Chapter Thirteen: The Body of Chaos

Outside the wooden cabin deep within the ancient forest of the Demon Beast Mountains.

After being unconscious for a long time, Ye Zihan finally awakened slowly. Opening his eyes, the sunlight was no longer blinding; it was already dusk.

He sat up, and Hong Yan and Lan Yu were already standing before him, smiling cheerfully.

“Is the seal broken?” Suddenly recalling the matter of breaking the seal, Ye Zihan asked urgently.

“You’re sitting here safe and sound, so naturally the seal is broken,” Hong Yan replied with a smile.

Ye Zihan was overjoyed and immediately asked, “Do I now possess the Qi of the Five Elements within me?”

“Not only do you have it—you possess all five types.” Seeing Ye Zihan’s anxious expression, Lan Yu couldn’t help but smile. He extended his jade-like hand, spreading his slender fingers, his tone tinged with astonishment and envy. Though the two of them knew the Heaven-defying Child’s body contained at least three kinds of Five Elemental Qi, they hadn’t expected all five to be unlocked.

Ye Zihan was struck as if by lightning. His mouth dropped open, disbelief written all over his face. After a long moment, he stammered, “Five… five kinds? Is it… is it true?”

“Of course it’s true. Would we lie to you?” Hong Yan’s face was alight with a smile he could not disguise. The Heaven-defying Child’s seal was broken; next came cultivation!

“All eight gates closed, all five elements unlocked—Han’er, your body is a rare Chaotic Physique, unseen for millennia.”

“Chaotic Physique?” Ye Zihan was stunned.

Lan Yu explained, “Eight gates blend, five elements become chaos. Now you have broken all eight gates and unlocked all five elements. This makes you a Chaotic Physique. Such a mysterious constitution will bring untold benefits to your future cultivation.”

Though he didn’t fully understand, it seemed the Chaotic Physique could only help, not harm, and Ye Zihan was happy to accept it.

“The seal is broken. Next, you must cultivate. Though your body is extraordinary, if you neglect your training, you will never become truly strong.” Fearing Ye Zihan might grow arrogant because of his physique, Hong Yan spoke seriously.

“Han’er understands!” He had endured humiliation for twelve years, borne twelve years of ridicule and scorn. Now, finally, he had a chance to cultivate the Qi of the Five Elements. He would treasure this hard-won opportunity.

“All right, the day is fading. Breaking the seal today has exhausted much energy. Rest well tonight; tomorrow, we begin true cultivation!”

Early the next morning, beside a waterfall deep in the ancient forest.

“All things in the world possess spirit. Every blade of grass, every tree, every gust of wind, every wave—they all have their own movement and stillness, joy and anger. If you truly pay attention, you can sense the mysteries within,” Lan Yu explained beside the waterfall, while Hong Yan sat smiling atop an ancient tree, watching them.

“The world’s difficulties are overcome by the heart alone. No matter what you face, you must keep your mind calm. If your mind is chaotic, your opponent will exploit it. Only by maintaining clarity like a mirror can you find the way to overcome your enemies.” Lan Yu paced before Ye Zihan, continuing calmly, “Cultivation begins with the heart. So, first you must temper your state of mind, then cultivate the Qi of the Five Elements.”

“State of mind?” Ye Zihan seemed half-understood.

“That’s right. Sit cross-legged, close your eyes, calm your heart, and try to sense everything around you.”

Ye Zihan obeyed, sitting cross-legged, closing his eyes, resting his hands on his thighs like a meditating monk, gradually calming his mind.

“What do you sense around you?” After some time, Lan Yu asked.

“There’s waves, wind, the leaves are moving,” Ye Zihan replied.

“Anything else?”

Ye Zihan listened carefully for a while longer, then shook his head.

“Don’t just use your ears. Smell, hearing, touch, thought—all are connected to the heart. You must learn to sense with your heart.” Lan Yu reminded him, “Blend yourself with nature. Use your heart to feel the fluctuations around you. For example, can you sense, five yards behind you, a dragonfly is skimming low through the grass?”

Ye Zihan listened intently for a long time but could not hear the dragonfly’s wings. He could only shake his head.

“Don’t use your ears—use your heart,” Lan Yu reminded him again.

“Use my heart, use my heart,” Ye Zihan silently urged himself, once more calming his mind, striving to sense every fluctuation nearby.

As the sun rose higher, its fierce rays poured down from above. Beads of sweat rolled down Ye Zihan’s cheeks, while Lan Yu’s slender figure seemed almost unreal in the light.

“All right, come eat something.” Nearby, Hong Yan had somehow caught two wild rabbits and was roasting them over a fire. The rich aroma drifted out.

Lan Yu responded and beckoned Ye Zihan over.

Having sat and cultivated all morning, Ye Zihan was famished. He rose and walked over to join Hong Yan and Lan Yu.

The three sat around the fire, eating roast rabbit and chatting with laughter. The scene was warm and harmonious.

As Ye Zihan took the rabbit leg Lan Yu handed him, his movements suddenly halted, and two lines of tears slid down his cheeks.

Such warmth—he hadn’t felt it for many years. In his clan, only Ye Zixue would dine with him, but often she was busy cultivating, leaving him to eat alone, cold and solitary, with the same food the servants ate.

Hong Yan and Lan Yu were taken aback, but quickly understood. Though Ye Zihan’s mind was resilient and mature beyond his years, in truth, he was still a twelve-year-old boy. His past experiences were enough to affect his whole life.

“Han’er, the past is gone. You are no less than anyone now. Besides, you have us. We will always be by your side,” Lan Yu comforted gently.

“That’s right. Now your seal is broken and you possess the Chaotic Physique. As long as you train diligently, you will surely become a peerless master. You must let them see that abandoning you was their mistake—their loss!” Hong Yan clapped Ye Zihan’s shoulder.

Looking at the two with blurry eyes, Ye Zihan nodded heavily. In his heart, a resolve rose: abandoning me was your mistake. I will become a peerless master and make you regret what you did!

With food and drink replenished, Ye Zihan wasted no time. He returned to sit quietly before the waterfall, calming his mind and tempering his state of heart.

Time flew by; half a year passed in the blink of an eye.

In these six months, Ye Zihan remained at the waterfall, forging his state of mind. It wasn’t until the evening of the third month that he finally sensed the slightest fluctuation in his surroundings.

In his perception, a leaf swept down by the wind swayed as it fell, landing on the river before the waterfall. He could even sense, as the leaf lightly touched the water’s surface, the ripples that spread in circles, expanding slowly outward.

When Ye Zihan told Lan Yu all this, Lan Yu was mildly astonished—he hadn’t expected Ye Zihan to grasp the mysteries so quickly and sense the fluctuations of things. Though it was only the beginning, Ye Zihan’s talent already surpassed most.

For the next three months, Lan Yu continued cultivating Ye Zihan’s state of mind, expanding the scope and requiring Ye Zihan to sense the breath and fluctuations of things even further away.

Lan Yu occasionally used tricks—reversing the waterfall, collapsing the ground, stirring the mountain forest—creating grand scenarios for Ye Zihan to experience firsthand, blending himself into the scene, yet demanding absolute calmness of mind.

After three months, Ye Zihan gradually adapted, moving from panic to calm, handling everything with composure, showing the bearing of one unmoved even if Mount Tai collapsed before him.

Half a year passed, and the effects of cultivation were clear. Now Ye Zihan could clearly sense the breath and fluctuations of things within a hundred feet, and could move freely and skillfully within the scenes Lan Yu created.

Seeing Ye Zihan achieve such progress so swiftly, Lan Yu was very satisfied, inwardly sighing at the boy’s exceptional talent.

“The forging of your state of mind ends here. Tomorrow, you begin cultivating the Qi of the Five Elements.” Seeing Ye Zihan remain calm even as the ground shattered and the waterfall crashed beside him, Lan Yu smiled faintly and dismissed the waterfall.

Opening his eyes and wiping the water from his face, Ye Zihan glanced at the shattered stones beside him. The corners of his mouth curved upward. Over the past six months, his heart had grown much calmer; sudden changes no longer left him flustered. The progress was clear to him, and he was deeply pleased.

As night fell, three figures once again walked into the depths of the ancient forest, leaving only the waterfall behind, its steady flow witnessing the boy’s youthful form, sitting steadfastly through storm and mud like a rock.