Dao Jun continued to spy and silently explore the Warrior path through the two men in front of him. He expanded his understanding of the extraordinary path of this world.

Not long after, they arrived at their destination. Ahead of them was a large residence, towering over the surrounding houses like a crane among chickens. Its tall stone walls, neatly arranged, provided strong and firm protection for the residents.

Chen Liu turned his head slightly to observe Dao Jun’s reaction, but he was disappointed. There was none—Dao Jun did not even bat an eye. He remained calm and composed.

Without saying anything, Chen Liu continued leading Dao Jun toward the grand gate of the residence. Above the gate, a wooden plaque of high quality bore the words "Zhu Family" in grand lettering.

Two guards stood on either side of the entrance, gripping long wooden staffs to prevent unwanted visitors from lingering. As soon as they noticed the two men in front of Dao Jun, they straightened and greeted them respectfully, bowing.

"Warrior Chen. Warrior Li."

After receiving nods of approval from Chen Liu and Li Guang, the guards lifted their heads, only then allowing themselves a glance at Dao Jun. Their eyes were immediately drawn to his exquisite robe before they quickly averted their gazes, realizing their mistake in staring too boldly.

Without hesitation, they opened the gate and stepped aside, allowing the three men to enter the residence.

Once the trio had passed through the entrance, the two guards exchanged glances. The one on the left whispered, "Do you think he’s from a noble clan?"

The guard on the right sharpened his gaze and sneered. "Shut your mouth! Do you think someone from a noble clan is a person you can gossip about behind their back? If you value your life, stop talking to me about this."

With that sharp remark, the guard on the right turned his attention back to his duty, completely ignoring his companion, who remained oblivious to the noble clans’ great reputation.

After passing through the front hall and entering the main hall, Dao Jun was greeted by a young man. He had a clean, slightly handsome face and wore a lavish robe that restricted his freedom of movement. Seated on the main seat of the hall, his posture exuded authority.

The hall itself was arranged with two main seats at the back and two rows of common seats in front.

The young man, Zhu Xing, immediately noticed Dao Jun’s robe. He smacked his lips in envy, his eyes betraying a hint of jealousy.

Chen Liu stepped forward, cupping his fist and bowing slightly as he reported to Zhu Xing. "Young Master, we have brought the person."

Zhu Xing smiled from the corner of his eyes and waved his hand dismissively. "Okay, stand back." Then, as if suddenly realizing something, he showed a troubled and embarrassed expression. "Ah, Brother Liu, how many times have I told you to show respect to others? Why must you refer to my guest as just ‘the person’ instead of ‘guest’?"

Zhu Xing shook his head in feigned helplessness.

Chen Liu, who had just straightened his posture, immediately bowed again. "I apologize, Young Master. I will keep your words in mind for the future."

Turning toward Dao Jun, he offered a polite smile. "Guest, please pardon my previous rudeness."

Dao Jun smiled faintly, brushing it off. "No problem."

"Come, come," Zhu Xing gestured warmly, inviting Dao Jun to sit beside him.

Without hesitation, Dao Jun stepped forward and took a seat next to the host.

As soon as he sat down, Zhu Xing, unable to contain his curiosity, asked, "May I know your name, Mister? Should I call you that, or do you prefer another title?"

"Mister is fine," Dao Jun answered calmly. "We don’t seem to be far apart in age, so just call me Feng He."

"Hahaha," Zhu Xing laughed, cupping his fist in a friendly manner. "Then you may also call me by my name, Brother Feng. I am Zhu Xing. Nice to meet you."

Dao Jun returned the gesture politely. "Nice to meet you."

After exchanging pleasantries, Zhu Xing leaned in slightly, his tone more inquisitive. "I hope I am not being too abrupt, but may I ask what brings Brother Feng to this village?"

Dao Jun’s response was casual. "I have no clear goal. I just wished to leave home and see the world with my own eyes."

While Dao Jun maintained a friendly demeanor, Zhu Xing continued probing for information, subtly attempting to uncover Dao Jun’s background. However, despite their cordial conversation, he was unable to gather any useful details.

Time passed quickly, and before long, darkness had settled outside. Yet, Zhu Xing still had no clear grasp of who Dao Jun truly was.

Noticing Zhu Xing’s persistent yet unsuccessful attempts, Chen Liu saw an opportunity to contribute. He suddenly raised his voice, drawing attention.

"Mister Feng, I must say, your robe is extraordinary. My brother Li and I have traveled to many places and met many people, yet we have never seen such fine craftsmanship. May I ask where you acquired it?"

Both Dao Jun and Zhu Xing turned their heads toward the shameless Chen Liu, who had interrupted their conversation. Zhu Xing’s face darkened with displeasure, but he quickly calmed himself. He merely pointed at Chen Liu and scolded, "You! It seems I have failed to teach you proper etiquette."

Then, turning back to Dao Jun, Zhu Xing sighed and apologized. "I am sorry, Brother Feng. You need not answer his question if it makes you uncomfortable."

Despite his scolding, Zhu Xing secretly appreciated Chen Liu’s direct approach. He had long sought a breakthrough in his conversation with Dao Jun but had hesitated to ask direct questions out of fear of being rude. Chen Liu’s bluntness, however, had served the same purpose.

Zhu Xing made a mental note to reward Chen Liu later.

Dao Jun remained silent for a moment, as if contemplating whether to answer or not. Then, he lightly tapped the center of his brow.

An invisible wave spread through the air, covering the entire Zhu family residence.

Zhu Xing, Chen Liu, and Li Guang were immediately bewildered by this strange action.

In truth, Dao Jun’s soul body was occupied with organizing his newfound insights after making immense progress in condensing his soul body. There were countless mysteries hidden within this power, a brand-new path that had previously only existed as a theory in Dao Jun’s mind.

His pursuit of Qi Refining cultivation had come to an abrupt halt after his failed attempt to condense a living Nascent Soul. Unable to advance further, he had devoted himself entirely to researching a method to resurrect his dead Nascent Soul or to forge a new path toward immortality.

Soul cultivation had been one such attempt, though he had initially discarded it after encountering a dead end. Instead of discovering a method to revive his Nascent Soul, he had stumbled upon the possibility of opening a new path beyond Qi Refining and Body Refining. However, as it was not his immediate priority, he had set it aside, conducting only minor experiments from time to time.

After condensing his soul body and advancing directly to the Second Level, he found that many aspects of his soul had changed. His Sea of Consciousness had ceased to exist, merging instead with his soul body. Further exploration revealed that his divine sense had also undergone a major transformation.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Most importantly, Dao Jun now possessed a new kind of extraordinary energy.

If Qi Refining cultivators refined the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into spiritual power, storing it within their dantian, then soul refining cultivators condensed a soul body that mirrored their physical form—complete with acupoints and meridians—while producing an entirely new power: soul energy.

Soul energy differed from divine sense. While divine sense functioned as an extension of a cultivator’s Sea of Consciousness, allowing them to perceive the world around them, it was also fragile—damage to it would cause severe harm to the soul. Soul energy, on the other hand, behaved more like blood energy in the physical body or spiritual power in Qi Refining cultivation. It could regenerate over time and had far more applications than divine sense.

When Dao Jun tapped the center of his brow, sending out an invisible ripple, he was actually casting a soul spell—a technique that used soul energy rather than divine sense. Although soul energy shared similarities with divine sense, the two were vastly different, requiring adjustments to existing spells before they could be effectively used.

A cautious individual by nature, Dao Jun always sought precise guarantees before taking action. After scanning the Zhu residence and confirming that there was no significant threat to him, he decided that there was no longer any need to humor the pampered Zhu Xing.

Under the watchful eyes of his three observers, Dao Jun remained motionless. However, his soul body, separate from his physical form, began forming a seal to cast another spell—one designed to immobilize his targets.

Unlike the investigative spell he had just used, this one did not send out a visible ripple. Instead, it emitted a silent sound, an inaudible vibration that spread across the room. The moment the sound reached the three men of the Zhu family, their minds froze in place.

Dao Jun studied the stunned expressions on their faces and nodded in satisfaction.

"Not bad," he muttered. "This is only a preliminary adjustment, but there’s still plenty of room for improvement."

His eyes gleamed with excitement as he analyzed the results.

"Soul energy truly differs from divine sense. When a cultivator uses divine sense, there is always a risk of depletion, which is why most soul-based techniques in Qi Refining cultivation are either consumable or risky—failure often results in severe backlash."

"But with soul energy… I can cast as many spells as I want, without limitation!"

Dao Jun clenched his fists, feeling a rush of exhilaration.

"What difference is there between this and divine intervention? When physical cultivators fight Qi Refining cultivators, they often win by sheer brute force. But now that I possess soul energy, I am like a shark among shrimp—no one will be able to resist my soul spells."

His excitement was short-lived, however. He quickly sobered, his emotions shifting from exhilaration to contemplation.

"That was the case in my previous world, where no one had a soul stronger than mine except those with higher cultivation. But in this world, people practice martial arts… and while that may seem like mere physical training, in truth, what they are strengthening is their spirit."

He sighed, his mood deflating slightly.

"Mental strength accumulates through life experiences—learning, suffering failures, and attaining enlightenment. This alone wouldn’t be enough for Warriors to resist my soul spells, but the problem is the solid nature of their mental strength. It’s as if, after training in martial arts long enough, their spirits transform into something unshakable, like a stone."

He chuckled at the thought.

"Truly hard-headed people."

Shaking off unnecessary distractions, Dao Jun turned his attention back to Zhu Xing. He extended a finger and lightly pressed it against the young master’s forehead.

This time, instead of using the crude soul method he had previously used on Fan Zhuan, Dao Jun executed an improved technique.

In the past, when using divine sense, he had to form a soul connection with his target, engaging in deep, heart-to-heart communication to extract information directly from their subconscious. But with soul energy, this process had become much more efficient.

Now, instead of connecting with the target’s soul, Dao Jun’s spell directly copied everything Zhu Xing had seen, heard, and experienced—whether consciously or subconsciously.

However, Zhu Xing’s spirit resisted.

Unlike a mere mortal like Fan Zhuo, Zhu Xing was a Warrior. His mental fortitude provided an extra layer of defense, forcing Dao Jun to spend more time than expected to extract the information.

As he continued absorbing Zhu Xing’s memories, Dao Jun suddenly noticed a change—Chen Liu was showing signs of awakening.

His soul body took note of this and immediately recorded the observation as data for refining his immobilization spell.

Without hesitation, the soul body casually snapped its fingers.

Another silent soundwave rippled through the air.

Chen Liu, just on the verge of regaining consciousness, was struck again by the spell—and fell into a deep coma.

Dao Jun paid him no further mind and continued with his work.

After about the time it took for a stick of incense to burn, he finally withdrew his finger from Zhu Xing’s forehead.

A vast amount of information surged into Dao Jun’s mind. Not only had he gained crucial intelligence about the Zhu family and the Warrior path, but he had also made significant improvements in his technique.

"The original name of this spell, when it was still based on divine sense, was ‘Two Hearts Communication’… but now, after this revision and its immense potential, it deserves a new name."

He thought for a moment before nodding to himself.

"Let’s call it ‘Life Inspection’."

He made a mental note of the new name, though he suspected that in the future, he would simply refer to it as soul searching—the standard term for forcibly extracting memories.

Having finished with Zhu Xing, Dao Jun moved on to Chen Liu.

Now that the Life Inspection spell had been refined, the process took much less time. Dao Jun completed it in just six minutes before shifting to Li Guang.

By the third attempt, the technique had been fully standardized—his proficiency had increased to the point that he could now use it instinctively.

Through these extractions, Dao Jun gained valuable insight into the Warrior path.

Warriors practiced mental techniques to meditate and cultivate Internal Energy. The first realm of this path was simply called Warrior, divided into four levels:

* Third-rate – The starting point, attained upon first gathering Internal Energy.

* Second-rate – Achieved after significant progress or minor enlightenment in mental techniques.

* First-rate – Marked by achieving major completion in their mental techniques.

* Peak – The state of perfection in their mental techniques.

Unlike the rigid progression of Qi Refining, the Warrior realm had no quantitative measurements—only mastery and comprehension mattered.

Beyond the Warrior realm lay the Master realm. Unfortunately, the three men’s knowledge on this stage was limited.

Chen Liu and Li Guang, being mere lackeys of the Zhu family, knew only its name. Zhu Xing had slightly more information, but his father had deliberately restricted his access to advanced knowledge to prevent him from going astray.

What little Zhu Xing did know was limited to this. Masters transformed their Internal Energy into Qi—a higher-quality power far superior to even the purest Internal Energy. However, the exact process and capabilities of a Master remained unknown to him.

Dao Jun sat back in his seat, lost in thought.

His vast experience with immortal cultivation allowed him to see beyond what these Warriors understood about their own path.

The realization made him chuckle.

"So, these so-called ‘Warriors’ are actually walking the path of the spirit rather than just physical strength. Their so-called ‘martial arts’ are merely a disguise for something far deeper."

In the world of immortality, cultivators focused on refining spiritual energy from the heavens and earth, gradually comprehending the Great Dao through continuous cultivation. Although their understanding deepened over time, their path was fundamentally about absorbing external energy and making it their own.

By contrast, Warriors in this world followed a purely internal path. Instead of drawing in external energy, they refined themselves—strengthening their minds, sharpening their will, and honing their spirits. Their power, Internal Energy, was merely a byproduct of this spiritual practice.

Dao Jun narrowed his eyes in deep thought.

"But this doesn’t entirely make sense. If simply meditating and practicing mental techniques were enough to develop such solid spiritual strength, then mine should be just as unyielding as theirs."

He pondered for a moment before realization dawned on him.

"I see… so that’s how it is."

He let out a quiet chuckle.

"Martial arts? What a joke. These Warriors aren’t just training their bodies—they are cultivating their spirits as their main practice. Their so-called Internal Energy is merely an aftereffect of their true cultivation method."

In the immortal cultivation world, the path of Qi Refining was built upon the constant absorption of spiritual energy. Cultivators sought enlightenment, but ultimately, their survival and progress depended on external resources—spiritual herbs, pills, and various treasures.

"Cultivators refine external energy first, then come to understand the Great Dao."

But here in this world, the process was reversed.

"Warriors comprehend the Great Dao first… and only then do they develop Internal Energy."

Dao Jun sat in silent disbelief at his own conclusion.

"Ridiculous."

By his standards, the difference between the two paths was night and day.

Cultivators from the immortal world relied on talent—an innate, measurable quality that determined one’s future. The path of cultivation was straightforward but rigid: Qi Refining → Foundation Building → Golden Core → Nascent Soul, and so on. Yet despite its structured progression, it was a resource-dependent path, heavily influenced by wealth, status, and connections.

In contrast, Warriors simply meditated and let enlightenment come naturally. Their growth depended not on talent or resources but on understanding and perseverance.

Though external aids existed, they were far less crucial than in the immortal world, where cultivators consumed pills like candy to advance their realms.

Dao Jun couldn’t help but laugh.

"Perhaps the stone ring meant to send me to this world instead of the immortal world. This place suits me far better."

He shook his head.

"All I ever wanted was to retreat into seclusion, cultivate in peace, and become immortal. But instead, I was reincarnated into the world of immortality first, only to end up here. Still, this isn’t a bad outcome."

A smirk crept onto his lips.

"With my knowledge and mastery of various immortal arts, I am now a dragon among koi in a small pond. Soaring to the heavens and ruling this world will be all too easy."