Yin Hui slept through the entire next day in the village chief's residence. From having his entire body reconstructed to exerting almost all his qi reserves shortly after, it was a surprise he even lasted this long.

On the second day, Yin Hui finally awakened. While he still wasn't in top physical shape, he had recovered to the point he could walk again. During his days as a slave, he had trained himself to be able to trick his body into a false sense of brimming vitality. Since slaves had no breaks regardless of their condition, this was an essential skill to learn. He found a spare black hemp robe in the room he was resting and quickly swapped it with the one he was currently wearing.

Knock Knock~~

"Big Brother Yin Hui, are you better now?" Yu Zhuwa called out from outside the door.

Yin Hui opened the door to see Yu Zhuwa standing in front of him.

"Grandma Yu told me everything that happened last night. Although I don't know what will happen a month from now, I'm glad you decided to stay!" Yu Zhuwa had a big smile on his face.

Yin Hui laughed and ruffled Yu Zhuwa's hair. The boy truly was endearing, no wonder he made such a good thief. He was lucky Yu Zhuwa was a friend, if he wasn't, Yin Hui might've still been in the forest without even clothes covering his body.

"Anyways, Grandma Yu says its time to cultivate so let's head outside!"

When Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa left the residence, they saw that Yu Mingxi was already outside. She stood at the edge of the hill where the residence was located, gazing over the entire Scattered Leaf Village. The sun shined brightly over the whole village, creating an exceptionally beautiful scene. Despite this, Yu Mingxi had a grim smile on her face. However, she quickly covered it up when the two youths came out.

"Good morning you two. I'm glad to see you have recovered so quickly Yin Hui. To be honest, I thought you would need at least 3 days of rest before you were healthy enough to come out."

Yin Hui clasped his hands.

"I heal fast senior Yu, thank you for your concern. I'm ready for your instruction."

"Why do you talk so formally all the time Big Brother? Grandma Yu isn't that strict you know!" Yu Zhuwa laughed.

A wry smile appeared on Yin Hui's face. With so many years of his life being dedicated to serving others, formal speech was basically Yin Hui's natural tongue at this point.

"Xiao Yu your still at the Impurity Cleansing stage so your training is still the same. Go sit down somewhere and utilize the surrounding spiritual qi to purify your body. You have passed the bone stage, but now you must refine your blood as well. Yin Hui you will follow me."

Yu Zhuwa complained about how his training was so boring while Yin Hui was being taken out of the village. Yu Mingxi slapped the back of his head.

"You started cultivating 3 years ago. A normal person usually takes 2 years to reach the peak of the Impurity Cleansing realm. If you had cultivated diligently, maybe you would have reached Yin Hui's level by now and I would've taken you too!" Yu Mingxi scolded.

Yu Zhuwa stuck out his tongue and angrily trudged to the edge of the hill. He muttered a few curses as he sat down and began to absorb spiritual energy into his body.

Yu Mingxi took Yin Hui back into the forest. They walked for about 15 minutes and ended up in a large open field next to a river.

"Now then, Yin Hui, I want to you to tell me how you cultivate."

Yin Hui revealed everything, the Wind Bullet, his fiend body, and the Evil Fiend Devouring Technique. Yu Mingxi listened to all of it with a serious expression.

"Yin Hui. If you ever encounter any other cultivators of a sect or join one yourself, do not let them know about the Evil Fiend Devouring Technique. With that in mind, I don't have to mention that you shouldn't use the anything related to demonic qi either. Demonic cultivators are heavily frowned upon everywhere. If you are found using a technique as nefarious as the Evil Fiend Devouring Technique, you could very well be hunted down and executed." Yu Mingxi warned.

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"I understand, but it really doesn't matter. As long as I'm in this province I'll be hunted down by the Tang and their servants anyways."

Yu Mingxi let out a deep sigh.

"In that case, ensure you leave no witnesses. When you walk a path as unsteady as yours, you need to be thorough." Yu Mingxi was not a cruel woman, but she was not a fool either. She knew that the cultivation world was one of great treachery and struggle. To those born into terrible circumstances like Yin Hui, they could only curse their own misfortune. The heaven's were merciless, so to survive one needed to also be merciless.

"Now that we have cleared that up, we can now start the lesson. Before we start learning martial skills and spells we first need to understand cultivation. Yin Hui, tell me what the main focus of cultivation is."

"Cultivation is the mastery of qi to its highest peak. To become the strongest so no one can oppose you." Yin Hui answered.

"Hahaha..."

Yin Hui frowned. Was his answer incorrect? Given what he learned from his ancestor Yin Tou, qi was the basis of all cultivation.

"Impurity Cleansing, Spirit Waking, Spirit Manifestation... All of these are indeed about the mastery of qi, but what comes after? Qi is the foundation, but it has restrictions imposed by the heavens. How do you go beyond the standard limitations of qi and break the chains the heavens have put on it, and by extension us? The answer is Dao!"

This confused Yin Hui, who had a puzzled expression on his face. He had heard of the concept of Dao from the cultivators of the Tang Clan. However, he assumed it was a philosophical concept that had no real application to cultivation.

"I don't understand, how can something philosophical such as Dao be relevant to cultivation? Yin Hui questioned.

"Yin Hui why do you cultivate?" Yu Mingxi did not answer his question, but asked a question of her own.

"I cultivate to gain power. Power that will allow me to get revenge on the Tang Clan for enslaving me. Power that will allow me to destroy the heavens and the gods that took everything away from me." As Yin Hui continued speaking, he found himself getting angrier and angrier.

"Then that is your Dao! Your desire for revenge, your resolve! Once you have mastered qi, the next step is to truly make it your own. Why do you think the true qi of a Spirit Manifestation cultivator is superior? True qi is simply the medium, the real power comes from your Dao. With your Dao as it's guide, true qi can break the limits imposed by the heavens. It becomes a power that is no longer of the heavens, but of you, based on the strength of your Dao."

Yin Hui shook his head.

"I'm sorry Lady Yu. I'm afraid I still don't understand this concept of Dao that you are trying to teach me."

Yu Mingxi dropped her staff and walked towards to Yin Hui. She raised her index finger and put it at the spot between his eyebrows.

"If you cannot see it on your own, then I will show you myself. If you still can't understand it after this, then there really is no hope for you." Yu Mingxi closed her eyes and power began to swell from her finger.

"What is this--"

Suddenly, Yin Hui's consciousness shifted. Countless scenes and images flashed around him. It was as if every conceivable thought was being rushed into his brain all at once. Within this realm of knowledge Yin Hui felt like he had the ability to solve every problem in the world.

"Is this Dao??"

Eternal peace, the end of the world, a long reign as an emperor, the life of a simple man. Yin Hui experienced all of these things in an instant, yet it also felt like an eternity at the same time.

When Yin Hui regained his senses he dropped to his knees. It had only been a few seconds in the real world, but Yin Hui felt like he had just lived countless epochs. He now understood the significance of the Dao and why so many cultivators revered it. The Dao was endless and limitless. With the Dao one could achieve anything and everything.

Yu Mingxi removed her finger from his forehead.

"What I've shown you is the great potential of the Dao. It is up to you to find your own and develop it yourself." She picked up her staff and began to pace around Yin Hui.

"My Dao... What is my Dao..." Yin Hui muttered

"The first 3 realms of cultivation are about the mastery of qi. Above that are 2 more realms that work on refining the Dao. They are known as Virtue Seeking and Vice Taming. Each of them consist of searching for 3 concepts that compliment each other as well as your Dao. If the Dao is strong enough Dao that person can then take the final step forward and enter to realm of Immortal Treading! At this stage you fuse your 3 virtues and vices together, and with your Dao, summon the heavenly path and open the gate of immortality to become an Earth Immortal!

With the knowledge Yin Hui obtained from Yin Tou, he thought he had understood most of what cultivation was. After listening to Yu Mingxi, he realized that he merely scratched the surface. In order to progress, you needed a Dao, your own way. With it, one could break the chains imposed by the heavens and become an immortal! Yin Hui understood and accepted this fact quickly. If he wanted to take down the heavens, he needed to rely on his own power, not theirs.

"I understand. Dao does not lead to power. Power is simply a compliment of the Dao. In fact, power itself can be one's Dao."

Yu Mingxi nodded her head. Yin Hui had finally understood cultivation and the importance of the Dao.