Chapter Twenty-Eight: Extreme Cultivation Is Not Always Good

He sat quietly at his desk for quite some time, mapping out his schedule. In half a year, the New Year would arrive, and it was said that after the festivities, envoys from the Empire would come to the small town to select talented youths for Imperial Zenith Academy. Rumor had it that the Academy’s outstanding students might even be chosen to enter the Holy Land of Radiant Glory—the most revered sanctuary on the continent, rivaled only by the powers of the other three great empires. If one were fortunate enough to be selected, it would be akin to ascending to greatness in a single step, bringing glory and prosperity to one’s family. Yun Yufeng had heard these stories from his mother, but all hinged upon innate talent; he did not dwell too much on it—if fortune favored him, so be it.

Soon, Yun Yufeng settled upon his future training regimen. The Flame Wave Slash demanded exceedingly high physical standards; otherwise, one could not withstand the weapon’s rapid, repeated strikes. From the next day onward, he would devote part of his time each day to tempering his body, for his previous foundation was far too weak.

The sun gradually rose over the mountains, casting its rays across the land. In a small courtyard of the Yun estate, a young boy ran laps, iron weights bound to his limbs, waist, and abdomen. He avoided the main training grounds of the estate, where too many "flies" gathered. Although once a notorious wastrel, his reputation was outward only; within the family, it carried little influence.

His steps thudded heavily against the ground, breath coming in quick, hard gasps. Sweat poured from him like rain, the load on his back equal to his own weight, forcing him to rely solely on his physical strength to run, utterly overwhelming him.

His vision blurred, hands and feet numb, moving forward mechanically. His mind grew increasingly hazy, and finally, upon reaching roughly a thousand meters, Yun Yufeng collapsed, falling heavily to the ground with a loud thud.

"Young master!" Cui Nong, who had been waiting at the door, hurried out to his side, attempting to help him up, but found him too heavy to lift. Helpless, the young maid ran back indoors, fetched a cup of water and a sun umbrella, and squatted beside Yun Yufeng, keeping him company.

Though Yun Yufeng was unconscious, Cui Nong knew that martial artists often trained to exhaustion; it was a normal occurrence, so she was not worried, simply waiting patiently for him to awaken.

Outside the courtyard stood a woman—Yun Yufeng’s mother, Lady Liu. She sighed softly and shook her head before leaving. She had watched from outside, and seeing her son’s diligence and self-inflicted hardship, her heart ached. Yet she understood that such a drastic change in her son must be related to the recent incident. Since he had not spoken of it, she did not ask; evidently, something had deeply shaken him.

Returning to the main hall, she found the elderly patriarch seated in the place of honor, his silver hair gleaming. The maid Cai Die attended to him. Lady Liu bowed lightly and asked, "Patriarch, what brings you here so early?"

The old patriarch lifted the lid of his teacup, swirled it gently, and took a small sip. "It has been so long since I last came here to drink your tea. The taste is just as it was when you first married into our Yun family—when you brewed tea for me for the very first time."

"Patriarch, you flatter me. I possess little talent, and am skilled only in such humble tasks."

"No need for modesty. When it comes to tea, yours is the finest in the estate."

Lady Liu smiled slightly, offering no reply, merely bowing again.

"I came today to check on Yufeng. How is the boy since his return?"

"Thank you for your concern, Patriarch. The boy is well—he seems to have changed suddenly, working desperately at his training. Just moments ago, he fainted from exhaustion."

The patriarch’s hand holding the teacup trembled imperceptibly. What on earth had this child experienced outside?

Never before had a member of the clan shown such effort, let alone a youth known as a wastrel. While his methods might be questionable, they revealed the strength of his resolve. Without unwavering determination, even the most gifted would never become truly exceptional.

"I see. Where is he now? I’ll go take a look." The patriarch’s gaze was somewhat peculiar; the boy’s diligence was reminiscent of his grandfather, Yun Feiyan, though, alas...

"He’s in his own courtyard, being cared for by the maids. Cai Die, take the patriarch to the young master’s courtyard, and assist Cui Nong in looking after him," Lady Liu instructed promptly.

"Yes, madam. I’ll go at once."

Even as Yun Yufeng lay unconscious, his body’s instincts kept the Imperial Purple Heart Art running smoothly. The spiritual power in his sea of consciousness automatically drove life energy, nourishing his muscles and meridians, rapidly restoring vitality after reaching the limits of exhaustion.

The life energy of the world around him was drawn in abundance, flooding Yun Yufeng’s body. The little maid holding the sun umbrella mused curiously at the boredom of her task—yet, why did she not feel tired herself?

Just then, Cai Die arrived with the patriarch. Seeing Yun Yufeng collapsed on the ground, the patriarch hurried over, attempting to carry him inside. To his surprise, the boy was as heavy as an adult. Noticing the weights strapped to Yun Yufeng, the patriarch’s eyes shone with satisfaction. If all clan members were so diligent, how could the family not flourish?

Yun Yufeng remained unconscious for over an hour before finally awakening. Opening his eyes, he found a wrinkled, smiling face gazing down at him. Startled, he hurried to sit up—being watched while sleeping by this old man was rather unsettling.

"Awake, are you? Youth is wonderful—so energetic. You revive with such vigor," the patriarch said, his face blooming with a smile.

"Greetings, Patriarch."

"Child, you’re working hard."

"Heh, it’s just some tricks I use for physical training, nothing noteworthy, Patriarch."

The patriarch observed Yun Yufeng’s still youthful face with deep satisfaction. "Excellent, neither arrogant nor impatient. If all members of the clan were like you, our rise would be assured—though, in the end, it’s only a dream."

"To dwell in a corner brings peace—at least we avoid sudden misfortune, isn’t that so? Besides, our Yun clan is not so simple, right, Patriarch? Am I correct?"

"Hmm? Who told you these things?" The patriarch was surprised.

"No one. It’s just my own feeling. Our Yun clan’s arts are so formidable, could they really be simple?"

The patriarch sighed deeply, his expression bleak. "Formidable, yes. But who has truly witnessed the Imperial Purple Heart Art’s power? Over the years, our clan has declined, and our only hope—my third brother—met a tragic fate. Is it truly so formidable?"

Yun Yufeng fell silent. Clearly, there were issues here; otherwise, how could they have faded into obscurity?

"Child, these are not matters for you to concern yourself with now. Train diligently, and one day you’ll understand. Also, don’t push yourself too hard—moderation is key. Remember, so-called breakthroughs at the cost of one’s future are gambles, trading tomorrow’s hardships for today’s rapid progress. Our clan’s arts have the unique function of strengthening the body. Though the results vary from person to person, this function is real. In truth, you need only practice the Imperial Purple Heart Art diligently."

"Yes, I understand." Yun Yufeng immediately grasped the patriarch’s intention—he had come merely to guide him. Could it be that overexerting his potential would hinder future breakthroughs?

"Well then, ponder this for yourself. I hope to see you achieve good results at the annual competition. I have faith in you." With that, the patriarch rose and departed.

"Safe travels, Patriarch," Yun Yufeng and the maids called out together.

Despite the patriarch’s warning, Yun Yufeng did not intend to abandon his training method. If he could not always press himself to the limit, then he would simply wear the weights constantly, allowing his body to adapt to their burden. In this way, he could still strengthen his body.

"Cui Nong, choose the finest fabric and sew my weights into it, so I can wear them easily at any time. Understand?"

"Yes, young master." The girl promptly went to find the fabric.

Yun Yufeng replenished his fluids, then resumed running in the courtyard with his weights on, though he lowered his standards. He stopped to rest when he felt it appropriate, then continued. Sometimes, he would channel battle energy and sprint until he had exhausted it entirely, pausing only to recover. Remarkably, after a few cycles of depleting and restoring his battle energy, the speed at which he could fully operate the Imperial Purple Heart Art had greatly improved.

Though the volume of his battle energy had not increased, the recovery speed had. In perilous situations, regaining battle energy more quickly could offer a crucial advantage.

Days passed, and Yun Yufeng trained in the courtyard daily. Gradually, he discovered that simply relying on the Nine Slaughter Techniques and the Imperial Purple Heart Art could easily enhance his physique.

When Yun Yufeng employed the Slaughter technique, every muscle and tendon in his body tensed, all his energy and spirit focused, transforming his battle energy into a raging torrent, pouring forth.

Using his palm as a sword, he channeled an unparalleled momentum, crashing down upon the iron-cast figure in the courtyard like a mountain.

With a loud bang, the iron figure trembled violently, its surface marked by a shallow dent.

"Young master is amazing—he can leave marks on the iron figure with his bare hands!" cried the little maid, clapping her hands.

Yun Yufeng exhaled deeply, his whole body trembling, especially his palm, the edge red as blood, bones aching as if shattered. He gritted his teeth, sat cross-legged, and began to restore his depleted battle energy.

A month had passed since Yun Yufeng’s return to the clan. Ever since the patriarch’s advice, he had focused his efforts on the Imperial Purple Heart Art, advancing unimpeded, now able to circulate its energy throughout his body—save for his head.

For the final stage, Yun Yufeng planned to consolidate his progress before seeking advice from his grandfather in the scripture hall. To his knowledge, his grandfather was the only one likely to have broken through the head’s barrier.

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