Chapter 175: Chu Feng – The One Who Cultivated for Two and a Half Years Was Actually Xu Caichen!?

The night was already deep.

Xiao Zhuo had been feeling frustrated lately. Her husband came home half-drunk every day and went straight to his study to cultivate, showing no interest in being intimate with her.

Peeking through the crack of the door, she pouted as she watched Xu Caichen completely absorbed in reading, muttering strange, incoherent phrases under his breath.

She had been a noblewoman before marriage and was well-educated. She understood every individual character her husband recited—but strung together, the words made no sense. She couldn't help but wonder if her memory was faulty or if her husband was desecrating the teachings of the sages.

"Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous."

As Xu Caichen finished quoting The Analects, he muttered to himself, "You learn my martial skills but not my philosophy—you'll be lost. You learn my philosophy but not my martial skills—you'll be dead."

In a half-drunken haze, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he shouted with joy, "I get it! I truly get it! The Analects really is the supreme truth!"

Xiao Zhuo covered her eyes with her hand. Just as she was about to complain that her husband was talking drunken nonsense again, a ray of scholarly Dao light pierced through her fingers, making her eyes sting uncomfortably.

Instinctively, she lowered her hand and looked into the study—only to see Xu Caichen glowing all over with the light of the literary Dao.

"H-Husband, you've done it!"

Hearing Xiao Zhuo's voice, Xu Caichen immediately snapped out of his breakthrough. Without hesitation, he rushed out and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"I did it, Xiao Zhuo! I really succeeded! One day, I'll find a thousand-year soul fruit for you and rebuild your soul body."

"Mm."

Xiao Zhuo nestled gently into Xu Caichen's arms, her heart overflowing with happiness.

Not far away, in the chief residence—

Chu Feng and Elder Bing sat in peaceful silence.

It was their usual way of interacting. Suddenly, Chu Feng smiled and the corners of his lips curled up.

"Caichen has just established his Confucian Dao foundation."

He had just received a system notification:

[Ding, your disciple Xu Caichen has successfully established his Confucian Dao Foundation and officially embarked on the path of cultivation.]

Elder Bing's eyes flickered with surprise. "Could it be that drinking really helps with cultivation?"

Chu Feng laughed. "Not necessarily. For example, you, Elder Bing—drinking wouldn't suit your temperament at all."

Hearing that, Elder Bing silently let out a breath of relief. She had no desire to live the kind of life that involved being drunk every night.

Seeing that she remained quiet, Chu Feng didn't continue. "It's getting late. Elder Bing, you should rest."

"Alright."

Elder Bing responded softly, then left with the foot basin in her hands.

Chu Feng closed the door and muttered, "So the one who took two and a half years to start cultivating was actually Caichen… It's already been half a year. I wonder when that brat Beixuan will return. The outer sect competition is about to begin."

———

"Achoo!"

In a rundown temple hundreds of miles from Wendao Academy—

Ye Beixuan suddenly sneezed. Rubbing his nose, he continued cultivating. He was just on the verge of another minor breakthrough.

'Once I reach Dao Foundation Stage 5, I'll definitely hit Stage 6 before the competition begins. The outer sect competition will be mine for the taking!'

At dawn the next morning, after tidying himself up, he took off flying toward Wendao Academy.

Several hours later, he finally spotted the familiar silhouette of the Literary Dao Institute. Landing on the ground, he quickened his pace—eager to be the first to share his good news with his master.

Just then, a rather displeased voice rang out nearby.

"Ye Beixuan, why are you walking so fast? What, afraid to face Sister Qing?"

Hearing that familiar voice, Ye Beixuan's expression instantly turned sour. He turned his head slowly and saw Ning Keke looking down at him with her usual arrogant smirk.

Standing beside her were two men and a woman. The men wore the robes of inner sect disciples.

The woman wore a flowing blue gown—it was Su Qing.

Unlike in his past life, Su Qing was still accompanied by an inner sect disciple, but this time it was no longer his Second Senior Brother.

As for the one beside Ning Keke—it was still her former-life Dao companion, Yan Xu, an elite disciple of the Sword Dao Institute.

The two inner sect disciples didn't say anything when they saw Ye Beixuan. They simply sized him up, noting that he was wearing an outer sect disciple's robe—and didn't take him seriously.

Ye Beixuan said calmly, "Why would I be afraid to see her? It's just that since we're not close, staring at her would be impolite, wouldn't it?"

"You—!"

Ning Keke was left speechless by Ye Beixuan's words, biting her back teeth in frustration as she glared at him.

"Don't think that just because you have a senior brother like Xiao Chen, you can act superior. In Wendao Academy, everything still comes down to personal cultivation."

Recently, Ning Keke had inquired about Ye Beixuan's movements and found out that he had left the Miscellaneous Dao Institute after staying for only a few months.

In her eyes, it meant he had failed to meet Half Saint Chu's expectations and had been kicked off the mountain.

After all, with someone like Half Saint Chu as his master, if Ye Beixuan had learned even a fraction of true skill, he would already be a True Fate cultivator by now.

There was no way he would still be so unknown and low-ranked.

That's why Ning Keke had been waiting for a chance to take back the humiliation she suffered last time.

She didn't dare cause trouble at the Miscellaneous Dao Institute—any one of the people there could crush her with ease.

But someone like Ye Beixuan, who had no background or obvious talent? She had never taken him seriously.

Now that they'd crossed paths, of course she would seize the chance to humiliate him.

Ye Beixuan couldn't help but laugh at her words. "Didn't expect someone who usually acts so brainless to finally show a hint of cleverness. Too bad it's not enough."

"Since you understand that Wendao Academy values strength, why are you still picking a fight with me?"

As he spoke, a cold glint flashed in Ye Beixuan's eyes. Just one look made Ning Keke instinctively retreat several steps.

Yan Xu, standing at her side, stepped forward half a step and looked at Ye Beixuan with disdain.

"Junior Brother, bullying a woman doesn't suit the conduct of a true man."

Though his voice wasn't loud, the pressure he released was tangible—clearly trying to assert dominance.

Ye Beixuan didn't back down in the slightest and asked mockingly, "And you, Senior Brother, plan to use your status to bully someone weaker?"

"Well then, I, Ye Beixuan, might just call for backup. Let's see if you'll regret it when the time comes."

"Hm?"

Yan Xu increased the pressure around him, and his expression darkened noticeably.

Just then, Su Qing stepped forward. "Senior Brother Yan, there's no need to waste your energy on something so trivial. Once the outer sect competition starts, someone will naturally put him in his place."

Yan Xu's eyes gleamed with amusement. He looked at Ye Beixuan and said, "So you're Ye Beixuan, huh? Then I'll see you at the outer sect competition."

Ye Beixuan shrugged nonchalantly. "That's right. I'm Ye Beixuan. I hope Senior Brother Yan can bring at least a sliver of challenge to the competition."

With that, he turned and left without looking back—leaving behind a group of people with expressions full of mixed emotions.

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