The Perfect Apprenticeship Plan

A secluded mountain village.

Backed by emerald peaks, facing a mirror-like lake.

Mist curls lazily, and a small boat drifts quietly.

Seeing such a scene from the boat couldn’t help but lift one’s spirits, and Yi Feng, too, felt much of his gloom dissipate, finally finding a rare sense of ease and contentment.

Living leisurely in the wilderness—now that’s what you call a comfortable life.

Following the old man ashore and walking along, all he saw were farmers and hunters, as if he had returned to his former life. Memories of his carefree days running a martial arts school came flooding back, and Yi Feng’s mood relaxed considerably, letting go of the recent frustrations weighing on him.

Gradually, a light smile spread across his face as Yi Feng immersed himself in this unhurried atmosphere.

Fu Nantian, leading the way ahead, glanced back and felt even more assured. Watching this future disciple’s naive ignorance, his heart swelled with satisfaction.

This kid would never guess that the farmers he saw were anything but ordinary—every villager here was a peerless expert!

When he eventually learned the truth, wouldn’t he be utterly dumbfounded?

Tsk tsk…

The more he thought about it, the more eager he became. Fu Nantian strode forward with his hands behind his back, brimming with confidence.

At the same time, he sent a telepathic reminder to the villagers:

"Everyone, this is my future disciple. Make sure to suppress your auras so you don’t scare the kid."

Several overwhelming auras instantly receded, and replies echoed in his mind.

With everything prepared, Fu Nantian nodded in satisfaction and headed straight for a small courtyard at the village entrance, settling Yi Feng there.

Over the next few days,

the two ate and lived together, fishing and sipping tea by day, admiring the moonlit scenery and discussing wine by night—utterly carefree and content. The recent troubles and frustrations were temporarily set aside by Yi Feng, who finally allowed himself to relax.

Fu Nantian, meanwhile, took the opportunity to observe his future disciple more closely. Yi Feng’s temperament and character only deepened his regard, but this time, Fu Nantian remained composed, having learned from past mistakes. He didn’t immediately bring up the matter of taking him as a disciple.

After several failures, he had finally realized:

Yi Feng might seem lazy, but he was actually a stubborn young man. He needed to find the right moment to showcase his skills and earn his admiration—only then would Yi Feng willingly bow as his disciple.

Otherwise, this kid would never submit.

After pondering for days, Fu Nantian finally devised the perfect plan.

At noon after lunch,

when the two were about to head out for their usual fishing trip, Fu Nantian remained seated leisurely, showing no intention of getting up.

Yi Feng was puzzled.

"Old man? Did you eat something bad? Your face is all red—don’t tell me you’ve lost control at your age…?"

Fu Nantian nearly choked on his anger.

Suppressing his irritation, he struggled for a long moment without managing a single word!

It was clear to Fu Nantian now: this kid had no respect for him whatsoever. Combined with the setback at the Poisonous Sky Island, Yi Feng probably thought his cultivation wasn’t much to speak of.

This wouldn’t do. He needed to find an opportunity to show off and prove his true strength.

Resolving himself, Fu Nantian began considering dangerous secret realms.

Finally, he thought of the Ancient Return Corridor.

It was an ancient passage connecting Cloud Star to other star domains, the most famous of secret realms, located far in the starry river. Filled with countless perils and trials, stepping inside was practically a death sentence!

Taking this kid there to witness it firsthand, then revealing his overwhelming power as a Sage—wouldn’t Yi Feng be struck with awe, prostrating himself on the spot to become his disciple?

He had originally intended to take on a disciple as an ordinary man, but all he got in return was disdain and disrespect. Well, no choice—today, he would reveal his true self!

The more Fu Nantian thought about it, the firmer his resolve became, and a triumphant smile crept onto his face.

Seeing the old man sitting there lost in thought, suddenly grinning strangely, Yi Feng grew concerned and quietly asked,

"Old man, are you alright?"

"If it’s that bad, just go to the outhouse. Don’t hold it in—soiling your pants is no big deal, but don’t suffer for the sake of pride…"

Snapping back to reality, Fu Nantian coughed to mask his embarrassment.

"Ahem."

"What nonsense are you thinking?"

He shot Yi Feng a glare and spun a quick lie.

"Young man, your mind is always in the gutter. Let me tell you, I just remembered an excellent fishing spot. We’re bound for a big haul today!"

Yi Feng nodded in understanding. Seeing no signs of distress in the old man’s pants, he set aside his worries.

Hearing about a prime fishing location, he didn’t dwell on it further.

"I see."

"In that case, let’s get going. Don’t want to end up feeding the mosquitoes night fishing."

Fu Nantian smiled, donning his bamboo hat and picking up his fishing rod as he stepped out of the courtyard.

Yi Feng followed close behind.

The two walked on, stepping through the air, traveling farther and farther. Gradually, Yi Feng began to feel something was off, and his enthusiasm for fishing waned.

"Old man, why aren’t we there yet? How much longer?"

Fu Nantian chuckled. "A prime fishing spot isn’t something just anyone can find. We’re almost there—no need to rush."

Yi Feng nodded and trudged along.

Makes sense.

If it was truly a legendary fishing spot, of course it wouldn’t be nearby. A little extra walking was worth it for a good catch.

But the thought of "a good catch" brought back the frustrations he’d recently forgotten.

Yi Feng had tried everything to die, yet it all came to nothing. His grand plan to end his life had made no progress, and his cultivation only grew stronger, making it impossible to return to his simple past.

Truly, fate loved to play tricks.

The farther they walked, the more exasperated Yi Feng felt. Lost in thought, he stopped asking questions and fell into silence.

Ahead, Fu Nantian was secretly scheming.

Though being looked down on by this kid was irritating,

thinking about it another way, it wasn’t so bad. Being underestimated now would only make the eventual shock and awe all the more powerful—the contrast would be perfect.

Once he revealed his terrifying Sage-level cultivation…

Heh, wouldn’t this kid be thunderstruck?

This was the classic "humble before the mighty" setup!

Even before reaching the Ancient Return Corridor, Fu Nantian could already picture everything that would happen.

The once defiant and disrespectful youngster would finally recognize the true identity of the master before him, eyes filled with shame, before kneeling in trembling reverence.

"What?! You’re actually the legendary Sage?!"

"This junior was blind and foolish, speaking out of turn time and again! I beg for your forgiveness! If you would overlook my past offenses, I, Yi Feng, would be honored to become your disciple!"

Imagining this perfect scene, Fu Nantian’s smile widened, his heart swelling with delight.

Until a voice called from behind.

"Hey, old man? What are you thinking about? Your smile is downright creepy."

Fu Nantian quickly schooled his expression and tossed out a casual reply.

"Nothing. Today’s catch will be extraordinary."

Yi Feng sighed and kept following.

After an unknowable distance, Fu Nantian smirked and called out, "Kid, keep up."

"Yeah."

Yi Feng responded absentmindedly, taking another step forward.

But with that step,

his foot landed amidst a sea of stars!

Yi Feng froze, as if hallucinating.

Slowly raising his head, he realized there was no greenery, no lakes or mountains—only endless starlight surrounded him, and he stood adrift in the void.

Instantly, Yi Feng jolted awake, his expression drastically changing.

This...

This was no ordinary fishing lake!

Seeing his bewildered look, Fu Nantian felt immensely pleased—everything was going exactly as he had planned. All that remained was to awe Yi Feng before his grand, climactic reveal!

At this critical moment, Fu Nantian unleashed the performance of his lifetime.

With a deliberate tremble of his hands, the fishing rod slipped into the sea of stars.

That seemingly simple, subtle shake masterfully conveyed the shock and tension he should be feeling at this moment. The loss of his beloved fishing rod into the starry abyss amplified the despair, ratcheting up the tension!

Even an outsider witnessing this would feel the overwhelming dread and terror, as if this were just a helpless old man facing certain doom!

Self-evaluation of his acting? A flawless 99.99!

But Fu Nantian didn’t let pride distract him. He stayed fully immersed in his role, his face a picture of panic and dismay as he whipped around to stare at Yi Feng.

“Ah—no! Disaster!”

“Somehow... we’ve stumbled into the legendary Corridor of Ancient Echoes! What do we do now?!”