing Office, you can exchange your achievements or Yang Longevity for a suitable one. The Qing Office is far larger than Gu Yue Village and Mo Village, with richer resources and a vast collection of Martial Techniques—there must be one suited to you."

Lord Han's words made Fang Yue even more eager to reach Qingsi County.

As morning sunlight streamed into the room, Fang Yue rose.

Taking Lord Han with him, Fang Yue went downstairs and just happened to meet Jing Yan, eyes red, as if he hadn't slept all night, cradling Xiao Xuedou, fast asleep.

"Ye Ge… good morning…"

Jing Yan staggered over, found the carriage, and collapsed onto it like a corpse; soon, loud snoring began.

Luckily, they had reached the village and could now buy horses—otherwise, with human-pulled carts, few would tolerate an extra person on board.

Besides Jing Yan, Tian Dan Zhi Yuan Wu was no better—she'd endured a night of beatings, face bruised and swollen, and had crawled onto another carriage to sleep soundly.

Fang Yue shook his head slightly, saying nothing.

He greeted Lin Ling, and soon the rest of the team rose one by one and gathered.

After preparations, the team set off with ten carts.

Several carts had been bought fresh in the village.

When they departed from Gu Yue Cun, they'd had only a few human-pulled carts.

But because they'd taken away so many resources from Gu Yue Cun, all were packed to bursting.

Now that conditions allowed, they naturally spread out the supplies, buying more carts to haul the load.

With everything ready, under the watchful eyes of the village villagers and Captains, Fang Yue's team set off again.

The next village was two days away—meaning, by schedule, they'd have to endure a dangerous outdoor camp, arriving only on the second night.

This was unavoidable; distances between villages were never planned.

How far apart they were wasn't something human effort could control.

The team marched off in force; perhaps because they'd rested well last night, the travelers chatted casually along the way, the atmosphere far lighter than when they'd first left the village.

Fang Yue greeted Lin Ling, then went to the flatbed cart, sat in meditation, and practiced the Flame Heart Method.

Lord Han, held by others, slightly shook his head and said: "Xiao Ye, your cultivation efficiency is low this way—your mind is scattered; you risk Qi Deviation. It's not wise."

Though Lord Han said this, Fang Yue still insisted on cultivating this way.

Indeed, as soon as he entered meditation, Fang Yue knew Lord Han was right.

This cart wasn't a sedan—it was just a wooden plank, with a low railing to prevent cargo from falling, a cloth canopy overhead for shade; its stability and comfort were nothing like a sedan's.

So when Fang Yue entered meditation, he was constantly interrupted by the bumpy ride.

In fits and starts, even with 3 points of Comprehension, his cultivation progress stalled—efficiency couldn't compare to last night's in the village.

The daylight passed quickly.

Fang Yue tried his best to adapt to this harsh cultivation environment, eventually managing only to barely maintain meditation without being jolted out.

Only when the Human Soul Bonfire ignited could he finally calm his mind and cultivate properly.

He immediately shut out the world, focusing entirely on his practice.

While Fang Yue cultivated, Tian Dan Zhi Yuan Wu, after making up for a hundred days of sleep, finally woke up.

Seeing Fang Yue still striving, she felt a flush of shame.

"I fear most those who are more talented than you—and work harder!"

Talent alone means nothing if you don't work.

But those with both talent and effort? They can do whatever they want.

Tian Dan Zhi Yuan Wu was terrified of such people—because in her school, every top student was exactly like this: terrifyingly disciplined.

Sometimes, she wished she could just enroll in some shoddy rap university and enjoy school.

But reality didn't allow it.

One word describes it: grind.

Yeah, grind!

The problem is, grinding in real life is bad enough—but Ye Ge grinds in the game too… please, just be human.

Tian Dan Zhi Yuan Wu was nearly in tears.

"Woof! Woof! Woof!"

Xiao Xuedou, lying beside her, also woke up and began barking wildly.

Tian Dan Zhi Yuan Wu glanced at Jing Yan, lying beside Xiao Xuedou, and sighed: Poor kid—so young, already experiencing the pain of childcare.

But when she noticed Xiao Xuedou barking louder and louder, growling low and feverish, baring teeth and grinding them, she realized something was wrong.

"Wu Wu! Wake up and stand guard!"

Lin Ling suddenly shouted sharply.

Tian Dan Zhi Yuan Wu gave a start, hurriedly got up from the cart, jogged a few steps, and ran to Lin Ling's side.

She would have liked to hide at the very back of the squad together with the fellow holding Lord Han's head.

Too bad, she was now under Lin Ling's command and could only work hard.

"Captain Lin, did we run into something eerie?"

"Not sure yet, but there's definitely some movement in that direction over there."

Tian Dan Zhi Yuan Wu looked in the direction Lin Ling was pointing, but in the darkness she couldn't see a thing.

Instead, her eyes were stretched wide open, so wide they ached.

"I-I didn't see anything."

"Don't rush. If the eerie is going to attack, there'll surely be movement. If it doesn't attack and instead retreats, we won't go looking for trouble with it either."

Lin Ling said calmly.

The way he was now, compared to when he'd been at Ancient Moon Village, he looked even more like a Chief Captain—steady and composed, commanding the whole situation.

(End of chapter)