Wei Haolong, leading Shu Han out of the courtyard, suddenly noticed an old man lying in a pile of fallen leaves in front of the courtyard.

Wei Haolong smacked his forehead, saying, "I really can't believe it; this old man has essentially made a home out of the pile of leaves in front of my residence! Every now and then, he sleeps there. I've invited him inside multiple times, but he just responds with a beating! It's ridiculous!"

Shu Han looked at the mad old man in the pile of leaves and sighed.

Scavenging food from the garbage. Sleeping in the streets and alleys.

Shu Han now understood that the old man was doing this as a form of self-punishment. A once powerful cultivator, who due to past mistakes, had condemned himself to a thousand years of a life worse than that of a beggar.

Shu Han patted Wei Haolong on the shoulder, "He is waiting for me here. Wait for me a moment."

Then, Shu Han approached the mad old man and knelt down before him, speaking in a solemn voice, "My name is Shu Han. I've been fortunate to learn from you, senior. I hereby recognize you as my master and pay my respects!"

As he was about to bow his head in reverence, a sudden violent tremor from the ground propelled Shu Han upwards.

Shu Han looked at the trembling figure of the old man, tried to kneel down again, but another tremor shot him up.

"Master, even if you refuse to accept my gesture of respect, our bond as master and disciple is already established..."

The mad old man suddenly sprang up, his tear-streaked, murky eyes fixed on Shu Han, fists raised, ready to fight.

Shu Han's eyes shone brightly, ready to engage as usual, but this time, the old man's strikes were fiercer, pushing Shu Han back, and causing the Black Abyssal Fire within him to deplete rapidly.

Black runes began to spread from his index finger, enveloping his entire right hand, and creeping further up his arm.

Wei Haolong leaned against the courtyard's stone wall, watching the two spar amidst the bamboo, producing resonating sounds that filled the air. He sighed, "Good thing I didn't agree to fight you. Just your physical power is this terrifying. If you added your spells, I'd be in real trouble. The Fiery Cloud Instant Sect will witness the rise of another prodigy. In two years, the final match on the Heavenly Fire Leaderboard might just be between you and Song Changyi!"

Shu Han and the mad elder battled fiercely for a quarter of an hour. The entire bamboo grove swayed wildly, with the surrounding air slicing like blades.

In the end, black patterns covered half of Shu Han's arm. The once powerful Black Abyssal Fire within him reverted to its primal state.

Boom!

Just like always, Shu Han was sent flying through the air with a single punch from the old man.

Shu Han took a deep breath to calm the turbulent energy within his body, then pulled out several wine gourds and bowed in gratitude, saying, "Thank you for your teachings, Master!"

The mad old man seemed dissatisfied with the title and snatched the wine gourds from Shu Han's hand, walking away without looking back.

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Shu Han watched the old man depart and thought that the specially brewed wine he had made might have a beneficial effect on the old man's health.

Wei Haolong came over, looking puzzled, "What did you call him?"

Shu Han replied calmly, "As my Master Aunt once said, even if there's no formal master-disciple ceremony, the teachings and the several times he saved me are more than enough to honor him with the title of 'Master'."

Wei Haolong muttered, not fully understanding Shu Han's sentiment, "Great, an old madman has trained a young madman!"

Later, Shu Han followed Wei Haolong up Fiery Cloud Mountain, preparing to enter the Pure Ice Formation through a secret path behind the Heavenly Fire Leaderboard. On their way, they unexpectedly ran into a hurried Song Changyi.

Seeing Shu Han and Wei Haolong together, Song Changyi looked surprised and asked, "Brother Yu, you've left your retreat so soon?"

Shu Han responded, "Yes if Brother Song has any questions about body refining martial arts in the future, feel free to visit my cave for discussion."

Song Changyi laughed, "That's great! The body refining method you taught truly works! I combined your method with the heat of the heavenly fire, and my body's resilience has surpassed what it was a year ago! I believe I'm ready to learn martial arts under Brother Yu's guidance."

Roasting oneself on heavenly fire!

Both Shu Han and Wei Haolong exchanged glances. Truly a bold move!

Song Changyi smiled at the two of them and said, "I never expected Brother Yu to become familiar with Senior Brother Wei. Although Senior Brother Wei might act eccentrically and has a peculiar personality, he's undeniably one of the top talents in the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect. I always thought he had difficulty making friends."

Wei Haolong retorted angrily, "Hey! Junior Brother Song, is that how you talk about someone? Calling them eccentric and peculiar? Look at yourself, who in the entire Fiery Cloud Instant Sect dares to befriend you?"

Song Changyi laughed heartily, "Senior Brother Wei is joking. I prefer solitude, but if I wanted, it wouldn't be difficult for me to gather friends. I always value the bond between sect members."

Wei Haolong snapped, "Bullshit! That's because your father is the Sect Leader. Everyone fears you!"

Song Changyi calmly replied, "Senior Brother Wei, what does my relationship with my fellow disciples have to do with my father being the Sect Leader?"

Listening to their banter, Shu Han silently thought, both of you are quite the characters in your own right!

Eager to change the topic, Shu Han interjected, "Brother Song, you seemed to be in a hurry earlier. Did something happen?"

Song Changyi sighed, "It's said that a Foundation Establishment female cultivator tragically died in her cave residence. I'm on my way to see what happened."

Shu Han was surprised, "Such an incident happened within the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect?"

Wei Haolong also asked with concern, "Which female cultivator died?"

Song Changyi replied, "Mu Jingbai."

"Jingbai died?!" Wei Haolong exclaimed with anguish, "Let's go and see for ourselves. Senior Sister Jingbai was a renowned beauty in the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect. Damn it! We already have so few sweet and lovely female cultivators in the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect, and now someone has harmed one more. If I catch the murderer, they won't live to see another day!"

Shu Han thought to himself, weren't we on our way to study the Pure Ice Formation?

However, Wei Haolong, filled with righteous anger, followed Song Changyi, leaving Shu Han with no choice but to tag along since he couldn't activate the secret path himself. The three swiftly flew and soon arrived at a cave residence marked with the character 'Mysterious'. By now, a sparse group of female cultivators had gathered outside the cave, peering inside.

When Song Changyi arrived, the female cultivators made way for him. The guards at the entrance, seeing Song Changyi, didn't dare to stop him and let him and his party enter.

The cave was intricately designed, and filled with the scent of a female cultivator. Everywhere, the residence was adorned with colorful crystals and flowers. The ceiling of the cave resembled an expansive sky, making the cave feel like a heavenly realm.

As Shu Han's Clear Bright Spiritual Eye scanned the area, he noticed that these crystals and flowers were actually part of a formation. It wasn't as formidable as the Stellar Wish Formation, but more decorative. It was clear the owner had paid great attention to the aesthetics of her abode.

Wei Haolong remarked, "This truly reflects Senior Sister Jingbai's taste – so refined and elegant. Such a pity!"

As the trio ventured deeper into the cave, they saw a tall, imposing figure from behind.

Song Changyi respectfully greeted, "Disciple Changyi pays his respects to the Adjudication Elder."

The Adjudication Elder turned around, stating, "Changyi, your timing is impeccable. Tell me if this scene looks familiar."

The three followed the Elder's gaze and were met with a horrifying sight – the dried and mummified corpse of a woman.