Before the mountain gate of Xuantian Sect, morning mist swirled and spiritual energy was abundant. Dozens of disciples stood ready, preparing to head out for training. Yuyi stood in the crowd, beside him a young man in green daoist robes—his senior brother Qingshan.
Qingshan had a handsome face, a gentle smile on his lips. He said to Yuyi, "Junior brother, on this training mission, stay close to me. Though the Netherworld Cave is our sect's training ground, the demonic beasts there are fierce—you cannot be careless."
Yuyi nodded respectfully, "Thank you, senior brother, for your guidance."
Qingshan patted Yuyi's shoulder, speaking earnestly, "Junior brother, you've just joined the sect and your cultivation is still shallow. When training, proceed step by step—do not be greedy for quick success. I, too, cultivated step by step from the fifth layer of Qi Refining to my current eighth layer. I know well the hardships of the cultivation path."
Yuyi sneered inwardly. Qingshan's words sounded noble, but he could sense the calculation in the other's eyes. Three months of mining life had taught him to read people. Though Qingshan appeared kind on the surface, there was a hypocrisy in his bones.
"Senior brother's teaching is correct." Yuyi still answered respectfully.
Just then, several flying horses were led out from the sect stables. The flying horses were snow-white throughout, their wings spanning over two zhang when spread, spiritual energy flowing around them—clearly spirit beasts carefully raised by the sect. Qingshan mounted a flying horse and said to Yuyi, "Junior brother, come up. We can reach the Netherworld Cave in two days."
Yuyi mounted the flying horse, feeling the warmth of the spirit beast beneath him. The horse let out a neigh, its wings vibrating as it shot into the clouds. The morning wind whistled past as Yuyi gazed at the gradually receding Xuantian Sect mountain gate, complex emotions rising in his heart. He had finally stepped out of the sect, beginning true training.
Two days later, the flying horses landed outside Netherworld Pass. This was the border between Xuantian Sect and the demonic beast forces, with cultivators stationed year-round. Yuyi and Qingshan dismounted, showed their sect tokens to the guarding cultivators, and entered the Netherworld Cave's territory.
The entrance to the Netherworld Cave was bustling with activity, disciples from various sects coming and going. The air was thick with the scent of blood and traces of spiritual energy fluctuations, and the roars of demonic beasts could be heard in the distance. Yuyi looked around and found hundreds of cultivators gathered here, their realms ranging from early Qi Refining to Foundation Building.
Qingshan pointed toward the depths of the Netherworld Cave and said to Yuyi, "Junior brother, the Netherworld Beasts inside are Qi Refining level demonic beasts. After killing them, you can obtain their demon cores. The cores contain spiritual energy that can improve your cultivation when refined. Let's go in and explore first."
Yuyi nodded, following Qingshan into the Netherworld Cave. The interior was dim, with glowing moss growing on the stone walls, barely illuminating the path. The air was thick with moisture and the scent of decay, and the low growls of Netherworld Beasts could be heard in the distance.
The two ventured about half an hour into the cave when suddenly a spiritual energy fluctuation came from ahead. Yuyi focused his gaze and saw a demonic beast the size of a calf dart from the shadows—completely black, its eyes glowing with eerie green light. It was a Netherworld Beast.
Qingshan drew the longsword at his waist and said to Yuyi, "Junior brother, you go first! This is a good training opportunity for you. Senior brother will guard from the side."
Yuyi's heart tightened. Qingshan was at the eighth layer of Qi Refining, while he was at the fifth layer. Logically, the senior brother with higher cultivation should strike first. Yet Qingshan was letting him go first—the implication was obvious.
Yuyi maintained his composure on the surface, drew his ordinary iron sword, and charged at the Netherworld Beast. The beast roared, opening its massive jaws to pounce at Yuyi. Yuyi dodged sideways, swinging his sword at the beast's belly. The ordinary iron sword collided with the beast's fur, producing a metallic sound but leaving only a shallow wound.
The Netherworld Beast, now in pain, attacked even more fiercely. Yuyi swung his sword repeatedly, the first form of the Xuantian Sword Art flowing, sword light flashing until he finally pierced the beast's vital point. The Netherworld Beast let out a mournful roar, fell to the ground, twitched a few times, then moved no more.
Yuyi withdrew his sword, feeling a warm spiritual energy surge from the beast's body, which he refined and absorbed. He calculated silently—the spiritual energy gained from killing a Netherworld Beast alone was indeed substantial.
Qingshan walked over, praising, "Not bad, junior brother. Your first kill of a Netherworld Beast was quite clean. Keep working hard—let's go deeper."
For the next several hours, Yuyi and Qingshan continued searching for Netherworld Beasts in the cave. Whenever they encountered a beast, Qingshan always let Yuyi strike first while he watched from the side. Only occasionally when Yuyi was in danger would Qingshan help, and even then, only minimally.
At dusk, the two found a relatively safe cave to rest. Yuyi sat cross-legged, circulating the Xuantian Breathing Technique to refine the spiritual energy gained that day. Qingshan sat nearby meditating, seemingly cultivating but actually secretly observing Yuyi.
Deep in the night, Yuyi was still cultivating when suddenly low voices came from outside the cave. Yuyi opened his eyes, held his breath, and quietly approached the cave entrance.
He saw two cultivators in black robes conversing. From their attire, they appeared to be Tianjian Sect disciples.
"Senior brother, with us training together like this, the spiritual energy distribution is too uneven," one cultivator complained. "Your cultivation is three layers higher than mine. Every time we kill a demonic beast, you refine far more spiritual energy than I do."
The other cultivator sighed, "There's no helping it—that's the law of heaven and earth. The greater the difference in cultivation, the more uneven the spiritual energy distribution. If you want to refine more spiritual energy, it's best to kill demonic beasts alone, or team up with cultivators of similar cultivation."
"I see now," the cultivator suddenly understood. "No wonder those high-cultivation cultivators always seek out low-cultivation ones to team up with—they're taking advantage."
Hearing this, Yuyi's heart shook. He finally understood Qingshan's scheme. Qingshan was at the eighth layer of Qi Refining, he was at the fifth—three layers difference. If the two killed Netherworld Beasts together, Qingshan would refine several times more spiritual energy than him.
What was worse, Qingshan kept having him kill Netherworld Beasts alone while watching from the side. This way Qingshan neither consumed spiritual power nor effort, yet could sit back and reap the benefits, refining large amounts of spiritual energy. Meanwhile, Yuyi risked his life for only a small portion.
Yuyi sneered inwardly. Qingshan's calculations were truly shrewd. He maintained his composure on the surface, returned to the cave to continue cultivating, but inwardly began planning how to counter-scheme.
The next morning, Yuyi woke early and said to Qingshan, "Senior brother, I'd like to train alone for a while to familiarize myself with the Netherworld Cave."
A strange light flashed in Qingshan's eyes, but he quickly returned to normal, speaking gently, "That's fine—junior brother does need more training. But be careful, and send a transmission if you encounter danger."
"Thank you, senior brother." Yuyi cupped his hands and walked alone toward the depths of the Netherworld Cave.
Qingshan watched Yuyi's departing back, his brows slightly furrowing. He vaguely felt something was off about Yuyi, but couldn't say what.
Yuyi ventured alone into the Netherworld Cave, searching for solitary Netherworld Beasts. He no longer acted rashly like the day before, but learned to observe and ambush. Whenever he found a Netherworld Beast, he would first study its weaknesses, then choose the optimal moment to attack.
By the end of the day, Yuyi had killed seven or eight Netherworld Beasts alone, refining several times more spiritual energy than the previous day. He felt his cultivation steadily growing, one step closer to the sixth layer of Qi Refining.
At dusk, Qingshan arrived. Seeing Yuyi processing a Netherworld Beast's corpse, a complex light flashed in his eyes.
"Junior brother, you've had quite a harvest today," Qingshan said, his tone carrying a hint of probing.
Yuyi pretended nothing was amiss, saying indifferently, "I was lucky—found a few solitary Netherworld Beasts."
Qingshan nodded, saying nothing more. The two returned to the cave to rest together, but the atmosphere between them had subtly changed.
Over the next few days, Yuyi and Qingshan continued training in the Netherworld Cave. Yuyi was respectful on the surface but constantly vigilant inside. He learned to hide his true strength before Qingshan, and learned to act alone at appropriate moments.
Qingshan also began to suspect Yuyi. He noticed Yuyi's cultivation steadily improving while the spiritual energy he refined grew less and less. He vaguely felt Yuyi was scheming against him, but could find no evidence.
The two appeared to cooperate while each harbored their own calculations. This false harmony was like thin paper, ready to be pierced at any moment.
That night, Yuyi sat alone at the cave entrance, gazing into the darkness of the Netherworld Cave's depths, complex emotions rising in his heart. He finally understood the cruel reality of the cultivation world. Even between fellow disciples, there was calculation and deception. No one would genuinely help you—only you yourself was reliable.
Yuyi gripped his ordinary iron sword tightly, a determined light flashing in his eyes. He knew this was just the beginning. On this cultivation path, he would encounter more schemes and traps. But he would not retreat, nor would he depend on anyone. He would rely on his own strength to step by step reach the peak.
In the distance, the roar of Netherworld Beasts rose again. Yuyi stood up and walked toward the darkness. His figure gradually disappeared into the shadows, leaving only a lonely yet determined silhouette.