C2 He Said That He Wanted to Cure the Mute and the Deaf but He Did Not

Despite his youth and determination, the young man was deeply shaken by the terrifying scene he had never before encountered. In that moment, a sinister black mist emerged from within the skull and eerily made its way into the young man's head.

As his consciousness plunged into the deepest recesses of his mind, the landscape before him shifted, and he found himself in a place that felt eerily familiar.

"Brother, give me some cake," came the innocent voice of his six-year-old cousin, who, with chubby hands, carelessly wiped his runny nose on his pristine clothes.

The young man was bewildered, unsure if he was dreaming, hallucinating, or if the heavens had granted him a second chance.

But then, an eerie tone resonated once more in the backyard. Clutching his cousin's hand, the young man was met with a horrific sight—bodies piled upon the ground. He couldn't discern whether this was a dream, an illusion, or a grim reality. He shielded his cousin's eyes, but this time, he remained standing, his knees refusing to buckle.

This time, however, there was no old beggar to lead them to safety.

"Would you take me as your master?" a voice boomed from above. A black-robed immortal astride a dark bird materialized in the sky, his divine aura so bright that the young man couldn't make out his face.

"Is that an immortal in the sky? Please, save my cousin's life," the young man pleaded, but no matter how wide he opened his eyes, the face of the figure in the black robe remained indistinct.

"You and I are destined to meet. Yet this child's life has already slipped away. See for yourself," the voice continued.

"That's impossible. You're deceiving me. My cousin was just fine a moment ago," the young man protested, feeling a sudden weight in his arms as his cousin's plump, pale body slumped to the ground, dark blood oozing from his orifices, just like the deceased members of their clan.

"Master, teach me the ways of immortality. I vow to avenge my enemies," the young man declared, cradling his cousin's lifeless body, his face twisted with hatred.

"Given your temperament, very well. You shall be trained in time," the black-robed immortal said with a shake of his head. He extended his hand, revealing a mirror that glowed with a dark light, and drew the young man into it.

When the young man came to, he found himself amidst a landscape of verdant mountains and clear waters.

"Our sect is known as Yin Yang. All the laws of the world are inseparable from these two principles. Our founder chose this name to signify that all laws originate from our teachings. Now, pay close attention to what follows."

In the world, there are three thousand Grand Paths, and each Grand Path can give rise to three thousand Secondary Paths, which in turn can each give rise to three thousand Minor Paths. These Minor Paths are what we call Arts.

These Arts encompass our daily practices. Strengthening one's body is an Art, as is the mastery of weapons. Healing the sick and saving lives is an Art, and even activities such as fishing, woodcutting, farming, and reading are considered Arts. Do you understand?

Upon hearing the black-robed Immortal's question, the young man pondered for a moment before responding, "Master, please teach me the Art of avenging myself upon my enemies."

The black-robed Immortal shook his head, "Your temperament is quite stubborn. Nevertheless, your response was clever enough. You've passed the test."

"Thank you, Master!"

"There's no need for thanks; this opportunity is yours by fate. Just remember, you're the one who has accepted this karma, so don't bear any resentment towards me in the future." The black-robed Immortal seemed to be struck by a wave of melancholy.

"Before I teach you the Arts, there are three things you must keep in mind. First, you are now a disciple of the Yin Yang Sect. Should you betray our teachings, I won't be the one to end you—the Heavenly Dao will see to that."

"Second, never misuse the Dao techniques you learn. Do not kill the innocent or bring disaster upon the people. If you do, the Heavenly Dao will enact its retribution."

"Third, I will share the final point with you once your training is complete."

Seasons changed, days and nights passed, and Ye Fan devoted himself to learning the Dao techniques from the black-robed Immortal by day and poring over the classics by night.

Then, one day arrived.

"Now, I have imparted to you all that I know. You are free to go."

The young man had long awaited these words, yet despite his surging emotions, he remained still.

"Why do you not leave? I understand your desire for revenge, but you must go now. Or do you suspect I'm holding back some secret technique? I've taught you all I know. If you refuse to leave, I will strip you of your Dao techniques," the black-robed Immortal said with feigned anger.

"Master, you have yet to speak of the third matter. I am waiting," the young man replied, not driven away but respectfully standing by his master's side.

"You are indeed teachable," the black-robed Immortal said, a rare smile gracing his features.

"The final thing is to utterly forget about me. Do not speak of me to others."

"Master, the grace of imparting wisdom and skills to me will never be forgotten," the youth said, clasping his fists and bowing deeply three times.

Yet, at that moment.

"Four hours have passed. Old fiend, what have you done to this child?" The stunning woman moved swiftly, a fragrant breeze following her. With a flick of her sleeve, she brought the boy to her side.

"How should I know? My sole intent was to cast a spell of bewilderment on him, to make him believe I was his worthy teacher," the elder in the skeleton robe grumbled. Now that they were alone, he showed a hint of timidity in the presence of this beauty, renowned across the heavens.

"Moreover, you said he had potential. If he can't withstand the Demonic Sound Illusion Technique, what good is his cultivation? He'd be better off returning to the mortal realm to lead an ordinary life."

"He's just a boy. Your casual interference with mortals—if the Sky Patrolling Hunters caught wind of this, you'd be imprisoned for at least a decade," the beautiful woman retorted with fury.

"Surely you're not that cold-hearted? After all, even if there's no love, there should be some semblance of friendship after I've pursued you for so long," the skeleton-robed elder said, his face unseen, which was probably for the best given the likely absurdity of his expression.

"Hmph, you've ruined a disciple of exceptional talent, and you still expect favors?" The woman's face was a storm of anger. During the three hours the youth had been unconscious, her curiosity had gotten the better of her, and she had conducted a test on his body.

"Exceptional? You must be jesting. Do you really think I spend my days only conversing with skulls? Across the entire realm, there aren't that many Golden Core masters. Eight hundred? A thousand? You expect me to believe you stumbled upon a disciple with such an excellent foundation so easily? I wouldn't believe it even if you beat me to death," the skeleton-clad monster shook his head, the bones hanging from his frame clattering together with a grating noise.

Disciples of refined potential, provided they have access to decent resources and avoid untimely deaths, generally succeed in reaching the Golden Core realm. The two individuals currently before me were merely in the Foundation Building stage.

"Why don't you use your more accurate Yin and Yang foundation-testing method?" Hua Shangji, grieving the loss of a promising disciple, was noticeably irritated.

"Indeed, I intend to undermine his foundation. What's the matter? Are you already feeling sympathetic before he's even joined the sect? I was curious why Hua Shangji, of all people, would choose a male as her first disciple. It seems you've taken a fancy to him. But honestly, his constitution is nothing compared to this old fiend's robustness." The Skeleton Fiend's eyes darted about, and he made no move to inspect the youth's foundation as Hua Shangji had hoped.

The sect of the Skeleton Fiend differed from Hua Shangji's in its approach to accepting disciples, driven purely by personal interest. Some would gather hundreds of disciples upon reaching the Foundation Building stage, while others at the Great Perfection level might only take on a single student.

The Skeleton Fiend certainly had his own agenda. He might not bother to examine the youth's foundation, but he was resolute in his decision to accept him as a disciple.

"Old fiend, are you courting death?" Hua Shangji, infuriated and humiliated, knew the Skeleton Fiend to be a nefarious character. She preferred not to engage with him unless necessary, but now she found herself provoked by his taunts.

As Hua Shangji's incantations stirred the air, she was on the verge of unleashing a formidable Dao Art.

At that moment, however, the young man stirred to consciousness. His simple inquiry, "Where am I?" effectively quelled Hua Shangji's wrath.

"You're alright. That's truly wonderful," Hua Shangji said, her face lighting up with joy as she gazed at Ye Fan.

"Where is this?" The young man's mind was a whirlwind of chaos, with countless images flashing before him. Slowly, the memories returned, and he lamented internally that his entire apprenticeship had been nothing but a vivid dream, fueled by his intense desire for vengeance.

"Impossible. You've been ensnared by my Demonic Sound Illusion Spell. Once trapped in such a deep slumber, you shouldn't be able to awaken on your own," the Skeleton Fiend let slip in his astonishment, momentarily disregarding Hua Shangji's reaction as he hastily examined his life-bound magic tool.

"Demon Sound Illusion?" The young man found the term eerily familiar. After pondering it for a moment, a spark of recognition lit up his eyes.

"Is the Demon Sound Illusion part of the minor paths within the Dao of Illusionary Sound? Does it work by imposing intolerable sounds and images on the victim, forcing them to confront the deepest, most unwelcome corners of their psyche?" The young man's gaze was intense as he fixed it on the skeletal figure.

"What minor paths are you talking about? The effect is indeed similar to what you've described. How did you come to know about this secret technique of our sect?" The skeletal figure had already meticulously inspected his life-bound magic tool and found no abnormalities. Perhaps he was just being paranoid.

The Demon Sound Illusion was a unique spell of the skeletal elder's sect, primarily used to assess the mental fortitude of their disciples.

Strangely enough, although the sect's Yin and Yang Dao emphasized dual cultivation, there was a fear that disciples might become mired in carnal desires. Thus, when selecting disciples, they placed greater emphasis on the individual's mental strength.

Disciples affected by the illusion would confront various desires within their hearts. If they became immersed in these desires, it indicated a significant flaw in their character, rendering them unsuitable for the practice of the Yin and Yang Dao.

Yet the young man before him had been deeply ensnared by the illusion, only to break free after a strenuous three-hour struggle. This indicated not only a profound inner conflict but also a remarkable willpower. Such qualities meant the skeletal elder didn't need to further examine the young man's foundational abilities. He was confident that with just a little opportunity, the youth could soar to great heights.

The ways of the Heavenly Dao seemed unjust. Some were born with superior Dao foundations, enjoying an unobstructed journey in their cultivation, while others with damaged or nearly nonexistent foundations could do little more than linger at the threshold of cultivation.

Yet, the Heavenly Dao also showed fairness. Among those who commanded respect in the highest heavens, how many were truly gifted? More often, it was those with modest talents who, through diligent accumulation, seized the moment when the Dao was revealed to them and ascended to become celestial beings.

In this youth, the skeletal elder saw echoes of those unparalleled powerhouses.

"This disciple, I claim for myself," the skeletal elder decided, never anticipating such a fortuitous turn of events simply from his intent to disrupt Hua Shangji's recruitment of disciples.

"Old fiend, have you no shame?" Hua Shangji's sleeves unfurled, billowing like ocean waves and swirling clouds, obstructing the skeletal elder's way forward.

"Hua Shangji, if you wish for me not to take this disciple, there's a way. Simply join me in cultivating the Great Dao of Yin and Yang, and I'll gladly relinquish the boy," the old skeleton cackled, proposing a "win-win" solution.

"Old fiend, why don't you drop dead?" Hua Shangji's eyes glinted frostily as she brandished her sleeves, intensifying her assault. It was like a mighty waterfall cascading from the heavens.

The other end of her sleeve struck like a sledgehammer, pounding the old skeleton's body repeatedly.

The sounds of bones shattering emanated from the old skeleton, yet he nonchalantly produced a crystal-clear bone, seemingly unscathed.

"Immortal masters, please cease your battle," the youth implored, darting between Hua Shangji and the old skeleton. A notion had taken root in his mind, though it still required confirmation.

"Kid, are you courting death?" the old skeleton snarled, nearly striking the youth with the crystal bone.

"Young one, step aside for now. Once I've repelled this ghoul, you can still take me as your master," Hua Shangji said, equally relieved, having nearly ensnared the youth in her sleeve.

"I will not take you as my master," the young man firmly refused.

Turning to face the old skeleton, the young man declared, "The master I wish to pledge to is you."