Chapter 46: The Corrupted Holy Body!

Inside the pavilion of the Blazing Sun Martial Arts Hall, Fang Can felt his innate aptitude continuously improving, maintaining a supernatural level ten times his baseline even without taking any elixirs. Yet, he still could not figure out why staying close to the young maiden could boost his progress so rapidly.

If it were true that possessing good looks could enhance one's talent, why didn't Senior Jiang experience the same effect?

Could it be that this girl was some sort of solitary star of ill omen? A constitution cursed to bring misfortune to her father, mother, brothers, and sons—someone who spelled bad luck for anyone in her vicinity?

As he circulated his inner energy, various wild hypotheses drifted through Fang Can's mind, though he felt not a shred of anxiety regarding his own safety.

Even if the maiden truly turned out to be a harbinger of doom, he had nothing to fear; on the contrary, he could turn misfortune into fortune.

Fueled by this ultra-strong signal, Fang Can's cultivation speed began to accelerate wildly.

Not far away, Yuan Dang, who had just finished cleaning Fang Can's room, stood blankly in the distance, staring at the two figures inside the pavilion.

A gentle breeze blew. Fang Can and Ye Qingshi sat quite close together with their backs to Yuan Dang, so near they almost seemed to be touching.

"How could this be... how is this even possible?" Yuan Dang shook his head, convinced his mind was playing tricks on him. How much time had passed, yet Senior Sister and that scoundrel Fang had already grown so intimate?

Terrified that he would fail to suppress the murderous intent rising in his mind, rush forward to attack Fang Can, and end up being killed in return, Yuan Dang abruptly turned and ran off, attempting to flee the area.

At that moment, a bizarre illusion took root in his heart.

So-called reincarnation and rebirth...

It was nothing more than the dying hallucination of an ordinary second-layer Gateway disciple at the Blazing Sun Martial Arts Hall. None of this was real; it was all an illusion.

Suppressing the bitter tears welling in his eyes, Yuan Dang vanished from the spot without ever looking back.

"Was someone passing by just now?" Ye Qingshi felt a touch of shyness. Sitting so close to Fang Can posed a significant challenge to her temperament.

"Pay them no mind. Just sit properly, Lady Ye," Fang Can replied calmly, sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed.

Observing the young man who had been cultivating continuously for nearly a full hour and listening to his steady breathing, Ye Qingshi could not help asking:

"Is practicing martial arts really that fun? Why are all of you so utterly consumed by it? My father and my fellow apprentices even castrated themselves entirely just for the sake of martial arts."

"It isn't fun at all, as far as I'm concerned. Fatigue, irritation, and pain are constant companions," Fang Can answered calmly.

"If it clearly feels awful, then why do you still want to practice martial arts?" Ye Qingshi pressed on, curiosity getting the better of her.

"Because I excel at it." Fang Can opened his eyes and replied:

"I am well aware that no one's path can be replicated by another. Yet I can clearly see that right beneath my feet, the path of martial arts stretches all the way to the absolute peak. As long as I keep walking, I will reach the summit."

Staring at Fang Can's immensely arrogant tone, Ye Qingshi could not help asking, "What about me? What do you think of my aptitude?"

"You..." Fang Can glanced at her briefly before shaking his head.

"With your current personality, you wouldn't be able to persevere. Lacking the obsession born of a deep, blood-stained vendetta, you are incapable of walking this path with unwavering steadfastness," Fang Can answered honestly.

"Can't innate talent be changed, then? Like protagonists in storybooks who suddenly experience an epiphany and become incomparably resolute?"

"It is possible, but the price to be paid is exceptionally high," Fang Can said indifferently. Recently, he had gained some fresh insights into idealistic martial arts, which happened to concern innate aptitude.

He was pondering whether being corrupted by an evil entity could be considered a top-tier method for elevating martial arts talent.

After all, idealistic martial arts placed supreme importance on a singular, unwavering intent.

And corruption embodied precisely that.

Every thought revolved entirely around leaving the master's side—*Oh, I am about to die!* How could this not be classified as a singular, unwavering intent?

From there on, one could utilize this exact kind of single-minded obsession for cultivation. For instance, imposing a terrifying punishment of not being allowed to partake in the master's offerings unless one passed the imperial examinations—he believed that the corrupted individuals, driven by their desire to taste such delicacies, would undoubtedly study with extraordinary diligence.

Therefore, corrupting others and embarking on the "Way of the Second Daughter" might also serve as a viable method to elevate one's talent.

Naturally, this was merely one of Fang Can's speculations, amounting to nothing more than a theoretical approach to cultivation; without concrete experimentation, no definitive conclusion could be drawn.

Hearing that the method demanded an exorbitant price, Ye Qingshi lost all interest in understanding it further. She currently harbored very little desire for cultivation anyway and remarked offhandedly, "Forget it, then. I never planned on cultivating in the first place, anyway."

"Mm," Fang Can acknowledged softly, closing his eyes once more to resume his intense and focused cultivation.

...

Accompanied by the young maiden, Fang Can diligently pursued his training.

Meanwhile, inside the martial arts hall, Ye Yonglie covered his face and sighed heavily, muttering, "Could my aptitude truly be this dismal? Even after meditating for half an hour, I cannot catch the slightest glimpse of a mental avatar."

"Master, do not be impatient. Hasn't Mr. Fang already agreed to stay?" Yan Zhi stepped forward to offer consolation.

"As long as Mr. Fang remains here for a single day, you will be able to comprehend it for a day. If he stays for ten days, you will have ten days of comprehension."

Ye Yonglie lamented, "It would be wonderful enough if young friend Fang stayed for three or five days. But what shall I do if my mental avatar requires thirty or fifty days of meditation to manifest?"

"Do not fret, Master. Whenever you feel lost, just think of your family," Yan Zhi suggested.

These words seemed to awaken Ye Yonglie from a stupor. He jerked his head around and demanded, "What do you mean by that?"

"If Grand Master wishes to secure his stay for the long term, it is not particularly difficult; it would simply require a minor sacrifice from Senior Sister Ye." Yan Zhi's face half-brightened and half-darkened in the sunlight streaming through the window.

"Mr. Fang has only recently entered the martial world and is easily swayed. Perhaps we could use this opportunity to establish ties with him," Yan Zhi said deliberately. "If our two families were to forge a marital alliance, given Mr. Fang's innate talent, wouldn't Master have hopes of ascending to the heavens?"

"This..." Ye Yonglie hesitated slightly.

It wasn't that he felt reluctant to part with his daughter.

After all, he had already made up his mind to devote his entire life to martial arts when he severed his worldly roots back then; could a mere daughter possibly matter more than his own lifeline?

He was simply worried that if things backfired due to being too clever by half, he might end up antagonizing Fang Can instead.

"Master, you have to risk a sprig to catch a goose," Yan Zhi fanned the flames from the side.

"What do you propose we do?" the Hall Master raised his head, a resolute decision seemingly forming in his eyes.

"It's easy to be on guard against thieves for a thousand days, but there's no such thing as a thousand days of preventing a thief. We may not know how to demand money, but surely we know how to give gifts?" Yan Zhi smiled cheerfully.

"Master only needs to do this and that, and everything will surely fall into place."

...

On this side, using cultivation as an excuse, Fang Can tried his best to remain within three steps of Ye Qingshi for the majority of the time.

When paired with the consumption of elixirs, his cultivation speed soared to such dizzying heights that he even found himself wondering how fast he could progress if he were to embrace her closely.

As for the young maiden, after enduring it for an entire day, she arrived at the door of her bedchamber. Feeling the intense, heavy presence of the young man lingering just behind her, she finally snapped and burst out, "Are you seriously going to follow me right into my bedroom?!"

"Is... is that really al... allowed?" Fang Can asked, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"That wouldn't be very appropriate, would it? Perhaps I should just cultivate outside so I don't disturb your sleep."

*By your tone, you actually know it's inappropriate!* Ye Qingshi was so angry she laughed, stepped inside, and slammed the door shut with a loud bang.